Daniel Rogov

Simply stated, from the days of ancient Rome to the late 20th century, many gourmets including many so respected by chefs that now world-famous dishes were named after them, never did anything more than boil water. Among the examples - Lucullus, various members of the Borgia and de Medici families, A. J. Liebling, Rossini, Fanny de Beauharnais, etc, etc, etc..... Agreed that if one is going to write about food or to discuss it with any sophistication the knowledge of the "magical transformation between an egg and a souffle" is critical but for even the most magnificent sense of enjoyment of food, no knowledge of the kitchen whatever is required! What is required is a good and discriminating palate and a good deal of comparative experience. For sure as in all art-forms, more than the naive knowledge of "what I like" but no need for knowing the "hows". Only the means of measuring the results. Perhaps a related question - can an unintelligent person truly appreciate food or any other art form. Or is that too dangerous a question?

Chris, Hi.... Not at all a faux pas. The problem is that no matter the design of the spoon you'll simply never get all of the sauce. Thus, if its good enough, go for the bread! A little bit of moral hedonism is good for all of us!

The sauce spoon is not so much for "finishing off" the sauce but for spooning it over the dish. When it comes to how to finish off a fine sauce a former professor of mine (Jean Piaget) once held forth on this subject. His advice: "...In a working man's restaurant, simply break off a piece of bread, take it in your fingers and mop of the sauce to enjoy it. In a restaurant catering to the hoi polloi break off a piece of bread, drop it gently to your plate, impale it on your fork and with that mop up the sauce. In a restaurant with pretentions, cut a slice of the bread delicately with a knife, impale it on a fork and use that to get at the sauce. In a great restaurant break off a piece of bread, take it in your fingers and mop up the sauce to enjoy it". I could not agree more!!!

Indeed this is a sauce spoon and the notch is no mystery at all. Try taking sauce with a regular spoon and you will invariably find a drop or two making its way to the tablecloth before it does to your fish. Use this and the laws of physics somehow come into play and stop the loose drop from making its way to unwanted places. Is the use of such spoons pretentious? Indeed if the hallmark is turned up or if one is trying to show how haute-cuisine conscious they have become but not at all when served as a usual part of the place setting in many fine French, Austrian, Spanish, German and Swiss restaurants. As to hallmarks - several of these spoons, in pewter, with the hallmark of Paul Revere were recently auctionned by Christies, the set of 6 going for a most reasonable US$1750. I will admit that I once found one such Paul Revere spoon at a small antique shop near Watkins Glen in New York State. Paid all of US$6.00 for it. Sometimes the gods smile on us......

Just two metaphysical comments to the not-at-all-epistemlogical questions raised above: (a) If, as she says, God invented maple syrup the claim on it is universal and (b) it's kosher! Truly chuckling

As noted in several quotes from my writings above (for which thanks!) I am much in favor of the finger bowl which can be served after any especially "sticky" dish and not only after the main course (think of starting off with spiced chicken wings and then going on to a shrimp mousse without the use of a finger cleaning devise in-between!!! I much favor these to the hot-towels used in Oriental restaurants and on airlines for although they may start of steaming hot by the time they work their way to your ips and fingers they seem to have transmorgified to something cold and slimys. As to scented hot towels - definitely opposed as you dre not touch those to your lips if you plan to either eat something else afterwards or perhaps to kiss them. Cold alcoholic scent is not conducive to either good food or good seductions.

You are quite correct that Disraeli went to pains to avoid associations with his Jewish roots but in a letter to Lord Rothschild he wrote that he made "a point of celebrating the New Year at least thrice annually". One presumes he was referring to what we now think of as January 1, Rosh haShannah and the Chinese New Year of which he often wrote with affection.

Not research - just a personal conversation with Her.

There is a rumor going around, quite popular in fact, to the effect that "...on the seventh day God rested". That is simply not true. On the morning of the seventh day God spent time in the kitchen and made French toast from the simplest white challah, sighed contentedly and said "its good" but then sighed again saying "it could be better". Thus, just before noon on the seventh day, God created maple syrup.

Stephen, Hi.... I'll go along with chaqun a son gout but not on my diet. After all, rules are rules......start with the snacks and then say, "what the heck....why not half instead of one-third", and "well, I'd better not have the foie gras with Madeira sauce" or......well........the road to hell and all that......

