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ThanksGavin 2023

Aug15

The 2023 Thanksgiving spread. More limited and fewer people.

A bracing raddicio salad.

Wild rice.

The infamous spicy cranberry chutney.

My mom’s lighter take on green bean casserole.

Our BBQ turkey. Pretty much as excellent as always. Nice and smokey.

Sliced

Bits.

Stuffing.

I made the gravy. A bit livery and at first it was too thin.

And as there was no corn starch in the house I had to make a traditional roux.

That did the job right quick.

The 2023 ThanksGavin plate.

The 2023 ThanksGavin plate.

The oven broke so no pies 🙁 Just some Haggen Daas.

and fruit.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: ThanksGavin, thanksgiving, turkey, Wine

Fatty Friday 2022

Jul07

It’s tradition at ThanksGavin (the 4 day feasting our family engages in each November) for one of my cousins to host the Friday Night dinner, which is like thanksgiving night all over again (but with different food). This year, Matt and his wife Andrea handled BOTH nights!

Shrimp Cocktail with home-made Cocktail Sauce.

Home-made Trout Dip. Very lovely smoked trout flavor and great creamy texture.

Toasts for the trout dip.

A pile of Snake River Farms beef.

Tomohawk steaks.

New York Steaks.

Sliced steak.

Salmon.

Home-made Béarnaise sauce for both the steaks and salmon.

Cauliflower Gratin. Covered in a Béchamel sauce that was infused with cheese then baked.

Crispy sliced potatoes.

Sautéed Mushrooms. Just like a steakhouse.

Sautéed Spinach.

Caesar salad made with my “famous” classic Caesar Dressing (includes anchoives and raw egg yolks of course).

My personal plate, avoiding the carbs.

The dessert spread returns the leftovers from Thanksgiving the night before.

Satisfaction!

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Dessert, Fat Friday, Meat, ThanksGavin, ThanksGavin 2022, thanksgiving, Wine

Salty Saturday 2021

Aug10

Salty Saturday is the traditional family bagel and lox brunch we do on the Saturday after ThanksGavin.

For the last couple of years it’s been hosted at my cousin Matt’s house. This year (2021), it’s a touch more subdued than usual due to cooking fatigue, the pandemic, etc.

In his sunny dining room.

Across the way is the kids table.

The more restrained spread this year.

Philadelphia bagels.

Onions.

Lox.

Cheese.

Herbs.

Snacks, cucumbers etc.

Tomatoes, capers, cream cheese, whitefish salad, olives.

Freshly made goat cheese fritata.

And here is my plate — delicious but it did induce ridicule for including 4 full bagel halves!

To combat the salt, I also tried a strategy of pounding a cold press coffee, which seemed to work (a bit). Then we got in the car and drove off to New York!

See here for more ThanksGavin posts.

Made by my young cousin Audrey from my Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Bagels, Cream Cheese, Lox, Salty Saturday, ThanksGavin, ThanksGavin 2021, thanksgiving

ThanksGavin 2021 – The Feast Itself

Aug05

This year, after a brief pandemic induced hiatus, ThanksGavin returned to Philadelphia in 2021 — at my cousin Matt and his wife Andrea’s place.

Matt is in the back starting his kitchen prep.

For whatever reasons, possibly ennui, my photos are slightly more minimalistic than usual.

The savory spread.

Bread.

Butter.

Brussels with walnuts.

Squash.

Leeks.

Doubling down on the red are the roasted beets.

Potatoes Lyonnaise.

Cranberry jelly.

My mom’s cranberry chutney with a bit of citrus and cayenne — probably my favorite.

Veggies.

Turkey #1. BBQed in the Big Green Egg. And Turkey #2 was Done in the webber over charcoal.

Turkey!

More Turkey.

Stuffing.

Stuffing without butter.

My official plate for 2021!

Whipped cream I “whipped up.”

And some super decadent butterscotch sauce I also whipped up — given that I’m not the master of anything that belongs with gelato.

Brownies etc.

A spice/fruit cake.

Pumpkin pie.

Pecan pie.

Here is my pancreas busting plate.

Overall, some of the best ThanksGavin food yet, even beating out the awesome 2017 and 2018! It usually is, as the standards keep going up and up! To see a list of all ThanksGavin meals over the here, click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Dessert, ThanksGavin, ThanksGavin 2021, thanksgiving, turkey, Wine

Whacky Wednesday – Argana Tree

Aug03

Restaurant: Argana Tree Restaurant

Location: 620 Greenwood Ave, Jenkintown, PA 19046. (215) 887-7400

Date: November 24, 2021

Cuisine: Moroccan

Rating: Slow but good

After 2 years off for the pandemic the ThanksGavin was back on in its habitual Philadelphia. On Wed night before the holiday we always go out somewhere interesting, in this case just down the street to:

It’s really down the street from my cousins’ place. We walked.

The menu.

The dining room.

NV Henriot Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut.

Bread.

Olive oil.

Assorted Moroccan Appetizers.

Greek Salad. Feta cheese, Olives, Tomato, Cucumber, Boiled Egg and Red Wine Vinegar Dressing Over Mixed Greens.

roasted beet salad. Crispy goat cheese, grapefruit, raspberries pistachio, arugula, mustard dressing.

Falafel and yogurt.

From my cellar: 1976 Robert Ampeau & Fils Volnay 1er Cru Santenots.

From my cellar: 2012 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Anrecht.

