Gluttons Club

Taberna style Fava beans

2009-07-08T07:06:00.001-07:00

Made last night in Laurel, LI using farm fresh favas and my own house cured guanciale.

-fava beans, shelled and peeled
-home-cured guanciale diced small (for those of you who don't cure your own meats, try pancetta or proscuitto/serrano)
-garlic minced
-white wine

Parboil the beans in salty water for about 5 minutes until the color changes to darker green. strain and keep close by.

Sautee the cured pork product until the fat renders but do it slowly so it doesn't brown or get crispy. Add the garlic to soften.

Toss the beans in once the pork/garlic is ready and let them soak up the fat by tossing heartily. Salt and pepper to taste.

Add some wine and burn it off.

Drizzle in some olive oil before serving.

my Murphy Goode video

2009-06-20T14:49:00.000-07:00

Hey!

Here is my video application for the Really Good job.

For details on the job, see here.

I think I have a serious shot at this so I'm crossing my fingers.

why I haven't been posting

2009-06-19T09:01:00.001-07:00

I haven't posted much lately (which is a disappointment to my loyal reader) and I apologize.

I got off to a good start with the relaunch after graduation but have faded since. Part of it is that the weather is nice so staying in the office on a nice day is less than ideal but a lot of it has to do with keyboard fatigue. Bad posture, using a laptop almost exclusively and too much typing have begun to cause little aches and pains in my arms. Combined with a newfound interest in rock climbing which also stresses forearms, I've been trying to avoid the keyboard as much as possible lately to give the tendons a chance to recover.

I'll try to keep up for my own sake as well as yours but please give me some time to rest and recuperate.

Pollan

2009-06-19T08:57:00.000-07:00

I've finally gotten around to reading one of Michael Pollan's books. Not sure why I resisted for so long but it might have to do with the argumentative style he takes.

I started "In Defense of Food" last night and am enjoying it so far. It is interesting timing since the veggie CSA I'm part of begins this weekend so the philosophical nature of the food intersects with availability quite nicely.

If you haven't read it, the basic premise is that food science and nutrition-based research on food and what we should be eating got out of hand and lead to the rise of processed foods, poor eating habits and public health problems. That's about as far I've gotten but I'll let you know how it turns out.

Really Goode Job video and application done!

2009-06-18T15:30:00.003-07:00

I'll post it when it's up on their site. Stay tuned...

Toro!

2009-06-12T09:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I stagiered at Toro during the day and then at 7, when I was due to finish my shift, I simply walked out of the kitchen into the dining room for drinks and dinner with friends. It was my birthday so a few folks came out to celebrate with me.

Jaime and the kitchen staff were good enough to send out a few extras for us which were gratefully accepted. It was an excellent meal and I'm glad I finally got to sample more of the dishes that this great kitchen produces. Here is what I can remember we ate and drank:

food (tapas, it's not as much food as it looks)

stuffed and fried zucchini blossoms
oysters on half shell with american caviar and some kind of sauce
mexican corn
beef heart
halibut ceviche
duck legs
garbanzo and chorizo stew
hanger steak
garlic shrimp
patatas bravas
pan con tomate
datiles con jamon (which I prepped earlier in the day)
tortilla with asparagus
anchovies
kobe sliders
jamon serrano

wine:

2006 As Sorte--a white made from Godello that is one of my favorite Spanish whites ever.
Muga 2008 Rosado--Rioja shows its grace in this rosado and the style showed its versatility with food
Prima Toro 2006--A bold red that went down well with the heartier dishes in the second half of the night.
Celler Del Roure, “Les Alcusses” Mando Blend, Valencia 2005--something from the rare and mysterious portion of the wine list. By this point, things had gotten a little hazy but I do remember it was good
Finally, I sidled over to another table where four lovely young women were sitting and drank some txakoli from the pitcher with them. Turns out, they all work at America's Test Kitchen. In the course of conversation, I gave one of them my contact for a potential internship there. Lovely, now I've got another potential job that doesn't pay anything.

Going back to the bull

2009-06-09T20:43:00.000-07:00

On thursday I'll be going back to Toro for another round of stagieing. I don't get paid to do the fairly mundane tasks they have me do but I gain a lot of practical experience both in terms of cooking skills and how a restaurant is run. Also, I get to eat lots of good food. The real cooks love to pass me nibbles of whatever they're prepping to show off the work they do. It's a lot of fun--a little greasy, lots of sharp objects and searing hot metal all over--and a good honest day's work.

Beer events

2009-06-04T09:06:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to tell you about some upcoming beer events in Boston:

June 19-20th: Beeradvocate's American Craft Beer Fest. A fairly standard beer fest but a good 'un. the BA boys do a good job of bringing education and discussion to the room full of people drinking too much.

August 1: Cambridge Brewing Company's Bass Fest. Striped bass served many ways served with CBC's fine ales. One of the very few seafood related events I look forward to.

June 5th: Harpoon Summer session. I've never been to one of the Harpoon parties but they are highly spoken of by friends. More of a general interest party than a beer specific thing.

hams

2009-06-03T09:49:00.000-07:00

This sounds like a future project for my pantry charcuterie.

ratios v. recipes

2009-06-03T09:38:00.001-07:00

Interesting article about a new book which argues that once you understand certain cooking ratios, you no longer need to follow recipes.

If I could remember my twitter password, this would have gone there. oh well.

Pennsyltucky venison

2009-05-31T10:24:00.000-07:00

There's alot of talk in the foodie world about local foods, sustainable practices, homegrown and DIY techniques. Often these ideas lead to some good habits but in the end, it's very difficult to take these to heart for each and every meal of your life.

Last fall, I took this to heart when I went with my uncle on a deer hunt. He's been hunting for years and is pretty good at it, judging from the amount of venison in his freezer. He also absolutely loves it. When I asked to come with him, he was psyched to finally have a family member go with him after all these years. I was equally happy to have someone so eagerly guide me and provide the gear and expertise.

I wanted to hunt for a couple of reasons. One is that I understood what it takes to harvest an animal and I wanted to test my will to do so. The second is that I wanted to have a freezer full of meat that I could call my own. When people asked, I had them consider it like apple picking, but for meat.

We hunted land in Buck's county, Pa belonging to a friend of his. The private land, which we hunted, abuts state land so there's lots of free space for the deer but also a lot of hunters. The woods were filled with random gunfire all weekend. Most of the time, I sat in a tree stand trying to keep warm and hope a buck walked past. When one finally did, I couldn't get him in target and get a shot off before he went out of range.

Luckily, my uncle had better luck. He took two in as much time as it takes to fire a shot, reload and take another. It was an unlikely way to get deer but that's another story, for our purposes, all you need to know is that there were two animals that needed to be field dressed and butchered. Since I had nothing else to do, I helped out. My reward was meat from one of the deer. Next year, I hope to get my own.

If you're really, really curious about how to field dress a deer (aka gut it so the meat doesn't spoil,) you can see a brief video clip my uncle made while walking me through the process. It's not for the squeamish but is kind of funny!

Book list

2009-05-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

I received Charcuterie, by Michael Ruhlman, Brian Polcyn, and Thomas Keller as a gift from my dearest mother. Though I'm not sure she shares my passion for taking so much time to make food, I know she appreciates the result. Thanks mom!

The book is a lovingly devoted and thoroughly explained volume describing how to make and enjoy everything from pate to lox, soppressata to chorizo, bacon to guanciale. I've only gotten through the introduction but I'm already excited.

Whether you have a desire to try making it yourself or you just want to enjoy eating it more than you already do, I recommend the book. It covers a lot of ground, it is written by two authors who are fully devoted to the topic and the food porn will have you hungry in no time.

I worked for food

2009-05-30T19:34:00.000-07:00

Setup: Last November, I took a charcuterie class taught by Jamie Bissonette, the chef at Toro. A few months later, I was at Toro and asked the floor manager if Jamie was around because I wanted some of his recipes. We struck up an email conversation and as school was ending and I had spare time, I asked if I could work in his kitchen to get some practical experience in the industry. A few weeks later, I show up for my first day at work.

Now, you need to understand that Toro is a high level restaurant. It's tapas and Spanish food with a commitment towards quality ingredients and handcrafted flavors. Jamie is also very interested in charcuterie and makes use of space in the restaurant's walk-in and wine cellar for curing, storing and ageing hams, pates, rilletes, sausages and whatnot. These are then prominently featured on the menu.

Back to me. Apparently, it's common for restaurants to have outside cooks (or, in my case, civilians) come in for a short while to observe, learn and help out. So when I sauntered in, it was MUCH less of a deal to them than it was to me. They gave me a jacket, a knife, directed me towards a work area and a binch of parsely and I got to work.

Either I chopped the parsely very well or they figured they might as well use me while they had me but the tasks kept coming. I sliced roasted poblanos for a halibut special that night, fried churros for dessert, very finely chopped a variety of zests and finally, shelled about 5 pounds each of fava beans and sugar snap peas. It was mostly prep work, or nothing that couldn't be undone by someone else later, but it still felt good to be part of the process and a member of the team.

At this point, dinner service was beginning, the kitchen kicked into high gear, and I went from participant to observer. I watched as the line went into action, handling the first rush of the night with the experience and skill of professionals. I had to leave before long but I enjoyed the experience and hope to go back sometime soon.

Thanks to Jamie for letting me do it, Thanks to Greg for taking care of me and thanks to Kathryn, Paige and Jason for putting up with me.

my pancetta

2009-05-26T08:40:00.001-07:00

Did I mention I made my own Pancetta? I did, its name was Vinny and it was pretty good.

It all started last November when I took a class on charcuterie at BU taught by Jamie Bissonette, the chef at Toro and an expert in curing, salting and preserving meats. In the class, we made sausages, rendered fat for duck confit, made a terrine, talked about curing hams and as a grand finale, made head cheese from a pig's head that had been boiling in a large pot all day.

This class really brought home how simple it is to make some of those delicious cured meats we all know and love. My first effort was a pancetta for two reasons: it required the least amount of specialized equipment and ingredients; and I frickin' love it.

Vinny took about 3 weeks total to cure and age. It was surprisingly simple: take pork belly, cover in stuff, cure for a week, roll it tight and hang it for another two weeks. For a good basic recipe adapted from the book "Charcuterie" click here.

The result was a slightly more crude version of the stuff you get in the store. The ends were gnarled and dry because I didn't round them very well but it was quite good overall. At a couple of points, I realized that I didn't tie it well enough so the middle was a little funky but that was a good learning point.

I ate a lot of pancetta and eggs, gave a lot away, wrapped lots of things in pancetta and added it to all sorts of dishes. Within 2 weeks, my five pounds were all gone. Vinny, it was a good time, thanks for the memories. I look forward to meeting you again as you are reincarnated again and again.

wood fire grilling

2009-05-21T12:31:00.000-07:00

This article reminds me of how we cook on our camping trips and how my uncle Kevin cooks his venison. He has a legless weber that fits in his pickup that he brings around when its needed. He'll stack some hardwood, light the fire and wait for it to turn to embers. Meanwhile, the venison has been marinating for a half day or more. Once ready, it's a great combination of earthy, smoke flavors and tangy garlic/citrus. The marinade tenderizes the meat and provides a counterpoint to the gamey venison flavors and aggressive smoke flavors.

Wine tasting tips

2009-05-19T17:12:00.000-07:00

As a wine guy, I've done a fair amount of wine tasting in wine countries around the world. It's a great way to taste new things, learn about the process and take up time during a relaxing vacation. For those of you out there who may be planning your first trip to a winery, I want to share my wisdom and help you have the best experience possible.

Visiting wineries can be exhausting if you don't do it right. You may end up too drunk to finish your day, too tired to appreciate the wines you encounter later in the day. However, if you plan right and follow a few simple guidelines, you can have a great time.

I put together the following list and then added some suggestions from my friends Allison and Jeremy who moonlight in the tasting room at Panther Creek winery in McMinnville, Oregon. This is Allison's parent's winery where they make some tasty Pinot Noir from the Willamette valley. If you'll be in that area, you should check them out.

Planning:

don't over-reach--you should leave yourself at least half an hour per winery but probably more like an hour if you want to taste slowly and fully appreciate the wines.
Consider driving time--I've been to wineries in Sonoma, NY, Central Coast California, Argentina, Chile and Napa and one thing (among many) that they have in common is distance between wineries. You'll spend a fair amount of time going from one stop to the next so factor that into you plans.
Give yourself breaks--whether for lunch, for a walk or for a beer, you'll want some time to relax, drink some water and refresh the palate.
Provide a buffer period between tasting and dinner. This will let your palate recover and make sure you can actually enjoy the meal.

Tasting room etiquette:

Fees: most wineries charge a tasting fee, if not for the basic tasting than at least for the premium wines. Pay the fee if you're at all interested in the wines and realize that often, if you buy a bottle of something from the premium list, the fee will be waived. So basically, if you have any inkling you may buy something, don't hesitate to go for the premium tasting.
Gently chat up the person pouring if they aren't too busy. From them, you can find out alot about the wines and the winery (beyond what they provide as part of the routine,) what other wineries in the area are worth visiting, where to go for a good meal and other useful information. If they are helpful, please tip them to show your appreciation.
I've had pourers call ahead to other wineries to make appointments for me, call restaurants for reservations and pull the really good stuff out for a taste for free.
Show interest in wines you are actually interested in rather than just throw back what they offer. Once you make it clear that you're interested in the wine, not in drinking, you may get better treatment than you would otherwise. These people like wine and if they can share their passion with you, they're more likely to treat you right.
Don't get drunk. Remember, tasting doesn't necessarily mean drinking. Use the spit bucket to either spit the wine you're tasting or to empty your glass for the next wine. You don't need to drink every drop--no one will be insulted.

And now, for the perspective of the people behind the counter, thanks to Jer and Allison:

1. Don't wear perfume or cologne
2. Ask if a bucket is the spit bucket before you spit into it (if it's not obvious)
3. If you're too drunk to taste, don't bother the staff by going in and tasting
4. Kids are fine, but if you bring your kids make sure that you have things for them to do and keep your eye on them (don't let them wander around a dangerous winery)
5. This is dependent upon the person, but don't tell me your life story. I don't care.

Finally, a few words about getting it home:

The winery isn't interested in undercutting the retailers who sell their wines so their prices aren't better than what you pay at home in your local wine shop. Don't fee like you should buy their basic wine because you're there.
If you live in a state with a good wine market, be very selective about the wines you buy. If you can get it at your local wine store, there is no need to get it at the winery. Limit your purchases to those wines that don't get far beyond the tasting room. Ask for small production cuvees, limited edition or single vineyard bottlings that they only sell at the winery.
If you're lucky enough to have the wine shipped home, put together a case or more before you send anything. Ask where there may be a shipping center if the winery can't do it for you.
If not, put your purchases in a shipping box and check it as luggage when you fly home. Check with your airline regarding extra baggage fees and make your ship vs. check decision accordingly.
If you either live in the are or live in a free shipping state, inquire about wine clubs if you really like the wines. These give you a few bottles a few times a year and you get first dibs on some of the smaller production stuff.

Italian toasting

2009-05-18T19:43:00.001-07:00

Recently I've been hanging out with a number of Italians who were in the US to visit my Special Lady Friend Mary. While spending time with them, I've learned a bit more vocabulary, noticed a few Italian specific quirks and was clued into a particularly dangerous method of toasting your companions.

Apparently, it is traditional in Italy to toast another person, or all the people in your present company, by looking them in the eye as you toast them, tap your glass to the table and then you can take a sip. According to custom, if you fail to make eye contact or tap your glass, you will be cursed to seven years of bad sex.

Now, I drink a fair amount and ideally, I drink with other people. So, unless I observe these rules very carefully, I run the risk of cursing myself to years of bad sex. At my age (nearly 33), that could be the difference between fathering children or not. Or it could be the ruin of relationships. Or it could just be a crappy way to end my 30's.

Whatever it is, what on earth compelled the Italian race to come up with this custom? And once it was established, why on earth did anyone in Italy ever decide to toast one another and take on that risk? You're talking about serious repercussions for a minor discrepancy. I, for one, now refuse to toast anyone even remotely resembling an Italian.

My triumphant return

2009-05-18T19:37:00.000-07:00

After two and a half years, I'm back to blogging. Why?
Mostly because I'm finally done with school, I'm underemployed and have the time to do it. Also, I see this as a way to build my personal brand and get myself thinking about the things that are important to me and that might very well pave the way to a brighter future.

