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Archive for turkey

ThanksGavin 2023

Aug15

1A4A2981
The 2023 Thanksgiving spread. More limited and fewer people.
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A bracing raddicio salad.
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Wild rice.
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The infamous spicy cranberry chutney.
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My mom’s lighter take on green bean casserole.
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Our BBQ turkey. Pretty much as excellent as always. Nice and smokey.
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Sliced

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Bits.
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Stuffing.
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I made the gravy. A bit livery and at first it was too thin.
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And as there was no corn starch in the house I had to make a traditional roux.
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That did the job right quick.
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The 2023 ThanksGavin plate.
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The 2023 ThanksGavin plate.
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The oven broke so no pies 🙁 Just some Haggen Daas.
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and fruit.

Related posts:

  1. ThanksGavin 2022 – The Feast Itself
  2. ThanksGavin 2014
  3. ThanksGavin 2021 – The Feast Itself
  4. ThanksGavin 2017
  5. ThanksGavin 2016
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: ThanksGavin, thanksgiving, turkey, Wine

ThanksGavin 2022 – The Feast Itself

Jul05

And so we come to the traditional ThanksGavin Feast in its 2022 incarnation.1A4A9347
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The main and kid’s tables.

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Cute decorations this year.
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And cute name tags.
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The turkey straight out of the Green Egg.
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Two turkey’s actually.
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Mozzerella and Pepperdew appetizer.
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The main spread of vegetables.
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Salad dressing.
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Kale Salad with a nutty dressing. With a meal like this a little fiber is always welcome!
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Home-made cranberry jelly.
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My mom’s home-made Cranberry Chutney.
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Braised Leeks with Cheese. I’m really quite fond of leeks and probably ate at least 25% of this.
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Roasted Beets.
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Baked Sweet Potatoes.
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Mashed Potatoes.
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Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts.
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Breads.
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The “Turkey Station.”
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Turkey. This is only part of the two birds, but you can see how well cooked it is with juicy smoked meat and a nice skin.
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Just a portion of the delicious Challah Stuffing.
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Vegan Gravy.
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Regular gravy made from browned turkey wings.
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Flounder Cakes that tasted exactly like crab cakes.
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My 2022 Thanksgiving Dinner Plate. This year I was on a serious diet and so avoiding the carbs. I did have to cave in and pile a little bit of stuffing in the middle, but otherwise I avoided all the potatoes, beets, bread, etc and just piled on the meat and veggies. #thanksgiving
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My brother’s plate, which had a different selection.
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The main dessert spread.
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The hot dessert spread.
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Pecan Pie. My mom bakes the best pecan pie. I use part of the recipe (minus the crust) in my pecan pie gelato.
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Filo Dough and custard.
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Pumpkin Pie.
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Grandmom’s brownies — they live on decades after her passing.
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Grandmom’s blondies. I actually like these even better than the brownies.
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Whipped Cream. I made whipped cream again. Just cream, vanilla, and a bit of powdered sugar.
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Sweet Milk Gelato’s amazing Butterscotch Sauce. For the third year “running” (2019, 2021, and 2022 as 2020 was canceled) I whipped this up. Overcooked it slightly this year and it was a touch chewy. Still tasted amazing though.
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My dessert plate. Sadly, the wine weakened my resolve and I broke down and had a little dessert. I didn’t finish the plate though and took about 1/3 of what I’d normally take.
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Buster had Pig Ear for dessert.

Related posts:

  1. ThanksGavin 2021 – The Feast Itself
  2. ThanksGavin 2019
  3. ThanksGavin 2017
  4. ThanksGavin 2018
  5. ThanksGavin 2011 – The Main Event
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Philadelphia, ThanksGavin, ThanksGavin 2022, turkey, Wine

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.

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Matt is in the back starting his kitchen prep.

For whatever reasons, possibly ennui, my photos are slightly more minimalistic than usual.
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The savory spread.
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Bread.
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Butter.
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Brussels with walnuts.
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Squash.
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Leeks.
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Doubling down on the red are the roasted beets.
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Potatoes Lyonnaise.
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Cranberry jelly.
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My mom’s cranberry chutney with a bit of citrus and cayenne — probably my favorite.
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Veggies.

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Turkey #1. BBQed in the Big Green Egg. And Turkey #2 was Done in the webber over charcoal.
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Turkey!
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More Turkey.
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Stuffing.
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Stuffing without butter.
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My official plate for 2021!
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Whipped cream I “whipped up.”
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And some super decadent butterscotch sauce I also whipped up — given that I’m not the master of anything that belongs with gelato.
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Brownies etc.
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A spice/fruit cake.
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Pumpkin pie.
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Pecan pie.
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Here is my pancreas busting plate.
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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.

