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Saturday, February 26, 2022

* THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK...

* THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK...
  +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 
...is one of the hottest trends in cookbooks. Actually, they've been around for many years, but never in such proliferation. They are automatic best sellers, since the book can be flogged at the restaurant or TV show and since the chef ends up being a celebrity somewhere, doing guest cooking or catering or even turning up on the Food Network. Most of these books will certainly appeal to fans of the chef and/or the restaurant and/or the media personality. Many of the recipes in these books actually come off the menus of the restaurants involved. Occasionally, there will be, in these books, special notes or preps, or recipes for items no longer on the menu. Stories or anecdotes will be related to the history of a dish. But because most of these books are American, they use only US volume measurements for the ingredients; sometimes there is a table of metric equivalents, but more often there is not. I'll try to point this out. The usual shtick is "favourite recipes made easy for everyday cooks". There is also PR copy on "demystifying ethnic ingredients". PR bumpf also includes much use of the magic phrase "mouth-watering recipes" as if that is what it takes to sell such a book. I keep hearing from readers, users, and other food writers that some restaurant recipes (not necessarily from these books) don't seem to work at home, but how could that be? The books all claim to be kitchen tested for the home, and many books identify the food researcher by name. Most books are loaded with tips, techniques, and advice, as well as gregarious stories about life in the restaurant world. Photos abound, usually of the chef bounding about. The celebrity books, with well-known chefs or entertainers, seem to have too much self-involvement and ego. And, of course, there are a lot of food photo shots, verging on gastroporn. There are endorsements from other celebrities in magnificent cases of logrolling. If resources are cited, they are usually American mail order firms, with websites. Some companies, though, will ship around the world, so don't ignore them altogether. Here's a rundown on the latest crop of such books –
 
 
8.ALL DAY BAKING; savoury, not sweet (Hardie Grant Quadrille, 2021, 224 pages, ISBN 978-174379699-3, $35 USD hardbound) is by Michael James with Pippa James.  They had opened Tivoli Road Bakery in Melbourne, and in 2019 set up another bakery at a dairy farm while acting as a consultant and giving baking classes. It comes heavily endowed with no fewer than 11 logrollers. They cover the savoury-salty side of pastry, with pies, sausage rolls, pasties, loaves, tarts, breakfast rolls, quiches, galettes, and others. They've got the basic primer and the pantry, finishing with the techniques. Try the ham and cheese palmiers or the kimchi and cheddar puff pastry tarts. There is also pumpkin and blue cheese galettes, butter chicken pie, Thai green curry sausage rolls and fish pie. They have vegan and gluten-free options, and variations for wholemeal and rye flour. The book is arranged by course or time of day from brekkies onwards. All preps are scaled and there is both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Quality/Price rating: 90.
 
 
 
9.NATURALLY, DELICIOUS DINNERS (Gibbs Smith, 2021, 224 pages, ISBN 968-1-4236-5826-9, $40 hardbound) is by Danny Seo. It's his third cookbook, also developing from his NBC show, "Naturally, Danny Seo". It is all about sustainability and naturalness in cooking.  He has a great, relaxing style of discourse. He's starts with some good ideas for breads, biscuits, pizza, straws, dinner rolls, scones, spelt breads, skillet breads, flatbreads, crostata. This is followed by veggies, salads, soups, pastas, one pot dinners, and desserts. For something different, try the pomegranate-citus aquafaba pavlova. The book could have been improved if it had also used metric in the recipes, or at least had a metric conversion chart. Quality/price rating: 88.
 
Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Wednesday, February 16, 2022

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES: under/over $20 for FEBRUARY 19, 2022

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES:  under/over $20 for FEBRUARY 19, 2022

By DEAN TUDOR, Gothic Epicures Writing deantudor@deantudor.com. My "Wines, Beers and Spirits of the Net", a guide to thousands of news items and RSS feeds, plus references to wines, beers and spirits, has been at http://www.deantudor.com since 1994.

These notes for good wines available through  LCBO Vintages (on a bi-weekly basis)  can always be found at http://www.gothicepicures.blogspot.ca  or at  http://www.deantudor.com No winery can buy their way into – or out of – this publication.

Scores are a combination of MVC (Modal Varietal Character, e.g. a Southern Rhone would taste like a Southern Rhone) and QPR (Quality/Price Ratio value in the marketplace above or below its price).