I'm all for the nap! In fact, a civilized part of life. As to the 50 minute rule, first of all remember that I suggested that this period be devoted to two meals, not to all. As to the children, I'm not imposing that rule on them. No reason why if children dine with you at one of those 50 minute meals they cannot be excused when they are ready to go. The diet is for us, not for them. As to philosophy and waste, I'm afraid you're going to find that this is one of those points on which I am not concerned with others but only with the person who is doing the dining. Truth is that the conspicuous consumption practiced by too many people these days is far more wasteful than the program that I am suggesting. Most of that waste would take place in restaurants. At home the balance of most dishes can easily go into leftovers or other meals. What I am not proposing is a moral solution to world hunger. Just a simple way for individuals to control what they ingest. Obviously for those not in need of such control, this or other programs are not in order. As to the red wine - sorry but that remains an integral part of the diet and that because I perceive wine as part of the cultured life and as the most natural accompaniment to fine food (note again, moderation and not at every meal). And, being a reasonable man, because wine is delicious and with quite enough evidence from non-biased sources, in moderation although far from a medicine, is certainly good for us.

Chufi, Hi... That's precisely my meaning - wherever you are dining, whatever is prepared or whatever is served, eat 1/3.

I'm not preaching anything here. Just my suggestions. The main suggestion (relating to the eating of 1/3 of what's on the plate) is nothing more than a way of assuring that we can eat WHATEVER we want, WHENEVER we want, automatically (!!) controlling the AMOUNT we eat and thus controlling our weight maintenance or loss. Considering that I have no desire to be thought of in the category of an Atkins or a Pritkin or something akin to a Weight Watcher's Society, with this I now rest my case and leave it to all to decide on their own whether my suggestions are or are not appropriate for them.

Anzu, Hello..... Much of the population of our planet has no such luxury. It is estimated that 50% of the people who inhabit our little world are born hungry, live their entire lives hungry and die hungry. Not of starvation, mind you, simply of hunger. More than this that their options for selecting foods that are either good or good for them are extroardinarily limited. People in such circumstances never think of diets. They think of having enough on their plates and on the plates of their children to keep them above the starvation level. I am not talking about any world catastrophe here. We are talking about that relatively limited number of people who can afford to eat well and who, for one reason or another, have chosen to keep their weight at its current status or to lose a few kilos. By the way, it is estimated that in the United States fully 55% of all food produced eventually goes to waste. I'm not adding so drastically to that number. Heck, I suppose by following my diet people would also be adding to the gross national product. I can live with that. Fully seriously, let's imagine we wander into and decide on the scallops in cream-enriched sauce as a first course, a T bone steak with buttered potato puree as a main course, and the chocolate mousse for dessert. Can we truly imagine asking for the steak to cut in 1/3 before being cooked, serving us only 2 of the scallops and asking for "just a tablespoon of the mousse, please".

As to the 2/3 left over on the plate - just let it sit there. That's the whole point of the exercise - and to refer to the question of "restrictions" you'll note that this about the only one placed on anyone in this entire diet. By the way, I'm all for taking home the left overs when dining out. Keep in mind though that when you put those on your plate the next day you can only eat 1/3 of what is there so be sure if you're hungry, to add something more to the plate to make your 1/3 a "full and not partial 1/3" Perfect? Of course not. Nothing on this planet is perfect....Despite what we learned as children, even snow drops are not perfectly symmetrical. What is called for here though is absolutely minimal self-restraint. If you really feel like a 300 gram hamburger topped with cheese and bacon, no problem.....simply order or prepare a burger that weighs that weighs 900 grams to start (or, if you prefer three 300 gram burgers but then to eat only one of them). Believe me, the combination of the humor and the satisfaction involved in this is unbeatable. And I can assure you that after a while, you will order a single 300 gram burger and happily eat only 100 grams of it.......and feel damned good for it. Am I striving to be amusing in all of this. Truth is - not at all!!!!

Best bets for me: (a) Before the tasting and after a cup or two of espresso (not part of the process but a necessity of life for me before tastings), to chew plain, unsalted, boiled rice. Not to swallow but to chew it well and then to spit it and rinse the mouth with water. Does wonders to clean the palate of many things (b) During the tasting, first of all of course to spit and not swallow. That for two reasons - the most obvious of which is to avoid getting rapidly blotto, the less obvious is that swallowing coats the back of the mouth and the throat with the last wine consumed and that is far more difficult to clear than the tongue and mouth itself. © During the tasting and as the need is felt, munching on and swallowing unsalted, unsweetened bread, for me at least ideally in the form of thin slices of baguette. (d) Once an hour to take a break from the tasting (that can be just enough time to sip a glass of water, perhaps even with a bit of refreshing lemon rind in it) and to go out-of-doors for a few minutes to take a full gulps of fresh air (don't mind the polllution, its an inescapable part of life these days). Some also consider a slice of apple as a good palate cleanser, not between wines but during breaks.

