Daniel Rogov

Hah!!!!!! As much as I adore oysters, I never overdo. In fact, like the Duc de Luynes, I consider myself a gentleman when it comes to oysters. When asked why he thought himself worthy of such a title, the good duke responded: "I am a gentleman because I never eat more than sixty oysters at a single sitting". Wise words!!!! Smiling of course as I write......

Many different foods strike me as "almost as good as sex" but only one that might be even better - raw oysters!!!!! Add to the raw oysters a few lemon halves and a good bottle of Chablis and, at least for me "God's in her heaven and all's well on earth"!!!

Sorry to be jumping in so late but just noticed this thread.... If interested in reading about the wine bars of Paris, see my little pieces at http://www.stratsplace.com/rogov/winebars_paris.html and http://www.stratsplace.com/rogov/winebars_paris_recco.html

With regard to the ice-ciders of Quebec, I have indeed tasted and enjoyed several. I'll even go as far as to say that some, in addition to being excellent, are absolutely delicious. Apologies to the Oxford Companion and Jancis Robinson, but I'll stand by my definition of "true" wine being made only from grapes. What the heck, if we can't disagree from time to time with Oxford and the Brittanica, with what can we disagree? As to Sake, which I also enjoy at times, as much as it is sometimes thought of as rice wine, I have always considered that the processes by which it is made put it more into the category of beer than wine. As to my "ability to see into the future", in this case no apologies necessary to Nostradamus, but I claim no such powers. It should be fairly clear, however, that as we will never see a great wine from Emerald Riesling, Concord or Traminer (not Gewurztraminer but Traminer) grapes, we shall not see one from apples. Or, as I say, from turtles.

The Pinnacle Ice Cider may be lovely but no matter how we stretch it, it just ain't "wine". In re the above (a) Call it fruit wine if you must but true wine is made from grapes and (b) call me a curmudgeon, but do think of the kosher laws about wine - the rules that apply to true wines (that is to say, those that are made from grapes) do not even apply to fruit wines. Although I have nothing at all against fruit wines which can be refreshing, fun and even sometimes exciting, there has never been and will never be a great wine made from apples, watermelon, bananas, or, for that matter, turtles. Keeping not so much the faith but certainly tradition. Best, Rogov

Duncan, Hi.... I'm going on memory here (always fallable) but I think you are correct. The first releases were merely of "Goats do Roam", those later joined by the supposedly more upswing "Goats do Rome in Villages" wines. My tasting note for the one vintage of the Goat-Rotie wine that I tasted follows. Fairview, Goat-Rotie, Western Cape, South Africa, 2002: Dark garnet towards royal purple in color, medium- to full-bodied,this blend of 95% Shiraz and 5% Viognier shows firm tannins and a generous array of plum, black cherry and wild berry fruits, those backed up nicely by hints of espresso coffee and tobacco on the moderately long finish. A well made wine despite the silliness of its name. Drink now-2006. Score 89. (Tasted 14 May 2004) As to legal questions - I'm all for Champagne coming only from Champagne, Port only from Portugal, etc, but with regard to these, such an obvious play on words, I cannot find myself getting excited. Amused perhaps, excited not.

With re tomatoes - it is primarily raw tomatoes that can make for problematic matches to wine, that largely because of the acidity of the uncooked tomatoes. Once made into sauce much of that acidity it "taken up" by the cooking process and the addition of herbs, spices and perhaps even wine itself.

Hello JY... I have great interest in Korea but beyond a basic knowledge of culinary styles and beverages, I have to confess to a vast ignorance of cultural-social norms, traditions and habits. Alas but many of my long years (and I did smile at your comment) have been devoted to what has been a morally hedonistic studyand participation in the lifestyles of Europe, North, Central and South America, the Middle-East and to some lesser extent to Australia-New Zealand.

