JohnL

Is this a trick question? really--saffron is expensive on a purely weight based cost. In reality a very little goes a long way-- so on a pure per use cost it is well worth it (and not that expensive)--it is all relative. As already noted here-saffron provides a unique flavor (it is not about the color only otherwise turmeric would be a valid substitute). as with many things-one either enjoys the flavor of saffron or not. for my taste-I can not imagine a paella (or a Milanese risotto) without good quality saffron--it is integral to these dishes.

I have had good results with saffron from Penzey's (www.penzeys.com) In their current catalog they offer three grades: Spanish Superior Quality--$6.49 per gram Coupe Quality Spanish--$7.95/gram and what they say is the finest saffron in the world: Indian Mogra cream saffron (from Kashmir)--$10.95 per gram I have tried the Mogra Cream and find it to be the best I have ever used. I also like the Coupe Quality Spanish Saffron.

minerals in wines usually present as "metallic" or "stony" flavors. I think "sharpness" is probably more a result of acidity. Acidity makes your mouth water and is felt on the sides of your tongue. There can also be other things that creates astringency in a white wine. As for "pinpointing" flavors--some wines are simple rather than complex and broad flavors like citrus and acidity are what the wine is all about. Also-if a wine is not balanced --some elements can overwhelm others that may be present. The Muscadet example you provide is a good one. I have tasted a mineral note often in what is usually a simple wine (but sooo good with cold shell fish!). Your brief tasting note is pretty representative of a lot of Muscadets. Red wines can definitely have mineral notes--some great Burgundies have definite notes of a mineral tang (sometimes iron etc).

I once had a similar problem. I got some "plastic" sheeting--basically the kind of stuff garbage bags are made out of and covered my bed whenever i cooked. I also got a pretty powerful and (small) "Vornado" fan and opened up the window a bit with the fan pointing outward.--this seemed to work really well fo me.

I have found that you can't go wrong with the dishes that come from the area in question. The local folks seem to pair up food with the local wines (or is it the other way round?) with the best results! I believe it is out of print-- but Matt Kramer's "A Passion for Piedmont" is a great book with many wonderful recipes from the Piedmont with lots of good wine info and perspective. kramer has a real love for the region and has spent a lot of time there--not to speak of his not inconsiderable perspective on wine in general. also The best book on Italian wine at the moment is "Vino Italiano" by Joe Bastianich and David Lynch (just out in paperback)--it covers all of Italy (not just the Piedmont) but it also covers food pairing (courtesy of his mom Lydia Bastianich) and is loaded with wonderful consumer friendly information. By the way--I second Brad's advice to try both "New" and "0ld style" Barolo (don't forget Barbaresco--which is also Nebbiolo but usually matures earlier). I happen to love both styles! right now the barolos of Marcarini are reasonably priced for the quality--around fifty to sixty bucks (you might even find em for forty or so).

Craig--your words eloquently reflect my opinions far better than my own could. Wine is wine is wine is.... Perhaps we should remove the mystique of champagne and look at it as sparkling wine. Much fine champagne will stand on its own at any price point. Some won't fare so well. It is difficult to make broad generalizations and broad comparisons and wines are always better compared within regions and appellations as opposed to across regions and appellations.

I really liked Bill Telepan's cooking when he was at Judson Grill. IMOP one of the more "under rated" places in NYC. Though the size of Judson (now Bobby Flay's Bar Americaine) is too cavernous for an "intimate" restaurant. I think the new space will be much better for Telepan who is very good at utilizing fresh "local" ingredients in well conceived dishes. I will most definitely be trying his new place in the coming year!

Oakapple, Not to belabor this, but ethics are not what I am really looking at. The fact is, the del Posto piece was about Del Posto a restaurant that had not opened at the time the article was written. Bruni may have talked about how Del Posto "fits into the Bastianich/Batali empire" and the NY restaurant scene but he wrote about what Bastianich et al are attempting to achieve with Del Posto. Bruni commented on the menu the type of food Del Posto was going to serve and the decor--all things he (or a Times critic) will have to write about when a formal review is published. The accompanying photos--the entire piece itself--fall into the category of a "profile" or special features article. If we agree that the Del Posto piece in question is a very different animal than a critical review then all I am saying is critics should write critical pieces (criticism) and features writers should write features. If you see the del Posto piece as involving a critical eye or critical commentary then I would ask--should the Times be applying a critical eye to a restaurant that is not open to the public? Should they have their critics write about plays that are not open or musical CD's where the artist is still recording or mixing them? If, as part of a formal critical review of the restaurant, Bruni wrote about the Bastianich/Batali empire that would be fine. The Del Posto piece smacks of a profile features article (photos and all) and critics should not be writing these things. Amanda Hesser or Mimi Sheraton or any one of the fine food writers the Times has on staff or any features writer would have been more appropriate to the task. Again, there are journalistic reasons that there are departments and categories at newspapers--if the Times is fine with their critics writing profiles and news pieces and features about things they are going to cover before they write their reviews then so be it. If the Times is going to publish pre reviews of yet to open entities then fine. I say they are wrong to do so--in fact--if someone other than Bruni had written the Del Posto piece we would be talking about del Posto not who wrote the article.

