Dessert Wine Notes: Hardys 2003 Botrytis Semillon

Hardys 2003 Botrytis Semillon is 11.5% abv. and packaged in 375 ml. bottles. The wine is 18.2 brix at harvest and the wine has residual sugar of 210 grams per liter. The Hardys Winery in South Eastern Australia was established in 1853 and they have been making fine wines, including dessert wines, what the Aussies call 'stickies' for over 150 years. Their wines are made from premium grapes sourced from and grown in diverse areas and multiple vineyards then blended and crushed together depending upon the type and style of wine. This is the second vintage of Botrytis Semillon released in the US by Hardys, following the 2005 launch of their 2002 Botrytis Semillon. In the near future I will do a vertical tasting of the two and compare them. The color of the wine is a medium golden yellow, with a medium to full body with a nice, slightly syrupy mouth feel. It has that classic Australian "stickie" feel in your mouth, like many other fine dessert wines. The aroma is that of a combination of a young dessert wine type of fruits, like green apple and one of the sweeter pineapple varieties such as a 'Gold' or a South African 'Victoria'; and more mature wine flavors like golden sultana raisins. The taste is a melange of both young and mature wines, again with the afore mentioned pineapple and golden sultanas; as well as dried apricots, hints of figs, and honey, with a nice presence of botrytis, and carried by some slight oak. The finish is medium to long lasting and very complex as all the flavors meld together. This in excellent wine and at an approximate cost of $14.99 for 375 ml. it's a bargain as well.

5A5 Steak Lounge

This modern and elegant American-Japanese steakhouse effectively blends classic with contemporary---as evinced by its enormous overhead focal point, a saucer-shaped light fixture outfitted with swirls of red and orange tinted recessed lighting. The adjacent lounge, comprised of sleek and stylish leather booths and ottomans, is a hip spot for after-work cocktails and bar bites.

This is one of my favorite happy hour spot in the entire financial district! My friend invited me over to a happy hour gathering a few weeks back and now I'm hooked. I love their happy hour specials for drinks and appetizers. Highly recommend their $1 oysters (Wednesdays), hamachi shooters (delicious!), and shishito peppers (best bargain). I've also come here for dinner a few times and tried their steaks. My favorite is the buffalo steak, well done. Absolutely perfect! And, of course, you can't leave without trying their desserts. Bread pudding here was out of this world. Can't wait to go back and try more... and I still need to try their signature kobe A5 steak. My friends keep raving about it, so I'm saving up my money for that one. Promotions: Happy Hour: Mon – Sun: 5-7:30p (in front lounge) HH Specials – 5@5 & Daily $2 bites 5@5 $5 wines, cocktails, beers and appetizers Chicken Yakitori Skewers Truffle Fries 2 Shooters for $5 (hamachi, oyster, salmon) Daily $2 bites Mondays - seafood ceviche shooter Tuesdays - beef kebab with ikari aioli Wednesdays/Thursdays - $1 oysters on the half shell (min 6) Fridays - lobster bites with savory soy broth H Dinner: Mondays - 50% off bottles from our wine list Wednesdays – 'Steak Tasting' Night 3- 4oz filet steaks $60 * Australian Kobe * American Certified Angus Beef * Buffalo 5A5 Steak Lounge 244 Jackson St. (Battery St. ) San Francisco, CA 94111 415-989-2539 www.5a5stk.com/

Dark-chocolate and pomegranate

Pomegranates have become the new "it" food, the foodie equivalent of the latest Hollywood starlet. Loaded with almost three times the anti-oxidant properties of green tea or red wine, pomegranates are being used as ingredients in everything from juices to brownies to ice cream. Meanwhile, chocolate has long been known to be a mood lifter, and dark chocolate (in moderation) has more recently been touted as a health food with magical plant flavonoids that reduce the risk of blood clots and clogged arteries. So, what better than to combine mood-enhancing, healthy dark chocolate with another healthy food like pomegranates to create the ultimate super food? In 2009, chocolate without guilt is no longer an oxymoron!

