Rebel Rose

If a wine is not what you expected, it's perfectly all right to ask the staff about it. As Brad pointed out, a knowledgeable staffperson should be happy to explain and educate. If the staffperson is ignorant, or as in this case, scoffs, don't feel bad about sending the wine back. Spritziness is sometimes encountered in white wines like rieslings and gewurztraminers, but any spritziness in a red wine is a flaw. Bad, bad wine!

That is sooo French. And I mean that as a compliment. They are stubborn and proud. I, of course, am fascinated by small producers, but I would find it very hard to narrow my favorites down to one. Most small producers do not have an advertising budget, nor is it effective to advertise, when national magazines have lead times extending out several months, and limited releases sell out quickly. (We bottled our Jimmy's Vineyard Syrah in mid-March and have only 6 cases left as of mid-June.) Macro-wineries can, with careful management, offer consistent quality and value, but because they source grapes from a huge geographical area, and because they must fulfill market expectations with a consistent (read: unchanging) style, they lose any individualism, and a sense of terroir and vintage. Smaller wineries, with talent and careful management, can offer distinct bottlings, unfiltered and unfined wines, and wines with more character. There's more a sense of adventure in smaller bottlings. Which is why Dan and I both left paying jobs, regular hours, 401Ks and paid trips to Vail at macro-wineries to do what we're doing now. This conversation reminds me that our operation really is in a garage. When we bought the property, this building, a Dunn barn, was used to store cars, paint cans, and tools. There were old gopher traps and antique firemen's gear hanging on the unfinished walls. Oil stains on the floor. We ripped one of Jack's work cabinets away from the wall, swung it around into the middle of the floor, and voila, a tasting bar. We should have kept the gopher traps.

Ah, but there is! With fabulous luncheons at various artisan sites. I am not at my work computer right now, but I will PM you later with contact information.

Same here. I have always just used it up, and never had a problem, but I prefer to be cautious. In our household, everything gets eaten quickly. I haven't used black myself, but I have tried both brown and yellow, and I prefer the brown. It has a sweeter, nuttier flavor, and as my recipe has minimal processing and whole seeds, the brown seems to work better. That's the spirit! You're a trooper!

Did your chilled bowl have condensation in it? Putting the whole concoction into the blender would not revive it, I'm afraid, as it's important to pour the oil in a thin stream into the egg yolk. That's when the magic happens. Blender time: Depending on the power of your blender (mine is an Cuisinart blender/processor) the final blending time will vary. But it shouldn't be a stressful enterprise. Pour the oil in through the lid opening in a stream slightly thinner than a pencil, and blend on the lowest setting. The mayonnaise will become silky and viscous.

That's absolutely correct, and valuable advice. However, making homemade mayonnaise is a sort of 'bell curve.' At the top of the curve, with attention paid to the texture of the developing mayo, a little more oil does increase the silky viscosity. Once you start down the slippery slope, which in my recipe can be all too easy given the speed of blenders and food processors, the mayo starts to break down, and more oil simply results in an oily gloop. Not all is lost, however, if an attempt fails. It's an egg yolk. Some oil (which all eGullet members should own in abundance, right? ) and a squeeze of lemon. What are you going to do with the rest of the lemon? Freshen your disposal? So unless you are out of eggs or expecting your mother-in-law in five minutes, try another batch. Better yet, try two batches back-to-back with different flavorings.

I confess to the practice of spillowing. Or would that be spwatting? I have an aversion to crowds, anyway (so I'm in the wrong business, eh? ) and therefore I usually look at mass tastings as an opportunity to seek out producers I am not already familiar with, and get a sense of their style. I find it very, very difficult to evaluate a wine carefully in pressing throngs, noise, perfume, variable temperature conditions, with the added distraction of people-watching, not to mention the one or two men who brush me aside so they can address the winemaker. (After two, God help you.) I prefer sit down tastings and flights. I am one of those badly behaved attendees who rearranges the glasses at will, and doesn't follow the advised protocol. I sniff and taste before the speakers get to the wine, rearrange the glasses into clusters, manically repeat, then resniff and retaste, select a couple of clear winners, then taste and spillow.

