Nova Clutch

Sunday slow food – lamb and chocolate

On Sunday I had no idea that on my birthday, the next day, I would be whisked off to a castle to eat a surprisingly excellent meal and drink a lot in the process. I had no idea that I would find myself in Hudson or get this or this. I had no idea.

So I settled in on a very rainy day, post an amazing brunch at Moto, with T and M, sleeves up, and ready to cook. I had a load of lamb that needed to be cooked and I also, coincidentally, had a big clay pot that I had lugged back from Brazil. And it needed some rainy day slow cooking.

And my God did it rain. And we cooked, and we cooked and we cooked. The lamb was cooked in half a bottle of Barbera d'Asti, carrots, pancetta and celery, for 5 hours on a low heat. The pot is amazing; huge, heavy and insulated like any building is outside of New York City.

And while the lamb bubbled, the three of us toiled over the dessert. A perfect, crumbly chocolate pastry blind baked in tiny cases. A caramel tempered with crème fraîche, cream and butter. A bittersweet ganache to offset the sweetness of the caramel. All topped with a sprinkle of Maldon salt. We couldn't help eating it as we went along. The lamb was soaked up with the flavor of all its neighbors it nestled with in the clay pot and the caramel tarts were complex and droolworthy. If I had known how much I was going to eat this week, perhaps I would been more reticent. But perhaps that's just the kind of year it's going to be.

Cabernet Franc

Imagine the surprise of walking into the newly revamped Chelsea Wine Vault, only to find Dorigo Cabernet Franc on sale as part of their "Top-ten Wines of the Month" promotion. Imagine the horror of seeing this charming, surprising Fruilano wonder blasphemously labeled "The Burger Wine of the Month!!". Poor, underrated Cabernet Franc. The varietal we are used to seeing blended, but - when cultivated with love and tenderness - transforms into something altogether luscious, warm and spicy on its own.

This is a wine not uncharacteristic of the region from which it stems - that is to say, it's not an easy wine. I wouldn't even venture into "crowd pleaser" territory, but it's worth the trip outside one's comfort zone. It's refined on the nose, and bizarre on the palette at first blush. Dark berries over liquorice, with a touch of herbs. Chalky minerality the speaks of the rocky, volcanic soil in which it grows, and capped by a velvety, intelligent finish.

Girolamo Dorigo is an amazing producer. They offer some rarified varietals such as Schioppettino, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso (namesake of my red Betta fish) and Tazzelenghe (which means, in dialect, "cut tongue") - with razor-sharp tannins that are somehow infinitely pleasurable and balanced. For the uninitiated. Dorigo offers a little clue on each of his labels: those with the wine barrel icon indicate that the wine was aged in barrique - if that is to your liking.

I have a soft spot in my heart for this Cab Franc - meant to be appreciated, lingered over and paired with witty conversation. I can always count on Natasha and Michael for that.

Wine: 2003 Girolamo Dorigo Cabernet Franc, Colli Orientali Del Friuli, Italia
Varietal: 100% Cabernet Franc
Recommended Pairings: Meat dishes, tomato-based pastas or heavenly all on its own. Case-purchase worthy.

Silkscreened tshirt

When graphic design students graduate, a lot of them think they will make their living silk-screening tshirts. They'll start off selling them on the streets of SoHo, hand screening each one, and soon graduate to the boutiques of NoLita. Then some rich guy will spot them and they will make their fortune and never have to do a "New & Improved!" burst again.

Well M and I always try to push our students' hopes higher, and here I am, silk-screening onto tshirts. But I'm not selling them! I'm just making my loved one walk around in them, telling rich guys that I printed them.

Latte ice cream

I'm not a fan of the latte-clutching fanatics that sustain Starbucks and use the term "grande", glued to the Blackberry when they accidently find themselves at the local coffee shop. Which makes me reticent to use the word "latte" to describe this ice cream, but I guess that's what it is. Two double shots of espresso and steamed milk. I think I could have done with a little less coffee (it made the ice cream slightly icy), but this ice cream is amazing when made into a milkshake, if a little wrong. Well a lot wrong, if you know what's in it like I do, but damn fine all the same.