Currently, the wine media have no access to the tasting samples usually provided to us in the LCBO lab on a fortnightly basis. This will go on or some time. HOWEVER,  the wine media will still have access to the advance spreadsheet of the wines to be released. So I know what is to be released and when. SOME (but not many) of these 100 or so biweekly released wines I have recently tasted since January 2020 or so, and I can comfortably recommend them based on this prior sampling.
 
** Some Recent Food and Wine Notes Reported ---

Report on Valentine's Day dinners from Hooked --

Part One -- Valentine Dinner catered from http://www.hookedinc.ca

-Cioppino broth, PEI mussels, cold smoked Norwegian skrei cod, sourdough croutons.
AND then a second course of
-Seared hokkaido sea scallops, potato puree, sauteed wild mushrooms with walnut and winter herb vinaigrette, potato crisps.

My wife Ann said "Kristin, you have outdid yourself! By 2:50 we were tucking in to the cioppino! Great broth—just enough heat. The smoked cod was unbelievable and it lent its smoke to the broth as well. We each had half a glass of bubbly while the broth was heating, and another half-glass while we devoured the mussels and cod.
 
Then we took a small break while our glass-top stove, not known for its speed, heated up the burners for the potato puree, the mushrooms, and the scallops. (Our 40-year-old Garland commercial gas range died last year—long story—so we now have a fancy-schmancy KitchenAid electric. Bit of a learning curve.) Your instructions are always so clear I had no trouble putting the meal together. What gorgeous scallops (and I won't forget your technique of caramelizing one oiled side before adding the butter and flipping them. Perfect.).  Great combination of flavours; the mushrooms were an elegant touch. And, because I am half-Irish, you had me at mashed potatoes."
 
The bubbly was Crémant d'Alsace Domaine Frey-Sohler 2012 (LCBO +185511, $31.45), all riesling and Extra Brut at 3.9 g/L residual sugar and 12.1% ABV. It sat for 9 (NINE!) years of aging on fine lees. It can be an aperitif or first course wine with bivalves. It had a riesling austerity that emphasized minerality, orchard fruit and lemons. Quality/Price rating is 93 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

Part Two -- More Valentine Dinner from www.hookedinc.ca (the next day)

Stuffed sea bream (Mediterranean) sustainable, tied with three strings, butterflied (bones out, head on).
Stuffing can vary depending on what is at hand; for example: ginger, scallion, filled to the brim with a beautiful stuffing of pine nuts, walnuts, quinoa, warm spices, dried cranberries and apricots, preserved lemon and kale. With a lemon and herb vinaigrette for drizzling

Accompanied by my fave rose, the Cono Sur Pinot Noir Rose Sparkling Wine $14.95 at LCBO...Just the right amount of bubbles and just the right amount of pale pink, as well as terrific watermelon flavours. QPR: 92.

And hovering in the background was a sample of the delightful Palet D'or chocolate cake with creme anglaise, accompanied by Taylor Fladgate 20-Year Old Tawny Port (left from Christmas).

We'll need more dining stuff from Hooked as this year evolves...

[PS: we paid for our own meals and wines, except for the Alsatian trade sample]

** Some Recommended Wines from the LCBO's Limited Time Offers selections...these  are good value...on sale  through Sunday February 27, 2022.

[red] +499384 Kacaba Vineyards & Winery Cabernet 2020 VQA Niagara Peninsula, LCBO & Grocery: normally $15.95, now $13.95, save $2.
[white] +11452 Willm Réserve Riesling Alsace: normally $19.95, now $    17.95, save $2.    
[rose][fizz] +20995  BOTTEGA PROSECCO ROSE DOC SPUMANTE BRUT, VENETO: normally $17.65, now $15.65, save $2. Buy a case !

Major Feature:  FRANCE

Wines Under $20
=========
W+119099    VIÑA COBOS FELINO CHARDONNAY    Mendoza 2019 $19.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
Fizz+39016    PIERRE SPARR BRUT ROSÉ CRÉMANT D'ALSACE    Traditional method, AC, Alsace, France $19.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
R+20920    GEORGE DUBOEUF SÉLECTION JULIÉNAS    AC 2019 $19.95 MVC/QPR:  89.
R+642421    VALPANTENA TORRE DEL FALASCO VALPOLICELLA RIPASSO    DOC    2019    $18.95 MVC/QPR:  89.
R+12281    CHÂTEAU DE RIBEBON    AC Bordeaux Supérieur 2018 $16.95 MVC/QPR:  89.

