Relaxing on a Sunday

On most Sunday mornings I can be found cycling with my friends.  However, last Sunday, I awoke to the gentle sound of rain falling on the roof.  After some quick texting, it was decided we would leave at 10 a.m. instead our usual 8:00 since all of the weather sites said it would be clear by then.

As I settled in and began to enjoy my more relaxing start to a Sunday morning, the rain continued.  At around 9:15 it was very clear that the rain wasn’t going to clear by 10.  So after another round of texts I announce that I am taking the day off from the bike since it is the off-season after all.  Let the real relaxing begin!

What should I do first? The answer came to me immediately and I asked Sherry if she would make french toast for breakfast.  I don’t know what she does different but she makes the best french toast.  When she gives out her recipe people just look at her like – “Hmmm.  That’s what I do.  Why is yours better?” I think it’s much like following a recipe from TV.  You used the same ingredients, in the same order, but yours just wasn’t as good.

I think one big secret to Sherry’s french toast is the bread we use.  We typically use a French county bread or local sourdough.  We usually buy it from a bakery and slice it just a bit thicker then the plastic-wrapped beadlike stuff you buy at grocery stores.

After breakfast, and a little Sunday paper reading, we decided to take a drive out to Arrowood Winery.  We belong to their First in Line wine club and it was time to pick up our October release, which consisted of a 2004 Syrah and a 2006 Malbec.  While there are few vineyards that grow Malbec, Arrowood is one of the few Sonoma County wineries the bottles it as a varietal. 

Wine in hand we start heading for home when we realize it’s time for lunch.  So, after a quick stop at the Kenwood Market for that night’s dinner, we ate lunch at Doce Lunas.  Sherry has eaten there once before but it was my first trip.   The whole menu looks simply fantastic. Ultimately, Sherry decided on the  marinated chicken sandwich while I order the special Chicken Dijonaise. The food was excellent.  To round out the meal we each order a glass of sauvignon blanc from Mendocino County.

While we were eating lunch the sun finally arrived.  When we got back home, I decide to become industrious.  Which means, instead of plopping down in my chair and watching football I went out to pick persimmons.  One of the most beautiful features of our house when we bought it 9 years ago was the large persimmon tree in the front yard.  It is big, beautiful, and bountiful.  Each year I pick well over 1,000 pieces of fruit that is shared with friends and neighbors.

After a couple hours of picking persimmons, and just a little football, it was time to make dinner.  Sunday’s night menu focused around cassoulet, which a classic French dish.  However, we will not be making the version that can take days to cook.  We will be making the Thirty Minute Cassoulet from Jacques Pépin Fast Food My Way cookbook.  If you’re a foodie without a lot of time to spend in the kitchen, I highly recommend this book. 

To top off a perfect day, we drank a 2000 Chateau La Serre from the St. Emilion (pictured at the top) region in Bordeaux with the cassoulet.  It was a perfect match of one of our favorite dishes with one of our favorite wines.

There you have it.  A great day for going with the flow just to see where you end up. 

Au revoir