Fun Guys Hunt Funghi

The lady and I had a great weekend in Carmel this past weekend. We went with our friends Jas, Jac, Ben and Lucia to do some mushroom hunting, hiking and wine tasting. Despite the inclimate weather, we managed to do all three . Check out the chanterelle bounty below. We ended up filling almost three of those baskets. Jac's found a bunch of candy cap mushrooms. I've had those in ice cream but our guide described a cookie recipe that sounded good. I digress...I learned chanterelle has a mycorrhiza relationship with oak trees. Honey hole = oak trees, a wood rats nest, bay trees and wet lowland areas. This 'shroom hunting is something I could get into. Apparently, the Spring after a fire is when it goes off. Morels mycorrhiza relationship is with pine trees. I bet in April and May after the snow melts, Northern California will be flush with Morels especially after the fires from last year.

My temporary South Carolina non-resident fishing license just expired so I guess it’s time to renew. I’m still not convinced there are any fish at the dock despite the hoopla and pictures. With the advent of Photoshop and the like it’s hard to trust anything but your own eyes.

I have found a great pizza dough recipe below that is a no brainer. With a good tomato sauce and fresh or shredded mozzarella and a dash of parmesan, this pizza makes a delicious, homemade Neapolitan which is really all I eat. I’ve tried making my own red sauce and that works fine, however, I must admit Boboli original pizza sauce is pretty damn good and quick. Against the ladies wishes, I try to use the least amount of cheese as possible. Once out of the oven, I top it with freshly dressed greens and sliced grilled chicken. My version of CPK’s tri-colore. Or, I top it with just rocket. Or drizzle with it truffle oil. Also, a Neapolitan makes for a good base for leftovers. My favorite concoction was a cut up bone in pork chop, sliced fennel and diced jalapeño.

In a large bowl, combine 1 ¾ cup unsifted, unbleached all-purpose flour, one ¼ ounce package quick-rising yeast, one teaspoon sugar, one teaspoon salt (sea salt is the best, but regular salt will do) and one tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. To that, add ¾ cup very warm water (120 degrees F). Mix it all with fork or hands until soft dough forms. Add flour until the dough no longer sticks to your hand but be careful not to add too much flour. Shape the dough in a ball and place in an oiled bowl, turning so an oiled surface is up. Cover with dish towel and let rise in a warm place until double in size, about 30 mins. Spread it over a pizza sheet with holes. I've used a cookie sheet and the underside never gets crisp so I wouldn't recommend using that but in a pinch you could. Add your sauce and toppings and cook for 15 mins or so at 500 degrees F.

In Carmel Valley, I love Parsonages everyday drinking red Snosrap Cyrano Red. It’s a steal at $20. The Friday we get into Carmel, we usually have it at Café Rustica in the valley. A wine like that goes well with food and without. I wish more of this type of wine was available in California. Everyday drinking wines are a dime a dozen in Europe and it was fun sussing out $15-$20 wines that were absolutely delicious. These wines didn’t come from behemoths like Gallo or Blackstone but from small, family run vineyards who would usually have a good vintage. I’m surprised you are not able to find more of these types of wines in CA. I’m scratching my head at the dearth of wine bars in the city. I would expected there to be more of them seeing how it’s in the middle 15 distinct wine growing regions.

Also in Carmel Valley, I was real impressed with the 2007 Pinot Noir from Boekenoogen. The lady and I picked up a few bottles. From our generous tasting pours, I got a big wine with layers of fruits of the forest, strawberries and damp earth. Another year or two in the cellar and this bottle will be singing. I love Pinot’s from the St. Luica Highlands as they remind me of wines from Burgundy. This is the type of wine that my friend Colleen who is a Zinfandel slut would like. This vineyard is close to another one of my favorites vineyards Gary’s vineyards.