Yes! Sirio! thanks for pointing that out. (though there may be a "Sergio" somewhere in the family!) I stand corrected.

It's not from Riedel, but William Yeoward Crystal makes a Champagne jug for the purpose. Also, I just read that someone at The French Laundry who had ordered a rose Champagne had it brought to their table in a decanter and poured into syrah stems to enhance the fruit. ← Interesting. what do you think of all this? It sounds to me like a bit of overkill and voodoo at play. Though--a slightly broader glass could conceivably focus the fruit more than a traditional flute. I have a hard time buying into the decanting part--is there an upside to "flatten" out a fine champagne via aeration?

being the cynical curmudgeon i am--I would not be suprised to see a line of Riedel Champagne decanters or a special glass for decanted champagne soon. I own several Riedel glasses--they are nice. I also find Riedel to be a master salesman--fine glassware aside--there's more than a little snake oil at play here! also Brad pretty much noted why wine should be decanted--it would be interesting to hear (read) Mr Riedel elaborate on this topic!

Just about everything that appears in the Times's lifestyle sections is partly the result of skillful PR. The article was an overview of the entire Batali/Bastianich empire, with an opinion on each of those restaurants—including some unfavorable comments that clearly reflected Bruni wearing his critic's hat. Obviously the Times has other writers capable of expressing opinions about high-end dining, but they pay only one person at a time to do that. Right now, he's the guy. The Times's restaurant coverage has never been even-handed. Compass has had three rated reviews in four years, while Jean Georges hasn't had a rated review since the Ruth Reichl era. It's not as if the paper has some civic duty to give every restaurant equal time. The critic covers what he finds worthy of coverage. It is clear that the Times wants their restaurant critic to comment on developments in the restaurant scene generally, rather than merely reviewing restaurants one at a time. Since there is only one critic, he needs to decide which developments are sufficiently newsworthy to justify the space, and this means there will be winners and losers. Perhaps he will write a preview article on Danny Meyer's next place. But perhaps he will not. Trust me, Meyer also has a publicist, as does every major restauranteur in this city. They all want Frank Bruni to write about them. Although I criticize Bruni for many things, I think he understands that publicists are trying to manipulate him. It's his job to decide whether a new development is really what the press release says. The analogy to "l'affaire Hesser" seems inapposite. I presume you're referring to her three-star review of Spice Market after Jean-Georges Vongerichten wrote a glowing blurb on the dustjacket of her book, Cooking for Mr. Latte. There has been no suggestion that Frank Bruni has a similar conflict of interest. ← I think you are missing the point. This is not about impropriety. It is about the paper blurring the lines between:news reporting, features writing and personality profiling, and critical reviewing. It is not just the Times but many newspapers as well as other media outlets (print mostly) facing declining readership. Theatre critics traditionally do not review plays in preview! If Bruni is the restaurant critic then putting his name on a piece that is, ostensibly, a features article about a restaurant that is not open amounts to a possible preview of his formal review. Did he not cover the decor in the same manner he does in his formal reviews? I would argue that this certainly does lead to questions about "evenhandedness!" We all know about the symbiotic relationship between publicists and PR and the press--nothing inherrently wrong here--unless one's critic is authoring preview pieces about entities he or she will be called upon to critically assess/review. I have no problem with Bruni's diners journal pieces about the Tourandel empire--all those places were open and had, I believe been reviewed. But, by putting Bruni's name under the del Posto piece lends the weight or gravitas of the Time's critical reviewer not just a food writer or features writer. So why shouldn't Danny Meyer or Sergio Maccioni expect less from the Times coverage when they expand their empires?! Also, is there anything in the del Posto piece that a good food writer at the Times (or a freelancer) would not have covered or noted? By the way, just to play devil's advocate and conspiracy theory guy--say Bruni writeds a piece on an unopen restaurant and comments negatively on something--say the too large menu or the blue carpet--is he not actually providing some opportunity for the management to make some pre opening "adjustments". Not that anyone would, of course. So, I ask you, should the roles of criticism and features/news writing be different? if so--in the Del Posto piece, is Bruni a features writer or a critic? Should a critic offer criticism in a features piece? Should any writer review restaurants and plays and dance etc? Can readers divorce the two roles when reading them ? can Bruni when writing them? should a hard news reporter do a profile piece on a major political figure he or she covers? Does anyone care about journalistic integrity? again, I am not impuning Bruni or Hesser --I believe this is more about the editors and management of the Times and the direction of the newspaper. The Del Posto piece was fine by me--written by anyone other than a "critic."