Wines Over $20
=========
Fizz+385104    GARDET 1ER CRU BLANC DE NOIRS BRUT CHAMPAGNE    $52.95 MVC/QPR: 89
Fizz+402362    MARIE-PIERRE MANCIAT BRUT CRÉMANT DE BOURGOGNE    Traditional method, AC, Burgundy, France $24.95 MVC/QPR: 89.
W+593996    JACKSON-TRIGGS NIAGARA ESTATE GRAND RESERVE CHARDONNAY    VQA Niagara Peninsula    2019    $20.95     MVC/QPR: 90.


Dean Tudor,  Prof Emeritus Ryerson School of Journalism

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Valentine Day Dinners with Hooked

Part One -- Valentine Dinner catered from http://www.hookedinc.ca ==

Cioppino broth, PEI mussels, cold smoked Norwegian skrei cod, sourdough croutons.
AND then a second course of
Seared hokkaido sea scallops, potato puree, sauteed wild mushrooms with walnut and winter herb vinaigrette, potato crisps.

Ann said "Kristin, you have outdid yourself! By 2:50 we were tucking in to the cioppino! Great broth—just enough heat. The smoked cod was unbelievable and it lent its smoke to the broth as well. We each had half a glass of bubbly while the broth was heating, and another half-glass while we devoured the mussels and cod.
 
Then we took a small break while our glass-top stove, not known for its speed, heated up the burners for the potato puree, the mushrooms, and the scallops. (Our 40-year-old Garland commercial gas range died last year—long story—so we now have a fancy-schmancy KitchenAid electric. Bit of a learning curve.) Your instructions are always so clear I had no trouble putting the meal together. What gorgeous scallops (and I won't forget your technique of caramelizing one oiled side before adding the butter and flipping them. Perfect.).  Great combination of flavours; the mushrooms were an elegant touch. And, because I am half-Irish, you had me at mashed potatoes."
 
The bubbly was Crémant d'Alsace Domaine Frey-Sohler 2012 (LCBO +185511, $31.45), all riesling and Extra Brut at 3.9 g/L residual sugar and 12.1% ABV. It sat for 9 (NINE!) years of aging on fine lees. It can be an aperitif or first course wine with bivalves. It had a riesling austerity that emphasized minerality, orchard fruit and lemons. Quality/Price rating is 93 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

Part Two -- More Valentine Dinner from www.hookedinc.ca (the next day) ==

Stuffed sea bream (Mediterranean) sustainable, tied with three strings, butterflied (bones out, head on).
Stuffing can vary depending on what is at hand; for example: ginger, scallion, filled to the brim with a beautiful stuffing of pine nuts, walnuts, quinoa, warm spices, dried cranberries and apricots, preserved lemon and kale. With a lemon and herb vinaigrette for drizzling

Accompanied by my fave rose, the Cono Sur Pinot Noir Rose Sparkling Wine $14.95 at LCBO...Just the right amount of bubbles and just the right amount of pale pink, as well as terrific watermelon flavours. QPR: 92.

And hovering in the background was a sample of the delightful Palet D'or chocolate cake with creme anglaise, accompanied by Taylor Fladgate 20-Year Old Tawny Port (from Christmas).

We'll need more dining stuff from Hooked as this year evolves...

[PS: we paid for our own meals and wines, except for the Alsatian trade sample]

Saturday, February 12, 2022

* THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK...

 
* THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK...
  +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 
...is one of the hottest trends in cookbooks. Actually, they've been around for many years, but never in such proliferation. They are automatic best sellers, since the book can be flogged at the restaurant or TV show and since the chef ends up being a celebrity somewhere, doing guest cooking or catering or even turning up on the Food Network. Most of these books will certainly appeal to fans of the chef and/or the restaurant and/or the media personality. Many of the recipes in these books actually come off the menus of the restaurants involved. Occasionally, there will be, in these books, special notes or preps, or recipes for items no longer on the menu. Stories or anecdotes will be related to the history of a dish. But because most of these books are American, they use only US volume measurements for the ingredients; sometimes there is a table of metric equivalents, but more often there is not. I'll try to point this out. The usual shtick is "favourite recipes made easy for everyday cooks". There is also PR copy on "demystifying ethnic ingredients". PR bumpf also includes much use of the magic phrase "mouth-watering recipes" as if that is what it takes to sell such a book. I keep hearing from readers, users, and other food writers that some restaurant recipes (not necessarily from these books) don't seem to work at home, but how could that be? The books all claim to be kitchen tested for the home, and many books identify the food researcher by name. Most books are loaded with tips, techniques, and advice, as well as gregarious stories about life in the restaurant world. Photos abound, usually of the chef bounding about. The celebrity books, with well-known chefs or entertainers, seem to have too much self-involvement and ego. And, of course, there are a lot of food photo shots, verging on gastroporn. There are endorsements from other celebrities in magnificent cases of logrolling. If resources are cited, they are usually American mail order firms, with websites. Some companies, though, will ship around the world, so don't ignore them altogether. Here's a rundown on the latest crop of such books –
 
