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Wow! Who chose the wine pairings? If you don't mind my asking, were financial parameters given for the wine pairings? There are some heavy hitters on that list. How did the pairings work?

I've been drinking Prosecco out of juice glasses (or even plastic cups while camping ) this summer. It has been refreshing as ever

A few of us (at least) should probably get to the track early to reserve a spot and set up. I believe the races startHere is general information about the Track. The first post time is at 1 PM. The Admission Gates open at 10:30AM. I will be there no later than that and anyone who wants to join me is more than welcome to. That Sunday is "Saratoga Umbrella Giveaway" day with a free umbrella with paid admission while supplies last. These days are always popular and if you are interested in one, I suggest arriving early. As far as the pot-luck itself, we should probably plan on starting it by 12PM, which would give people some time to meet, eat and mingle before the races start. If anyone can't make it quite that early, not to worry - just show up when you can and bring something appropriate to that. I have inquired about renting a tent or reserving picnic tables, and am awaiting a response from group sales. I will post any further information in this regard as I get it. If this doesn't come through I suggest we try to get a spot somewhere on the lawn and post an eGullet sign. So far we have appetizers, a couple of mains and dessert committed. We can probably use more of these in addition to bevereges and tableware. I'm disappointed to read about those of you who cannot attend but would have liked to. Thanks for chiming in. We will miss you.

For those with money to burn and status to seek. imagine the restaurant price!

Anything in Moderation. I learned that from my father.

Actually, going to a Slow Dinner will help by supporting the endeavor both financially and with your presence. Of course, the events themselves need to be fun and worthwhile. Even betterthan going yourself is to bring someone else along with you, especially one not already part of the movement. It really is a grass-roots effort requiring continued support from everyone who cares about it. A really fun thing to do is to attend an International Slow Food Meeting. I attended the Slow Food Congress in Naples, Italy last fall with my son. It was a blast and very enlightening. If you can come up with other ways better suited to you, that is fine too, although they are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

Today was opening day at Saratoga. Our day at the Races is coming soon. Let's tally any interested parties! Please weigh in here.

Anyone for a Wineclip?

Mike, These are all very good questions. It is not sufficient for a restaurant to want to do these things. It also needs an educated and aware audience. A Slow Food Convivium should be doing things to educate not just those who have already bought in, but the general public as well. There are several ways of doing this, including sponsoring events supporting those who "walk the walk" while at the same timepromoting the specific products and values espoused by the movement. The evnts don't have to be based on local products. They can be imported. I recently attended a very fun and tasty New Orleans crawfish boil in NYC under the auspices of Slow Food. It really is a question of raising awareness of the entire process. The convivium should not just be for chefs and restaurants. It is also for growers and producers and consumers. It should be encouraging quality artisanal food production and consumption for a number of reasons. First, they generally taste better and are usually healthier for the individual. In addition, is the strong belief that ultimately the tenets espoused are ultimately better for the environment and the global economy - the buzzword here is sustainability. It is up to the leadership of each convivium to accomplish this. Some are better than others. Some have better resources and more of a headstart than others. Slow Food as an organization also produces a lot of literature that can be proffered. The best way though IMO is by word of mouth to likeminded people until it reaches a critical mass. It certainly is not an easy job, but what are the alternatives? I for one would hate to be eating the same thing all the time.

One basically prefers to see them opened in front of you. If not possible, a good indication is how moist the oysters are. They should be very moist with a lot of juice in the shell. A dry oyster is a bad thing.

We just returned from camping on an island in Lake George along with another family who had a nearby campsite. They had a device that was phenomenal for camping. It was a Pie Iron. One would put some PAM or similar for non-stick coating then bread and whatever filling one desires, then stick it directly into the campfire, wait and check frequently until done. They made great grilled cheese sandwiches as well as "pies" with chocolat, peanut butter or fruit fillings. I have to get one for myself.

Alkimia was open last august when I was there and was quite good. I was surprised at how many restaurants were open.

It depends on the place. If they are doing so much volume that turnover is very high, I wouldn't be too concerned. However, if you don't see anyone elese ordering oysters....

