Dinner down the hill

Eastside Road, April 19, 2010—

AT THE NEIGHBORS' house, that is, and since the neighbors are close relatives, it's always a pleasant affair. (Not that mealtime isn't always a pleasant affair, as frequent visitors to this site will have noticed.)

Tonight, after the delicious house-cured green olives that gave such a nice lift to the Sauvignon blanc, we moved to the dining room for risotto with mushrooms, asparagus (second of the season!), and green salad. One of these days there'll be a disquisition here on risotto, which is clearly one of the Hundred Plates: in my opinion it demands a disciplined approach, and no one would fault my daughter, at any rate not this one, for lack of self-discipline. The rice was perfectly al dente; the stock it was cooked in seemed sturdy but not pushy; the mushrooms were delicious.

Sauvignon blanc, "Vintjs" (pronounced "vintages," get it?), 2009
Pinot noir, Adelsheim, Quarter Mile Lane Vineyard, 2003 (shy at first, then forthcoming, grapy, full of varietal)