Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Guardian of the Corn


Della Mano

Della Mano
260 N. Main
Ketchum, ID

The pasta is obviously the star of the show at Della Mano. The agnolotti with charred pea filling was excellent - very distinctive flavor and perfectly cooked pasta. The tagliatelle with fava beens and proscuitto was well prepared, but could have used a little something extra to make it really stand out.

The starters could use a little improvement. The arugula salad had too much lemon in the dressing. The octopus with potatoes was somewhat chewy (tender octopus seems to be something only the Spanish can pull off consistently).

Service was very good, the noise level was moderate, and the overall ambiance was just right for a warm summer evening. The restaurant is relatively small, and was only 1/2 full when we tried it, so it may feel different on a busy night.

Friday, June 7, 2013

Baked Kale Chips


1 bunch curly-leafed kale
1 T olive oil
sea salt, fine to medium coarse

Preheat convection oven to 275 deg F.

Wash kale and trim stems. Cut or tear kale into chip-sized pieces (for any definition of chip size you like). Spin the kale dry in a salad spinner. Toss with the olive oil. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the kale on the paper in a single layer, with the curls facing down (keeping the chips up off the paper as much as possible to maximize airflow). Bake for 14-15 minutes, or until the chips are moderately crispy and have just some hints of browning. They'll crisp up a tiny bit more as they cool.

Season to taste. If the salt is to coarse, it will mostly just fall off the chips. Flavored salts work work well (garlic is good; smoked bacon-chipotle sea salt -  yum!).

On the watchtower

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Western Cherry Fruit Fly

Sadly, it looks like the western cherry fruit fly is back in town. I spotted a few of these on my cherry tree today:



Friday, April 19, 2013

Snake River Winery Cabernet Franc 2011

Rich, fruity new release. Currants, raspberry, plum, with just a bit of earthiness and sage. Silky finish. Very nice example of the Snake River AVA.

Snake River Winery "GSM" 2010, Arena Valley Vineyard

A blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre (hence "GSM") from Snake River Winery. The grapes are Estate-grown in the Snake River Valley AVA.

Medium garnet color with some blue hints at the rim.

Tobacco, cedar, boysenberry jam, slight tomato, wood smoke. Lingering fruity/cherry syrup finish. A slight burnt rubber scent in the nose.

Initially somewhat puckering and tannic, but opened nicely after a bit.

Definitely merits some old world style points.

A nice wine, and pairs well with rich meats.