Anyway, I'll have more updates on what I've been up to in terms of cooking, eating and drinking coming in the next few days. I have some good ideas and plenty to talk about so I hope you enjoy it.

Cheers and good eating,
Matt

porky christmas

2006-12-26T08:01:00.000-08:00

This has been a very porktastic christmas. Not only was pork on the menu at more than one holiday feast, but it was offered as presents as well.

It all started at dinner with the boss at one of Cambridge's finest bistrots. The chef sent out a VA ham consomee with a breaded and fried pieces of pork belly on the side. This prompted a conversation about how great pork products are and the many excellent preparations we've made/eaten.

This planted in my mind an idea for the Boss's gift. He ended getting a soppressata from Sessa's and a slab of wild boar bacon from Savenor's as well as a few bottles of Belgian beer from me for christmas.

I brought another Soppressata home for use at xmas eve and in turn was given one as a gift under the tree. Nothing says christmas like charcuterie.

For family dinner at chirstmas, we had some large pork loin roasts and ham along with some lasagna and sides. The pork loin is usually a little tough to work with as it can very easily be overcooked but we pulled it off with good results. I brined them for a few hours (I didn't think to do it over night) in salt, maple syrup, bay leaves, mustard and this cracked pepper and citrus zest combo that I found in the spice cabinet. Later I used that pepper/zest stuff again as the base for a dry rub before roasting. It came out pretty well, I'm happy to say. A little dry but the coarse pepper and zest made for a delicious crust.

I received cheese and beer as a gift after dinner and despite the lack of pork, I was very happy.

Merry christmas and hapy new year!

Amazing wine dinner!

2006-11-09T21:10:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we were hired to do a wine tasting for a birthday party. The party was for one of our best customers, a woman who comes in periodically and buys good wine. I mean very good wine. She knows what she likes but more importantly, she knows wine and therefore knows why she likes what she likes. We were extremely pleased to be doing this sort of event for someone like her. It is a great thing to be able to share such great wine with someone who appreciates it. Her husband threw the party and it all went extremely well.

Our task was to choose 7 wines that she would love to be paired with a meal. This was relatively simple because we keep track of what she's bought and through conversations, I knew what she didn't care for. For her however, we decided to pull out all the stops. I did some research and spoke with my distributors to find some rare and special bottles. We ended up with the following:

Surprise toast and appetizers:
Champagne Salon 1995 Blancs de Blanc-I wasn't aware of this wine until a few weeks earlier when Susu the wonder caterer mentioned it. After looking it up, I found out how special it is. This house produces only one wine: a vintage blancs de blanc. In other words, they don't make a non-vintage wine like most champagne houses do, they just make wine when the vintage is worthwhile. This is a singular dedication to quality that is very rare, even in Champagne. The wine is very good. There is a strong yeasty smell coupled with pear and apple aromas. The mouthfeel is rich and spicy with a pronounced yet balanced bready character. Think apple pie before it's baked and you start to get the idea.

Dinner and tasting:
The red wines were all cabernet based blends except one. The first three were super tuscans, the last three bordeaux. We decanted three bottles of each at about 11am. They were served between 7:30 and 10 that night.

Italians:
Antinori 2001 Guado al Tasso-A Cab-merlot-syrah blend fro Bolgheri. This is the least expensive of the reds at a mere $80 or so a bottle. Very dry with baked fruit and coy berry flavors. The finish was long and subtle with notes of cinnamon, nutmeg and sandalwood. I like this but it was a little too shy with the fruit for my taste.

Antinori 2001 Solaia-another by the same producer but this one is from the Chianti region. 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 20% Sangiovese. This was the only red wine on the night that wasn't a pure bordeaux style blend (i.e. made with Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc and Merlot). The Sangiovese did make an impression and it was my favorite on the night. Fairly forward with the fruit--juicy cherry and raspberry flavors that were accented with dank oak and brambly flavors. A very long "smacky" finish. It may not have been subtle but it was more pleasing to my palate than the parched and spicy Guado.

Sassicaia 2001-This is the original super tuscan and quite a treat. Back to Bolgheri for a Cabernet Sauvignon done in a very noble style. This was a good segue into the bordeaux as it was the least italian of the three tuscans. The original marquis who first planted the vineyards in 1920 wanted to capture the essence of Cab and his wish is still granted today. This was headier and fuller bodied than the previous two with a much more austere way about it. dense currant and dark berry fruits, pronounced medium grade tannins and an intricate finish signaled that Cabernet was holding court. No doubt it is a fine wine that will hold sway over many a Bordeaux, it was nonetheless not my style.

Bordelais:
1999 Chateau Pavie-A right bank Merlot based wine from a controversial chateau. This was the most approachable of the three French wines due to it's heavy merlot percentage and fruit forward vinification. Broad and dense, like an overstuffed couch cushion of lush fruit with velvety tannin exterior. Right now, I'm so impressed with that metaphor, I can't think of anything else to say about the wine.

1998 Chat Leoville les Cases-over to St. Julien in the Medoc for a Cab-based blend. This was definitely denser and harder. Oak and tannin were still a little rough, needing either more age or longer decanting. Don't get me wrong, it was a very good wine but would have been better with more time.

2001 Chateau Latour-Ah, a premier cru! My first taste of one of the 1855 first growths and to be honest, I was underwhelmed. It was sort of like seeing a virtuoso pianist play a concerto on an out of tune piano. You knew there was something amazing in there but it wasn't on full display. The wine is young now and too raw for my palate. It was all power without any finesse. I'd be happy to revisit it in a few years to see how it progresses.

Occasional Wine Picks

2006-08-26T16:47:00.000-07:00

Some tasty wines you should check out. Prices are retail in MA, adjust accordingly for restaurant prices or out of state.

Every day reds:
-Tenimenti Angelini 2004 Tuttobene- Merlot/Sangiovese/Canaiolo blend from tuscany. Perfect for pizza night or whatever's on the grill. At 12 bucks, one to get by the case to have on hand. Fred, Pop's carries this, it is better than vitiano.
-A-Z 2004 Pinot Noir-A medium-full bodied pinot from Oregon that at 18 bucks is a little high for everyday but a good pinot under 20 bucks is hard to find these days.

Every day whites:
-Burgans 2005 Albarino- Spanish, medium bodied, lovely tropical fruit character that is perfect with fish, spicy chicken or sushi.
-August Kessler 2004 Riesling R- a great QbA riesling that is barely sweet but full of wonderful fruity acidity that provides balance. This is great with everything from cheese to pork.

Cool Stuff:
-Mitolo 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Serpico-From Australia, this is basically amarone made with Cabernet. They take the grapes and dry them on racks for a few weeks until they've lost a third of their weight. Then they crush them to make the wine. It is big and dense but carries its weight so well, you don't mind. About $60 but worth it for a special occasion.
-Moscato d'Asti- Semi-sparklin, semi-sweet white from piemonte. Great as an aperitif, as a light dessert wine, or for brunch. No need to spend more than 20 bucks.

Trendspotting:
-Roses are the shit it seems. Once you understand that white Zin isn't indicative of the style and you realize that a dry, crisp grenache-based Rose from southern france is just about the best thing on a hot summer afternoon with a light meal, you'll partly understand why. However, there is absolutely no reason to pay more than 15 bucks for a bottle. That part of the trend is bewildering.

Collectibles:
-The 2005 Bordeaux are available as futures but are very expensive. Keep an eye on the second tranch (offering) to see if prices come down at all.
-The 2003 Bordeaux are now on shelves. They are going to need a lot of time so if you're a collector or you have a dinner party planned for sometime in the year 2020, go ahead and get some now.
-2001 Italians, in particular Brunellos, are fricking amazing. And expensive. But the good ones are worth it. Got a spare $140 laying around? Grab a bottle of Valdicava for some special occasion in 5-10 years.
-Lots of good press on the 2004 white burgundies. I haven't tried any yet but keep an eye out for their arrival.

Food Poisoning is Great!

2006-08-10T11:03:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I went to Mario Batali's Spanish restaurant in Gramercy Park. Casa Mono is a pleasant little joint with a fun menu of tapas type items and a very good spanish wine list. I ate a late lunch with a couple of friends and we shared plates of everything from pork loin to octopus to mussels to snap peas. It was all very good and a bottle of 1995 Rioja Rosado by a producer I can't remember brought it all together nicely. Terrific times were had by all until later that night.

I suddenly came down with a mild case of food poisoning. By noon the next day, the "evacuation" had stopped but I was still suffering the effects. General weakness, no appetite and some very bizarre rumblings in the gut stuck with me until Tuesday or so. By wednesday, I was on a mostly normal diet and had a much cheerier view on the experience. I came to recognize the upside of food poisoning:

-Great way to lose weight! Your output is immense and the input minimul. It doesn't take a mathematician to calculate the weight loss potential!
-Money saving! Since I ate the equivalent of a day's worth of food over the course of three days, I spent very little money on food. This was a nice way to recoup the expense of eating at a Batali restaurant.
-Mandatory purge and cleanse! You evacuate your bowels and stomach, don't eat for a couple of days, sleep whenever you can and drink lots of water. Even after its over, you avoid rich, fatty foods and alcohol for a few days. What a great opportunity to do a little detox and let the body catch up.

I highly recommend food poisoning to anyone who's looking to shake things up a little bit. What's more, you can really broaden your horizons and taste those forbidden morsels you've always wanted to but haven't for fear of getting sick! Bring on the questionable shellfish, serve up some "aged" beef and gulp down as many spponfuls of cookie batter as you can take!

Meatcake!

2006-07-30T11:43:00.000-07:00

This was found via B3ta.com, a UK webpage devoted to loving the interwebs for all it's tubey goodness.

I'm sure a cake of meat has been done before, but this one is extremely well done.

Warm weather side dish

2006-07-26T19:39:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
It's warm and humid out in the Boston area this week so it's time to keep the heat out of the kitchen. Last night I got some chicken drumsticks (96 cents for three, what a deal!) to put on the grill for dinner and was looking for an interesting side dish. I saw some good looking cherry tomatoes at the store, some decent looking corn on the cob and had some feta, red onion and fresh herbs at home. Put 'em all together and I had a plan for an interesting variation on succotash.

First I grilled the corn to caramelize the kernels and add another flavor element. I grilled them directly over very hot coals after husking them. Normally, if I grill corn I soak them in the husk first so you get a steamed effect but for this, I wanted caramelization. I let them start popping a bit and moderately charred before I took them off. Meanwhile, I sliced the tomatoes in half, cut the onion coursely and roughly chopped some basil and parsley. All this went in the bowl along with some feta and ground black pepper. When the corn was cooled, I used a knife to cut the kernels off and tossed them in. Add some good evoo, toss and you're good to go.

The salad was good. The acidity of the tomatoes was balanced by the cheese and the sweetness in the corn was a nice flavor that married well with the marinated chicken. I'd recommend it as an alternative to the usual green salad or as something to do with a hodgepodge of veggies from the farmer's market or some such.

Note on the corn cobs: slicing the kernels off this way is very inefficient. I actually nibbled on the cobs afterwards to avoid wasting such tasty deliciousness. Roommate Ian has another use for them; he uses the cobs to flavor stocks and sauces. Give it a try next time you're looking to add a unique flavor.

The chicken by the way, is a variation on the old Grandpa Bunker recipe. Take chicken parts (bone in), marinate in a blend of red wine vinegar, olive oil, fresh parsely, onion, garlic, salt and pepper for a few hours. Sometimes I'll add dijon mustard but it easily gets to be too much. Grill over high heat until seared, then move to the cooler part of the grill and let finish with the lid on. When there are five minutes of cooking left, take the parts out and put in with the marinade for a few minutes. Return to the grill to finish cooking and enjoy. My grandmother makes this amazing chicken gravy served over white rice as an accompaniment but I have no idea how she makes it. I used to eat 4 or 5 servings of it when I was a kid.

global warming and wine

2006-07-12T21:29:00.000-07:00

The article linked to above concerns recent studies that indicate how the affects of global warming will render most of the finest wine producing regions in the US incapable of growing grapes. For the last 5 years I've been making a joke that I'm going to find some suitable land in Maine for a vineyard and wait for global warming to make it viable. Now my stupid joke may become a sad reality. That may be the worst result of my sense of humor since the last date I went on...

Oh, and this is the first post to be posted both on this blog and my other one. Congratulations to me for finding common ground.

Meat Names

2006-07-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

Expecting a child and can't think of a name? Why not give him or her the gift of a meat name? The following list will get you started:

-Angus, for those of scottish heritage.
-Kobe, the name may be trendy but the quality of kobe beef is timeless.
-Patty, a classic from the "what do you call someone with no arms and legs..." joke series.
-Chuck, see above.
-Frank, ditto.
-Salisbury, perhaps not for the ordinary parents but would work well for the child of British royalty or perhaps a celebrity.
-Reuben, ok, so it's a sandwich but there's still meat in there!
-Agnes, it means "lamb"

And for the vegetarians out there, here are some alternatives:
-Herb
-Pepper
-Saffron
-Francis Bean (apologies to Kurt Cobain, none to Courtney Love)

NYC Eye-Talian Grocery

2006-06-21T11:03:00.000-07:00

Glutton's Club reader and frequent tipster Gabe has a story to tell. It is a story of cured meats, Italian-American celebrity look-alikes, tomatoes and Gluttony. It is a good story and one that has decided what I'll be having for dinner tonight. I like stories like this.

Hi Matt,

OK, so here's the detail (only some of which I mentioned when we spoke). I visited my brother in Soho this weekend, and he took me to his favorite Italian grocery, DiPalo's (225 Grand, I think - it's right on the edge of Little Italy and Chinatown). Not only do they have great food, but one of the guys who works there is a dead ringer for Chazz Palminteri (including his voice).

I had to forgo all kinds of good things that wouldn't have been stable enough for a hot day in the city and the long drive home, but I did leave with these:

1) Excellent parmegiano reggiano, very crumbly and especially sweet
2) Sopressata: one hot, one sweet, and one with wine and garlic
3) Several cans of true San Marzano tomatoes (Pastosa brand), bearing a number of seals indicating authenticity: denominazione d'origine protetta, certificazione agroalimentare, pomodoros marzano dell'agrosarnese-necerino

Everything was fantastic, especially the sweet and wine & garlic sopresetta.

The tomatoes came with a story: I learned that the "italian" tomatoes I've been buying up 'til now (brands like Cento and Pastene, with a "packed in Italy" designation, no salt, and a higher price than the cans of the same brands packed in California) allegedly contain San Marzano tomatoes that have been sprouted in Italy, shipped to California to be grown to maturity and harvested, then shipped back to Italy for canning.

I cooked a simple reduced sauce yesterday (nothing but a little oil and garlic, briefly sauteed before adding one can of the tomatoes, then boiled violently for a few minutes to diminish the acid and simmered until reduced down by 2/3), and it was markedly brighter, sweeter, and had a stronger tomato flavor than a similar sauce made with either California tomatoes or San Marzanos "packed in italy."

G

magical middle ground between grilling and BBQ

2006-06-20T19:55:00.000-07:00

The other night I was cruising to whole foods across the street from work to pick up some stuff for my lonesome gourmet dinner. As I entered, I did an inventory of what I had in the fridge that needed to be used. I remembered some bacon, some cherry tomatoes and not much else. The weather was as warm as a fat persons armpit so I was looking to avoid indoor cooking if possible. By the time I reached the meat counter, I had decided to wrap the bacon around some bone-in split chicken breasts and grill 'em. The tomatoes would go nicely with some feta, herbs and red wine vinegar in a salad and some bread toasted on the grill would provide a starch.

The chicken ended up the star of the show. I put a mixture of chopped sage and garlic combined them with salt and pepper and put it all under the skin and wrapped the chicken with bacon using toothpicks. When the coals were ready, I had another revelation: use smoke and indirect heat instead of searing them. So I did. the result was saltimbocca gone mad in a house fire. After about half an hour on the medium hot part of the grill with hickory chips on the coals and the lid on, I had mildly smoked chicken with beautiful herb and bacony flavors. When I cut into the breast, it was literally bursting with juicy goodness. I have never seen such a thing, not even even after a proper brining.

