This past weekend was my annual golfing trip with a group of good friends. To me, it’s really a great excuse to get together, catch up and be in great company. This year, we decided that Napa would be best as our past trips have been either in Nevada or in the Central Valley, which meant long drives in unpredictable traffic conditions. Also, staying closer to the Bay Area meant that we could stay an extra night and maximize the weekend. So we ended up at a cozy house at Silverado Ranch, a well-known community in the area most famous for its golf course and spa.

Our first evening after our long drive was a dinner at Ad Hoc, Thomas Keller’s (à la French Laundry) casual, family-style restaurant in Yountville. We were seated at a raised round table close to the center of the restaurant, which not only gave us maximum space, but also a great view of the restaurant. As the menu is a prix-fixe set menu, we didn’t know what to expect. So here was our menu for the evening:

At first I was a bit worried as I was not a big shrimp NOR a steak kind of guy, I was more than impressed by the taste of the food; but overall my personal favorite was definitely the hanger steak. The steak was so tender it could almost melt in your mouth. I think I had at least five pieces or more. The family-style service definitely worked in my favor here. The pecan tart that completed the meal was also amazing. I should also mention that the service was just top-notch. Although it was a busy restaurant, our waiter came back numerous times to ensure that everything was in order. I am already planning my next trip back to this restaurant.

ad hoc
6476 Washington St.
Yountville, CA 94599
+1-707-944-2487

The next morning was our golf game at Chardonnay Golf Course. Since I haven’t played in quite a few months, I wasn’t expecting myself to do very well. So I ended up with a 120, which is basically my average score, giving myself a handicap of 34.6 (or was it 36.5?). That said, I did have one memorable shot of the day on the last hole in the Lakes course — a bunker shot straight into the hole. So naturally I was quite pleased.

After returning to the house after the game, it was time for my ‘public’ debut as chef. I have never really cooked much as part of our group outings except for the Japanese okonomiyaki, which is what I call a “Japanese pizza” mixed with vegetables, bacon and more. This year I wanted to really contribute a main dish, something that has somewhat of a wow factor. I found a recipe for a salmon with mustard-dill sauce in the September issue of Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food and decided that was my dish for the evening. After soaking the salmon in white wine and lemon juice, I put the salmon in the oven for ten minutes and it was ready to serve with the mustard-dill sauce that was already prepared mise-en-place the night before. I would have shown a photo here, but I was too excited that I forgot about the pictures… so here’s a picture of the mixed greens with pecans and pears that was prepared by another friend of mine. Luckily my dish was well-received, which gives me more confidence to cook!

A lovely weekend indeed.

I always say when going to a different country, it is important to learn some of the key phrases before you go. It is not only practical, but also a sign of respect for the local folks you will encounter. I found this great (and free, at least for now) language tool while surfing Digg, and started learning Brazilian Portuguese and Italian at the same time — or at least try to. Actually, as I will be starting a semester’s worth of Italian classes starting next week, this site might be a great supplement to help me hear more of the language.

To use the site is quite simple: fill out a short form and you’re on your way. One of the best things about the site is that there are no usernames or passwords to remember. After registration, enter your email address and you are ready to start your first lesson. Select the course you would like to take, and the Flash application will begin with a basic dialog. By the end of the course, you should be able to understand each word in the dialog and how they are used. Try it out. It should be fun. Do note that since the site is still in beta, there will be some bugs.

While browsing the Internet last night I came across an article by Rick Steves on CNN.com titled “Denmark: An Aero-dynamic bike ride” and just had to click on it. To my surprise, it was actually about the island of Ærø that I visited back in 2001. Then again, it’s also not too much of a surprise, as I originally went on a recommendation in Rick Steves’ guidebooks. Here’s a snippet of my own experience on the island, with my not-so-descriptive writing and pictures (remember the digital cameras back then only had 2.0 megapixels):

July 30, 2001

Well, I didn’t really get up too early nor too late, just before 8am. I did some final organization of my bags, and went for breakfast before finally heading out. I knew what I wanted to do today: cycle on the island! This was one of the moments that I’ve been waiting for, and it’s finally here. Before that, however, I walked around the town a bit more, and then ended up at the tourist information center, and that’s where I asked about how far I can really cycle in four hours time. Well, the answer is to Marstal, about 12.5 kilometers away from Ærøskøbing. So I began cycling from the tourist information office, and off I went! Well, I actually ended up stopping every other block as I am heading out of town to take pictures. I just had to tell myself to stop doing that, or I would never get to Marstal. I still stopped a few times to take pictures of the beautiful Danish countryside with fields of wheat and corn everywhere. Here and there I was also able to see animals. The route itself took a cut in the middle of the island to the coast on the other side, and then into the town of Marstal. With all of the stopping and going, I got there in a little over an hour’s time.

Marstal was definitely a bigger town than Ærøskøbing, and with less of the charming homes that Ærøskøbing has. Nevertheless, it was a beautiful town. I parked my bike outside of the church (with no locks, of course – it’s the Danish countryside!), and walked into the pedestrian area with restaurants and shops (including one Chinese restaurant!). I ended up at a fish and chips place, where the girl there didn’t speak any English. So I spoke my English and she spoke her Danish, plus a lot of pointing – I ordered my fiskefilet met pomme frites (and remoulade). After lunch, it was really time to go (it was already 1:20pm) – the boat back to Svendborg leaves at 3:15pm. I still need time to return the bike to the campgrounds, walk back to the hotel to get my bags, and then walk to the port. So I left Marstal quickly and got back on the road to Ærøskøbing. That ride back was definitely more difficult – I had lots of headwind and uphill pedaling that it took longer to get back. By the time I got to the campgrounds, it was already 2:45pm! The good thing was that the walk back to the hotel was not too bad, so I ended up getting to the port just under ten minutes before departure.

Looking back, Ærø is still one of the few places I’ve been where I’ve found peace. It was an island full of friendly people ready to tell you where to go and what to do. It’s really all about appreciating the architecture, the sea and the local scenery. I was reminded how safe the island was — you could park your bike anywhere without a lock and it’d still be there when you return. I remember clearly when my boat left the port of Ærøskobing, many locals came out to wave good-bye to strangers like myself. Maybe a re-visit to Ærø is overdue.