The glasses in Riedel's "O Series are modeled after the Vinum bowls but are different in one major way - no stems or bases. In the words of the site "‘O’ is the ideal glass for every day use and for every occasion. It is fun, feels good to hold, looks trendy and it works! " and the glasses are available as Cabernet/Merlot, Pinot/Nebbiolo, Syrah/Shiraz, Chardonnay, Viognier/Chardonnay, Riesling/Sauvignon". My first reaction is to be reminded of what I have called in the past the "what's new plague" that is taking over the planet. I have seen that in chocolatiers, pastry shops, and restaurants around the world that feel obligated to pander to the most jaded of their clients, those who need something "new" on a daily or weekly basis, as if the old is no longer good enough or, even worse not "in" or innovative enough. My second reaction is to wonder just why Mr. Riedel and others have convinced us (and rightly so over the years) that one simply does not hold a wine glass by the bowl - not only because of ugly fingerprints that will interfere with our aesthetic pleasure but also because of the warming effect the hand has on the wine inside the bowl. If Mr. Riedel really approves of these new glasses, why doesn't he simply eliminate all of those old fashioned stemmed glasses of his? My third reaction is that I find it all a bit amusing. After all, this gives us six more glasses to add to the already large collection of over 30 in the Sommelier series, the mere 20 in the Vinum series, five in the Vinum Extreme series, and 8 in the Wine Series. The mind boggles. Don't misunderstand - I remain convinced that Georg Riedel makes the finest wine glasses in the world. I cannot, however help but wonder where it will all end! As to restaurants in Israel using the "O" glass, I not too long ago visited the newly opened "Comme Il Faut" in Tel Aviv Port. With regard to the glasses and other aspects of what might be thought of as "design" I wrote: "Translated literally from the French, comme il faut means "as it should be" and thus implies things that are fit, proper and appropriate. Situated close to water's edge in the increasingly upswing Tel Aviv Port, the recently opened "Comme Il Faut" is as proper as proper can be, with as much attention paid to political correctness as to concept and design. The only problem with all of this is that after a short while one begins to wonder just who is defining what we are to expected to accept as "proper". The wine glasses used in the restaurant offer an example of decisions being made for clients who may not want all of their decisions made for them. The glasses used, for example are unquestionably attractive but they are of a rather unusual design in that they have no stems. No one will question that these glasses, part of the "O" series produced by Austria's Riedel are beautiful and make you smile, but many question whether they are appropriate for drinking fine wine for there is no doubt that having to cup a glass in the palm to drink from it warms the wine beyond the usually desired temperatures. Nor do many like their wine glasses with the fingerprints that invariably make their way to this style of glass. Even this would have been acceptable had the restaurant decided to have more standard glasses to offer to those who requested them. That decision was not made. I was not amused". Oh yes...latest joke making its way around is that Riedel will shortly be offering kits of stems and wonder glue to match the glasses in the "O" series.

I was chuckling when I started this thread and the chuckling continues. All of what y'all say (I like that expression) makes sense but remember...I've been writing about food and wine for about 3,645 years. Don't get me wrong......I am even willing to admit enjoying having to rise to the annual and ongoing hallenge of all of these holidays but (and I don't give a hoot what they say about changing technologies) there is just so much one can write about gefilte fish, stuffed turkeys, roast hams, and jalabis. Keeping on truckin' and enjoying the heck out of it. Oh yes.....if we can't occasionally sit back and laugh at ourselves, at whom can we laugh?

Pam, Hi..... Just take a look at some of the threads on this page where people seem to be hunting with almost a sense of desparation to find Passover appropriate desserts, solutions to eating too much matzot, complaints about gefilte fish.... I think you'l find about 500 kvetching people to every one who chooses to qvell. By the way, I never mind when other people use smilies. They're just not me.

Two issues at hand. First of all, no-one can hate "the holidays" (whatever, wherever and no matter whether related to religion, a national or local setting) more than those of us who have to write about food. Imagine having to find something new and original to say every year, year in and year out, about Passover, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Id al Fitr or Independence Day (pick your country). Enough to drive any food writer to bootleg whiskey! Second - why is it that after 5,000 years we Jews have yet to find solutions to the "problems inherent to Passover". All in good fun of course. I would use a smilie, even several here, but I don't like smilies.

Personal hypothesis - too many wine exhibitions these days and it is too expensive and time-consuming for wineries to appear at all of them. To add insult to injury, with Vin Expo now taking place in New York, Hong Kong, Mexico City and probably Hohokus, New Jersey in the near future, one wonders just how much time, effort and cash wineries are willing to lay out in order to present their wines. Apologies to those who may live in and love Hohokus, New Jersey, but it sounds like such a nice name to play with...... For all I know it's the garden spot of the garden state.

I would just as quickly invest in this latest miracle as I would in magnets or ventouri tubes that age wines five years within three hours. Actually, I think I'd prefer rattlesnake antidote! Heck, I even prefer pyramids that can sharpen razor blades.