Related posts:

  1. ThanksGavin 2019
  2. ThanksGavin 2018
  3. ThanksGavin 2017
  4. ThanksGavin 2011 – The Main Event
  5. ThanksGavin 2012
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Dessert, ThanksGavin, ThanksGavin 2021, thanksgiving, turkey, Wine

Earl Grey – Nanjing Duck House

Jan29

Restaurant: Nanjing Duck House

Location: 9961 East Valley Blvd

Date: December 5, 2019

Cuisine: Nanjing Chinese

Rating: Looks funny — tastes great

_

Lately, Yarom and I have been doing more lunch excursions — particularly to Chinese places that aren’t really going to cut it for wine dinners. I’ve named this series Lunch Quest.
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Anyway, today it carried us to Najing Duck House which specializes in Nanjing style cured duck.
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And we met up with Tony Lau, Kirk, and some others.
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This is one of those tiny SGV places with no decor — although they don’t have a drop ceiling — and exactly one employee. She was taking orders AND prepping the food. Tony had to help her out by busing!
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Much of the food is cold and cured and on display in this takeout deli cabinet.
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Oh yes, Nanjing style cured Turkey Gizzard!
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The very short menu.7U1A3610
Boiled peanuts.
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Shredded seaweed. Pretty much as described.
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Pickled cabbage with soybeans and mustard greens. I loved these. I love cabbage. I love fermented. What’s not to love?
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Nanjing style beancurd. What’s brown, rich, savory, slightly sweet and has a texture like a mop sponge? All true but it was actually great. Loved it.
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Turkey gizzard, Nanjing style. Sounds extreme, but once you slice this dense cured muscle with the deli-slicer it’s quite delicious with a nice firm chew and a lovely cured flavor.
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Turkey liver. Foie gras it ain’t. Decent enough though, if livery.
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Sliced turkey leg, Nanjing style. More deli-slicer action. This was actually a very lovely cold sliced turkey leg. Salty, but tasty.
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Boiled dumplings stuffed with pork and shepherd’s purse. Great. I love these home-style dumplings.
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Boiled pork dumplings. More goodness.
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Wonton soup with pork wontons and egg strips. Also lovely. Reminded me a bit of a better version of the classic wonton soup I’d get in my youth.
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Nanjing style meatballs. Meaty good.
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Half a Nanjing style duck. Much like the turkey, but duckier. A bit of a salted ham flavor.
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Beef shank noodles with bok choy. The meat was great. The soup was simple.
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Pork rib noodle soup. Again the meat was great. Rich. Soup was exactly the same.

Overall, I was surprised how interesting (and good) this place was. Service was a bit slow as there was only the one lady doing EVERYTHING. And most of the food was grey, cold, and kinda sketchy looking — but it tasted pretty good. Small menu though. We had almost everything except for the seasonal corn noodles (have to try these).

For more LA dining reviews click here.

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. More Mark’s Duck House
  2. Duck House – Crawl part 4
  3. Mark’s Duck House
  4. Tasty Duck Will Bring You Luck
  5. Tasty Duck X 4
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Chinese Food, cured meats, duck, lunch, Lunch Quest, Nanjing Duck, Nanjing Duck House, SGV, Tony Lau, turkey, Yarom

ThanksGavin 2019

Jan20

This year, after a brief California hiatus in 2016, ThanksGavin returned to Philadelphia in 2017 — and continues through 2019 at my cousin Matt and his wife Andrea’s place.

7U1A2883 Matt is in the back starting his kitchen prep. 7U1A2892 Then outside lighting up the big green egg! 7U1A2882 Buster supervises. 7U1A2895 But the OG crew, shown here, consisting of my mom and aunt are still on turkey duty! 7U1A3020 From my cellar: 2007 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. AG 96. Taittinger’s 2007 Comtes de Champagne will be nearly impossible to resist upon release. Soaring aromatics, mid-weight structure and soft contours give the 2007 its alluring personality. Lemon oil, white flowers, mint, chamomile and green pear add brightness and freshness throughout, with a persistent, clean finish that makes it impossible to resist a second taste. Today, the 2007 comes across as a slightly more open version of the 2004, with freshness that makes that wine so appealing, and a touch of textural richness that recalls the 2002. Although the 2007 does not have the explosive energy or verticality of the profound 2006, it will drink better earlier. The 2007 has been positively brilliant on the three occasions I have tasted it so far. (Drink between 2018-2047)7U1A3022  More sparkling. 7U1A3021 From my cellar: 1995 Robert Ampeau & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. 92 points. Opulent but balanced, dignified without slathered oak or exagerrated maloloactic fermentation. Good show. 7U1A2901 My mom brings out the snacks. 7U1A2897 Muhumarah. Homemade spicy middle eastern walnut and pepper dip. 7U1A2899 Crisps. 7U1A2906 Olives.   7U1A2885 From my cellar: 2002 Gros Frère et Sœur Grands-Echezeaux. RJ 95. Big, ripe, vanilla, chlorine nose; tasty, elegant fruit, lovely and sexy; long finish 95+ pts. 7U1A2884 From my cellar: 1999 Maison Roche de Bellene Latricières-Chambertin Collection Bellenum. 91 points. Sleek and full-bodied with dark fruits and good balancing acidity. Very minerally flavor profile with a smooth texture and a long, modestly complex finish. 7U1A2887 From my cellar: 2004 Château Palmer. AG 92. Deep red. Rich aromas of plum, redcurrant, chocolate and smoke. Sweet, lush and smooth, with a wonderfully fine-grained texture for the year. Highly expressive flavors of currant, cedar, chocolate and tobacco. The wine’s subtle sweetness, suave tannins and sneaky persistence convey an impression of very regular ripeness. 7U1A2889 More red. 7U1A2961 The savory spread. 7U1A2902 Turkey #1. BBQed in the Big Green Egg. And Turkey #2 was Done in the webber over charcoal. 7U1A2940 Turkey! 7U1A2933 Stuffing. 7U1A2958 Stuffing baked into a casserole. 7U1A2956 Gravy. 7U1A2923 Shallots. 7U1A2908 Simple Arugula salad. 7U1A2931 Brussels with walnuts. 7U1A2910 My mom’s cranberry chutney with a bit of citrus and cayenne — probably my favorite. 7U1A2916 Raw cranberry salsa — my least favorite but some love it. 7U1A2937 Cranberry jelly. 7U1A2912 Doubling down on the red are the roasted beets. 7U1A2926 Sweet potatoes. 7U1A2948 Bread. 7U1A2980 My official plate for 2019! 7U1A3019 From my cellar: 1965 Taylor (Fladgate) Very Old Single Harvest Port Limited Edition. 96 points. Brown and nutty in color, awesome! 7U1A3013 The dessert spread. 7U1A2998 Tower of sweets including the every popular Jagielky candy’s. 7U1A2999 Apple pie. 7U1A3001 Grandmom’s (recipe) brownies and blondies. 7U1A3002 Butternut squash pie (tastes just like pumpkin). 7U1A3004 My mom’s famous pecan pie, made totally from scratch. 7U1A3005 Cookies. 7U1A3000 Whipped cream I “whipped up.” 7U1A3008 And some super decadent butterscotch sauce I also whipped up — given that I’m not the master of anything that belongs with gelato. 7U1A3014 Here is my pancreas busting plate. 7U1A2997 Overall, 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.

