The following article was published to email subscribers of Style Stories, the online personal style publication by Donna Smith.  Go to www.stylestories.com for an email subscription.  

Food and Wine For Saint Valentine:  Love The Red

Who do you love? And how do you intend to show it? While any day is a fine day to profess love, the annual reminder comes on February 14. And, what I appreciate about Valentine’s Day is the historical nature of the commemoration. Like all Saints days, it is traditionally honored and marked with a feast. Perfect. What better way to show your love than with a great meal, highlighted by a great red wine?

Italian Reds
Historical sources of inspiration for a suitable food and wine pairing are many. Let’s look first to the birthplace of Saint Valentine himself, Italy. Whether your main course is an entirely serviceable frozen lasagna from Michael Angelo, or the legendary Osso Bucco from Piero’s in Las Vegas, there are luscious Italian reds to match entrée and occasion. Italy is home to more indigenous grape varieties than any other country, including one of the world’s most distinguished, Sangiovese. And, a Sangiovese clone cultivated in Tuscany, Brunello di Montalcino, provides one of the most delicious, food-friendly wines in the world. A good Brunello is a gorgeous ruby red color, aromatic, medium to full bodied, and very well balanced, with high acidity to complement most meat dishes, and finishes with just enough tannins to cleanse the palate after every bite.

The best Brunellos are truly fine wines that can compare to top Burgundies, often at a fraction of the price. With ten or more years of bottle age, a Brunello from a quality vintage will deliver the characteristic Sangiovese red fruit and spice at first sip, as well as the cut and heft to complement what’s on the table. And, with an hour or two in the decanter (you do have a decanter, don’t you?), it can become a floral bouquet of earthy elegance. Which means the wine has the staying power to linger with you as you count the ways... Ahem.  Moving on.

Italian wine laws determine that Brunellos are released four years after production, with Riservas released a year after that, so you will tend to find earlier vintages than French or domestic options. And while not exactly cheap, at $50-75, Brunellos offer fine value in comparison to fashionable Pinot Noir and Napa cabernets. The 2001 vintage in particular is spectacular, and built to last. Fortunately, the largest producer, Banfi, is also one of the best, and I would not hesitate to start there. 10+ year-old Banfi Brunellos are regularly available via the Internet, either retail or auction, and are drinking very well now. Other notable producers include Silvio Nardi, Marchesi de Frescobaldi, CastelGiocondo, and the appropriately named Casanova di Neri. Riservas from any of these will be a profound delight. In fact, the 2001 Casanova Brunello Cerretalto achieved a perfect score from Wine Spectator. Exactly how you’d rate your true love… right?

Rhone Red

The first feast in honor of Saint Valentine was declared by Pope Gelacius in A.D. 496. Now, it’s possible, but I rather doubt this was a “fish feast”. So, a right honorable tribute to prepare for your loved one might well feature a properly seared bone-in rib eye, or a beefy strip steak with sautéed mushrooms. 

Well, instead of reaching for the classic Cabernet, you can look to the Pope for another food-friendly wine pairing option. The Papacy moved to Avignon, France, and this history is duly reflected in the delicious wines from Chateauneuf-du-Pape (New House of the Pope), in the Southern Rhone Valley. You will recognize these wines from their sturdy glass bottles, typically embossed with Papal regalia and gothic typeface on the label. But, as with your betrothed, it’s what’s on the inside that counts the most. CDP’s are blends from up to thirteen different grapes grown in the Southern Rhone. Predominant varietals include Grenache for fruit, herbal spice, and acidity; Syrah for black pepper and tannin; and Mourvedre for color and aroma. These wines are so delicious young it is hard to lay them down, but they will exude an appealing depth of character after 5 to 10 years time in the bottle. For under $35, it is easy to recommend Domaine de Villeneuve CDP Les Villes Vignes (old vines). I have sampled the 1998 when it was young, and more recently when it was 10 years old, and both were fantastic. Decanting and filtration are helpful here, as this wine will settle out a bit in the bottle (you do have a decanter, don’t you?). The 2003 is available now, and the forthcoming 2005 is from a very strong vintage.  Guigal’s CDP, around $35-45, has won acclaim over the years, although he is even more highly regarded among collectors for syrah-dominant wines of the Northern Rhone, at stratospheric prices. Between $50 and $100, look for recent vintages from Rhone luminaries like Beaucastel, Clos de Papes, Vieux-Telegraphe, or Beaurenard, all which reward patient cellaring with outstanding maturity. In fact, buying a case of the excellent 2005 vintage from any of these producers will give you a suitable anniversary wine to commemorate your love and pair with your favorite feast on Valentines Day for the next decade.

