The Transporter and I have something in common

The Transporter, a film starring Jason Statham will always be a favorite. The film was cool; Statham was cool. The Frenchman who played the police inspector was cool.

Many people don't know it, but as the winemaker/owner at Mastro Scheidt, I'm very much like the Transporter, except without a cool BMW. I drive a Nissan XTerra.

For instance, when asked about "the Deal", the Transporter would have some simple questions about every package he transported:

1. Weight

2. Dimensions

3. Destination

My recent transportation job involved 3 packages with a combined weight of 280 lbs destined for Fresno, California. Two empty wine barrels and a case of wine to be exact...try transporting those in the trunk of a BMW!

So the job was 3 items with a combined weight of 280 lbs (127 kilos for the Europeans reading this) destined for Fresno with a pickup in Healdsburg. Driving the speed limit for 249 miles with one stop for gas and refreshment (just like the Transporter)

Driving Highway 99 or I-5 isn't quite as glamorous as the highway of coastal France, but, it's a living.

Pasta Demo

My Dad and I had a lot of fun with some special guests in Fresno this week. I prepared three different pastas ahead of time and then put three more together on-the-spot. 

“Aperto” Raviolo Marinara (A singular “open” pasta in a light tomato sauce) paired with Azelia Dolcetto d'Alba

Pezzole Fagioli con Salsiccia (Literally, hand-torn pasta with beans and sausage) paired with Mastro Scheidt Harris Kratka Cabernet Sauvignon

Pappardelle Bolognese (Long, wide noodle with slow cooked meat sauce) paired with Mastro Scheidt Blueprint

Ravioli stuffed with spinach and two cheeses and topped with melted butter, olive oil and grated parmigiano reggiano.

Agnliotti stuffed with spinach and two cheese and topped with marinara.

Miles, Merlot and Italy

Of all the wines I have drunk, I can recall a few wines that have altered my opinions and broadened my experience; Ridge’s Monte Bello, an eight year vertical tasting of Opus One, and everything from Vino da Tavola to the finest Barolo in Italy.

Most American’s have a perspective on what merlot tastes like; merlot is looked down upon, marginalized, blended. I certainly have my opinion. I’ve never thought of merlot as the primary grape for making an outstanding American style Bordeaux, much less a single varietal Bordeaux. I like merlot as a varietal; I also like other varietals, zinfandel and petite sirah just to name two. I doubt merlot, zin, or petite could hold up against a great Cabernet or Pinot.

The film Sideways deepened America’s marginalization of merlot.  Miles rant about not wanting to drink “F’ing merlot” in favor of Pinot seemed appropriate, considering his love affair with the Burgundy varietal. Then there was the final irony, drinking a Château Cheval Blanc, heavily influenced by merlot; with a hamburger.

I have a friend, fellow wine aficionado and American Italian who knows her way around the world of great wines. It was a double blind tasting in Bakersfield and Lanette was pouring, explaining, and challenging the crowd that had gathered. Opinions were not something the crowd was unwilling to share; strong opinions to be sure.

I know that Lanette put something special in front of us for this double blind tasting. I know Lanette wouldn’t trick us with some plonker or over-rated trophy. I also happen to trust Lanette.

The wines had been set to the proper temperature, decanted and appropriate stemware was available. Each of the bottles we tasted was brown bagged for secrecy. We were standing, gathered around a large table, tasting among friends and peers; informal yet serious.

In most cases, with each taste, great wines reveal something, something more. Sure, I can figure out the sensory stuff with the best in the room. But that sensory evaluation is fleeting, it’s momentary, as the wine expands in the glass. The evaluation is also particular to the moment, as wine is constantly changing in the bottle. Taste the same wine a month later and the conditions change. Great wines are pervasive, they make an immediate sensory impact and a long-term personal impact; compelling the taster to seek out the wine again and again.

My first smells and tastes were probably a holdover from the truffle cheese and prosciutto de Parma I’d eaten moments earlier. So the first tastes were a throwaway, to refresh the palate.

Even though I discounted my first taste, one of the wines was certainly rich.

The second taste began to reveal what I was experiencing in that moment. Bold fruit; no-holds-barred fruit; with a monster of a back palate. This wine was not for the faint or those looking for softness. In all honesty, the second taste actually put me off a bit, it was too much, too bold. This certainly wasn’t a Pinot or Burgundy blind tasting. It had to be Bordeaux. But was this a blend or a single varietal? I know from past tastings, the likelihood of me figuring out if this wine was pure Cabernet or something else, was not likely. I’m much better at figuring out Old World versus American versus New World wines. This certainly tasted American to me, but knowing Lanette, I put the odds of this wine being American at 50/50.

Tasting again and again I began to shift my focus from sensory evaluation to personality and situational characteristics. When would I drink a wine like this and with whom? Who would appreciate this? What’s the setting? What food would pair with this wine? This is a showcase wine, not a warm-up. Any lesser wines, I don’t contemplate this much; I simply drink and move on. This had to be an epic wine.