Kefta Kabob. Ground lamb in Moroccan spices.

Spinach Briwats. filo filled savory pastry with Spinach, onion and feta.

Vegetable Briwats. filo filled savory pastry with carrots, leeks, zucchini.

From my cellar: 2000 Domaine de Marcoux Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes. VM 93+. Bright deep red. Exotic aromas of jammy red fruits, cinnamon and smoke. Juicy, tightly wound and powerful, with brooding flavors of black fruits, minerals and mint. Quite different in style from the basic bottling, with a structural underpinning that’s rare for the vintage. Finishes very long and firm, with strong flavors of dark berries and spices and somewhat austere but ripe tannins. Should prove to be long-lived in the context of the vintage. (Eric Solomon/European Cellars, Charlotte, NC)

Seafood Pastilla. Baby Scallops, Shrimp, Calamari & White Fish. served over Rice Vermicelli with Moroccan Spices

Lamb Shank.

Paella Valencia. Saffron Rice, Shrimp, Calamari, Baby Scallops and Chicken. I guess it came south from Spain.

Lamb Tagine w/ Caramelized Onions and Almonds.

Chicken Tagine with Apricots.

Seabass. Someone likes it plain.

Halibut.

Argana Tree was pretty tasty. I can’t say that it was fast, or that the plating was modern and slick, but the food was enjoyable and we had a great time. It was certainly great to see everyone again after 2 years hiatus!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Moroccan Cuisine, Philadelphia, ThanksGavin, ThanksGavin 2021, thanksgiving, Wine

Salty Saturday 2018

Jan16

Salty Saturday is the traditional family bagel and lox brunch we do on the Saturday after ThanksGavin.

For the last couple of years it’s been hosted at my cousin Matt’s house.

Prep work in the kitchen.

In his sunny dining room.

Across the way is the kids table.

And a look at the spread.

Olives.

Cucumbers and tomatoes as condiments.

Cucumbers and onions — looking pretty.

Capers and chives.

I like my cream-cheese with chives in it.

Muenster and Swiss. Always makes me think of the Muenster Rebellion but I love it still.

Two kinds of whitefish salad. Chunky smoked.

And creamy whitefish salad (lots of mayo). I actually like this one better.

Two kinds of lox, regular and pastrami lox — which I now love. Low salt too considering.

Pickled herring.

Roasted beets.

Matt made a frittata too.

And here is my plate — delicious but it did induce ridicule for including 4 full bagel halves!

To combat the salt, I also tried a strategy of pounding a cold press coffee, which seemed to work.

See here for more ThanksGavin posts.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Deli, Lox, Salmon, Salty Saturday, ThanksGavin, ThanksGavin 2018, thanksgiving, whitefish salad

Fatty Friday 2018

Jan14

Check them out in scale.

Matt is on the left seasoning them.

And close up of before going on the grill.

Matt somehow got these tomahawk steaks perfectly cooked first try.

Because it was a steak, he made an awesome wedge to go with it — and with the romaine scare it was actually hard to find even iceberg lettuce.

The ice berg lettuce.

A fully prepped (minus tomato) wedge salad. Amazing rich blu cheese dressing.

Salmon for those who don’t eat meat.

Bread, peppers.

Greens.

Potatoes.

Cauliflower.

Amarone goes great with meat.

Here are the steaks being sliced.

And what was left about 10 minutes later.

Bone it!

For dessert, we begin with my mom’s rustic cranberry tart. Looks perfect doesn’t it?

Pumpkin — oops butternut squash — pie.

Grandma’s brownies and blondies.

Cut up.

Apple pie from the previous night.

Candies.

Ice cream for ala mode.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Steak, ThanksGavin, ThanksGavin 2018, thanksgiving, Wine

Fatty Friday 2017

Jan03

From my cellar: NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée. VM 94. The NV Grande Cuvée is absolutely stellar. This is one of the very best Grande Cuvées I can remember tasting. The flavors are bright, focused and beautifully delineated throughout, all of which make me think the wine will age well for many, many years. Lemon peel, white flowers, crisp pears, smoke and crushed rocks race across the palate in a vibrant, tense Champagne that epitomizes finesse. This release is based on the 2005 vintage and was disgorged in winter 2012/2013.

Fatty Friday usually has a big cheese spread, and tonight’s was dragged back a few days beforehand from Paris by my father. It included the cultured butter-like Mont D’Or.

And another view.

From my cellar: 2007 Domaine Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Mouchère. BH 94. Though very little time has passed since I reviewed this gorgeous effort in Issue 35, particularly in this larger format, nothing makes me question my initial review as the ’07 Mouchère is a knock-out: An almost invisible touch of wood influence allows the elegant, ripe and ultra pure aromas of citrus blossom, spice and orchard fruit to have center stage while the focused, textured and almost painfully intense flavors culminate in a bone dry, silky and seriously long finish. In sum, this is a stunning wine of real class and grace where the balance is so good that it could be drunk now with pleasure, even from magnum though it will certainly repay longer-term aging if desired.

Tonight’s spread.

Turnip, I think.

Salad from the previous night.

Beets from the previous night.

Leftover stuffing.

Cranberry relish.

Cranberry sauce.

Stuffed squash.

And the inside view.

