Carolyn Tillie

Or, from the Bard... it is a tale told by an idiot full of sound and fury signifying nothing.

Don't you just LOVE Pineau???? Paula introduced me to it and I am completely addicted although I have yet to have the gumption to COOK with it! <glug-glug>

Don't feel badly, Michelle -- another recipe I tested -- or, I should say, "revisited" -- was from the original edition; Alain Dutournier's Duck Breasts with Capers and Marrow. It was a complicated recipe where a spice paste was composed of juniper berries, black peppercorns, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, Izarra or green Chartreuse liqueur, Dijon mustard, and salt. The duck was marinated in this odd blend, cooked with little red wine vinegar, dry white wine, and served with marrow and capers. We basically decided that the recipe was too labor-intensive and just too odd tasting for modern-day palates. My boyfriend really liked it, but the combination of flavors was (as Paula put it), "a bit too sci-fi" to be really approachable.

One of the first recipes I tested was the Marie-Claude's Chocolate Cake with Fleur de Sel (page 378). It was a recipe that was not in the original edition but as Paula is a tremendous admirer of Marie-Claude Gracia (as she indicates), she wanted to make sure that the combination of chocolate and salt was a good as she remembered it... It was -- and the little reference to "the friend who tasted the cake [and] said all it needed was some creme anglaise, a few raspberries, and a glass of Ruby Port" was me as that is how Shawn and I ultimately dressed up the cake for a dinner party. On its own, it is more of an ultra-rich brownie with the fleur de sel bits providing a textured contrast to the rich chocolate. The garnish and wine-pairing heightened the contrast that already existed in the cake.

I couldn't agree more. I tried a number of times and never could get her grape starter to work..

Where in California do you live? I lived in LA for 15 years and could buy it in local Trader Joes. Now I am here in Northern California and most Whole Foods and Trader Joes carry it...

Whole.

The Slate Article mentions our own Rebel Rose! Way to go, Mary! BTW, I really biting my tongue on this one as I am currently involved in a women-owned winery consortium and am in the middle of writing my own article on women in the industry for a women's business magazine...

Excellent! I tested a number of recipes and will look forward to contributing... I'm going to take some time to see if I even kept some of my photos. I'm dashing off for the afternon but will post some thoughts later this evening!

Nah... go ahead and caramelize 'em! You'll just have a finer onion confit than normal, but it will make a great condiment that you could put into jars and give away at the holidays!

Oh, could be 'cuz I'm so behind in the digesting endeavors... Life as a full-time writer has taken its toll! I was able to work on those digests when I was a mere secretary with little more to fill my day. Srhcb, you seem a likely candidate to take over - interested? I've got what was to be my next installment about 2/3rds done which I could forward to you, if interested!

Rose, I would seriously question your distributor/salesman. Most of the distributors I work with operate as you do and selling the wine to restaurants through their food is second nature. Please don't take this wrong, but I'm wondering if I have just had different experiences because the selling of Napa wine is possibly more competitive? I was shocked when I read your account as there are actual training camps here in Napa, instructing salespeople in the art of food and wine pairing -- it is all art of the biz. Just pondering out loud...

Okay - I'm sold... I attended a symposium where producers of Parmesano-Reggiano, Prosciutto, and Comte cheeses were all trying to sell us press folk that their name-sake products should remain as such. I can easily buy into that and have bought into the Champagne, Stilton, and Bologna arguments. I guess I wavered on the Port argument because it *seemed* only an abbreviation of PORTugal (to us philistine Americans, anyway). Not that it is likely to change overnight, but you've got this intrepid reporter who will do her part to assuage the masses in this context. Adam, for you, however, I would disagree. I think much depends on the quality of chocolate being eaten as well as the cocoa content. I believe that Port should only be consumed with a chocolate product that is at LEAST 70% to 75% bittersweet (No Milk Chocolate!). In a similar vein as to why I like sharp blue cheeses with a sweet wine, I don't think that enhancing the sharp notes in a chocolate with a port is a bad thing. You call those flavors bitter. I'll use the chocolatier Michel Cluizel as an example. They make some country-specific chocolates and in many cases, the chocolate from Madagascar has sharp notes akin to a cranberries. Obviously the sweet port is going to enhance those sharp tones but I enjoy that. One of my favorite after-dinner treats is a freshly sliced bosc pear, some dark bittersweet chocolate, and a lovely ruby Port...

