The Wine Commonsewer™

Santa Take the Freeway Down

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

85 street level degrees doesn't feel much like Christmas, but it gave me a chance for some tan maintenance. It is the Friday after Thanksgiving and that's when we open for Christmas with a raucous, upbeat, boogie version of a very familiar Chuck Berry classic. The odds are high that unless you're a long time Gentle Reader, you've not heard it, though it is the best rendition of the tune.

You can find several videos of Lynyrd Skynyrd's cover around the tubes, but in 2007 there weren't any at all. To rectify that tragedy, I made my own. Yes, those are my kids.

Done up right by one of the  later incarnations of Lynyrd Skynyrd, the vocals are by Johnny Van Zant, Slick Rick (Rickey Medlocke), and HT (Hughie Thomasson). I love Billy Powell on keyboards, ain't nobody does piano boogie better, except maybe The Killer in his prime. 

As Ever,

Black Friday

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

 As Ever,

Throwback Thursday (Thanksgiving 2007)

Gentle Readers,

Ahhh, Thanksgiving's past. The House Blonde's Thanksgiving Poem, Jake's plea on behalf of turkeys everywhere, mesquite roasted turkey, a visit from Stevie the Spy (Minion of the Dark Side who denies being Harriet the Spy's daddy), the Kosmik Kid on Spodee Ode, Palm Springs at night, Sonny Bono, a great cup of coffee, and a great Bloody Mary.

Oh I know, just personal indulgence, but it's only five minutes and change. Worth a click. Thankee.

Can't see the video? Click here.

As Ever,

The High Holy Day of Wine Commonsewer Nation Began at Sundown

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote in Oldtown Folks that.....

The king and high priest of all festivals was the autumn Thanksgiving. When the apples were all gathered and the cider was all made, and the yellow pumpkins were rolled in from many a hill in billows of gold, and the corn was husked, and the labours of the season were done, and the warm, late days of Indian summer came in, dreamy and calm and still, with just frost enough to crisp the ground of a morning, but with warm trances of benignant, sunny hours at noon, there came over the community a sort of genial repose of spirit—a sense of something accomplished, and of a new golden mark made in advance on the calendar of life—and the deacon began to say to the minister, of a Sunday, I suppose it's about time for the Thanksgiving proclamation.....

Back in the days of my vagrant, murdercycle-ridin' yoot, Chuck Davis gave me a hippie pysch-shop button portraying a surrealistic flower in white on a background of bile green with an admonition to Celebrate Life. Implicit in those words is the basic tenet of Thanksgiving. A celebration of life and the appreciation for the rewards of our efforts, the blessings of family, and the steadfastness of true friendship. For many, it is a time of spiritual uplift and a special time to be thankful to God for the blessings He has bestowed over the foregoing year.

Ogden Nash noted that a family is a unit composed not only of children but of men, women, an occasional animal, and the common cold. When I showed up at Boyz R Us, the proprietor, a guy who looked way too much like Christopher Walken, disappeapered behind the counter for about ten minutes. When he returned, he handed me Jacob and said: ticket please. A couple of years later, at the local Girlz R Us franchise, they told me there was a special one that they'd had in inventory for quite some time. It turned out, they were right. My kids have been a blessing and the only regret I have is this: Had I known how much I would enjoy them, I woulda started working on it considerably sooner.

Joan Crawford warned that Love is a fire. But whether it is going to warm your hearth or burn down your house, you can never tell. It's just about right when the love of a good hearted woman kicks off the smoke alarms every so often. My cousin John calls it sizzle. Y'all know what it is. And when it isn't, it is even more apparent.

Thomas Jefferson confided that friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life, and thanks to a benevolent arrangement, the greater part of life is sunshine. Friendship gets you through the dark times and celebrates, well, life. I've been blessed with good friends, several I've known most of my life. A few were life long friends, but we didn't realize that life long is an elastic term. 

On another note, my clients have made it possible for me to earn my living in a rewarding and altogether pleasant way. I am forever grateful to each of them for that as well as their loyalty and friendship over the years.

May you, Gentle Reader, and your family be blessed on this Thanksgiving.

A tip of the glass to your health!

 

As Ever,

A Simple Turkey Brine

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

The purpose of the brine is to ensure a juicy and succulent turkey. Of course, nothing can overcome bad luck or roasting the turkey too long, but brined poultry is typically more tender.

For those who aren't familiar with brining, the sugar and salt tenderize the meat and mildly enhance the flavor. Your turkey will not taste like sweet, salty apples and you must still season the turkey exactly as you always do.

The brine is simple to make.