From my cellar: 1996 Faiveley Corton-Clos des Cortons Faiveley. VM 94. Deep ruby color. Multidimensional aromas of violet, coffee, dried rose, clove, rare steak and seductive oak. Huge and tactile; really implodes in the mouth today. Extremely deep and lush, with the sheer sweetness to buffer its considerable acids and tannins. Oaky. Finishes extremely long, with very fine, tooth-coating tannins. With aeration, some of the baby fat melted away, and the wine’s powerful structure was manifest. Headspinning, old-style Burgundy, and very impressive. One to buy and cellar.

Matt poses with his slow cooked pork shoulder.

Slow cooked pork shoulder.

Crispy skin, tender juicy meat inside.

The plate.

The desserts were mostly repeated from Thanksgiving itself, but there were Kosher rice crispy treats (have to use kosher marshmallows).

By: agavin
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Tagged as: pork, ThanksGavin, ThanksGavin 2017, thanksgiving, Wine

ThanksGavin 2017

Dec29

This year, after a brief California hiatus, ThanksGavin returned to Philadelphia — but to a new house (about a mile away). My cousin Matt and his wife Andrea picked up the baton from the elder generation.

From my cellar: NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Rosé. VM 92. Pale orange. High-pitched red berry, orange zest and jasmine aromas, with suave mineral and smoky lees notes adding complexity. Spicy and precise on the palate, showing very good punch to its strawberry and bitter cherry flavors. Opens up smoothly with air and picks up a bitter rhubarb quality that lingers onto the long, tightly focused finish. This bottling showed more brawny character than many past renditions of this <em>cuvée</em>, but with no lack of vivacity.

Andrea melted cheese on these potato chips in the oven — awesome.

More rose champagne.

Rush Creek Reserve. I just had this Vaucheron-like cheese a couple nights before at the brand new Hearth & Hound.

The first turkey, done on a charcoal webber was a bit “crispy” on the outside, although perfect inside.

The second, cooked in a big green egg, was more even toned.

The spread.

Some of my dad’s white burg.

From my cellar: 1995 Domaine Anne Gros Clos Vougeot Le Grand Maupertui. VM 92. Deep red-ruby. Extravagantly rich aromas of blackcurrant, pepper, smoke and tar. Large-scaled, deep and very sweet; explosively fruity and impressively tactile. Chewy tannins are buried under a wave of finishing fruit. A knockout Clos Vougeot truly worthy of its grand cru status.

From my cellar: 1995 Paitin di Pasquero-Elia Barbaresco Sorì Paitin. VM 91. Medium red, some amber at the rim. Plum, cherry and enticing smoky, toasty oak on the nose. Smoky, sweet and velvety, with insinuating flavor. Has firm backbone and finishes with some oak tannins but avoids dryness. Rather Pommard-like in its solidity.

From my cellar: 1996 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou. VM 94+. Bright medium ruby. Deep, superripe aromas of dark berries, black cherry and bitter chocolate; slightly exotic crystallized fruit aspect. Dense, sweet and wonderfully rich; a lovely combination of palate-caressing chocolatey fruit and firm underlying structure. Finishes with excellent grip and great palate-saturating sweetness. Another outstanding 1996 Medoc wine in the making. Drink 2010 through 2030.

Fresh bread.

Toppings.

The endive and radish and beet salad.

Beets.

Roasted slightly bitter veggies, including turnips.

Scalloped mashed potatoes. Pretty awesome with lots of butter and cream.

Sweet potatoes. More starch!

Green bean casserole with béchamel and crispy onions. Who says veggies can’t be delicious (if you smother them in fat)?

Cranberry sauce mould.

Cranberry chutney with cayenne. My favorite, as it’s zesty.

Cranberry relish.

The turkey, which looks a bit like a Chinese Roast Goose.

Delicious stuffing.

Rich gravy.

Another view.

My plate this year.

From my cellar: 2015 Jacques Perritaz Cidrerie du Vulcain Apple Transparente

The homemade dessert spread.

Matt’s homemade nut and marshmallow fudge.

Mom’s vegan pecan pie — amazing.

Bob’s custard pie. Almost savory, perfect texture, a bit like a giant Macau tart.

Matt’s pumpkin pie.

Matt’s pecan pie. A richer butter crust and very sweet.

Grandmom’s (recipe) brownies.

Grandmom’s (recipe) blondies.

I tried to be moderate.

Overall, the best ThanksGavin food yet! It usually is, as the standards keep going up and up!

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Philadelphia, ThanksGavin, ThanksGavin 2017, thanksgiving, turkey, Wine

ThanksGavin 2016

Nov26

Thanksgiving in my family is always an opportunity for epic gluttony — home cooked gluttony at that — hence the ThanksGavin nomenclature. This year we were back in Los Angeles for only the second time in decades, blending cooking and recipes from both my side and my wife’s side in an all around cooperative cooking fest.
Let’s review some of the prep like this rathere hacked Kosher turkey.

And Challah stuffing.

The open neck was “surgically sealed” before it went on the BBQ.

We had enough people we needed 2!

The finbished product pre-carving.

And drippings to be transformed into gravy.

NV Demière-Ansiot Champagne Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs. VC 90+. The new release of the consistently excellent non-vintage Blanc de Blancs bottling from Demière-Ansiot was disgorged in December of 2014 and is base year 2011, with a finishing dosage of six grams per liter. The thirty percent reserve wines used here hail from 2010 and 2008. The youthful bouquet wafts from the glass in a classic blend of pear, apple, a touch of fresh almond, incipient notes of crème patissière, chalky minerality, brioche and a topnote of apple blossoms. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and still youthfully snappy, with a lovely core, excellent mousse, crisp acids and a long, pure and beautifully balanced finish. This is certainly approachable today, but I will keep my bottles tucked away for a couple of years to allow this wine to come forward a bit from behind its fine structure.