But what was it? Who made it? Where was it from?

I get the fact that this is well crafted wine. This wine is not being tasted on its own, but side-by-side with another wine. And while I didn’t know it at the time, we were about to taste 8 other wines of high quality, side-by-side for the next couple hours.

For some reason, the crowd was very excited about this second wine. Is it rare? Is it expensive? Probably yes to both. Was I the only guy who wasn’t in on this? Then Lanette says, “this is the Latour of Italy…the Lafite of Italy.” So it was Bordeaux.

Take another sip…

Again from Lanette, “if I told you this was 100% Merlot, would that change anyone’s opinion?”

Take another sip…

I think to myself, “This wine is outstanding…this is merlot? No way…merlot doesn’t taste like this. The Lafite of Italy…What the hell have I been missing?! An Italian merlot maker? That narrows the list considerably.”

The suspense was building and Lanette was doing a wonderful job of building it.

I’m now captive, hostage to this wine. I know it’s of very high quality, from Italy, and 100% Merlot.

Do I have any sips left?

The brown bags are are torn apart to reveal…Masseto; 100% merlot from Italy and coming in at 15% alcohol.

I’ve only read about this wine; the book, a gift from my Mother about the best wines of Italy written by Bastianich. I’ve tended to favor the wines from La Spinetta, Gaja, and Pio Cesare over the years as benchmarks for the finest red wines in Italy. I would have never have guessed merlot could taste this good; this great. Nebbiolo, yes. Merlot, no.

Once the Masseto was revealed, it was quickly snatched up, but it was only the beginning of the evening. I wish I could have squirreled away another glass for later comparison. This is one of those rare opportunities where opinions are changed in an instant. Forget the preconceptions, your bias and learn something new. Merlot can be extraordinary.

At the end of the night, I had a glass of 2007 Ridge Monte Bello in my glass, a wine that made me change my perceptions regarding American oak and Cabernet Sauvignon outside of Napa Valley.  The Monte Bello was a fitting end to a provocative and enjoyable evening dedicated to changing my opinion about merlot. Italians can make a fantastic merlot; we Americans should try harder at making one too.

Thanks Lanette.

Masseto 2009

Ridge Monte Bello 2007

Hundred Acre 2009

Guado al Tasso 2009

Ramey Pedregal 2008

Opus One 2007 (twice)

Bryant Family Bettina 2009

CJ's Grill...Full Time in Mammoth Lakes

I spent an evening and a day with the proprietors, chef, expo, expeditor, server, host, wife, husband, father, and mother, of CJ’s Grill in Mammoth Lakes. Carrie and Jason Hoeltzel.

Why all the preceding titles? Because when you take in all of the things Carrie and Jason have to do during the day, I begin to question if I’m working hard enough?!

Being a mother or father of two children is a full time job. Having to work the floor or cook in a restaurant is ANOTHER full time job. So when I dropped by the Mammoth Farmer’s Market at 4:00pm and ran in to Carrie managing the booth for CJ’s homemade sauces and dressings, WITH an infant, only to find out that Carrie will then be running the Expo at the restaurant by 6:30pm AND considering I kept her up till closing the night before, I was beginning to wonder if she had a twin sister in town.

Meanwhile, Jason was already manning the kitchen for lunch and dinner that day. I stopped in just around the start of dinner service on the second day I was in town to watch the action and get behind the scenes of a local Mammoth favorite.

The evening before, I sampled several dishes, the smoked Alpers trout mousse, Caesar salad, and their 3 1/2 year old's favorite Mac and Cheese. Although their son recommended a hot dog with my Mac, I opted for the more grown up filet to top mine.

I was particularly interested in the Alpers trout mousse, as it was be featured in our combined Trout Seminar and Wine Pairing at the Mammoth Food and Wine Experience. Whether it's called a dip, pate', spread, or mousse, what I wanted to get to was the flavor. Pureed to a smooth consistency, the mid palate has an obvious, light sweet smoke flavor; while the back palate has a hint of heat from the cajun style seasoning Jason applies to the trout.

Naturally, my mind wanders to..."I could use this trout flavor profile to stuff in ravioli and finish with a tomato vodka cream sauce"...but I digress.

Jason and Carrie emphasize their committment to making scratch sauces, dressings, and dips. Mac and Cheese Sauce...scratch made. Caesar dressing...scratch. BBQ Sauce...scratch. These were the sauces and dressings that Carrie was selling at the Mammoth Farmer's Market earlier that day.

I can say with certainty, trusting Jason and Carrie's son was a good idea. My Mac and Cheese was cheesy and the pasta was cooked properly. It's a generous portion for me, a mountain size portion of Mac. 

In addition to emphasizing scratch sauces and dressings, desserts are also made in-house, including various ice cream flavors. As I was dining toward the end of service, much of what CJ's sells is often sold out before the end of an evening, only to be prepared the next day. 

