16 April 2010

SAN FRANCISO

I arrived yesterday at SFO (thanks to Air NZ for the beautiful sleep on the lie flat bed) and was straight into a wine tasting, with my friend Joanne Weir, cook extraordinaire, of the Loire wines. We may have taken the Sav Blanc grape from that region of France, but my, how NZ wines would stack up against those I tasted! My favourite was from Quincy at Domaine Lecomte, and in a new innovation, they are selling one serving of wine in these nifty little test tubes. (see photo). A first for me.

Then off to Whole Foods (like a very upscaled version of Nosh) for our dinner ingredients. Joanne cooks like me: no fuss, the best possible produce prepared with minimal intereference. Spring here of course, so asparagus salad with Meyer lemon to start, lamb sirloins grilled over the open hearth fire in her kitchen on stewed beans, red onion, olive oil, fennel seeds and tomato (I cooked that with some delicious red beans Joanne sources from a supplier in New York) and fresh strawberries to finish. The Pinot Noirs of California are lovely... smooth and full bodied with clear fruit aromas, and Joe, Joanne's husband found us a real treasure from their cellar.

I'm now off to explore the local neighbourhood shops on Fillmore St.