10.ISLAND EATS; signature chefs' recipes from Vancouver Island and the Salish Sea (Figure 1,  2021, 200 pages, $38.95 hard covers) is from the team of Dawn Postnikoff and Joanne Sasvari, both food and drink writers and editors (they are with "Edible Vancouver Island" magazine). This is the latest in the Canadian food city series from Figure 1 – there  are now 10 of them: Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Toronto. Ottawa, Winnipeg et al. And they are exceptional arm chair traveller books. The tried and true formula is to present details and photos about about the best restaurants in the region followed by a house specialty recipe usually with a pix of the finished plate. For example, Glo Restaurant + Lounge, led by Andrew Fawvett. Does a Tan Tan City Salad using chicken breasts, and a Spicy Kung Pao Tofu bowl. The Butchart Gardens does an Okanagan Cherry Panzanella and a Maple Bourbon Verrine. Forty-one restaurants or businesses, arranged alphabetically.  Terrific presentations for that Western Canada food fan. Quality/price rating: 92
 
 
11.FLAVORS OF THE SUN; the Sahadi's guide to understanding, buying, and using Middle Eastern ingredients (Chronicle Books, 2021, 352 pages, $50 hard covers) is by Christine Sahadi Whelan, culinary director of her family's 130 year-old importing firm in Brooklyn. There are about 120 relatively simple preps here, including the range from starters through desserts. It's all arranged by context: bright, savory, spiced, nutty, and sweet, along with nine special menus for that holiday gathering or outdoor summer party, brunch, meze, buffet and/or cocktail party. The basic flavours (found all over the Middles East) that suggest these foods are found in sumac, urfa pepper, halvah, pomegranate molasses, and preserved lemons. Lots of scrumptious photos and salivating texts. They give us much detail on what to look for in buying foods and what to serve with what foods. Highly recommended. Quality/price rating: 90
 
Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Tuesday, February 1, 2022

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES: under/over $20 for FEBRUARY 5, 2022


WORLD WINE WATCH TOP WINES AT VINTAGES:  under/over $20 for FEBRUARY 5, 2022

By DEAN TUDOR, Gothic Epicures Writing deantudor@deantudor.com. My "Wines, Beers and Spirits of the Net", a guide to thousands of news items and RSS feeds, plus references to wines, beers and spirits, has been at http://www.deantudor.com since 1994.

These notes for good wines available through  LCBO Vintages (on a bi-weekly basis)  can always be found at http://www.gothicepicures.blogspot.ca  or at  http://www.deantudor.com No winery can buy their way into – or out of – this publication.

Scores are a combination of MVC (Modal Varietal Character, e.g. a Southern Rhone would taste like a Southern Rhone) and QPR (Quality/Price Ratio value in the marketplace above or below its price).

Currently, the wine media have no access to the tasting samples usually provided to us in the LCBO lab on a fortnightly basis. This will go on or some time. HOWEVER,  the wine media will still have access to the advance spreadsheet of the wines to be released. So I know what is to be released and when. SOME (but not many) of these 100 or so biweekly released wines I have recently tasted since January 2020 or so, and I can comfortably recommend them based on this prior sampling.
 
** Some Recent Books about Gin that I reviewed ---

--LET THE FUN BE GIN; cocktail recipes & coasters for the happiest hours (Castle Point Books, St. Martin's Press, 2021,  boards and coasters kit in book form, $24.99) is a collection of stylized 10 pop-out coasters and 10 cocktail recipes, designed to jazz any celebration with colour and with clever sayings. It's your own Algonquin Hotel (but without New York).  Coasters are easy to save and to re-use. The 10 recipes include the Aviation: citric tones, herbaceousness, floral notes. Full instructions given!