I'm still awed by all the things Jason and Carrie are doing as a team, as a couple, as a Chef and Front-of-House Manager. The restaurant business isn't easy, having two young children isn't easy. Being a wife/husband/mother/father/chef/owner isn't easy.

But maybe that's the point, if it was easy, anyone could do it.

Carrie and Jason aren't just anyone...they're amazing!

CJ's Grill

343 Old Mammoth Road

Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546

760.934.3077

Arrived in Mammoth Lakes

Dispatch....Mammoth Lakes, California....July 3, 2013

The 2013 Mammoth Food and Wine Experience kicks off tomorrow and everyone at Mastro Scheidt is looking forward to it.

Our winemaker, David Scheidt, is already on the ground doing exactly what you'd expect him to be doing...eating and talking with chefs.

Last night, David dined with Carrie and Jason Hoeltzel of CJ Grill. In fact, we started dinner, appropriately, with a Fritz Rose'. Jason and David are speaking together at the Mammoth Experience on Friday for the seminar: Everything You Wanted to Know About Trout But Were Afraid to Ask.  I'm sure David will be snapping some photos of Chef Jason in action this weekend.

Jason will be leading the cooking demo, while David will be pairing some of his favorite wines from Dry Creek and Russian River Valley with Chef Jason's trout creations....such as:

Jim Rickards Aglianico/Syrah Rose 2012

Philip Staley Duet 2012

Forth Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2012

Roadhouse Pinot Noir Yellow Label 2011

Tehachapi Chili Cookoff Recipe

Full Recipe for the Tehachapi Chili Cookoff has over 30 pounds of pork and beef, so my portion sizes reflect the large amount. 

• Lard (enough to cook the meat)
• 1000ml New Mexico Chili
• 1000ml California Chili
• 200ml Pasilla Chili
• 100ml Pequin Chili
• 100ml Tepin Chili
• 100ml Arbol Chili
• 500 ml Garlic
• 500 ml Onion Powder
• 4 tablespoons Black Pepper
• 4 tablespoons Cumin Powder
• 106 oz Tomato Sauce
• 1000 ml Mastro Scheidt Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon to deglaze the pans you sear the meat in
• Kosher Salt (to taste, adding to chili after the first and second hour)
• Water to cover all the chili initially and to de-thicken when necessary
• 10lb Beef sirloin (grilled on mesquite charcoal, allowed to rest and sliced into bite size pieces
• 6lb Beef Chuck, ½ inch cubes (seared in lard)
• 12lb Pork Loin ½ inch cubes (seared in lard)
• 8lb Beef Chuck, ground (dropped in to large pot uncooked at beginning of process)

Can’t stress Step 1 enough: Sear and brown all the Pork and Chuck Roast Cubes! Color equals flavor and all of this meat should be browned heavily in lard before being added to the large pot. Don’t crowd your sautee/skillet with meat, take your time and brown the meat properly. I do not season any of the pork or chuck roast cubes prior to cooking. The meat will stew long enough to pick up flavors, besides, seasonings will burn in the time it takes to brown all this meat. Remove all the browned meats to a separate bowl for later incorporation.

DON’T WASH THE PAN YOU SEARED ALL THAT MEAT IN! You will need to deglaze the pan that you seared all the meat in.

ADD THE SECRET INGREDIENT…Mastro Scheidt Cabernet Sauvignon to deglaze any elements that have stuck to the bottom of the pan or pans you browned the meats. Scrape all the bits off the bottom of the pan and throw all that liquid in the same bowl you have all your meat waiting to be incorporated into your big pot of chili.

Meanwhile, take your whole sirloins and slice them in quarters. Place them on the BBQ and grill them quickly on all sides. You want to mark all sides of the sirloin with the grill and seal the meat thoroughly picking up flavors from the mesquite. When all sides have been seared well, take the sirloins off the BBQ and set aside to rest. The sirloins will NOT be fully cooked. You will cut the sirloin prior to adding it to the chili.

After all your meat is browned in a skillet or marked on the BBQ, take out your big stew pot. Turn the stew pot on high heat and dump a couple tablespoons of lard in the stew pot and allow to melt. Then take HALF of ALL the spices above and dump them in the pot with the hot lard. Make sure the spices are well coated in the lard, stirring everything together to be coated. Continue stirring so the spices don’t stick to the bottom of the large pot for about 3-5 minutes to make sure all the spices are toasted through and toasty but not burnt.

Add ¾ of your tomato sauce to the pot with the spices and continue to stir so that the tomato sauce comes to the boil. Keep the remaining tomato sauce to adjust thickness and flavor near the end of the cooking process. Tomato adds a little acid to the chili which can make the flavors pop (like squeezing lemon on steaks)

Dump in ALL of your mixtures of meat INCLUDING the uncooked ground beef. The uncooked ground beef will add texture to the chili and will slowly cook.

Bring the pot up to a boil, stirring everything to incorporate. Then lower the heat on the pan to a slow simmer. Add just enough water to cover all of the ingredients. Stir occasionally to ensure that nothing is burning or sticking to the bottom.

After the chili has cooked for an hour taste for salt and add some salt.

