The Story of the Rabbit Hole Cafe @...

My friends know that I like to cook because I bombard them with pictures of my food (and other people's food) on Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, emails, text messages, etc... and they put up with me.

My family knows that I like to cook because I make them eat my food.  Come over and try this.  Take this home.  Let me know how you like it.  Do you want more?? .... and they oblige.

Some folks say maybe I should open a restaurant.  I say NOPE because I only like the cooking part and not the running/managing part.  Besides, I am not a creative cook.  I don't create recipes.  There are many recipes out there written by great food people and I'm perfectly happy trying them out - maybe improvising here and there.  Basically, I am a copycat.  Moreover, it would be a great cheat if I open a restaurant with other people's recipes.

Still though, I like the idea of giving my cooking an identity.  I want to give it a name.  How about...

• Sut's Kitchen?  Boring!!
• The Kitchen Lab on Berta?  Sounds clinical.
• Berta Cafe?  Nah!
• Rabbit Hole on Berta?  Hmmm... some potential

After few months of part-time brainstorming, something that has to do with rabbit seems to stick,  I like rabbits because I was born in the year of Rabbit and I like anything bunnies.  I like the name Rabbit Hole because it reminds me of clever Bugs Bunny poking his head out from the hole.  It also reminds me of the old Chinese saying, "A clever rabbit always has three holes (hiding places)."

So Rabbit Hole Cafe is it!!  When I cook at home, I call it Rabbit Hole Cafe @ Berta.  When I cook at Robert's, I call it Rabbit Hole Cafe @ Club Jo Lin.  You see, my Rabbit Hole Cafe is virtual.  It's imaginary.  It's cooking at-will.  It's about having fun and enjoying the moment.

Early this morning, a light bulb came on in my head while I was still half asleep.  A logo image came to mind. I grabbed a paper and scribbled this:

What do you think?  I thought it's kind of clever turning "bb" into rabbit ears.  I took a picture and sent to Robert.  Look honey, I'm doing your job!!  Robert liked the idea.  Ha!  That was expert opinion!!  YES!

I later got creative.  I revised my little line art to have the rabbit head poking out from the hole and making the line wavy to give it some energy.  Here:

You like the idea?  Robert thought it was cool but he suggested that I should put the word hole next to rabbit to make the name complete.  Hmmm... I thought holes are supposed to be underground but, heck, I don't argue with someone who designs logos for a living.  So here goes again:

Robert said this looked great then I didn't hear from him until the afternoon.  I knew he was working on a project so I didn't want to bother him anymore with my new-found creativity.  Little did I know, he was busy transforming my simple artwork to this:

TA-DA!!

Oh My God!!  How did he do it?  How did he know this was exactly what I had in mind and with the exact colors I wanted?!?!  I didn't even tell Robert about the colors!!  I was envisioning either a green background with yellow lettering, or a yellow background with black lettering.  The nose of the rabbit would be orange.  Robert changed the nose to eyes but he made them orange.  Just like how I imagined!!

Wow!!  I am so touched!!  I am so blessed that I have a guy who knows me inside out and entertains my craziness all the while putting his project on hold just to make me happy.

Oh man!  I am the luckiest girl in the whole wide world!!  THANK YOU!  THANK YOU!  MY SWEETIE!!

So what do I do now?  I guess I'll have to cook a lot more!!

Stay tuned for food pictures from the Rabbit Hole Cafe...

How Many Ways Can I Eat? Let Me Count the Ways

I, like most folks, always have some same-old same-old stuff in the fridge drawers.  Raise your hands if you always have these:

• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Celery
• Onions
• Mushrooms
• Tomatoes

Me!  Me!

So just how many ways can you use them in cooking without getting bored eating them?  Here are three easy ones for me.  Healthy, good looking, and I am able to use up what's in the fridge (then go get some more).

Hot Pot - Do shabu-shabu everything in boiling broth

 Steamed Veggies - Perfect with ponzu dipping sauce

Udon Casserole - the secret is to smear miso on the side of the dish

Give it a try.  You don't need a recipe.  I am sure there are many more ways to use up these ingredients too.  Experiment and have fun.  I sure did.

