An evening worthy of a new tradition! Kirk and I enjoyed my birthday presents (from him) tonight while adding the ornaments to our Christmas tree - what a way to spend a Saturday night! As if I don't have enough expensive hobbies, I decided after our trip to Sonoma that I wanted to learn more about caviar, a treat that we enjoy in very small quantities and very infrequently. I added a small sampling of American Osetra from Tsar Nicoulai to my birthday wish list and my wonderful husband got it for me (plus three bottles of the amazing Schramsberg Rose that I reviewed last month!). We finally found an "occassion" to sample it tonight with a bottle of the Rose and was surprised with how quickly we devoured it while decorating! The roe was medium-sized, compared with the other caviar varieties we have tasted in the past, and a light black coloring. The flavor was surprising to both of us - mildly salty and slightly creamy in texture. We sampled the caviar alone on a mother-of-pearl spoon (also part of the gift) and on a wafer cracker with a few drops of fresh lemon juice with either sour cream or creme fraiche - both a lovely complement to the caviar without overpowering the flavors. 
In summary - I am officially a caviar enthusiast, I can't wait to find an opportunity to purchase another sampling. I can't believe we finished the entire jar so quickly - it was a perfect evening in!
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