2005 Gramona Cava III Lustros Gran Reserva. 90 points. Light brioche on the nose with dried lemons and limes, and ripe pear. Nice dry finish and some minerality but overall palate lacks depth and complexity.

The appetizer hour in the drawing room.

Chopped Beef liver.

Crackers and crudites.

Toasts.

Olives, dates, tomatos.

People then move into the dining room.
2006 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières. VC 92. The 2006 Leflaive Folatières shows even more ripeness than any wine that has come before it in the cellar, with an extravagant and exotic profile on both the nose and palate. The bouquet is a mix of very ripe apples and peaches, honeysuckle, honeycomb and some chalky soil tones. On the palate the wine is a bit fresher on the attack than the nose promises, with good mid-palate stuffing, fine focus and complexity, but some heat penetrating through the fruit on the long finish that closes nicely with a note of lemon oil.

Butternut squash soup. For a long time during “development” this soup tasted too much like boxed chicken stock — but after adding some Remi Martin XO, a bunch of black pepper, ginger, and cinnanom and cooking it down it was redeemed. It came out delicious.

1983 Domaine Robert Arnoux / Arnoux-Lachaux Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots. 94 points. An awesome mature red Burg.

2004 Cantine del Castello di Conti Boca Il Rosso delle Donne. AG 92. The 2004 Boca Il Rosso delle Donne shimmers on the palate with layers of fruit, mineral, and herbs. Stylistically the 2004 is a much more expansive, generous wine than the 2005, with layers of fruit that radiate with notable energy through to the mineral-laced finish. This fresh, vibrant and impeccably pure wine is a jewel.

Seb brought: 2014 Melville Syrah Estate Donna’s. parker 97. Even better, with more depth, density and ripeness, the 2014 Syrah Donna’s offers overflowing notes of olive tapenade, salted beef, licorice, black olive, peppery herbs and cured meats, with tons of ripe currants, fresh plum and smoked black cherry fruit. Full-bodied, elegant and seamless, with fabulous purity and persistence, I wouldn’t push the aging curve, but it’s a killer wine that will provide tons of pleasure over the coming 7-8 years.

The main buffet spread.

Kale salad with citrus.

Savory slaw.

Mashed potatoes.

Sweet potato “pie” with walnuts.

Turkey. sorted white to dark.

Stuffing. Awesome!

Gravy. reduced from the drippings and neck meat.

Balsamic glazed beets.

Other beets.

Brussels sprouts.

Brussels sprouts version 2.

Sweet cranberry sauce.

Spicy cranberry chutney – my favorite.

Apple sauce.

Spiced green beans and carrots. Great color and a nice crunch.

Spicy beet greens my brother cooked.

Cauliflower with walnuts and raisins.

The annual plate.
Seb brought: 2014 Bodegas Alto Moncayo Garnacha Campo de Borja. 92 points. big rounded Spainish Grenache.
NV Gonzalez-Byass Pedro Ximénez Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Viejo Noé (30 Years/Años). WD 17.5. A 100% PX wine. Caramel, molasses, Christmas pudding on the nose. Rich, oily, toffee sauce style of wine, with nuts and raisins. Really over the top; impressive, but I don’t know if I would actually want more than a mouthful. I suspect it would be really good with ice cream though.

Parve Nonpareils.

Chocolate chip bundt cake.

Fruit.

Bananna blondies.

Pumpkin pie.

My mom’s apple cobbler.

Chocolate cake.
And all handmade my me, artisanal sorbetti. Left to right: espresso, strawberry, and cherry-cassis. The texture came out textbook perfect in all 3 cases. The espresso would be better with milk, but the two fruit ones have amazing flavor.

All in all and extremely successful feast. Cooking was a shared affair between my the whole family on both sides and oodles of excellent dishes abounded. So much good home cooked food! So little room in the stomach.

For more ThanksGavin meals, click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: ThanksGavin, ThanksGavin 2016, thanksgiving, turkey, Wine

ThanksGavin 2014

Dec02

It’s that time of year again, time to loosen your belt buckle and sit down for the annual ThanksGavin!

The table is set.

NV Casa Vinicola Botter Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Santi Nello. Bubbly to start. Zingy acids, excellent minerality, very small fizzy bubbles. Ultra refreshing.

Crudites.

Some kind of dip of mysterious origins.

1995 Robert Ampeau & Fils Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes. 90 points. This is medium gold. Nose is very ripe fruit and honey, but not boytritis. Sweet and satiny and weighty, acid is failing. Finishes with baked apples and pastry.

Artichokes.

Hummus. Achem, from a tub.

1988 Camille Giroud Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots. Burghound 90. This too is very fresh, in fact fresher than the Clos de Vougeot with a beguiling mix of spice and secondary aromas that lead to big, intense, firmly structured flavors that have plenty of sweet pinot sap to buffer the solid tannins. This is quite long, in fact the longest of these bottled wines and delivers unmistakable Vosne character. It remains a creature of its vintage and the finish is austere and masculine in style but there is plenty of volume and flavor authority. This will live for years.

Now we’re talking: cheese.

And good olives.