Hello 韭菜盒子 (Chive Pockets), We Meet Again!

The first attempt I tried making  韭菜盒子 (Chive Pockets) was back in 2008.  It was a noble try but nothing to get excited about.

Checkout how I did the first time: Chive Pockets

Now that I have a better handle on FLOUR, I thought I would give it another try.  Can you believe that I am now experimenting northern Chinese food (steamed buns, pork buns, etc...)??  I'm not even from the North!!  OK, that's a story for another time.

Lessons Learned from my second attempt last night:

#1 - Follow the recipe.  Yes, flour is not your friend if you don't follow its rules!!  I learned that I need to use the right water temperature.  Cold, lukewarm or hot.  It depends on what you want to make.  For chive pockets, you need a temperature of between 65°C - 70°C (or 149°F - 158°F.  Yap.  Good luck with that).

#2 - Knead the dough.  I know! I know! And I'm pretty good at kneading dough now.  I know I need to knead that baby until smooth and elastic - just like breads!

#3 - More chive please.

#4 - Cook the ground pork first.  This was a big discovery for me.  I used uncooked pork filling the first time and it took forever to cook through.  I ended up cooking the chive pockets as if they were pot stickers.  And the result was GIANT pot stickers with dried hard skin.  The correct way is to gently brown all sides of the chive pockets and cover the pot for couple of minutes to heat through.  That's it.  So point #5 from my first try is a bad one.  Chive pockets are not pot stickers!!

So, here's the result of my second attempt.   Much better yes?  I now need to work on shaping the pockets so they stand up like little purses.

The New Bread Lady

I came a long way in learning to make bread.  From relying on the bread machine 100% to just using it to knead dough to making bread from beginning to finish by hand.  OK.  You can call me bread lady now!!

In the beginning, there was no guarantee that my bread would be successful.  First loaf might be great but the second one a flop.  No idea why.  So I would buy a loaf of bread as backup just in case mine failed.

On my bread making quest, I even tried no knead breads - they were supposed to be easy - but somehow they just didn't come out right. For a while, I was pretty deflated (ya, like bad yeast) since I couldn't even handle simple no knead.  Heck!  A 5 year-old can make no-knead breads!!

But I got the hang of kneading dough over time.  All the practicing paid off!!  I actually enjoy kneading dough now believe it or not.  And slowly but surely, my bread started to look like real bread on a consistent basis.  I even made a darn good loaf yesterday!  It was tall, soft, fluffy and good looking.

See?  You like?  You like??

Another life lesson learned: Practice makes perfect.  I learned to shape it like a sandwich bread from thekitchn.com just yesterday.  Now, my bread is really coming together.

From memory, here's the Allrecipes.com honey whole wheat bread recipe (with minor adjustments from all the reviews I read):

1 1/8 cup warm water

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp salt

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup bread flour

2 TBL butter

1 1/2 tsp yeast

350° F for 25 minutes

The recipe is written for bread machine.  I just pretend that I'm the bread machine.  If the machine can make bread, so can I.

Go Hog (Wild) Island Oyster Co. Clam Chowder!!

I was strolling down Market Street couple of weeks ago and a photo caught my eyes.  It was on the front cover of this free magazine displayed in a curbside magazine rack.

It was a picture of a pretty bowl of clams.  Very yummy looking, so I grabbed a copy of the magazine to check it out.

It turned out be a bowl of clam chowder - original recipe created by the owners - from the Hog Island Oyster Company.  It didn't look like the usual creamy gooey New England style clam chowder.  But where was the recipe? 

People!  People!!  Don't tease me with a delicious food photo and not tell me how to make it.  That's just wrong!!

I first went to the Hog Island Oyster Company website to check out the menu.  Yap.  Right there.  $14.  I then google Hog Island Oyster Company Clam Chowder and ta-da, I found the recipe!!

My God, how did we ever live without the search engines (especially Google)???

Monkey see.  Monkey do.  I tried the recipe promptly and it was scrumptious!!  I don't know if my version tasted like the real thing though.  I guess I should go spend the $14 to find out and to thank the Hog Island Oyster people for this wonderful dish.

Never know what you will discover even during a lunch time stroll.  So, once again, I learn to keep my eyes open and be ready to try something new.