Roughly 2 hours into the cooking process, dump in the remaining spice mixture from above and add water if needed to ensure the mixture doesn’t get to think.  Allow the chili to cook for about 30 more minutes and again, taste and adjust for salt and if desired, heat.

I add chili powder (tepin and pequin) for heat about 30 minutes before I’m ready to serve to adjust for the heat the crowd is looking for. Since everyone is different I leave you and your audience to decide. Once the heat is added, it can’t be taken away, so I don’t add much at all. You can add jalapenos, habaneros, or whatever you like at this point...that for you to decide.

Chili should take roughly 3-4 hours to cook for the 36 pounds of meat recipe because of all the browning of the meats. With a smaller portion, it could be completed in 3 hours of cooking time.

Tehachapi Chili Cookoff

It's Father's Day Weekend, so Tom and David Scheidt are hitting the road to compete in the 2013 Tehachapi Chili Cookoff and Classic Car Show.

We've got tough competition, as our friend Jim Cyr is also competing! And from what I've been told...Jim cooks up a mean batch of chili.

Regardless of the outcome, we're looking forward to heading to Tehachapi and joining in on the fun, food, and festivities for Father's Day Weekend.

Mammoth Food and Wine 2013

It's official, Mastro Scheidt Family Cellars will be participating in the Mammoth Lakes Food and Wine Experience 2013, July 5-7 in Mammoth Lakes, California. (Get tickets for the event)

Not only are we pouring our award winning wines at the Grand Tasting, Proprietor and Winemaker David Scheidt will be a featured presenter on food and wine pairings.

David has some other business in Mammoth to take care of while he's there...peak bagging. There might be a 14'er or two on the horizon.

Tomato Garden 2013: June 6 Report

First yields have come, in order, from:

Sweet 100

Lemon Boy and Druzba

The Unknown Plant. Unknown seems to be an heirloom variety because of its color and shape, red and conical.

Full View of Garden

Sun reaches my Sweet 100’s by 730am, with the patch of grass in from of it, out to the 4^th row of N/S furrows also by 730am, as of June 6. If I have an opportunity to extend the garden in 2014, I would extend it to the early morning patch.

At this point, I have not added any supplement fertilizer to the tomatoes, except to the Sweet 100. As the Sweet 100 receive the most sun and first in the morning to see the sun, they are stressed because of their location, with only one furrow supplying water. I built a second, small furrow for hand watering since mid-May.  It’s bone-dry in this area of the garden, but the plant is producing.

Druzba

My Peppers have also received a supplemental fertilizer treatment, same as the Sweet 100 tomatoes. They seemed undernourished to me and lacking vigor in Mid-May. They have produced two crops so far and looking healthy. The only observation here is, they could use more sun. The plant that receives sun last is the tallest and last to produce, thus, I believe, reaching to the sun for nourishment.

The Isis Candy has grown to an enormous size, both tall and wide. It impedes on every plant around it. Obviously vigorous, it is behind the other plants in terms of producing a large crop. As I recall, it produces very late in the season. Next year, Isis Candy will need to have its own stake/trellis systems and have any plant removed from its base by a minimum of 5 feet from the center in all directions. It’s growing into and on top of every other plant it’s around.

Isis Candy - taking over the area

San Diego, even though planted late, is a vigorous and healthy plant. Fruit is already present, leaves are healthy, no yellowing.

I have noticed yellowing near the base on the Italian Heirloom, Sweet 100, and Momotaro. I have resisted using any fertilizer to this point, as the plants are producing.

The Italian Heirloom has never looked vigorous, despite its size, or real green in color. Perhaps it’s the variety, it is doing its job, just doesn’t seem happy doing it. Probably misses Italy, like I do. I will honor Italian Heirloom with an exclusive all-Italian product feast as proper respect must be observed.

Italian Heirloom - Waiting to be picked

I haven’t strung up or added any stakes in the last 2 weeks. I did plenty of tying plants and stringing loose ends from overgrowth and crowding. I planted a bit wider this year, however the Druzba, Isis Candy, and Yellow Pear are all very crowded together.

Watering has been consistent at once every 7 or 8 days for 1 hour and 15 minutes per session. The hose doesn’t trickle, but doesn’t gush, let’s call it Low and Slow Watering. None of the fruit has split at the bottom, although some have large dark spots visible.

Two garden pets, birds, looking for Sweet 100 and a little worm that also happens to like my sage bush. I feed the worm to the ants. The birds, well, like Clemenza said, “you don’t have to worry about him no more”.

Italian Peppers are Here!

There are few things that I wait for with such anticipation, Italian peppers are one of those things.

Nothing speaks of Summer to me more than a plate of slow roasted peppers, fresh tomatoes, olive oil, parmigiano, and fresh bread. 

Cooking Italian peppers is easy:

Set Oven to 350 degrees

Place all peppers in roasting pan

Lightly apply olive oil, salt, and a touch of water over the peppers

Place pan in oven, cook peppers until soft, turning or adding water so the peppers don't stick to the bottom.

