Ferragosto

And already Ferragosto has arrived. The so-called "Ferragosto", the 15th of August, is one of the most sacred days of holiday in Italy, and the day when 99,99% of the population is on holiday, enjoying barbecues at the beach and throwing "gavettoni" (big container full of water) at one another. When growing up I did not even consider the possibility that somebody in the world would have to work on this day, and here I am in Switzerland where in some cantons today is a holiday and in others not .....strange country! But you may ask, why are some Swiss on holiday while others are in the office? That is because Ferragosto is a Catholic holiday and as Vaud (the canton in which Lausanne is situated) is Protestant, the Vaudois are working, while in Lucerne (the canton where Lucerne is located) is Catholic and so we are enjoying the day in the sun and free of work. 

But I digress, let's go back to the main theme of this blog...food and wine. I would say it was quite an exciting week gastronomically speaking. A few dinners out at some nice restaurants on Lake Leman and some good stuff at home as well. My highlight, foodwise, was on Thursday night at Restaurant du Port in Pully : a great Perch Filets Belle Meuniere. I love this fish coming from Lake Leman and in all the years I am living here it is only the second time I am ordering it. I love the texture, the taste and the way it is presented. Beautiful and super yummy, I could have eaten another full portion. This restaurant is a really good option in the area, lake-side table with amazing mountain views, a peaceful setting under the trees and prices that are reasonable (always considering that we are in Switzerland, so my reasonable is relative). Only downside was that the wine was a bit of a disappointment, a Calamin Grand Cru 2009 from Pierre Fonjallaz from the Lavaux area. A bit too simple and flat; I was expecting more.

Great things happened at home as well when on a Wednesday night my lovely half prepared for me a great Chicken Jalfrezi. Jalfrezi is a ‘hot’ dish given additional heat by being cooked with fresh green chillis. It usually also contains visible onion, tomato and capsicum. It is the addition of the green chillis and probably the addition of extra chilli powder that sets this dish apart from other typical curries. And it was really really hot. I enjoyed it even if I suffered a bit. To wash down all this chilli we opened a bottle of one of our favourite whites, that would pair perfectly with this spicy Indian food. Gewurztraminer Vignoble d'E from Domaine Ostertag in Alsace. This Domaine is run in byodinamic style since 1998 and their wines are pure, simple and brilliant. The sweetness present in this wine, and typical in Gewurztraminer from Alsace, pairs incredibly well with the spices and the heat of this dish. The only pity was that the bottle finished too quickly.

The other highlight of the night was the luxurious Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Buttercream Icing that my lovely wife  prepared ....I will let the picture speak for it!

After all this food we needed to be a bit active as well and so we went for the weekend to one of our favourite hiking destinations in the French mountains. It is a tiny refuge in a remote valley above Saint Gervais Les Bains called Refuge de Miage. We arrived there late Friday evening, but the magic of this place consists also on the fact that 10 minutes after arrival all your troubles and working related stress are gone and will not return during your stay. The place is run by a lovely French family and all the food is all homemade. Their omelette with potato and lardon is fantastic and on the Saturday night we decided to indulge over a Fondue Savoyarde with Cepes. Eating at the table outside watching the sun go down on the Dome the Miage is amazing; eating a fondue at the same time is even better. The wine was also lovely, a Chignin Bergeron from Domaine Jean Vullien. Wine produced from this Savoie domaine is made of 100% Roussanne. Really drinkable and went so well with the fondue. But the real treat comes with dessert. A luxurious "Tarte aux Myrtilles" with a fair amount of cream is the best end of a fantastic meal in the mountains.

And what about the day of Ferragosto??? Well, we decided to celebrate it in style going back to our beloved neighbour, France! V (my lovely half) decided to swim a non competitive 2,5 km race in Lac d'Annecy and it was up to me to arrange the eno-gastronomical side apres the race. The weather was awful on our way to Annecy but as soon as we parked the car all the clouds open up and a warm sun started to shine. It was the best start of a gorgeous day. The swim was great and after that we drove to a restaurant in Duingt (20 minutes from Annecy), Clos Marcel. This restaurant is part of a beautifully renovated hotel on the shore of the lake at an amazing spot at the end of the Lac d'Annecy. The design is very modern, but still very cozy and welcoming. We sat down at a table close to the lake and we made our order. For me  

Le Bœuf en Carpaccio, Mariné au Soja, Gingembre et Citron Vert Copeaux de Légumes et Petites Pousses as starter followed by a beautiful lapin with girolle and polenta fritters. V ordered tuna in two different versions as starter and daurade royale as a main course.  I have to say that the rabbit was one of the most amazing dishes I have in a long time in the restaurant. The meat was super tender and the combination with the chanterelles and the polenta fritters worked together in an amazing way. We paired this great meal with a very interesting wine from a micro winery from the often underestimated area of Jura. An Arbois Pupillin Ploussard 2009 from Domaine Hughes Beguet. This wine is produced in only 2400 bottles and is very different than most of the wines you probably tried. It is quite light and it has a very funky nose with lots of pepper and a bit of smoke. It went fantastically with the food. It will be nice to find more of this wine even if it is not probably an easy task. It was a great way to celebrate the FERRAGOSTO!!!