Most of the harvesting I've seen in Italy (Tuscany) has been in late September or early october. it seems as if California is always several weeks ahead in most varietals.

Pan, Sorry to read about your travails. I have been off-line awhile except for very brief visits. Certainly you should be seeking appropriate medical care. I don't believe that on-line is generally the best place to get it at this point in time. A few professional comments. Do not take TUMS or othe calcium-containing antacids for heartburn. While they may help buffer the gastric pH in the short-term, in the long-term they stimulate gastric acid secretion, resulting in a vicious circle that is great for the company's bottom line, but not your stomach lining. The absolute best medications to take for GERD symptoms nowadays are the H2-receptor antagonists like prilosec, prevacid (they are different drugs), Nexium, ranitidine, cimetidine, etc. It is reasonable to try the over-the-counter versions first. If they are not successful, one should see a doctor for further control. An important point to consider, especially for those of a certain age (but not necessarily limited to them) is that "heartburn" can also be a symptom of coronary vascular disease.This may be particularly symptomatic of CVD of the lower part of the heart. So, for perssistent heartburn, one must consider this possibility as well, especially if combined with shortness-of-breath and/or fatigue. This is certainly not meant to be a comprehensive treatise on GERD. While it is not my principle field-of-expertise, it is an area that I deal with professionally on a daily basis. A laxative is basically anything that enhances bowel function. Most people get enough laxatives in their diets without realizing it (or at least that is the way it should be if not for our ultra-refined world). The reason why psyllium may be beneficial for diarrhea is to absorb some of the water and provide bulk. In general the best medication for diarrhea is Imodium, which causes reabsorption of water by the intestines without effecting peristalsis. Lomotil can be very dangerous if taken inappropriately for diarrhea. This causes a reduction of peristalsis. if in the presence of bacteria-caused, diarrhea, this could result in an extreme proliferation of the bacteria to dangerous levels. Enjoy!

Fascinating as ever. I have been off-line for a bit, but am happy to have caught up to your blog. Keep it coming.

I am thinking about maaking an ice cream for a savory course with sweet corn, lobster, saffron and vanilla. Has anyone here ever tried making something like this? Any recommendations?

Moderator's Note: This thread has been divided to focus on Slow Food Denver. Some threads with mixed topics have been removed. Please feel free to re-post here regarding Slow Food Denver. Apologies for any inconvenience. Fred, I believe that this is a common misconception about Slow food. It is not simply about preserving the old way of doing things. It is much more organic than that. it really is more about a process than preservation as a nostalgic entity. It really focuses more on variety and technique and is anti-homogenization. As a result creativity is embraced. Even if there aren't a lot of cuisines native to Colorado, there are many that have been imported and can be fashioned into a particular Colorado cuisine over time. I don't know the current state of Slow Food Boulder, but I was introduced to Slow Food by one of its earliest members, Peggy Markel. If she still has anything to do with it (which would likely only be periodic since she spends most of her time in Italy), I would be surprised if it is not a vibrant, useful organization.

When would you expect these grapes to be harvested?

I have a room in my basement that holds about 2000 bottles with built in racks. I initially kept it passive, but the temp swings were too wide with late summer peaks around 70 degrees, so I installed a cooling system, which keeps the cellar around 58 degrees year round. dlc, I share your issues and have been buying much less prodigiously than in the past, mostly because of current prices and the fact that I already have more wine than I can ever drink. I now buy wine mostly to fill in gaps or for specific drinking purposes. My summer standard has been a nice inexpensive prosecco..

IMO Togni has been and is one of the finest cab producers in california. If you can store it properly and don't mind waiting, I would suggest holding on to it for five to ten years. If not or you are too curious, go ahead and drink it. At this point you probably could buy more without too much difficulty. If you do drink it, let us know how it is!

I'll report with as much detail as I can muster

Eric, Thanks for the input. I'm about to book at aThe Solar do Castelo. That was a pretty decent painting, Victor! It might be worth a trip over there after all, just to see it up close.

I'm considering hotels from this group. Any thoughts on any of these or their locations? How about others?

Enjoy!