April + May

Now that the temperatures are finally getting nicer and warmer around here, we are managing to spend some time in the backyard and appreciate all the work we put into it over the last 5 years.

time to do some more trimming on the grapes and roses

our herb gardens are starting to take over

I think we have about a million roses at this stages

bottling beer

kegging and making beer

March

So time to update this blog again and see what happened in the last 60 days...

Hog Island, at Oxford Market, in Nappa

having some oysters for my birthday at my favorite oyster place, hog island

making delicious wagyu beef style corned beef for St. Patties, one of my all-time favorite foods.

discovering spring in black butte, while camping for a couple of nights

while also enjoying some of these nice sunsets at black butte

Januar 2018

So apparently I'm neglecting filling this blog with stuff again...

Using Instagram, just makes it to easy to share pictures and I still haven't figured out how to automatically sync my camera with my phone.

So I keep taking pictures and never upload them.

So New Years Resolutions:

• post at least one article a month on this blog or at least a picture
• finish up all my pending projects at home
• do not shop for 1 month on amazon (nearly managed to do this in amazon...)
• learn welding. No real success at this point
• improve my airbrushing skills, once it's warm enough
• learn to be more patient
• practice airbrushing and air sanding a bit more to improve look of projects

Oh yeah and finally, being a good dad. After all we are expecting a little one rather soon.

So January Picture:

Rediscovered the Joy of making Manhattans

During the Christmas break Robin and I went to a couple of different happy hours, one just happen to be at Ella's in Sacramento. Now this place is rather pricey most of the time, but they are known for great cocktails and amazing happy hour deals. Like steak tartar (one of my all time favorites) for 5$ a portion, etc.

Also on their Menu, they had Manhattans for 10$ a drink instead of the usual 20$ during happy hour. Needless to say I hadn't had a Manhattan since ~2005 or so, so after Robin nudged me I caved in and ordered one.

2 Manhattans later, I went on a mission trying to recreate it.

Best Recipe, we come up yet:

• 3 ounces of Manhattan, preferable Buffalo Trace, but 4 Roses also works
• 1 ounce of Sweet Vermouth
• 10 drops, aromatic bitters
• 1 marchino cherry

Directions:

1. chill martin glas with Ice cubes and water, set aside
2. put ice in shaker or secondary glas
3. add bourbon
4. add vermouth
5. add bitters
6. stirr 20 times
7. discard ice from martini glas
8. add cherry to glas
9. drain drink into glas, without ice
10. enjoy

Beryessa Gap, Winery

After attending the woodland wine festival for the last 2 years and really enjoying the wines from Berryessa Gap Vineyards. We finally managed to visit this tiny place, which has an amazing history and seems to be a corner stone for the local wine production in the area. Since they apparently provide 90% of the grafted stocks required to grow the grapes after the devastating wildfires in 2015.

Due to our favorite little restaurant in winters being closed yet again, for random none disclosed reasons, we ended up trying a new place. Which is wonderful for cocktails and apetizers, but sadly the main dishes are kinda lacking and could use some improvements. It's called the preserve and rather quaint.

playing with my new toy

so after a couple of years not doing much with photography and never taking my stuff with me, due to it being a bit heavy and bulky.
So I decided to get a new camera and slowly learning how to use the little range finder. Which needless to say, is rather different than a SLR camera.

On the bright side, the chips advanced so much that I nearly have no post processing anymore (once I could get it to focus sharp)

Needless to say, I bought nearly all accessories for it, which I could find, due to it missing standard things like a strap or a decent shutter release...

Summer is comming

During all the rain over the last couple of weeks, we are now finally receiving some sun and heat recently. Which basically means that our garden is in full bloom and we might actually being able to harvest grapes and plums for the first time, since planting them.

plums, waiting to be transformed into plum cakes

cabernet sauvignon grapes, waiting to be transformed into wine

April, 2017

So I managed to get my self a new camera lens

Rosie got a new ball 

after breaking the old sprinkler system, basil got a new controller and is going to rerun the drip lines again...

and we got pretty roses in our backyard currently

lemon garlic shrimp marinade

ingredients:

1 lbs larger shrimp 12-15 count, peeled, raw

marinade:

1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sal
1 tbsp miso
1/4 cup olive oil

mix all the ingredients,
add shrimp
marinade for 30 minutes

finish off on grill as kebab or in cast iron pan

sherry peppercorn sauce

since years I'm struggling with making tasty light flavored sauces, which don't overpower my dishes. Time to try to write recipes down, which actually work

lets call it a simple peppercorn sauce

1/4 cup sherry
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 qt beef stock
1 tbs flower
1 tbs butter
2 tbs pepper corns
some salt

combine butter and flower over medium heat to a roux
lets it sit for a couple of minutes
add hot stock
simmer and skim for 30 minutes
add whipping cream
add pepper corns
add salt
simmer another 30 minutes
stir in sherry

serve with steak.

This should cover 4-6 people

Blackberry Mead

Over the last year and half we started to switch a bit over from beers, to making mead at our little house.

A simple, easy and flavor full mead.

Amount is ca 1 Gallon
primary fermentation: 6 months
secondary fermentation: 7-10 days.

Primary:

3 lbs of orange blossom honey
dilute in warm water
transfer to a 1 gallon sanitized Fermenter
cool to room temperature
pitch yeast, recommended champagne or other high fermenting yeast
put the airlock on it and store in a dark cold place for like 6 months

secondary:

move mead from primary to secondary fermentation, without disturbing the yeast
add 2 cups of frozen blackberries
put the airlock on and store in a dark cold place for up to 10 days, it might be necessary to push down the berries every day, if they float to the top of the Fermenter.

