What You've Got Here...

So.
This is a blog dedicated to people who love to eat and drink. Especially those of us who like it so much that we don't stop until we're feeling sick and blacked out.

I haven't started drinking yet tonight, which explains why I'm actually getting this post done. I've just started to feel better after returning from Buenos Aires with some fucked-up food poisoning. This explains my insatiable lust for wine right now. My friend Nolan is on his way over to join us for dinner - He also loves to drink.

Here's how the night goes....

Wine to loosen up:
2007 Terre Rouge Vin Gris D'Amador Rose - California

What we're making:
Soto Ayam (Spiced Chicken Soup)
4 Tbl peanut oil
6 Cups Chicken Stock (I like to add ginger, scallions, and szechuan peppercorns to make a specialized stock for asian soups)
1 whole chicken
1 tsp salt
3 oz. Tang Hoon (mung bean vermicelli) soaked in luke warm water for 10 minutes
Cilantro and Scallions, chopped for garnish

Spices:

8 cashews (traditionally you would use candlenuts but good fucking luck there..)
1 tsp. black peppercorns
8 shallots
6 cloves garlic
1 tsp turmeric (fresh if you can find it but once again....)
1 Tbl ginger
2 stalks lemongrass

Condiment:

6 Thai chilis, pounded to a coarse paste
4 Tbl Chinese black soy
4 Tbl lime juice
2 tsp sugar

Serves 3 Hungry Motherfuckers

1. To prepare the spices, grind cashews and black peppercorns together into a coarse powder. Chop remaining spices (except lemongrass, which you can cut into 3 inch pieces and smash, as you will remove it later) very fine. Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat and fry all spices together for about 4 minutes, until fragrant. Add stock, chicken, and salt and simmer, partially covered, for 35 minutes.
2. Remove wok from heat and let the chicken sit in the hot stock for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cutting board. Discard skin. pull meat from bones and shred. Return the bones to stock and simmer 10 more minutes.
3. Divide vermicelli and chicken meat into the bowls. Strain the stock and ladle into the bowls. Combine all of the condiment ingredients and serve on the side. Garnish with Scallions & Cilantro.

What we're drinking with this:
2004 C.H. Berres Riesling Spatlese, Mosel-Saar-Ruer

What we're going to hammer down after:
2005 Three Saints Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Ynez Valley
2002 Passanau Finca La Planeta, Priorat

The night will be finished with Old Mr. Show episodes and copious amounts of Nolan's homemade beer. Even though food poisoning makes you feel skinny, I'm glad it's over..