Bordeaux Red
If there is one French wine that is overtly labeled to share with your heart’s desire on Valentines Day, it is Chateau Calon Ségur. This classified Third Growth Bordeaux is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blend that also includes estate-grown Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. The profile of sloping gravel over fertile clay subsoil, red plum fruit character, and new oak ageing, provides the compelling signature of this full-bodied Saint-Estephe claret. A young vintage will benefit from aeration, and open up with time (You do have a decan… nevermind!). If your menu includes lamb, your search for a suitable wine is over. A bottle from 2004 is a quality purchase, and is generally priced under $60 on store shelves today. Several retail and auction websites offer Calon Ségur in spectacular vintages from 1995,1996, and 2000 for $90 to $125.

So, what price Love? That’s up to you, of course. You certainly don’t have to spend a fortune to create a lasting memory, but stepping up to any of these suggestions will serve admirably. And if you are handy in the kitchen or on the grill, your total investment for a great entrée and a quality red wine will easily come in well below a night out. And you won’t have to give up the table, either! So go ahead, break out the good china and the big glasses. Toast the Pope, and Saint Valentine, and Your Beloved. Create an anniversary worth repeating in years to come.

What are you waiting for? Drink up! Cheers, Miguel

Holiday Bubbly -- The Dom's Dilemma is Our Delight

Merry Christmas to all!  I am posting an article I wrote recently for Style Stories, a monthly professional image consulting services newsletter (subscribe via email here).  

So, what does Al Gore have in common with Dom Pérignon? They both view the natural effervescence of Champagne as a problem, albeit for very different reasons. The Nobel Laureate, of course, regards the release of man-made CO2 in any form to be a planetary emergency. And, according to Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia, the Benedictine monk and cellar master actually spent his life trying to rid Champagne of bubbles, which he regarded as a flaw rather than a virtue.

Fortunately, there are higher powers at play here. You would have an easier time counting those bubbles in your glass than removing them prior to their wondrous natural ascension and release. And as you ponder just how many bubbles there are in a bottle of Champagne, I am pleased to offer a few suggestions for your holiday celebrations.

What is Champagne?

Champagne is actually a grape-growing region in northern France, legally defined and protected, and laying moral claim to production of the finest sparkling wines in the world. It is a unique locale – chalky soils, and a cold, northerly latitude where grapes struggle to reach ripeness. The lengthy growing season ensures the resulting yield of the acidity necessary for long life and a crisp, clean structure. That said, the traditional French technique of crafting the delicious bubbly, méthode champenoise, is used elsewhere in France to produce Crémant, in Spain for Cava, in Italy for Prosecco, and in the USA for sparkling wine. It is this second, in-the-bottle fermentation, catalyzed by the addition of a variable mixture of sugar and selected yeasts, and then capped, aged, and disgorged of resulting sediment, which transforms the still wine into de rigueur expression of celebration.

Fine. What should I buy?
In the spirit of style that marks everything in this publication, let’s look at three events – and price points – where a bottle of champagne will lift the moment from mere occurrence to a memorable celebration.

