August 6, 2007
Summer barbecues with Sven and Marie-Hélène II
What a difference the weather makes. We had fun last month but yesterday, with the sun out, it was a much more leisurely (and warm!) affair.
Marie-Hélène had prepared some snacks of delicious 'Pimientos de Padrón' - prepared with salt from Kythira where Sven has a property, occasionally they would explode with peppery spice - and a Tunisian dish of broad beans in cumin. Both were perfect with a glass of pastis on the terrace.
As an aperitif (the pastis was just to cool us down) we tried the bottle of Txakoli that Richard sent me from San Sebastian.
Drunk chilled and poured from a height to aerate it, the txakoli was very refreshing as the sun bore down on us.
Sven proved something of a master of the high pouring trick
¡Olé!
Richard had very generously sent two bottles (a third was smashed in transit) sent a second bottle, this one a 2003 Rívola
I can confirm that Rívola goes perfectly with barbecued sausages and steaks (accompanied by various salads, courgette fritters...)
I'm glad we made the most of the sunny weather - it's Monday morning now and it's raining!
Posted by dompannell at August 6, 2007 7:58 AM