Each to its own: 1. I set the 50 minute minimum for two meals because dining should be a way of enjoying rselves, of relaxing. Making dining part of the cultured parts of our lives (as opposed to mere eating) adds to our psychological well-being as well as our physical well-being. And yes, part of dining is simply sitting at the table and if not actually dining, talking or contemplating. 2. Indeed I dine that way (with a few exceptions I admit for truly superb meals but those are few indeed). If at someone's home I simply explain that I'm "trying to lose a few kilos" 3. No gum because chewing gum increases our "feeling" of hunger. I'd rather rely on true hunger or desire for food and not an artificial message that gets to my brain.

I have grown incredibly weary of reading about dieting and the overall concern that people show with regard to what they eat. So weary in fact that I have decided in all seriousness to present whatI consider the perfect diet, one that will guarantee that people will either maintain their weight or lose weight as they choose and will do nothing but good to their bodies and their emotions. Heck...this diet is so perfect no-one will ever have to suffer the least bit of guilt over what they eat. Be aware of course that I base this not on the least bit of medical expertise. Rule 1. Eat three, four of five meals a day depending on your personal needs and desires. Beyond that, no between-meal snacks! Rule 2. At each meal serve whatever foods most appeal to you at the moment. Unless under a doctor's orders (and it should be a doctor you trust) forget the words "cholesterol", "fat" and "vitamins". Rule 3. At a restaurant accept the normal portion served, no matter how large or if dining at home ask someone else to serve you what they consider a normal portion. Rule 4. Eat precisely 1/3 of what those portions are. Leave the rest untouched. Rule 5. With at least one of those meals consume one or two glasses of good wine. Rule 6. At least two of those meals should take a minimum of 50 minutes to consume. Even if you finish eating before that, stay at the table and sip your wine or a cup of tea, coffee, or water as you like. Rule 7. Only things to be avoided are all commercial soft drinks (including diet drinks) and chewing gum. Anything else goes so long as we are wise enough not to dine on foods to which we are in any way allergic.

Let's put it this way - Anyone who can come up with a dish called "zip-a-dee-doo-dah zucchini" can't be all good. In fact, I'm wondering if anyone with an imagination like that can be at all good. Inspired by this thread I'm going to start a new one right now in which I propose the perfect diet for all human beings who wish to maintain or lose some weight while at the same time doing only good for their health. I will, however, post an advance warning - that being that anyone who dares name this diet after me will be condemned to drinking only Diet Sprite for the rest of their lives!!!

May I suggest a re-reading of Homer's Illiad and Odyssey. I have become convinced after reading and re-reading those over the years that when Odysseus was not fighting or fornicating he and his sailors devoted most of their time to feasting. Want to whet your appetite with poetry for roast oxen, grilled sheep, magnificent cheeses? Those are the books! Of course, be sure not to steal your cheese from anyone who happens to have only one eye. You might wind up as his breakfast!

I never before thought I would become a defender of White Zinfandel but several comments seem most definitely in order: You must be drinking the wrong White Zin. As much as these can be semi-dry to semi-sweet at their best they are, if the truth be told, no more offensive than some of the Rose d'Anjou that are available. If you've been finding the odor of decay in your White Zin you should try those of Beringer. No-one will ever claim these to be great or even excellent wines but by heaven they are no less objectionable than many of the off-dry roses from the Rhone and Loire Valleys. A bit of research will clearly indicate that the Zinfandel grapes used in making most white Zin are neither old nor moldy, simply not up to the standards that are required for making acceptable red Zin. Well...unless someone has been buying the cheapest crap made.....but then again, that would be true of the red Cabernet or Merlot as well... I think you will have a heckuva hard time finding any producer who claims that noble rot (Botrytis Cinerea) plays any role in the production of white Zinfandel. And let us do, please keep in mind that Botrytis is indeed responsible for many of the truly great sweet wines of Sauternes, Barsac, Tokaji and other regions. Forgive me, but aren't we sounding just a bit like wine snobs in our blanket rejection of White Zin and those many people who enjoy such wines? Perhaps not for you and perhaps not for me, but who in the world are we to tell others that their enjoyment of a wine is less significant than our own?

It's fun to knock white Zin but let's be realistic about two things - (a) I'd much rather see people drinking white Zin with their meals than diet Sprite and (b) let's keep in mind that many of us now drinking fine Bordeaux reds, Burgundy whites, Super Tuscans, Sicilian reds and whites, Sauternes and Champagne started on Blue Nun, Liebfraumilch and Gallo jug wines.

