a concept blog that matches the three for simple entertainment
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Love at first bite
the bottle: Hightower Cellars Murray Cuvée Red 2007 the movie: Say Anything, 1989 the meal: Pan-seared duck breast with bittersweet blood orange sauce, pan-fried Brussels Sprouts halves with bacon, red jasmine rice with toasted hazelnuts and parsley, chocolate pot decrème I chose to forego the fervent draw of the Olympic spirit this week and submit to the powerful youthful allure of true love that Valentine’s Day proffers. And while I’m one who looks slightly askance at the Hallmarkization of Valentine’s Day, the true essence of the day is most definitely worth a bulging red tribute. And so next week, let us roll out the white ribbons and spikes, don our colors and parkas, and follow the flame to glory.
St. Valentine’s Day is named after the Christian martyr, Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 486 AD to celebrate love between two people. In the tradition, lovers express their affection for one another by presenting flowers, confections, and hand-written notes. In Say Anything, Lloyd Dobler uses a boombox.
In one of the sweetest, most innocent moments in modern film, our hero, played by a young and eternally optimistic John Cusack, appears in the driveway of the girl who has reluctantly rebuffed him, and with legs akimbo and arms unbending, rebelliously blasts the Peter Gabriel song, In Your Eyes, from his portable sound system, as if it were his loudspeaker of love.
This is an honest movie, and Lloyd plays a regular guy acting out a regular life with a regular kind of heart-pounding, unstoppable first true love. It’s the very regular-ness of it all that makes the love bug affliction so trenchant. And Lloyd’s persistence and honesty in the face of odds ultimately wins the day, and the girl. It’s not overbearing in the slightest, so don’t expect a John Hughesean, treaclish teen tale. Cameron Crowe—that's right, for the second week in a row—directs us an unconventional, conventional story about just simply pure love and its undeniable beauty.
In honor of Lloyd and his love Diane(Ione Skye), we present an elegant and assertive, yet simple and sweet, pan-seared and oven-finished duck breast with a bittersweet blood orange sauce. (Miles and mouths away from duck à l'orange!) The words alone can tickle the teeth and tingle the tongue. The duck breast is seared in a hot iron skillet for 7-8 minutes, flipped and put in the oven for another 7-8, and it's done. The bittersweet, blood orange sauce is exquisite and easier that it sounds. The effect of the tart and tangy, sweet and sour sauce dabbled over the moist pink, thickly sliced and crispy-brown-skinned duck breast is as glorious and perfectly-suited as ApoloOhno on the short rack.
To carry forth the theme of pretty in pink and perfectly dreamy, I marry the duck with a soft and ethereal red jasmine rice (I use an amazing product from Alter-Eco) studded with toasted crunchy hazelnuts, and flecked with parsley. Then, pan-fried Brussels Sprouts halves with salty bacon provide an earthen and toothy counterpoint. The final plate is a wondrous palette of colors and textures that soars alongside Lloyd’s raw, exposed heart. It’s all just delicious.
Of course we can't get away without chocolate tonight. No way around it. And these easy, luxurious little pots decrème are the perfect finish to this elegant meal. They are a dense and rich, pudding-y pleasure that melts in your mouth like a spoonful of liquid truffles. A dab of fresh whipped cream acts as the subtle crown to the ivory throne. Zest a little blood orange on top and grab a spoon.
Our goblet tonight will carry an irresistable red emblazoned with an even more irresistible label—that’s right, man’s second best friend. The Hightower Cellars Murray Cuvée Red 2007 is named after winemakers Tim and Kelly Hightower’s “best friend,” their yellow lab, Murray. The blend is 69% Cabernet Sauvignon and 31% Merlot, from Alder Ridge in Horse Heaven Hills, and Walla Walla Valley. This deep, purplish ruby red glass plays its fruity cherry, blueberry and cassis aromas well off of the succulent gamey duck and vibrant citrus flavors. The accents of light toasty oak and vanilla are a great baseline for the sweet, supple jasmine and hazelnuts. It is a beautiful and juicy valentine for your special evening, and even more special person. So raise a glass to Saint Valentine and Lloyd Dobler, for tonight they remind us of what it means to be in love.
Recipes can be found here:
Pan-seared duck breast with bittersweet blood orange sauce. For the duck breasts: http://bit.ly/aNw9Pd For the bittersweet blood orange sauce: http://bit.ly/dxvgtN Pan-fried Brussels Sprouts halves with bacon: Cook some bacon slivers until crisp in an iron skillet. Add halved Brussels with a tbsp of olive oil and a little butter. Cook over medium heat until browned. Add a little chicken stock for moisture if you like and cook until tender but still crunchy.
That meal sounds good even to a veg! I'll try some of these ideas -- haven't cooked that particular red jasmine rice and will renew my neglected love affair with pot de creme.
Great choice of film...it is definitely one for this weekend. Bravo (and aloha...)
bottlemoviemeal is for everyone who likes wine, movies, and good, simple food. But especially people who like all three, together.
What could be a better way to spend a weekend night than to hunker down at home, either with family or friends, or happily solo, eat a delicious meal with a well-matched bottle of vino, and then settle in to watch a really good movie?
The idea for this blog is to create an harmonious and conceptual grouping of the three, to make for a fun, thematic evening at home.
Give it a try in the spirit of shared and real experiences — all the recipes are easy, forgiving, and soul-satisfying; all the movies are available from Netflix, and all the bottles are (mostly) easy to find and wont break the bank. I'll try and post on Wednesdays to allow for menu planning, bottle buying and movie ordering. Let us know what you think.
That meal sounds good even to a veg! I'll try some of these ideas -- haven't cooked that particular red jasmine rice and will renew my neglected love affair with pot de creme.
ReplyDeleteGreat choice of film...it is definitely one for this weekend. Bravo (and aloha...)