I admit, the recipe needs tweaking. Next time I'll use pancetta instead of maple cured bacon to let the smoke from the fire alone provide that element and I'll season the bird with more salt and pepper and less fresh herb than I did. A little paprika might be just the trick. The second breast was my leftover meal tonight and it was still damn good. I think I'll replicate it for a crowd next time to see what they think.

ice cube absurdism

2006-06-20T19:38:00.002-07:00

It's been frickin' hot and crappy here lately so I suppose we've all come up with different measures to keep cool. Some around here like plenty of ice in their beverage. A funny side effect resulted this evening.

Someone in the house decided an ice cube tray needed cleaning. They dutifully washed the tray and put it in the dish strainer (or is it "drainer"?). I was doing my own dishes later and saw it there and thought to myself, "wait, what?" before filling it with water and putting it in the freezer.

I think that to myself fairly often, I think it comes with having housemates but this one was exceptional.

2006-06-06T17:19:00.000-07:00

Pork Tenderloin is what I would ask for if I could only eat one more cut of meat for the rest of my life. The same part of the pig as what filet mignon is on a cow, this is a deliciously tender cut that is remarkably simple to cook and takes flavors from marinades superbly. It costs far less than filet however and is ideal for simple prep. Serve with pinot noir, riesling or a saison.

quick and dirty recipe:
-combine chopped garlic, dijon mustard, salt and pepper, red wine vinegar, fresh rosemary sprigs, dry white wine and olive oil for the marinade.
-Put the pork and marinade in a bag for at least a few hours.
-Remove from marinade and grill for a few minutes on each side until internal temperature reaches 125, 120 if you're manly. If using charcoal grill (as you should be), you can toss the rosemary sprigs on the coals for a little flavorful smoke.
-Allow to rest at least 5-10 minutes under foil, collecting juices.
-Slice in thickish slices and serve. Pour juices over the slices once plated.

Pimp this, yuppie!

2006-05-27T08:17:00.000-07:00

As I'm reading this article, I'm saying to myself "yeah I can do that with my weber" over and over again. Then I got to the part about the attached fridges, warming drawers (what the hell is that anyway? special winter underwear?) and other sorts of nonsense and thought that gee, it must be nice to have an outdoor kitchen, too bad it costs a few grand. Just think of all the money they'll save on alum foil and all the time they'll save by not having to make two trips outside. The whole thing will pay itself off in a good 50 years. As for me, I'll stick with the kettle grill propped up on cinderblocks for perfect cooking and as for conveniences, the rickety picnic table, a coleman cooler and the bottle opener built in to my flip flops is all I need. Man, I'm looking forward to the Mem Day Yardy tomorrow afternoon.

The whole article would've been a waste if it wasn't for the last paragraph. Thanks Chris, you always come through at the right time.

Dry Sausages, East Coast Stylee!

2006-05-18T08:34:00.000-07:00

This article in the NYT is a similar one to that in the SFGate a few months back. The focus is on local artisinal salami producers. Predictably, there are quite a few in the NYC area. They are an interesting mix of families that have been doing it for generations and upscale chefs who have introduced the practice to their restaurants.

For the record, the soppressata I call my favorite is from NYC. The salumeria I get it from, Sessa's in Davis Square, won't tell me the name of the producer. After a conversation with the proprieter, all he would tell me is that he gets it specially made for his shop, 500 pounds at a time. He also told me about the new health inspector, an Irishman, who once came into his shop, saw the white mold on the outside of the sausage and told him to throw it out. Eventually, the inspector's boss, an Italian, had to set him straight. You'd think that 2500 years worth of experience would be enough to please the inspectors but apparently not.

I think I'll stop at Sessa's on my way home this afternoon for a soppressata, a loaf of bread and some of those marinated artichokes they have. Yeah, that and a bottle of dolcetto sounds like a nice little dinner out on the patio.

Beer baths

2006-05-02T07:28:00.000-07:00

This is just weird. I used to be a brewer and I think it's weird.

I bet if I went into a beer bath, I'd make the beer more bitter. har har.

101st post!

2006-05-01T09:21:00.000-07:00

This blog has been around for about a year now and I just noticed that the last post was the 100th. I will mark that milestone by reminiscing a little bit and offering excuses.

First off, I want to apologize to my half dozen or so regular readers for not posting very much lately. I've been busy at work so I haven't had time to do much blogging there and when I get home, I usually am in no mood to turn on the 'puter and do any typing. Once I get a better handle on my new job responsibilities and whatnot, I should be able to do more.

The reason I'm busier is that I became manager of the wine shop last month so it looks like I'll be sticking around Boston for a while longer. Sorry to disapoint California, but this is the best move for me as far as career development goes. We can still be friends.

Finally, I want to do some actual content and return to an old feature. Let's have a look at newspaper food sections to see if coverage has changed at all. I've found that overall, the sections are mostly improving with some exceptions.

Boston.com, the Boston Globe's web version, gets the award for most improved. There is a greater amount of coverage as well as a more regular wine feature which was severely lacking in the past. The login feature is still an annoyance however.
Over at the NYT, the already comprehensive coverage has improved with the addition of the "Feed Me" column, a look at dining out from the perspective of the patron/guest. It is an interesting look at the experience we are all familiar with but there are always funny little quirks that pop up. Speaking of login, the Timeselect content feature has actually made it easier to view this section.
When I first covered the Times-Picayune food section, it was shortly before Katrina hit. In that issue, there were articles about preparing for a hurricane but unfortunately, no amount of preparation could have forestalled the damage that occured. A look at the section today reveals a return to relative normalcy that may be unexpected but not suprising given the resiliency and character of the Crescent City.
The only disapointment I can find in this brief survey is from the SFGate which has maintained a level of quality but lost a couple of the nicer perks. I haven't seen the "Cocktailian" column in a while, which makes me sad. In addition, the food section seems a bit slimmer in recent weeks, but maybe that's just from my perspective.
Finally, we'll head over to London for a look at their Times which is as well-written, snarky, and cosmopolitan as ever. Though on average, British food is still fairly awful, the quality of this newspaper section and the continued popularity of Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson et al. is a sign that the revolution is progressing nicely.

That's all for now, it's time for a haircut, some administrative work and the Meatwalk. I'll try to get another post in later today.

Wow, 101 posts; that's probably about one post per hit!

The Meat Walk

2006-04-03T21:44:00.000-07:00

Savenor's is a butcher shop that first opened in Cambridge in 1939. It was a family owned store that served quality meats and produce to the community and restaurants. Local resident Julia Child was a long time customer who frequently mentioned the shop on her program and in her books. Jack Savenor himself occasionally made guest appearances on her show and became a vital part of the Boston dining scene. In 1982, a fire destroyed the original location but the tradition lived on in a new location across the river on Charles St. in Boston. This past December, Savenors returned to Cambridge in the same location as the original store and the tradition of high quality meats, gourmet goodies and organic produce is going strong.

I came across the new (old) location in January after hearing about the opening. On a cold, snowy weekday when I was off from work, I went for a walk to check it out and found myself in a bit of glutton's heaven. I had been to the other location a couple of times but it isn't exactly convenient so I didn't make a habit. I was impressed with the selection and the obvious excitement that the staff had for the products. The butcher and I chatted about a couple of cuts and the finer points of veal stock before I walked out with a nice big pork roast, a head of cabbage and a couple of potatoes. After a stop down the street for a bottle of wine, I headed home to prepare a meal.

With the help of the silver spoon cookbook, I made a delicious pork roast braised in wine and mustard, cabbage and potatoes with pancetta and pecorino. A bottle of pinot bianco from the alto adige paired nicely.

I have since made that walk many times. It has become a routine of my weekday afternoon when I'm not at work. Because I work pretty late, I don't usually get a chance to cook very extravagantly so on these occasions, I like to go all out. I walk to Savenor's, see what looks good and form a dinner menu around that. On my way home, I may stop at the Wine and Cheese cask for a bottle of wine if I need it, the Shaw's super market for more banal items that Savenors doesn't carry, maybe the Petsi's Pie store if I want some dessert and finally home to start cooking.

In all the walk is probably about a mile and a half. I can take a variety of routes through the neighborhood or along the main roads, depending on my needs and whimsy. It is not particularly far but a nice way to work the muscles and get the heart going before I add another layer of fat and increase my cholesterol. I figure it all evens out by the end of the night.

That smell in the air....

2006-03-29T15:32:00.000-08:00

It's finally spring, when a young man's thoughts turn to...grilling. I haven't yet had the chance but the first grill of the year is coming soon. I have plans for Friday night with my lady friend to prepare a mixed grill of as many meats, veg and starches as I can fit on the grill and the two of us can eat. All foods consumed will be grilled and they will be delicious. I think I will serve Sierra Nevada Pale Ale at the lighting ceremony and a bottle of the 2004 Palacios Bierzo with the meal.

I used to think it was cool to try to grill year 'round but then I realized that braises and sauces are more appropriate for cold weather and the grill went dormant in winter. As my roommate pointed out last year, my grilling season is basically the same as baseball season. There is no need to put up with cold and snow just for the taste of grilled foods when you can stay snug and warm in the kitchen to prepare a savory braised dish. I guess a good rule to follow is that if it's warm enough out for flip flops, it's good for grilling.

The forecast for this weekend is warm and sunny. I reckon backyards across the region will be filled with smoke and the scent of grilled meats as grills are pulled out of the shed, dusted off and lit up for the official beginning of summer. Folks will be taking those perilous trips out the door with armloads of platters, plates, tongs and beer bottles ready for the grilling experience. You can be sure I'll be doing my part; polishing my tongs and spatula (the one with the built-in bottle opener), trading my shoes for flip flops and starting a fire in backyard.

'82 Bordeaux!

2006-03-27T09:15:00.000-08:00

Last night I had dinner with the family at my sisters house. It was a celebration of sorts to honor the birth of Sam and to a lesser degree my promotion at work. To honor the occasion, my father busted out two of his final bottles of bordeaux from the vaunted 1982 vintage--a Calon Segur from St. Estephe and a Gruaud Larose from St. Julien. Both are from the Medoc section of Bordeaux and primarily Cabernet Suavignon. Big ole steaks, potatoes, mushrooms and asparagus were the accompaniment but to a degree, the wine was the only thing on the table.

The preparation of the wine began before dinner. A crystal pitcher served as a decanter to receive the wine which had accumulated sediments after 20 or so years in the bottle. Simply opening the bottles wasn't an option. Less than ideal storage for a few years led to some mold under the foil and 20 years is a long time for a cork. Both bottles had to have their corks cleaned before being VERY carefully removed to avoid breakage. Ufortunately, we didn't have the ideal equipment and the Gruaud cork crumbled, leaving a bit of a mess in the decanter. This had no impact on flavor however and a kitchen seive served to filter most of it out.

The Calon-Segur was poured first. Poor luck with some older bottles from my father's cellar kept us on edge, we were concerned that one of these may also have spoiled in the bottle or gotten past its prime. As the wine was poured into the decanter, I was anxious to get a whiff and an early indication of good or bad. Luckily, both bottles were fine and offered gorgeous gluttonous delight.

Tasting notes:
Unfortunately, I left my notes behind but I remember most of it. The finer details may be lacking but I think I can capture the overall impression.

Calon Segur
-Appearance: tawny and medium density with some haze when held up to the light.
-Nose: red cherries, milk chocolate, loamy earth, pipe tobacco, creme de cassis
-Flavor/mouthfeel: a subtle wine with many nuances. light tannins underneath gentle acidity. Mild cherry flavors gave way to subtle bell pepper and finish with leathery notes as the tannins picked up.
-Finish: Loooooong and lean. You had to pay attention to catch the smacky fruit skin sensations, slight tannic drying affect and detailed fruit acidity.
-Overall: a beautifully built wine that is right at its peak. This is the kind of wine I love for the way it forces you to pay attention to it in order to truly appreciate what it has to offer.

Gruaud-Larose
-Appearance: Dense ruby with umbre edges and some chunky haze due to the cork problem.
-Nose: Blackcurrants, black tea, old leather, black cherries covered in chocolate.
-Flavor/mouthfeel: Powerful and robust with plenty of tannins but balanced with big fruit flavors. Currants and dark berry flavors give way to a graphite and tannic midpalate that leads into a slight bell pepper essence as the wine comes into balance.
-Finish: Big and tannic with fruit notes that hit just enough to keep the tannins in check. May lack subtlety but was plenty pleasing.
-Overall: certainly a bigger wine than the Calon Segur and less enjoyable in some ways. This may benefit from a couple more years in the cellar. Don't get me wrong, it was great but I expected more subtlety from a wine this age.

Overall, it was a great night with a rare opportunity to drink some older vintage wines. Since Bob Parker made his reputation declaring the 1982 vintage a classic, wines from this year are well-known. There are certainly other, better vintages but this one has a certain notoriety because of Parker and was the first vintage that my father purchased with the intent to cellar and his patience with them has been both greatly rewarding and frustrating. Last night's bottles were certainly in the former category and lived up to the hype.

The Calon Segur is just what I expect a great wine to be. It was unassumingly gorgeous with incredible complexity that froced the taster to pay attention to it the way a good story teller can get his audience to lean in to hear every word. In contrast to the bombastic fruit driven wines that are popular today, this was elegance at work. The Gruaud was also terrific in it's own way. I have seen some comments that it and other St Julien wines from '82 were not as great as those in other parts of bordeaux. It was a great wine that couldn't get it's flavors in blance to become excellent.

My thanks to Fred for the great wine and to Mom for a great meal. Thanks to PSAmdy for hosting and providing an occasion.

Umami, I mami, my mami, your mami

2006-03-15T13:34:00.000-08:00

This article from the Globe does a decent job of describing umami, the fifth flavor detectable by human taste buds. It can be briefly described as 'savory' or more complexly described as "what drives my apetite." think braised meats, pungent sauces, heartiness or the sensation of a complex red wine on your palate. The article is a nice intro though it is more informative if you're wondering about the couple who authored the book. the recipes kinda suck too. Oh well.

Bumwines

2006-03-08T08:15:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Ed B for this link to this page dedicated to the best of the worst wine.

Last time I saw MD 40/40, it was splattered all over a toilet.

Hanger steak

2006-03-02T13:44:00.000-08:00

I went on my meatwalk to Savenor's the other day and was browsing the steak section when I came across a couple of hanger steaks. I had had that cut in restaurants but you don't always see it in the butcher shop so I grabbed the last two. They cost just 5 bucks a pound and were absolutely delicious. I cooked it in a cast-iron, searing it on all sides, removing it and making a sauce with the drippings. I think this is preferred for this cut anyway, the dry heat of a grill will touhgen it up. If possible, a marinade will help it become more tender. Use it for dishes like steak frites; it marries nicely with a sauce.

The cut is a long strip with a fairly wide grain. It comes from the underside of the cow, near the tenderloin. for menu reference, the French call it 'onglet.' It isn't as tender as some cuts but it delivers an excellent, hearty beef flavor. I recommend it for cost/taste proportion. It is easily the best 5 buck a pound steak I've had in a while.

baby pics up on family site

2006-03-01T14:14:00.000-08:00

Hey,
Anyone who is interested can go to the link above to see pics of my nephew Sam. He'll be a week old Friday night. Here's a preview:

Wine and cheese are buddies

2006-02-27T10:38:00.000-08:00

A couple of months ago, a study came out that revealed how cheese and wine interact with the human palate. The basic finding is that the properties of cheese diminish the palates ability to taste wine flavors. This was seized upon by some as a refutation of the classic wine and cheese pairing. Some predicted that genteel cocktail parties would never be the same but the over-reaction was as significant as the ho-humness of the finding itself.

Sure, cheese dimishes wine flavor, so does nearly anything else you put in your mouth or near your nose. Professional wine tasters will schedule their meals and even their morning toothbrushing routine in order to cleanse the palate for an important tasting. What the study did was scientifically explain how the two interact and to what extent they affect one another. Never did it say that the two didn't go well together, just that cheese will prevent you from capturing the full range of flavors that wine has to offer.

So feel free to drink some wine and eat some cheese, there are many natural pairings that can occur. Personally, I love to nibble on the parmesan or pecorino used for grating after the pasta is done but some wine remains. Unless you're sipping the wine of a lifetime, there's very little need for concern. Nibble as you sip to your heart's content.

Cooing and Whatnot

2006-02-26T10:08:00.000-08:00

Hey all,
I became an Uncle the other night when my sister gave birth to a baby boy. All are doing well and the family is excited to have a new member. What had been anticipation of the birth and arrival of the baby has now transitioned to a period I call "cooing and whatnot." A time when we all gather round making funny faces and noises at the child until he responds.