Or

If you want to add work to your day, each pepper can be cleaned of seeds and tops prior to roasting

Early Season Review of Rafanelli and Gipson Ranch

I spent a little time up at Rafanelli Vineyard and Gipson Ranch recently, reviewing each of the properties and the super-early prognostication on the 2013 grape harvest quality. 

The early predictions look very good. If this heat keeps up, it could be an early season. Not a lot of rain and warm days have accelerated growth in 2013. 

I've been looking to harvest Sauvignon Blanc and Petite Sirah in 2013 to widen my experience as a winemaker and broaden the audience of wine drinkers beyond Cabernet Sauvignon. I've always like Petite for its deep color and longevity. Naturally, I'm working my current vineyard partners and my bias for hillside fruit locations in Sonoma County.

We've got a long way to go until harvest begins, but the early opinion polls show promise.

DS

Italian Home Cured Salumi

I've added some pictures to the Gallery from one of my projects this winter...curing meat at home.

The basics of the project:

Beef: Top Sirloin

Pork: Loin

Cure time: 12 days

Hang time: Beef - 22 days, Pork - 30 days 

Seasoning: Fennel, Salt, Sugar, Paprika, Black Pepper, Cardamon

Average Temperature: 60

Average Humidity: 68

Room Used: Spare closet, North-West corner of home

Guide Book: Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing

Mentors: Dino Bugica, Diavola in Geyserville, Peter White, Sugo in Petaluma,  Mike Shackelford, Trelio in Clovis

Garden Update

Bad news first, unfortunately, there have been a couple casualties. The Champion had the purple leaf disease and was becoming brittle and dying. The second Pineapple heirloom also died, which makes both Pineapple plants casualties for the season. Garden Peach was the last to go, it was also stricken with the purple leaf/wasting disease.

Now good news, the 6 pack of Sweet 100 on the left row and progressing better than expected. They get all early morning sunshine and a sprinkle of water from the sprinkler system 3 times a week. The sprinkle lasts 8 minutes. The sprinkler regime will change to 6 times a week for 4 minutes.

Flood irrigation once every 7-8 days for 1.25 hours has been the watering schedule for the main garden. I have not used any fertilizer on the garden since my initial manure.

Druzba has once again taken off early, already yielding as of 4/25. Yield is also present on Sweet 100, Ace and my Unknown.

The two new plants Momotaro and San Diego are progressing without issue.

I moved the Early Girl from underneath the orange tree to where the dead Champion was planted. The original location for the Early Girl is bone dry and lacking sun. Bone dry to the point that I would have to spot water the plant because it was weak.

I've used a combination of cages and stakes just as last year. The skinny cages from most garden stores are not my favorite. I've staked all my Sweet 100s and have already begun to tie lines for support. I have three wide cages in use and prefer them over the skinny tapered cylinder cages.

Have changed the drip irrigation on the buckets for the pepper plants as well. The last bucket was saturated with water and the pepper plant was waterlogged. I transported the plant into the position where the Garden Peach was. It seems to be doing fine. The pepper plants in the ground are healthy and growing nicely. The Pepper plant in the smaller clay pot is yielding the first pepper of the season. That is the only pot that has received water from the drip from day 1. It seems to drain better than the oak barrels and is at the end of the line in terms of the drip.

Backyard Garden 2013

After a successful Backyard Garden 2012 and the rolling over to the Vernal Equinox, it was time to plant Backyard Garden 2013.

My garden is Certified "Backyard" as it always will be. I use a combination of Hybrid and Heirloom varieties of plants, specifically tomato. I have not purchased a tomato from a grocery store, Whole Foods or otherwise, since last season when I ripped my tomatoes out. The only tomatoes I have used for personal consumption are the ones I bottled or the Italian canned variety from the store (high quality canned ones obviously). 

I also planted curly Italian pepper plants, which are not easy to find anymore. I haven't planted these in many years. I love Italian peppers and look forward to my first meal of fresh bread, olive oil, cheese, tomatoes, and peppers in a couple months.

For those that would like more detail on the configuration and the "starting line-up" of tomatoes, I've attached a picture. 

The Isis Candy was one of the sweetest cherry tomatoes I had all last year, hence its return in the starting line-up. The Druzba is a bushier plant that produced early and vigorously last year. The Pineapple was super-sweet early season and grew more acidic late season with great colors. I couldn't find the San Diego variety this year, as it was my favorite tomato in 2012.

I planted the Hybrid varieties in less desireable areas of the garden from my perspective. The soils are a little drier and compact, although I do my best to help by tilling and adding manure. Ace, Champion, and Early Girl I have worked with before, generally robust and can take the heat. I also planted all of the Sweet 100s in the back row. I may allow these to grow a bit more wild, rather than cage them. My experience with cherry tomatoes, they need a lot of room, so generally my cherries are on the ends of the garden for access.

New to the line-up for 2013, the Garden Peach and Italian Heirloom.