Here's the recipe: Hog Island Oyster Co. Manila Clam Chowder

Pho-Pho-Pho!

Pho is judged by its broth.

Have you had cloudy broth?  That happens when you don't tend your broth.  Baby the broth and skim the top constantly to keep the broth clear.  Yes, it takes time but you will be rewarded with a beautiful pot of broth.

Have you tasted "meaty" broth?  Want good soup?  You need to boil the bones first to get rid of that meaty flavor.

So I think I know the mechanics of broth making.  But, how the heck do you get those exotic flavors infused in the broth?  Inquiring mind wants to know!!

Not satisfied with eating out, I decided to challenge myself with pho making.  After couple of tries, I slowly grasped the flavor and the taste.

First of all, you need the right ingredients.  Pho broth is infused with all kind of spices.  Variation in portions of the spices results in different combination of flavors.  I think that's why some pho taste better than others.

Secondly, the secret is in BROILING the ginger and onions until they are dried and charred at the edges.  In my first try, I did not broil them long enough so the flavors were not released.  In my second try, I let it broil for a good 20 minutes until the spiciness of the ginger and the sweetness of the onions permeated from the oven.

Put all the ingredients in a pot of water and let it simmer.  OK... I shamelessly added in a can of beef broth - just in case - for added flavor.

Let the broth simmer for 3 hours.  It needs love and tender care.  Don't let it boil too quickly because you don't want the broth to become muddy and you want to be patient in picking up the impurities to keep the broth clear.  So, pick an afternoon when you are relaxed and have the time to baby the broth.

So far I made pho twice.  I learned from my mistakes and I actually improved quite a bit by the second time -  I used less water; I added more spices, and I let the ginger and broil longer.  I am by no mean making professional grade pho, but I think I have earned some bragging rights with my family and friends.  Tee-hee...

Surely you can use pre-mixed pho broth powder but where is the fun doing that?  Part of pho making is the uniqueness of your broth flavor.  Add a little bit of this and a little bit of that, and your pho will be different from others.

Go ahead, make pho your way.  Have fun.

***

Here's the pho recipe I found online:


Pho spices:
1 TBL coriander
6 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 cardamon pods
5 star anise
1 TBL fennel seeds


- Pre boil beef bones (leg, knuckle the best) and other meats. I added beef tripe and tendons.
- Broil 4 gingers and 2 onions for 10-15 min
- Prepare 6 quart water. Put all ingredients in and let it simmer for 3 hours. Put the spices in a simmering pouch so it's not all over the soup.
- Season with salt, pepper, sugar. I added some rice wine and threw in couple of bay leaves.
- I used the thinly sliced beef sold in Chinese supermarket.
- Prepare the fresh condiments and the rice stick noodles.

Yes, I Scream

Few months ago I found a Cuisinart ice cream maker in a Goodwill store.  It looked very new and it was the same one I bought Jennifer few years ago for her birthday except hers was white and this one red.

Guess how much??  $5.99!!!  I scratched my head and checked it inside out.  Everything worked.  Nothing was missing.  Not even a scratch on the body.  I don't understand why people would spend lots of money getting a gadget then get rid of it just like that.  Hey, no complaint on my end though.  I happily took it home and my homemade ice cream was born!!

I googled ice cream recipes and found that there are easy simple ways and hard laborious ways.  I decided to stick with the simple ones.  If I have to make ice cream the hard way, then I mind as well buy them.

The simple vanilla ice cream recipe I found (courtesy of Cuisinart) is actually very good.  I think the secret is to use good whole milk and cream.  Here's the recipe:

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 1/8 cups granulated sugar (I cut back to 1 cup)

3 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 TBL pure vanilla extract

Whisk milk and sugar until sugar dissolves, then add cream and vanilla extract.  Pour into the ice cream maker and let it mix for 25-30 minutes.  Put in freezer, and voila, you made ice cream!

Many thanks to whoever donated the ice cream maker.

It's one fine toy!!

PHILADELPHIA© Cheesecake

Hands down to the Kraft peeps!  The cheesecake recipe that's on every stick of Philadelphia cream cheese is a keeper.  It's true that it's easy and simple to make, and it tastes great!