Samuel George is the snappers name and at this point he is a little nub of a baby so it's hard to say what he looks like. He basically just eats, poops, cries and sleeps. I have to admit a bit of jealousy in that regard.

As Uncle, I've identified my key roles in Sammy G's life:
-be cooler than his parents,
-run him around at family parties so he gets grass stains on his nice clothes,
-when he's a teenager, get him drunk at weddings,
-and finally, as his food oriented uncle, make sure he's a snob about what he eats by age 12. This is especially important since his father is a vegetarian, I'll have to work hard to keep tofu off his plate.

A magazine?! are you kidding me?

2006-02-20T19:57:00.000-08:00

I was grocery shopping the other day when I noticed a Rachel Ray magazine at checkout. I thought the Oprah magazine was the height of egotism but apparently even a food celebrity can go to that height of self-centeredness.

I really hate that woman.

Brunello on my mind

2006-02-15T17:53:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of tasting a number of Brunellos last week and then this article came out today in the NYT. I knew a little about the region and its wines but since they are generally out of my reach financially, I never found out much more.

The conflict between old and new styles, as laid out in this article, is one that I'm struggling with on a broader scale. As soon as I get comfortable saying I prefer the classic style European appelations, I find a modern style that I love and have to rethink the whole matter.

Understanding Aussie wines

2006-02-15T17:27:00.000-08:00

Anyone looking to better understand what makes Australian wines what they are should read this article. Oz is quickly becoming one of the most important wine producing nations as the quality of their wines are catching up to the quantity.

They make a veritable ocean of wine over there, a lot of it plonk but I can personally attest to the higher standards that many producers are applying to their wines. In the past many producers took in huge yields from the vineyards to go for quantity. Lately, they are doing more pruning and grape selection to produce smaller amounts of better wine.

And they do this without the snobbish pretense you often get in Europe and parts of Cali. David Powell of Torbreck, mentioned in the article, is a fine example. He makes terrific wines, (including a 99 point shiraz) but is the most down to earth guy you'll ever meet. If you ever see one of his wines on a shelf, buy it--they range from 15-110 dollars so you're bound to find something you like.

new link/other side of your author

2006-02-06T10:45:00.000-08:00

Hi,
I recently started a new blog that will focus on topics concerning the state of the nation, the world and civilization. I have considered such a forum for my thoughts, frustrations and rants for some time and have finally acted on it. At first, I was thinking I wouldn't publicize it but rather keep it open to whomever stumbled across it in the 'blogosphere' (which actually happened) but soon I realized that that would prevent me from fully developing my thoughts into coherent posts. Knowing that someone is actually aware and might bother reading it and responding forces me to take positions based on merit and quantifiable evidence to back them up. I hope to make that happen.

So, if you want to turn to more serious matters at the risk of becoming depressed, enraged or involved, click on the link titled "Sitting in the Aisle" in the links column to the left.

Mondo Vino

2006-02-02T10:01:00.000-08:00

Corporate mofos vs. small business, proponents of globalism vs. localists, suave fellow with cell phone in the back of a benz vs. the famer with weathered face and tweed cap. The latest Michael Moore film? Nope, Mondo Vino, a film chronicling some of issues facing the wine industry today. For a wine dork like me, it was a very entertaining and informative glance at some of the major players in the industry and what drives them. For the casual wine type, it is still a well produced documentary with colorful characters and somewhat universal themes of market driven industry versus traditional practices.

The central theme is how can local, traditional methods and styles compete against the "modern" style of wine as produced by (increasingly) larger corporate wineries. The film is basically a series of interviews with winemakers, winery owners, industry people and others who were involved in specific events that highlight this meme. The interviewer converses with them in their offices, in their vineyards, on the road with them while travelling to clients, or at their grandiose visitor centers. A simple hand-held camera captures the exchange and point of view of a bystander. The conversations are casual and the questions simple as we are first introduced to the scenarios and subjects. The filmmakers skillfully set up the conflict from boths sides by showing segments of interviews in a well edited progression. As the matters become more complicated, the questions become more pointed. Each side is given a chance to explain their side as the conflicts become more involved. As the dirty details are revealed, the answers to the questions become more guarded and at times, contradictory.

I suspect that the producers intentionally protrayed some elements of duplicity and common jackassery to liven up the film but it works well in portraying the nature of the theme. Unfortunately, the DVD I had crapped out on me 15 minutes before the film ended so I don't know what sort of resolution there is, if any. What I did see was a fairly even portrayal. The small producers are seen in a more sympathetic light but the unstoppable forces of the market which drive the other team are respected for their acumen and the inevitability of progress.

I laughed, I yelled at the screen, I sipped some wine...not a bad night in front of the tube given some of the other options out there. Anyone with a serious interest in wine, particularly French wine, should give it a viewing. You can at least relish the footage of centuries old cellars full of barrels, scenic vineyard vistas and the charm of the old farmers.

Molinari & Sons

2006-01-31T16:09:00.000-08:00

Lately I've noticed that some shops in the Boston area carry items produced by Molinari & Sons, a salami producer in San Fran. If you were here a few months ago, you may have read the SF Chronicle article about them. They make authentic Italian style salami, soppresatta etc. The company is more than 100 years old and still in the family. The website contains more info on the products and history. Depending on the level of your squeemishness around raw meats and butchering, you may want to skip the "process" page.

I've only had a chance to sample the salamito and the soppresatta. They are both as good if not better than most other stuff you see around here though the Brooklyn made Sopp on sale at Sessa's is still my personal favorite. The number of items listed on the site are probably only available in the Bay area so I'll have to wait until I can try them. I particularly look forward to the Coteghino, an 11 pound raw sausage. Sounds like a MEATSTOCK item if I ever heard of one.

Endorsement: The Silver Spoon Cookbook

2006-01-30T09:27:00.000-08:00

Cookbooks and me have a funny sort of relationship. In general, they are nice to have as a means to whet the appetite, get ideas and explore a regional cuisine or method but in my experience, I rarely actually use one to follow a recipe. It isn’t that I don’t need them; it’s more a matter of not being able to improvise that irks me. In the end, they often end up on the shelf looking nice. A really good cookbook is one that doesn’t stay pretty for long; it should be covered in splatters and stains from being too close to the action. Most of my cookbooks are pretty, with intact spines.

This past Christmas however, I was given the Silver Spoon cookbook and it has changed me utterly. The book was originally published in Italy in 1950 and through several revisions is referred to as the "bible" of Italian cooking. (Whenever the term ‘bible’ is used to refer to a document, it is either an exaggeration or a true testament [pun intended]. I’m going to withhold comment on that and focus on how it has affected my doings in the kitchen.) Finally, someone decided to publish an English edition last year and I was a beneficiary.

The breadth is impressive and the layout is familiar. The broader categories are broken into individual ingredients. For instance, in the vegetable section, you have a number of carrot recipes following a brief intro to cooking carrots. Most recipes are very short with just a few lines of directions next to the ingredient list. Each page of the book has large food-porn photos so the layout requires brevity that might confuse the home cook used to more detail. In addition, the translation is a bit off at times and the recipes themselves are sometimes vague and confusing. But once you get the hang of the format and learn to read ahead, you’ll be fine. Most Italian dishes rely on simplicity, technique and the quality of ingredients for success. The recipes reflect that in their stark simplicity.

If actions speak louder than words, the fact that I have used several recipes in this book in the first month since owning it is the best endorsement I can give. I first used it Christmas day when we needed to bring some veg sides for the family dinner. I found myself a little perturbed that I kept having to reread such simple instructions but the final products were surprisingly good given the simplicity: sauté garlic, add broccoli, add water, you’re done. A few days later I was told to bring a salad to a dinner with friends (they asked me to bring salad, weird huh?). It had a grand total of five ingredients but was as good as any salad I’ve ever made (sic). Finally, last week I was looking for something to do with cabbage and came across a recipe with an unusual cooking method that in the end was quite delicious once I got past my skepticism. I will continue to use it, the results have been great and most importantly, I’ve been learning new methods and using ingredients I don’t normally.

Wine cliches

2006-01-19T15:36:00.000-08:00

Quirky little article in this weeks NYT food and wine section. I spend part of my day at work reading wine descriptions, another part describing wines. I like this article for it's complaints yet sometimes find it difficult to come up with new words. I completely agree with the overuse of bad puns using "zin" on wine labels.

And yes, sometimes saying "cab," "chard" and "zin" is just easier.

Occasional Wine Picks, January '05, Fred Spanish Special

2006-01-13T14:49:00.000-08:00

This feature always seems to be prompted by a request. Last one was for Karl, this one is for Fred. His local wine shop is having it's 30% off sale and he's looking for recommendations. When possible, I will make recommendations from the Pop's website but at first glance, their stock is quite different than ours so there isn't much in common.

Spain is making some terrific wines at prices that are still very reasonable. Everyone knows about Rioja and Ribera del Duero but there are other regions that are up and coming, particularly Castilla y Leon, Jumilla and Castilla la Mancha. Their production methods are top quality and while the wines are certainly in the mainstream style and taste ranges, often the flavors are just different enough to keep things interesting. I said last time that Portugese table wines are up and coming, Spain is there now and given the very good ratings recent vintages are getting, prices will only go up.

Reds:
Tempranillo is the noble grape found in Rioja, Toro and Ribera del Duero. Think of it as the Spanish Cabernet. Old style riojas and riberas had lots of oak and lots of depth. Many still are but there are many producers in other regions who make more fruit forward wines that are easier on the palate (and wallet) and better with a wider range of foods.

Garnacha and Monsastrell are Spanish for Grenache and Mourvedre, the Rhone varietals. In Spain they are often made from old vines that give a depth of flavor that turns a relatively fruity, one-dimensional wine into something far more serious. Jumilla and Yecla are hotbeds for monastrell. Pop's has the bellum providencia but don't get it, it's too weird. Ask for a simpler, more fruit forward wine. In garnacha, the Mas Donis is quite good and available at Pop's. Try either vintage.

There are a variety of other native varieties that make Spain kinda fun to shope around in. Mencia exists somewhere between pinot noir and syrah and comes from Bierzo, in the Castilla y Leon region. Prieto picudo is a variety also from Castilla y Leon that gives nice fruit flavors and an earthy character. Very rustic yet approachable. We carry the Alaia but Pop's doesn't, it's a terrific value at less than 10 bucks. You'll also find plenty of cabs, merlots and syrahs in Spain that are quite good.

Whites:
Albarino is a nice variety from the north west, near the Pork-n-cheese border. It makes a crisp white with a lovely tropical fruit acidity that is great with fresh flaky white fish or shellfish. Burgans makes one and I loved the 2003 but was very disappointed by the 2004. Maybe it was a bad bottle, I can't say. Ask the sales guy what he thought.

Verdejo has the crisp acidity of a sauv. blanc but with a mellower body. Rueda is the region best known for the grape and there are a couple listed on Pop's list.

Elsewhere around the world, I have the following recommendations for Fred based on what I see on the pops site:

-Douro reds, full flavored, red meat wines from Portugal.

-Austrian Gruner Veltliner. Mineralic, complex and great with fondue, weiner schnitzel, breaded and fried anything.

-Muscadet, whites from Loire that aren't sauv. blanc but very good in their own right. See the NYT this past week for more details.

-Paringa shiraz and Cab from Oz. Nice affordable wine that isn't as big as most aussie wines are.

-Italian Vermentinos, a delicious white grape. 'nuff said.

-Di Majo Norante San Gregorio Sangiovese. Great inexpensive pizza/pasta wine.

Mcdonalds: 0, Italian Bread: 1

2006-01-12T16:10:00.000-08:00

It wasn't exactly a fair fight but I'm satisfied with the result.

It's all gone Screwy

2006-01-08T12:25:00.000-08:00

The above link goes to an article on a group of winemakers who want to promote greater use of screwcaps and to correct some of the misconceptions regarding the tin top you see more and more often on bottles of wine these days. I'll use this occasion to bore you with a short essay on the topic.

At work, we end up discussing the issue of screwcaps at least once a day. Most consumers have by now realized that it is no longer a mark of quality but a growing trend based on useful technoloy. On occasion we get an older person who can only think of blue nun or gallo jug wine when they see a screw cap and avoid it at all costs. Sometimes what will happen is that people have no compunction about buying for themselves but when giving a gift or bringing somthing to a party, they avoid screwcaps to avoid looking cheap. This is perfectly understandable but hopefully as more wineries take up the screwcap trend, attitudes will change.

Many producers, particularly in Australia/NZ and American iconoclasts like Bonny Doon, use the screwcap on almost all their wines. The reasons are simple and will be further discussed below: the screwcap is simply a better closure technologically, the problem of "corked" wine is virtually eliminated, and the wine will not evolve as much, thus preserving the flavors and balance that the winemaker sought to capture when it was bottled.

On the first point, the modern screwcap, known as a Stelvin closure, is a simple solution to a simple problem; how to close a vessel containing a liquid. Rather than using a cork, which was all the rage in the 13th century, a screwtop captures the essence of all the benefits of modern technology. It also can be manufactured just about anywhere while corks are harvested almost exclusively in Portugal. And if you think that they just use it because it's cheaper, you should know that the stelvin actually costs slightly more to use per bottle than cork does, indicating that it is a choice based on quality, not cost.

The second reason concerns the taint that wine that is cork-stopped is susceptible to. "Corked" wine is that which is affected by a fungus called TCA that occurs on some corks. Wines afflicted with this fungus have strong odors of wet cardboard and taste fairly awful. The taint can be mild, leaving some sippers to think the wine is simply not very good, or it can make a wine unpalatable to even the least discerning taster. Though it is difficult to know for sure given that not all corked wines are returned, approximately 5% of all wines with cork closures are tainted. By contrast, fewer than 1% of all screwcap wines suffer. If you're a producer in Australia, perhaps as far from Portugal as you can get without leaving the planet, it simply makes sense. For producers everywhere else, it simply eliminates the risk of spoiled wine. Nothing sucks the joy out of that special bottle you were saving than to find it corked upon opening. A screwcap may take away from the ceremony of uncorking a nice bottle but if it tastes the way it is supposed to, no one will care after a few sips.

The third point gets into matters more complex. In the bottle, wine will change and develop no matter how it is closed. A little air helps this process along. The traditional cork is somewhat porous allowing a small amount of air to seep in. This is trouble when too much air seeps in as when a cork dries and shrinks but for many wines that require ageing, this seepage actually helps it develop. Of course a screwcap is airtight so purists maintain that it will never fully replace the cork. However, given that less than 15% of all wine produced today is meant to be aged, this isn't much of a concern. Just in case, I've noticed that many producers who use screwcaps on their less expensive wines use corks on their premiere wines; either to provide the benefit of air contact or an admission that you can't charge more than a certain amount for screwcap wine.

The way that the screwcap is presented is interesting in that you get a feel for how the producer wants to present it. Some bottles, like Kim Crawford NZ Sauvignon Blanc, integrate the cap into the packaging seamlessly so you may not notice until you go to open it. Others, like Murphy Good's Tin Roof wines, call attention to it (get it, 'tin roof'?) while Two Tone Farms defies convention with it's slogan: "Napa Comes Unscrewed."

My favorite screwcap related story was told by a customer who came in recently. He had one of those silly rabbit corkscrews and was making a big deal out of how cool it was with some friends at his dinner party. He plunged the screw into a bottle but couldn't get it to pull out. A closer look showed that the bottle had a screwcap, not a cork. This story shows both how far along the trend has come and also how ridiculously over-engineered those damn rabbits are. Personally, I'd like to see more screwcaps for no other reason than to see that product fade from existence. Add to that the benefits of technology and fewer tainted bottles and I have absolutely no issues with it.

Twist or Pop but enjoy the wine,
Matt

booze shipping info

2006-01-04T16:50:00.001-08:00

Want to send your friend a bottle of that great wine you had that isn't available in her state? ship it discreetly.

This article helps clear up some of the confusion over the legality of shipping wine. It still isn't legal in all states but as this hints at, no one will know if you don't mention it. Beware that conditions while in transit might not be ideal. You'll want to avoid sparkling wines and beers which may burst when pressure changes occur during flight if the package goes via air. Above all, wrap it well to avoid breakage, a soggy red box is a dead giveaway.

