badthings

Yes, I only meant that it could have come from anywhere in the C-d-R appelation, which is considerably less specific than Condrieu. I can't think of specific examples either, but I feel like I've even seen bourgognes labelled "pinot noir" -- obviously for the american market. definitely Languedoc "chardonnays", but I'm not sure if they were "appellated". Trignon is based in Gigondas, and their other wines are all, to my knowledge, from around there: Séguret, Rasteau, etc. It is certainly cooler around the Dentelles than down in the valley. I recently tried a (pricy) Brezeme and was disappointed with it -- but I was forced to drink it from plastic cups, so who knows what it really tasted like?

It's cool they had sherry flight. I have always been surprised at how short their sherry list is, considering how spectacular the bar is as a whole. They have like a whole page of Armangac! Next time you're in Berkeley, check out the Spanish Table for a bewildering selection of sherries, some well-priced.

I've tried a few expensive Condrieus, and a few of those flabby California viogniers (which can, in truth, be pleasant enough), but the best I've ever had (insane flowery aromatics) was simply a Côtes-du-Rhône AOC from Chateau du Trignon labelled "viognier". Who knows where the grapes came from? I think it was about $16.

Any suggestions for NYC retailers? My penurious car-less sister has a weakness for expensive Champagne, and I'm trying to get her to explore the smaller RM producers (as well as more affordable prosecco/cava/cremant options).

Carema: who, please, is the importer? I must get some (in California), fast.

I saw the sweet lemons at a Fiesta in Houston. They looked a lot like the aforementioned sweet limes of California, but I was not able to try them as I was on vacation. (Even more tragically, I could not try the romeritos, which I'd never seen before). Fiesta's produce section was very exciting.

Fifi, I know, there was just something about the picture in the Skymall (different frorm that web page) that was freaky. It was so... shiny or something. I'm really not squeamish about fungus; I've even eaten Quorn™ (courtesy of KLM).

Saw the log in SkyMall on my last trip. It's terrifying. Made me rethink the whole concept of eating fungus. The miniature distiller is pretty awesome though.

Surely this is because heat de-activates the browning enzymes, just as acid does? I thought the point of the acidulated water was just to keep them from browning before you have a chance to cook them. Or are you suggesting a role for the parsley?

Word. Actually, I've a a few forgettable proseccos, but nothing really horrible. One of my faves is Adriano Adami (~$12), but I'm not sure how widely distributed it is.

And then pouring all that nice oil down the sink. The pasta doesn't stick until you dump it out, so that would be the appropriate time to add oil. Yes, but if you add the oil at any time, the sauce just kinda slides right off the pasta Is this a myth or just a profound misunderstanding of pasta? E.g., the French like to boil pasta in milk, along with other unspeakable things (check out the Larousse gastronomique for some frightening ideas). That's not a myth, it's just a bad idea. Isn't this then an example of something that works for the wrong reason? Anyone who's eaten a roast that's been insufficiently maillarded understands why searing is a good idea. I nominate beans as the source of the greatest number of untested cooking pieties. Russ is of course the expert on this, but salt, soaking and baking soda are three that come to mind. The superiority of earthenware is also often cited, but I would again put this in the works-for-the-wrong-reason category, since it forces you to cook them slowly.

Caroline, my friends at the cheese diaries were talking about going, but I don't know if anyone's followed through. How stingy are they with the badges? Based on your cool report from World of Flavor, I think many will demand equivalent coverage of Fancy Foods from you.

Cristalino Brut Rose cava. You should be able to pick it up for $6-7. It's tasty, and that's not just my warped palate -- Mr. Camp has seconded me on that opinion somewhere. My God, that is my favorite secret wine. Look for méthode ancestrale on the label. There are also delightful non-sweet non-pink Bugey sparklers, though I've never seen one in the US. If you can handle residual sugar, Bonny Doon makes a delicious sweet pink sparkler called freisa frizzante. EDIT: Just stepped outside and found this on the front page of the Chron. They inexplicably ignore prosecco, but it's a convenient introduction to the topic. They also did a tasting of Cali. wines only. In case you didn't know what side their bread was buttered on. Finally, sparkling Vouvray is often unjustly overlooked.

