My accountant is absolutely wonderful. He is Italian, specifically from Udine. Many have been prejudiced about the choice of nationality when it comes to handling money. For those of you who wonder what it was that made my choice to end up there, I will willingly reveal that he went the way through my stomach. He’s not just my friend and accountant. He is also probably one of the world’s best home cooks. His pasta “is to die for” and his way of grilling a Chianina steak is unparalleled. My children are often disappointed in restaurants because they compare everything with my Italian friend’s generous creations.
We both have a common Italian friend from Positano who found love in Sweden and today is one of the country’s best sommelier. He lives every day at the Nordic region’s best Italian restaurant, Mancini in Stockholm, but is free on Mondays. That’s why he and the home cook meet a little now and then for long Monday lunches. Yesterday I accompanied them when they gathered around 1.5 kilos of Wagyu of the highest rank from Japan. We love good meat and are of course incredibly impressed by this Japanese delicacy. Still, the conclusion was pretty simple. Wagyu is so fat and mottled that a small portion of taste is enough as the fat content and texture are more reminiscent of duck liver than of a Black Angus. With regard to the values and the price tag, I certainly fought in me 400 grams thanks to a wonderful taste cannon from 1994 Grange and 2003 RWT from Penfolds. These Australian monsters were exactly what the fatty meat required. Of course, it also slimmed down some champagnes with the 2012 Pierre Peters ‘Les Montjolys’, 1995 Bonnaire ‘Collection’ and 1999 ‘Belle Epoque’ as highlights this time. Lunch ended at 7pm so I actually skipped dinner when I got home.
RJ
