Une histoire de fille

Comment commencer, How should I start, strangely now after 10 years it is easier to write in english, avec une trace de francais, Nobody's perfect.....

Perfection or Perfection a simple word with a lots of meaning, perfection n'ai pas de se monde, perfection do not exist in this world, It is after all in the eyes of whom judge....but should we judge ???.

A l'heure du photoshop magazine and make up is everywhere.

from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsiQptl_Y9E

to Any essex girl that you could see coming miles away in the street with 10 kg of fake tan and the same eye color that my grandma .....

But who am I to say something?? really if they like it , why not, before Punk was a form a rebellion now it is a fashion statement, same for the ghotic or steampunk, before you had to create your makeup or clothe now there is shops for that. there is no real rules everything is possible...

So now follow your love, do dress as you want (as long as it is dress), follow your own line.

wine and food pleasure and reality ?!

http://www.winebrandsblog.com/2009/10/can-we-talk-about-wine-like-we-talk.html in response to that blog an lot's of others I must take the time to talk about my own experience in different country and yes, this is more a problem of perception and education, mostly continental personn have a cultural "food and drink" appreciation and knowledge, but it is more about linking both of them as a pleasure and way of life than in opposite American and English link that more to a "bodily function"... Floyd, Blumenthal and all the english chef have for a long time try to explain that concept to the english public and the governement is trying to fight in this moment the "booze" generation who is in fact link to the same concept of "enjoying" a drink instead of "drink to be drunk" cultural game in broad street. I sold wine every night with a dinner in order to enjoy that dinner not to end up in the toilett!!!!. When you go to a restaurant it is for the all experiences of relaxing, conversation and sharing a moment in an atmosphere, the same apply for going out in a bar with friend concentrate more on the friends and the conversation not on drinking more than the others......

MIDDLE EAST WINE A SMALL HISTORY IN TIME…

It is Yom Kippur the jewish Day of Atonement biginning on Sept. 27 and ends at nightfall on the 28. So why not drink Israeli wines to celebrate the event. After all winemaking was referred and start before the Old Testament from Abraham to david , to the noce of cana and the resent time, but modern winemaking began in Israel in 1882. That year Baron Edmond de Rothschild start a wyneri there, then it is really in 1906 he gave back them to Israel and the Societie Cooperative Vigeronne de Grandes Caves, that Coop is still making the Carmel wine there. Using European Vitis Viniferain the area of the Sea of Galilee, the Golan Heights, the Mount Carmel area, around Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Of course the origin as I explain already in an old post was only rose and white most certainly, but was always there along the history and evolution of humanity. Kosher comes from the word "kasher", it means "fit to consume."  And old friend of mine Rafael Vivanco met some rabbis and start a kosher rioja using the fact that very stage of the winemaking process must be overseen by a rabbi, who is flown in to Rioja from Barcelona for this particular wine. To satisfy kosher requirements, the wine has been flash pasteurised, ie zapped up to 85 deg C/185 deg F for a minute and then cooled down to kill all the bacteria in it. The result VINA MIRASOL is fresh as a daisy and has lots of sweet, round, strawberry fruit, a Tempranillo grown and aged in Rioja with great balance, I call it a "rough rioja with a more softer/fruity edges", a perfect choices for this month. For those who are more lucky try a kosher wine of Israel. But there is more to middle east than kosher wine but as well the source of a number of really good and really old tradition of wine as the famous MUSAR fonded in 1930 by gaston hochar followine the path of the Phoenicians 6000 years ago, there the wine was exported from Byblos, tyre and saida and Egypt was the market of the day, of course the bible itself references to the wine of canaan, and the roman so choose Baalbek in the Bekaa Valley to build their largest temple too bacchus. The white wine is an oddity, made from the indigenous Obaideh and Merwah grapes the "real" wine from the origine of the time the peculiar blend is then aged for six months in oak, this wine live for ever and as an old arab poem says "as a women in your arms, each time changing is flavor as each sip". Not a lot of this is produced; typically 600 or so cases. But the red is the wine that we know and love. It's a blend of old French grape Cinsault and Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Syrah that give that special Bordeaux or burgundy like taste depending of the vintage and the ageing. Buyt in this moment there is even more to discover a wine from the Egyptian desert should provide the optimum means to produce premium wine. Impossible? Quite the opposite is true. In the desert most of the common obstacles to viticulture do not exist. Desert sand contains no organic matter or nutrients.(
http://www.saharavineyards.com/) go and have a look. We could mention as well the wine of Tunisia, wine always was produced by French oenologists. Most of it was exported to France till the 1970s. Wine cooperatives were left and produce 80% of the wine which is served mostly to tourists. Since the privatisation of some parts of these cooperatives the international taste of wine entered the market in Tunisia. The small companies like Domaine Atlas, St. Augustin, Ceptunes etc. have successfully established the new generation of Tunisian wine. Without forgetting the wine of Algeria a good example the coteaux of Tlemcen In the 16th Century, Leon the African wrote that the town of Tlemcen was surrounded by trellises which produced grapes of a strong and delicate taste. This central position has been exploited since 1840 for producing quality wines, The vineyards form a patchwork of small plots separated by rows of cherry, apricot or prune trees. From a blend of carignan , Grenache , cinsault an excellent sometimes ripe red with strong flavor of violet but light of 12.5%. Enjoy….