Ingredients

1. Two cups brown sugar
2. Two cups Kosher salt
3. One quart apple cider
4. One quart water
5. Five cloves garlic
6. Five tablespoons fresh rosemary or two tablespoons dried rosemary

Garlic and rosemary may be omitted

The Process

1. Combine all ingredients in a large non-reactive pot
2. Simmer until the sugar and salt is dissolved and then for another ten minutes
3. Set aside to completely cool to room temperature
4. Once cooled, add the turkey to the liquid inside the stockpot
5. If nescessary, top the pot off with a 50/50 mix of apple cider and water so that the turkey is almost completely submerged
6. Cover and refrigerate for 12-24 hours
7. Rinse the turkey thoroughly before cooking

Tips

I use a large stockpot, but that may not be large enough for a big turkey. Any large container that won't react to the sugar/salt/cider mixture is fine.

By adjusting a shelf in the fridge, my stockpot will fit. If yours won't, stick it in an ice chest. Pot in first, then surround it with ice.

If you live in the cold climes, put the pot in the garage or shed. Make sure it doesn't freeze, but don't let it get warmer than forty degrees.

As Always,

Meyer Lemons and Thanksgiving Pie

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

The Meyer Lemons are maturing nicely and I've got me a jones for a from-scratch lemon pie to finish off the Thanksgiving feast. 

Meyer lemons are sweeter than Eurekas, which are the most common market lemon you will run across. Meyers make an awesome lemon drop martooni as well as a flavorful pie. 

In another life, TWC lived a blond chick who was a crazy good baker. She was decent with a frying pan, but when she was elbow deep in flour and sugar, rolling out dough, and chopping walnuts, she was at her best. And she got it done using an antique, match-light oven that looked something like this (except it was in better condition)...... 

I don't eat a lot of sweets, but I do love me some lemon pie. Meringue or cream. Preferably from scratch. Thankee. In a pinch, maybe Marie Callender or Coco's. Hell, I've even been known to snaffle one of those Hostess lemon pies. Not in the last thirty years, though......cuz God only knows WTH is in them, though the package claims that there's real fruit filling somewhere inside. 

Back when disco was fading into punk we were at my dad's place in Sonora and in the midst of Thanksgiving kitchen chaos, this girl puts together a marvelous lemon meringue pie. Later on, I'm working on my second helping and I've subbed out my wine (temporarily) for a cup of joe to go (rhymes) with the pie. Now, keep in mind that Pop isn't terribly demonstrative, so I'm coaxing him a little. 

TWC: Oh, man, dad, isn't this pie great? 

Pop: Mumbles inaudibly

TWC: This pie is amazing. Isn't it dad?

Pop: Mmmph

A few minutes later.....

TWC: Dad! Don't you think this pie is just the best?

Pop: Yes. Tastes just like Jello pudding and pie filling(!)

Long way around the barn, I guess. I don't know if Mrs TWC is going to do the honors or I am, but I am surely looking forward to a Thanksgiving lemon pie. 

As Ever,

Related articles

Pomegranate Martini (for Mrs TWC)

Through the Wood to *Grandfather's* House We Go

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

An eternity ago, we grade schoolers learned this Christmas tune about a sleigh ride over to Grandma's house. Nobody once mentioned that it's a poem about Thanksgiving set to a catchy little tune.

 As Ever,

2012 Pennywise Petite SirahWe All Float Down Here, Georgie

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

WTH do you think is going to pop out of this bottle when you pull the cork?

And good luck shoving the cork back in when it does. It'd be like that old joke about the 4H pig.

I dunno doc, all I can remember is that poor little monkey trying to put the cork back in.

Not sure the Sebastiani guys thought this through (or maybe they did?). The culture doesn't really identify pennywise with value and thrift anymore. Damn you Stephen King! You ruined it for all of us. OTOH, money talks and you-know-what walks. And those boys is laughing all the way to the bank.

Winemaker's Notes

The 2012 vintage shows textbook Petite Sirah color with an inky purple hue. The aromatics show notes of intense blueberry, dark cherry reduction, violets, and vanilla bean. Once again, the flavors start sweet and then get darker on the finish. This blend starts with blueberry pie, blackberry, sweet purple basil, and dark caramel. The wine finishes with dark molasses, toasted cedar plank, sweetened dried cherries, and mocha coffee.

It's not a bad Tuesday night pizza wine and it's generally under ten bucks American.

Bonus:

Throwback Thursday (Thanksgiving Edition)

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

I love this picture of The House Blond and I at Anapolis Harbor on Thanksgiving 2011. 

Photo Credit: Mrs TWC

Grumpy Cat on Being Thankful

 Good Morning Gentle Readers,