Summer Reading 2004

[jamiemaw]

Too many plane rides this summer (albeit with vast rewards at the other end), have seen my not inconsiderable nose buried in some very good books:

1. The Accidental Connoisseur--An Irreverant Journey Through the Wine World

by Lawrence Osburne. Brit wit Osburne takes the piss out of some of the big names of the international wine business, but with a sharp sabre and a sense of irony rather more elevated than Alanis Morissette's--so that they (including Robert Mondavi) never see it coming. A terrific read and it confirms everything you always suspected about the wine world--i.e. that, with startling similarities to the fashion and automobile worlds, hype and the colusion of the wine press and producers have elevated many brands (and their price tags) well past their rightful place.

2. Eating My Words--An Appetite for Life by Mimi Sheraton. Famed NY Times, Vanity Fair and Conde Nast Traveler reviewer and food writer speaks to her struggles with obesity, controversy and developing an operating modus for fair reviewing. Like many New Yorkers, there's a vestigial, patronizing tone but tempered here with insights and incites, and she can namedrop faster than a Howe Street promoter, but hey, she did meet many of the greats, and created many more.

3. Sirio: The Story of My Life and Le Cirque by Sirio Maccioni. Part biopic, part window into what passes for aristocratic society in America. It's a very good, well told raggazzo to riches tale with lots of glamour but with the anchor that this man knows the real glamour is found around his family's table on Sunday afternoons. Engagingly told, with anice paternal tone; recipes.

4. Italian Easy by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers. The owner/chefs of London's excellent River Cafe extol fresh and seasonal, no better captured than in this straighforward, nicely designed cook book. Useful gift.

All of these are available at Barabara-jo's Books to Cooks in Yaletown. Out-of-town Gulleteers can order at +604-688-6755 or toll free at 1-866-688-6744 or by fax at +604-688-6759. Lots more on her website here

Happy reading,

Jamie

3.

[JAZ]

Steven Shaw, aka Fat Guy, reviewed Ms. Sheraton's and Mr. Maccioni's books in the latest issue of Saveur magazine.

[jamiemaw]

What issue JAZ? Couldn't find it in the June-July.

By the way, it's rather amusing when Ms. Shearton disses Le Cirque, in its original location, now home to Cafe Boulud:

"Eighteen months later, I safely slipped past Sirio, Vergnes and the effusively corny, croupier-like maitre d', Joseph, eagle-eyed for celebrities but blind to unprepossessing interlopers. In the course of about six visits, I was subjected not only to meals that ranged from very good to merely passable, with a watery sauce on the house's famed spaghetti primavera (snobbishly off the menu and so ordered only by the in crowd), duck that tasted of stale grease, lamb delivered well done when ordered rare, overslting of everything and grainy souffles.

"The real travesties were the service and general treatment: seating us at cramped corner tables near the kitchen door; even though many others were available; keeping early arriving guests at the bar until our party was complete . . ."

Sheraton reduced Le Cirque to one star in 1977.

[JAZ]

What issue JAZ? Couldn't find it in the June-July.

It's the August-September issue. Mine just came yesterday.

[jamiemaw]

Thanks for the heads up. I'll look forward to Steven's reviews.

By the way, given the forum that you host I should mention that Chris Stearns, the superb young barman at Lumiere Restaurant in Vancouver is currently writing two books on cocktails, one a history, the other a recipe book. He has been researching in New York and elsewhere--both are due out next year. I'll keep you posted.

Cheers,

Jamie

[Keith Talent]

I read The Accidental Connoisuer and quite enjoyed it. I particularly like what he said regarding "kids" wines vs. "adult" ones, namely the giant in your face new world wines appeal to a basser instinct that requires plenty of gratuitous satisfaction opposed a more restrained mature appreciation of wines of subtly.

I did however find it both odd and disconcerting the number of references he makes regarding bombing around Europe in a rental car blottoed. Kept thinking it was a cultural thing, nope he lives in NY, then thought it may be a function of the book being old, but nope, it was written recently. Probably some subtext involved that I'm too dense to rekon. Still seems like a strange thing to disclose (repeatedly).

It's the kind of book that you wish came with a pack of minutures, or even better full bottles, so that you could drink along with him, really know what he's talking about, seeing how he (somewhat disingenuously) claims to be total crap at describing a wine, rejecting most of the common methods of writing about vino.

Highly enjoyable.

Another book to add to the list is a local one I just finished by Eve Johnson formerly of The Sun who's published a collection of her columns in a book of essays called "Eating My Words". I always enjoyed her in the Sun, and (mostly) liked the collection. She occasionally veers close to preachy earth mother school marm territory, but what do you expect from someone that gives up food for becoming a yoga instructor.

[jamiemaw]

Another book to add to the list is a local one I just finished by Eve Johnson formerly of The Sun who'spublished a collection of her columns in a book of essays called "Eating My Words".

Eating My Words--An Appetite for Life by Mimi Sheraton

Thank you for pointing this out, Keith. I can't believe the gall of Ms. Sheraton in ripping off the title.