Hosting Your Own Party
Serving Champagne at your own party is the best way to open the event on the right note. It is a naturally terrific “booster”, an aperitif that lifts spirits, and can even rejuvenate an overly indulgent appetite. Since the party will move on from champagne to other choices, budget for ½-1 glass per person. Domestic bubbly, at reasonable prices, also puts a “local” flavor to your party. Classic California sparkling wines from French houses like Mumm (Brut Napa Reserve, $25) and Moet (Chandon Brut, $18) are readily available and quite fine. And for a unique approach, look for these two:

Does your party have a Southwest appeal? Look for Gruet Brut Blanc de Noirs from New Mexico. The Gruet family has produced Champagne since 1952, and this New Mexico “experiment” is deemed a success. At $12-15, this Pinot Noir-based dry sparkling wine has a nice copper hue (an homage to the colors of the beautiful New Mexico desert?) and a vibrant, full-bodied character.

• Want to impress a Northeastern urbanite? Seek out Chateau Frank, from the Finger Lakes region of New York. At $25 per bottle, you will serve perhaps the only sparkling wine from the Eastern US that derives from the three traditional grape varietals grown in Champagne – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. Check www.drfrankwines.com for availability.
  

Thanking A Hostess
As you make the rounds in December to all manner of festive celebrations, think about recognizing particularly gifted party-throwers with a special token of gratitude. What better way to ensure a repeat invitation than with a thank you note wrapped around a nice bottle of bubbly?

Boxed in a creamy white case for easy gifting, Mumm de Cramant ($55) makes an elegant and delicious presentation. Crafted from 100% Chardonnay grown in the Côtes de Blancs in Champagne, this is ethereal in the glass, with a creamy texture derived from less atmospheric pressure in the bottle than traditional Champagnes. This is light, bright, and sure to be appreciated by a lucky recipient.

• Roederer, the Champagne house of impeccable credentials (and Hip-Hop nobility until it was dissed in ‘06 by Jay-Z), produces a wonderful Brut Rosé ($28) from the Anderson Valley, 125 miles north of San Francisco. An oak-aged blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, this Cuvée (first pressing) is a visual delight, and a delicious balance of fruit, acidity, and austerity.

Recognizing a Milestone Date

For a truly special occasion, whether in your own family or in recognition of a once-in-a-lifetime event for a dear friend or colleague, consider an unforgettable offering from one of the finest family houses in Champagne – Krug.  The Krug Grande Cuvée ($135) is a blend of harvests spanning 6 to 10 years, and is unique among the top producers in the use of small oak barrels for long-term cellaring prior to bottling. A gorgeous golden color, wonderful bouquet, endless rising columns of the most delicate bubbles, and a creamy mousse, this full-bodied wine is true class in a glass.

As a non-vintage wine produced every year, the Grande Cuvée is a great way to celebrate personal special occasions. However, when your expense account is looking for action, and you have a hallmark anniversary to recognize, consider going all out for a bottle of Vintage Champagne. With grapes harvested in a single year declared as extraordinary by local governing bodies, and cellared for upwards of a decade before release, these are the age-worthy treasures that can be opened years later, when that special anniversary is at hand. And this year’s release of the 1996 Vintage Champagne from Krug is perhaps the most spectacular in recent memory. Rated an astounding 99 points by Wine Spectator, anyone who had a good year in 1996 (perhaps the birth of a child, or the Cowboys Super Bowl victory over the Steelers) would be forever grateful upon receipt of such a commemoration. Think of it this way… for $275 you can buy ½ a pair of Manolos and lament the moment they are worn and scratched, or you can secure a Vintage treasure, and quietly incubate it for that celebratory moment to come. Indeed, if Al Gore is right and we are doomed by 2053, this is the bottle to have in your cellar for that final release of CO2, to put us all over the top in style!

What are you waiting for? Drink up! Cheers, Miguel

Miguel Lecuona is a wine marketing consultant, travel photo-blogger, and buying advisor to collectors. He publishes CityWineJournal.com, to be released in 2008. Contact him at MiguelLecuona@mac.com.