1998 Dominique Laurent Mazis-Chambertin. 93 points. Showed good complexity and depth, excellent balance, and a medium finish. Flavors of black raspberry, cherry, spices, dried leaves, and forest floor all emerged after a time. The acidity held everything together nicely. Good freshness of flavor both on the nose and palate. I think this is nearly at peak or plateauing nicely.

This year there were two turkeys, and because our chefs patched up the neck with skin grafts from different birds, they nicknamed them Frankenturkey!

Turkey. But they came out perfectly.

Gravy. Of course.

Stuffing. Nothing better than gravy soaked stuffing.

Cranberry. A choice of three variants on the cranberry theme. My favorite is the spicy chutney (lower left) which is smooth and slightly spicy.

1973 Bodegas Olarra Rioja Añares Crianza. 92 points. wonderful wine; surprised how much vitality it retained. Like fig juice.

Brussels sprouts.

With a delicious lemon sauce.

Roast beets with balsamic & maple syrup.

Squash with black mustard seeds.

Spinach salad with goat cheese.

2009 Nugnes Falerno del Massico Rosso. 92 points. Red edges, dark core — Nose captivating, mindblowing, fresh, flowery, almond, sweetness, dried fig, pickled fruit — Palate mild, fresh, watery, like marsala wine, plums for days, oriental herbs, some cherry, some sour cherry — Finishes on red fruit, tartness and spice aspects again. This is special, an oriental dream, changing by the minute, now some pepper and some cinnamon, appears to be expressive and young, a long life ahead. Fairly high acidity level. Happy I bought 12 bottles to drink over the next 10 years.

The 2014 official plate!

1975 Dow Porto Vintage. 86 points. The wine showed all the characteristics of a tawny. Not exactly overwhelming but very nice to drink. Alcohol was a bit too evident. It’s so nice to open old bottles of Port like this! Unless the wine is really spoiled, it’s always a pleasure to drink it.

Coffee cake.

“Bubbie Caplan’s” rice pudding. Really quite lovely. Eggy sweet custard.

My mom’s absolutely perfect pecan pie.

Grandmom’s brownies and blondies.

Apple crisp.

Dessert plate.

This was another spectacular homemade ThanksGavin dinner as usual.

For more ThanksGavin meals, click here.

Our main chefs, my mom and her sister

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Cooking, Gravy, Mashed potato, ThanksGavin, thanksgiving, Thanksgiving dinner, turkey, Wine

Ghosts of ThanksGavins Past

Nov27

In honor of turkey day, a look back on over a decade of previous Gavin festivals of gluttony…

By: agavin
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Tagged as: ThanksGavin, thanksgiving, turkey

ThanksGavin 2012

Nov26

It’s that time of year again, time to loosen your belt buckle and sit down for the annual ThanksGavin!

The table is set.

And decorated.

The libations begin with this bubbly.

And the real deal, Grand Cru Burgundy. Parker 95, “This saturated and dark colored wine, with its extraordinarily spicy nose of sweet red and black fruits, sent me soaring. This massive, intense, broad-shouldered, masculine, structured, and chewy wine is crammed with super-ripe, rich, and layered blackberries, cassis, licorice, earth, and Asian spices. As if that were not enough, its dense fruit comes roaring back after expectoration, lingering on the palate for nearly a minute. This is an extraordinary Clos Vougeot! Projected maturity: 2006-2014. Bravo! to Jacques Lardiere and Pierre-Henri Gagey.”

And this 2006 1re Cru, which was younger and brighter than its older sibling, but still delicious.

The first of the two birds comes off the BBQ, cripsy!

Parker 93, but tasted like a 98, “The classic 1997 Barbaresco Santo Stefano is evolved and flamboyant. A medium ruby/garnet color with an amber edge is followed by a sweet perfume of black cherries, tobacco, leather, spice box, licorice, and tar. Full-bodied, with a creamy texture, superb concentration, and an exquisite finish, it can be drunk now or cellared for 15+ years.”

Here is the full spread. Most of this hard work is by our tireless chefs: my mom and aunt.

Cranberry sauce, the jelly-like kind.

A kale salad with pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, and optional parmesan.

Parker 94, “The 2001 Bocca di Lupo is a wine which demonstrates that the Aglianico grown in the northwestern part of Puglia, just a short distance from the Basilicata, can compete with the best of Italy’s south. Smoky and balsamic on the nose with intense and expansive notes of raspberries and blackberries, cloves, mint, and high-roast coffee, its packed, strappingly muscular, and dense flavors continue in a seamless flow over the palate, softening as they move but still totally mouth-filling and explosively powerful. The only regret is that these wines are released too early and will probably be drunk too early as well – this is a bottle which I would not touch until 2007, and it will still be going strong in 2020.”

A tangy-spicy cranberry chutney.

Balsamic glazed beets.

Parker 90, “The 2003 Chianti Refina Riserva exhibits a similarly sweet, open nose along with plenty of vibrant, super-ripe dark fruit, outstanding length and lovely overall balance in a style that is plump and accessible without sacrificing the wine’s underlying structure. It is made from 90% Sangiovese, with the remaining 10% divided among several other varietals, and aged 24 months in French oak barrels.”

From scratch Challah stuffing.

BBQ Turkey.

And homemade gravy.

Thai curried sweet potatoes with a bit of coconut milk.

Bread. In the back in Cranberry Walnut from “Park’s”.

The official 2012 plate, or you can find the last 10 years of them here.

This 20 year Dow Tawny Porto covers dessert.

The spread.

