 We had the pleasure of attending a wine tasting event @parkerstable. Simon was our ultimate host as he welcomed us and got us ready for a special visit from the co-owner, Director, and Winemaker, Ben Casteel of @bethelheightsvineyard. Ben was charming as he told the story and history of his family’s winery located in Willamette Valley. He was knowledgeable about his region and honestly shared the burdens and rewards of working in the wine industry. As we progressed through the wine tasting, consisting of a chardonnay followed by four different Pinot Noirs, Ben told the stories behind each vintage and how they now make up the product line offered by the winery. We were delighted not only by the delicious charcuterie board, but by each taste of these exceptional wines. It was an excellent event! We were delighted to purchase additional bottles to take home for future enjoyment!
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 Big Guy and I were introduced to the finer side of wine when we were barely out of our twenties. Like the history of scotch, Big Guy started the process to learn about wine, its process, and how to best enjoy it. He even passed WSET 1! We were early adopters to having wine delivered directly to our home. During COVID, it was known throughout the neighborhood how we were fairing during the lockdown. Even the delivery guy was known to yell, “I’ve got your wine.” We discovered @seanminorwines in 2005 as Sean and Nicole began distributing their wines. We were charmed by their story and how Four Bears Winery was named after their four children. We certainly shared their philosophy that life and its moments should be paired with great bottles of wine. Here is our toast to the Minor family for adding outstanding wine to our journey in retirement!   Big Guy and I decided to visit the @soldiersstlouis to take in the Ghost Army exhibit. I had heard the exhibit was moving on after Memorial Day, so we wanted to be sure we got there. It was a fascinating visit to learn about the “combat con artists of World War II.” The U.S. Army unit was formed as a tactical deception group officially known as the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops. The 1,100-man unit was given one directive which was to deceive Hitler’s forces by misleading them as to the size and location of the Allied Forces. It was a tour de force of deception with the use of inflatable tanks and guns, sound trucks that could transmit the sounds of moving vehicles and troop conversations up to fifteen miles, fake radio transmissions, as well as the changing of patches on uniforms to make it seem like the actual moving troops were still in the local area. The stories of these brave men were kept secret for over fifty years only being told after the unit’s activities were declassified in 1996. If you have interest in learning more about this unit, @pbs has an excellent documentary which tells the entire story of how this unit saved countless lives and assisted with the end of the war.  I love good cocktails, especially when the environment is perfectly suited to my mood. It always includes my Big Guy, but it is perfect when the bar is quiet, and the music is classic.
We tend to haunt @pietrosstl where “everyone knows our name,” especially Keith who even takes the time to chill my glass hours before our arrival. Or, if our name is not remembered, our drinks are well known. We were even called Rusty Nail and Tanqueray Martini one week. I know happy hour seems old fashioned, but it takes on real meaning when you have a place to go and great conversations to look forward to with lovely people complimented by the great food and service! I believe this is another example of living a great life!  Big Guy and I enjoy trying new places especially on our errand days. I guess you can say we are rewarding ourselves with a lovely meal before doing the mundane chores of life. We decided to try @breakfast.corner.stl which opened recently on Hampton Avenue. The city folks will remember this as a doctor’s building which had been sitting empty, so we are thrilled to see a positive business open in this location. We were greeted immediately and given a table which allowed us to take in the entire space. It was lovely and had that fresh feeling that you expect from a new restaurant with the comforting sounds and smells of a diner. We were pleased with the service and the food. We will certainly make a return visit soon. As their sign says, “Good Morning Sunshine” which fit the bill perfectly!  Big Guy loves to buy in bulk. There are many family stories about how he would “get a deal” every time usually leading the group to rib him about his sanity. The latest bulk purchase was Swanson beef broth. As I had meatballs in the freezer and a bumper crop of spinach coming from @carondeletgarden, I decided to make my version of an Italian wedding soup. I started with the trinity of onions, celery, and carrots to give it a hearty foundation followed by the addition of the beef broth, meatballs, tortellini, and spinach. Aside from chopping the vegetables, this is a quick and easy soup and will give you at least two containers to freeze for later use. I love making big pots of soup knowing that it will feed us well.  I know it will seem strange to a younger reader, but growing up was eating mostly home cooked meals. The closest McDonalds was a fifteen-minute drive. We had our share of pizza places, but the nicer restaurants were always full and another thirty-minute drive away. I do vividly remember the nights my parents would bring home @oldelpaso kits to make tacos for dinner. It was always a favorite with my brother and me. It continues to be a trusted product today, so with good memories intact, I opted to pick up another taco kit to make our Tuesday Supper Club a Mexican food night. We also added @rosalitasstl chip and queso to make it a festive meal that highlighted local and global ingredients. Ole!   Big Guy really has the green thumb going @carondeletgarden early into the season. He found a “cut and come again” spinach that has been feeding us for over a month. It was a simple salad to put together once I did the harvest and cleaning of the spinach. I opened a bag of @modernmill salad topper which they called their summer symphony. It is a mix of cranberries, Blueberries, cherries, pecans and sunflower seeds. I dressed it with @marzetti balsamic dressing and dinner was ready. The only chore left was for Big Guy to select a nice bottle of wine to compliment the ingredients. Easy breezy meal!
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AuthorJust a super cool old couple who love to cook and eat and drink in their Carondelet Kitchen in South Saint Louis, Missouri! Archives
June 2025
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