“Take the pebble from my hand…
and place it back in the vineyard where it belongs!”

Global Warming and "Scientific Consensus". Oops! Kidding!

FINALLY, something interesting and useful from the Senate!  This report, from the US Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, would seem to de-certify the "scientific consensus" that undergirds the political hysteria about man-made global warming and the resulting harm to our fragile planet.  I'm not saying that temperatures aren't going up.  But, our ability to increase the Earth's temperature is dwarfed by our inability to lower and maintaine it at a specific level via organized, mandated, and economically benign policies.

I wonder if the Nobel Committee included a return-shipping packing slip with Al's prize?

Interesting report, coming on the heels of the increase in mileage standards mandated in the new Energy Bill.  Many pull quotes in the report mention Solar output as the key cause of global warming.    Of course I mentioned this factor years ago, in answer to a question from a friend.  He asked, "... do you really think that the emissions of all the cars on the road are to be ignored? What do you think is an appropriate response by mankind? A hybrid Accord?"

My reply follows:

From: miguel lecuona [mailto:miguel@lecuona.org]
Sent: Friday, August 19, 2005 10:50 AM
To: REDACTED
Subject: RE: Clinton-McCain Volcano Erupts in AK, spews Foul Emissions

Let me do 30 minutes of work here to answer your question.  This is my own narrative, pulling figures from a DOE annual pdf report, and from a few Solar Output sites, plus my own usual conclusions and pointless observations and humor.

Cars are just one fraction of the equation... and not the biggest difference-maker you can "create", personally speaking. Read on!

According to the DOE's report from 12/04:

• In 2003, US Manmade CO2 emissions of 5.870M Metric tons are roughly equal to 2000 levels of 5,844MMT (so much for a meaningful target from McCain and Clinton).
  
• Compared to 1990 levels of 4.990MMT, they are up roughly 19% -- mostly achieved by the year Y2K (it dropped in 01, climbed in 02 and 03).
  
• Manmade United States CO2 emissions are categorized in 4 sources -- Commercial 18%, Residential 21%, Industrial 29%, and Transportation 32%. So Transportation accounts for less than a third of all emissions.
  
• CO2 emissions per Unit of GDP are actually DOWN 20% vs 1990. That means, our Economy is producing more output with dramatically less emissions already than it was just 15 years ago. Pretty good run rate, no?
  

So let's look at the category impacts and implications.

Residential 21% of total 2003 US Manmade CO2 Emissions: Total CO2 emissions in 2003 grew of 1.7% vs 2002, outpacing Transportation growth of 0.5%. Do you know why they grew? It was cold. It required more Natural Gas heating days than expected. So, has your square footage increased? Well, you're using more heat and cooling power than before, so you are causing more emissions. Care to have the Govt mandate your living square footage? Did you clearcut Cedar Acreage a few years ago? That decreased CO2 Absorption. Net net, your actions have contributed much to increased Emissions. In fact, you have 2 kids, I have none. You use landfills faster, and create more methane as a result than I do. You should be taxed as a high-impact consuming polluter, lol.  And you haven't even pulled your car out of the garage yet. Which leads us to...

Transportation 32%:  Auto emissions have improved dramatically over the last many years. Window stickers show smog-producing levels, in foot-pounds. Did you know that a Hybrid Civic is not cleaner burning than a regular Civic it's so clean now, and the mpg savings is pretty iffy? In fact, engine technologies have improved so much that if everyone simply drove a 2005 Ford Expedition SUV today instead of a collective fleet that is much older, we'd have lower emissions. Who is going to fund the replacement of our collective fleet? Symbolically, sure, buy a Hybrid. I like the idea. Practically speaking... little impact.

Industrial 29%  Here's a good one. US CO2 emissions from Industrial output are lower now than they were before 1990. They peaked in 1997. Let me repeat -- Industrial Emissions output is LOWER now than in 1990. Why? Well, we are more of a service-based economy, with a vast distribution network. We don't make as much stuff, but we sure consume more, and haul stuff all around the country to meet the insatiable demand of growing families like yours. So, outsourcing of manufacturing jobs has been a net benefit to CO2 Emissions, although alas, it was offset by transportation increases from all the trucks, diesel trains, ships, and other large-haul producers.

