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April
Featured Wine: Sauvignon Blanc
Warm weather is officially here, and we want to kick off April with a little bit of history of a great spring and summer wine - Sauvignon Blanc. Sauvignon Blanc has been used for generations in France, and came to California in 1878. In the US it is sometimes called "Fumé Blanc", a name first coined by Robert Mondavi to play up its smoky flavors. The sales of the wine under this new name now exceed sales under the original name. New Zealand is now known as one of the top producers of sauvignon blanc. Sauvignon Blanc has pronounced flavors of a herbal variety, with grassy and apple flavors, plus olive and a soft, smoky flavor. They can be anything from sweet to dry, but are typically very light. Sauvignon blancs tend to be crisp and acidic, helping the wine cut through heavy food flavors. It pairs well with thick sauces and stews, and is a well-known compliment to lobster. For our picks of some great, and affordable, Sauvignon Blancs, just click here.
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From
Poor Man to Rich Man...Lobster
To compliment this month's wine selection, we though we would focus on one of Sauvignon Blanc's best companions - lobster! Lobster was once thought to be the 'poor man's food' that only the lowest of lows would eat. Lobsters were the funny, multi-legged creatures scuttling around on the bottom of the ocean. Nowadays, lobsters are very expensive and thought to be an elegant dish. They have a very light flavor, and you need a light wine to go with them. The American lobster is found as far south as North Carolina, and are famously associated with the colder waters around the Canadian Maritimes, Newfoundland and Labrador, Massachusetts, and Maine. To read more an get a great recipe, just click here.
Underwater
Restaurant Celebrates Anniversary
April 15th will mark the second anniversary of the opening of the world's only completely underwater restaurant. First conceptualized in 2001, Ithaa (pronounced eet-ha) at the Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa opened its doors in April of 2005. The restaurant sits five meters below the waves of the Indian Ocean, surrounded by a vibrant coral reef and encased in clear acrylic, offering diners 270-degrees of panoramic underwater views. Created by MJ Murphy Ltd, a design consultancy based in New Zealand, Ithaa’s distinctive feature is the use of curved transparent acrylic walls and roof, similar to those used in aquarium attractions. To read more, click here.
How About Some of Dees Nuts?
A new industry on Sullivans Island, SC has emerged, and it is truly one of a kind. Dee Williams, owner and mastermind behind Dee’s Nuts, swears that his patented “cleavage filtered” nuts are the biggest thing since Planters. According to the company’s website, the saga began when an errant nut fell between the ample cleavage of a female friend. He ate the nut and discovered the hallowed journey had somehow made it tastier. Now he sells his unique nuts all over the world and the company has big plans for their future. To read the full story and find out how to order Dee’s Nuts, just click here (seriously, this isn't a joke!!).
Featured Wine Continued:
Sauvignon Blanc Picks:
Hazard Hill, Western Australia (Australia) Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc 2006 ($12, Robert Whale Selections): Crisp and refreshing but also deeply flavorful, this features fruit notes recalling apples and white melons, with a shot of lime enlivening the bright finish. Blends of these two grapes from the cool climate of Western Australia are very popular Down Under, and this supremely consistent wine will convincingly demonstrate why that is the case.
Domaine Henri Bourgeois, Sancerre (Loire Valley, France) “La Porte du Caillou” 2005 ($18, Touton ): Henri Bourgeois has been consistently one of the finest producers of Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc wines. His 2005 La Porte du Caillou is excellent; is lean and lively with a chalky texture, ripe citrus flavors, and great depth.
Nobilo, Marlborough (New Zealand) Sauvignon Blanc 2005 ($12, International Cellars): As the price of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc creeps higher (due mainly to a weakened exchange rate) it's comforting to discover a solid New Zealand Sauvignon at a very afforable price. This is from Nobilo's "Regional Collection" and is a notch below Nobilo's "Icon" line in intensity, but still very delicious and easy drinking. Grapefruit and tart citrus notes with a mere hint of grass should quench the thirst for the Kiwi style.
Cloudy Bay, Marlborough (New Zealand) Sauvignon Blanc 2005 ($30, Moet Hennessy USA): The Sauvignon Blanc that put New Zealand wine on the map seems to be returning to its roots, delivering more of the herbaceous aromatics and tangy grapefruit in the '05 vintage than has been seen from Cloudy Bay in some time. Cloudy Bay had been moving in the direction of ripe, tropical fruit aromas and away from the earthier fruit nuances and intense minerality that made it an icon in New Zealand's Marlborough region. But the '05 vintage is a superb example of the often imitated Cloudy Bay style. Back to top.
Lobster Continued:
The American lobster, Homarus americanus, is a species of lobster found on the Atlantic coast of North America. Within North America, it is also known as the northern lobster, Atlantic lobster or Maine lobster. It thrives in cold, shallow waters where there are many rocks and other places to hide from predators and is both solitary and nocturnal.
The American lobster is found as far south as North Carolina, and are famously associated with the colder waters around the Canadian Maritimes, Newfoundland and Labrador, Massachusetts, and Maine. They commonly range from 20 cm to 60 cm in length and ½ kg to 4 kg in weight, but have been known to reach lengths of well over 1 m and weigh as much as 20 kg or more, making this the heaviest marine crustacean in the world [1]. An average adult is about 230 mm (9 inches) long and weighs 700 to 900 g (1½ to 2 pounds).
