Spanish Wine Dinner, Wednesday, May 23 Selections from the Eric Solomon Portfolio with special guest and old friend, Gene Combs Download Menu Here - Call for reservations 713-522-9306 There are basically two kinds of winemakers in the world, those who build wines and those who grow wines, and the same is true about chefs, there are those who construct foods and those who reveal the hidden flavors in food. The first of each is the interventionist. Nature’s intent is of little concern to the builder. He takes from nature what is useful, manipulates it, and superimposes his own intent in the process. The latter of each is the non-interventionist. She performs as a midwife does, assisting where necessary, gently guiding the process in order to bring out the fruition of nature’s intent. The distinction may seem harsh, but there is no reason to disparage one philosophy at the expense of the other. Consider that where it not for the interventionist there would be no enormous supply of satisfying wine to quench the thirst of so many people around the globe and the artful creativity in cooking would vanish entirely. The ingenuity of the interventionist is welcome in any home, a fact brought to the fore each time we adjust our thermostats, for those of us that have them. The truth is that nature is indifferent to us in all respects and we either make of it what we wish or take from it what it offers. However, there is always something to be said for nature; that with just the smallest bit of help it can provide wonders that no human mind could ever contrive. And so, this is our theme for the wine dinner, nature’s wonderful bounty pouring forth at the intersection of the adage that says less is more and the sage advice that purports the three most important ingredients to success are location, location, and location, except for dessert which is entirely contrived, into the wind and against the grain. Pulpo ala Gallega The octopus which we are procuring comes from the Iberian coast, more substantial and more flavorful than all others in the market, gently tenderized in the clearest of all spring waters, and sparingly imbued with the smoky flavors of the finest pimentón of Spain, the most poignant of all sea salts, and the tangiest of all limes. In short, you boil it and eat it not unlike a run of the mill tequila shot! Go Figure! Paired with Rafael Palacios’ Godello white wine this course makes for a magical transfiguration of place and time. I am reminded of one afternoon in a small fishing town in the north of Spain, standing at the bar of a meson facing the wharf, and seeing a fisherman bringing in the catch of the day, an octopus ineptly wringing its way out from the box hoisted over the man’s shoulder. Empanada Gallega Here I am reminded of my youth in New York City where the cuisines of the world face off with each other street by street. The Gallego, the immigrant from Galicia, remains true to his foods and customs by creating a part of Galicia where ever he settles, and this state of mind is incomplete without the Galician Empanada, which is like no other, a rustic turnover filled with tomato, onion, pepper, and sardine. The light bodied Verdes Matas Mencia with fine prickly tannin and agreeably high level of acidity will delight the sensations of any weary pilgrim. Escalivada A warm cooked salad of eggplant, red pepper, and onion is a light interlude designed to interfere in the least with Benjamin Romero’s Rioja red, named “El Predicador,” (The Preacher,) inspired by the western classic, Pale Rider, with Clint Eastwood. Romeo honed his winemaking craft with the iconic Rioja winery Artadi. The Preacher is aged 16 months in 100% in new French oak. The fruit is 96% Tempranillo from 20 to 30 year old Alavesa vines. Romero tears a page from the northern Rhône tradition of co-fermenting Viognier with Syrah by introducing the white wine grape Viura into the blend. This wine shows bright, fresh cherry flavors with refreshing acidity. Zancarrón con Legumbres de León This is a DO NOT MISS. Nowhere in Texas will you find this delicacy. These are not your great northern, not your navy beans, no, no, absolutely nothing like that. Forget about all the beans that you have ever seen, unless you have had my Fabada Asturiana. Regulars know how well El Meson does justice to Osso Buco, but the real treat here are the Maragato white beans grown in Astorga, Leon. Paired With Clos d’Agon, a blend of Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot, this wine is a marvel made by Susana Lopez and under the supervision of wizard winemaker, Peter Sisseck, of the “Pingus” acclaim who made the debut vintage 11 years ago. Aged for 18 months in French oak, the Clos d’Agon is a truly unique wine made in the Costa Brava blending tradition. In this course, you will be able to appreciate the current release 2009 vintage and compare with the 2004 vintage from our cellar to see just how this wine can age. Blue Cheese Iced Cream Jessica Chapa, El Meson Pastry Chef, will prepare an exquisite juxtaposition of flavors, once again expanding the boundaries of sweet and savory desserts with her Blue Cheese Iced Cream topped with Dried Apple and Bacon Bits. It’s clear to see how Jessica is intervening and turning our intuitive sense of nature on its head by combining two items seemingly opposed and yet from the same source, a cow. Paired with the Gonzalez Byass “Noe” Pedro Ximénez Muy Viejo 30 years from Jerez, this course is sure to be memorable. Call for Reservations 713-522-9306 Hope to see you at the wine dinner. - Chef Pedro Menu Download Menu Here Pulpo ala Gallega Octopus Galician Style Paired With Rafael Palacios “Sabrego” Godello, Valdeorras 2010 Empanada Gallega Galician Style Empanada Paired With Verdes Matas Mencia, Valdeorras 2009 Escalivada Eggplant, Red Pepper, and Onion Salad Paired With Benjamin Romero “El Predicdor,” Rioja 2008 Zancarrón con Legumbres de León Osso Buco with White Beans from Leon Paired With Clos d’Agon, Catalunya 2004 Clos d’Agon, Catalunya 2009 A blend of Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot Blue Cheese Iced Cream topped with Dried Apple and Bacon Bits Paired With Gonzalez Byass “Noe” Pedro Ximénez Muy Viejo 30 years, Jerez

Aramé and the Golden Apple A Novel Written Chef Pedro Now Available at El Meson or Online Chef Pedro will debut his new book titled Aramé and the Golden Apple, a work of fiction exploring the topics of virtue and honor in a world where myths, legends, and folktales come alive. When a cankerous old man on a park bench tells the story of an old venerable tree and how Aramé the lonely goatherd once saved it from ruin many years ago in antiquity, the reader is transported to the world of the forgotten ancient civilizations that once ruled Eurasia. The story weaves together the mysterious legend of Aratta, the folktale of the Golden Apple Tree, the myth of Osiris, and other timeless tales providing a window to another time where symbols of our past come alive. "Aramé and the Golden Apple" is now available on line at Amazon. Chef Pedro at the Recipe House A Wine Dinner and Cooking Class Visit Recipe 4 Success here The last wine dinner was hosted by Recipe 4 Success, a wonderful organization that pairs Chefs with schools. Each year I am assigned to a 4th grade class at Rodriguez Elementary where I visit once a month and inspire the kids to think about what they eat, where food comes from, the concept of nutrition, that food is sustenance, natural and healthy. This wine dinner which was also a cooking class was naturally designed for adults. All proceeds went to the charitable and educational organization. I like to think that each time I visit the students I help inspire them by projecting a mark that they can aim for, that they too can become an adult with purpose in life, and that perhaps they too can one day do the same for other kids in the future. Menu Tomato and Watermelon with Balsamic Vinaigrette and a dash of sea salt Paired With Naveran Perles “Cuvée Antonia” Pinot Noir Cava Roasted Red and Golden Beets with Manchego Cheese and Cumin and Majoram Vinaigrette Paired With Martin Codax Albariño, Rias Baixas Baked Sea Bass with Saffron infused Swiss Chard and Little Neck Clams with roasted red Bell Peppers Paired With Bodegas Lan Rioja Reserva Braised Chicken with Figs in Riesling accompanied with roasted brussels sprouts, fennel, and purple potatoes Paired With Telmo Rodriguez “Gago,” Toro