Commercial 18%  The smallest player, is the fastest CO2 Emissions grower since 1990. So, Starbucks generates less per cup of coffee than Hanes does per unit of boxer short, but there are so many of them to satisfy demand that there is a net increase in Commercial output vs Industrial decline. But, Starbucks does more for GDP than Hanes removes with outsourcing. Net net, more efficient economy, more efficient emissions scenario, more prosperous country.

SO... LOGICALLY --

• Yes, get a Hybrid if you want. Just don't drive to a Starbucks for coffee or anywhere else for that matter, make sure you move into a smaller home, demolish all historical homes which leak air and have no insulation, mandate a 1 child-per-household limit, and impose a unilateral cut in transportation of goods by 15%. PRESTO -- real Emissions reduction. But for what?
• Realize that it was a COLDER winter that created the need for more Nat Gas consumption leading to more emmisions last year.
  

Summary: Perhaps Global Warming, in the long run, is a self-liquidating problem. At some point, temps rise. This reduces the need for Heating Oil and NG (bigger fossil fuel polluters than A/C-driven electricity), thus reducing emissions, thus reducing temperatures. Reversion to the Mean.

Now, here is the real kicker:

Manmade CO2 Emissions account for only 23MM tons, just 3% of the total 800MM tons of CO2 naturally created and absorbed by all manner of nature - oceans, plants, forests, volcanoes, et al.

So let's say yes, we are increasing our Emissions, and this is causing an imbalance to Nature's natural creation-absorption cycle.  That said, a small 0.2% change in the output of the Sun would have the equivalent impact of doubling the CO2 in the atmosphere.

So even if we do everything we can to reduce Manmade CO2 emissions by 20% WORLDWIDE, it is a 4MM reduction, and would be offset by even the tiniest fluctuation in Solar energy. And the Sun goes through cycles all the time. We're emerging from a peak now, in fact.

So, how will you know whether we need less, or MORE, emissions to offset Solar Output variation? After all, REDUCED cloud cover results in more solar energy hitting the ground, thus increasing temperatures. Damned if it isn't going to get hotter anyway. Maybe if we drive more we can buffer this solar heat some.

T.O. with the Cowboys?? Hey, Even Stalin Was a US Ally.

The Dallas Morning News (http://www.dallasnews.com/) reports that wide receiver Terrell Owens will agree to a deal with the Dallas Cowboys. Not since Joseph Stalin's Red Army joined US and British allies to crush the Nazi war machine has there been a more notorious demonstration of the theory, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend".


Terrell Owens, right, joins Jerry Jones (center) and Bill Parcells in a joint press conference announcing the new Allied Power arising in the NFC East (photo credit: US National Archives).


Cowboys fans hated him when he played for the 49ers. They hated him even more when he played for the Eagles (skip the sterling T.O. performances in each instance, for the moment). Twice, T.O. has danced on the Silver Star of the Cowboys' home field, an insult unrivaled in Cowboys Football history. And last year, Cowboys fans mockingly laughed at the trouble he brought to the Eagles, and celebrated when he was cut.

To see him in the Silver and Blue -- running the deep post, cutting across the middle, and out-muscle cornerbacks for the ball -- is to understand the true nature of the NFL, and is yet another demonstration of the command of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. In football, as in war, is no substitute for pounding the opposition. Even if it means lining up with Stalin on the side of America's Team. Better to fight with him than against him. Until the next war, that is...

Remember, Monday Night Football is on ESPN in 2006. Get your HDTV subscriptions ready!

