Sonoma SDT: A Foodie’s Prelude

I’ll not bore you with the sordid details of getting here. I did see three movies, The Fighter, Black Swan and True Grit on the plane, a near redeeming feature. When I get to Sandy and Arthur Milberg’s place, they will be alarmed to know it feels like home to me. She had her trial sheep, newly shorn and spirited looking all over her pastures.

Today it rained in Sonoma. It didn’t rain all day: sometimes it hailed.

I had no young dogs, Barbara Ray had no judging obligations, and Maree Cashen wanted to do something. Frank was judging the pronovice class with sixty-some entries and two well-filled nurseries with sixteen dogs apiece. Girl’s day out. We loaded into the car and drove over the St. Helena Road to Napa. We headed south in the driving rain, to Yountville, home of le Bouchon, patisserie exraordinaire. Something I did not like about the place were the fois gras dog biscuits. Way over the top. And I saw someone buy one. It stemmed my appetite for a a least two seconds. I had a perfect almond croissant, flaky and crispy on the outside layering into a gentle buttery interior. Maree and Barbara had chocolate almond croissants. Nothing there is bad. We all tried a different flavour of macaroon. I had passion fruit. Our glorious snack held us over on our trip up 80 to Zamora. Bill Slaven had kindly offered to let me run dogs there, and holy opportunity. We went over to the big field that had caused me so much consternation just a month ago and did a few outruns with all the fixings. I got to work my dogs for the first time in months. In a way it was too bad, because now I’ll have no excuse tomorrow. The sheep were rangers. Doctor ordered. No more woebegone explanations for ineptness.

What would any girl’s day out be without a little shopping? The rain, the fierceness of it, was the most remarkable thing about our ride back to Sonoma. Della Santina provided us with a fabulous late lunch. I had a perfect little veal picatta, with lemon and caper sauce. We got to the Kenwood in time to take the waters and massages all around.

Thank God the trial was over when we got back. Everyone showed signs of fighting with weather, mud and fatigue. They wished they were going to the Kenwood Inn too.

The winner of the big pro-novice class was none other than the trial chef, Lauren Dewees, and her companionable bitch, Hannah, a personal first for her and cause for much celebration at the Milberg’s house tonight. As Raymond MacPherson would say “Champion.”

Lauren Dewees and Hannah bunk in at the field of dreams