Rich Good points. I believe that the Times is focusing on expanding its National readership. (all newpapers are facing this problme of declining circulation and ad revenues). I suspect that they are looking to people outside new York and if so, the Del Posto preview piece is of more interest to them than the actual review of the place. I also believe this is why Bruni is focusing on the dining "scene" in New York (both in his formal reviews and the pieces like the one on the Tourandel empire or the Del Posto piece. interestingly, there was, I believe, a reference in the Del Posto article "noting" readers could get a Bruni "tour" of Del Posto on line. what we appear to have here is a blurring of the lines between circulation and Times on line (ancillary services) and journalism (critical reviewing) and features writing. A pretty muddy mix--IMOP.

I thought the Bruni piece was sufficiently balanced to allow him to go either way in the review. He appeared to be pointing out some of the potential hazards, particularly the depth of the menu. ← IMOP -the real point is how the Times views the role of its restaurant critics. The Del Posto piece in question was a 'features" oriented piece --most likely a result of a PR push by the management of the restaurant. In and of itself, this is not a problem--it is a newspaper's job to report on events etc.--the opening of del Posto does have some importance and is newsworthy. What is of concern, at least to me, is having the Times critic write the piece. The Times has several well qualified reporters and/or food writers who would have been more than capable of writing the Del Posto article. I still see no "special insight" only Bruni could provide reflected in the piece. I doubt it is a critic's job to offer critical insight on a restaurant that is not open to the public. (in fact most reviews come after a restaurant has had time to work out any kinks--one rarely sees a theatre critic offering commentary on a play that is in previews). Bruni was, to some extent, participating in the publicity machine for Del Posto. This "lessens" the gravitas of his function as a reviewer and critic and opens the door to all kinds of questions. Also problematic is evenhandedness of coverage--will Bruni do a piece on preopenings of Sergio Maccioni's or Danny Meyers next place? In essence, what we got was a preview not only of the restaurant but also a preview of Bruni's coming review of Del Posto. He seemed to cover the decor part of his formal review. The Times is, once again, showing that the editors see no difference in the roles of their critics and their features and news writers and reporters. They got into some trouble here with l'affaire Hesser recently. One hopes that Bruni serves the readers and restaurant goers of this city (and visitors) by being unimpeachable and applying a discerning critical eye to reviewing restaurants. Other writers should serve readers by informing them of newsworthy openings and writing personality profiles and informative features stories. Journalism 101--IMOP.

good question. tricky situation! First, you are pairing the wine with food that should be the prime consideration--something that works with the food. As for price--someone who really appreciates wine can show "what they know" best by finding some selections that are good bargains and are not neccessarily the most expensive or highly marked up. It is a no brainer to select the '55 Margaux. Also --IMOP it is good taste to involve your host in the decision--ask him or her what kind of wines they enjoy--ask" have you tried the....?" basically give them a chance to provide you with some guidance as to what they might like and also in the process you should be able to get an idea of what they would be comfortable with price wise. The old trick of focusing on three wines in differing price ranges and saying: "well there are a few nice choices that will work well all are really good i think--what do you think?" usually works well. (this is often used by sommeliers). I do not think it is appropriate to simply select a wine based solely upon your criteria alone--that is to say pick a wine that you have wanted to try to "let er rip..." so to speak. after all you are picking wine for the both of you to go with your food. It can be tempting but ordering a wine that is very expensive may leave you wondering --"did I go overboard?" or worse--leave your guest somewhat resentful of your taking advantage of his or her graciousness. Even when I am asked to select wine for others --i always involve them in the final decision. I want them to enjoy the wine and to be comfortable with the price. also what is really impressive--is showing your knowledge of wine by finding a "lesser known" lower or moderately priced wine that most people would overlook but will provide pleasure for you and your host.

I completed level three (advanced certificate). in NYC. I would say that level three was quite rigorous. The next level (diploma) is a three year (really two) course of study that provides a platform for the master of Wine course.--all this education gets quite intense. level two and three can be quite beneficial for a wine lover--my advice would be to make sure you are really comfortable with the level two stuff (beginner and intermediate combined) before going into level three--as one could find themselves in over their head a bit. the teachers are quite good--and the classes are fun (but again quite rigorous) and you will gain not only quite a bit of formal knowledge but also some experience at formal tasting and evaluation of wine.

