Fess Parker's Second Career -- Sorry About The Camera

I love my camera. It's a Canon Powershot SD 700 IS and it has taken some wonderful photos for me; however, since it's a pocket camera, the flash can be capricious, such as when attempting to photograph a white label on a bottle of red wine in a dark restaurant. Sorry about that.

FINALLY, after wanting to go there for well over 25 years, I was treated to dinner at The Grape, a local wine bar/restaurant famous for its wine selection, mushroom soup, and ambience. It was indeed lovely, but instead of ordering glasses of wine, we contented ourselves with one wonderful bottle of Fess Parker 2007 Syrah from Santa Barbara County.

Fess Parker, for you old-timers like me, played the parts of Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett for Disney WAY back in the 1950's and 1960's. Once that career had run its course, he turned to making wine, which was a good thing for him as well as the wine-drinking world.

I love syrah or shiraz for the spicy undertones, and Parker's Syrah does not disappoint. Neither did the Braised Lamb Tartines that I had for an appetizer: French bread croustades topped with shredded roasted lamb, roasted garlic, sweet onion jam and oven roasted tomatoes. I am definitely going to have to try that.

My Greek mother taught me how to make leg of lamb, and I still love and follow her recipe. Stab a leg of lamb (bone in) at least six times with a small knife (which, depending on your mood at the moment, can be disturbingly satisfying), and stick slivers of garlic into the slits. Rub the leg with olive oil, drizzle some red wine over it, and sprinkle generously with Cavender's Greek Seasoning or a combination of salt, pepper, garlic powder (yeah, I overdo it but I love garlic!) and dried herbs or fresh, depending on what you have. Broil the leg for about 10 minutes until it gets seared and then turn the oven to 350 degrees and cook for 1/2 an hour per pound of meat. Next time I may snag some leftovers and try those tartines.

Mom always served her lamb with potatoes roasted in the pan juices. I make Yorkshire Pudding using some of the grease that collects from the roast, using a recipe from Mom's Betty Crocker Cookbook that she received as a wedding present in 1948.

To make a proper Yorkshire pud: Whisk together 1 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 eggs and 1 cup of milk. Pour a little of the sizzling grease from a roast (lamb or beef) into the bottom of a casserole or large souffle dish and then pour the batter on top. Bake at 425 degrees for 35 minutes or until it's puffed up and nicely golden. Make your family look at it and admire your handiwork when it comes out of the oven because it really looks very pretty but starts to lose its height almost immediately.