Another reason to like Oregon

2006-01-04T16:50:00.000-08:00

This article (in the NYTimes, sorry) describes a market in Oregon that emphasizes locally raised produce, dairy and meats. The impact this sort of purchasing has on the local agrarian economy has literally saved many small time farmers and ranchers. Hoorah!

VdV Christmas Party menu

2006-01-02T22:10:00.000-08:00

Last month we at Vinodivino went out for dinner to celebrate christmas and hannaquaj as a team. Raphael and Nancy, the store owners, hosted Adam the manager, Orlee the part-timer and myself to an excellent meal at Aquitaine Bis, a fine French restaurant in Chestnut Hill, MA. I knew beforehand that the wine would be provided by Raphael but I didn't know that the menu would be specially arranged beforehand and that we were to be treated to a 6 course meal. It was all remarkably well done and each course and wine was exquisite. It was so good that I just used the word "exquisite."

I'd like to share the menu here not to gloat but to show what can happen when people who know what they are doing get together to create a culinary experience. They basically cooked some of their favorite dishes for us and we brought some excellent wine. The staff knew who we were and treated us very well. They sampled the wines with us and basically we all just had a big ole gluttonous good time.

The menu went like this:

Welcome Course
Foie Gras Mousse Brulee with brioche toast, cornichons and grain mustard
Paired with Bollinger NV Brut Champagne

First Course
Butternut Squash Bisque with tart apples sweet onions and sage beurre noisette
Paired with Colli di Lapio Fiano di Avellino 2003 (an italian white, Fiano is the grape)

Second Course
Belgian Endive Salade with apple, roquefort, walnuts and watercress
Paired with Colli di Lapio Fiano di Avellino 2003

Third Course
Seared Monkfish with smoked chive butter, sauteed watercress, chanterelles, tomato caramel and crisp sopressata. The sopressata was a thin slice fried into a wafer; something I plan on replicating.
Paired with Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay 2001 (once called "the best white wine ever exported out of Australia by Wine Spectator")

Fourth Course
Porcini Rubbed Ribeye with horseradish pomme puree, haricot vert and caramelized shallots
Paired with Fontodi Flaccianello della Piave 2001 (Sangiovese from Chianti). Holy crap this was good wine. I liked it so much Raphael gave me a bottle for Christmas, it will be reserved for something special.

Fifth Course
Dessert Tasting and Cheese. I don't remember exactly what was there but it was remarkable for how it tasted and that there was so much of it.
Paired with Philippe Delesvaux Grains Noble (botrytized chenin blanc from the Loire, gets a 99 point rating, a remarkably well balanced sweet wine)

Needless to say, this was a meal to remember. I am very thankful to Raphael and Nancy for their generosity, taste and employment. Thanks to the wonderful staff and service at Aquitaine we all had a great time indulging in what was essentially a collection of some of their best dishes with some of our best wines.

bubbly follow up; domestic sparklies

2005-12-21T09:55:00.000-08:00

This SF gate article picks up where the NYT article last week left off. It rates a number of domestic bruts and blancs de blancs. A shorter list but useful if you're looking to make a purchase without paying champagne prices.

M

Bubbly Primer

2005-12-14T10:35:00.000-08:00

It's the time of year for celebrations, parties and getting together with friends and family. It is, therefore, the season of Champagne and other sparkling wines.
This category of wines can be confusing so I offer here a quick primer on what makes bubbly so alluring.

What makes it bubbly?
First off, you must understand the difference between "Champagne" and all other "sparkling," "bubbly," or carbonated wines. Champagne comes from Champagne, is made with some combination of pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot meunier, and is made bubbly with the "methode Champenoise." This method, which is widely reproduced, is what makes it special. After the wine is fermented and blended, it is fairly ordinary wine. The producers take this still wine, dose it with some sugar, bottle it and allow a small amount of secondary fermentation to take place which will produce CO2 in the bottle. The sediments which are a by-product are 'riddled' to the neck of the bottle through a long process where the angle and position of the bottle are shifted day by day until it has very gently been corraled at the cap in the upside-down bottle. The bottles are then 'disgorged' wherein the end of the neck, where the cap and sediments are, is frozen and broken off. The wine that is lost is replaced as needed and before the bubbles blow off, the bottle is recorked and packaged for you.

This process allows extended ageing where the wine is in contact with the yeast. This is where the biscuit-y, bread flavors in some sparklies comes from. This effect is desired and intended though the process to produce it is costly. As stated above, the traditional method is employed by bubbly producers all over the world and produces the signature cascade of bubbles and froth that makes true champagne so special. Notice how the bubbles in something like a soda or seltzer are large and tingly? Compare that to the fine bubbles in a champagne and you get the idea of why the great effort is worthwhile.

If anyone is paying attention, you may have noticed that one of the three grapes allowed in Champagne is pinot noir, familiar to wine drinkers as a red grape. Red wine gets its color from skin contact; by pressing the fruit at the same time as maceration, the juice runs white. Champagne (and imitators) is classified as "blanc de blancs" when made entirely from chardonnay, "blanc de noir" when from pinot noir or pinot meunier, which is also a red grape. Many Champagnes are blends of all three.

Vintage champagnes are labeled with a year on the bottle and are, obviously, made from grapes harvested in that year (though a small percentage of older wine is allowed in the blend to achieve certain characteristics. Non-vintage bubbly is produced by blending several years worth of wine to produce a consisten product year after year. Though some differences will inevitably result over time, the NV wine you drank a few years ago should be more or less the same style and taste similarly to this year's release. This allows producers to make up for not so great vintages and provide a less expensive, consistent product.

Rosé champagnes are produced by either blending in red wine after fermentation (the only legal instance of this in the European appelation laws) or by allowing brief skin contact when the red grapes are macerated. Rosé bubblies have a distinct tartness and berry flavor that is appealing in it's own right. There are of course some sparkling red wines out there but they are rare and sometimes scary.

The Champagne style is widely imitated around the world to varying degrees of success. Often in the new world, the grape varieties, methods and packaging are mimicked from the Champagne style. Indeed, many of the bigger Champagne houses have established wineries in California, Argentina and other places. These wines come close to capturing the style but the majesty of terroir is impossible to copy and the allure of Champagne is unrivaled. Spanish Cava and Italian Proseccos and Astis are perhaps the best known versions where the process is imitated thought the grape varieties are different. These are fine wines in their own right and are normally far more affordable for the casual consumer.

Other sparkling wines exist that don't intend to copy the style or character of Champagne. Consider the Portugese vinho verde or Italian Lambrusco which are semi-sparkling table wines. In these instances, the wine is bottled before fermentation is complete, leaving a slight fizz. This is normally a fault in the wine-making process but here it is a recognized style. Another example is Moscato d'Asti, an Italian semi-sparkly often served at dessert. The moscato grape has a distinct tropical fruit acidity that gives the impression of sweetness. The bubbles in this wine provide a nice counterpoint to this flavor.

Bubbly Buying
When purchasing bubbly, there are several things you should look out for. First off, if you intend to get Champagne, look for the word "Champagne" on the label to verify what you're getting. You may see a label that is mostly in French and features the name of a well known Champagne house but end up with something from Cali or elsewhere. This is not to say that they aren't good, just that they aren't true Champagne. Wines from elsewhere that use the Champagne method will usually mention that on the label. As stated earlier, this method produces a superior sparkle and can be a mark of quality.

Non-vintage, or NV bubblies are normally less expensive than vintage bottles and are fine to drink though will have less character and distinction than a vintage. They do however, remove the possibility of getting a poor vintage though to be honest, if a producer releases a vintage bottling it is usually only because it was a good year. Wine from a bad year will most likely be set aside for blending.

The labelling on a bottle of bubbly may mention the following: brut, dry or extra dry. This obviously indicates the amount of sweetness in the wine but just to make things confusing, extra dry is actually semi-sweet; Brut is the driest. (Just so you know, the best wines are bruts.) Also on a Champagne label, you may see a name like "grand cru" or a specific name like "la Grande Dame." Named wines are often the top of the producers line. They are specially produced and are a step up from the normal vintage wines. For more specific bottle picks, see this article in the NYT: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/14/dining/14wine.html?pagewanted=2

Non Champagne sparklies offer a wider range of flavors at lower prices. You could easily fool most people with a 12 dollar cava in a nice champagne flute. For a crowd or for casual drinking, these are great options. There's very little shame in serving a decent non-Champagne bubbly to, say, your wedding guests while serving an expensive vintage bottle to the wedding party. That is, unless you're very wealthy and can afford otherwise.

Beyond New Years
We associate Champagne with celebrations; weddings, New Year's eve, promotions or the launching of ships but good bubbly is good a wide variety of foods and terrific as an everyday aperitif. If you like it, don't wait for some special occasion to drink it. I make a point to always have a nice bottle of something bubbly for those unexpected special occasions but wouldn't think twice of popping open a bottle of something more affordable if the meal called for it.

Service
Whenever you do drink bubbly, serve it in the tall flutes when possible, they are best for keeping it bubbly and enhancing the experience. The flat, wide glasses that are occasionally used are the worst shape for maintaining the sparkle and concentrating aroma. Use a conventional white wine glass instead of these, particlarly if they are made of plastic. The wine should be chilled and kept chilled in an ice bucket. The colder temperature enhances the flavors and actually maintains the bubbles.

The Cocktailian Archive

2005-12-14T09:44:00.000-08:00

Hey ya,

Remember my fondness for the cocktail column in the SFGate food and wine section? Well, here are the archives for the spot, just in time for holiday cocktail party season. The author is an experienced drinks writer and bartender who combines the story behind a drink or liquor with a charming wit that makes you thirsting for a drink no matter what time of day.

Enjoy!

hats of meat + giant lizard = screaming japanese girls

2005-12-08T13:58:00.000-08:00

(Video clip, plays in browser)

File this one under: "Only in Japan"

Wine gift buying guide

2005-12-07T15:09:00.000-08:00

We've been busy at the store putting together gift sets, helping customers choose wine for gifts, for their parties, or for their xmas/hannukah dinners. So for all of you out there who can't come by, here are some ideas.

Wine as a gift
Wine makes a good gift for everyone from the seasoned connoisseur to the person who just likes to drink it. You can find good wines at low prices and of course you can find crappy wines at high prices. The trick to buying wine for someone else is to figure out what they may like and getting the best possible bottle in your price range.

For the wine snob in your life, the importance should be on quality. They'll know what is good and what isn't so you're best off seeking something that rates well and maybe a little out of the ordinary. Chards and cabs are nice but the true wine type would appreciate something special like an offbeat regional variety, a fancy dessert wine or bottle of bubbly. Ask the clerk if they have anything exclusive in the area, nothing impresses wine snobs more than something they have that no one else can get. If the recipient is a budget buyer, something a little more expensive would be a nice treat that they ordinarily wouldn't splurge for themselves.

If you know someone likes a certain type of wine, say california Zinfandel, you're in luck. The guess work of what to get is taken care of, all you need to do is find something that will work well as a gift. There are plenty of producers who make fine Zins, some of them are familiar some are relatively obscure. I'd recommend finding something a little out of the ordinary to introduce them to something new. Here again is where your clerk comes in handy.

Champagne and fine sparkling wines are always fun. With the family celebrations and New Years coming up, it is also a handy thing to have around. As such, it is a terrific gift. In fact, many brands have optional gift packaging for this very occasion. If you're buying for an expecting couple, someone looking to buy a home or anyone who may have something to celebrate, it is a thoughtful gift which will come in handy at the right time. Dessert wines fit in this category as well. Port and Christmastime go hand in hand and again, it's one of those things that people might not always buy for themselves. Vintage ports cost a little more and are treated more like wine once they're open. Tawny ports have a longer shelf life after being opened so consider that when making your purchase.

If you're hoping to ship wine afar, check your state and the recipients state for laws governing such shipments. The recent supreme court ruling has eased the rules on shipping wine but each state still has its own rules. Make sure you check with the retailer before ordering.

Party like it's 1893!

2005-11-28T10:08:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday, my friends Mike and Julia hosted a unique dinner based on a banquet menu from the 1890's as described in a book called "Devil in the White City."

The menu was fairly detailed and included 12 courses, wine pairings, cigarette breaks and pretty much everything but what to wear. We split the dishes among 8 people, matched the wine as closely as our budget and availability allowed and enjoyed a great meal. We spent 5 or more hours eating but it was well worth it. The food was delicious, the mood was lively and the hosts were gracious. It was a Glutton's Club special event and one that would be tough to top thought I'm sure we'll try. It coming just two days after Thanksgiving made it a hell of a weekend for over-eating. I haven't really been hungry since then.

Below is the menu, as transcribed by Patti, one of the guests.

Beverly House Exposition Dinner
November 26, 2005
In commemoration of the 112th anniversary of the Columbian Exposition at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair
Oysters on the Half Shell
Champagne Duval Leroy 1996 Brut, France
Veuve-Clicquot NV Brut

Mock Turtle Soup
Lustau Solera Amontillado “Los Arcos,” Jerez

Baked Bluefish a la Marechal
Sauteed Cucumbers with Fresh Herbs
Domaine Weinbach 2002 Riesling “Clos du Capucins,” Alsace
St. Urbans-hof 2002 Riesling Kabinett Piesporter Goldtropfchen, Mosel

Filet Mignon a la Rossini with Roasted Potatoes
Chateau Meyney 1986 Cru Bourgeois, St. Estephe, Bourdeaux
Covides 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva, Penedes, Spain

Raspberry Sorbet

Cigarettes (Blond Shag, Virginia)

Bacon Wrapped Quail on Toast Points
Louis Jadot 2002 Cru-Villages Morgon, Beaujolais

Asparagus Salad
Henri Bourgeois 2003 Sauvignon Blanc “Petit Bourgeois,” Loire

Canton Ginger Ice

Amy really liked the ice!

Cheese Course, featuring Pont L’Eveque and Roquefort Cheeses

Liqueur
Cossart Gordon Madeira “Bual” 5-year oak aged Madeira

Coffee

Dessert Cigars

Thanksgiving Drinking Guide

2005-11-16T14:46:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving dinner is such a huge production that we sometimes forget to think about what to drink with it. Once we do start thinking about it, there's the issue of pairing wine with a dish as unique as turkey and all the trimmings. You've got white meat, which usually wants a white wine but you've also got hearty stuffing and gravy which wants a red and to top it off, cranberry sauce which is very difficult to match. Add all the stress of making all these dishes and getting them ready at the same time, potential family relations issues and you might not care what you drink as long as your glass is full.

Like many of these situations however, the answer is simpler than you may fear. Both whites and reds and beers go well with the food and when you get to it, only an excess of cranberry sauce or a really poor pairing would diminish anything. We tackled this issue at the store and the range of wines we decided would work was broad. Add the beer factor and you'd have to work hard to screw it up.

Wine
White wines, particularly full bodied ones, would work well with the conventional turkey dinner. Chardonnay with moderate oak, good fruit and depth might be nice. Gewurztraminer is a commonly heralded turkey wine but that's a little weird. If you do go with a gewurz, make sure it is dry--a little sweetness would throw everything off badly. I personally think it would be better with turkey sandwiches the day after. A good, dry riesling would be a fine match as well as a variety of other whites with good body. I'd avoid thin sauvignon blancs, pinot grigio, and pinot gris.

If you're looking for reds, look for light to medium bodied, easy on the tannins and moderate alcohol levels. Pinot noir is ideal in this regard but the abnormally high prices might scare you away if you've got a big crowd. Beaujolais, just to the south of Burgundy, offers similar style wines at better prices. Look for a Beauj village for a higher quality wine than the normal plonk. Other varietals that would work nicely would be a syrah/shiraz made in a softer style or from cooler climates. A big aussie shiraz is too much but a Washington state version might be nice. Zinfandel is a classic pairing partly because it goes well with the most difficult dish, the cranberry sauce. Again, watch out for the higher alcohol versions that California tends to produce. They could easily overpower the food and get auntie a little too tipsy. Other stuff that might work: tame merlot, Rhone-style blends or a nice, dry rose.

In the Times wine column this week, the contributors argue over what makes a good pairing. You can read that here if you really want to know more. It looks like the SF Chronicle hasn't posted the new wine section yet so look for it in a day or two.

Beer
Lore has it that the pilgrims on the Mayflower landed where they did because they ran out of beer and had to land to make more. I'm not too sure about that but when in doubt, beer is usually more versatile than wine with food pairings. The sheer number of beer styles and relatively low acid levels dictates this. The brothers at Beeravocate.com certainly think so too. Their annual "drink beer with turkey" column can be found here. Fuller flavored and higher alcohol yet not too dark or strong ales are ideal. Avoid too much hops and look for a nice dry finish. Their suggestion of Ommegang Rare Vos is about as good as I can think of right now.