Mary Is your wine distributed in New York, NJ or Connecticut?

petite! well last I looked--no one has found Utopia-- yet! You live in a truely beautiful area! no one is saying America is paradise--food and eating in terms of quality and diversity for rich and poor is getting a lot better. raw ingredients for home cooking and restaurants much better now than even ten years ago. Let's not forget that we are climatically challenged (we have winter)--many areas rely on trucked in, flown in and frozen and/or canned foodstuffs. mailorder and the internet are a godsend for many. The move toward locally grown and raised food is really good and progressing. By the way--while we are on the topic of Thailand cuisine--one of the best (and authentic--as far as I can tell) Thai restaurants anywhere is in a strip mall outside of Mechanicsburg Pennsylvania wish I could remember the name.

Boy do i agree with you! Acquagrill is great! also Bluepoints!!! and you are right on with your complaint about less than perfect shucking! this thread is makin me hungry--would I love a dozen Bluepoints right now!!! Happy holidays!

HH expenditures % of income (fromEncyclopedia Britannica Almanac 2004) food and tobacco and beverages Thailand: 37% US: Food away from home: 5.7% Food at home: 7.9% I am not sure what your point is. What do you mean by "bias"? I do not know why we are attempting to compare these two countries. They each have their pluses and minuses as far as places to live.

It really shouldn't "alarm" you if there is nothing to it, or if you think the comment foolish. No need for you to "go there". Some people might want to, though. You do want to be inclusive, I am sure. ← Well, if someone wants to go there, I have heard my share of "Thank you, Jesus" - "Hellelujah" - and "God, this is good" around the dinner tables I ate at as a child, and those my children ate at as children, and even today. As far as food generosity is concerned, I have a bagful of cookies from neighbors, and have sent mine around. Nobody steps foot on my doorstoop without the offer of sustenance, and if you are here when food is cooking you WILL eat. Yes, good, nutritious food feeds the body and soul. A sense of humor about it is like dessert. ← I couldn't have said it better!--nice response. again-- the assumptions and generalizations and stereotyping are all i am noting.

Is "Tongue in cheek" in Henderson's cookbook? I bet it would be good. ← That is an "offal" joke!!!

Being a bit tongue in cheek, I was. ← I thought so! (Andy Lynes would be apoplectic over your comment re: British food). It is just that to me this is really quite silly. (yes the Swedes have pushed the concept of Herring beyond its rational limits!). but few, if any, cuisines are totally homogenous. by the way--if one is looking for what influences the 'average" American--one would look away from Gourmet magazine and in the direction of the Food Network and Martha Stewart! and that is a good thing and a bad thing!

Austin, I think you need to spend more time in California. Go to a place like Chow in San Francisco. Good, healthy, creative food available at a price that normal people can afford? Yep, I think they've got that covered. High end and ritsy, it ain't. Good and a bargain, it sure is. ← Pan, with all due respect (truly!!!), I believe what Austin is talking about is eating outside of the urban centers. I've eaten like a queen in New York and San Francisco, at ethnic restaurants that cost very little as well as at the high end of the spectrum. Where I'm currently staying, I have to drive 40-50 miles to either of two cities if I want to eat at a place that isn't a chain or a greasy spoon - with the exception of the local prime rib house. One has to be truly motivated and flush with gasoline money to do that kind of thing on a regular basis, and forget about having wine with the meal if you have to drive that distance home. I can leave my apartment in New York and be within a 5 minute walk of any regional cuisine at a decent price and quality. The same cannot be said for the rest of the country, alas. Ellen (who is jonesing for sushi like a depraved junkie) ← I am curious--where are you "staying?" You may not be able to get sushi (good or bad). There are rural areas and some small towns in the US do not have a wide selection of good restaurants but often this is a result of the fact that people do not dine out a lot. Hard to believe there are many places that have no or little good healthy food available in markets etc. People may not be dining out a lot where you are but that does not mean they are not eating well at home. By the way--some of the "chain" restaurants are not quite as bad as we make em out to be.

Most oysters available in America are either the Virginia (east coast and gulf of Mexico) and the Pacific and Asian (west coast, pacific). The main flavor determinate is the waters the oyster comes from. For eg--Chesapeake and Blue Point oysters are the same type, species etc but are from different waters and can taste differently. I would suggest finding a place that serves a wide variety and order a sampler. I personally like the eastern variety better than the western (kumomoto etc). There are distinct flavor differences. I also prefer smaller to medium size oysters. Maybe most important is freshness!!!! Legal Seafoods restaurants on the East Coast have a good selection. With a bit of "tasting" different oysters you will quickly hone in on the one's you prefer. (if you are lucky--you will like em all!).