Now we wait for abou 70 or so days for some fruit.

Mastro Scheidt Carnevale Dinner

After two solid days of preparation, the entire Mastro Scheidt Family pulled off a private Carnevale dinner, celebrating the "end of meat" just before the Easter Season.

The private dinner included nine (9) courses for each of the 12 guests. Wines were paired with each course, including our favorite Chardonnay from Bacigalupi Vineyards and a wine from David's personal cellar, a 2002 Rafanelli Zinfandel.

Sourcing the ingredients, like Community Grains polenta, Marin Sun Farms pork belly, ox tails, bone marrow, and veal, not to mention all the cheeses (yes, you Emily, they loved the Red Hawk) and various mushrooms was great fun. 

John ran the front of house the entire evening and took care of all the wine service. My father made his first ever chocolate mousse (he learned how to "fold" properly) and made sure my outside kitchen stayed busy, and my mother interacted with each of the guests from beginning to end. Additionally, friends of my parents helped expedite and clean during the entire service and were crucial to the evening. Many thanks to them.

Naturally, I'd like to thank our gracious hosts and each of the guests for their participation, enthusiasm, and healthy appetites.

Carnevale Pork Belly Recipe

One of the highlights of the night for our guests was the Arrosto Maiale. In this case an oven-roasted whole pork belly with crispy cracklin. The basis for the recipe is from Gordon Ramsay and a clip from his "F-Word" television program on BBC.

I departed from the instruction on-line in several ways. Firstly, I used thickly sliced mushrooms instead of garlic on the bottom of the pan during roasting. My "hot oven" was 400 degrees for 2-hours. I didn't use the gravy from the drippings, rather, I kept the pan juices for another recipe. Secondly, I didn't have enough time to press the belly in the refrigerator after in roasted in the oven, I had enough time for the belly to rest at room temp for about 2 hours. Thirdly, rather than finish the cracklin in the oven for ten minutes, I chose to finish the cracklin in a deep pan over the stove. Basically, I turned the pork belly pieces, cracklin side down in a deep, non-stick pan with about an inch of pork fat in it, and slowly fry/saute the belly till golden brown.

Here's the finished product:

Mastro Scheidt Cellars wins 3 Gold Medals

The results are in from the four wines we submitted to the 2013 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition and Mastro Scheidt Family Cellars won 3 Gold Medals and 1 Silver Medal in our first ever wine competition! We're honored...

Gold Medal, 2010 Blueprint, Cabernet Sauvignon / Cabernet Franc, Dry Creek Valley

Gold Medal, 2010 Double Barrel, Cabernet Franc, Dry Creek Valley

Gold Medal, 2009 Double Barrel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley

Silver Medal, 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley

The San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition is the largest competition of American wines in the world. Wineries from Napa, Sonoma, and Paso Robles are heavily represented, as well as wines from the Finger Lakes and Hudson Valley in New York.

Photo Courtesy of Jessie Friedman, Eat Retreat October 2012

Proprietor and winemaker, David Scheidt will be pouring with his brother John Scheidt, all of our award winning wines at the public tasting event in San Francisco on February 16 from 2pm - 5pm at the Fort Mason Center. So come and meet The Scheidt Brothers and taste our wines!

School House Restaurant...at The Pass

When Michelle Jackson, wife of Chef Ryan Jackson, asked me to work the floor on a busy Friday night at the School House Restaurant in Sanger, it was an easy "Yes". 

I've worked the floor at restaurants before. 

Working in the the front-of-the-house at a restaurant gives a diner an entirely different perspective on food, the restaurant experience, and the passage of time.

However, witnessing "The Pass" at a restaurant, the area where food passes from the kitchen to the dining area, lives in a yet undefined Einstein space-time reality. The Pass is a different world and perceived at a different time than the rest of the restaurant.

As I poured wine that evening, I stood next to The Pass and Chef Ryan every chance I got. I love the action, the commentary, the sense of place.

Patrons in the main dining room simply see food coming to them in the hands of their server, never the various combinations of "how" their order actual gets to them. The server sees the pass often as a gridlock, with their tables never quite coming out fast enough. The kitchen just sees order after order, hopefully uninfluenced by the servers as to what order is taken first or grouped with others.

Finally, there is the individual running The Pass. Sometimes it's the Executive Chef, sometimes it's a restaurant manager, sometimes a Sous Chef, sometimes an owner/partner. It's not an easy job. The Pass has to recognize each dish on the menu, checking for consistency. The Pass must understand the flow of the restaurant and how quickly customers are eating, ordering, arriving, and departing. The Pass must understand the temperament of the servers, who panics, who pads times, who is in control. The Pass must find a formula outside of Einstein's space-time that brings every element of the restaurant together to say, "Table 48 is ready to be served."

It's obvious that a successful restaurant needs to be busy. The Pass helps control the fine line between busy and chaos. Having consistently well-prepared food is why customers go out to eat. But a steak left to long in the window can turn a great steak into a cold steak. Once again The Pass has to make hundreds of judgement calls a night; sometimes 7 nights a week. The Pass puts together skills from both the front and back of house, like no other position in the restaurant.

