Pontormo

Rancho: I am very sympathetic regarding your support of Alice Waters...she's a hero of mine in so many ways. When I posted notice of the book review, my intentions were quite innocent. I haven't read anything by the author and do enjoy clever, articulate writing...especially when the subject is close to my heart. I had no idea comments would move in ways that would make anyone feel defensive. Elitism is not always a bad thing. (I for one agree with *Deborah* about grammar and the spelling of "its" and "it's.") Most of us do have a sense of humor and an ability to be self-depricating. I hope we do. There are aspects of culinary elitism that do seem excessive, but by golly, I know I am passionate and very humorless about things that matter to me....like Parmigiana Reggiano and farmers markets. Yes, we need to care about the ways Americans eat. I tried to raise interest in the illuminating (if very manipulatively produced) nature of reality television when it comes to this subject. See the inaccurately titled "Wife Swapper" in this very forum. Lots of members peeked, but only one of us bit. I commented again on the topic in the (currently) final post on KC thread. There might be a different way of approaching the topic. Please do. I haven't been a member for very long, but I wonder if there has been a serious, thorough discussion here about Molly O'Neill's article, "Food Porn," most accessible perhaps in the most recent anthology of best food writing (2004) edited by Holly Hughes. Would others be interested in taking a couple of weeks to find it, read it, and devote a thread to a discussion? Perhaps we should let poor Mr. Rakoff be and hope that other critics will be supportive enough for him to bring home the bacon. Shall we end this thread since it is no longer about his essay and take up some of the issues elsewhere?

The horror......the horror.

Probably for the same reason Puglia is known as "Apulia." The UK's "rocket" most likely comes from the French roquette. ← Ahhhhh, hadn't thought of that one. "Puglia" to "Apulia" is not the same as "Toscana" to "Tuscany,"* you're right. (Regarding rocket--yours is the accepted etymology.) But the thing is, as far as I know, "arugula" is a fairly new post-colonial word. I mean, the first time I noticed its appearance in the States was back in the mid- to late eighties, and then it was not terribly common. In the midwest friends gave me a packet of arugula seeds as a birthday present ca. 1990 for this reason, thrilled that they discovered something that exotic. It was probably more accessible in California earlier, at least on farms patronized by Alice Waters. However, in her menu cookbook of 1982, arugula is called rocket. Why, decades after we started calling Peking "Beijing" do we still persist in making up variations on foreign words? *As for the use of "Tuscany" in the culinary world, I have noticed two things: 1) Tuscany salad. Why the noun for an adjective when the word "Tuscan" is readily available? It's true we have Caesar salad and Waldorf salad, but Tuscany salad sounds awkward to me. 2) Whole Foods sells a loaf called Tuscany Bread or maybe even Pana Toscana. However, it is not the real deal, quality aside, since it contains salt. Then there's foccaccia bread, though, maybe someone has said that already.

and while you're at it, what is "curry" anyway? kadhi? kari? though the work seems to have firmly entrenched itself into the indian food vocabulary.... milagai ← I'm no expert, but I wonder if British colonialism is to blame....you know, an exotic spice to transform lamb stew into lamb curry. Curry powders that I have owned tend to go heavy on tumeric. Robuchon's been criticized for his reliance on the stuff.

Does anyone out there know why rucola is called "arugula" in North America? This has bugged me for a long time. Why replace the Anglo "rocket" with what seems to be a made-up Italian word when the real one will do? Don't bother consulting Elizabeth Schneider. Recently I purchased her amazing Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini (2001), and while she actually addresses the issue, her lines of inquiry led nowhere. And as long as I'm on the subject of Italian vocabulary, I come across "pannini sandwiches" on the menu boards of local coffee houses all the time.

Marcia: As a disclaimer, let me say first I am an omnivore who eats produce (vegetables & fruit) probably more than anything else due to personal inclination. I do not eat a lot of protein, but enough to meet current daily requirements. What I do not eat in great quanitities are grains. I have started to read more on nutrition and have recently purchased the CIA's Techniques of Healty Cooking, second edition, part of its Professional Chef series. (I wanted something with an emphasis on food written by culinary experts vs. a doctor's advice on ways to look younger, live longer by eating uninspired meals.) I quote page 6 of a very concise discussion of basic elements of nutrition: "Carbohydrates are the preferred energy source of the brain and nervous system. They provide energy for muscle movement and red blood cells, and play a role in the regulation of fat metabolism. Fifty-five to sixty percent of a person's daily calories should come from carbohydrates." Of course, many Americans swear by the kind of dietary practices you and your husband decided to follow when the idea of low-carb eating became popular. I do not wish to get off topic here. However, I wonder if Greens might have been more satisfying to you had you eaten (more?) pasta, rice or good filling bread along with the meal you say you enjoyed in other respects. One recipe that I cook at least once a year is the black bean chili from the cookbook that Deborah Madison named after the restaurant you visited. That cookbook became popular among the pot luck crowd in Ann Arbor when I lived there. Its appeal was the sophistication of the dishes. Deborah Madison and her restaurant were inspiring to home cooks who wanted to get away from the brown rice and cheese encrusted stir fries that gave vegetarianism a bad name. Her later publications offer recipes that are far simpler, involve fewer ingredients and take less time to prepare. However, in that earlier book, the complexity of dishes such as hand-rolled cannelloni filled with beet greens with a walnut sauce was a necessary first step in tempering the bad reputation that vegetarian restaurants suffered for so long.