The recipe is easy to adjust too.  The original recipe calls for 4 sticks of cream cheese.   I only had two sticks so I winged it and hoped for the best.  Of course, it will be a smaller cake.

I cut back to 2 eggs and used 3/4 cup sugar.  I also cut back to 2 tablespoon of sugar for the crust.  I think it came out great without the additional sweetness.

1-1/2 cups   graham cracker crumbs
2 Tbl           sugar
1/3 cup       butter or margarine, melted
2 pkgs         (8oz) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup       sugar
1 tsp           vanilla
2                eggs

Bake in 325F oven for 45- 55minutes.

Note to self: don't over bake it.  You don't want the crust to become too hard.

Here's the original recipe:

PHILADELPHIA Classic Cheesecake

Spare (Me Some) Ribs

There are different types of ribs: spare ribs, baby back ribs, short ribs, prime ribs, etc...  And, there are many ways to cook ribs: roast, bake, grill, fry, steam, braise, or make soup. It's fascinating how many dishes can be created with just ribs.

I have three favorite rib recipes.  They all happen to be Chinese/Taiwanese dishes.  All three dishes require marinating the ribs beforehand and deep frying them first.  With different seasoning, you get different flavors.

Want woos and ahhs?  Try these:

台南的排骨酥 (Tainan Crispy Ribs in Soup) - This is a Taiwanese dish that my mom taught me to make.  It has a distinct flavor because the marinating sauce has a touch of five-spice powder.  You need to deep fry the ribs until very crispy then put the ribs with fresh daikon in a pot.  Cover with enough water and cook under medium-low heat until the daikon is soft and cooked through.  A bit of 當歸 is needed or the dish won't taste right.  It's a classic Taiwanese comfort food especially when you are cold and hungry.  A bowl of 排骨酥 will hit the spot.

京都排骨 (Mandarin Ribs) - Every kid I know likes this dish.  It's probably the catsup.  After you deep fry the ribs, you stir fry it with a sauce made of soy sauce, catsup and sugar.  Coat the ribs with this tangy sauce, serve with white rice and watch kids devour them.  Think of it as Chinese BBQ ribs.

無錫排骨 (Braised Shanghainese Ribs) - This is the newest recipe I've tried.  The ribs are cooked in a flavorful sauce until the sauce is all evaporated.  Like other dishes, the sauce contains ingredients that make it unique.  This sauce uses star anise and dried orange peel.  Yap, that's the secret.  It's a tasty dish.  I can't wait to try again.

Lastly, don't forget the good old BBQ Babyback Ribs.  So American, so satisfying and so good!

Me and Homemade Bread

The one food that I rarely attempt to make is bread.  Why should I when I can find freshly baked bread all over town??

Besides, my first bread baking experience destroyed my confidence in bread making.  I remembered my first attempt was after watching this bread baking show.  The baker made it looked so easy.  He demonstrated how: add this and that, knead, roll, make little round balls, connect them, let them rise, bake and voila, you have a teddy bear shape bread.  Tie a bow around the bread-bear neck and you can parade it around.  Easy, I thought.  So I followed all the steps - even connected the balls - and I ended up with a bear-shape rock!!!  Ugh!  NEVER AGAIN.  I was 18 or so years old then.  Many many moons ago...

Fast forward to few years later...department stores started selling bread machines in the late 90s.  I got one from Macy's.  I told my family that we were going to have homemade bread from now on. They laughed their heads off, but we were very curious how that little bread machine worked.

I followed the instruction precisely.  The machine was amazing. I just had to measure and add the ingredients in order and hit the start button.  The first bread that I ever made - with the machine - was a basic white bread.  And the first loaf was a success!  Oh My God!  I thought I did it!  Then, the second loaf was a flap.  It didn't even rise.  What a let down.

It's hit-or-miss.  To make life easy, I switched to bread mix for a while.  Yes, it was big time cheating but it guaranteed perfect bread every time.  Just pour the content from the box into the bread machine and add water.  I couldn't go wrong.  The bread would come out great but I get no satisfaction. Too boring. I then put away the bread machine.  I use it few times a year and that is it.