Many thanks to Ryan and Michelle Jackson and everyone who has supported Mastro Scheidt wines at the School House Restaurant.

And here's to the industry people that run The Pass!

Darth Malort and The Force

“Just when I thought I was out…they pull me back in.” Michael Corleone, Godfather III

“Choice. The problem is choice.” Neo in the Matrix

“But Master Yoda says I should be mindful of the future.” Obi-Wan

“But not at the expense of the moment.” Qui-Gon Jinn

Opening night at Eat Retreat was exploratory. It started off wonderfully enough, open fire grilled lamb, copious amounts of red wine, and good conversation; three things that make me happy. 

My mood began to change after the introductory campfire and the brief circle of personal stories. I had flashbacks of grammar school, high school, college, and financial industry conferences. Equal parts summer camp, high school football after-party, frat party, and conference hotel bar all combining together among a crowd of 20 somethings all the way through 40 somethings (although there may have been a quinquagenarian or two in the group)

To be perfectly honest, part of me didn’t know where to fit in. I certainly drink. Heaven knows I’m a big eater and love food. I’m reasonably social. I’m happy to drink grappa, amaro, or some local firewater late in to the evening. I don’t shoot the stuff down like I used to, but rather sip it these days. I’m even known to enjoy a cigar.

I’ve got plenty in common with other Eat Retreaters, like food. So what was my hesitation late in the evening? I think a large part was nearly 20 years of going to financial conferences and knowing exactly what to do, how to act, what to say and more importantly what NOT to say. Big Brother is always watching. Human Resources is a phone call away. Some Managing Director may begin to question me at 11pm about the firm and its macro position on the European debt crisis, knowing I may have had a little too much wine. And remember, I'd have to be up, shaved, suit on, ready to rock at 7am each morning.

It’s the training. The programming. The discipline.

So when a bottle of unknown Mid-Western hooch with dubious origins and product slogans tailored to head-sock wearing hipsters who chase said product down with PBR at 11pm was presented to the crowd to swig straight out of the bottle, a danger sign went off in my head. 

Photo by Mike Lee

The name of the hooch was Malort. The individual responsible for bringing it? Rachel Adams.

 “Kick your mouth in the balls” The official slogan of Malort

“Because these pants aren’t going to shit themselves”

“It smells like a tire fire and” something else, but I was laughing so hard I totally didn’t hear the other thing Malort smells like.

“Northern Discomfort”

Rachel, with eyes wide open and ‘all-in’ on every bet that weekend, began passing Malort around. Rachel does not come from the institutional investment world as I have. I watched Rachel shoot her first oyster, eat her first chicken foot, and drink her first Cabernet Franc with absolute enjoyment and excitement I rarely see these days. I’m sure Rachel did plenty of things for the first time at Eat Retreat. Rachel is what makes Eat Retreat a retreat, a chance to get away from it all and live your life, a moment at a time. But my guess is, Rachel lives this way outside of Eat Retreat as well. Enjoying the moment.

Photo by Mike Lee of Rachel Adams

Enjoy the moment, right? Yes, I was. But, I also enjoy sleep, no hangover, and making sure a Mystical Malort Cat didn’t take a shit in my mouth while I slept. Yes, I’m restrained. But I can’t disregard the life I’ve lead for nearly 20 years with high-quality results. The last time I chugged Jack Daniels out of the bottle was in college.

I chose the quotes to start this article with care. Even after Michael Corleone  went “legit” in Godfather III, the past had a way of catching up with him, pulling him back into his old life, despite his best efforts to leave it. We all have a choice, we all look to the past and the future, but shouldn’t waste the moment. (I love movies).

My old life is still part of my present life, but in a different way. I’m still the product of training, lifestyle and environment. But these days I’ve given myself choices. I still won’t choose to chug dubious spirits from a bottle that has touched 15 other mouths or stay up till 4am. I no longer choose to stay in hotel rooms 200 days and fly 100,000 miles a year as part of my job either. A lot has changed for me by choice in the last couple years.

In recent years, I have chosen a different path. For instance, enjoying a moment with Rachel Adams to shoot her first oyster and take in her anticipation, excitement, and desire to shoot her second oyster immediately after her first, is something worth being a part of. Sorry Rachel, chugging Malort is not my thing anymore. Downing oysters, anytime. Other 'moments' included

When conducting the wine tasting, having Mike Lee and I simultaneously say “petroleum” while sampling a Finger Lakes Riesling, is a moment I’m looking for.

When Chef Samantha shouts, “how we doin’ Chef?” to ME on our Sunday Brunch crew, is a moment I was caught up in.

Chatting with Chris on Sunday about life in our late 30's and early 40's, versus our 20's. Wait till we're 60 my friend.