Comfort foods with a twist

Think any comfort food from your childhood upgraded to an adult food with one or two key ingredients switcheroos. For instance, instead of using American cheese for your grilled cheese sandwich, you might use gouda or sharp cheddar, add hoisin sauce and hot Asian mustard (see photo), or grill your sandwich in a pannini press. For meatloaf, you might add some chipotle chiles for a nice flavor kick or sub ground turkey for the beef to make it heart healthier. When times are tough, comfort food is always, well... comforting, and let's face it, times are tough. Even President Obama says so.

Cosmopolitan Restaurant & Bar

The great thing about this place is the ambiance throughout the restaurant; the restaurant itself was not up to par taste-wise.

Some friends, and me decided to dine at this restaurant to try out the Dine About Town, pre fixed menu with http://www.Opentable.com, which did not look that appetizing, so we stuck to the regular menu. Our group had two appetizers, the fontina stuffed meatballs, polenta, spicy tomato-basil $8 and Calamari and artichoke fritto misto $10. The appetizers, I can say where delicious and the presentation of the food was beautiful. The main course that I picked was the scallops with oxtail risotto. Although creative and presented nicely, the food was slightly bland. The scallops were cooked nicely but the risotto tasted like boiled wild rice, definitely absent of seasonings and the black trumpet mushrooms didn’t seem too really compliment the dish at all. I am just not impressed enough to spend that kind of money for the food, I would just stick to their dirty martini, its was delicious!

Cosmopolitan Restaurant & Bar

www.thecosmopolitancafe.com

121 Spear Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1556
(415) 543-4001

Panko-crusted Crab Cake Bites with Roasted Pepper-Chive Aioli

Notes: The Japanese-style coarse bread crumbs called panko are available in many well-stocked supermarkets and in Asian grocery stores. You can make the aioli up to 2 days ahead and the crab cakes through step 3 up to 4 hours ahead; in both cases, cover and chill.

Yield: Makes 24 crab cakes; 8 servings

Ingredients

• 12 ounces shelled cooked crab
• 1/4 cup finely diced celery
• 1/4 cup minced fresh chives
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 1/4 cups panko (see notes) or fine dried bread crumbs
• Roasted Pepper-Chive Aioli (recipe follows)
• Fresh chives, rinsed and cut into 1-inch lengths

Preparation

1. Sort through crab and discard any bits of shell.

2. In a large bowl, combine celery, minced chives, mayonnaise, egg, mustard, and hot sauce; mix well with a fork. Add crab and 1/4 cup panko; stir gently just to mix.

3. Put remaining 1 cup panko in a shallow bowl. Shape crab mixture into 24 cakes, each about 2 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. Turn each cake in panko to coat on all sides, pressing gently to make crumbs adhere. Place cakes slightly apart in an oiled 12- by 17-inch baking pan.

4. Bake in a 475° regular or convection oven until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. With a spatula, transfer crab cakes to a platter. Spoon a dollop of Roasted Pepper-Chive Aioli onto each cake. Garnish platter with fresh chives. Serve hot.

Roasted Pepper-Chive Aioli. In a small bowl, mix 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup chopped drained canned roasted red peppers, 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon minced garlic. Makes about 1/2 cup.

Ceviche de Camaron (Shrimp Ceviche Cocktail)

While most of us think of classic ceviche as raw fish marinated in fresh lime juice long enough to give it a cooked texture, in Mexico there are ceviche "cocktails" that combine seafood that's been cooked with fresh vegetables, hot sauce, lime juice and just a little ketchup. It's an easy, refreshing crowd pleaser, and you don't have to track down the just-off-the-boat fresh fish necessary for the classic ceviche. Serve with tostadas, tortilla chips, or saltines.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 6 cups water
• 3/4 cup fresh lime juice, divided
• 1 pound medium shrimp
• 1 cup chopped peeled cucumber
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons Mexican hot sauce (such as Tamazula)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Place chopped onion in a colander, and rinse with cold water. Drain.

Bring 6 cups water and 1/4 cup juice to a boil in a Dutch oven. Add shrimp; cook 3 minutes or until done. Drain and rinse with cold water; peel shrimp. Combine shrimp and 1/2 cup juice in a large bowl; cover and chill 1 hour. Stir in onion, cucumber, and remaining ingredients. Serve immediately or chilled.

