Great Memories

Too often, days fade into memory like the Bainbridge ferry disappearing into fog. But there are also times that are simply unforgettable, such as our trip to Cordoba where we waited in line for hours to see a flamenco concert we’d stumbled upon by accident. It was a sensational show featuring Jose Merce, Jose Menese and Chocolate. The raw emotions I felt that night turned me into an aficionado of cante flamenco.

The next morning’s visit to Bodegas Toro Albala was just as memorable. For starters, it was raining so hard that the wine maker had to drive us across the parking lot. Situated in a former electric plant since 1922, the tiny bodega is a hands-on operation which produces phenomenal sherries. Known for their dessert wines such as the Don PX Gran Reserva, they tasted us through their selection and I was blown away by the Fino Electrico. All of Toro Albala’s sherries are made from 100% Pedro Ximenez which has sufficient residual sugar so that fortification is unnecessary, in contrast to sherries produced in D.O. Jerez from the palomino grape. We’ve stocked the Don PX Gran Reserva for years but the rest were not available until now. This week we received 4 new sherries from Toro Albala.

NEW SHERRIES FROM BODEGAS TORO ALBALA

Fino Electrico ($11.99) Aromas of yeast meet pungent flavors of green olive and almonds. Bone dry, intense and great with salty jamon iberico.

Amontillado Viejisimo ($29.99) This superb wine is an average of 30 years old. Great intensity of rich roasted nuts, dried fruit and leather with a seemingly endless finish.

Oloroso Viejo ($17.99) From soleras and reserve stocks approaching a century in age, Oloroso Viejo displays a round, velvety texture with aromas of butterscotch. Essentially dry, it is also rich with notes of caramel and a dry persistent finish.

Cream PX ($17.99) A blend of 10-year-old Oloroso which has been enriched with Don PX Gran Reserva. A complex and refined palate caressing wine, it melds flavors of dried fruit and raisins with balanced acidity.

NOTABLE NEW WINES

2004 Castell de Les Pinyeres, Montsant ($15.99) A blend of Grenache, Carignan, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo, this is an old world wine with panache. “Energetic spiced raspberry and cherry on the nose, with white pepper and cinnamon qualities adding complexity. Fresh, finely etched red fruit flavors are intense but almost weightless, with bracing minerality adding nerve. Pure strawberry and raspberry flavors dominate the long, refreshingly brisk finish. There’s a pinot noir-like vivacity to this wine that is extremely appealing.” 90 points Stephen Tanzer

2005 El Castro de Valtuille, Bierzo ($34.00) Winemaker Raul Perez is breathing life into these old vineyards. Made from vines between 50-60 years old, El Castro de Valtuille is 100% Mencia. It has spent 14 months in one year old barrels to let the intense fruit shine through. Elegant, tannic and structured with a persistent finish, this has amazing concentration. Absolutely wonderful! 90 points Stephen Tanzer, 92 points Robert Parker

FELIZ CINCO DE MAYO! Need ingredients for a party this weekend? Try some of our Mexican specialties:

Habanero lollipops ($1.59) Warning! Very hot adult candy. Marilyn says “Yum – tingles the tip of your tongue.”

La Morena Chipotle Sauce $2.79/7 oz Smoked hot peppers essential for many Mexican recipes

Cocina Mestiza salsas ($7.99/22 oz) Choose from Serrano, Chipotle or Habanera. Grab some chips and the appetizer is ready!

Los Chileros New Mexican whole dried peppers, posole, chile powder, chicos y mas.

We have an extensive selection of general and regional Mexican cookbooks, from $5.99 and up.

NEW VALUE WINES UNDER $10.00

2007 Juan de Valdelana Rioja ($9.99) Made of 90% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano and 5% Viura, this young Rioja has plenty of verve in a traditional style. Valdelana has cherry aromas with flavors of black currant, boysenberry and a touch of spice. Well balanced with a persistent finish, this wine has enough acidity to balance out paella or grilled sausages.

2008 Higueruela, Almansa ($9.99) Higueruela is made from 100% Garnacha Tintorera (also called Alicante Bouchet), from low-yielding vines between 30 and 80 years old. Aged in stainless steel tanks, it has a fruity aroma which reveals black cherry flavors and moderate tannins. Higueruela has an appealing earthiness with great lift on the finish. 87 points Jay Miller, Recommend Best Buy

2005 El Cipres Malbec, Menoza ($9.99) 100% Malbec from the 70 year old Don Angelino vineyard at 2800 feet above sea level, El Cipres presents a delicious blend of red and black fruits supported by soft, smooth

NEW PRODUCTS

tannins. Smoky and meaty, serve this with a slab of grilled beef and chimichurri sauce.

Isastegi Basque cider ($10.99) is back in stock at long last! We now have two distinctive ciders in stock. Isastegi is tart green apple flavored with a fresh finish. Bereziartua cider ($9.99) is loaded with fermented fruit. Try one of each and compare!

Seven Fires, Grilling the Argentine Way by Francis Mallmann ($35.00) We ate at Mallmann’s 1884 Restaurant in Buenos Aires and it was an amazing experience. When South America’s most venerated chef published a cookbook, we had to stock it. Filled with mouth watering photos of everything from empanadas to assorted meats cooking over coals, if you like playing with fire, this is a must-have book.

Clos Mogador extra virgin olive oil ($37.00): Produced in limited quantities by Rene Barbier’s Priorat estate, this is a cold extraction of arbequina, rojol and empeltre olives. Amazingly buttery with grassy notes, it is full flavored with a peppery finish. So good it’s hard to stop dipping bread into it.

Now back in stock: Choricero dried peppers ($19.99/7 oz)

Access from the Pike Place Market: The stairs between the Market and Western Avenue will be closed for several months for construction and utility work. In the meantime, the other stairs are still open and the elevator is working. The market is installing signage to help folks find their way to Western Avenue.