As for after dinner drinks, the trick is finding counterpoints to the sweet and rich flavors. Dough-y fruit pies can handle a moderately sweet drink while savory desserts might like a sweeter touch for balance. Like flavors also work well, consider pumpkin pie with pumpkin ale. I don't personally care for either but it would be pretty tasty if you want to go into pumpkin overload. One year we had a lambic with the pies and that worked well with the sweet fruit and whipped cream flavors. A dessert wine like a tawny port or muscat are fairly versatile with chocolates and heavier dessert flavors. Apple pie and something like a white port would work nicely.

One rule I try to keep to through all of this is to keep to the spirit of this uniquely American holiday by keeping the ingredients and beverages domestic. With some exceptions, you can find domestic producers for each of the types of wines/beers mentioned above.

Above all, enjoy the day and eat lots.

Night before turkey stock

2005-11-16T11:06:00.000-08:00

Here is my recipe for turkey stock that can be used in the stuffing, gravy and the potential turkey soup a few days later.

You will need:

-gizzards and neck from the bird
-onion
-carrots
-one or two garlic cloves
-herbs: thyme, parsely, sage, bay leaf, rosemary if you want.
-Salt and pepper
-cheesecloth and twine

Remove the gizzards and neck from the bird. If you can stomach it or paid attention in biology, discard the liver, it doesn't taste so good.

Peel and quarter an onion.

Peel carrot and cut into big chunks.

Peel and roughly smash garlic.

Wrap all the solids in cheesecloth, tie it up and put in a pot with a quart to two quarts of water.

Bring to boil and simmer for at least 2 hours. Skim the greyish foam off the top now and again.

Remove the bundle of stuff after 4-5 hours and discard. Save the neck for my grandfather if you want to get on his good side. (Seriously, last year I froze it for him and at Christmas I wrapped it up and gave it to him with his presents. He loved it!)

Reduce the stock further if wanted or refrigerate overnight. Before re-heating, the fat can be skimmed off the top. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add some to your stuffing to moisten things up, use as the base for your gravy and whatever is left makes a good start for soup make from the turkey carcass.

Thanksgiving eating guide

2005-11-16T10:16:00.000-08:00

I love Thanksgiving--It's a thursday holiday so you (or at least most people) get the benefit of a 4 day weekend, you get to see family you normally don't, it's uniquely american, and most important, the focus is on eating. As we head into the holiday, I wanted to put some thoughts and comments down on the dishes and the preparation for y'all to browse and get in the mood. This first segment covers food, another will take care of wine/beer pairings.

Turkey, stuffing, potatoes, cranberry sauce and pie. These staples of the meal can be a challenge for the cook. Like the guitar, bass, drums and vocals of a rock band, they are standardized but not every band can make a record you want to buy. The key is in finding the right preparation techniques for your skill level, budget, kitchen and the tastes of your crowd. I thrived for the first twenty years of my life on the basic preparations done to a high level of quality by my Grandmother. The preparation was basically the same every year but no one minded--it was so damn good. When times changed and my parents began hosting, the rules changed. We still had the basics down but with some small changes that reflected my mothers quest for moist turkey meat and a crispy skin, my love of pancetta, and the bounty of herbs from dad's garden.

The following collection of hints, tips and recipes should guide you through the holiday whether your role is host, guest bringing a side dish or head glutton. Feel free to add your own tips or advice in the comments section.

Epicurious is an online collection of recipes and used to be a TV show though I haven't seen it lately. They had this hot scottish lady named "Ish" who hosted but that's not important now. What is is their wonderful round-up of techniques and recipes found here.

My stand-bys, the SF Chronicle and NY Times each have their own coverage with recipes and whatnot. Every single newspaper in the country has their own coverage this week so browse around.

In addition, Gourmet, Cook's Illustrated, Food and Wine and whatnot all have turkey issues on newstands now. Go get 'em if you need 'em.

Thoughts and comments:
For me, the ultimate thanksgiving moment is that first forkful of turkey, stuffing, potato and gravy all together. The flavors play off each other so nicely it's hard to resist. Getting to this point is a long process though. Using the above professional advice and the below ruminations, you'll be over-eating in no time.

The Bird: To brine or not to brine? I've brined many things in my day but have never found a pot big enough to brine a turkey in. Or at least not a turkey the size we need for our large gathering. Cook's illustrated is pro-brine most of the time and are no exception here. Then again, I've had too many excellent un-brined birds that I don't consider it vital. If you have the time and the means, go ahead. If not, don't worry about it, just keep an eye on temperature to avoid over-cooking.

Stuffing: This is where the meal is made in my opinion. Stuffing (when in the bird) and dressing (cooked separately) can enhance the flavor of the turkey, the potatoes and the sandwiches the next day. I'm in favor of the stuffing and the bird enhancing eachother. Hence, the stuffing should be moist and flavorful and not be packed too tight in the cavity. Plenty of butter and stock (I usually make some the night before with the gizzards, wing tips, onion, carrot and herbs) in the stuffing will keep it from drawing moisture from the meat though it will absorbs some, enhancing it's flavor. The past few years, I've spun the old sausage stuffing recipe with pancetta instead. The fat binds the other ingredients together while the salty pork bits add a nice element to the mix.

Gravy is a must. It glues the bird, stuffing and potatoes together on your fork for the delicious deliciousness that the meal is all about. The stock made the night before is the ideal liquid to use for deglazing the roasting pan because at that point you have so much going on that the last thing you need is to mess with wine, gizzards, herbs and cutting onions. Simply drain most of the fat out of the pan, put over a hot stove, deglaze with stock (keeping the large bits of browned meat and skin), toss in some salt and pepper, maybe a sprig of thyme or something and reduce. Thicken with your favorite thickening agent just before serving.

Potatoes are simple yet wonderful sponges for the flavors of the othe dishes. I prefer regular mashed potatoes as the final element of the loaded forkful. Please get the lumps out and use salt, butter and whole milk. This is a holiday folks, you can put your diet on hold.

Sides
I'm usually too full to bother much with side dishes but they provide a nice counterpoint to the savory foursome and essential vitamins as well.
Sweet potatoes are a nice side but can we please do without marshmallows? This isn't the fifties and hipster ironic retro-ism doesn't necessarily taste good. Same goes for creamed anything. Green bean casserole on the other hand, now that's a tasty throwback!

Cranberry Sauce: As much as I'm in favor of fresh ingredients and preparation, there's something about canned cranberry sauce that I'm a sucker for. Especially when it sits on the table in the same shape as when it came out of the can. I don't really eat it but I just love looking at it. Fancier cran dressing recipes abound if you must. I don't bother mostly because I don't care too much for it. Sorry.

Pies!
Just when you thought it was safe to go into food coma, the pies come out and with a quick loosening of the belt and a deep breath, you're back in your seat, fork in hand. For me, home-made pies, no matter how poorly made, are always better than store bought for the experience. When in doubt, put more whipped cream or ice cream on top and you're good to go. I'm not much for baking though so I'll leave it at that.

Robert Parker, Ratings and "Good" Wine

2005-11-16T09:50:00.000-08:00

So I finally finished the biography of Robert Parker ("The Emperor of Wine") and though better informed, I am just as conflicted about his role in the wine world as I was before. The author, Elin McCoy, is an experienced writer in both the wine industry as well as travel, parenting and even children's lit. She has known Parker, somewhat casually, since his first forays into wine criticism in the early 80's. She was briefly his editor but mostly a colleague in the industry; writing on similar topics for different publications but rarely in direct competition. She spent some time touring vineyards and tasting with him for the book but otherwise doesn't seem to be a buddy of his nor an enemy.

The book starts as a straightforward narrative of his life, his rise to the top of the world wine critics hierarchy and the results of his influence. I read these sections slowly, engaged but not glued to the pages. The last section of the book finally gets into the controversies his opinions and the reactions of producers, other writers and various other people to them. This part was most enthralling because I struggle on a daily basis with his ratings and favorite wines. The wine shop I work in relies heavily on ratings as a basis for choosing our portfolio. Though we use ratings from a variety of sources, Parker and his Wine Advocate get the lion's share. When customers ask for my advice, the rating is a large factor in determining quality and taste. Lately, this has taken an interesting twist.

Last week the latest issue of Advocate came out and as usual, retailers pored over its pages, calling distributors to make orders for whatever wines were featured. We were lucky to some cases of wines that others may have missed out on. While producing the bin labels for these wines, I became excited to try them; Parkers descriptions are notoriously enthusiastic and full of exuberance. The image in my mind (and palate) of one wine in particular was great, it earned 93 points at just 18 bucks. I couldn't wait to try it and bought two bottles for myself without having tried them.

A few days later, we did try it and I was reminded that Parker and I don't always agree. This wine was hugely alcoholic with strong dried fruit flavors that were more appropriate in a dessert wine than an innocent looking table wine. No where in his description were warnings of this. Even if you are familiar with his preferred style, you'd never guess how it would taste. I, having had issues with this in the past, shouldn't have been surprised but this wine was simply beyond typical. Even the store owner and manager, each with more tasting experience than I, were surprised.

Out of these experiences, I realized that Parker is a in general a force for good, in that he encourages producers to update their techniques and equipment to produce overall better quality wine. His vineyard travels led him to become a sort of consultant, preaching that grapes should be picked at peak ripeness, methods should extract maximum color and flavor, and that filtering and fining are bad, bad, bad. This had the effect of improving quality but also of somewhat homogenizing wines into a typical style to suit his influential taste. This is the main contention of his critics.

This all brings me to the usefulness of ratings. Everything in the store has to be rated 85 points or more before we even consider carrying it. The price on the shelf corresponds; a low rated wine rarely costs more than 12 bucks. Our best finds are the 90+ pointers that cost less than 20. We actually have a good amount of these and feature them in the top 10. When customers browse, they use the ratings as indicators of quality if they aren't familiar with the wine.

When tasting wines in consideration for sale at the store, we give our own ratings. Generally, we end up agreeing, within a couple of points, with the rating it already earned. Personally, I prefer to rate without knowledge of the professional rating as a measure of how well I taste but that isn't always possible. Even then however, we are usually in the same range. Objectivity is key; just because I don't like chardonnay very much, I have to suspend my personal preferences in order to accurately rate based on presence of flaws and overall quality. I then use these criteria when giving advice to customers. When asked if the rating is really that important, I respond that as a marker of quality, it is. As a matter of taste, that is up to the drinker.

So all this leads back to my gripe with Parker. His ratings are very good indicators of quality but also belie his preferences and if you believe some of his critics, his relationship with the producer or region. I personally prefer the ratings of the Wine Spectator or Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar for their more (but not totally) obejective stance. I find that I prefer subtlety in wine rather than the full flavored bigness that Parker enjoys. My tastes better match these publications than Parker's.

To sum up, if you're looking to decipher the ratings code or the influence of parker, don't rely on the word of someone else as the decision maker. Rely on ratings as indicators of overall quality, not how much you'll like something. If you don't like shiraz, don't buy it no matter how good the rating/price proportion is. You still won't like it. Base your decision on what you like, your price range and only then factor in ratings.

Make your own Bacon!

2005-11-10T17:11:00.000-08:00

This would be a lot of fun to try. If anyone gets a chance, let us know how it went.

Maybe on my next day off...

We're cutting edge!

2005-11-09T08:52:00.000-08:00

This article, if written about Boston, would highlight Vino di Vino. The style and focus described here is basically what we're all about. However, we're ahead of the curve in this part of the world.

Po-po-po-polenta

2005-11-02T07:25:00.000-08:00

Mr. Minimal makes polenta and he makes it seem easy. His point is that it's easy to do but most people never try it because it seems difficult. I'm one of those people. Then of course there's the issue of what to do with it.

I had a polenta dish in padova that was a polenta cake wedge with a sausage patty and braised greens on top. It was delicious and extremely simple. Just like most Italian food.

ciao,
Matteo

The saddest entry so far.

2005-11-02T07:18:00.000-08:00

A warehouse fire in Cali. destroys thousands of cases of wine. Small wineries devasted by loss of stock, library wines lost and worst of all, it was probably arson.

New(er) link

2005-10-28T12:22:00.000-07:00

This blog is by my friend Molly who is living, working and raising her son William out in CO. The subject is her daily travails as a working mom. Her perspective is interesting as she has a graduate degree in art history but works in insurance; is very worldly but due to circumstances finds herself dwelling on the minutiae of her life; is young at heart though not as young as William.

Check it out.

Malbec

2005-10-25T19:54:00.000-07:00

Ok Karl, here you go, the quick and dirty on malbec:

Malbec is a grape varietal most commonly associated with Argentina in the modern world of wine. The grape does very well in the climate there and produces deep, rich wines that offer complexity, bold flavor and a somewhat unique element to the Argentine wine industry.

Malbec, however was originally a grape best known for fickleness in the Bourdeaux region of France. Along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and petit verdot, it was one of the grape types used in the typical red wine blends of the region. It was a difficult grape for the climate however and normally didn't get enough sun and heat to fully ripen, limiting its use in blends. When the phyloxera blight struck the wineyards of Europe, Malbec, along with everything else, suffered. During the recovery however, it wasn't really replanted since most growers were aware of it's limits. There is still some malbec in bourdeaux but it is rare and the success of the regions wines without it means it isn't missed.

Argentina imported the variety before the blight and was mostly unaffected by it. The Malbec grown here has done very well, benefitting from a more favorable climate and found a home where it is appreciated. As the industry there grows, drinkers are becoming more aware of the wines made from Malbec and are taking notice of the full flavors and exceptional values. I usually think geographically when it comes to food pairings so how about grilled flank steak with a hearty mole marinade?

Shape magazine and the feminine image

2005-10-25T19:07:00.000-07:00

So I have two female roommates and often they leave women's magazines laying around the place. Unfortunately, most of them are celebrity gossip rags that actually raise my blood pressure and make me ashamed to be human but there's always the occasional cosmo, glamour or other crap that at least has good pictures and entertainingly weird articles. Recently though, I picked up Shape magazine and was appalled by the contents. A quick browse gave the appearance that it exists just to make women feel bad about themselves.

A multi-volume lexicon could begin to address the issue of women and their self awareness and I'm no expert but this mag is blatantly bad. The content seemed geared towards creating a lifestyle bereft of pleasures from consumption in favor of rigidly controlling ones intake, habits and pleasures in the name of a small tummy and cute outfits. As a dude, I'm supposed to be all in favor of hot, fit chicks but as a foodie, I'm completely unnerved by the lack of sense in many of the advice given. If one were to base their life on this mag, rice cakes, fruits, veg and spring water would be all that you ate in-between workouts you perform while wearing cute outfits. Your sex life would be without passion and might actually be regimented for maximum calorie burn and you'd have to find a job where stress is either non-existent or yoga is readily available to combat it.

If one were to follow every tip in the magazine, your life would be regulated in a manner that would frighten Orwell. One of the letters to the editor illustrates this as the writer complains that in a single issue, there is conflicting advice over how often to work out. One article recommends taking a day off in between, another reccomends taking just one day off a week. As the response clarified, the poor reader didn't know that she was supposed to follow just one workout regimen at a time, writing: "I am disappointed that such a reputable magazine would provide the contradictory information about abdominal exercises..." This reader was naive enough to take each article as gospel, dedicated enough to try to follow each word of advice and serious enough about getting results that she wrote the letter. Having read enough of this issue, I can only understand her confusion and anguish.

Consider the following feature article, "7 diet Rules You Must Break." A few of the rules are:

-"If it's mealtime, you should eat--even if you're not hungry." The comments that follow include the following tip to help break this rule, "maintain a hunger journal along with your food diary." I once thought about a food diary but it was to help me remember especially good meals I've had, not revolve my life around caloric intake. According to this, recording what you ate isn't good enough, you also need to record when you were hungry. Do you use the same notebook or get a separate one? Should it be lined or blank? What colors would be best to match my cute outfits? Oh, and speaking of contradiction, later in this article a sidebar appears with rules you should "really" live by. Number one is to eat breakfast daily. But what if I'm not hungry?

-I shouldn't waste food when others in the world are starving. If that is your justification for over-eating, you don't need a magazine, you need a doctor.