Nothing Could be Finer: Carolina Freshmen Pound Duke Seniors

With all due respect to UT vs A&M's football legacy, the real rivalry to end all rivalries is played on the hardcourts, by two teams just 8 miles apart. And Saturday's edition is an instant classic. North Carolina took down Duke 83-76, in front of the Cameron Crazies in full throat, and on Senior player-of-the-year finalist JJ Redick's final home game. It doesn't get any sweeter than that. Even if the Aggies could stuff Vince Young (which has been proven impossible by any team, any where, ever), it would not equal watching 4 freshman Tarheels outscore 4 senior Dookies on their own court.

Carolina is the defending national champion, and lost its entire starting lineup to graduation and the NBA draft. Duke has the top scoring duo in the country, and Cameron Indoor Stadium is considered the Vatican, on acid, for college hoops. The Heels ended a 20 game win streak for Duke at home, and handed the #1 team in the country its only conference loss. Coach Roy Williams has fully honored the legacy of his coaching mentor, Dean Smith. He deserves all the credit and should be Coach of the Year for the work he has done this year.

What a week -- A&M beats t.u. at home, and Carolina beats Duke on the road!

I'm done! Check, please!

Go Heels!
Miguel Lecuona, UNC MBA '89

Knight: "We just got beat by a better team." The Texas Aggies?

Who could ever imagine Indiana basketball legend and hall of fame coach Bobby Knight making such a statement in reference to a basketball team from the state of Texas? And what Texan in his right mind would ever suspect that such a statement could be directed at the good ol' Texas Aggies?

The Texas Sporting Gods have delivered a coveted package to the wrong address. The Aggies closed out the regular season by winning seven games in a row, including a thrilling last second, home court victory over a potential Final Four team in the Texas Longhorns, and today's closing season blowout on the road against Bobby Knight's Texas Tech Red Raiders. Even more mind-blowing is this: with a 20-game win total for the regular season, the Aggies are virtually assured of receiving an invitation to March Madness itself -- the NCAA Basketball tournament.

Female Aggie Cheerleaders. The Fighting Texas Aggie Band playing rah-rah hoops rave-up tunes. Face-painting, white t-shirt clad hoops fanatics. Sold-out home games. Buzzer-beating shots. Court-storming fans. At A&M?

Next thing you know, Texas A&M will admit women to the university. And maybe even civilians.

Gig 'em Aggies! WHOOP! Drop that "W" and you've captured the hottest tradition at Aggieland.

Miguel Lecuona, Class of '84

Art and Architecture in L.A. -- Ashes and Snow at the Santa Monica Pier

Irwin Miller was beaming, and with good reason. The pre-opening party for the Ashes and Snow exhibition (Nomadic Museum, Santa Monica Pier, Los Angeles) now behind him, it was already abundantly clear that the entire project was going to be a resounding success. “Here, look at this. Cher’s people already bought one of the special commemorative books”, Irwin said as he showed me the $7,500 receipt. “Why didn’t she spring for the $15,000 edition”, I wondered. I mean, if you’re going to do something, do it. But Irwin would brook no mock outrage today -- it was all good.

Ashes and Snow presents a 10-year vision of photographer Gregory Colbert in a stunning collection of original images, movies, sound and narrative. The massive single-artist exhibition is housed in a structure designed and site-built specifically to showcase Colbert’s body of work.
With long corridors created from hundreds of shipping containers arrayed in brick-like fashion and color, trusses and columns soaring 40 feet overhead, a plank-and-stone flooring assembly, and natural light diffused through a suspended curtain, the Nomadic Museum is a work of wonder in its own right, designed by famed Japanese architect Shigeru Ban.
Erected in a lot adjacent to the Santa Monica beach and boardwalk, it all works to bring forth a disarming, and incredibly emotional, connection between human beings and animals. More specifically, photographic images printed on handmade Japanese paper depict Burmese and Indian children, in passive meditation, positioned and integrated into the personal environments of elephants, cheetahs, eagles, and even wild dogs. The resulting impact leaves the viewer disbelieving his eyes, checking his premises. Should be perfect for LA. (FYI, I took no photographs of the interior of the museum. To see images from the exhibition, visit www.ashesandsnow.org)