--THE MARTINI; perfection in a glass (Artisan, 2021, 150 pages, $22.65 hardbound) is by Matt Hranek, who also wrote the definitive THE NEGRONI. It's a great basic guide, covering gin, vermouth, bitters, garnish – and even vodka (if need be). All the gin preps here can easily become vodka preps. It all depends on how much juniper-forward tastes you would enjoy. There's a cultural history of the drink, barware and glassware, various techniques (stirred, shaken, et al), and a whole pile of over 30 variations to try out. The martini is the consummate cocktail:  writers, actors, politicians. You could start with the Martinez from 1849, but it's a lot sweeter since it uses sweet vermouth. It's more like a gin Manhattan without the bourbon. The concluding section has a listing of appropriate snacks, an espresso martini, and a listing of global places to savour this drink.

--NEGRONI (Ryland Peters & Small, 2021, 64 pages, $13.85 hardbound) is by David T. Smith and Keli Rivers. Here are more than 30 classic and modern recipes for Italy's iconic cocktail.  Variations make use of dry and aged vermouths, along with ports and sherries and white bitters. One for the cocktail friends. Quality/Price rating: 90.

--THE NEGRONI; a love affair with a classic cocktail (Artisan, 2021, 160 pages, $22.95 hardbound) is by Matt Hranek, who has done major research in this area.  The Negroni is a great Euro-cocktail with its botanicals from the bitters, the vermouth, and the gin. The best ones have a balance of bitter and sweet. This current book comes well-endorsed by Chef Michael Ruhlman: "This is one of the best books devoted to a single cocktail I've read."  Hranek begins with the components of Italian bitters (I think Campari has a stranglehold here), moving on to Italian red vermouth (Antica Formula Carpano or Punt e mes) and then gin. Garnishes, ice, and equipment come next, followed by 31 recipes for the drink and 11 food snacks. Terrific illustrations, mostly posters. He's even got a list of the best places in Europe to enjoy the Negroni! Quality/Price Rating: 93

--STRANGER GINS; 50 things to drink while you watch TV (Dog 'n' Bone, 2021, 64 pages, $13.99 hardbound) has been compiled by Carol Hilker, a Chicago-based food writer. All of the shows are "series" and include old and new. Thus, there's Twin Peaks (recommended drink: Jacoby's Coconut). Fleabag (Hot Priest), Mad Men (Dirty Don Martini), and Seinfeld (Festivus)...But no Sopranos. She's got recipes and reasons for each show. PS: I'm not ashamed to admit having seen all of these shows but drinking just wine when I watched them. Quality/Price Rating:87

** Some Recommended Wines from the LCBO's Limited Time Offers selections...these  are good value...on sale January 31 through Sunday February 27 --
 
[red] +499384 Kacaba Vineyards & Winery Cabernet 2020 VQA Niagara Peninsula, LCBO & Grocery: normally $15.95, now $13.95, save $2.
[rose][fizz] +20995 BOTTEGA PROSECCO ROSE DOC SPUMANTE BRUT, VENETO: normally $17.65, now $15.65, save $2.
[white] +11452 Willm Réserve Riesling Alsace: normally $19.95, now $17.95, save $2.    

Major Theme for Feb 5/22 – ARGENTINA

Wines Under $20
=========
W+492462    PELEE ISLAND WINERY VINEDRESSER CHARDONNAY    VQA South Islands, Lake Erie North Shore 2017    $17.95
R+128629    LUIGI BOSCA CABERNET SAUVIGNON Mendoza 2019 $18.95 MVC/QPR: 89
R+273672    STORIA ANTICA SUPERIORE VALPOLICELLA RIPASSO    DOC    2019    $18.95 MVC/QPR: 89

Wines Over $20
=========
Fizz+21172    GRUET BRUT SPARKLING Traditional method, New Mexico $26.95 MVC/QPR: 89
W+565861    CHÂTEAU DES CHARMES VIDAL ICEWINE    VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario        $28.95     MVC/QPR: 89
W+238642    INNISKILLIN MONTAGUE VINEYARD CHARDONNAY    Single vineyard, VQA Four Mile Creek, Niagara-on-the-Lake    2019    $25.95  MVC/QPR: 89
R+317008    VERSADO MALBEC    Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza    2017    $24.95    MVC/QPR: 89
R+316984    VERSADO ANCIENT RESERVA MALBEC Mendoza 2014 $58.95 MVC/QPR: 89