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Corti Brothers Newsletter for December 2004 Page 4
...Continued from page 3 1 2 3 << Page 4 >> SAN GEMINIANO ACETO BALSAMICO TRADIZIONALE Since 1982, Corti Brothers has offered the traditional balsamic vinegar from the San Geminiano estate in Reggio Emilia. This estate supplied us with the first Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale offered in the U.S. Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale is the only, genuine balsamic vinegar. Made from saba, boiled down grape juice, and aged very slowly over many years in small casks of different aromatic woods, it must be expensive. Truly an amalgam of scents and flavors, there is nothing like Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale. Once you taste it, you rarely forget it. There is a slightly different type of vinegar, much younger, but no less useful, which is the Condimento Balsamico, made also from boiled down grape juice, but only three or so years old. It differs from the Balsamico di Modena in so far as the Condimento Balsamico must be based on boiled down grape juice while the Modena example can be based on wine vinegar. San Geminiano also produces a blended product called Mix for Salad and Cooking. This is a blend of 1/5 1970 based production Tradizionale and 4/5 old wine vinegar. Since Tradizionale is not used exclusively in dressing a salad–it is blended with good vinegar–the Mix is very useful and less expensive than the same Tradizionale bottled pure. If you have not tasted authentic Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale, this is your opportunity to do so, or at least regale a friend who might share the gift. ACETO BALSAMICO TRADIZIONALE SAN GEMINIANO, Reggio Emilia Aceto Balsamico A.S. 15 (1970 production) Red Label 100ml $83.99 each (#8034) SAN GEMINIANO Mix for Salads 250ml $38.99 each (#8038) A last offering of German wines from the delicious vintages 2001 and 2002 Vintage 2003, with its great heat throughout Europe is causing polemics throughout the wine world. For German riesling, there are those of us who would prefer more classically styled vintages such as 2001 and 2002. In 2003, lower acidity and higher alcohol make for difficult to categorize wines and certainly not typical ones. That said, here is an offering of wonderfully proportioned, balanced German wines from two producers, one noted the other not so famous. The vineyard areas are also distinct: Nahe and Rheingau. The Nahe wines come from the Schweinhardt estate in the village of Langenlonsheimer-one of the oldest German wine growing communities between Laubenheim and Bretzenheim on the Nahe river-the Rheingau wines from Hans Lang in Hattenheim. Bacchus is a cross comprised of (sylvaner x riesling) x müller thurgau made in 1933. Weingut Schweinhardt Bacchus Kabinett 2002 Langenlonsheimer
Konigsschild Riesling Spätlese 2002 Hans Lang Riesling Kabinett 2001 Hans
Lang Riesling Spätlese 2002 SHELLER ALMONDS: A HOLIDAY TREAT AND NECESSITY Standing around at a holiday party without something simple and delicious to snack on is...well, tedious. We have offered for several years an almond treat which we called AMENDOLA or SHELLER ALMONDS since they have been slightly salted and roasted in their shell. You have to shell them with your fingers to get to the delicious Non-Pareil variety meat inside. These are not roasted, salted almonds! You have to work for them! With very little effort you are rewarded with a delicious almond that puts peanuts in the shade. (In fact, they are good any time of the year, but right now are especially flavorful coming fresh from this last harvest.) Amendola Sheller Almonds 1 pound bag DAVID’S BRISKET PASTRAMI (also NAVELS) Elizabeth David, England’s noted food writer, once gave a recipe to Harrods for making spiced beef for having on hand during the Christmas holidays. Not a complicated recipe, it can be made at home, but it takes about three weeks to do. As Elizabeth said, simple cured meats are a relief after rich holiday foods. Now you can have somewhat the same flavor and character of Elizabeth David’s spiced beef with a new pastrami produced in California under the David’s label. These are triangular, half brisket size pieces, slow cured and then smoked to the private recipe of David Cane, a noted food and wine commentator here in northern California. Eaten either hot or cold, you just need to slice this brisket. The work is already done! For a traditional “hot” pastrami service, David also makes
the cut called a “navel.” This is a fattish cut from the brisket
end which should be used in making hot sandwiches or for serving as a piece
of beef. Just warm in some good beef broth, slice and enjoy. But, please
remember, this is a fat piece of meat much beloved by We will ship David’s pastrami with ice packs in thermal wrapping. It should travel easily in cold weather. Please remember to give us a shipping address where your order may be received and handled properly. DAVID’S BRISKET PASTRAMI (triangular shaped piece, 2-2 1/4 lbs) Out of stock. DAVID’S NAVEL PASTRAMI (rectangular shape, 2-3 lbs) Out of stock. << Back to Top |
Corti Brothers
Sacramento CA