Creeping out Stephen at 6am Saturday morning while he slept on the couch in the Grand Room. Never thought someone would be up that early, eh Stephen? By the way, anyone with a handle like @_terroirism_ on twitter, you've gotta get to know. Also, thanks for keeping me caffeinated that weekend.

Taking my first look at Mirit’s Sunday Brunch presentation and thinking, “Damn, that’s good!”

There were several moments at Eat Retreat that I will enjoy for a long time to come. I'm still processing all the stuff that went on; the conversations, the food, the moments in time that I've been able to write about. 

It's experiences like Eat Retreat that I'm chosing to find these days, rather than simply experience. Maybe I should end it with one more quote that I can relate to..."Unlearn, what you have learned." Master Yoda.

Ninjas, Knives, and Cameras

“Fear causes hesitation,

and hesitation will cause your worst fears to come true.”

Bohdi as played by Patrick Swayze in Point Break

Heather doesn’t appear to be a cold-blooded killer. She talked about the Act of Killing, hopefully, a disturbing thought for humans. She spoke of the Ninja Master who taught her. She described the steps. She followed the playbook. She thought about it, planned it like a First Degree Murder, told each and every one of us how it was going to happen. The victim was in her right hand, the knife in her left. And no one was going to stop her.

Photo by Heather Irwin

Of the entire Eat Retreat weekend, the most impactful session had to be the chicken slaughter. Yes, I’m using the term slaughter specifically now, rather than kill as I did before. Heather has slaughtered hundreds of animals without hesitation because of the purpose involved, providing food. But the first chicken she slaughtered Saturday morning, October 27 2012 a little after 10:42am, may not have gone as methodically as she was used to.

Why?

She talked about the slaughter at length before she committed the act.  If memory serves, Heather continued talking about the act of slitting a chicken throat after she placed the chicken upside down in the aluminum cone, (despite the editing job we’ve seen online). With the knife in her hand, she talked about involuntary muscle response, chicken poop, reminding us to be swift and act without hesitation. As she stretched the neck of the chicken, discussing the motion of the knife preparing for slaughter she says two things,

“{quietly} Calm down {to the chicken as it struggled}…

{then to the crowd} Alright, I’m just going to do this and we can talk about it later.”

Change the circumstances and the purpose for Heather, such as describing in detail what happens when you slit a chicken throat and the moment changes, the emotion changes, the purpose changes and it was clear to me in Heather’s speech; when she spoke to the chicken and then to the crowd. Heather was technically slaughtering a chicken, like she does on a daily basis for work. However, the emotion, mood and crowd changed the conditions to the pejorative; killing rather than slaughtering a chicken, describing the gory details for the crowd in front of her.

Photo by Heather Irwin

I’m guessing she doesn’t have a crowd of by-standers with digital video cameras when she does her day-to-day job.

The description of the slaughter seemed to resonate with a lot of spectators.  The expressions on faces, the talk leading up to the act of cutting, the quiet reverence in the semi-circle, and the discussion around the table that night all affected the simple act of slaughtering a chicken for food.

I’m a hunter. I’ve been a hunter for 27 years. Hesitation in hunting can lead to poor results and missed opportunities. 2000 years ago, hesitating to dispatch your objective could lead you to go hungry and die. These days, I’m more likely to kill myself driving to the grocery store than being attacked by a lion or bear.

I first shot an animal when I was 14 years old with a shotgun. As I wasn’t that great of a shot or hesitated or aimed poorly, sometimes I only wounded birds and therefore, had to wring some necks when I chased down the birds to finish the job. Poor shooting is disrespectful to birds or any other animal.

I’m a lot better shot these days.

I also don’t “think” about the act of shooting or describe shooting to people while hunting. Hunting is often a reaction to the situation. If I actually had to think about drawing the weapon, aiming, and pulling the trigger, much less describing what I’m going to do; like Heather describing how to wield a knife, I’d probably miss the damn shot. 

My brother and I shooting pheasants

Additionally, when I was the youngest member of the hunting party and as a right of passage, I had to clean all the birds shot that day by everyone, probably 40 birds on a 102 degree afternoon in Fresno County. Stinky, messy, bloody, warm, gross, but eventually tasty. I’ve only missed 3 seasons of hunting since I was 14. I’m not the youngest guy at the hunt anymore, but I still clean the birds I shoot and make sausage with the scraps of deer.

In the end, birds or any other animal are simply meat to be cooked later that afternoon or evening. I didn’t think anything of shooting birds when I was a teenager, other than I was carrying on a long held tradition of eating what I shot. I don’t think much of it now as a 41 year old adult either, whether by knife, shotgun, or rifle.

I’m hunting, slaughtering, and butchering the animal to eat it.

No hesitation. No fear. No detailed descriptions. 

Honor the animal by cooking it properly.

Photo by Mike Lee, Heather and David marveling over guanciale

Heather, you’re carrying on a long-held tradition of craftspeople, doing the job most modern people don’t have the temperament, fortitude, or discipline to do. You’re an example of what’s best about Eat Retreat, leading by example. I have the utmost respect for your craft, talent, and strength.