A Break through.  Couple of years ago, I saw this WORLD'S BEST cinnamon roll recipe that was designed for bread machine and I just had to give it a try.  The machine made the dough and I did the rolling and the baking.  The cinnamon roll was a big success.  The second one was still a success and the third too.  Wow!  I rebuilt my confidence and reconnected with my bread machine.  It was put back to work doing all the kneading and I have been baking different breads but with an asterisk: *Machine kneads dough. 

But wait!  I had another break through last week.  I actually made bread (OK, buns)  from scratch!  Look mom, no bread machine!!   I actually handled the yeast!!  I haven't done that since I made that bear-shape hard as rock bread so long ago.  I was worry that I would kill the yeast but my first old-fashion pull apart buns looked very lovely.  Wow... Is this for real now?  Am I finally on the road to true homemade breads?  Well, there is only one way to find out.

So, I think the bread machine is going back to storage again.

Under the Spell of Kitchen God

So last week I got a nice 4-day weekend thanks to the Independence Day falling on a Thursday.   Ahhh... a nice long weekend.  What do I do.... what do I do...

Well, I cooked up a storm like I was under a spell.  Did the Kitchen God point at me while I slept?

Thursday

I started with making the most coveted dish: 台南肉燥 (braised pork belly) in the morning.  Dicing pork belly was the hardest part but someone had to do it (me).  This dish took a whole day to make but it was well worth the effort at the end.  The aroma, the taste, the presentation, the satisfaction of achievement.  Hey, all hard work forgotten.

台南肉燥

Friday

I prepared the duck legs to make confit.  Got 6 duck legs from Golden Gate Meat Company on Wednesday.  I'm getting gutsy.  I started with 2, then 4 and now I'm doing dinner size of 6!  I rubbed those legs with herbs and spices and let them rest in the fridge.  I'll come back to them on Sunday.

I moved on to baking two loaves of milk bread and making two daikon cakes (because the recipes were enough to make two each).  While at it, I also braised a beef tenderloin (五香牛腱)for Robert.  Yap, all on my little stove/oven at the same time.  I gave myself points for multi-tasking.

The milk breads came out super wonderful.  I bow to the bread god who created this recipe!  The secret is a roux (mixture of flour and milk/water) that is to be made and chilled 24 hours in advance. It's then incorporated with the bread dough.  It somehow makes the bread soft and moist.  I haven't figured out why but heck, the formula has been proven and I'm not going to ask questions.  Just follow the recipe!

Making daikon cake is tricky and the outcome is a little bit unpredictable.  The size of the daikon will affect the ratio of water to rice flour mixture.  Too much liquid, it will be mushy; too little, it will be chewy.  I never know what I'm going to get.  I was lucky this time.

For Friday dinner, mom taught me how to make an easy Tainan sticky rice dish (米糕) using the braised pork belly as the topping.  Soak long grain sweet rice (not short grain) first then cook like regular rice.  Pile the pork belly sauce on top, sprinkle dried shredded fish for an authentic Tainan taste.  Check out the photo...  isn't the color just gorgeous?  I can improve the texture of the sweet rice though.  I think it came out too soft and sticky.  I probably soaked it for too long.  Note to self: soak just 30 minutes next time.

Saturday

I took a little break spending some quality time with my doggies.  I was tempted to make some doggy cookies but I got lazy.  Oh, I did make a banana bread for Carli in the morning.

Sunday

I was back cooking. I made Vietnamese pho broth!!!  Yes, I did!!  This was my second attempt.  Learning from past mistakes, I used more spices and less water this time.  The broth came out beautifully after 3 hours of simmering.  I prepared the traditional pho condiments: bean sprouts, chili pepper slices, fresh basil, cilantro and lemon (sorry I forgot it's supposed to be lime).  It did taste like the real thing.  Oh My Kitchen God, did I really make pho???

Back to the duck leg confit.  Confit is another one of those food that takes love and tender care.  I brought the chilled legs back to room temperature then deep fried them in 200 (F) degree extra virgin olive oil for 90 minutes.  This meant someone (me) had to stand by the stove checking the oil temperature and moving those legs around.  After frying, the legs were stored in the oil and back in the fridge.  They will be ready for consumption after 7 days.