Dear Houstonians, Congratulations! I was shocked to learn that you had no farmer's market, but this sounds like a great start. Here in the bay area, as you can imagine, they have had farmer's markets since probably before I was born. They are usually run by a nonprofit with lots of volunteers: like CUESA in SF and the Ecology Center in Berkeley. Such organizations seem to be a useful buffer between the farmers and the city, making everyone's lives easier. It sounds like your market is run by two women, and I bet they could use some help. Believe me, it is worth some effort. Of course, talking to your city council reps. about the board of health might help too. Here are two national nonprofits that might have some resources for dealing with overzealous inspectors: Local Harvest, Food Routes. Oh, also, from Deborah Madison's site: State Farmers Market Representative Jim Jones Texas Dept. of Agriculture P.O. Box 12847 Austin, TX 78711 Phone: (512) 463-7563 Fax: (512) 463-9968 E-mail: jjones@agr.state.tx.us good luck.

What about what they call a "web presence"? Thanks to Condé Nast's copyright policy, your articles are not available on lexis-nexis, and there is a frustrating lag between a given Vogue's trip to the dumpster and your next book. (This problem tormented me in the case of your potato gratin). I do rip them out for preservation, but I'm not organized enough to remember where they are. People would pay you if you posted them on the internet (some New Yorker authors make them freely available). And if I may pose yet another question, you wrote long ago that Acme's levain was the best bread in America. This was some time ago (pre-Balthazar, I believe), and I wonder if you've revised your opinion. I am interested because I live 2 block from the Acme bakey.

Today's SF Chron tests several methods.

Tagliatelle or lasagne only. Marcella's 3 essential points:

A.J. Liebling: on the other hand.

I have never been tempted to stray far from Marcella's recipe in The Classic Italian Cook Book. Except to use both pork and beef, naturally.

I just saw Hawaiian rambutans (in California) that had been irradiated. Presumably they could do the same thing to mangosteens?

My father, who is my personal meat expert, has always been a proponent of the quick sear, then cook as slow as you can method. He makes a mean rib roast. However, one Christmas I did a rib roast in my old apt., where the oven had no thermostat. It was either on or off. The temperature had to average at least 550. I would "control" it by just turning it off for a while. I don't remember exactly what I did, but it was probably the best rib roast I've ever had. This was confirmed by the guests, two of whom had just arrived from the east coast, and had eaten another rib roast the night before, prepared by a woman who is the best cook I know. Now that I have a real oven (or at least a somewhat predictable thermostat), I can't cook for shit. Oh yeah, it was prime.

I don't love or hate tripe -- I like it just fine, but I could live without it. Best tripe ever was an andouillette in Lyon -- no veal or anything else (except, I'm assuming, fat) to dilute the experience.

Well, I live in northern California, which is (nominally) part of America, and I can never shop in a chain store again. I believe that I get more varieties of better produce fresher here than I could anywhere in the world, and many people agree with me. A fortiori, professional chefs are doing better than I can. (I do, however, reserve judgement on the tomatoes). So Jaymes and FG are correct. Craig's camp is also correct, though, and I don't think that this can really be disputed, that the overall interest in food quality is much higher in Italy. But that does not change the fact that the quality and availability of ingredients are not the main problem facing the Italian cook in america. And this is a profound change from thirty years ago. Also, Word. I believe that the overall quality of Spanish seafood is second only to Japanese (though in this, as in so many other threads, the use of national, as opposed to regional, boundaries can only obscure the point). And, You may be surprised to learn how quickly fresh produce deteriorates, as discussed in this thread.

To follow up on this, I have the sense recently that Vogue's space limitations are cramping your style a little bit. Do you have any desire for a little more space to spread out and finish your thoughts, or do you like the discipline? I would also like to add that reading your choucroute article as a teenager was probably the most transformative food experience in my life. Thank you.

Sorry! Tried to search for it. Still, it is the kind of thing that repays repeated scrutiny.