After secondary finishes, filter the mead and transfer to high pressure campaign bottles or store in a growler in the fridge.

estimated alcohol content, depending on the chosen honey ~20 by volume.

Miso Soup

still working on a good simple miso soup recipe

all ingredients scale

1 cup water
1/2 tsp bonito stock, granulated
1/2 tbs miso
1/8 cup chopped tofu
1/4 sheet nori
green onions, sliced

boil water
add tsp bonito stock, granulated
add miso
add nori, quartered
boil for 7 minutes
add tofu
add green oniones
serve

considering writing a cookbook

So over the last couple of month I started to consider the idea of writing a cookbook and so I thought, lets keep this blog for an intermediate reference of recipes and write down combinations I come up with.

Tonight sous vide tilapia on a bed of arugula with homemade salsa

Ingredients:

for the salsa:

bunch of different sweet tomato, think Roma, sun gold and heirlooms, 1/2lbs or so, diced
half a bunch of cilantro, minced
1/2 lime, squeezed
2-3 tbs of balsamic vinegar
2-3 tbs of olive oil
salt and pepper
1 small pomegranate, just the seeds
1/2 a red onion, diced

combined ingredients and let rest for 30-45 minutes

tilapia or other form of whitefish (think halibut, which should work better)
prepare sous vide to 135F
seal fish with a spring of thyme and some butter
cook for 20 minutes
salt and peper
sear in cast iron pan with some butter


serve over a bed of arugula, 2-3 cups worth

Breaking in our new Weber Genesis ep-330s

A couple of days ago we got a new Weber BBQ as a surprise 5th wedding anniversary gift and after assembly we needed to break it in with a couple of different dishes.

We started out with having a small backyard bbq with friends and grilling some delicious rare tuna steaks, which turned out wonderful, due to the 700F degree sear burner and followed it up with some tasty crabs, fresh from the California coast.

Mr. Crab, with his big meaty claws.

Mr. Crab surrounded by asparagus and his friends

dinner is served

Camping at Salt Point

Ever since buying Rocky the trailer, we wanted to go camping to some spots at the coast and take pictures there. Sadly half the time so far, the camera didn't work or I forgot it at home or I forgot the tripod or any other million things went wrong.

Anyway, now we finally managed to get away for a couple of days and head direction Salt Point using the route 1 North.

Which is a beautiful drive, but rather tedious with the jeep and trailer, coming in around 9000lbs and 32 Feet length ( roughly 10 meters) in comparison to the Porsche at less than 3000lbs, which we took to Point Arena (which is north of Salt Point) a while back.

beautiful curvy roads, steep cliffs and working breaks are a wonderful combination

And we went part of the trip off road, due to a navigational error, called trusting your GPS. Not something I would want todo under any circumstances ever... Needless to say, I was happy we didn't bend or break an axle and driving 4 miles, in about one hour time was a new record.

Since it was a bit colder up there, this pups finally got a chance to test their new traveling beds, it's amazing what you need to bring these days for a successful camping trip, to ensure everybody is comfortable.

could I have a blanket please?

usual slightly depressing north coast weather up here

really regretting that I sold my macro lens about right now again

Recap of the first Month of 2016

After a short trip to San Diego, for work related reason, we decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather in Tahoe right and test the jeeps offroad/snow performance.

After all since selling the Pathfinder we did not have any chance to go off-roading anymore and the Jeep is not really made for it, since it just a has an all wheel drive and is sadly no real 4x4.

rosie

there must be some snow squirrels

After our return we also attempted to make a classic dish, called beef wellington and do everything from scratch. Which I would have never tried, if I had known that Puff Pastry, is the translation for Blaetterteig.

odd to have no real sides, since the main side is integrated into the dish

came out absolutely perfect and couldn't have hope for a better grade

Adventure 3,

so after the last camping trip, which was kind of a drama with all the trouble with the hitch and the trailer.  We decided togo to Lake Camanche




Which kind of checks all our boxes, it's close by and easy to get too.
So looks good.

After reserving a pull through camping space, since we are still not so happy with backing the camper into narrow short spots, we thought all was perfect.

Well guess the people online gave us the wrong spot, which turned out rather different than expected. Apparently it was a tent campground with a car parking lot for 2 cars.

it was a bit tight, but basic geometry allowed us to fit into 2 spots somehow

Once we parked, and have everything setup, we started with our default tasks of making tasty food for dinner. I mean just because you are camping doesn't mean you can't have tasty food.

Meanwhile Rosie decided to be a queen bee and take over the camping chairs, while basil decided to be a spoiled brat and claim one of the beds, when no one was looking.

Sadly do to the drought, the lake was a bit dryer than expected.  Apparently lake Camanche lost over 60% of it's capacity in the last 2 years and the picture you see is supposed to be lake view.

all you are supposed to see is water, but sadly this seems to be missing due to ongoing drought conditions.

adventures with rocky

So after close to 2 years of researching trailers, campers and possibilities. We decided to buy a medium size popup camper.

Since it's a 2015 Rockwood Premier, we decided to call it Rocky. It seemed a bit fitting after all.

playing a bit with light painting, after setting everything up

a nice orange tint to the picture, do to the wildfires a couple of miles away

puppy swimming

2 puppies swimming

playing some more with light painting

one deer

one deer and a baby deer