badthings

As I recall from Steingarten's article many years ago (in the first book), "Olestra" is actually a process they subject fat molecules to, which prevents you from digesting them. One can imagine how a buildup of undigested lipids in your colon could be problematic. On the other hand, as Steingarten pointed out, there is no reason you couldn't do the same thing to, say, beef tallow molecules, which would certainly be worthwhile if you wanted to make fries.

Actually, I'm in Berkeley, so no rainy days. There's also a Spanish Table in Santa Fe now. There are some excellent wine stores here -- which is why it's surprising that they're so weak on Italy. I'm sure if I went to SF I would have better luck, but I'm just so... lazy. I will seek out the Patos and the Cortello. I had a decent tempranillo from estremadura recently, forgot the name... EDIT: of course for wines I can't afford, Italy is the place, though there are now plenty of Iberian wines out of my range too.

Surely the method for making Amarone (ripasso?) is costly enough that some corners must have been cut (or vines left uncut) to sell it for $10, even at TJ's. I stare at it every time I go. Which is obviously a problem with the DOC laws. The best strategy at TJ's is only to buy stuff under $5, so you can't be disappointed no matter how it tastes.

Actually, Portugal is the new Spain. Delicious albariños/alvarinhos for half the price of Galicia. And they are starting to make some excellent reds. I would call them international rather than terroir-ific, but I haven't had enough to really judge. Certainly, at the low end of the market, where I live, Spain is producing a lot of satisfying, drinkable wine, perhaps more than italy (when it comes to reds at least). But this is a matter of preference, and, I suspect, the biases of your local merchants. There is really a shocking weakness in italian wines in my town, whereas I have a Spanish Table down the block. I do think it unwise to order red from a carafe in Galicia and expect something exciting.

For those of you who haven't seen the Saveur, I got so excited I typed it in here. I would try the version the maggots had vacated. The live one would be a little tough. What I really want to know is the sardo for "walking cheese", its alternative name. PS: it is listed in the slow food Ark. PPS: the most amazing St-Marcellin I ever had, from Bocuse's cellar, was covered with mold, but no larvae.

Usually, if they don't specify, it's tonno, which is considered inferior.

Wow, joining egullet messed up my neck so bad that I just got out of bed yesterday. which meant that I had to send my girlfriend to the Sat. farmer's market, where she was very disturbed that the delicious (but now enormous, and yes, rather bruised) Suncrests I ordered her to buy cost over $20. (We got a lot in order to make ice cream). The beautiful thing about the Berkeley market is that everyone's peaches are organic and cost $3/lb., so you can rule out price when making comparisons -- and I stand by my original estimation of Frog Hollow as usually the best. The bruising depends on the size (bigger ones don't fit into their dividers as well), and variety. Which is why, I suspect, Suncrests are "endangered" or at least on the Slow Food ark. As I noted before, FH has many varieties, and none of the earlier ones were as prone to bruising, this year. I'll try to go tomorrow and report on their condition. Melkor, the Tues. Market is: 2 p.m. - 7 p.m., Derby Street and ML King, Jr. Way Is it true that the Ferry Plaza people kicked out Niman Ranch because they were too successful? That's annoying.

Saturday is the biggest, but the Tues. afternoon one has some great farms, like Full Belly, who don't come on Sat. No meat though, which is why I should go to SF. I think I got so exited from posting that I pulled something in my neck -- seriously. I better stop typing now.

I am a big fan of Frog Hollow -- their fruit is almost always the best at the berkeley farmer's market. I do not believe in being doctrinaire about these things, but I have found them very consistent. They do have a very carefully calibrated timetable of their varieties. Just got some good suncrests yesterday -- not overwhelming, but I think it is still a little early because of the wet spring. After 2 weeks eating South African Clementines on the east coast, though, they are pretty exciting for me. I'll have to get off my ass and over to Ferry Plaza for the Honeycrisps -- everyone's been telling me how great they are. By the way, I haven't found FH any more prone to bruising or spoiling than anything else. This is my first post, so bear with me if I screw it up, please.