Duck Confit

So, folks, what do think of my 4-day weekend?  All the food was devoured by Sunday night (except the duck confit).

The Kitchen God gave me a good challenge and I think I met it.  OK, I didn't make any new dishes but it was a good practice to make them perfect.  I would do again.

Bon appetit!

Red Tomato and Soy Sauce

How do you eat a tomato?  When I was a kid, I loved to eat my tomato like an apple but I liked to dip it in coarse brown sugar first.  The sweet crunchy sugar made the juicy tomato tasted like candy.  Adults, on the other hand, liked to dip tomato in a thick sweet savory soy sauce laced with freshly grated ginger.

Wait a minute, you might say, I never had it like this before.  This is actually an old recipe that's very popular in my parents' hometown, Tainan.  It can be an appetizer or a afternoon fruit snack.

The color contrast of this dish is striking too.  Black and red.  How beautiful is that?  Sweet and salty.  Mild tomato and spicy ginger.  A simple dish but it makes your senses explode.

I saw some nice looking fresh tomatoes yesterday and they reminded me of this dish.  I got some and asked mom how to make the sauce.  Dad was really excited because he hasn't had this dish for a very long time.  He kept reminding me, "Need ginger, lots of ginger!  Need sugar, Make sure you get that sweetness!"

As I was preparing the sauce, I was thinking that there are actually many dishes that have contrasting elements like this red tomato and soy sauce combo.  To name a few:

• Deep fried crispy noodle with gooey sauce on top
• Sweet and sour dishes and drinks
• Fresh mango and sticky rice
• Cucumber and hot chili sauce
• Grilled bacon and mochi
• Deep fried ice cream
• (I'll add to the list as I think of more)

So this is not a funky dish.  It takes some imagination, but, heck, it's not odd.

Here's the thick soy sauce recipe for your fresh tomatoes:

1. Boil soy sauce and some water
2. Add enough sugar to balance the taste
3. Add a dash of licorice powder
4. Thicken the sauce with corn starch
5. Add freshly grated ginger to the sauce
6. Let cool. Serve with tomato slices (refrigerate the tomatoes until serving)

Give it a try, peeps.  Try other combos too.  Let your taste buds go wild!

Duck Confit Anyone?

I love food but not all food.  Duck for one not my favorite.  Actually, I don't think I like chicken, ducks, geese, quails (animals with feathers and two skinny legs I guess) as much as I like animals with thick muscles and walk on fours.  But food is food.  They all taste good if you cook them right.

Oh sorry, I digress...

What's duck confit?  Confit is an ancient cooking method by which meat is marinated and cooked in low temperature.   It's then preserve in fat.  Fat will keep the bacteria out and the meat can be kept - without refrigeration - for a long period of time and still maintain its moisture.  NOT like jerky.

Duck is a perfect confit ingredient because it is meaty, tender and it can be perfectly preserved in its own fat.

The French got it right and they made duck confit the signature French dish.    

But duck fat?  Hmmmm...

I saw this duck leg confit recipe in SF Chronicle few weekends ago.  In the true California way, of course the duck confit got a twist.  Instead of being cooked in duck or other animal fat, the recipe called for extra-virgin olive oil.  Now we are talking!

It takes a week from start to finish to make duck confit but that is the intriguing part.  More intriguing is that the confit can be stored up to 6 months. Wow!

Boy, I'm so glad I tried!!  The preparation part was not hard at all.  The frying part required some patience - at least 90 minutes to two hours in 200 degrees (F) oil.  When done, store the confit in the same oil.  That's it.

Judging Time: I pan-fried the confit until the skin was brown and crispy.  I thought the meat was going to be tough and dry since it was fried for 2 hours!  What a pleasant surprise to discover that I actually made really good duck confit!  Dad asked why I only made two.  I told him that it was my first try and I didn't want to waste food if I goofed.  Well, I'm now ready to make duck confit in batches!!

What I've learned:  Always give food a try.  Learn to appreciate and enjoy the making part along with the eating part.  We human has a nice big mouth with multi-functional teeth, a complex sensory tongue and acute olfactory perception.  Use it!

