for the young'uns

So I am supposed to be working on a project about marketing wines to Millennials, all those young people who are 21 to 30. (Actually, the group is even younger than that, but I'm not really legally supposed to be marketing toward people who are under 21.) I've been thinking about this, and it's tricky. I mean, look at that age range. Someone who is 21 most likely has very different interests from someone who is 30. And very different incomes. And very different ideas of how that income should be spent.

But the marketing can be done. Case in point: Pink Party, an annual event put on by one of our Napa Valley neighbors to raise money for breast cancer research. Everyone wears pink (yes, boys too), spends all night drinking pink bubbly (brutal the next day, but fun when you're in the moment) and dances like mad.

Never have I seen so many young people at a wine event. Never. Hell, I didn't even know young people existed in Napa, but there they were in full force. And this was not a cheap ticket, either -- admission was $50 a pop! But those tickets sold out, and everyone had their dancing shoes on. And to be honest, the crowd was so young that I felt like I was an old fart, and I'm only 30. It was an exciting way to get people interested in wine.

Unfortunately, once they're interested, they may not be the best at actually holding their alcohol. (Note to self for marketing project: Always make sure Millennials drink enough water and eat enough food.)

My Pink Party revelry ended with me witnessing some poor girl barfing and collapsing next to the toilet in the winery's restroom, while her three friends tried their best to haul her out of the stall and hold a trash bag up to her face. And then when the music stopped and it was time to go home, security herded all of us partygoers down a walkway, where we found yet another poor girl peeing right next to the sidewalk -- right there in the pretty winery landscaping, just as absolutely everyone who was at the party was walking past. And then as we were trying to catch a cab to go home, some drunk guy accosted Laura and insisted he would drive us wherever we wanted to go, declaring: "I'll take you to Jack in the Box! I'll take you anywhere!" Awesome pick-up line, man. Truly awesome.

Perhaps I'll include the Bacon Ultimate Cheeseburger in my marketing plan.

to sum it up

October is off to a busy start. There was Pink Party this past Thursday (and the brutal -- and I mean excruciatingly so -- hangover that followed), LoveFest yesterday and a media tasting for Shane's wines tonight (Todd used to work for him at KB, and I'm helping him out with a little PR -- 2007 is Shane's second vintage, so he's a yet-to-be-discovered talent, though if tonight's meeting is any indication of how things are going to go, I'd get on that mailing list fast because these wines are going to sell out like crazy).

Anyway, I will try to post some photos from Pink Party and LoveFest soon (hooray for being a drunken idiot in public!), but don't hold your breath -- we all know I haven't been the best blogger lately.

In the meantime, this is the quiche I made today. True, it may not be as exciting as pink boas, gold hot pants and men in assless chaps dancing on top of parade floats, but I can bet you a bazillion dollars that it tasted a whole lot better. In fact, it was pretty damn good -- the filling was sweet red and orange bell peppers, fresh basil and Monterey Jack cheese. And when I served it, I topped it with the gourmet lettuce mix that I got at the farmers' market, drizzled that with extra virgin olive oil (which I refuse to call EVOO, thank you very much), freshly ground pepper and a pinch of truffle salt (I really must write an entire blog entry about truffle salt -- to say I worship it is an understatement).

Best part: No hangover.

el pollo loco

Normally, I dislike chicken. Really, really, really dislike it. In fact, I typically compare food I find extremely bland to chicken.

But during the past week or so, I've been experiencing these intense cravings for meat. (So bizarre -- usually I lust after bean burritos or French fries or Indian food, never meat. Maybe it's all the running?) And I find myself fantasizing about salami and pulled pork and bratwurst and bacon and ...

Chicken.

I know, right? Maybe I am losing my mind. But last week I went out of my way to buy ground chicken (and did I mention ground meat usually sicks me out?) so I could make chicken and lettuce cups. And they were damn good! Which inspired me to go back to the butcher again yesterday for some organic chicken breast.

Which I dipped in buttermilk; rolled in flour, panko, Parmesan and thyme; and put in the oven.

It was a valiant attempt, but unfortunately, I put a little too much flour on, so the outer layer never actually browned the way it was supposed to. This resulted in my leaving the chicken in the oven for too long, and then I got frustrated and put the whole thing in the frying pan just to get the flour browned.

The result? Overcooked chicken. Which reminded me once more why I usually hate chicken and never eat it or attempt to make it.

Still, I guess trying is better than nothing. And it wasn't inedible. (I actually shared some of it with the cats, and they approved wholeheartedly.) And it looked sort of nice on the plate next to the fabulous tomato salad I put together with tomatoes from our employee garden at work. (Nothing quite as wonderful as vine-ripened tomatoes!)

retreat

Went for a run near Laura's house after work today. She lives in a little cottage that's tucked away in a vineyard. It's unbelievably quiet there -- no sound at all except the birds and lizards scurrying around. And the house -- or should I say mansion, since the place is huge -- next door is empty. I think it's a vacation rental or some rich person's playhouse. Whatever the case, it reminds me a little of Grey Gardens. It's so isolated and lonely. I love it.

Sometimes I fantasize about leaving it all and going somewhere that is silent, where it will be just us and the cats and maybe a room full of books and a garden full of round, ripe tomatoes.

never say never

Tonight I had an awesome meal made with two ingredients I normally dislike: Chicken and iceberg lettuce.