Calamari, Sherry & Flamingos

Great price yesterday on fresh calamari at the market so tonight we feasted. They were cut into rings and tentacles and tossed in flour seasoned with salt, pepper and smoked Spanish paprika. Then they were quickly deep fried so there was a slightly smokey and crunchy crust and tender, sweet meat on the inside. There was a spicy remoulade sauce for dipping, some good bread and a salad with dried cranberries marinated in sweet vermouth for a garnish. Great little meal.

With the calamari we poured a couple glasses of Barbadillo Manzanilla Sherry. It was pale in the glass with a nose of dried nuts and fruit and unmistakable salt spray. It danced on the tongue with the calamari, and really picked up the smoked paprika in the seasoned flour. Long dry finish that simply called for that second glass.

Once the dishes were cleared we poured a glass of Barbadillo's Olorosso Sherry, pictured here. Much darker and much fuller in the nose this wine just begged to be sipped. Toasted almonds and very dried fruit were predominant, and though the wine was fully dry it gave a hint of sweetness at the end. It was perfect as dessert with a few smoked almonds.

The full range of Barbadillo wines are on sale in the local market and they are true bargains at $12.

As Christmas nears there was a mysterious "Package From Pekin" that arrived in the mail containing strange gifts. Among those gifts was another flamingo Christmas ornament which seem to gravitate toward my location. The newest addition to the flock is the resting flamingo in the center of the the picture, posing with about half of total collection. And while we're covering additions to the household we should add that there is now a canine addition as well. There were "two dogs" when this blog started but one of them, Ellie, died suddenly in November of 2008. It took a year but her sister Doer is now here keeping Scott company when no one else is around. She's even getting into squirrel chasing.