Related posts:

  1. ThanksGavin 2019 – Keep
  2. ThanksGavin 2018
  3. ThanksGavin 2017
  4. ThanksGavin 2015
  5. ThanksGavin 2012
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: holiday, Philadelphia, ThanksGavin, ThanksGavin 2019, turkey, Wine

ThanksGavin 2018

Jan09

This year, after a brief California hiatus in 2016, ThanksGavin returned to Philadelphia last year — and continues in 2018 at my cousin Matt and his wife Andrea’s place.

7U1A1877Matt is in the back starting his kitchen prep.
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But the OG crew, shown here, consisting of my mom and aunt are still on turkey duty!7U1A1891

From my cellar: 2006 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault 1er Cru Charmes. BH 93. This is quite a bit riper though there is no overt exoticism present with aromas of peach, spiced pear and apricot that merge into exceptionally rich and relatively big flavors blessed with ample amounts of palate coating dry extract that completely buffer the firm spine of ripe acidity and intense finishing minerality. This is balanced and driving with a linear finish that slowly fans out as it lingers. Superb.
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CruditĂŠs.
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Potato chips cacio e pepe (baked with cacio cheese and pepper).
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The infamous caponata.

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On the stove.7U1A1918

Gravy simmering.
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From my cellar: NV Paul Bara Champagne Grand Cru Grand RosÊ. BH 90. Oeil de perdrix color introduces a fresh and mildly fruity nose of strawberry and raspberry scents where additional breadth is present in the form of yeast and citrus nuances. The cool and relatively crisp middle weight flavors possess good if not better depth before culminating in a relatively dry finish that is shaped by moderately firm effervescence. This is certainly very pretty but not particularly deep.
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Turkey #1. BBQed in the Big Green Egg.
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And Turkey #2. Done in the webber over charcoal.
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From my cellar: 2003 Gros Frère et Sœur Grands-Echezeaux. BH 89-92. This too is very toasty but the spicy black fruit nose manages to transcend the wood and complements powerful, dense, borderline massive flavors of superb depth, all wrapped in dusty, firm and ripe tannins. This is a big wine and while it’s no model of elegance, one has to admire the muscle and sheer concentration. This will take its time coming around.

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We have three kinds of homemade cranberry sauce!
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Cranberry jelly.
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Raw cranberry salsa — my least favorite but some love it.

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


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Carrot salad.

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Doubling down on the red are the roasted beets.
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Bread and butter — Buster, the ever enthusiastic Retriever, even ate some of the excellent cranberry bread (much to everyone’s chagrin).
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The “and butter” from above.
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Brussels sprouts with walnuts.7U1A1927

Sweet potato with harissa and pistachios. Fabulous, but spicy.
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Shallots.7U1A1889

From my cellar: 1999 Paitin di Pasquero-Elia Barbaresco Vecchie Vigne SorÏ Paitin. AG 92. The 1999 Barbaresco SorÏ Paitin Vecchie Vigne is dark, powerful and opulent, with more than enough stuffing to age well for the better part of the next decade. Smoke, menthol, tar, black fruit and French oak blossom in the glass as this resonant, exuberant Barbaresco show off its unique, totally compelling personality. The French oak is present, but well balanced at the same time.
7U1A1930The turkey and stuffing plate!