Just a quick note for those interested: In today's Style section on page C9 of The Washington Post, Jonathan Yardley reviews a newly published collection of comic essays entitled Don't Get Too Comfortable (Doubleday). According to the review "the best piece...[concerns]...a well-known restaurant in northern California whose owner is world famous as an advocate for humane and sustainable agribusiness, as well as being a renowned chef in her own right." It sounds as if Rakoff does not dwell upon that one beloved establishment, but ranges broadly in lampooning the obsessions of foodies and their suppliers.

Hey, you all, since you can no longer watch this sitcom, at least after the baseball games are over, do switch the channel to ABC and watch Wife Swap.* Since I was busy translating La vita Nuova into Persian, I only caught fifteen minutes of the show, but it was fascinating. A make-up wearing wife from Kentucky who puts her little girl in beauty pageants traded places with a wife who refuses to allow a TV in the house and believes that no one should compete or be judged by the degree to which her outfit matches. Relevance? Of course, the family from Kentuck eats only junk food and the wife from the other family pushed natural foods and vegetarian dishes on them after forcing them to sing and play drums. The extreme dichotomy reminded me of some of the things currently being written about vegetarian restaurants in a different forum. In the interest of entertainment, the producers did not choose a gifted cook to represent vegetarianism to their viewership. The woman stir fried vegetables and tossed them on a plate of brown rice. They looked like lovely red bell peppers and healthful, healthy stalks of broccoli rabe, but blah. Her non-husband asked why the rice has to be undercooked. He had never experienced the crunch factor of whole grains, the defensive cook explained; her food was fine. Then we all got a shot of him throwing his meal in the trash. A few minutes later we got to see these same reluctant folk sip bright green gunk from a juicer and declare it's not as bad as it looks. "It's not the taste, dahling, right?" says the Daddy in his feedstore cap to the little girl on his knee. "It's the consistancy." She looks up at her father. Can't believe what he just said. But as she squinches up her face and grimaces after trying his glass of gunk, she politely lies, "Yeah." They all decide then and there they need to change their diets and eat better. *I got the name wrong on my first ineffective post about this show.

I find it very difficult to believe that anyone who knows anything about food would believe vegetarian dishes to be bland!! Pesto, bland? Perhaps those without any knowledge of cooking or used to dishes passed down within very conservative families might feel that way, although they would probably be folk who go for unseasoned white soft food. (This is why I hate generalizations.) Perceptions of produce and dishes made without meat have changed sufficiently, I think, although attitudes towards vegetarianism as a movement have not.* Poor opinions of vegetarians persist outside of Hollywood circles and college campuses. The problem with vegetarian restaurants is the fact that they are no longer needed. In the early seventies in the United States, about the only cookbook written expressly for vegetarians that I could find was a small paperback published by Penguin. It was dreadful. The author clearly hadn't thumbed through Elizabeth David and probably hadn't ventured across the Channel to the lands from whence the Normans came. Adolf Hitler had that kind of food ge-ate. Remember, that was when Italian food was lasagna and spaghetti with meatballs. My fling with vegetarianism lasted for about three months. It was the shriveled up canned mock hot dog on the grill at the July 4th picnic that did me in. Then came Anna Thomas, and especially with The Vegetarian Epicure Book Two (1978), she made more of the country aware of changes in California and the food world that mattered to vegetarians. Roger Ebert has a nice little piece praising her somewhere online. I am simplifying matters, of course; there are many other factors that have helped contribute to the sorry fate of vegetarian restaurants, especially outside of the vegetarian world. It may seem somewhat ironic given the popularity of the great Deborah Madison...who now eats meat. But at a time when our supermarkets stock red and yellow bell peppers, Parmigiano Reggiano, parsley with flat leaves and capers, the repertoire of vegetarian home cooks has expanded...or SHOULD be more sophisticated than it was back when there was a need for restaurants that catered specifically to their needs. Informed vegetarians can go to any number of good American, French, Middle Eastern, Italian, Asian (etc.) establishments and find numerous choices on menus. The only vegetarians of any major consequence nowadays are those Raw Food folk. (The one exception to that rule that springs to mind is an Indian celebrity chef who cooks but does not eat meat.) Me, I'd rather eat sushi. *Again, generalizations are risky. Attitudes towards vegetables in particular are complicated, complex and often contradictory and conflicting. This is why we need to know more about the food cravings and daily eating habits of those who do not join egullet. [Edited to add missing words, remove redundant one and to add footnote and content.]