-Never refuse food offered to you by well-meaning hosts. This is my favorite. The dangers, it says, is that "giving in at work, family gatherings or home led to taking in just 500 extra calories a week, your weight could increase by .5 pound per month." (month is italicized, grammar is questionable) I'm sorry but is half a pound a month really that serious? The payoff between enjoying oneself with friends and family, respecting the effort others put in to provide tasty treats for you and, forbid the thought, actually taking pleasure from eating is worth half a frickin' pound. Spend an extra half hour at the gym or doing crunches in your cute outfit if need be but don't limit your enjoyment because you're worried about a few ounces that may occur if you're not eternally vigilant. The advice to break this rule is even more absurd: "Find ways to bond with people in your life that don't revolve around food. For example, celebrate a birthday with a sunrise hike or by participating in a 5k run to benefit your favorite charity." I'm beyond comment at this point.

So, to sum up, I don't understand women. If this is what women read and take advice from, I'd be surprised if women understood women or even their own motivations. In fact, I think the editors of this magazine are purposefully trying to confuse women in order to increase the sale of cute exercise outfits. After all, the best reason to follow a draconian, self-imposed diet and exercise regimen is to fit into the cute outfits that are featured in each workout feature. They are just the cutest!

new link, winesmartypants.com

2005-10-25T17:19:00.000-07:00

This (other) wine and food blog is authored by a Boston Wine industry guy we do a lot of business with at VdV. Chris is a great guy and a terrific distributor rep. He knows our system and does his research beforehand to cater to our needs and requisites. His blog is mostly wine based though his wife will be doing some food articles. Given his experience in the industry, y'all could learn alot from what he has to say.

occasional wine picks

2005-10-25T14:46:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Karl and his innocent query, "Any good new recommendations?"

Best buy: La mazet by moulin de gassac. should be about 8-10 bucks. A typical red blend from the pays d'oc (syrah, cinsault, grenache, carignan). Nice with mixed grill.

If you're looking to spend a little more: Allegrini Palazzo della Torre 2000, $22. Sort of valpolicellas illegitimate child, this big boy will keep your hearty autumn dishes in line. Think beef stews with tomatoes, osso buco, hearty bolognese.

Cool producer: Torbreck, Australia. Met the winemaker last week. His wines aren't cheap but are very good. Try the "Descendant" shiraz if you can find it. It's got 8% viognier (a white variety) that turns the familiar aussie shiraz style into something deliciously different.

Token white: Gessami Gramona, a spanish blend of sauv blanc and muscat. Pleasantly dry and crisp with a nice tropical fruit edge to keep things interesting.

Hot italian variety: nero d'avola. sicilian, cheap, tasty with italian fare.

Hot region for good, approachable reds: Jumilla in spain. Look for bodegas olivares alto de la hoya monastrell 2003 or finca luzon 2003. both loads of fruit, decent structure, very good companion.

Ahead of the crowd: reds from the douro region of portugal. this is the port region and many of these reds are made with the same grapes as port but are fermented dry to make very nice table wines that are great with food. they can be slightly pricey but I predict they will be even more so soon.

Potted meat, the museum...

2005-10-20T10:15:00.000-07:00

Click at your own risk as there are many unusual and unfortunate things done to meat within these pages.

Hat tip to Gabe for the link.

How to make wine, the comic book version

2005-10-18T17:03:00.000-07:00

Too bad I didn't start this path that young...

2005-10-18T16:59:00.000-07:00

A 20 year old with a sophisticated sense of taste, thorough knowledge of viticulture and the support of the industry. I'd like to taste what he's making know and would be very interested to see how he's doing in 20 years.

The devil lady is back

2005-10-18T16:48:00.000-07:00

ARgh. Rachel Ray has a 4 page piece in the NYT. I only got as far as one page.

At least the picture is about as unflattering as can get. The bizarre pose, the flash x-raying her shirt, perfect.

new editorial philosphy

2005-10-18T16:41:00.000-07:00

I missed last wednesdays food section coverage due to busyness on other fronts and a general feeling that the feature is boring. Starting tomorrow, I'm going to scan the usual sections and others and simply link to those I find interesting. That way the task is broken up into more manageable pieces for me and less cluttered for you.

bu-bye,
Matt

Wednesday, 10\5

2005-10-05T12:30:00.000-07:00

NYT: You know the conventional wisdom on English food? Apparently so does the Times. The lead article is on English cuisine and honest, it can be good. I have no doubt that there are fine restaurants in England, particularly London. However, I can only imagine this assignment wasn't regarded too highly.

Speaking of English, Nigella tells us how to bake. Is she still a featured columnist here? I thought she went away.

Further on down is mention of a new chef memoir that has attracted the ire of many people featured in its pages. The author conveniently blames being greek for his transgression. Meanwhile, Mr Minimal takes on the grand ingredient, escarole, which I think would be funny to bring to a bank and try to deposit. Finally, an article examines the impact of the hurricanes on the Gulf fisheries. Prognosis not good.

In wine, the panel sits around and drinks some Portugese table wines, particularly those made in the Duoro. Many of these are made with the same grapes as port but are fermented dry as table wines. We've got one in the store and its a big seller. For something a little different, seek one out and you'll be pleased.

SF Chronicle: The Chronicle takes a practical look at the many quick meals columns in food magazines and sees which ones work best and are actually do-able in the time listed. I like this idea because it is possible to make a good meal in half an hour or so but often these sort of things are stretched beyond reason.

A profile of Chuck Williams, the man who founded Williams-sonoma, should be a nice read for anyone who is planning to marry, recently got married or is addicted to spending ridiculous amounts of money on kitchen stuff that in most cases, they'll rarely use.

Etc: Canola oil mayos are better than imagined. Restaurants need additional staffing. Hooray, souffle. Some japanese guy has a new seafood book, its a "prized catch". A travel piece touches down in the French countryside in Bergerac. If you're wondering why that sounds familiar, it's where Cyrano was 'de'.

Ok, the wine section is not updated on the food page but is if you click on it. The feature is on fancy cocktails crafted at some of the Bays restaurants. The tasting is Cali. Viogniers matched with pan-seared fish with fancy salsa. Oh, great, yet another mention of vacherin fribourgeois, man I am so sick of hearing about that cheese! Finally the bargain bin compares syrah and pinot noir.

off topic fun with words

2005-09-28T09:50:00.000-07:00

I'd like to point out the unintentional humor in the
current yankees pitching rotation:
Small, Johnson, Moose, Wang, Chacon (pronounced
"shakin'"?)

That's the best since Toronto starter Bush was
followed by reliever League in a rout by the red sox
earlier this season.

A Lesson on Terroir

2005-09-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

Ever since I started paying attention to the finer points of wine and food, I've come across the notion of terroir and the endless arguments over its value. Simply defined, terroir is the impact of microclimate, soil, care and voodoo that makes growing things, particularly wine, taste a way that is different than the exact same thing grown a hundred miles, or a hundred yards away. The dispute is over how important this is though I don't see how. There are certainly ways of diminishing its effects in order to homogenize flavors and characteristics but when fruits and veggies are simply grown with minimal impact, the character of the environment will show for good or bad. It is what makes us prefer foods and drinks from certain places whether we're talking cheese, wine, coffee or beef. Last week, I got a lesson on terroir from a French wine producer who is a believer in the importance of place.

Gerard Bertrand is a winemaker in the Pays d'Oc, the part of France bordering Spain on the Mediterranean coast. He was at the tasting with his US importer/distributor to try to sell his wines to retail outlets and restaurants in the Boston area. His passion for the wine is clear; he practically grew up making wine, detouring briefly to play professional rugby but now is a full time wine guy. The tasting wasn't very crowded so I had a chance to linger with each wine and talk to him about them.

He releases wines under several labels but the ones that caughty my interest were the estate bottlings (all of the grapes came from specific vineyards) that came from three different sections of the Pays d'Oc: Minervois, Corbieres and Languedoc. Each was a similar blend of the typical grapes of the region: Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and occasionally, Mourvedre. The different estates in the different regions produced wines that reflected the differences in climates, elevation and soil. With him providing details, I was able to pick out the effect of sea breezes vs. mountain air, clay soil vs, gravel, low-lying valleys versus hillsides. All these things were there because he took care to preserve them. His reserve estate bottlings, which were produced in small batches from grapes grown in single parcels were even more impressive.

The terroir debate rages on in the wine world (see the film "Mondo Vino" for an argument against the universalization of flavor) but I was lucky enough to hear one man's argument for why his few acres in the south of France were so important the wine he makes. To him, the wine isn't made to suit a style or taste but it is a representation of the place it comes from. One can see this in more than just wine. Taste the difference in olives grown in different places or apples from a local orchard in October versus the shiny perfect ones from the supermarket. As an extreme example, look at the perfect form and flavor of hydroponically grown produce versus the stuff you might grow in your own yard. You'll notice both benefits and shortcomings to terroir inflected foods but the important thing is that things taste different in different places. Without it, there would be no joy in eating fresh, local corn in the summer, fresh caught fish or wine made in small batches by hand with minimal impact from production. Simply, life would be less exciting if everything we eat tasted the same day in and day out.

Last wednesday of Sept.

2005-09-28T08:44:00.000-07:00

NYT: The Jewish high holidays are upon us; customers at my work are increasingly requesting kosher wine and the Times lead article is on Kugel. I had to first figure out what kugel was to understand the article. It is some sort of savory treat often served during the holidays, a sort of pudding?

Not much else going on today. A chef likes onions, the Minimalist makes singapore style shrimp and the humble simplicities of a pantry meal are celebrated. This time of year is also football season so it's time for the annual tailgate recipe article which certain readers of mine might find interesting...

The Pour focuses on Mt. Eden V'yards in California. Here, it is told, the essence of terroir in the french sense is clearly exhibited.

SF Chronicle: Can I spot a trend or what? Not top but near the top is an article on Kugel in this paper. Further down is another related article to one in the times...

The lead however, belongs to the Tadich Grill, one of SFs oldest and most revered restaurants. Not much else that's too exciting: a greek salad, honoring Autumn squash, John Waynes favorite casserole.

The wine section has turned this Easterners perspective on its head; the lead is on NY state wines. Now that they are available for direct shipment, Californians are taking notice. Interesting... Also, the tasting focus is on russian River Pinots. I like this region for its elegance and subtlety. Not quite the austerely beautiful burgundys or Oregon Pinots but far more restrained than many of the overheated central coast pinots. The wines are paired with a squab and onion compote salad. The bargain wine section brings me back to the Times article with the best tailgating wines. Be careful though, often glass bottles aren't allowed in tailgating areas. Finally, my favorite cocktail column brings us the Stanford. I always enjoy a well made Harvard at my local, perhaps this will become my drink of the future?

Bolognese season is upon us

2005-09-26T17:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday on my day off, I made the cold weather season's first bolognese sauce. Given that Tuesday is my day off and practically no one elses, I have all sorts of time to do this without missing anything. I ate some, froze some and put a little bit in the fridge to eat later this week. Mmmm, mmmmm, mmmm.

I like cold weather food. It takes longer and makes a bigger mess than the grill but I love the concentrated flavors and heartiness of a good braise, stew or roast. Next time maybe I'll invite people over to share with me.

Here's my basic recipe if anyone cares. I made enough to enjoy now and put some away for quick defrost later on. I imagine that it would serve 5-6 people if served all at once. This is just the basic, feel free to improvise.

· Total 2.5 pounds mixed ground meats: veal, beef and pork seasoned with salt and pepper.
· A few ounces of pancetta, soppressata, guanciale or sausage, chopped coarsely into small bits. This adds a little fat and flavor to the meat.
· Brown the meats in a largish, thick-bottomed pot or dutch oven with half butter, half olive oil.
· While this is going on, finely chop a cup of either shallot or white onion and a few cloves of garlic, to your taste.
· Clean and peal a small-medium carrot and grate it finely. I like to grate it so it is absorbed into the sauce and lends a sweet flavor without texture. A sweet pepper finely chopped can fill this role as well.
· Once the meat is done, remove it to a bowl lined with paper towels to capture some, but not all of the grease. Drain off excess grease from the pot and add the onion, garlic, cook until the garlic starts to brown slightly.
· At this point you can add some herbs. I use whatever is fresh: rosemary, sage, maybe some oregano. This is also the time to add dry herbs if you’re using them: basil, oregano, maybe a bay leaf…
· Add a cup or so of dry wine. Bring to a boil and reduce slightly while scraping the brown frond off the bottom of the pot. I usually use a hearty Italian red like a barbera or chianti classico that I’ll end up drinking later with the meal. White would be fine if you have a bottle in the fridge for cookin’.
· Put the meat in the pot and stir together with the aromatics. Add two large cans, two pomi brand boxes or 4 small cans of tomatoes (have an extra small can on hand in case the proportion isn’t right). I use strained or pureed tomatoes as they bring everything together instantly but whole tomatoes, properly broken up and de-stemmed and seeded will work nicely. If sauce looks thin, add some tomato paste to thicken it up. Bring to a burping boil.
· Season with salt and pepper to taste and let simmer for a few hours stirring and sampling occasionally.
· A half hour before serving, add coarsely chopped basil, saving some for garnish.
· Top with grated cheese and serve with pasta. I like thick fettucine or pappardelle but shells or penne hold the chunky sauce well.

This will only get better with time. If you can make it in the morning, it will be great in the evening. Make enough to put some away in the fridge or freezer and it will be only get better.

Variations:
· In the past I’ve used just veal and just lamb. The veal comes out very delicate and requires more butter to cover the lack of fat. The lamb is nice and earthy and likes strong rosemary flavor. Bison would work well instead of beef. Wild boar is a common menu item but not practical for most of us at home.
· I had some dried porcini mushrooms lying around and added them after hydrating them in hot water (add the resulting broth with the wine) and chopping them up pretty finely. They add a nice earthy flavor and soft texture.
· There are versions that use a little cream to thicken the sauce though I avoid it because I don’t think it would keep as well.

Wednesday

2005-09-21T16:54:00.000-07:00

Just the two today:

NYT: Have you heard about Times Select? The online version of NYT is now partially restricted to paying subscribers or home delivery recipients. This mostly affects the Op-Ed pages and archives and the food section is in the clear so don't worry. You still need to register with them but that is still free.

The section today has their occasional "Ales of the Times" column on beer. The focus is on Trappist and abbey style ales from Belgium. Mmmmm. Quick note: only beers from actual abbeys are allowed to be called "Trappist." Beers made in that style have to be called "abbey ale." The pairings column matches monk made cheeses with the beers. I hope they didn't take to long to come up with that one. In the "food stuff" section, there is mention of a couple of new wine shops in NYC that reminded me of where I work and am right now, at work.

Over on the food side, the issue of "hyphenated" chinese cuisine is discussed in the lead article and an accompanying piece highlights a couple of restaurants that do that sort of thing. The Fall Cook gets some pumpkins warmed up. Mr. Minimal goes bonkers with prepacked, peeled cloves of garlic. And finally, a report on the first signs of the recovery of New Orleans' culinary culture.

SF Chronicle: YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!! I frickin' love this paper. The lead is on local restaurants curing their own meats. The wonderful picture that accompanies features a beautiful plate of various cured meats being held by a chef with a tattoo of a butchers diagram of a pig. Did I ever mention that the restaurant I dream of owning would raise its own piggies and have an extensive curing room for all sorts of deliciousness?

Also in the section are articles on other, lesser food items. There's one on romano beans, another on easy breakys and brunches, a similar article on New Orleans chefs picking up the pieces and finally, a local milk shake joint. But you should just stick with the pig.

The wine section features sake. apparently, no one told them sake is a beer, not a wine. duh. Everyone knows that. The pairing is fried green tomato sandwiches, the cheese is Vermont Cheddar and the tastings are Cali. Pinto Grigios. Still. I obviously have yet to figure out when this section updates.

what I'm reading

2005-09-15T08:29:00.000-07:00

Hi,
Adam at VdV gave me "Emperor of Wine" to read. It is a profile of Robert Parkers rise to the top of the wine game and his impact on the way wine is made and criticized. It is surprisingly fascinating, at least to me. I'm only part way through but I'll let you know how it turns out (I think the butler did it).