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Gravy.
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And the whole spread.
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My official plate for 2018!
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From my cellar: 1975 Dow Porto Vintage. 93 points. Very nicely developed and it is drinking perfectly now.

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Tower of sweets including Grandmom’s (recipe) brownies and blondies. Plus the every popular Jagielky candy’s. 
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Butternut squash pie (tastes just like pecan).7U1A1959

Apple tort.
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My mom’s famous pecan pie, made totally from scratch.
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Some various ice creams.
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Overall, the best ThanksGavin food yet, even beating out the awesome 2017! It usually is, as the standards keep going up and up!

To see a list of all ThanksGavin meals over the here, click here.

Related posts:

  1. ThanksGavin 2017
  2. ThanksGavin 2012
  3. ThanksGavin 2013
  4. ThanksGavin 2011 – The Main Event
  5. ThanksGavin 2015
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Dessert, Philadelphia, ThanksGavin, ThanksGavin 2018, turkey, 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 RosÊ. 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>cuvÊe</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 SorÏ 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 bĂŠchamel 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!

Related posts:

  1. ThanksGavin 2012
  2. ThanksGavin 2011 – The Main Event
  3. ThanksGavin 2014
  4. ThanksGavin 2015
  5. ThanksGavin 2013
By: agavin
Comments (4)
Posted in: Food
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-RomanĂŠe 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 XimĂŠnez Jerez-XĂŠrès-Sherry Viejo NoĂŠ (30 Years/AĂąos). 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.

Related posts:

  1. ThanksGavin 2014
  2. ThanksGavin 2012
  3. ThanksGavin 2011 – The Main Event
  4. ThanksGavin 2013
  5. ThanksGavin 2015
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: ThanksGavin, ThanksGavin 2016, thanksgiving, turkey, Wine

ThanksGavin 2015

Dec04

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

Let me first introduce the chefs, above. On the left my mom and on the right her sister. They’ve been putting together this feast for decades.

Rising Chef Matt (my cousin) cooks a lot too. One of these days he’s going to inherent the feast. But right now he hosts Friday night.

My father brought the sparkler: NV Casa Vinicola Botter Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Santi Nello. 88 points. Peach, mineral, dry, small bubbles, hint of sweetness, but not overly so. Great value.

From my cellar: 2000 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. 95 points. Razor sharp aromas of wet rocks, earth and white fruits meld into flavors that are crystalline in their precision, purity and transparency. Understated, discreet and fine yet this is painfully intense with buckets of minerality. Quite backward presently but this is a genuinely breathtaking wine that defines class. In two words, absolutely brilliant and consistent notes.

agavin: wow! This is what makes Burgundy so great. Like liquid creme brĂťlĂŠe. Chardonnay from anywhere else just cries itself to sleep.

Olives. Appetizers aren’t the focus of this meal, but we have a few.

And homemade olive tapenade.

Good stuff with the toasts.

First a sneak peak at the main spread. Then on to the dinner wines.

From my cellar: 1997 Maison Roche de Bellene Clos de la Roche Collection Bellenum. 93 points. Quite excellent. Rich, penetrating red fruit up front followed by layers of earth, spice, sous bois and perhaps some violets or lavender. The tannins on the longish finish are still abit on the chalky side but this is displaying lots of subtle depth and complexity without being at all heavy handed. There’s just a little bricking on the edge.

agavin: great stuff. Good thing I have more.

From my cellar: 1970 Bodegas Olarra Rioja Cerro Anon Gran Reserva. 92 points. showed beautifully. orange peel, sweet spices, balsamic. Still youthful and full of fruit.

From my cellar: 1990 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape. 95 points. I was buying this when I first started collecting wine 20 years ago, I buy it now. Great showing for a bottle in perfect shape. Stinky Mouvedre nose with leather, animal, tree bark and a touch of sweaty saddle. In the mouth, close to fully resolved with spice, tannic tree bark and sweet raspberry fruit, along with a spicy intensity that has huge length and presence but still feels light on its feet. Is this at its peak (for taster who appreciate aged Beaucastel). The wine is in a more structured, “masculine” style than the 1989 or the 1985 – this is more about structure and clarity of expression in a rustic and gamey style. Exceptional.

My father brought: 2011 Quinta da Fronteira Douro Selecção do Enólogo. 89 points. Very enticing nose with lots of lovely red fruit character. On the palate it is initially quite soft, a melding of Valpolicella and Pinot Noir, elegant red fruit and cinnamon but a sound structure to it as well. After a bit of time in the glass, some dark fruit character emerges, and the acidity and tannin become more prominent alongside increased fruit concentration, all of which contribute to the wine really gaining character, much less timid and reserved, much more enjoyable on both intellectual and hedonistic levels.

Bread, in case stuffing isn’t enough.

New this year is this carrot dish. Lovely to look at too.

And also new were Brussels sprouts. Cheese and bacon could be added at will. I willed.

And some savory beans.

Plus fairly usual beets, always good.