Shudder and sigh. Long, LONG ago, it was wonderful.

I second suggestion of 1789. There are two choices of private dining rooms upsides. The food is the principal reason for the choice...the chef, a close second reason. No spectacular views. Jaleo in Bethesda (vs. downtown D.C.) would be fun...but I don't know about private dining areas. Maestro's is logical choice too.

To sound like an insider, that would be "A2 threads" Thanks for all the wonderful reminders of Korean food in Ann Arbor and Blimpy's. I am surprised no one mentioned food-shopping at Zingerman's. By the way, is Cousin's Heritage Inn in Dexter still any good?

Oh, I don't know...just babbling, really. Perhaps, instead of a one-time annual feature (a great one this year!), just mention the market constantly, incorporate recipes that include whatever is still there or has just arrived....a panic alert when stone fruit will appear for the final time, ditto on tomatoes, stuff about lack of rain and what farmers at the market have to say ...and most importantly for folk who buy groceries, but don't necessarily read more than the front sections of the Post, mention the market outside of text geared to "foodies." (I just started volunteering fairly recently and whenever we're closing down, I get questions from passers by....or a startled "There's an outdoor market?" should the subject come up elsewhere.) Kinda getting off topic now...

I enjoyed it today too, especially the sous vide discussion and integration of "front page" news with a feature story. That is, it was smart to talk about feeding Katerina evacuees as a way of exploring new technology. As for "Death by Chocolate," it was amusing but struck me as a bit of Julie Powell rip-off. In turn, all media looks to other news sources, but the article on feeding college kids locally seems to respond to an article in the NYTs this summer and just switches the setting. Still, I am VERY glad to see that the section is doing what Reichel has been trying to do with Gourmet and what Molly O'Neill called for in "Food Porn," namely emphasize how essential food is as a part of our lives, politics, and culture. (Thank g-d there's no such thing as the women's pages anymore.) There should be more frequent articles about food incorporated into different sections of the paper throughout the week, especially Metro. The section on Wed should be longer than it is. After all, there is a daily Sports section. Isn't food more fundamental than baseball? What I think needs more publicity is the farmer's markets. I am amazed by the number of people who do not know about them.

UPDATE: I just received a request from another member who wanted to hear more from me about the program. S/he is welcome to post any questions or comments here....or if discretion is desired by someone who does not wish to express thoughts on a public forum, I would be happy to accept a personal message. In sum, I chose not to submit a formal application to the program despite all the time I invested in the preliminary test and exchanges with the school. Were I much younger and wealthy....or wealthier, I would have continued with the application process. I have already mentioned that the university's association with Slow Food is appealing and the participating faculty for the upcoming year is quite impressive. To someone who wishes to become an informed marketing specialist in Northern Italian imported foods (prosciutto, Parmigiano Reggiano) or wines, to travel to Spain, France and England in addition to various regions throughout Italy having a grand time learning from food experts at those places, I'd say, by all means proceed. There might be some great contacts to make...that was one reason I thought of risking the investment in such a new institution. Ultimately, I was not reassured sufficiently by the adminstration of the program that the Master's Program served my professionial needs, that the internship (still undefined) would provide the knowledge, experience and professional value to serve my own goals. And as I have said, the turn-around between the application process and beginning of the program was terribly inconvenient...less so for a young college graduate who can pack up belongings and put them in her/his family's basement. For those who have never studied or used Italian and never lived in Italy, the program has greater value than for others. The application deadline was September 23. Since the program is so new and today's email from an egullet administrator was the first news I have received that someone else is looking into the program, the university may be willing to overlook that date. (I emailed the host of a culinary Web site who has a Master's from the school, but that person never responded to my inquiry.) My advice is to email the place itself, see if there are firmer plans for the curriculum and schedule when I posted here the last time....and remember, the faculty and administration of any academic institution are very different entitites. See how you react to the exchanges you have the USIG and keep in mind that it will largely be the faculty, site visits and fellow students who will determine what kind of experience you will have. I think that I would not be the only one here who would like to hear more from you in this open forum. Auguri (good wishes!), Pontormo

Um, an aureole is the big gold shiny halo thing around saints' heads in medieval pictures. You're thinking of an areola. exactly. "aureole" and "areola" are way too close for comfort. At least for saints ← I can't find a good online detail from a fresco by Ambrogio Lorenzetti, but the following entry will do...read all the way down to the final paragraph for full culinary relevance: Saint Agatha The problem with the name is minor, but in D.C. owners decided to call their small. cozy establishment Pesto Ristorante. Using the Italian name for a restaurant is a bit too self-conscious and the full name's awkward to say. Why not simply Pesto? Short, snappy, not all that original, but certainly appealing and it conveys a lot about what customers might expect from the place.

