Christmas cookies

I realize this blog has turned into nothing short of a "what Lauren's been up to this week", but it's not for lack of effort (yes it is), it's more lack of resources.  We need a new computer.  I need more time.  2014, better blog posts.  2014, more tasting notes and wine reflections.  Less "what I ate for dinner..."  maybe.

 

Sunday is cooking day.  Paul made a buttery mushroom soup and I made a delicious miso soup (below).

 

 

Green tea soba noodles, miso broth, "fungus", tofu, mushrooms and some cilantro.  Easy peasy delcious.

 

 

Sift definitley makes the best cupcake in town, and thank you Hugo for turning 8 because the office got the leftovers.  Nespresso proves the perfect companion to salted caramel and 3 o clock.

 

Wednesday night we had our Sherry dinner with Peter Liem- seen second from the right.  It was a really really great dinner where I think we all learned a little something.  I used to listen to Peter on podcasts, so it was really cool to meet him in person and pick his brain about booze, the general state of things in America, and his thoughts on Hong Kong.

 

Umami Concepts is this really New York-y style loft in a walk up in the Mid-Levels.  Chef Nolan and his partner cooked away while we welcomed our guests with a Marie Corton 2008 Efflorescence Champagne reception.  Nice Champagne which is good as Peter wrote the book on Champagne.  Literally.  Really nice Champagne really, and Marie is getting some great press and recognition recently.

The food, oh my god, the food.  Grilled octopus and chorizo followed by Thanksgiving in a pastry.  This thing is reason enough to go back to Umami for its gooey runny middle, duck confit bits, and airy light pastry.  Ohhh duck confit pastry....  Then Canadia braised beef brisket- melt in your mouth- with house macerated cherry sauce and root veg.  Finish off (really- not a crumb left on these plates) with a rich almond cake topped with an ice wine sabayon and homemade whipped cream.  Wow.  And I haven't even mentioned the Sherries. 

 

Jay told me to source the best Sherries I could find, and boy did we find some great Sherries.  What was really cool was not only that we had a really wide range of styles, but that a lot of them were new to the guests- even those who are well Sherry-versed.  I particularly like the Bota wines that come from Equipo Navazos, which is owned by the co-author of Peter's book Sherry, Manzanilla & Montilla, which I have read and is the contemporary source of expertise on Sherry.  Really all of the Sherries were incredible, and as we speak (I type?) I am sipping on Valdespino's Don Gonzalo VOS (very old sherry- vinum optimum signatum) Oloroso which pairs perfectly with some deliciously soft gingerbread.

Jerry is an amazing sommelier and it was really cool to see him in action. I just don't have that skill.  I was totally blown away by the depth and reverance Peter has for Jerez, its winemakers, its beverage, and its history.  I'm going to need to visit ASAP. 

 

The above Sherry, Valdespino (the DRC of Sherry) Moscatel Toneles was awarded 100 points by sir Robert Parker.  It is ultra rare, over 100 years old, and a steal at ~$2,000hkd.  History in a bottle man.

 

Sherry is awesomes.  Sherry is the best wine.  Sherry is underrated.  Sherry is coming back into fashion...in Hong Kong finally!!!  There's a whole bar devoted to Sherry (and ham) that opens tomorrow!! Ham & Sherry, by the people behind 22 Ships, has over 50 Sherries on the menu, including a 22 Ships branded Sherry by Gonzalez Byass.  How cool is that?  You know where to find me this week.

Thursday was less successful.  I went to Cru Magazine's (paid) Champagne event.  A) it was a surprise it was outside, where it was cold and I was ill dressed.  B) it was at Domani, an amazing Italian restaurant, and there was not a drip of food to be had.  C) It was absurdly packed.  Ab.surd.ly. packed.  I am so so so so so ready to go to America and stand in a big wide open space.  Over crowds.  Over cities.  Need my mom and dad.  5 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Some of the Champagnes were great (Charles Heidsieck- Kedington, Piper Heidseick was nice too, as was Roederer and the above, Dosnon & Lepage) but the crowd, lack of food and cold won out and I bailed a brief 45 minutes in.

 

Luckily Friday was back to awesome. Allison and I mer her friend at the Flying Winemaker where Eddie, the Flying Winemaker, was filming the last show of his new series.  Eddie is from Hong Kong, went to school in Australia and makes wine there, and now runs a wine shop cum school in LKF.  Over the past few months he's been filming a show for the Discovery Channel about wines around Asia.  He's traveled to Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Japan, Thailand...selected his favorite wine from each and brought them to his shop in LKF for a tasting, of which we were lucky enough to partake.  The Indian wines were pretty horrid, but the others were quite pleasant.  AND chef Alvin from Bo Innovation (3 Michelin stars) was on hand to do a cooking demo.  Cool.

Post event we ferried over to TST for an AWESOME Indian Christmas dinner organized by Courtney.  The Chunking Mansion is home to many a refugee, drug dealer, suit makers, cheap motels, and best Indian food in HK where the Taj Mahal didn't disappoint.  This is where Greg actually took me to discuss my potential employment with House of Fine Wines. 

Delicious curry.  Tasty wines and beer.  And best friends.   Court brought "Christmas crackers" filled with prizes and crowns, which made for the complete Canadian (well-almost) Christmas.  xo.

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Hong Kong is the coolest, and so are we. 

 

And Paul never got the memo that icing ended circa 2011. 

 

Saturday I met up with Jackie for a lovely ramen lunch in Tai Hang.  We need to do this more often.  I can't wait to move closer to friends.  Afterward we went to one of her old colleague's grand opening chocolate store....

 

Turns out he's something of a local celebrity because he has his own chocolate TV show (guy in the white).  And I full heartedly back him as his chocolate truffles and cake were aaamazing.  Hong Kong seems to have a celebrity for everything, and my favorite remains the Abalone King. 

 

 

Then twas off to work for our last tasting in 2013.  Twas a good one indeed.  We had two awesome awesome whites- Roulot and Lucien Le Moine.  The LLM Chassagne Montrachet was so amazing and they are now my favorite haut-negociant, as opposed to my last favorite haut negociant...

 

 

Ohh the reds the reds.  The above Vosne Romanee was my favorite, but the Comte Liger Belair Mazis-Chambertin was a close second.  Burgundy really knows how to make wine, huh?  We had a great turn out with interesting people as always, and especially love picking Bernard's brain about different producers, who's en vogue, and what vintages are drinking great now.  A good end of the year.

 

Wine tasting was followed by cookie making at Nina's! This was my first time making gingerbread cookies, but under Nina's watch and guidance I think I did just fine.  Paul and I wanted to make them a couple of years ago but couldn't find molasses.  Oliver's FYI. 

How cute are they!?  And only 4 sticks of butter were involved :)  We ordered take in, put on Love Actually, were joined by Hailey, and had a totally girl's night in.  Much needed!!  The boys on the otherhand hit Wan Chai... Have I mentioned that I'm really looking forward to moving closer to friends?

 

Sunday funday and it was raining!  Boo rain, boo.  It hasn't rained in a bit, so I guess we're due.  I went for a looong soaking wet run and then went to get my nails did at my friend Janet's spa.  This is the first time I'd been, and I will for sure never go anywhere else.  One girl doing my nails, one girl doing my toes, and me sleeping in a chair.  <3 Iconic Salon in Causeway Bay.  Then met Paul for some Island East Market (hi Csilla, Nora, Greg and Ming!) action followed by Hunger Games 2.  Great movie but probably 30 minutes too long.  90 minutes is my ideal movie time... How was your week?