A faro salad.

And butternut squash with black pepper.

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

Cranberry relish. More rough in texture.

And the birds themselves.

Carved turkey. Oh so moist, nicely dressed by the ladies, BBQed to perfection by my father and uncle.

Stuffing of course.

And gravy.

Here is my dad’s plate, giant turkey leg and all.

And mine.

My uncle digs into his own bird.

Dessert wines!

From my cellar: 1983 Bodegas Toro Albala Don PX Gran Reserva. 96 points. Nutty, fig and raisins on the nose, rich and huge depth on palate with figs, raisin and rich expansive tartness that fills the palate. Enormously long finish, 5 minutes of caramel and spice. Outstanding. So good.

My father bought in Portugal: Quinta do Vallado Porto 20 Year Old Tawny. 93 points. high notes of fig, vanilla, caramel and oak and a touch of bright grape. great color. smooth and not heavy with alcohol burn.

To go with all that sugary alcohol, the dessert spread.

Grandmom’s special parve brownies.

Chocolate and chocolate chocolate chip cookies.

My mom’s famous pecan pie. Incredibly gooey in the center.

And cousin Matt’s butternut squash “pumpkin” pie. Nicely spiced.

Chocolate dipped meringues.
 And my personal plate.

Too much of a good thing!

This was another spectacular homemade ThanksGavin dinner as usual, quite possibly the best yet. Really, they just keep getting better (and clearly more sleep inducing).

For more ThanksGavin meals, click here.

Related posts:

  1. ThanksGavin 2015 – Uzbekistan?
  2. ThanksGavin 2013
  3. ThanksGavin 2012
  4. ThanksGavin 2014
  5. ThanksGavin 2011 – The Main Event
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Dessert, ThanksGavin, ThanksGavin 2015, 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-RomanÊe 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 Aùares 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

Related posts:

  1. ThanksGavin 2011 – The Main Event
  2. ThanksGavin 2011 – The Third Wave
  3. ThanksGavin 2013
  4. ThanksGavin 2012
  5. ThanksGavin 2010 Reprise
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Cooking, Gravy, Mashed potato, ThanksGavin, thanksgiving, Thanksgiving dinner, turkey, Wine

ThanksGavin 2013

Dec05

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


The table is set.


The libations begin with this bubbly.


1990 Robert Ampeau & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. Burghound 93. A truly wonderful nose of simply knockout complexity features notes of yeast and baked bread along with now fully mature aromas of a variety of floral notes and spice hints that gives way to mineral-suffused, round, intense and detailed medium full flavors that also offer outstanding depth on the sappy and mouth coating finish. This is drinking perfectly now and I wouldn’t hesitate to open one anytime as there is no further upside to be had. A beautiful effort of real style and grace. Tasted several times with consistent results save for one bottle that, much to my complete surprise, was showing definite signs of oxidation.


1993 Faiveley Latricières-Chambertin. 93 points. this wine shows sweet cherries, sharp minerals, and forest floor on the powerful nose. Initially the palate is a bit shy, but with time it gains concentration and volume until it explodes with deep red and black fruits. This is medium bodied and elegant but the fruit is intense, the acids are lively, and there is a strong spice note on the finish. There are still some hard edges and this is probably 5 years from its peak, but it’s wonderful now.


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


1995 Aldo Conterno Barolo Bussia Riserva. 95 points. The dense 1995 displays a saturated ruby color. The rich, cedary, smoky, tobacco, and tar-scented nose is classic Nebbiolo. Excellent, with a layered texture, and a rich, spicy, austere, moderately tannic finish, it is accessible enough to be drunk, but should evolve nicely for a decade.


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


A simple salad (you need something simple).


Cranberry relish (one of two cranberry sauces).


The other, a spicy chutney. This one is my favorite.


The turkey itself.


Delicious stuffing.


Gravy.


2008 Castello di Nipozzano Chianti Rufina Riserva. 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.”


Roasted beets.


Kale with garlic.


A new entry, consisting of sweet potatoes. There was a mix of orange and purple, which resulted in this refried bean-like color!


The official 2013 plate, or you can find the last 10 years of them here.


1988 Climens. Parker 96. The 1988 reveals layer upon layer of honeyed pineapple-and orange-scented and -flavored fruit, vibrant acidity, high levels of botrytis, and a fabulously long, yet well-focused finish. It is a great wine.


My mom’s incomparable pecan pie.


And a new entry, poached pears with homemade syrup.


And homemade chocolate sauce. The texture reveals its non-commercial origins.


Pumpkin pie.


Sweet potato pie.

This was another spectacular homemade ThanksGavin dinner as usual. Particularly impressive given the bit of upset that tore through the family in the proceeding few nights, namely a nasty stomach virus. This left a few of the secondary cooks “unfit” for their duties. Still, once recovered, great fun was had by all.

For more ThanksGavin meals, click here.

My aunt hard at work in the kitchen!

