Sunday, May 9, 2010

yum!


We aren't typically a Pinot house. Clearly, you know this if you've read our infatuation with the California Cabs or Zins. However, this Pinot was absolutely fantastic AND it went perfectly with our favorite homemade Saturday night dinner - Shrimp & Pasta (the recipe's scientific term is shrimp pasta in a foil package.)  Seriously the best meal I've ever made. Run, don't walk, to The Pioneer Woman's website and get this recipe.  Amazing. Delish and so so so easy. http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/12/linguine-with-shrimp/

Funny story, for 28 and 5/6th years, I thought I was allergic to shrimp. To prove it, every time I tried shrimp, I threw up, so the only logical cause and effect is that I was allergic to the crustacean.  But what I didn't tell you (and didn't realize myself), was that the only time I tried shrimp was on spring break in Florida.  I burned to a crisp every year on our trip to Ft. Myers and when I say burn, I mean BURNED - vanilla yogurt on my face to cool down the heat radiating off of my skin burn. (and yes, I have learned my lesson, sunscreen is now my friend.  I also married Sunscreen's #1 Fan.)  As a kid, it was always on the day that I became 7 shades redder that I tried shrimp and then immediately threw up in a bush. Yes, a bush.  I have no idea why but it was always a bush. So, you tell me, wouldn't you say, "Well, clearly you are allergic!"

Fast forward until last year when Mike, his coworker and I went to Vic Stewart's restaurant in Walnut Creek and we got prawns.  They were To. Die.For.  I loved them and would have ordered 7 more platefuls.  AND then I called my mom to tell her how great the prawns were...which is when I learned that:

prawns = shrimp

Huh? who knew?

Obviously not this Minnesota girl that just recently moved to the meca of all things crustacean.  Now that I know that I won't throw up seafood in a bush, a whole new can of worms has been opened. I love Cioppino - San Fransisco's take on Clam Chowder (only so much better).  There's a place on Belden Place that serves a mean Cioppino, but that's another day.

Another day that I need to go eat it so that I can take a picture and show you the bountiful goodness. 

After all this babble talk about food, I almost forgot about the wine. This pinot, Bernardus, is from Monterey County.  We were given this as a gift from a friend that used to live in Monterey, (the UPS guy is my favorite person in the WHOLE world when he drops off a wine delivery!), this was her favorite vineyard, and now I completely understand why.  The pinot was deliciously light but still had enough spice and punch to satisfy our bold needs in a glass of wine.   This wine was enough for me to open my eyes to Pinot.  Pinots have sold me a lot more lately. Ok one more. The reserve tasting room at Chateau St. Jean served a good pinot as well.  This wine also sold Mike on the label. He's a sucker for any lion type mythical creature things like the ones on this label. [wine = 3 stars] [lion label = 17.2 stars]

Holy long blog post batman! It's clear that I haven't talked to you much lately and am a bit long winded.  You'll hear more of me, don't you worry, hopefully the posts won't be this long, however there are no guarantees. 

Boy oh boy, I think you should stop reading this now and get on with your day!

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