Homemade (like everything else) rustic pear, cranberry, and ginger tart. My Mom makes these 🙂

And these: The world’s best pecan pie!

And my grandmother’s special brownies and blondies.

This was another spectacular homemade ThanksGavin dinner as usual. It was arguably even better than ever before.

For more ThanksGavin meals, click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Dessert, feast, holiday, stuffing, ThanksGavin, thanksgiving, turkey, Wine, Wine tasting descriptors

Ghosts of Thanksgivings Past

Nov23

Find here a review of the ThanksGavin dinner plates for the last decade!

By: agavin
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Tagged as: thanksgiving, Thanksgiving dinner, turkey

ThanksGavin 2011 – Salty Saturday

Nov28

Part of the tradition for the ThanksGavin weekend of gluttony is a Saturday deli brunch. As we celebrate in Philadelphia, we have access to all sorts of good deli and the like.

My mom also made an interesting Southern casserole of eggs, cheddar, and challah.

Just blend.

And pack into a casserole dish, then bake.

For the bagel spread we have the onions — crucial for the lingering bad breath.

More veggies.

Cream cheese, normal and with chives.

Swiss and Muenster cheese.

Kippered salmon and chunky whitefish salad.

It’s worth zooming in on the whitefish salad as this stuff is good!

Good nova lox.

Creamed herring — not for everyone’s taste!

And fresh baked bagels from a local bagel specialty bakery.

Here is the finished casserole which had a soufflé-like texture.

And this incredible donuts from a special place that fries them to order. They only make donuts and for an hour a day — fried chicken! These are three different variants of cinnamon. Certainly the best cinnamon donuts I’ve ever had.

Overall, another great brunch! You can check out last year’s here.

For more ThanksGavin dining, click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Bagel, Casserole, Cooking, Cream Cheese, Deli, donut, Lox, Muenster, Philadelphia, ThanksGavin, thanksgiving, whitefish salad

ThanksGavin 2011 – The Third Wave

Nov27

Given that we went out to the Zoo all day while my cousin Abbe cooked up this followup to the official Thanksgiving dinner, she insists that it should really be called the ThanksFlitter (her last name). Regardless, the gluttony continued.

The 2006 il Cocco. This guy makes only 3000 bottles a year, and he does ALL the labor (field and cellar) himself.

Parker 93. “The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino is a beguiling wine laced with all sorts of black cherries, minerals, spices, licorice and menthol. All of the aromas and flavors are layered together through to the exquisite, refined finish. The 2006 shows a level of richness and density this bottling has lacked in some previous vintages. Today the tannins remain a touch austere, but another few years in bottle should do the trick. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2026.”

The cheese spread I bought at Di Bruno’s.

A medium aged goat cheese. Chalky goodness.

An American farmhouse buttery cheddar.

Mimmolette.

A stinky washed rind.

And a medium body blue cheese.

And quince paste which always makes cheese better.

Various appetizers, some recycled from the night before.

Muhammara.

A little champagne.

Parker 94. “The 2007 Laurel, a blend of 65% Garnacha and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, is deep purple-colored with a bouquet of wet stone, Asian spices, black cherry compote, and incense. Dense and sweet on the palate with tons of spice, it is super-concentrated, rich, and smooth-textured. Give this lengthy effort 2-3 years of additional cellaring and drink it from 2013 to 2027.”

This is an amazing wine, deep grape.

Parker 91. “The 2005 Finca Libertad is a blend of 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Cabernet Franc, and 30% Merlot aged for 18 months in new French oak. The Cabernet Franc portion of the blend was sourced from 100+-year-old pre-phyloxera vines. Dark ruby in color, it exhibits a complex aromatic array of toasty oak, cinnamon, earth notes, pencil lead, cassis, and black currant. This is followed by a medium-bodied, elegant wine with savory flavors, considerable complexity, and enough structure to evolve for another 2-3 years. This lengthy effort should be at its best from 2011 to 2020.”

Classic Mexican “gulf coast style” rice pilaf. Chicken stock, garlic and onions in there. These recipes are mostly from Mexican Everyday.

The main dish: Chipotle Shrimp. Tomatos, chipotles, garlic, broth, cilantro. This had a good bit of heat.

Flounder in the same sauce.

Avocado.

Various condiments: lime and fresh tortilla from a Spanish place by the Italian Market.

Chopped onion, queso fresco.

“Classic Mexican pot beans” with Abbe’s special twist of roasted poblanos and Thanksgiving smoked turkey. Very tasty, although they had the usual effect.

Swiss chard sautéed in olive oil and garlic.

And the sherry comes back out for dessert.

The spread.

Vegan brownies. Hmmm.

A chocolate chip cake with chocolate sauce. It isn’t that pretty but it tasted great.

My grandmother’s special brownies.

These were supposed to be Grandmom’s blondie’s, but they were made vegan and so ended up a little weird.

Another plum tart.

Overall, another great feast from Abbe. You can check out her pork spectacular last year too.

For more ThanksGavin dining, click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: brownies, Brunello di Montalcino, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cheese, Cooking, Dessert, il Cocco, Mexican, Muhammara, Quince, ThanksGavin, thanksgiving, Thanksgiving dinner, Wine

ThanksGavin 2011 – The Italian Market

Nov26

It’s Friday afternoon after Thanksgiving and we head down to the Philadelphia Italian market to channel our inner Tony Soprano.

Sarcone’s is home to stunningly good old school Italian-American deli sandwiches. All bread is baked fresh at the adjacent bakery.