And to even add to the mix, there are wineries like Prager and Wellington that are making "port" which is all well and good. But the bottom line is that they are REALLY making sweet wine from red grapes. Prager's Royal Escort is made from Petite Sirah grapes. I can't tell you what Wellington's is made from. I also like one from Mayo and theirs is made from Zinfandel. The bottom line is that port wine is produced from a blend of the five classic Port-wine grapes; Touriga, Tinta Cao, Alvarelhao, Souzao, and Tinta Roriz. So, begging Mr. Rogov's indulgence, I would argue that if even a California winery uses these classic grapes and the salero system, that it could honestly be called a port... With that in mind, there ARE a few wineries that fit this criteria. I send you to my report on St. Amant because the owner, Tim Spencer, was one of -- if not THE -- first to produce a California port from the classic five grapes. Others whom Spencer has consulted with (and sold grapes to), include Lodi wineries Cedar Mountain and Bent Creek. When I visited Tim Spencer, he told stories of how he sat on port juries with Jim Prager (apparently the two don't see eye-to-eye). For me, at almost half the price, I'll take the St. Amant port any day of the week over Prager. Quite astonishing really...

My gut reaction says no. But I have no basis of saying this -- just something about the reaction of the eggs with the other ingredients leads me to think that it would degenerate during the freezing process. I am imagining a thawed batter being baked and it not rising. Why don't you try it and report back? I'm really curious now...

Its LA -- you only wear designer duds when you want to be *seen* -- otherwise whatever you where, you'll be fine....

I'm sorry I didn't spell out the concept of tasting the wine before having it with food... Seems sort of second nature to me and didn't consider the fact that it would have to be explained!

And did you end up dining anywhere, per our previous suggestions???? Inquiring minds, etc.

Thank you, SwissMiss. Yes, I missed that part of the NYU website -- only seeing the more technical aspects. For me, it is a moot point. I was looking into the Boston program during my last semester of a Master's of Fine Art program I was finishing. It was all about student loans and money. I couldn't go into the doctorate program in Boston because of the disparity between the two programs and there was no way I could afford to do a second Master's before trying towards a PhD. But boy, did I ever want to...

While I've been drinking and enjoying wine for a long time, I have only just begun to really tackle Shiraz/Syrah. Coincidentally, I have been opening one a day for the past week! And like it was suggested, I have been drinking my Syrah (I'm drinking the California versions, not the Australian ones), with hard cheeses. Last night's wine is called Caseda and is a second label produced by Syrah luminary Karen Culler. We were drinking it with two cheeses, Dorothea Goat Gouda and a Doddington (which is a hard, aged cow's milk cheese). Much of the basic tasting components you will find in these wines include jammy, liqueur-like fruit flavors; boysonberry, blackberry, cassis, and blueberry. The wines will tend to be inky black and dark, dark purple in color and these concentrated fruit flavors will be layered with a smokiness not unlike a sweet-cured bacon. Indeed, you may get the sensation of those flavors tasted in barbecue meat; smokiness with a core of sweetness in the caramelized meat proteins. There should be solid, balanced tannins and exceptional richness. So, in knowing you will be drinking thick, viscous, jammy wines, the concepts of food pairings becomes a bit more difficult. This is why simple, aged cheeses work so well -- the sweetness of the wine counters with the saltines of the cheese. I would be careful with anything too smoked, but milder components that I would consider include baba ghanouj and hummus with the potential of a hint of smokiness in roasted eggplant expanding a potential smokiness in a wine, still having a hefty, thick food that will stand up to the complexity of the wines. As a shear experiment, you could have some simple roasted beef, slices of cold, rare sliced tri-tip. But serve alongside several dipping sauces; BBQ sauce, olive tapenade, pistachio or walnut oil, etc. This way you have a protein in which to carry the various sauce flavors and then taste next to the wine to see how it reacts with each of the sauces. You will find some remarkable discoveries, I assure you! Lastly, give yourself lots of time. Many Syrah/Shiraz can hold up to be open for several hours before they fully develop It is one of the few wines that I will open one day and see where it goes the second or third day without worrying about gassing with a preservative. Let us know what you find!