Bon Appetit!

The Naked Wine Try

Let's Get Naked!  I got to try out a group coupon deal couple of months ago.  A case of Naked Wines for $69.

What's Naked Wines?  I don't know why it's naked, but I see it as a support system in which customers pay forward monthly (like an investment) to help fund small wineries with their wine business.  In return, they get to buy wines at a good discount.  Naked Wines recognizes that small independent winemakers do not have the financial means to compete with wine conglomerates in marketing and distribution.  So, its goal is to provide support through collective efforts.

I wasn't too interested at first but I liked the concept and I figured that I would be doing a good thing. And heck, what's there to lose anyway?

I got the case within two days of ordering.  Wow!  Fastest delivery ever!  It came at 8am on a Saturday morning - kind of early for wine delivery (cough-cough).  It was like a mystery box because I didn't know what they sent.  When ordering this deal, you only get to choose red, white or mix.  International or US.  I chose All California and hoped for the best.

First Observation: Funky wine names and labels.  All screwed tops except a couple.  Most are from 2010 and 2011.  Hmmm.... not sure if I like this very much, but being a good sport, I shall not judge until I try.

See. Swirl. Smell and Sip.  So for the following four weeks, I did my tasting and dutifully jotted down my thoughts with each wine.  Naked Wines welcome comments on its site so I did my share.  I actually learned a lot from reading others' comments.  I also liked that the winemakers are active in the forums and they exchange dialogues with the customers enthusiastically.  Although I don't know how to express in proper wine lingo, I found my "experience" was on par with other folks'. So, does this mean my tasting skill is improving?  I sure hope so.  Hiccups!

Professional or not, cheap or not, good or not, I enjoyed my case of Naked Wines. But would I go back to order from them?  Probably not any time soon.  You see, I can pick up similar wines at the supermarket in the same price range so why should I go through ordering?  On the other hand, a part of me says I should - for equal value - because I'll do my share to support the independent winemakers.

While I ponder, here are pictures of the wines I tried.  I tried 11 out of the 12 bottles.  I'm just not into moscato so I'll leave that last bottle alone for now.

Ken Deis Napa Valley Cabernet/Merlot 2011

Interesting blend.  Nice dark ruby color and rich bouquet.  Don't think it as a cab.  It's not as dry or full bodied but well balanced.  Easy to drink on its own.

William Henry Sauvignon Blanc 2010
I like the grassy, "green" feel. I like the acidity in t his wine.  Not complicated but delightful.

Accord Santa Maria Chardonnay 2009 - I liked the rich color and the bouquet.  My only regret is that I used some to make cioppino.  Should have saved for drinking instead.

Stephen Millier Angels Reserve Shiraz 2011 - Easy to drink.  It's better on the nose than on the palate.  Perhaps it need some aging.

Credence Nectar California White NV - Fruity, structured.  Nice finish.  I knew it was going to be off-dry but still a little bit too sweet for me.

Sin Fronteras Tempranillo 2011 - Fruity.  Medium-bodied.  Beautiful color.  Drink well without food.  Best to finish it in one day.  Turned sweet on day 2.

William Henry Gewurztraminer 2011 - A little bit on the sweet side.  It had a subtle floral note and a nice pineapple finish.  It's a nice afternoon wine.  Goes well with a cobb salad or a light cheese plate.

Da Da Da Lodi Chardonnay 2011 

Crispy.  Light.  Not the chardonnay style I like. It reminds me more like a pinot grigio.  But I think this is the style that the chardonnay is trending to.

Bear & Crown Merlot Sonoma Valley 2011 

I have not had merlot in a long while so glad to give this a try.   I like it better on the palate than on the nose.  A wine to drink with something meaty.

Semilla Lake County Sauvignon Blanc 2011  - Fruity. Crisp. Balanced. Really enjoyed it.  This one I would order again.

Stephen Millier Angels Reserve Viognier 2011 

Refreshing and nice floral nose. I like the honey finish yet not overly sweet.  Better than TJ's Honey Moon in body.

Overall, the wines are young and off-dry.  I think the small wineries may not have the capacity to make more complex wines.  But, big kudos all around for passion and for having fun.