Paella

Ann has been talking about me cooking a paella for months. Our last experience in doing paella at the beginning of October was that the weather was brutally hot, so she scheduled it this fall for the end of the month. Naturally, it was the hottest day we have had in a month, topping out at 83 degrees and somewhat uncomfortable in the sun. Fortunately, the gusty winds out of the south made it somewhat bearable.

The Guest of Honor

Once guests started arriving, we could see the telltale darkness on the horizon out west and several of us started looking at the radar to see how bad and how soon the rain would be. How soon? A lot sooner than the predicted 6:30. How bad? Some gusty wind and a bit of rain, not enough to send us inside, the wisteria vines on the arbor giving us enough cover.

Searing the Chicken and Chorizo; Look at the Wind!

Sofrito Cooked, Stock Coming to Boil

Rice About Half Done, Adding Mussels

Mussels Just Open, Shrimp in, Max Flame for Soccarat

With all the wind, I couldn't get the paella done as quickly as usual; the heat was blown off the pan. Such is cooking outdoors over a fire. Of the hundreds of frames I shot, these are all the photos worth looking at and many of these are pretty terrible. I'm afraid I'm not very good with the camera. I was trying to use my 50mm prime lens and I still don't have it figured out. I need to find another strategy for shooting handheld interior shots in low light without resorting to flash. (The little voice is saying, "use the iPhone, idiot!").

Cirque du Soleil/Lyon Hall

We try to catch Cirque du Soleil every time they are in town. Ann booked our tickets to Kurios probably six months ago and we had been looking forward to seeing the show for a long time. After a whole lot of hassle trying to find our designated parking in Tyson's Corner, we finally made it to the show in time to have a glass of wine before things got kicked off.

Kurios Was a Good Show

Prosecco at Intermission

I really enjoyed this show. It was a lot better than Michael Jackson: One which we walked out of at intermission and Totem which was too small. I don't think it compares to Ovo in terms of large acrobatic feats, but it was well staged and over far too soon. Both the Victorian-Steampunk mashup costumes and haunting music from vocalist Eirini Tornesaki were fantastic. Though it was really too dark inside to photograph anything, I was able to get one grainy photo while the house lights were still up.

A Steampunk Extravaganza

After the show, we zipped down the tollroad from Tysons to Ballston to try SER Restaurant which features mainly small plates and tapas. I had been looking really forward to trying their real Spanish food for some time, but it became apparent as soon as we walked in that we wouldn't be staying: their AC was broken and it was about 85 degrees inside, just slightly cooler than outside. We regrouped at the bar with a glass of Verdejo for me and for Ann a cocktail called the Stigma: Cava, ginger honey, and saffron bitters. This was a really great cocktail. We decided to move to nearby Lyon Hall and called Drew and Bill, who were on their way to meet us at SER.

Stigma: Cava, Ginger Honey, Saffron Bitters

They beat us to Lyon Hall by about 10 minutes as we finished our cocktails and liberated our car from the parking garage whose attendant was not to be found when we got to the exit. They had just come in from the new house, Avon Hall, that they purchased in Washington, VA. We got caught up over cocktails before moving on to dinner. I had a double IPA from Evolution Brewing and Ann had a shandy.

Holding Down the Table for Us

Evolution Double IPA

Mini Hot Dogs with Kraut and Mustard

Our server brought us a plate of mini hot dogs on the house. They worked really well with my beer, but we soon moved on to a bottle of Fitou from the Mediterranean Coast of France, a Carignan-based blend with Grenache and Syrah. I've had a bit of Fitou in my life and it's mostly been pretty tannic and brawny. This, by contrast, was softer and much more approachable.

Tuna Tartare

For dinner, among the four of us, we had a good sample of the menu. Drew had steak tartare and a massive pork schnitzel. Bill had a tuna tartare and a hanger steak. Ann and I had a tuna tartare, a sausage plate, and a cheese plate. After our appetizers, it was getting too dark inside to photograph so no more food pics. We really enjoyed our visit with Drew and Bill but despite the excellent company, we found the food wasn't at the level of our last visit in 2012. Back then, the food was exceptional, especially the sausages. The new chef's food is good but not what we had hoped for, better than average, but not exceptional. Still, I like the restaurant very much.

Delaplane Cellars/Clam and Bacon Risotto

Bill, Drew, and Ann on the Patio at Delaplane Cellars

Sunday, social planner Ann made plans for us to introduce Bill and Drew to Delaplane Cellars, despite the fact that I was there two weeks ago catering and will be there next Sunday as well. We are fortunate to have friends that would make the hour-plus drive out from DC to visit for a couple of hours. The day was just fantastic, sunny and in the upper 50s and so we took advantage of what might be the last nice day of the year to sit out on the patio and take in the sun.