AN HISTORY OF BRITAIN .....

“Messieurs les anglais, tirez les premiers !” Fontenoy battle, 11 of may 1745. Yes !, MESSIEURS THE ENGLISH SHOOT FIRST !!, because we own you a lot, first : what could have been of the Bordeaux wine without the English occupation in 1154, Henri II Plantagenet, husband of Alienor d'Aquitaine, take the English crown. L''Aquitaine, became a province of england (we should be part of the commonwealth so ....) and start to appreciate the «Claret» ( name for a rose in Bordeaux, or a light red). The Bordelais arrange and work with the king in order to gain fiscal advantage ( we should do that more often..), commercial monopole, lower tax level ( ah!! the good old days!!!)on export to england. To serve the demand in London the vineyard are extended into the surrounding the «palus» ( the land is cheap but apparently not too bad ... only the future will tell!!) in Fronsac, Saint-Émilion, Cadillac, Saint Macaire, Langon, Barsac…
In 1303, 102.724 tonneaux are exported, only in 1950 that number would be the same.( england import more crappy wine from USA and Australia now!!!)

In 1453, at the Castillon battle England lost the Aquitaine and so the love affair with Bordeaux is ended, but some of the Bordeaux “castle” and property will be own by Englishman until now, so, thanks to the lady of London and the the lord of england for drinking claret .

So we have in Pauillac more bold and dark wine with earthy character (the smell not the taste!!) like a Lafitte rotschild ( £390.00 for a 2006) or a Latour (£500 for a 2006, better than the English housing market) but maybe those one are a little bit expensive so go for an outsider a Pibran (£30) or Bernadotte (£20) or you could try a CHATEAU LOUDENNE, MEDOC, (£20 but for a 98) in St yzan en medoc near Pauillac. Neighbors of Lafitte and Latour, a finest medoc almost Pauillac in his richness, situated on the banks of the Gironde estuary, is one of the most delightful sites in the Medoc, the charm of which did not escape with is own private port and 125 years of English history. Deep blackcurrant with undertone of almond and nuts. You could go for a Margaux but instead of a Palmer (£400) or Rauzan-Segla (£100) try a Labegorce (£20) or Dauzac (£30) or once again a chateaux d'Arsac (£15) is a little secret but rich and with perfume of cassis a little pleasure to discover. For the St Emilion Ausone (£600, a bottle not a caisse)or Cheval blanc (£550) would be perfect but with my budget i go for Chateaux Larmande (£30) or Les Gravieres (£18) but try to find a Chateaux Jean Voisin (£15) a perfect st Emilion style at a price who would not hurt you!!. Just to say that in this moment you could still have a good dinner, a great experience with a wine as the French says it's like for women “ I am searching for the best one, so, I have to try a lot!!!” and of course “ I'm still searching!!!”.

Wine Dinner Thursday 30 July 2009

Wine and Women's a World of Wit and Wisdom....

I can't lived without wine or Women, but as I grow older I have more success with Wine..... Voltaire

Aperitif

Kir d'Alsace

The first kiss !!!!!

to start...

paul's beetroot gravadlax

mustard dressing

With LES NUAGES, pinot noir rose

rose petal, light strawberry freshly crush on your lips

A “french kiss” of strawberry

to follow...

'Chicken supreme, wolsley pork stuffing creamed leeks/

Paul's summer Vegetable risotto with pecorino and truffle oil

With Testings CHATEAU ST BAILLON, Cotes du Provence

of provence and st-tropez, the sun!, the beach!, the celebrity's!, the caravan?...but what about the wine made with Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Carignan, Mourvèdre, Tibouren who gives a fresh nose, light and full of perfume of apricot, caramel and a real long lasting who won't fade away!!

A summer kiss …...

to end...