Is Nancy Radke a member here? She's the US rep for marketing Parmigiano Reggiano.

I used to love a Cappuccino cookie that was similar to Brussels, I think, except the cookie was coffee flavored with a chocolate filling. While I am all for eating decadent foods in moderation in the quest for weight loss, I have to say I stopped buying Pepperidge Farm cookies because of the company's reliance on partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Only a few types of cookies--such as Chessman--are made with butter rather than shortening. If I am going to eat so-called bad fat, I feel better about butter than PHVO.

Nice little piece of trivia: The Milano cookie was "invented" by Guy Mermier, Professor Emeritus of French, The University of Michigan, during a summer job at Pepperidge Farm when he was a student. He and his wife purchased a lovely summer home in Michigan with the profits he earned.

I REALLY should be doing something else with this computer, but I couldn't resist. While scanning the flurry of postings, I didn't see Calvin Trillin's name, so let me add that you CAN'T write about changing Thanksgiving dinner without mentioning his campaign to replace turkey with spaghetti carbonara! [Complete symbol by mentally adding hands on hips & firmly planted feet to signify conviction vs. anger] In her NY cookbook, Molly O'Neill included a recipe just for him, but I say the recipe published by David Downie in Cooking the Roman Way is about the best support the campaign could ever have. [Now make the tongue move up and around to lick those skinny little lips.]

A plate of perfectly grilled porcini with olive oil, salt and pepper...preferably following an order of fried zucchini blossoms after the Sant'Ambrogio market has closed for the day and there's a beautiful thin cake or two to choose between on the stand behind glass near the front door.

The initial entry here mentions the museum where I had one of my favorite experiences: the National Gallery in London. There is an upstairs dining room with tables placed next to a huge window with a spectacular view of the city. All I remember from the meal was a curried red lentil soup...but it was delicious. For a determined six or seven-hour visit, it was a tranquil break, a relief shifting focus from sight to taste. During that same trip, the V & A had a wonderful spread at lunch, if more traditional than postcolonial: a perfectly roasted turkey, fresh salads.... At the Uffizi in Florence, there is a very small bar with an open view of a terrace that is popular for tourists since it's situated high above the Piazza della Signoria, the civic center. The selections are very limited, though they expand at lunch time. Very pricey. However, it the middle of the tourist season when lines for entry stretch around the block, it is good to have a place to go for a cappuccino, a freshly squeezed orange juice and a spinach and mozzarella panino. Here in D.C., the introduction of gelato to visitors of the National Gallery of Art caused a flurry of excitement especially since it comes with those darling little plastic shovel spoons that I used to carry back from trips to Italy. The texture and some of the flavors are good. However, since all the fixings are imported, you don't get the quality that you find in superior Italian gelaterie; there's no fresh strawberrry made with real fruit in spring, no fresh peach in July.... Right next to the gelato, there are selections of grain salads and a few other items which show that the place is trying to be good. However, if memory does not fail me, I believe the restaurant Kuna was started by a chef who was originally at the NGA. Quality may have slipped after his departure. The diner affiliated with The Spy Museum has gotten some press, but I can't say anything about its quality. One Christmas I received Museum Cafe's & Arts by Sharon O'Connor which is devoted to U.S. institutions. You're supposed to slide the CD of chamber music* into your system as you read recipes and look at the tasteful illustrations of still-life paintings (split pomegranates, bunches of pale green grapes, sections of orange reflected upon the surface of a polished tea tray in the house of Henri Fanton-Latour), black and white pleats of a cabbage leaf and a young girl towering over the words "CAKE WALK" in a collage. *Sigh, yes, edited. How come everyone gotta no?

I share your tastes, NickV. Cf. my posting of the same poem last week!

Challenge: What other foods have inspired poems as much as the blackberry? NPR offered Seamus Heaney's meditation on the blackberry this summer: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4818965 Galway Kinnell writes about the relationship between eating blackberries & writing poetry in: http://www.poemhunter.com/p/m/poem.asp?poet=9088&poem=86574 Surely there are more great inter-related poems. P.S. Cf. Carolyn Tillie's synopsis of the contents of issues of Gastronomica for further poems.

Spelt IS a type of wheat, yes. A friend had just assured me she uses it as a substitute all the time. I used to use rice & barley flours when I had the same allergy--but that was more than twenty years ago; I have never heard of tapioca flour. I appreciate all this new information.