The adult American lobster's main natural predator is the codfish, but other enemies include haddock, flounder, and other lobsters. Overfishing of cod in the early 20th century has allowed the lobster population to grow enormously. Shipwrecks have been related to being an oasis in the middle of a barren desert of sand. American lobsters make their home in and around northeast shipwrecks. In fact, lobster diving is the main attraction for many wreck divers.
Lobster in Fresh Aspic
2 live Maine lobsters
1/2 cup Sauvignon Blanc
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 celery rib, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
3 sprigs parsley
3 sprigs thyme
1/2 bay leaf
3/4 cup rose Champagne, chilled
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Beluga caviar (optional)
Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a 5-quart pot. Add the lobsters, cover the pot and let them cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lobsters and, when they are cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the tail and claws. Set the meat aside.
In a 3-quart saucepan, combine the shells with the white wine, onion, celery, carrot, tomatoes, parsley, thyme and bay leaf, plus enough water to cover (about 4 cups). Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat and let it simmer 30 minutes. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve. Return it to a clean saucepan (the wider the better) and boil until it reduces in volume to 3/4 cup. Add the Champagne and sugar and bring to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat.
Meanwhile, measure out 2 tablespoons of water into a small metal bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it to soften for 5 minutes. Stir the hot lobster broth-Champagne mixture into the gelatin to dissolve it. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Put the container of broth over a larger container of ice (or, if there is time, just put it in the refrigerator). Remove it from the ice or refrigeration as soon it has thickened enough to mound up on a spoon. Keep it at room temperature after that so it does not thicken too much. It should be a thick but pourable mass.
Cut the lobster tails into six medallions each. Place three medallions and a claw on each of 4 plates and spoon some of the gelatin over them. Top with a spoonful of caviar (optional).
Serves 4.
Underwater Restaurant Continued:
“We have used aquarium technology to put diners face-to-face with the stunning underwater environment of the Maldives”, says Carsten Schieck, General Manager of Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa. “Our guests always comment on being blown away by the color, clarity, and beauty of the underwater world in the Maldives, so it seemed the perfect idea to build a restaurant where diners can experience fine cuisine and take time to enjoy the views – without ever getting their feet wet.”
“The fact that the entire restaurant except for the floor is made of clear acrylic makes this unique in the world,” continues Schieck, “We are currently planting a coral garden on the reef to add to the spectacular views of the rays, sharks and many colorful fish that live around the reef near the restaurant.”
The five-meter by nine-meter transparent arch, which spans the entire room, seats 14 people and provides a feeling of being completely at one with the underwater world while submerged beneath the surface of the ocean. Set with the resort’s renowned house reef one side, and a clear lagoon on the other, diners enjoy their meal within Ithaa’s translucent shell as the underwater drama unfolds on all sides.
Naturally the food is as spectacular as the underwater setting. While the cuisine is dedicated to the fine balance of western food items with a Maldivian flavour, the wine concept is equally exciting; offering diners the perfect opportunity to discover the wines of the prestigious Champagne house Louis Roederer.
“In such a unique restaurant we wanted to create a distinctive cuisine, which is why we’ve decided to offer ‘contemporary Maldivian cuisine’ as a theme. We take local spices and traditional flavours and give them a western twist to create a fusion cuisine that you could find in the best restaurants in London or New York. Nobody else has done this before and we’re very excited about it," said Schieck.
Ithaa is reached by a wooden walkway from the nearby over-water Sunset Grill Restaurant. Diners begin their meal with drinks on a specially constructed deck over the ocean and then descend to the restaurant via a spiral staircase where the à la carte menu is served. Seating only 14 people, Ithaa offers one of the most intimate and exclusive dining experiences in the world.
This innovative restaurant is the first of its kind in the world, and is part of a US $25 million re-build of Rangalifinolhu Island, one of the twin islands that make up Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa. This re-build includes the construction of 79 of the most luxurious Beach Villas in the country as well as the Spa Village, a self-contained, over-water ‘resort-within-a-resort’ consisting of a spa, restaurant and 21 villas. Back to top.
Dees Nuts Continued
Growing up on a pecan farm in Georgia and raised in the nut industry, founder Dee Williams says that he has seen it all in the business. Bored of the ordinary nuts being consumed by the public, the time came to make a change. After accidentally discovering the enhanced flavor of a peanut that fell through the cleavage of large breast, Williams had found his path to changing the nut industry. Now Dee's cycles every nut between the breasts of a beautiful woman. The patented process has become a huge success and Dee's Nuts has emerged as a pioneer in the
Over the years, Dee's Nuts has perfected the
patented cleavage filtering technique. Originally processed by hand using beer
mugs to scoop the nuts, Dee's has come a long way in developing the latest in
cleavage filtering technology.
Today, every nut is processed through the DOUBLE DEE 600 mobile filtering unit.
The system, developed by Dee's Nuts, is designed to be toted easily on the back
of Dee's beautiful women for mobile filtering. Fresh salted nuts are poured into
the crowning of the unit and fall through the cleavage of one of Dee's Nuts
girls before being sealed up and packaged. The unit is able to process up to 85
sacks of Dee's Nuts per minute.
The patented cleavage filtering process, which until recently has been performed
only at company headquarters in Charleston, South Carolina, is now being
showcased to the public for demonstrations, marketing appearances and sales of
freshly filtered nuts. Plans call for Dee's to launch a nationwide publicity
tour to introduce the Dee's Nuts girls and the DOUBLE DEE 600.
If you haven't tasted the difference yet, it's time to find out what you've been missing. They offer all different cleavage filtered nuts including their famous dry roast peanuts, honey roasted peanuts, cashews, pistachios and almonds. Check them out at by clicking here. Back to top.