Even Danny DiVito gives it the vote of confidence.

The low key (but crowded) interior.

Random stuff inside the display case.

Spicy pickles!

And what we really came for, the “old fashioned Italian” with the works. Notice, NO MAYO. Olive oil and vinegar, roasted hot long peppers, onions, sharp aged provolone, etc. This is a GREAT hoagie.

The “modern Italian American” has slightly more whitebread meats.

Even the tuna is good.

And the sweet and spicy pepper relish is fantastic.

Here’s the birthplace of the bread.

This is the corner two blocks away at the heart of the Italian market.

In case you need some deer brain, fresh rabbit, or wild boar.

Then on to get some cheese at Di Bruno’s.

Cheesy!

And some completely old school sausage at Fiorella’s. They only make 3-4 kinds. Each has only 3-4 ingredients: pork, salt, pepper, and maybe some garlic or red pepper.

And one of my favorites! From Isgro Pasticceria.

Stuffed to order cannoli! Fresh fresh ricotta cheese with chocolate chips in a pastry shell. Almost as good as in Sicily except no candied fruit.

Even my three year-old loves them. I pitched it as a “cheese cookie.” I had him at “cheese.”

For more ThanksGavin dining, click here.

Or check out eating across Italy itself, 50+ Italian meals.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: cannoli, Cheese, Dessert, hoagie, italian, Italian American, italian deli, Italian Market Philadelphia Pennsylvania, Sarcone's, ThanksGavin, thanksgiving, Tony Soprano

ThanksGavin 2011 – The Main Event

Nov25

Every year my mom and her sister cook up an incredible feast for the family. And every year, incredibly, the food gets slightly better.

We open with the real Chardonnay from my cellars (hauled 3000 miles): “The Domaine Fevre 2006 Chablis (there is a separate cuvee from purchased fruit which I did not taste) displays an uncanny combination of creaminess of texture with firm underlying suggestions of chalk and stone. Mouthwatering honeydew melon and lime run with the mineral suggestions right through to a long luscious back end of exceptional quality for generic Chablis.”

Then back it up with a red burg, cousin to last nights. Parker 93. “Super-ripe aromas of cookie dough, spices, and black cherry syrup can be found in the nose of the medium-bodied 2002 Nuits-St.-Georges Les Pruliers. Its fabulously satiny texture, concentration, and purity are immensely impressive. This medium-bodied wine coats the palate with innumerable black fruits, minerals, and spices. Projected maturity: 2008-2018.”

My mom in the kitchen, hard at work on the turkey.

her cohort and sister, also at work.

Turkey and stuffing.

The appetizer spread. Various breads and crackers (mostly picked over).

Caponata.

bean salad.

Guacamole. I didn’t make it, so it isn’t incredibly spicy. Sometime I’ll have to do a post on mine.

A decent chianti clasico. Parker 90. We had two fabulous meals right in this town in Chianti. “The 2007 Chianti Classico is a pretty red laced with dark cherries, dried flowers and spices. The perfumed bouquet melds seamlessly into a caressing, attractive mid-palate that turns delicate on the finish. The Chianti Classico is 95% Sangioveto and 5% Canaiolo. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2014.”

The main spread.

Bread from a great Philly bakery.

Two types of cranberry, this one is more a jam, with a bit of spicy kick.

And a cranberry relish.

Salad (dessing in the background).

Nuts, separated out for the allergic.

Marinated carrots, sort of Moroccan style.

Brussel sprouts. Don’t knock the veggie until you’ve tasted these.

Roasted beets. Yummy — and pink pee.

Butternut squash puree.

The turkey. We BBQ the big fellows on the charcoal grill.

Stuffing.

Gravy.

A total blockbuster. Parker 96. “The top effort, the 2007 Cotes du Rhone-Villages Rasteau Fleur de Confiance, is awesome. An inky/blue/black color is followed by a stunning bouquet of scorched earth, incense, blackberry jam, coffee, and spice. This full-bodied, massive, stacked and packed Rasteau is destined for two decades of life. Its sweet tannin and textured mouthfeel are compelling. Give it 2-4 years of cellaring and consume it over the following 20 years.”

This year’s plate.

And what little I left of it.

After dinner we move onto this incredibly grapey wine. Parker 01. “The 2007 Shiraz Angel’s Share reveals a Cote-Rotie-like nose with its scents of mineral, meat, game and bacon. On the palate there is plenty of sweet, spicy blueberry fruit, silky tannin, and incipient complexity. Give it 1-2 years of additional cellaring and drink it from 2010 to 2017.”

Me, after more than a little wine and food.

This rare cream sherry was opened to go with dessert.

And for dessert, homemade (like everything else) plum tart.

And pecan pie!

And my grandmother’s special brownies.

Plus Haagen daas vanilla to wash it down with.

This was another spectacular homemade ThanksGavin dinner as usual. It was arguably even better than ever before.

For more ThanksGavin meals, click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Caponata, Chardonnay, Chianti, Chianti Classico, Dessert, Family, Pecan pie, stuffing, ThanksGavin, thanksgiving, Thanksgiving dinner, turkey, Wine, Wine tasting descriptors

Bibou – ThanksGavin 2011 Prequel

Nov24

Restaurant: Bibou BYOB

Location: 1009 South 8th street, Philadelphia PA 19147. 215.965.8290

Date: November 23, 2011

Cuisine: French

Rating: Very good meal

And with a blast the ThanksGavin 2011 is off. Canonically, in a tradition developed over the last twenty years, the gavin Thanksgiving weekend is defined by four major meals. The Wednesday night dinner (out somewhere, usually in downtown Philly), the main event on Thursday, the Friday night dinner at my cousin Abbe’s, and the Saturday deli brunch. For this year’s kickoff a downtown intimate French restaurant was chosen.