Bournville chocolate fondant

almond Bavarois with cardamon syrup

Choice of sweet wine and port

A last kiss in Paris…...

I would be drunk on wine, I should be drunk with Love, but I could not feel any pleasure on drinking water..........Marquis de Sade

MIDNIGHT SUMMER DRINKS...........

CONNOISSEUR DINNER

A man cannot make him laugh - but that's no marvel; he drinks no wine.
William Shakespeare, in Henry IV Part 2

to start...

paul's beetroot gravadlax

mustard dressing

With Arnies with a twist Italian grappe from california

a twist of mint in a fresh glass of dry white full of almonds, pears and with a rich anise mineral finish

......

to follow...

'Chicken supreme, wolsley pork stuffing

creamed leeks

With Testings of Syrah from france to usa, from syrah to australian shiraz

ST COSME ST JOSEPH, Louis Barruol,

Jasmin, rose, blackberry, wood coal.

Followed by

OJAI VINEYARD, barbara, california

really powerful and intense wine and delicious right now

and a little bit of fruits from australian shirazzzzz...

Ripe red fruit with a touch of spice

to end...

Bournville chocolate fondant

With Dessert wine selection

Wine, one sip of this will bathe the drooping spirits in delight beyond the bliss of dreams. Be wise and taste.

WINE AND CHOCOLATE

"The greatest tragedies were written by the Greek Sophocles and English Shakespeare. Neither knew chocolate." - Sandra Boynton

Good chocolate is like a “kiss of the one you really love” a “caress of sun and angels” but the real base of chocolate is cacao, sugar and milk sometimes. A strong taste bitter, powerful, the torrefaction and the provenance will alter is taste. So, which wine with it???

Champagne ? A vintage rose for small chocolate-mousse cakntage Rich (sweeter) for milk chocolate lait Craquelin form Bouquets of chocolates or “Poire belle Helene”, a sweeter touch to a sweeter hearth.

White wine ?A Loire white saumur or layon for pain au chocolate Anjou as well for peach chocolate tart with silk because “Nothing is more romantic than chocolate “

Red wine ?with already cacao aroma as in a Pommard or a madiran. A new world Zinfandel is the obvious choice for chocolate cakes. Pinot noir from new world tends to be perfect for milk chocolate, Madagascar 70% (forasteros and trinitarios mix), creamy mousse or chocolate cheesecake a Cabernet or merlot from Chile as well for milk chocolate. So next time keep a little bit of your wine for dessert, as we say chocolate is not a substitute for love. Love is a substitute for chocolate.

Porto ? Tawny port with Chocolate cake, An older vintage ( at least more 20Y) for dark chocolate as a good one from Ivory coast. The darker the better, there will be less sweet and more rich in cacao taste that the sweetness of port balance perfectly, the perfect recipe to heaven (chocolate) without any embarrassment to make the conversation.

Sherry ? Pedro Ximenez, full of rich raisin and toffee is the one to try with chocolate and vanilla ice-cream or a white chocolate

Sweets ? Banyuls from France or Recioto from Italy for dark deep chocolate dessert, muscat or recioto for black forest, if its an orange cake try with tokaji or orange muscat from Australia, Berry with chocolate cake need a Maury from France. For a Mousse take a Moscato d'asti. A Riesling is always nice with a light chocolate desserts grd crus for dark chocolate (Sao Tome), rivesalte with a Grenache base as well. If you are lucky a “Vergine Stravecchio The final classification of Marsala ” with 10 years in oak are sublime with chocolate (so perfect for you as you are...). If you are curious a Mavrodafni from Cephalonie in Greece with figues, plum, coffee and chocolate flavor, all the pleasure of that long sun bath along the beach without the noise of the kids next door or the fat block.

Whiskey ? You need a strong butter, caramel, grilled almond so a Speyside sherry cask like a Macallan 18 will be perfect with a ginger milk chocolate to reveal a new world of Spiciness .......for you...and him.....!!. Bushmill's Malt works perfectly, try the Monkey Shoulder's with light preparation. Or a bourbons, with long cask vanilla, wood underlying like a Bulleit.

And for the real “fans” a Stout will always work , warm if possible to give a balance in amertume and alcohol.

And finally if you don't drink alcohol (maybe it is not your fault!!) water really neutral (nothing fancy). Coffee need something well balance and soft as a Venezuela Amer (70%cacao) only. For the tea Oolong tea are the perfect match with praline. Darjeeling or Assam with cakes. Lapsang Souchon with a spices chocolate.

And don't forget "My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far I've finished two bags of M&M's and a chocolate cake. I feel better already." – Dave Barry

“Bon appetit !”