Why not consider the meal served by Benjamin Disraeli in 1876. During the years that he was Prime Minister of England (1874-1880), Disraeli adopted the habit of inviting important members of the government to his country home every year to celebrate Rosh ha Shannah. The dinner he served in 1876 consisted of nine courses - three appetizers, three fish dishes and three desserts. Included were quail eggs from Italy, fromage frais from France, the fish known as "bass" from the United States and litchis that had come from China. Quail eggs have been considered luxurious fare since the time of the Pharaohs. In fact, during the reign of Ramses II, who isoften identified as the Pharaoh who held office during the time of the Exodus, these tidbits were so highly valued that the death penalty was imposed on those who violated the law and killed and ate female quails. Fromage frais, which is fresh, unfermented cheese, has been a favorite in France since the 14th century and was a special favorite of King Louis XIV who once called it "the Good Lord's gift to rich and poor alike". Litchis are native to the Far East, and when they were first cultivated in China, nearly 5,000 years ago, the litchi wasconsidered a fruit so delicate and rare that it was served only in the homes of the extraordinarily wealthy. Nearly a thousand years ago, under the rule of the Song Dynasty, hundreds of thousands of acres of land were planted with litchis and the fruit was soon available to nearly all Chinese. Several years ago, litchi shrubs were imported into Israel from China and several thousand acres of land within Israel were planted with these delicate fruits. Fresh litchis are incredibly more tasty than those that come in tins. Rock bass is native to North and Central America as well as to the Caribbean islands. The first European to encounter this firm fleshed, low fat fish was probably Christopher Columbus who described them in his diary as "so versatile that they taste marvelous if fried in a pan, cooked on an open fire or made into a stew". The rock bass now raised in artificial ponds in Israel are now considered among the best in the world. Those who care to replicate all or part of Disraeli's holiday meal today will be pleased to note that regardless of whether they live in Israel, England or the Americas there is no need whatever to import any of the foodstuffs he used. The recipes for the dishes Disraeli served are given below. Quail Eggs Carmen 8 thin slices white bread melted butter as required 8 thin slices of smoked salmon 16 quail eggs salt to taste sweet paprika as required Trim the crusts off the bread and, using a cookie cutter cut out 6 cm. rounds. Generously brush each side of these croutons with melted butter and place them on a baking sheet in an oven that has been preheated to 190 degrees Celsius. Turn the croutons once until both sides are nicely browned. Remove from the oven and set aside to keep warm. In a heavy skillet heat 1 Tbsp. of the butter and in this heat the salmon slices through. Remove the salmon from the skillet and set aside to keep warm. To the skillet add more of the butter and heat through. Into this break the eggs, taking care not to break the yolks and then fry them until they are done to taste. Do not turn the eggs over during frying. Remove the eggs from the heat and sprinkle over lightly with salt. To serve, cut the salmon slices into 5 1/2 cm. rounds and trim the egg whites so that they are the same size as the salmon rounds. On each toasted crouton place a slice of salmon, on the salmon place one egg and sprinkle over with sweet paprika. Serve two of the croutons to each guest and serve hot as an hors d'oeuvre. (Serves 4). Florentine Eggs 1 kilo spinach, cooked and chopped 3 Tbsp. sweet cream salt and pepper to taste 8 eggs 3 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated 4 tsp. anchovy paste salt and pepper to taste Mix together the chopped spinach, cream and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer this mixture to a lightly buttered shallow casserole dish and spread evenly. In the spinach make 8 depressions and into each break an egg, being careful not to break the yolks. Sprinkle over with the Parmesan cheese and on each egg place 1/2 tsp.of the anchovy paste. Bake in an oven that has been preheated to 180 degrees Celsius until the eggs are set. Serve immediately. (Serves 8). Fromage Frais with Apricot Liqueur 250 gr. fromage frais 2 Tbsp. sugar 2 Tbsp. apricot liqueur white pepper to taste 1/4 cup sweet cream, beaten almost stiff mint leaves for garnish Pl;ace the cheese in a small mixing bowl and with a wire whisk, whiskthe cheese lightly. Add the sugar and apricot liqueur and then season to taste with white pepper. Fold in the whipped cream and place in the coldest part of the refrigerator for 1 - 2 hours. Twenty minutes before serving, transfer the mixture to individual serving glasses and place in the freezer. Serve directly from the freezer, garnished