Related posts:

  1. ThanksGavin 2012
  2. ThanksGavin 2011 – The Main Event
  3. Bibou – ThanksGavin 2011 Prequel
  4. ThanksGavin 2011 – The Third Wave
  5. ThanksGavin in Review
By: agavin
Comments (2)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Barbecue, Cooking, Dessert, Nebbiolo, Robert Ampeau, ThanksGavin, 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…

Related posts:

  1. Ghosts of Thanksgivings Past
  2. Ghost of Thanksgivings Past
  3. ThanksGavin 2010 Reprise
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
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.

Related posts:

  1. ThanksGavin 2011 – The Main Event
  2. ThanksGavin 2011 – The Third Wave
  3. Bibou – ThanksGavin 2011 Prequel
  4. Thanksgiving Proper
  5. ThanksGavin in Review
By: agavin
Comments (4)
Posted in: Food
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!

Related posts:

  1. Ghost of Thanksgivings Past
  2. ThanksGavin in Review
  3. ThanksGavin 2010 Reprise
  4. ThanksGavin 2011 – The Main Event
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: thanksgiving, Thanksgiving dinner, turkey

Zaytinya – East made Easy

Dec01

Restaurant: Zaytinya

Location: 701 9th Street NW, Washington, DC 20001. 202.638.0800

Date: November 27, 2011

Cuisine: Greek/Turkish/Lebanese

Rating: Great flavors!

_

Zaytinya, which means “olive oil” in Turkish is part of JosĂŠ AndrĂŠs’ little culinary empire — which started first here in Washington D.C. and then spread to various other outpsts in the country including LA and vegas.

I’m a bit of a Jose Andres groupie as not only have I reviewed The Bazaar (REVIEW HERE) and his high end Saam, but also brunch at Trés, lunch at Trés, and to é by José Andrés and Jaleo in Vegas.

For those who don’t know, José Andrés is perhaps America’s leading practitioner of  my favorite culinary style: Spanish Molecular Gastronomy. This school of cooking, a radical interpretation of the preparation of food, was begun at El Bulli outside of Barcellona. Andrés cooked and studied there with master chef Ferran Adrià. I first encountered Andrés’s cooking in Washington DC at Cafe Atlantico, and it’s own restaurant within a restaurant, Minibar.

Zaytinya, however, is neither Spanish or particularly molecular. It focuses on the Eastern Mediterranean cuisine of Greece, Turkey, and Lebanon. These are all former Ottoman zones and despite their political animosity toward each other share much in common — foodwise.


The modern frontage on 9th street in Washington.


The space inside is clean and white.


The geometric white shapes are reminiscent of Greek architecture.


The menu.


We ordered this “ASHTA. traditional Lebanese-style French toast, bananas, orange blossom honey” for our son. It was more like Pane Dulce I’ve had at other Andres restaurants crossed with Tres Leches cake. He devoured it.


They have this light poofy bread.


The classic roasted eggplant dish: “BABA GHANNOUGE. fire-roasted eggplant, tahini, lemon, garlic.” This was a very bright tasty variant with pomegranate seeds.


And one of my all time favorites: “TZATZIKI. Greek yogurt with diced cucumbers, dill.” This wasn’t nearly as garlicky as in Greece and Turkey, but was more akin to the Lebanese variant. It did have a nice thick Greek yoghurt consistency and a pleasant crunch from the cucumber.


“BEET SALATA. crimson and yellow beets, shaved fennel, upland cress, spiced walnuts.” I doubt this was exactly a traditional dish (even if the ingredients are) but it’s pretty much obligatory on modern menus.

“BANTIJAN BIL LABAN. crispy eggplant, roasted garlic-yogurt sauce.” This was a nice treatment of eggplant — in no small part because it was seriously fried! This was a very crispy coating with hot eggplant inside.

“SPANAKOPITA. house-made phyllo, spinach, feta cheese.” Not your typical version of this dish which is usually triangular in shape. The insides were similar enough though, so more a cheese and spinach taquito than a puff pastry!

“ROASTED CAULIFLOWER. sultans, caper berries, pine nuts.” This is a brighter less fried version of this traditional Lebanese dish (you can see the original here). Good stuff though.


My son got his second order of “French toast.”


Which he polished off in about two minutes.

“GARIDES ME ANITHO. sautĂŠed shrimp, dill, shallots, mustard, lemon juice.” This was a pretty awesome variant on Andres’ normal “Gambas Pil Pil” (photos here in this Jaleo review).

FRIED SQUID. crispy squid, garlic-yogurt sauce.” Nicely done classic calimari.


And a zesty garlic sauce for dipping.

“STRIPED BASS PLAKI. tomato, fresh chickpeas, onion, mint.” This is a local fish, but the prep is very Eastern med. Strong flavors of tomato.

“AGLAIA KREMEZI STYLE CRAB CAKES. mini jumbo lump crab cakes, roasted garlic yogurt.” They can pretend this is Eastern Med — but no, it’s all Eastern Shore. Still, no one was complaining. These little patties were essentially crab imperial balls lightly fried on the griddle. There was a light taragon flavor too.

“KEFTEDES KAPAMA. beef and lamb meatballs, feta cheese, rustic tomato sauce, cinnamon, allspice.” Tasty meatballs in classic Eastern style. Similar to typical “spicy kefta” preparations.