A lovely surprise from Santorini

When I think about Santorini my first thoughts goes to the most beautiful sunsets I have seen in my life, it is such an amazing island. The white of the house mix magically with the deep blue of the sea and the dark colour of the volcano soil. It is one of the most incredible place I have ever been.

And now another thought will come to my mind when thinking about Santorini......WINE!

We had last night an amazing bottle of white wine coming from this island: Assyrtiko Thalassatis 2009 from Gaia Estate Wines . The wine has a fantastic smell of grapefruit, orange but you can also feel his minerality. In the mouth is full with a great long finish. Another confirmation of how wide is the world of wine and how many great surprises it can reserve. Next time I am in Athens I will look for more!

Fete de Suisse and a busy week

Monday 1st August, La Fete de Suisse. Everybody is wearing clothes with the national colours, everybody is out partying, the shores of the lake are busy like they rarely are, everybody is out enjoying a barbecue and waiting for the big fireworks on the lake in the evening. Of course we need also to celebrate and we decide to do it in pure Swiss Style: with a great fondue and some lovely Swiss white wine. We decide to go to a small, typical cafe - Cafe' de Paudex. For the occasion they have a piano player accompanying our perfectly Swiss dinner under vine trellises. The weather, during this weird summer, is for at least one night on our side, nice and warm enough to be able to dine outside with just a polo shirt. The fondue is deliciously cheesy and the best meal to celebrate this special day. We enjoy our fondue with a nice Savagnin Blanc from Domaine Gallard from Lavaux. Savagnin Blanc is a grape mostly known in France for the incredible Vin Jaune from the area of Jura, here in Switzerland, we have a dry version that accompanys perfectly the pot of melted cheese.  We finished our evening enjoying the beautiful fireworks on the lake - spectacular and not to be missed!

The rest of the week was a lot of work but some interesting new wines have been drunk on the last couple of days. On Friday night with friends we opened an interesting Bandol Rose from Domaine J.P. Gaussen for apero. We bought this bottle at the Domaine, definitely a place that if you are in the area is worth to see. It is a very small familiar Domaine and Mr. Gaussen is a typical old style French Vigneron that immediately struck us with his eccentric personality. His Bandol Reds are quite well know and can age forever. His Rose has everything a rose needs and is a nice accompaniment with our little apero.  After that we opened a bottle of Ilatraia 2005 from La Brancaia. This estate, owned by a Swiss couple who moved to Tuscany long ago,  has property in the Chianti area but as well in Maremma and the latter is where the Ilatraia is made. The wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Petit Verdot with a very international style. I bought this bottle a few years ago when I was making my first steps in the wine world. We really enjoyed it with our chargrilled steaks. However, I am not sure if I would buy it again, as I said the style is really international, and while the wine was really good I think it lacked a distinct character. And on top of this it is not that cheap!

And then, last night I had a first in my life. I am a bit ashamed to say this, especially because I am such a food lover, but last nigth was the first time in my life I prepared my own pesto. Pesto is normally something I buy at the supermarket and simply throw on my pasta on nights that I am in a hurry and have no time to cook. Of course I try to buy the smaller artisinal products as opposed to the cheap supermarket brands but nevertheless ..... But last night I have to say it was another story. I decide to do the pasta al pesto on the way that is done in Liguria and that I ate when I was last there. With the fresh basil we picked up at the market in the morning, I prepared this fantastic little pesto sauce and together with the pasta I cooked some diced potatoes and french beans. The result was stunning, the perfect plate for a summer night. BUONISSSSSIMO! Of course, we needed a bit of wine to go with our homemade pesto and so we opened a bottle of white from a very small producer from Liguria in the Colli di Luni area, GIUNCARO 2009 from Santa Caterina di Andrea Kihlgren. The wine is a blend of Tocai and Sauvignon Blanc and only 4600 bottles are produced. It was the perfect regional pairing with the pasta.

A lovely mix of flavours

Being a good Italian, I am not a big fan of mixing too many flavours especially when the combination seems odd to a traditionalist like me. But when my lovely wife proposed that we barbecue rib-eye steaks rubbed with coffee and cocoa I thought.....risky, but why not, let's give it a chance.

And oh my gosh, the result was amazing! The flavour was intense but the rub did not kill the flavour of the meat and the combination of flavours was an absolute winner. Smoky, crunchy, juicy and with this subtle flavour of cocoa and coffee on the back of your palate, is an absolute success.

It was difficult to find a wine able to keep up with these lovely and very strong flavours. From the cellar I decided to pick up something from the South of France, a Cotes du Luberon 2004 from Chateau La Verrerie . A 50% Syrah and 50% Grenache, we bought the bottle directly at the estate, a beautiful property that is absolutely worth a visit if you are in the area. The wine is quite strong and very rich with a powerful palate and it will do his honest job paired with these beautiful steaks. Yummy!!!!