Absolutely. The Hoppe's menu. And that's just part of the appetizer list. I never get past the appetizers. We can never decide what to try, so of course we have to order at least half a dozen selections, and two bottles of wine.

I based my recipe and technique on my copy of The Joy of Cooking, one of my favorite quick references. JoC says "ingredients at room temperature emulsify more readily than chilled ingredients," and suggests running hot water over the eggs (while still in their shell, it points out helpfully) to warm them slightly. I frequently make blender-emulsified mayonnaise and find the process to be quite forgiving and elastic, as long as the oil is added in a very thin stream, with frequent stops to taste to check the texture. Making mayonnaise too thick is not generally a problem, as the addition of a little more olive oil rectifies the problem. If the mayo is too thin, I recommend starting all over with a new batch. If you are still determined to save the original batch, simply make the mayonnaise a little thicker than desired, and add some or all back to the original batch, and blend it in gently with a spoon. I haven't encountered that problem, however . . . the flavor of the olive oil is extremely important to the final flavor of the mayonnaise, and I have found that some of my favorite extra virgin olive oils are too green and harsh for mayonnaise. The 'greeness' is sometimes amplified in the resulting product. Therefore, I recommend experimenting with sweeter or more floral oils, like canola. I was also very fond of a batch made from pumpkin seed oil. Has anyone given it a try yet? How would you describe the mayonnaise flavor, and what oil did you use? Do you think the oil influenced the flavor, and were you pleased with the result?

I should probably point out, for those not 'in the know,' that there are public walkaround tastings and there are also trade walkaround tastings, which are limited to restaurateurs, sommeliers, wine writers, wine shop buyers, etc. Trade tastings sometimes precede a public event, so a one or two hour trade-only tasting may lead into a three or four hour public event. If the tradespeople stay for the whole event, that could be six hours of wine tasting. And wine industry people, or writers like Phil and Jon, tend to approach tastings with a more rigorous attitude because of their professional involvement. So true.

Maria Sinskey has a nice cookbook, too, which I'm sure will be available there. Even better, "bunghole!"

I think the wine scene in Sonoma is much more laid back and friendly. The little one would probably enjoy an afternoon at Howarth Park.

For those not 'in the know,' animal style is In-N-Out code for put-everything-on-it! The In-N-Out secret menu.

Taco Temple in Cayucos is a big time local favorite! Article on Cayucos: I would also recommend Windows on the Water in Morro Bay.

Ah, but of course. Either way, 101 or Hwy. 1, you'll be passing through or near Paso Robles Wine Country. Hwy. 101 cuts right through the middle of our wine region, just 25 mins. north of San Luis Obispo. Hwy. 1 is only 25 mins. to the west of us; the road from #1 to #101, Hwy. 46 West, is one of Sunset Magazine's "most scenic highways." You can find more information at www.pasowine.com, and if you contact them, or PM me your mailing address, I can send a beautiful brochure and map of the local wineries. If you spend the evening Thursday in SLO for the farmers' market and enjoy a leisurely breakfast there Friday, it's an easy drive north to wine country for a day of wine tasting. You should stop in town first at Odyssey Cafe on Pine Street and get a picnic lunch. That evening it's less than half an hour to the coast on a high, scenic highway. When you reach the coast, I recommend the Cavalier in San Simeon for lodging. Pool, hot tub, and chimineas surrounded by chairs on the beach. Also their own restaurant, and a sweet Mexican restaurant within walking distance. Fill your gas tank before heading north on Highway 1 for Big Sur and Monterey.

Among the most capable that I can think of would be Rochelle Harringer, but she owns her own $350/night inn in Paso Robles, Inn Paradiso. I met her when she was the executive chef at Justin Winery. She now does winemaker dinners for local wineries, while managing the inn. Warm, personable and funny, and I believe she has teaching experience, but I honestly don't think she'd want to leave the inn on a weekend. She might be able to suggest other female chefs, though. Is Saturday night going to be doable for any working chef?