I've been loving this discussion and, like Chez Zadi, was introduced to Islamic Chinese food through what is probably the same restaurants in Los Angeles (Tung Lai Shun was where I was indoctrinated). Alas, I have yet to explore any potential Islamic Chinese restaurants in San Francisco, but the dishes that I remember best include the sesame pancake with green onion, beef tendon, and some amazing hot pot dishes. I'm sorry I don't know the Chinese names for the dishes I loved. I used to order a version of a Peking Duck, sort of tea-smoked, served with those ethereal sesame pockets, shredded scallions, and hoison. However, after the duck was shredded at your table (with a fork and spoon by an amply-adept server), the remainder of the duck was returned to the kitchen only to reappear as a hot pot soup. This was where I could indulge in my fear-factor eating; duck tongues and goose entrails were standard fair that I enjoyed. Other dishes included beef with leeks, boiled beef dumplings, and astonishingly simple but exceptional garlic-fried spinach.

SwissMiss, based on their website, the NYU program is pretty different. Four years ago, when I was looking into attending the Boston program, it was because it was steeped in gastronomy, which to me seemed to emphasize Arts and Humanities. Reading the NYU program. it seems more geared to Science and Business. My draw to the Boston program was because of the classes in philosophy, food history, sociology, and literature. Those types of classes, at least for me, were far more intriguing than "Weight Management," "International Health & Nutrition Development," or the "Clinical Practice of Dietetics." Not that the NYU program isn't any good, but the Boston program was far more esoteric which is probably why it didn't last and why I found it so exciting. I'll always regret not going...

Not at all, however this weekend IS the Sonoma Harvest Fair so the area is going to be very, very busy. Call ahead for reservations wherever you want to go, just to make sure. Feeling like a broken record, I'm sure Winesonoma will agree that THE place to eat in Sonoma these days is The General's Daughter. He, Wolfert, and I are big on Chef Dishman's creations, the beautiful atmosphere, and the perfect service. Other hot spots include: La Salette Cafe La Haye Glen Ellen Oyster Grill and Martini Bar

Proust, Wharton, Crowley I currently write about wine. I want to research and write about culinary history. Professionally, less than a year ago. I am currently published in a variety of wine magazines but wish to broaden to include more gourmet magazines. I wish to strive towards the esoterica and hope to be published in Gastronomica and, ultimately, my own book. No need to wish -- I DO submit... That question would require a bottle of wine and some intimate conversation...

I loved the review for the sheer verbosity of his language. I haven't read Steven's book, so I have no opinion, but anyone who loves what magic can be created with words can't help but admiring Fine's piece. A few examples that I enjoyed: "...life is a game with rules to be diddled." "...what better evidence could there be that American culture is teetering on the brink then that our authorities see personal humiliation as a good career move." "His writing is plainspeak, not frothy; a book of Joe, not cappuccino." "...after this review I will be viewed from thorny eyes as "critic of Steven A. Shaw." How I suffer for you." "Only time will tell if Mike Bloomberg finds bloated poultry liver as easy a target as nicotine." "Shaw exudes a chirpy warmth that one finds neither in Winning the Restaurant Game or Kitchen Confidential (much less in George Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London, Bourdain's ur-text). " "One finishes infected by the virus of Shaw's enthusiasm, strategic and simultaneously the billet-doux of a fat man in love." To me, this review was Tom Robbins meets Gunter Grass...