NOTE: Technically, this is the ThanksGavin/Flitter as my grandparents had two daughters and so they have different married names. But for simplicity I’ll usually just say ThanksGavin.

A light sancerre to begin. Like many Philly restaurants Bibou doesn’t have a liquor license — perfect pour moi — as I can bring without corkage!

Every year I drag out at least a case of wine from my cellar. My favorite opener varietal, real Pinot Noir. the Parker 93. “An assortment of candied cherries explode from the glass of the 2002 Nuits-St.-Georges Les Perrieres. This seductive wine’s character is drenched in black cherry syrup, rocks, and earth. Medium-bodied, it has outstanding depth, concentration, and a long, expressive finish that reveals copious quantities of ripe tannin. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2018.”

The menu.

Very nice bread and butter from France.

An uncooked preview of the bone marrow special.

A blockbuster Spanish wine. Parker 94. “The 2007 Valdemuz is 100% Prieto Picudo from vines ranging in age from 100-115 years. For this cuvee 20% whole bunches were utilized with aging for 18 months in new French oak. A glass-coating opaque purple color, it offers up a splendid aromatic array of pain grille, graphite, espresso, truffle, black cherry, and blackberry. Dense, ripe, and concentrated, on the palate it is velvety textured and virtually seamless. This lengthy offering will evolve for another 5-7 years and provide big-time pleasure through 2027 if not longer.”

“Foie gras Duo. Foie gras crème brulée & Seared foie gras with caramelized Seckel pear flavored with lavender.” The left hand side was a fairly traditional prep for foie — but excellent with great texture and a nice meaty / slightly spiced flavor to the fruit. The right had good texture, and was nice, but was more like a custard.

“Escargots. Snail ragout, Fava beans and Trumpet Royale mushroom, flavored with tarragon.”

“Half dozen oysters on the halfshell.” From Maine.

“Gravlax. Arctic char gravlax flavored with rosemary & Meyer lemon, Cucumber & apple brunoise, white lentil hummus.”

“Green salad.”

“Soupe de céleri. Celeriac soup, chestnut purée, poached celeriac in Earl Grey tea.” One of those really good lots of creme with a hint of vegetable soups.

Parker gives this a 92, but I’d put it more like at 95-96. “The 1995 Hermitage La Sizeranne is performing even better out of bottle than it did immediately prior to bottling. It is a full-bodied, dense ruby/purple-colored wine with a sweet, smoky, chocolate, cassis, and tar-scented nose, great fruit intensity, full body, a layered texture, sweet tannin, and good grip. It should be cellared for a minimum of 4-5 years, and will keep for 15-20.”

And decanted in the duck.

“Leg of rabbit with parpadelle and butternut squash.”

“Golden Tilefish. Olive oil poached Golden Tilefish, Brussels sprouts, dried cranberry, sweet carrot emulsion.”

“Truite Arc-en-Ciel. Sautéed Rainbow trout, sauerkraut, Romanesco cabbage, pomegranate, jus de poulet flavored with lemongrass.”

“Bœuf. Sautéed hanger steak with green peppercorn sauce, sautéed Fingerling potatoes, green asparagus.”

“Canard. Long Island Duck breast, Chanterelle mushroom, Yu-choy, purple potato chips, red wine duck jus.” This was good duck, very tender and flavorful.

A blockbuster argentine wine. As good as I’ve had from there. Parker 94. “Flechas de Los Andes’ 2006 Gran Corte spent 17 months in new French oak. It is opaque purple-colored with legs that ooze down the glass. The aromatics are brooding but expressive with notes of pain grille, pencil lead, spice box, lavender, black cherry, and plum. Opulent, with glossy fruit, this dense, rich effort conceals significant underlying structure. This intense, powerful, lengthy wine demands a minimum of 5-7 years of cellaring and will be at its best from 2015 to 2030.”

The dessert menu.

Classic “Creme brûlée, flavored with vanilla and tobacco leaves.”

French press coffee.

“Mimi’s chocolate cake, caramel sauce.”

“Floating Island with homemade praline and goat milk creme anglais.” This was probably the best Floating Island I’ve ever had. The texture was lighter than air with a very nice nutty flavor.

“Fresh quince pie.” A bit of figs on the side.

“Berry ice cream.”

And to finish, some macaroons and meringues. Both very good.

This was a very good meal. Classically French, yet with a slightly updated palette and a deft touch. If you are in Philadelphia I highly recommend.

For more ThanksGavin meals, click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: beef, Dessert, duck, escargot, Foie gras, French Cuisine, Meyer Lemon, Philadelphia, Pinot noir, Restaurant Review, ThanksGavin, thanksgiving, Wine

ThanksGavin 2010 Reprise

Nov22

As we rapidly approach the season of ThanksGavin I would like to take a moment to relive last year’s week of ultimate gluttony in anticipation of another fat and flavor filled week of food blogging.

The full list of ThanksGavin 2010 posts is here but particular highlights include 9 years of turkey and the grand event itself. A full blogroll of the event can be found here.