Actually, it's pronounced Grapp-le, and they've been made for years in the Pacific NW, as a novelty for kids, generally released in late February or early March as a sort of pre-Easter healthy treat, an alternative to Peeps and chocolate. In Washington, there's a big to-do release of Grapples, "true stories" of the grafting of grapes and apples together, floor displays, silliness . . . it's fun, is all. Probably a good way to move out last fall's harvest. A fun marketing idea.

Eddy, I hope you enjoy your visit! I'm sure some San Fran regulars will be dropping by with hints soon, but for starters, I suggest the following threads: Ferry Plaza Market, San Francisco SF's Local Scene San Francisco Casual More information on the local dining scene can be found in the Best Dining in San Francisco index. Also, Manresa is a huge favorite with our members.

That's the crux of the issue, I think. The software option is just another new fad--useful for parents who care and will talk to their kids about their food choices, but parents who don't already care, still won't care when they get the information. My youngest stepson (also age 12) is hypoglycemic and overweight, and his grandfather has Type I diabetes. Unfortunately, his mother and grandmother, who are bipolar, are in denial about his condition and routinely feed him fruit, white flour products, and tons of sweets. We have custody during the school week and we make sure he gets healthy, high-protein, homecooked meals and snacks, but when he goes to school he sees chips, sodas, brandname pizza, candybars, etc. etc. etc.! And he thinks he can eat them because "grandma lets him." Personally I think all that crap should be banned from schools. It's a difficult age, but we feel the most important thing we can do is just teach him every day about good food choices and involve him a little more in meal planning. He's working on his final spring speech right now: "Healthy Foods."

Here's a link to the Wine 101 article Disgusting Things in Wine. If you can narrow down the skanky, funky character to a more precise description we could make a more accurate diagnosis but I suspect it's brettanomyces. Feel free to post in "Disgusting Things" as well. Congratulations on your new job!! (Do we get a discount? )

Brad, you're too bashful. You need to assert yourself. Purple teeth are the new black!

I've always looked forward to what I call the "quest" articles--travels at the edges of the earth to learn about or find some exotic ingredient. And I enjoy the magazine's emphasis on fresh, natural ingredients. In fact, I find the recipes are generally lighter and more healthy than Cooking Light, with its constant emphasis on low-fat, yogurt-enhanced renditions of cheesecake, brownies, and pound cake.

From Marlene and Sam's Foodblog: From the looks of that steak, I find it difficult to believe that Don hasn't expected a few more grill delights from you during the past few months.

After finally picking up the magazine and reading the editor's opening piece (I hadn't been interested in the issue until now ) I think what Reichl's trying to convey is that the issue is a Father's Day theme, a tribute to men. And she closes with a sentence declaring that she's learned how to light a grill. However, the tone of the editorial is unfortunately condescending and one dimensional. I suspect the cover photo is some flippy food stylist's impression of what a "real man" would slap on a plate. Well, do we buy Gourmet magazine to see a redundant picture of what Uncle Bubba used to fire up for the family, or do we buy Gourmet to get inspired, and to improve our skills as cooks? Maybe next spring, Gourmet will actually get original and ask women what they're grilling for Mother's Day, and what their favorite grill toys and recipes are! Like this experiment with salmon topped with honey tangerine and starfruit on a bed of herbs. Or the lobster tails brushed with bay branches. In fact, if the editors wanted to make all their readers happy, the magazine should have featured some women in pretty aprons grilling up treats and fixing proper cocktails for their men on Father's Day.

Mmm, mmm. I can taste that crispy chicken skin, with the just-under juices and tender flesh. Marlene, now that you have mastered the grill and the rotisserie in one evening, your life will never be the same. "Honey, can you light the grill?" "Honey, can you do a spice rub or something from the chicken?" "Honey, can you spit the chicken and put it on the roti?" "Don't forget to put the coals all to one side. . . " "And don't put on too much olive oil." "Did you put the lid on part way?" "Did you remember to dump the ash basket?" "I'll be out at half-time to check it . . ."