Irwin is one of the lead project directors for the exhibition. I met and worked with him when Gensler Architecture assigned him (along with a host of other very good architects and planners, all who have remained fast friends) to the Nextel Monorail Station project in Las Vegas. I was glad to have him on the team not only as a professional, but also as a great friend, to help bring that project through a tortuous path from concept to operation. He is an outstanding talent, and judging from comments from peers and management at Gensler, he is a rising star in architecture. His role at Ashes and Snow includes a hand in virtually all aspects of production, marketing, web design, and event planning. He and his wife Heidi are devoted full-time to supporting the project during its four-month run in Los Angeles, and will likely help steer it to future venues around the world. Irwin is the kind of person who leverages a fast synapse, an Ivy League education, tremendous training, and a strong work ethic to create truly spectacular results on projects of his choosing. And it appears that he will have many choices to come. We with got on very well because he also appreciates Cuban cigars, Barolo, and unrelenting mockery. I owe him a debt of gratitude not least because he gave me the complete BBC series DVD of The Office. It’s nice to see good things happen to deserving people, and I wish him all the best with Ashes and Snow as it comes under the spotlight in Los Angeles this spring.

Cuban Comfort Food in Los Angeles -- Versailles Restaurant

Some of the best Cuban food on the planet is more than 3000 miles from Havana -- and isn't controlled by a hostile regime! Located on Venice Boulevard in Los Angeles, Versailles has been dishing out authentic, delicious Cuban fare for years. And, big portions, low prices too! That’s the American Way. If you’re paying more than $8-13 bucks for Cuban, then just believe they are sending larger contributions home.

Lechón asado (roast pork), arroz con pollo (yellow rice with chicken) are traditional plates seasoned with a delicious garlic-citrus marinade (el mojo criollo) and served with frijoles negros and maduros (soft sweet plantains).

The flan is creamy, and the café cubano (espresso sweetened with sugar, traditionally) is the perfect “punto final”. How the Cubans ever crossed the Sierra Nevadas to establish a presence in LA is another story, but definitely put this on your list. Outstanding. Here is the website for Versailles in Los Angeles

44 - A Good Number in History

So, I'm actually quite comfortable turning 44 today. Whereas I was anxious about 40, mortified at 41, numb at 42, and confused at 43, this latest is ringing true. 44 is a great number in History.

Wikipedia gives a good accounting of 44, reminding me of all the great football and baseball players who wore the number. Hammerin' Hank Aaron was my favorite growing up... Mom gave me a transistor radio for my birthday and I used to listen to Braves Baseball while living in Tallahassee, FL. The radio tucked under my pillow, I'd fall asleep to cheering fans as Aaron blasted another homer. Jim Brown and Floyd Little were famous 44's, so much so that Syracuse University retired the number permanently.

And of course in 1944, D-Day set in motion the invasion of Europe, the liberation of Paris, and the fall of the Nazi's.

My favorite commemoration for January 10 in history is from 1901, when Spindletop blew as the first great gusher in Beaumont and Texas became the Oil Capitol of the World. Those were the days!

Have a gusher yourself today!

The Greatest Performance By A Texan Since Sam Houston at San Jacinto

VINCE YOUNG, holding a much nicer trophy than the Heismann!

Next time Texas visits Pasadena in January, ditch the red roses, make ours yellow. Or burnt orange.



Texas 41
USC 38

Vince Young:
30 completions, 40 attempts: 267 yards passing
20 carries, 200 yards rushing, 3 TD's
0 Fumbles, 0 Interceptions
New Rose Bowl Record for total yards

Fourth Down, 5 to go, last chance for Texas, and Vince Young pulls the ball down, cuts to the right side and crosses the end zone standing up for the win.

What will we rename in honor of Vince Young here in Texas? He has already claimed the Rose Bowl as his own yard. How about the UT Tower?