with one or two mint leaves. Bass Scaloppine 6 Tbsp. flour 1/2 Tbsp. paprika 3/4 tsp. each salt and pepper 1 kilo bass fillets, with skin removed 6 Tbsp. butter 3 sweet green peppers, seeded and cut into strips 2 medium onions, sliced and separated into rings 1/2 cup Marsala or Sherry wine In a bowl combine the flour, paprika, salt and pepper and with this mixture dust each fillet, coating well. In a large heavy skillet melt the butter and in this saute the green peppers and onions until lightly browned. With a slotted spoon lift out and set aside the onions and pepper to keep warm. Brown the fillets lightly in the skillet, adding butter if the and skillet becomes too dry and then return the onions and green pepper to the skillet. Add the Marsala wine and simmer, covered, until the fish is done (3 - 5 minutes). Serve hot. (Serves 6). Salmon Cutlets with Mushrooms 5 Tbsp. butter 4 slices of white bread, without crusts 4 salmon cutlets or steaks salt and pepper to taste about 2 Tbsp. flour 16 mushroom caps 2 Tbsp. Madeira or port wine 2 Tbsp. sweet cream In a large heavy skillet melt 2 Tbsp. of the butter and in this fry the bread slices until nicely browned on both sides. Remove the toast slices and set aside to keep warm. Season the cutlets lightly with salt and pepper and then sprinkle them lightly with flour. In the skillet in which the bread was fried, melt the remaining butter and in this saute the cutlets, turning once, until they are half-cooked. Add the mushrooms to the skillet and continue cooking until the salmon is cooked through, taking care not to overcook. Place one slice of the toast on each of four preheated serving plates and over these place the salmon cutlets. Distribute the mushroom caps on the salmon and set aside to keep warm. To the liquids in the skillet add the Madeira wine and sweet cream. Heat through, correct the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste and spoon this sauce over the salmon cutlets. Serve at once. (Serves 4). Fillet of Sole with Wine and Cheese Sauce 8 large sole fillets 1 cup dry white wine 1 bay leaf salt and pepper to taste 2 cups milk 1/4 cup flour 3 Tbsp. butter, melted 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 2 Tbsp. Gruyere cheese, grated 2 Tbsp. Parmesan, grated In a large skillet cook the fillets in the wine, bay leaf and a pinch of salt until the fillets are nearly done (7 - 9 minutes). Arrange the fish in a baking dish. In a saucepan bring the milk just to the boil and then immediately remove from the flame. In a separate saucepan combine the flour and melted butter, stirring constantly over a low flame until the mixture is even in texture. Slowly add the boiled milk and then the salt, pepper, nutmeg and Gruyere cheese, stirring constantly. Pour the sauce over the fish, sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and place in anoven that has been preheated to 200 degrees Celsius until golden brown (about 10 minutes). Serve hot. (Serves 4 or 8). Litchi Pie 250 gr. fresh litchis, peeled and with pits removed (despite my better judgement, it is possible to use tinned if fresh not available) 4 eggs, at room temperature 1 can condensed milk 1 graham-cracker pie crust (can be made at home or purchased ready made at the supermarket) whipped cream for serving Using a blender or food processor, puree the litchis. Strain the puree, discarding the excess liquids. In a mixing bowl blend and whip together the eggs, and litchi puree adding just enough condensed milk until the mixture is semi-liquid. Pour the mixture into the graham-cracker pie crust and refrigerate (covered with plastic wrap) for 4 hours before serving. Immediately before serving, top with the whipped cream. (Serves 6 - 8).

Nothing Freudian here at all. Having lived most of my life in Europe and the Middle-East, I am quite used to and welcoming of greeting male or female acquaintances with a kiss (or two or three depending on whereyou live) on the cheek or a hug, but those will be people I choose to greet warmly and not strangers and those are not "casual touches" as much as they are socially acceptable and welcomed forms of greeting. As the old song has it, "it ain't what you do, its the way how you do it". More than that, its with whom you do it.

I have consistently found that the best service is "warm, friendly and responsive but not familiar". It is not that I perceive waiters and waitress as either servants or inferiors but I do not perceive them as among my friends or intimates and for me at least, a hands off policy is best. Several exceptions to this - in Europe, perhaps in other places as well, especially at places where one is a regular, it is perfectly acceptable to shake the hand of a waiter or waitress on arriving and perhaps again on leaving. And yes, if a client is obviously upset, a friendly but not intimate touch can be not only acceptable but very positive. That, however, takes at least a bit of wisdom on the part of the waitperson.