Tagged

I’ve been tagged by my friend Heike on her blog.
The rules:
1. Let others know who tagged you.
2. Players start with 8 random facts about themselves.
3. Those who are tagged should post these rules and their 8 random facts.
4. Players should tag 8 other people and notify them they have been tagged.
OK now, here are 8 random facts about me:

1. I hold an Intermediate Certification in Wines and Spirits from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust; one day I hope to complete the Advanced Certification program, and perhaps even the diploma program.

2. I’m taking belly dancing courses from Âya, an incredibly talented and accomplished belly dancer who performed at our wedding. Her site is www.turkishbellydancer.com.

3. I can read and understand (and therefore translate) non-technical Portuguese and Italian into English, even though I never took courses in those languages.

4. I can fold my tongue into a three-leaf clover shape.

5. Some of my favorite things are: jazz music; Sex and the City; lilies; a really good, messy burger; fresh seafood; cilantro; bok choy; vintage Benzes; the beach; the mountains; and chickadees.

6. I’m learning Jukite Ju-Jitsu from my husband, who is a Shodan (1st degree black belt) in that art.

7. I’m a terrible swimmer and absolutely hate having my head/face underwater.

8. I had to take my driver’s license test 2x because I couldn’t parallel park. My parallel parking skills have improved only slightly since then, to marginal.

Here are the 8 people I’m tagging:
…
Um … ahem … I can’t tag anybody because the friend who sent this to me is my only friend with a personal blog (all my other friends have business blogs or just a personal page on Facebook) … so sue me? :-)

Wine pairings

Here's my list of top 20 fortuitous wine/spirit pairings (in no particular order), with the understanding, of course, that you are also warmly invited to share yours ...

1. Pinotage with pasta carbonara (heavy on the bacon)
2. Beaujolais Nouveau (chilled) with Thanksgiving turkey and REAL cranberry sauce
3. White Rioja with summer picnic food
4. Shiraz with venison stew
5. LBV ruby Port with chocolate torte
6. 20 yr old tawny Port with Gorgonzola
7. 20 yr old tawny Port with pierced Stilton (Brit-style. They pierce it and pour the Stilton in the holes, lay it aside for a few days till the port permeates the cheese, and you've got yourself some kickarse Stilton ...) or Bleu d'Auvergne
8. White port with toasted nuts (or Marcona almonds), Spanish olives and chorizo
9. New Zealand Sauv Blanc with goat cheese, also from Kiwi-land
10. Pinot Noir with goat cheese
11. Sparkling rosé with Chinese food
12. Riesling with Indian food
13. Riesling with almost anything (my opinion is, if you can't fix it with a Riesling, face it, it's feckin' BROKE)
14. Chianti with spaghetti alla marinara (my own recipe, heavy on the sun-dried tomatoes)
15. Gewürtztraminer with sushi (but only if the sushi has got plenty of the trimmings, like soy, ginger, wasabi ...)
16. Zinfandel with (I want my babybackbabybackbabybackbabybackbabyback) BBQ ribs
17. Sauternes with Roquefort
18. Rioja with Manchego
19. Alsace Pinot Gris with quiche Lorraine
20. Amontillado sherry with Irish cheddar. Ooo! ooo! ooo! [jumping up and down] and hot fresh roasted peanuts with sea salt!

I'm still trying to noodle out some other pairings but I'm hoping one of my readers can help me with those.
Calvados: I know crème brulée is the classic choice, but how about something with pears or cranberries (you know, fall fruity flavors)? Camembert? Brie with honey and gingersnaps? Or would that last one go better with Sauternes?
Scrambled eggs: Sancerre? Champagne? I guess it depends on what's in the eggs.