Martial Arts Nomad

I have been working on a better diet to compliment my fitness regime. As I am striving to get away from refined sugars and grains, one of the things I have as breakfast is Quinoa, a grain from Peru with a delicious taste. Its rich and healthy with a high protein content, and a full set of amino-acids to provide a full protein source. Wikipeida has the lowdown on this foodstuff. Add it to your breakfast plan.

Prepare: 100 grams per serving. Use a rice-like ratio of 2 parts water to 1 part Quinoa. Bring to a boil and cook for another 15 minutes on low heat. Stir in chopped walnuts, banana, raisins, cinnamon. Serve into a bowl and top with Yogurt. Eat.

You can also do a savory version of Quinoa for later in the day, as in a pilaf or Yang Chow rice. I should try that one.

kung fu girl and a duck

The Martial Arts Nomad just had to try a bottle of Kung Fu Girl Riesling 2007 at a recent stop at the local wine boutique. Its a wine made for Charles Smith Wines’ ‘Modernist Project’. Columbia Valley is already well known for making fine wines, and I was sure it was going to be worth trying out, despite the fact that Kung Fu Girl is sold with a simple and wrinkled paper label and twist top cap.

A visit to the Charles Smith website leaves no doubt that he is a maverick among winemakers. But the break from tradition is in truth a return to its roots. Drop the pretence. Everything in the wine is in the bottle. Never mind about silly labels and corks, show your spirit and enjoy the wine. Wine, as it should be made. Open it and drink it.

kung fu girl back label, beside a plate of scrambled eggs with onions and fried dace paste

This Reisling already has some very favourable reviews on the web as well as tasting notes from wine black belts.

While we’ll agree with Ku Fu Girl winemaker Charles Smith that both riesling and girls kick ass, the reason we love this wine actually has much more to do with another aspect of Kung Fu: balance. This comes from a single vineyard comprised of fragmented basalt and caliche soils. Great acidity, minerality and girl-next-door kiss of sweetness. Plus, at this price, you won’t feel like you’re being thrown to the mat. Source: http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1040843

kung fu girl with roast duck stuffed with rice and fruits, and a side dish of sauteed portobello mushrooms

So why the Kung Fu Girl, Charles? “Single vineyard, fragmented basalt, and caliche…classic Riesling, sublime minerality. WHY? BECAUSE, RIESLING AND GIRLS KICK ASS!”

We washed down our Kung Fu Girl with roast duck stuffed with brown rice, plums, figs, raisins, cranberries, and walnuts, and a side dish of Portobello mushrooms sautéed in duck broth.

Tasting notes and links
http://charlessmithwines.com/tasting_notes/07_Kung_Fu_Girl.pdf

http://charlessmithwines.com

wine reviews (links)
2006
http://corkd.com/wine/view/37822-Charles_Smith_Kung_Fu_Girl_Riesling_2006

2007
http://corkd.com/wine/view/58442-Kung_Fu_Girl
http://manoavino.typepad.com/mano_a_vino_montclair/2008/10/kung-fu-girl-riesling.html
http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1040843