We hope to see you soon, and have a great week!

Regards,

Sharon Baden and Steve Winston, Owners

The Spanish Table

Sherry Season

November 14th, 2008

SHERRY AND PORT SEASON   A touch of sherry or port on a chilly night can restore the body, if not the soul. Whether sipping a dry amontillado as an aperitif, enjoying a rich Oloroso with cheese, or tipping back a glass of port with a good Valor chocolate, these wines bring a warm and cozy feel to dark nights.  They are also excellent for cooking, adding an exceptional accent to mushroom or pork recipes.  Here are my top choices this season:
Valdespino Inocente Fino $19.99 (375 ml) Aged for 7 years under flor, bone dry Inocente has delicate floral aromas and clean, nutty flavors.   Wonderful with steamed clams!
Alvear Carlos VII Amontillado $19.99 (500 ml) A dry amontillado from Montilla, made from 100% Pedro Ximenez.  Dried fig and hazelnut flavors with a silky finish.  Fantastic in seafood bisque.
Lustau Los Arcos Dry Amontillado $8.99 (375 ml) $15.99 (750 ml) One of my favorite value amontillados.  Butterscotch aromas with flavors of toffee, spice and walnuts, this is super in mushroom recipes and also delicious just for sipping.
Hidalgo Faraon Oloroso $18.99 (500 ml) A rich, dry Oloroso.  “Aromatic with aromas of hazelnuts, walnuts and raisins and a broad, dry flavor profile.”  91 points Jay Miller
Lustau East India Solera $12.99 (375 ml) $25.99 (750 ml) An elegant blend of dry Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez.  Weighty and sweet with flavors of vanilla, raisins, walnuts, coffee, and chocolate.    Excellent with cheese or pecan pie.   94 points Robert Parker
Quinta do Infantado Ruby Port $10.99 (375 ml) $15.99 (750 ml) Roasted redcurrant, mocha and a hint of raisin on the mellow nose.   Sweet and silky.   A great introduction to ruby port!
2003 Delaforce Vintage Port $26.99 (375 ml) $43.00 (750 ml) Special price!  Affordable enough to drink one now and put another in the cellar.   “A fabulous nose of cassis and berries with hints of licorice.  Full-bodied and lightly sweet, with super sexy tannins and a long, long, finish.   Very classy.”   95 points Wine Spectator
Graham’s 10 year Tawny $32.00 “Complex orange peel, cedar and plum aromas and flavors are the hallmarks of this tawny.  It has medium body and sweetness with a crisp, clean finish.  Absolutely delicious to drink.   Pure honey.”   91 points Wine Spectator
Porto Rocha Glorious 50th Tawny Port $104.00 (375 ml) $181.00 (750 ml) A rare blend of 1937, 1957 colheitas with 10 and 30 year old tawnies.  Orange zest and walnuts, burnt sugar, mocha, caramel and honey with a hazelnut and marmalade finish.  Savor it after dinner.      
NEW FOODS
Veigadarte goat cheese: Think Humboldt Fog on steroids!   This gooey, tangy, soft-ripened goat cheese is produced in a small village in the province of Leon. Made from a blend of three different goat milks, it’s covered with oak ash and a thick bloomy white rind.  With a lively zestiness and citrus twang, it will impress your friends at parties.
Green Cerignola Olives They’re big, bold, beautiful, and green. Cerignola are the largest olives in the world. These fleshy green wonders have a fruity, mild, clean taste, but their most impressive feature is their size and resulting meatiness.  Biting into a Cerignola is almost like biting into a savory plum. Deep jade green in color, plop one in your martini!
BACK IN STOCK: Mustapha’s Moroccan Harissa after a summer-long absence
 
Thinking about what to serve on Thanksgiving?   Here’s our sherry basted turkey recipe which is what we have cooked for the last several years: 
 
TURKEY WITH CATALAN STUFFING (from The Spanish Table Cookbook)
 
Basting mixture:                                                      
2 Tablespoons            Course sea salt                     
½ Teaspoon                Saffron threads                      
8 cloves                       Garlic, minced            
½ cup                          Olive oil                                              
1                                  Large orange, quartered        
1                                  Lemon, quartered
½ cup                          Amontillado sherry
 
Stuffing:
2 cups                         Chopped onions
1 cup                           Spanish pine nuts
1 cup                           Raisins, re-hydrated
1 bunch                       Spinach, chopped
4 cups                         Stale bread, cubed                 
 
Pre heat the oven to 450 degrees.
 
Put the salt and saffron in a mortar and use pestle to grind them together.   Add garlic, mash to a paste and slowly add olive oil.    Using a pasty brush, paint the turkey with this mixture.  Quarter the orange and lemon and slip them into the bird’s cavity.   Put the turkey in a very large cazuela and pour the sherry over it.    Roast in a hot oven (450 degrees), basting every twenty to thirty minutes with the juices which collect in the bottom of the cazuela.
 
When done, remove the turkey from the pan and set it aside to rest.   While the turkey is resting, pour off the drippings and separate the fat from the juices.   Reserve some fat if you intend to make gravy.   De-glaze the pan with ½ cup water, and then add it to the de-fatted juices.
 
Stuffing:  
Put the raisins in a bowl and cover with some of the turkey juice to re-hydrate them.  Cook the onions in olive oil until translucent, and then toss with the other stuffing ingredients in a large mixing bowl.   Add enough of the juices from the roasting pan to dampen the stuffing.  Any extra juice can be used if you make gravy.   Put the stuffing in a cazuela and bake at 450 degrees, until heated through and surface is crisp, about 25 minutes.    After the turkey has rested, carve and serve with stuffing.