FEARLESS!

USC can polish their Heisman Trophies. Matt Leinert called Vince Young a "Freakish Athlete" and also said that USC was the better team. Typical Left Coast response.

Vince is bringing a new crystal football back to Texas!

PS -- see prediction below. YESSS!

New Years with My Favorite Family

This New Years, I found myself once again visiting with my favorite family, the Keys. We have known the Keys for about as long as I have been in Texas, which is fitting, because to me they epitomize what it means to be a Texas family. I sat next to Tink Key Harwerth in the French Horn section of jr. high band, and there forged a friendship based on a shared appreciation of optimism, mutual friends, mocking humor, and loud music (her father built a pair of giant “Klipsch” corner-horn speakers, which her oldest sister Kitty exploited by blasting the opening guitar riffs and claps from The Romantics before ANYONE knew who they were). I was a frequent visitor to her parents’ home, and distinctly remember the way she introduced me to her mother Patti Lu, “Here she comes, isn’t she beautiful?” Truer words were never spoken, and Patti Lu remains a true Texas Matriarch, now surrounded by a dozen grand kids from her 3 daughters and son. She laughingly laments the fact that her 30-year-old dining table is only large enough to accommodate “one visiting child’s family at a time”. But such limitations never factor into the picture. With a large outdoor patio and deck, and a roaring fire pit burning oak gathered and split from their rural property, it’s even better to be outside on a beautiful Winter Texas New Years Eve. There, you will hear laughter and song, witness original dance and acrobatic feats, play charades, and even invent a ridiculous rhyming pun game with the sole intent of trying to raise the biggest laugh with the least effort from the assembled family. (My best effort: during a brief after-midnight lull and upon hearing the faint explosion of a distant firecracker, I said, “Excuse me”. As lame as it gets, and I was duly rewarded). This is why I visit, because the all grand kids laugh, mock, and show off just like their parents, and I am immediately disarmed and find myself saying and doing the things I did when I was 14 (All right, even MORE than I normally do, OK?).

Jessie and Mary creating their One-Two Step.


Tink and her husband Lance (another long-time friend from Laredo) have 4 children, and in the same manner as Patti Lu and Bud – three daughters and a son. Maddie, the oldest, is a beautiful athlete, and Jessie, the youngest is a bi-lingual thespian. The two middle children, Hannah and Nate, are sweet and funny artists with amazingly acute senses. And only with a third or fourth glance does an outsider begin to recognize that these latter two are truly special. Hannah and Nate, along with the entire Key family, are waging a life-long battle against Autism. It is said that God gives you challenges and rewards that match your capabilities in life, and I know of no one more suited to be mother of 2 autistic children than Tink. With boundless optimism, energy, intelligence, faith, and love, she has done more for these two children than can possibly be explained. And her efforts have placed her at the forefront of educational and professional involvement with Autism in Texas. Recognizing the inadequate support in the public school system for her own two children, Tink, with the help of her sister Brooksie, simply created her own school, the Step Forward School for Developmentally Delayed Children in San Antonio.

And it is a testament to the entire Key clan that these children are, indeed, loved and embraced by the rest of the grand children, in as vivid a display of genuine friendship, love, patience, acceptance and tolerance as can be found anywhere. And though the needs of even a single Autistic child can overwhelm a family’s priorities, Tink and Lance are quite deliberate in recognizing the fact that they are raising four children, each of whom has a unique and important future. All these children are quite fortunate to have such devoted, resilient, and optimistic parents.

So on this New Years evening, it was indeed my personal privilege to once again be an adopted member of the Key family. Patti Lu hugged me and said I was “her other son”, which is as high a compliment as I have ever received. And when I was upgraded from a long-ago-customary place on the family couch to my own bedroom for the night, there could not have been a better, more loving and hopeful place to close out 2005 and start 2006.

Fearless Rose Bowl Prediction

Texas 35
USC 31

So says a Texas AGGIE.

Hook 'em Horns!