I have been more titillated than amused by the name of this wine since it was first released (originally merely as "Goats do Roam" without the "in the Villages" tag-on. Whatever, one does hate to disagree with the Wine Spectator but following are my own tasting notes for two of the wines in question. Fairview, Goats do Roam, Rose, 2004: A twin to the 2001 wine of this name and my tasting note for that earlier wine applies fully: Considering that this wine contains Pinotage, Grenache, Gamay Noir, Carignan, Pinot Noir, Muscat de Frontignan and other grapes, one might do better to think of it as a cocktail rather than a mere blend. Fair enough, though, for this wine (which, one should note, has become remarkably popular in England in recent years), has just the right kinds of cherry, strawberry and watermelon flavors to bring a smile to the face. A bit on the sweet side but with plenty of natural acids, this might be a good consideration with French toast, eggs and sausages or chicken salad sandwiches. Score 84. (Tasted 22 Jan 2005) Charles Back, Fairview Estate, Goats Do Roam in Villages, 2003: From the Paarl sub-region within South Africa, a blend of Shiraz, Sinsault, Carignan, Pinotage and even a bit of Mourvedre thrown in, this was probably a wine as much fun to make as it is to drink. Medium bodied, with good balance between fruits and acids, and just enough hints of the oak casks in which it aged for about six months, the wine is a good match to hot or cold sausages, chicken liver pate or veal dishes. Drink now or in the next year or so. Nothing complex here but a fun wine. Score 86. (Re-tasted 22 Jan 2005)

If you are a restaurant critic and are aware that you have been recognized, no need to be subtle but best bet is the smallest possible pad you can find so that it does not take up too much room on the table while you are dining. If you are a critic and believe you have remained anonymous, best is to periodically make your way to the toilets to make your notes. More comfortable to remain anonymous when possible and writing notes is often a give-away that you might be a critic. If a student or simply a person who likes to record his/her thoughts for posterity, no need to be subtle but again - a small pad and not to devote so much time to it that you forget to enjoy your meal I know some disagree with me, but I find palm pilots a pain in the butt that demand more concentration than pen and paper and thus pull me away from my meal. As to taping in any form, I feel foolish enough speaking on a cell phone when walking down the street and would feel like something of a lunatic to be seen sitting at my table and mumbling constantly. Thus, I remain a pen and paper person.

Here's a link to a piece I wrote about dining manners several years ago.... (proof that it was writtena while ago is that both of the people referred to in the present tense in the first paragraph are no longer living). http://www.stratsplace.com/rogov/good_manners.html

Only great chefs or great cooks can make great dishes on a regular basis. That does not mean that all dishes that great chefs or cooks will prepare will be great.

Melissa, Hi.... I recall the words of Chinese-American historian-author-philosopher Lin Yu Tang who in his acknowledgement that there is indeed something cruel about raising animals in order to kill and eat them, said that among the ways we can at least partly compensate for this is to "raise the animals with honor and with respect and with the sense of thanks that one day they will become part of your body" Perhaps that is something that the people at your event should have taught their children.

Cachan, Hello.... Your point that drinking wine will interfere with the pleasures of the cuisine can be carried ad absurdum - that is to say, that if one is to enjoy the purest flavors and texture of any food item, that itemshould not be served with either sauces or side dishes, each of which distracts the palate. Sorry to disagree so emphatically but wine and food were born to be paired one with the other, each highlighting the flavors, aromas, textures and other sensations that impact on our sense of smell, taste and sight.

Of possible related interest, from 14 – 16 June, the Konrad Adenauer Conference Centre at Mishkenat Sha'anaim in Jeruslem is hosting the international conference "A Taste of the Mediterranean". The conference will host Mediterranean, Israeli and Palestinian chefs, food connoisseurs and historians in order to examine andexperience the tastes of the region. My own talk at the conference will discuss the hypothesis that throughout the Mediterranean basin recipes cross borders far more easily than people. The talk will trace the somewhat dubious history and even folklore of folk-style culinary offerings such as shwarma, kebabs, taramasalata, chreimeh, felafel and kubbeh as well as more sophisticated dishes and tying them to the culinary, social, ethnic and religious composition of various neighboring countries. I am also planning an offering of amusing anecdotes of different countries each claiming to have been the "originator" of this dish or that and a more serious social analysis of how the foods of perceived "enemies" come to be absorbed into one's own national setting. Part of the talk with be devoted not only to variations on various culinary themes but as well to the different names/pronunciations of those dishes. I gather the talks, tastings and attendant tours will be open to the public. Those interested can garner further information by contacting project coordinator Beverley Hemo by email at programme@mishkenot.org.il

As others have pointed out, transliteration, especially fro Arabic and/or Hebrew is especially difficult because of the hard "ch" involved. According to the style manuals of both HaAretz and the Jerusealem Post newspapers, when writing in English the accepted spelling is in fact "chreimeh". Spell it and pronounce it as well as you like but when you get into the discussion about whether the dish has its origins in Tunisia, Algeria or Libya, they you're in trouble as the discussions can get even more heated than the dish itself. Whatever, here is the recipe I have used succesfully for quite some time, the recipe adapted from Ron Meiberg's excellent book "Taste of Israel" 3 Tbsp. olive oil 2 Tbsp. parsley, chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 8-12 cloves garlic, chopped 2Tbsp. tomato paste 1/2 tsp salt 2 Tbsp.lemon juice 1/2 tsp. black pepper ground coriander to taste 1/2 tsp.paprika (hot or sweet to choice) 1 1/2 cups water 1 lb fresh sea bass,grey mullet or carp Heat the oil in a saucepan and in this saute the onions and parsley for 5minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, salt, lemon juice, pepper and coriander. Add the water, mixwell and cook for 5 - 10 minutes over a moderate heat, stirring regularly. Lay the fish in the saucepan, cover and poach for about 25 minutes.