“ADANA KEBAB. skewered ground lamb, house-made harissa, grilled tomatoes, sumac, onions.” Typical ground lamb kabob. This wasn’t my absolute favorite dish here. It was a bit salty and the grill flavor too strong. Not that it was bad by any means.

“URFA BIFTEK. grilled sirloin, Urfa pepper, cumin, heirloom lettuces, caramelized sesame.” And this was even saltier, although the meat did have a lot of flavor.

“LOUKANIKO ME AGINARES. grilled Greek pork sausage, marinated artichokes.” The sausage was good and I liked the onion and pepper (pimento in Spanish) salad on top.


The dessert menu.

A nice chewy cup of Turkish coffee, semi-sweet.


“Turkish delight. Walnut Ice Cream, yogurt mousse, orange caramel sauce.” This was very yummy, but from the name I hoped for something closer to real Turkish delight — which is a favorite of mine, particularly the rosewater flavor.


A trio of very good homemade ice creams (my three year-old loved them). Walnut, apple, and pear. The fruit flavors were very bright and pure.


“Greek yogurt and apricots.” Very yummy. The thick yogurt paired very nicely with the sweet fruit. In Greece they eat the purest variant of this: very very sour and thick goat yogurt with drizzled honey.


Another fruit and yogurt/ice cream blend. Can’t go wrong with berries and cream.


More of the large and modern space.

Overall, Zaytinya was pretty fantastic. It’s neither totally traditional or ultra modern, but instead what one might call a modernized or modestly updated classic. Most of the dishes have their roots in traditional Eastern Med dishes, and they retain — even emphasize — those bright flavors. The form of them is a lighter and slightly more playful, adapted to American tastes. In any case, highly successful.

For more ThanksGavin meals, click here.

I’ve also reviewed: The Bazaar (REVIEW HERE) and the high end Saam, brunch at TrĂŠs, lunch at TrĂŠs, and to Ê by JosĂŠ AndrĂŠs and Jaleo in Vegas.

Related posts:

  1. Peace in the Middle East? – Mezze
  2. Saam – JosĂŠ AndrĂŠs Squared
  3. Son of Saam – Actually more Bazaar
  4. TrĂŠs – BrunchĂŠ Fantastique
  5. Trés – Lunch Fantastique
By: agavin
Comments (4)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Dessert, El Bulli, Ferran AdriĂ , French Toast, Greece, JosĂŠ AndrĂŠs, Restaraunt, Restaurant, Restaurant Review, ThanksGavin, turkey, Tzatziki, Washington DC, Zaytinya

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.

Related posts:

  1. Bibou – ThanksGavin 2011 Prequel
  2. Thanksgiving Proper
  3. ThanksGavin in Review
  4. Eating Tuscany – Villa Dinner
  5. ThanksGavin 2010 Reprise
By: agavin
Comments (2)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Caponata, Chardonnay, Chianti, Chianti Classico, Dessert, Family, Pecan pie, stuffing, ThanksGavin, thanksgiving, Thanksgiving dinner, turkey, Wine, Wine tasting descriptors

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.

More food write-ups can be found here.

Related posts:

  1. ThanksGavin in Review
  2. Ghost of Thanksgivings Past
  3. Saturday is for Salt
  4. Thanksgiving – The Prequel
  5. Thanksgiving Proper
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Cooking, Food, ThanksGavin, ThanksGavin 2010, thanksgiving, turkey

Eating Bologna – Trattoria Leonida

Jun15

Restaurant: Trattoria Leonida

Location: Bologna, Italy

Date: June 7, 2011

Cuisine: Bolognese

Rating: Big menu, great food

ANY CHARACTER HERE

We continue our sojourn across Emilia-Romagna. It was a rainy day in Bologna, and we stopped for lunch in this Trattoria in the old town, just east of the pair of leaning towers. It was selected by the intuitive method, glancing inside to see if it felt right.


All sorts of antipasti are stored in a number of display cases and on some tables at the front.


And a bit of roast rabbit on a plate with potatoes!


The tables at the front.

A delicious course of marinated salmon carpacio with olive oil and red peppercorns.


A ricotta and fig torte, declared to be very tasty.


Classic Tagliatelle Bolognese!


Parpadelle with boar ragu. This was an amazing pasta.


Stricchetti with sausage and peas in a pink sauce. Very tasty, although when ordering it I expected a white sauce.


Roast rabbit (taken from the plate above) in a balsamic sauce.


Turkey in balsamic sauce.


The condiments for the salad.

The usual mixed salad.

This pasta must have been awful!


And to wake up, some more expresso.

This random pick turned out extremely well. The food was fantastic, and the other customers only local businessmen.

Click here to see more Eating Italy posts.