Lime- SF, CA

Lime restaurant and lounge is located in Upper Market in San Francisco. We offer fresh, tasty, seasonal food at a reasonable price, as well as divine cocktails mixed by our expert bar staff. Our dinner menu consists of an eclectic selection of small plates that allows you the opportunity to try a bit of everything. Whether you're on a date or with a group, Lime provides a fun and inviting atmosphere for the perfect evening.

The interior is a balance of the serene and dramatic with a chic décor. Various seating options include comfy bar stools, plush booths plus a private lounge.

2247 Market Street
San Francisco, CA
(between Noe and Sanchez)
Phone 415.621.5256

Indigo

THE MISSION—Valencia's upcoming wine bar/gallery Heart continues to come into focus, with the latest detail being that the team from Kitchenette will be handling the food program. According to tomorrow's Scoop, the menu will be in the same spirit of the Kitchenette sandwiches, but "nibbles and full plates more suitable to the wine bar setting." [Chron]

BAY AREA—With the uncertain economy, local restaurants continue to waver ontheir corkage policies. Some, like Indigo, have done away with corkage fees, claiming it somehow boosts the amount the average guest is spends more per meal. Others, like Nopa, have kept fees, saying that corkage "is like bringing your own meat to a restaurant and asking us to cook it for you." [WSJ]

TELEVISION—Food Network Humor has an awesome photo gallery of your favorite FN stars when they were young. Click through to see Mario Batali, Rachel Ray, Duff Goldman, Anthony Bourdain, Sandra Lee, Guy Fieri, and yes, even Paula Deen before they were famous. [FNH via Eater National]

Beautiful Dish

Avocado with Crab

ingredients

4 Ripe avocados

15 ounces Crab meat or

1 lb. Fresh crab meat

8 Tb mayonnaise

4 To 6 drops Worcestershire

sauce

1/2 cup Finely minced, peeled celery stalks

Salt, depending on the saltiness of the crab meat

1 pn White pepper

1 pn Cayenne or

1 dr To 2 drops Tabasco

1 Head iceberg lettuce

2 Lemons

directions

1. Split the avocados in half lengthwise and remove the pits. With a melon-ball cutter, gently enlarge the cavity toward the stem end.

2. With a fork, mash the avocado pulp which was removed.

3. Mix the pulp with 4 tbs. of the mayonnaise, salt if needed, pepper and cayenne or Tabasco. Gently fold in the crab meat and the celery.

4. Divide the crab mixture among the eight avocado halves.

5. Mix the Worcestershire sauce with the remaining 4 tbs. mayonnaise. With a pastry bag or a cone made from wax paper, pipe approximately 1/2 tbs. of the mayonnaise mixture on each filled avocado half.

6. Remove the outside leaves of the iceberg lettuce. Arrange the leaves on a serving platter. Cut the inside part of the lettuce into very thin strips and make 8 small nests on the leaves lining the serving platter. Place an avocado half on each nest.

7. Cut each lemon in quarters and garnish the serving platter with the slices of lemon. Serve. If desired, offer additional mayonnaise separately.

8. CHEF'S SECRET: When you buy avocados, they should not be soft but, if pressed gently, should give about the same resist-ance as an orange. Once at home, pack each avocado in a brown paper bag and leave them at room temperature overnight. Of course, chill before serving.

9. If you use canned crab meat, it is advisable to pick it over. Sometimes you may find a small piece of the shell. Definitely taste it for saltiness. Certain brands improve with a quick rinsing with water.

10. If you have to rinse it, don't do it under the faucet. Place the meat in a sieve and dip the sieve in a small amount of water. Loosen the meat with one finger, then remove the sieve from the water and shake the meat dry. The flavor will not be destroyed, but the saltiness of the canning liquid will be gone.

11. Enlarging the cavity of the avocados with a melon-ball cutter has two purposes; you have the subtle taste of the pulp in the crab mixture, and it is easier to arrange the filling without making it messy.

12. Definitely peel the celery stalks for this dish with a potato peeler so that no strings get into the salad. The celery is needed for its crunchy texture to counterbalance the softness of the avocado and mayonnaise and the fleshy chewiness of the crab meat. If you do not care for the taste of celery, you can substitute peeled, seeded, finely chopped cucumber.

13. Makes 8 servings.

From "The Chef's Secret Cookbook", Louis Szathmary, Quadrangle Books, Chicago. 1972.