Wisdom, love and respect for those long gone to dine on their lobster Thermidor in the sky dictate that I do not comment on my mother's cooking abilities. Whatever, her cooking abilities she did, by heaven, enjoy dining and dining well and that love was passed on to me. As to specific "gifts", on my twelfth birthday she presented me with a copy of Brillat-Savarin's "Physiologie du Gout" (published also in English as "The Philosopher in the Kitchen"). I have since read that work cover-to-cover probably a hundred times.

One wine critic's impressions: The Ten Best Wine Producers 1. Golan Heights Winery (Katzrin, Yarden, Gamla, Golan) 2. Castel 3. Flam 4. Margalit 5. Yatir 6. Galil Mountain 7. Saslov 8. Amphorae 9. Recanati 10. Carmel Ten New or Up-and-Coming Producers 1. Clos de Gat 2. Chateau Golan 3. Ella 4. Carmei Yosef (Bravdo) 5. Alexander 6. Gustavo & Jo 7. Bazelet ha Golan 8. Orna Chillag 9. Sea Horse Winery 10. Bustan The Ten Fastest Improving Producers 1. Carmel 2. Barkan 3. Sea Horse 4. Tabor 5. Dalton 6. Zauberman 7. Gush Etzion 8. Segal 9. Tishbi 10. La Terra Promessa The 10 Best Wines Released in the Last Twelve Months Golan Heights Winery, Cabernet Sauvignon, Elrom Vineyard, Yarden, 2001 Golan Heights Winery, Merlot, Ortal Vineyard, Yarden, 2001 Carmel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Ramat Arad, 2002 Recanati, Special Reserve, 2001 Margalit, Cabernet Sauvignon, Special Reserve 2002 Castel, Grand Vin Castel, 2001 Flam, Cabernet Sauvignon, Reserve, 2002 Yatir, Yatir Forest 2002 Sea Horse, Elul, 2002 Amphorae, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2003 As to wine stores – perhaps two best bets within Tel Aviv city limits are Derekh ha Yain (Wine Route) on Rehov HaHashmona'eem and Hinawe, which is located near the clock tower in Jaffa. Keep in mind that Andre, who posted earlier on this thread, is the owner of Special Reserve, certainly one of the best wine stores in the country, and that is located in Haifa. And, apologizing in advance for bit of obvious self-promotion, to check my detailed tasting notes and projected drinking windows of local wines, consider picking up a copy of my little book "Rogov's Guide to Israeli Wines 2005" (available at Steimatzky or, should you have time before your visit via either Barnes and Nobles or Amazon on line. Do keep in mind of course that not all of Israel's very best wines are kosher. As to whether the industry has attained the status of "greatness"…..I'll agree with Andre that this is not yet the case. Quite a few truly excellent wines and more on the way but "greatness" at this stage might be just a wee bit premature. Do, please keep in mind as well that my internet wine pages (linked to above) are somewhat dated. Full updates wll be made in June.

I agree that there is no sin whatever in a chef endorsing a product, even if the product is not one that he/she truly cares for. Chefs (and keep in mind please that no-one respects fine chefs more than I) are not doing a public service. They are selling their wares and the quality of their wares - that is to say - the food they set before us- is the only thing for which they should be judged. There are, of course many factors involved in determining the quality of any dish but whether the chef has sex with horses, promotes the sale of sports shoes or frozen shrimp is something that we may judge but not as it reflects on his product. The critic is in a completely different category. Although the restaurant or wine critic can be on friendly, even warm terms, with chefs, restaurateurs or winemakers as the case may be, he cannot be friends with them except in very rare exceptions. Nor, under any circumstances whatever, can critics accept payment of any kind from any segment of the food/wine industries. The moment they have done that they have or should have lost every ounce of their credibility. Chefs have no need whatever to make full disclosure... they are selling a product and it is that and that alone that is put out for us to judge. Critics on the other hand must make full disclosure for what they are selling is their credibility and once they compromise that they become, for lack of a better word, whores.