Related posts:

  1. Eating Modena – Osteria del Pozzo
  2. Eating Parma – Cocchi Ristorante
  3. Eating Modena – Osteria Francescana
  4. Locanda Portofino – In the Neighborhood
  5. Eating Modena – Real Fini Breakfast
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Bologna, Cooking, eating-italy, Italian cuisine, Italy, Olive oil, pasta, Rabbit, Tattoria Leonida, turkey, United States

Gobbler’s Last Stand – The Sandwich

Dec06

The Thanksgiving feast contains many useful components for a great sandwich, and in this day and age when the only food available on airplanes is a box of randomized vending machine junk, what better way to eat and fly.

This was my brother’s version. There’s turkey, stuffing, provolone, and prosciutto (because ham makes everything better). Oh, and arugula and tomato.

Mine is similar except I left off the tomato (yuck!) and added a little salami as well (two kinds of pig are better than one!).

And my wife’s. Tomato yes. No cheese or pig products. Still makes a yummy way to see turkey off.

 

We even took along some of the homemade cranberry sauce to add to the sandwich, but it was packed separately to prevent soggy bread (a big no no).

And some of these little fellows, cornichons, as complement. They really are the best kind of pickle.

Related posts:

  1. ThanksGavin in Review
  2. Ghost of Thanksgivings Past
  3. Quick Eats: Panini at Home
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Bird, Cooking, Cornichons, Cranberry sauce, Food, Holidays, Leftovers, Pickles, Provolone, Sandwich, Sandwiches, thanksgiving, Travel Food, turkey, Turkey Sandwich

ThanksGavin in Review

Nov29

Every year we Gavins gather in Philadelphia for four days and nights of massive gluttony. The party then moves down to Washington DC. I wanted to create a central post to document this parade of food and Thanksgiving. Also don’t miss the catalog of ThanksGavin turkey plates.

_

ThanksGavin 2023

The holy tetralogy:

Thursday night Thanksgiving Feast
Friday night feast

_
_

ThanksGavin 2022

The holy tetralogy:

Wednesday night dinner (China Gourmet)
Thursday night Thanksgiving Feast
Friday night feast
Salty Saturday

_
_

ThanksGavin 2021

The holy tetralogy:

Wednesday night dinner (Argana Tree)
Thursday night Thanksgiving Feast
Friday night feast (China Gourmet)
Salty Saturday

_
_

ThanksGavin 2019

The holy tetralogy:

Wednesday night dinner (Keep)
Thursday night Thanksgiving Feast
Friday night feast (DJ Kitchen)
Salty Saturday

Non canonical events:

White Elephant

_

ThanksGavin 2018

The holy tetralogy:

Wednesday night dinner (Georgian)
Thursday night Thanksgiving Feast
Friday night feast
Salty Saturday

Non canonical events:

Oyamel
Q by Peter Chang
Tidewater Grille
IHop
Elephant Jumps

_

ThanksGavin 2017

The holy tetralogy:

Wednesday night dinner (Uzbekistan)
Thursday night Thanksgiving Feast
Friday night feast
Salty Saturday

Non canonical events:

Oyamel
Kapnos Taverna
Tidewater Grille
Mark’s Duck House
Jackson’s

_

ThanksGavin 2016

The West Coast singleton:
Thursday night Thanksgiving Feast
_

ThanksGavin 2015

The holy tetralogy:

Wednesday night dinner (Uzbekistan)
Thursday night Thanksgiving Feast
Friday night feast
Salty Saturday

Non canonical events:

Tiffin Indian Cuisine

_

ThanksGavin 2014

The holy tetralogy:

Wednesday night dinner (Han Dynasty)
Thursday night Thanksgiving Feast
Friday night feast
Salty Saturday

_

ThanksGavin 2013

The holy tetralogy:

Wednesday night dinner (Fond)
Thursday night Thanksgiving Feast
Friday night feast
Salty Saturday

Non canonical events:

Graffiato Italian Tapas

_

ThanksGavin 2012

The holy tetralogy:

Wednesday night dinner (Han Dynasty)
Thursday night Thanksgiving Feast
Friday night feast

_

ThanksGavin 2011

The holy tetralogy:

Wednesday night dinner
Thursday night Thanksgiving Feast
Friday night Shrimp Tacos
Salty Saturday

Non canonical events:

The Italian Market
Saturday night Jackson’s
Sunday at Zaytinya
Monday Lunch at 2Amys Neapolitan Pizzeria
Tuesday at Jaleo Bethesda
Wednesday at Mark’s Duck House

_

ThanksGavin 2010

The holy tetralogy:

Wednesday night dinner
Thursday night Thanksgiving Feast
Friday night at Chez Abbe et Jon
Saturday Deli Brunch

Non canonical events:

Dinner at Little Saigon
Sunday Snack
Monday dinner at Mon Ami
Tuesday lunch at Coastal Flats
Wednesday lunch at Ping Pong
Wednesday dinner at Panjshir
Turkey sandwich for the flight home

Related posts:

  1. Thanksgiving Proper
  2. Saturday is for Salt
  3. Ghost of Thanksgivings Past
  4. Thanksgiving – Pork Insanity
  5. Thanksgiving – The Prequel
By: agavin
Comments (16)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: 2010 ThanksGavin, Cooking, Dessert, Dinner, Food, holiday, Holidays, Little Saigon, ThanksGavin, thanksgiving, turkey
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