February 25, 2016 Lunch – Azuma, Dinner at the Palmer's, New Recipe Pork Confit Goulash, salad, and Shed Original Chocolate Mocha Cake

February 25, 2016 Lunch – Azuma, Dinner at the Palmer's, New Recipe Pork Confit Goulash, salad, and Shed Original Chocolate Mocha Cake

Whenever I feel weak and want a high protein lunch, I think of Chiashi Donburi at Azuma, 12 pieces of protein packed seafood, mostly raw laid on sushi rice with egg omelet and daikon pickles. 

After lunch I went to Sprouts to buy Asparagus for $.98/lb. and found Swordfish for $4.99/lb. and bought some tofu and Seven grain granola, also.

On the way home I stopped at Lowe’s and bought 6 lb. of yellow onions.

We had made plans to eat dinner with Charlie and Susan Palmer.  The menu was simple.  We would make a pork confit and pasta dish and Susan would make a salad and the Shed Chocolate Mocha Cake for dessert.

New Recipe Pork Confit Goulash

We began cooking at 5:00.  I diced two small yellow bell peppers, two small red bell pepper and 1 medium onion.

I the diced about 1 lb. of pork confit inti bite sized pieces.

Suzette Sautéed the onion and bell pepper. Then she added about ½ cup of sour cream and ¼ cup of white wine to cream the ingredients.

Finally she added 2 T. of Huitlachote and the pork and cooked the mixture about 15 minutes to integrate the flavors in a Le Creuset casserole.

At 6:45 we carried the warm casserole to the Palmer's.  Susan had some cheeses and crackers and pistachio nuts for snacks.  We inspected the newly bought wines from Costco and settled on a 2013 La Place Madiran red rated 93 points points by Wine Enthusiast.  Here is some information on the wine and the region from Wikipedia.

Madiran was created as an AOC in 1948, and only red wine can be produced under this appellation.[1] The main grape variety in Madiran AOC is Tannat, which must make up 40-60% of the vineyard, and it is supplemented by Cabernet Franc (locally also called Bouchy), Cabernet Sauvignon and Fer (locally also called Pinenc)[2] Some of the appellation's top wines are in fact made from 100% Tannat; this is within AOC regulations.[3][4]

The wine is typically very concentrated, high in tannin and traditionally requires several years aging to be at its best. The style of really good Madiran is not unlike that of high-end Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated Bordeaux wines. However, recently some of the younger generation of winemakers have been experimenting with, and producing, wines which are softer and more approachable in their youth, mirroring a similar tendency in Bordeaux and elsewhere. The modern technique of introducing minute amounts of oxygen into the wine was developed here by Patrick Ducournau at Chateau Aydie. Micro-oxygenation or micro-bullage is regarded by many as one of the most significant developments in modern French wine making[citation needed].

Madiran is also known as the healthiest of red wines due to the high levels of procyanidins it contains. This is said to be good for reducing blood pressure, lowering cholesterol and encouraging healthy blood clotting.[5]

Madiran wine is produced around the village of Madiran in Gascony under two Appellations d'Origine Contrôlées (AOCs): Madiran for red wines and Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh and Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh Sec for white wines. The production area for Madiran wine is spread over three départments - Gers, Hautes-Pyrénées and Pyrénées-Atlantiques - and is a part of the South West France wine region. There are 1,300 hectares (3,200 acres) of Madiran vineyards.[1]

Some of the leading producers are Alain Brumont, who is the proprietor of Château Bouscassé and Château Montus, Didier Barre of Domaine Berthoumieu and the Laplace family at Chateau Aydie.

The wine was smooth and with slightly pronounced tannins.  It was a pleasant wine, if not a big, bold  wine, definitely one of the softer, more approachable Madirans.  This was probably the entry level wine.

We enjoyed salad with warm rolls and the creamy pork goulash with he wine.

We talked for a while after dinner while Susan made tea and then she served the Chocolate Mocha Cake, which was much better than the one I made on or about January 25, 2016.  Luckily Susan gave me her recipe, so I can compare it to the one I found on the Internet.

Here is the recipe:

Bon Appetit