Duet and Left Bank: Somebody Has to Drink Them

It's always fun to watch people's faces as they take in the gorgeous tasting room and the perhaps more splendid view for the first time. After Bill and Drew admired the view from the catwalk outside the tasting room, we did a tasting so that they could get an idea of the quality of the wines being poured. And then we ended up outside with a bottle each of Duet and Left Bank. We tasted Left Bank (Cab dominant) against Williams Gap (Franc dominant) and then Duet, a blend of the two vineyards. Left Bank is the name given to the wines made from the estate fruit. Williams Gap is slightly north where route 7 meets the mountains in Loudoun County.

Dinner: Clam and Bacon Risotto

We stayed for perhaps an hour after Drew and Bill left before heading for home and thinking about dinner. For dinner, Ann wanted something "rich and comforting" made from the clams that we had left from last weekend. I don't tolerate fresh milk products very well but those things are what get Ann's juices running. She wanted a classic New England clam chowder and wouldn't be swayed to a nice Manhattan clam chowder. In exasperation, I told her I would make the chowder and she could eat it and I would find something else to eat. She finally asked me for an idea that was rich and comforting that I could actually eat, so I suggested clam risotto. And there you have it: a risotto of bacon and shallots, Arborio, white wine, thyme and parsley from the garden, a touch of butter, and some pecorino. This was a great dinner to top off a great day with friends.

Glen Manor Vineyards

We finally made our first visit of the year to Glen Manor Vineyards; our last visit was in late November. Seriously? Has it been that long? Our calendar is so full that we just cannot get to do the things we want to nearly as often as we like. Through much persistence, Ann finally put together a group of us (more than six: Shh! Don't tell Jeff!) for a picnic there this weekend: Matthew and Michael, Bill and Drew, Mike (Dennis is overseas), Amanda and Dimitri, and Michele and Christophe.

When we walked in around 1pm, Kelly, Jorge, and Jane were all busy pouring for a counter full of tasters. Amanda and Dimitri were already there and tasting and the rest of the crew arrived over the next hour or so. Kelly brought over a glass of 2012 rosé for us to sip on while waiting to taste: it was really great to see them busy! The 2012 is a beautiful wine, but there isn't enough of it for us to pour it at the restaurant. When the counter crowd finally thinned out, Jane finally tasted us on the 2011 Cabernet Franc, which is one of the very best wines I have tasted from 2011, and the much more structured and predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 Vin Rouge. We're still waiting on Jeff to release the 2012 Sauvignon Blanc, which I needled him about when he showed up late in the day, after having been out spraying in the vineyards since 2am, poor bastard.

Kelly, Jorge, and Jane Busy, Busy!

On a very overcast day that was threatening rain, Kelly was kind enough to save us seats under the shade canopy outside and that was fortunate because at one point, a squall blew through from the southeast. It was so loud in approaching that we all turned and watched it blow right up to us. Rarely do you see a line of rain approaching like this. In any case, it was over about as quickly as it blew up and we didn't miss a beat.

Mike "I don't like rosé" Hoffmaster

Matthew and an Especially Nice Photo of Michael's Chin

Dimitri and Amanda

What is She Thinking About?

Excellent Eats

The eats were fantastic. Ann baked a loaf of sage and roasted garlic bread, I baked a pepperoni-spiced terrine (paprika, garlic, pistachios, Mangalitsa pork belly, a ton of ground fennel seed, red wine, basil, and oregano), Michele made a great pasta salad, and M&M kicked in tuna tartare. I also brought along an amazing Valençay clone cheese from Shepherd's Whey Creamery, and two salame from Olympic Provisions: chorizo navarre and salchichón.

Variable Weather: Rainy to Bright Overcast with Late Sun

A Jigsaw Puzzle Photo: Compare Here

Ann Holding Court with Drew and Bill

Just as Mike and I were leaving to go get Carter, Jeff finally arrived after a quick nap and a shower. I am sorry I didn't get more time to talk with him but it was good to see him nonetheless. I did however get a few minutes to chat with his brother Steve and a couple minutes chatting with Kelly. It's been too long since we were there and that just wasn't enough time to catch up.

Amanda, Dimitri, Bill, Drew, and Mike all joined us back at the house, but Mike left before I threw together some pasta. We continued the festivities out on the patio.