Purchased at Meijer, as a gift from Thomas and Matthias when they visited us this week, I finally had a chance to open this bottle of wine.  I am not a German wine expert, and I think relative to the number of wines produced and available in Germany, America is exposed to very few of the varietals.  Naturally, Riesling is a varietal that is widely available in America.  This particular bottle, at 9.5% alcohol, was quite sweet.  I've had several rieslings before, and they run the gammut of sweetness and color.  While I paired this with the Penne Alfredo I made for dinner, this'd probably work better with less-creamy jalepeno spiced dish or to accompany a salty dry cheese such as parmesan.  Outside of my pairing choice, I liked the wine very much.

While Hope and Brooke went to the movies, Taryn, Ava and I hung out at the condo.  Taryn and Ava managed to rock out on the Rock Star equipment.  This is friggin adorable:

My brother actually picked this wine out over Memorial Day.  We enjoyed it so much, I purchased another bottle for our dinner with Hope's German co-workers.  At 14.5% alcohol, this $15 bottle (Sam's Club) is smooth and full-bodied.  I am so pleased with this wine, I'd like to have a case of it sitting around.  Paired with our steak dinner, this was a perfect pair for beef.  It was not overly tannic, and would probably not go to pot with mildly spicy food.  This was one of those bottles of wine that, when finished, left me feeling completely content.  Tim picked the wine originally because of the name and the label.  Nice job, marketing guys!  Additinally, Thomas and Matthias noted that in German, when referring to being drunk, you'd say that your 'lights were knocked out'.  So this made a particularly notable impression on Thomas who split this bottle with me.  Happiness in a 750ml bottle.

UPDATE 06/22/08 - Tim brought over two more bottles of this.  One 2005 and another a 2006 vintage that seemed to be a touch sweeter and had a heavier mouthfeel.  I wouldn't compare the two, they're both great!  The 2006 has a silver cap instead of black.

Hope's co-workers from Germany, Thomas and Matthias, joined us for dinner tonight.  I'd just like to begin by thanking you two for a great evening full of laughs.  We look forward to your next trip in to town!

We cooked up the Rice Balls that I prepared the night before.  Rice balls are fun, because they result in all sorts of ball jokes.  "Nothing makes me happier than to have Matt's balls in my mouth."  "Matt's balls taste so good."  "Gee, Matt.  Your balls are smaller than the last time you put them out there."  Blah blah blah.  Thankfully, Thomas and Matthias were able to put a new twist on this joke, saying that in Germany, balls are referred to as eggs...which is probably more appropriate, in hindsight -- but I digress.  So as ball jokes were thrown around, our German friends were busy replacing all occurrences of "ball" with "egg" and making entirely new jokes out of them.

Additionally, I realize now how poor a German student I was in high school.  Frau Buller would be very disappointed.  Thankfully, I was not required to call on the skills not attained from three years of German classes.  Thomas and Matthias speak English better than I do!  Hope tried to convince them that they should speak to me only in German.  Luckily, they were kind enough not to do this to me...attempting to do so would have been a communications train wreck.  I would have simply started all my sentences with "Das..." and hoped for the best.

As I sit, twitching from all the food I've eaten tonight, I reflect on one of the nicest evenings we've had here in a long time.  Thanks again for the good time and the fond memories!

Arancini - Italian Fried Rice Balls.  Literally meaning Little Oranges in Sicilian, a handful of richly flavored rice surrounds a small pocket of meat and cheese that is breaded and fried until golden.  Hope was introduced to this delicious food item of happiness several years ago when a co-worker brought them in for a potluck.  She smuggled some home for me to try, and we soon decided we had to make them at home.

Surprisingly, the best recipe I found online originated from The Frugal Gourmet.  I adapted this recipe and have since used this faithfully over the years.  It's become a cult favorite among my friends.  Jesse boasts the dubious record of having eaten the most in one evening (3 and a half large-format balls...about the size of a baseball).  They're really terribly laborious to assemble, but well worth the effort.  No one will ever say, "Gee, it was a really bad idea to make those."  They reheat really well in the microwave too, surprisingly.

This dish is frequently referred to in cookbooks as an appetizer, but I almost always serve them as a main dish.  They're delicious with a side of marinara.  Ideally, they're assembled the night before, then fried and served hot the next day.  There are three main steps: Cook the rice, cook the filling, assemble and bread.  Let's break the recipe down by step.

Cook the rice
2 C Long-grain white rice
4 C Chicken broth
1 Stick Butter, Melted
1 Large Egg, Beaten
1/2 C Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/3 C Fresh Parsley, Chopped

Bring the broth to a boil in a large pot.  Add the rice, stir, reduce to medium-low, and cook covered for fifteen minutes.  Remove from heat and alllow to cool somewhat.  Mix in other ingredients, season to taste and set aside.

Cook the filling
1/4 C Lean Ground Pork
1/4 C Ground Sirloin
1/2 Onion, Small Dice
1 Clove Garlic
1/2 C Shredded Mozzarella

While the rice cooks, brown the Pork and Beef in a saute pan over medium heat.  Season, drain and set aside.  In the same pan, add 1T olive oil and saute onion and garlic until soft and the onion begins to take on some color.  Combine with ground meat and let cool.  Add mozzarella and set aside.

Assemble and bread
1 C Flour
3 Eggs, Beaten
Bread Crumbs

This part requires the most patience.  This is a typical three-step breading technique that can be applied to anything you want to give a crispy fried coating to.

Take a small amount of the rice mixture in the palm of your hand.  Hollow out a cavity in the middle and place some of the meat mixture inside.  Gently pull the sides of the rice around the meat until fully enclosed.  Roll the newly-formed ball in the flour first, then dip into the egg and finally coat with the bread crumbs.  At this point, I wash off the built-up gunk on my hands and repeat.  If this is your first time, you may want to drink at this point before proceeding.  This takes practice and time.

The recipe yielded about 11 rice balls.  If you make them larger, the recipe would probably yield 8 or 9.  You don't want to make your balls too big, or they won't be warm in the center.  No one likes balls that are tepid in the middle.  To finish, heat frying oil to 375°.  Carefully place in hot oil and fry until golden brown.

 Bailey lent a hand...er, a tongue...cleaning the floor.  This is unusual for him, although he didn't finish the job.