I also recently finished "My First Crush" by Alison Kaplans mom Linda. She and her husband bought a winery in Oregon and moved out from Iowa back about ten years ago. She had very little wine knowledge at the time and the book chronicles her entrance into the industry and the many adventures they had along the way. It's a fun little read though it is probably targeted more to women who may find themselves perplexed by the wine world and want a non-technical introduction as it is informative to those with little wine knowledge beyond the basics. Sidebars provide in-depth information on production and tasting factors that are mentioned in the text.

2005-09-15T08:16:00.000-07:00

A day late but here it is:

NYT: Not very much going on this week in food section land. The Times in particular is pretty slow and resembles the travel section. They lead with a piece on how great a job chefs are doing in Sydney and move right along to the efforts of restaurants in Iceland to woo American tourists. Other features cover the difficulty of raw food preparation (cooking?), a wine guy who gets a new job and a listing of available wine education programs in the city. Mr. Minimal makes it worthwhile by providing an excellent twist on grilled steak as a last hurrah for summer grilling.

SF Chronicle: This section too is a little light on content this week. The lead is a profile of a morroccan chef who likes tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. The next biggest piece is on the grand kitchen tool known as the melon baller. Someone else tells you how to roast salmon, frozen green beans are compared and that's about it.

The wine section picks up some slack with a nice piece on pairing wines with notoriously difficult foods to pair with. It does a good job but there comes a time when you should just forego wine and drink water or something else for a course. The focus column is on Cali. Pinots Gris and Grigio, the bargains are whites after labor day. The cheese is irish Gubban. The cocktail is still beertails.

I've got to figure out when they change the wine column because it is quite confusing if you go to the section after wednesday and there are some new things but not all.

Again, no guest column this week, I've got a few things on my to do list that need taking care of.

Wednesday

2005-09-07T12:18:00.000-07:00

Oops, it's been a couple of weeks. My bad.

NYT: I'm going to break tradition and mention restaurant review and related articles here and talk about the main feature on the Times today. It is a preview of the NYC restaurant scene for the "Fall and beyond" which will undoubtedly have an impact on restaurants throughout the country. I'm not naive enough to consider NY to be the marker that chefs and restarateurs across the country abide by but you have to admit that there is certainly influence. Most of the other articles also discuss the industry so I'm stuck anyway. In one, we find a chef who took a healthier approach to his menu after suffering a heart attack. Another reports the effort to improve the quality of table location in some restaurants. A very interesting, though predictably liberal, article discusses how the faces in todays best restaurants are nearly as homogenously white as they were 50 years ago.

Wines of the Times taste a selection of Languedoc wines. The d'oc, in southern france, produces a whole lot of wine that varies in quality but is far more diverse and wallet friendly than the better known French appelations. Florence does the honor of pairing duck and cassoulet with these wines. Suddenly, I'm very much looking forward to cold weather cuisine. Speaking of which, the Minimalist makes a late summer salad. Get out those sweaters and put away the short shorts, it's almost time to start braising! On second thought, keep the short shorts out...

SF Chronicle: Sometimes you're tempted to think that this whole foodie thing is a product of recent generations who were exposed to better and tastier things as a result of greater income and exposure to the world. The Gate reminds us that the legacy is in fact long and full. The lead articles are about the food and beverage history of San Fran and its impact on the nations taste. Good stuff. Thankfully, as far as the running theme of this column goes, they feature a picture of a farm stand from the 40's.

Speaking of farmers markets, another article relates the prevalence of native European produce in Bay area markets. In addition, memories of an orchards bounty prep readers for the Fall.

The lead wine article highlights the wines made by Napa vintner Cathy Corison who eschews the Parker influenced high alcohol wines in favor of more drinkable, subtle wines. Good for her. She has my full support. The selection reviews are Sonoma AVA (an American attempt at appelations) Cabernet Sauvignons. They are paired with "Oklahoma beef wellington," a sort of meatloaf sandwich made as a single unit. The cheese is Toma Piemontese, a DOP cheese (again with appelations, sheesh!) from, uh, the Piedmont. The cocktail column is about beertails. Proceed with caution.

Lastly, an article discusses the losses to the American menu caused by the hurricane. If the way people eat is an idication of how we're doing then the recovery of New Orleans will be interesting to view in this regard. I was in New Orleans while in college and we spent as much time planning our next meal as anything else. We ate crawfish in a join that was little more than a shack, had jambalaya at Mothers, beignets from that place whose name I forget, po' boys from an anonymous neighborhood sandwich shop, browsed the market for cajun spices and hot sauces and even had 'gator burritos. It was a great experience and I send my most earnest best wishes to all those who lost so much.

I'm going to forego a guest spot this week. I've run out of major papers to use and spent a lot of time with the above. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know.

Thanks for reading.

Wed. RU

2005-08-24T12:35:00.000-07:00

NYT: Continuing with the farm fresh theme, the top article today is about fresh produce from local sources appearing on university cafeteria menus. I'm fairly certain that never happened when I was in school. The second one down sings the praises of the modern toaster oven. With access to my roommates convection toaster oven, I second the sentiment--they are pretty cool. The minimalist makes gazpacho out of salsa, I think by simply spelling it differently. Fresh dates, which are in season, are celebrated. Time now for someone to make a joke about me not having any dates.

The wine tasters sample 25 sicilian reds. Sicily is an interesting wine region. Unlike most of Italy, they don't look to the past for guidance but rather they are willing to experiment with different grapes and techniques and make what works. Read this article. Florence Fabricant fabricates a pasta with tuna to match the wines.

SF Chronicle: I think I just fell in love. Check out the cheese chick! The top article is about an artisanal cheesemaker and has a photo of the delicious looking young lady and a wheel of cheese she made. Other top articles lament the abundance of zucchini in home gardens, a cook grills dinner for simplicity, an Austrian Jam wins a contest and Betty Crocker can get a date...but I can't.

The wine section focuses on affordability: bargain burgundies and inexpensive cabs that deliver the rich suppleness that defines the more expensive bottles. The regional focus is on Russian River valley (again?), the cheese is sierra nevada cream cheese and halibut is on the chardonnay pairing menu. Spirits column is about a $650 cocktail. I've been seeing lots of articles of this sort lately. Who cares? If some swank gin joint can actually find someone willing to pay that much for a few ounces of liquid, more power to them but it is extremely unnecessary.

Charlotte Observer: We'll be staying down south for the guest spot this week, taking a trip to Charlotte, either north or south Carolina. I can never remember which.

At first glance, the section looks pretty slim. It has a nice layout and look, including some excellent foodtography but only two major headers. A closer look reveals more content than originally thought though some of it is listed in the "other news" section at the bottom. I reckon these are either older articles or some such.

The content is pretty good. The lead article is a back to school feature on pack lunches beyond PBJ. The second main header is about sushi and includes a bevy of articles on where to go, what to try the first time, wines to match, etc. I like it when a common theme ties together a series of articles. The rest of the articles, both listed above and in the "other" section appear to be columns.

Ah crap, I just noticed that you need a login to read the articles. I hate that. I'm going to have to start registering for these things and maybe creating a gluttons club account for y'all to use. I start with it next week after I have time to consult with my lawyers.

Local farmer makes good

2005-08-17T20:47:00.000-07:00

This article is about my friend Molly's local organic producer. In an age of mega farms, genetic veg and vast acreage of supermarkets full of processed foods, it's always good to see the local farm honored.

Thanks for the tip, Molly.

Wednesday Round up 8/17

2005-08-17T13:15:00.000-07:00

NYT: Lobster may be nice but the littler crustacaens that sorta look and taste like lobster are even better. On the other hand, they look even more like bugs. Capitan Minimalismo makes the most out of earful. Ferran Adria, the spanish innovator has teamed up with Lays potato chips of all products. In the stuff section, a simple string saves the day. The rest is restaurant news which I avoid.

The tastings wine column tackles the difficult choice of wine to serve with assertively spiced foods. Bubbly does well.

SF Chronicle: The lead article celebrates the aioli. A mobil station is celebrated?! A New Jersey native remembers the produce of summers past. Blanching gets its due. Fruit is 'tarted' up (that one never gets old). And finally, a very specially focused tasting of toasted sesame oils.

In wine, there is a persistent article on a family vineyard in Amador going through turbulent times. This article has been around for a while but is still listed at top. I'm confused. Otherwise, the tasting is of Washington state Merlots and a related article on drinking merlot despite the sentiments of "Sideways". The cheese, it's a british sheeps milk cheese; the pairing, it's bean dip. The spirits is same as last week, I think...the wine section seems to be on a different schedule, I'll try to sort this out during the week.

Times Picayune (New Orleans): An old friend who used to live in Nawlins reminded me of this paper the other day. While its hot up here, let's visit the big easy to be reminded of what hot and humid is all about.

The section is pretty straightforward with no pictures and simple navigation. The main column lists the feature articles with summary sentences. The nav bar has archived articles and dining and bar guides. They too have a thursday food section so we'll report on last week.

Leading things off is a series of articles inspired by the recent hurricane activity. With power outages causing food spoilage, topics related to how long food can last at what temperature are addressed as well as how to make the most of the food before it goes bad. I like that they devote the focus of the section to this. Very informative and important, especially with many more big storms forecasted for this year.

In other topics, a home cooking column lists the best of readers recipes, advice on canning summers bounty, and The Rock makes burgers (loose interpretation).

I like the section though it lacks distinct wine/beer/liquor articles. The topics relevent to the area are addressed and reader input is valued. New Orleans is known for boths its high and low cuisines so I sort of expected more restaurant coverage but then again I don't comment on that so what do I care?

This is why I switched from beer to wine professionally

2005-08-16T08:30:00.000-07:00

There is such greater income potential with wine than there might ever be with beer.

MEATSTOCK IV

2005-08-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

MEATSTOCK IV was last night and in the annals of MEATSTOCK history, it will go down as the most high-tech, the wettest and the most controversial.

The menu this year saw a good range of meats from the usual bbq ribs to the exotic ostrich and goat. Bentley and Rose’s pork with not-so-secret marinade was a popular favorite while Sean went exotic with ostrich and buffalo burgers. The goat was nice for the novelty but less nice for the flavor and texture. Lesson learned on that point. Freshly shorn Mike and Xandra provided a big ole hunk of pork that took most of the night to cook and unfortunately wasn’t ready until everyone was too stuffed to eat any more. I’ll make a nice lunch or two out of it. The variety of other meats were delicious and I’m sorry I can’t mention them all. This is a blog, not an essay.

Stretching the definition of MEATSTOCK, we saw the first ever seafood entries in shrimp on the barbie and few salmon steaks. Though their legitimacy was debated, there was little hesitation to eat them.

To wash it down, CBC Pale was in the keg, sangria from homemade wine was in the pitcher and a variety of bottles from Sam light to de Koninck filled the cooler.

This year MEATSTOCK entered the modern age with actual electric appliances enhancing the entertainment. Bentley brought a utility light, his ipod outdoor setup and a long extension cord. The novelty of being able to actually see the horseshoe stakes and to hear a selection of music was terrific. Despite late night tyranny over the play list, it was a major reason for the success of the night.

The horseshoes were flying as intense matches brought perennial tossers Bentley and Ballog back to the pits while Andy and first time MSer Steve impressed the crowd with their skills. Your host even managed to sneak in a game or two in between cooking and fretting. As a bonus, the long lost shoe was found in the sand a little rusted but no worse for wear.

Perhaps seeded by the smoke from the grills, the sky opened up at just about peak grilling/eating time causing a slight rain delay. With thunder and lightning giving warning, we were prepared to bring everything inside if and when the first drops began to fall. The plan went smoothly: everyone grabbed the nearest platter, plate or beverage and headed inside. The party went indoors for a short while, the cooking went on uninterrupted (the rain felt great, I didn’t mind staying outside one bit to man the grills) and once things blew over, the crew got to work drying the furniture and bringing the fun back outside where things were soggy but blessedly less hot and humid.

Many thanks to all who showed up and made it a party. The meats were delicious and diverse and your company was pleasant as always. Extra special thanks for the rapid rain response and willingness to continue on afterwards. When some people may have left for the night, the crowd last night rallied to keep the party going. All y’all rock, thanks.

Wednesday Roundup

2005-08-10T09:36:00.000-07:00

NYT: Ice Cream again! This time, make it (and sorbet) at home. Related, check out "shave ice," the asian frozen treat. Speaking of not eating sweets, Governer Huckabee of Arkansas lost 100 pounds and is urging his constituents to follow suit. I'll withhold the Yankee prejudiced jokes about fat southerners.

In the columns, Mr. Minimal hopes to save the eggplant and tomato based italian dish from a soggy hell. The wine guys are still ignoring wine but this time they at least put their energies towards rum. Better than the mysterious prohibition of last week.

SF Chronicle: Those damn liberals! The lead article is about training low income folks to become bakers for career advancement. Wasn't that in one of last weeks papers? All kidding aside, this is obviously a good program but I'm not sure it belongs in this section.

Ice cream and hot dogs! Look, I realize its summer and you expect to see some standards but its making my task rather boring. But then comes the article on the chicken taquito and all is well in my little world. Leftovers: the instant noodle dilemma, fruit bowls and ocean friendly fish.

Over in the wine section, the lead is about US place name protections. It is certainly true that the US is lacking in the extent of regulations that most of Europe uses to classify wine by quality and type. On the other hand, as happens in bourdeaux, it can be abused.
The tasting is of select sonoma chards. The cheese is burrata and the spirit is a local 'tender who won an aperitif competition in Italy.

Des Moines Register: We travel to Iowa for this week in guest papers. The Register seems to put their food section in on Thursday which completely screws up my thing here but I'll just comment on last weeks articles for the sake of getting it done on my day off.

The section is pretty trim and a couple of restaurant reviews, which I purposely don't cover, slims it down even further. Actually, I'm left with virtually nothing. The upside is that for a town in Iowa, Des Moines seems to have some pretty good restaurants. Hmmph. Locals may be interested in the article on how long waits are at area restaurants or the bar scene review. That's about it.

Ok, bye.

''You're not talking to your fish"

2005-08-10T09:33:00.000-07:00

Chefs are unusual creatures. This one reminds me of Bunker, my grandfather.

To Tip or not to Tip, is that the question?

2005-08-10T09:31:00.000-07:00

Related note to my Anti-Rachel RAy rant.

It makes sense but I doubt it will be a simple matter to change the habits of the entire country.

Wednesday Roundup

2005-08-03T08:25:00.000-07:00

NYT: The lead article talks about Healdsburg, CA where proximity to several notable wine appelations has turned the town into a froofy wine tourist destination. Located near the Alexander and Russian River valleys, it has more than 100 wineries within 20 miles. The interesting part is how the town itself changed. It reads like a republican attack ad: "The feed stores are gone from downtown Healdsburg, along with the fellows who sell farm implements, hardware and cheap haircuts. There seems to be a pottery maker or an antiques dealer on every corner now, and the hotel newsstand sells The New York Review of Books. Coffee shops have become coffee bars pushing grand latte and, on their walls, the earnest efforts of local artists."

The rest of the section seems a little thin this week. The Chef column does fritters, Mini-man makes ginger jam, a program trains teens to wait tables and the season for celebrating the tomato is ushered in. Inexplicably, the "tastings" column is MIA.

SF Chronicle: The SF Gate page is also pretty thin this week. I guess even food writers go on vacation sometimes...

The top article is about Hmong immigrants and their farming practices which are at risk to the ravages of modernity. The rest is fairly pedestrian; ice cream, chilled avocado soup, tomato juice taste test, gadgets.

In wine, the lead is on the complexities of old vine zins and the history imbued within. Tastings this week are meritages (bourdeaux-style blends of cab, merlot, cab franc and petit verdot) NOT from Sonoma or Napa. The cheese course is grilled, the buying guide is bargain italians and the cocktail is the Seelbach. Again, I have to mention how cool the cocktail column is in this section. The writer really knows his stuff and wonderfully sets up a scenario to draw you in and make you thirsty.

Ah, poop. I can't find a decent food section in a guest paper this week. I had several ideas but they didn't work out. I'll take any suggestions from your hometown papers for next week.

Mad Cow again

2005-07-27T16:45:00.000-07:00

So this is (possibly) the third case. The basic gist is that the cow in question was destroyed in a way where it didn't enter any food system, effectively cutting off the disease then and there if it was isolated. IF, it was isolated. I'm not worried but I'd prefer not to see these sort of headlines.

The tissue sample that was saved at time of death is being investigated in Ames, Iowa. Perhaps there is a reader who has veterinarian experience and lives in or near the greater Ames metropolitan area with additional information?