Superfruits Shammy

It is October and it is National Superfruits Month—and it is all marketing gimmicks!  You'll probably here some radio ads this upcoming month to purchase superfruits. Superfruits was a term coined in 2004 to describe fruits with exceptional nutrient properties and was created to market these fruits.  More specifically, they are very high in the antioxidants anthocyanin and procyanidin.  They help to regulate free radicals in our blood stream that can potentially damage healthy cells.

I always love to try new things, especially exotic foodstuffs.  Goji berries from the Himalayas, acai from the rainforests, and pomegranates are just to name a few.  It can be quite expensive to add them to our daily diets.  With more and more pomegranates being farmed in California, the price has dramatically decreased over the past decade, which is good for the consumer.

To me, it is always about being an educated consumer and understanding what a superfruit really is.  Most of us have already been consuming superfruits our entire lives!  Cranberries are readily available in the fall and its juice is available year round.  Blueberries can be procured at almost any local market in the summer months.  I always prefer to eat what is grown near me and not from the other side of the equator.  Blueberries and cranberries are my preferred superfruits that are cost effective and pragmatic to procure and they do not need any marketing gimmick.  I always prefer to minimize my carbon footprint. 

Monterey Market in Berkeley

To this gastronome, Monterey Market in Berkeley is the ultimate local independent market.  I wish there was a market like this in the Midwest.   Run by a Japanese-American family, the variety, freshness, and quality are unsurpassed. Granted, California does have quite a good climate for growing things—it's alive.  If one happens to be in Berkeley, one should definately check out Monterey Market.

On a trip to Berkeley last year, I spent hours observing the assortment of local bounty—in January. The day before, I had been at Big Sur and some of the local foragers were talking about how big the chanterelles were this season.  I was dumbfounded and giddy that they actually had fresh yuzu citrus.  The following pictures are some things that were in season at the time...

Wild Mushrooms

Citrus

Food & Cookbook Resources

Gastronomy- (1) The study of food (2) The science to art of good eating

A few resources that I constantly use to research gastronomy are listed below.

The Food Timeline
A great timeline on the history of man and food going back to caveman times.  Great resource and definitions of foodstuffs and when they became important to mankind.

Feeding America: The Historic American Cookbook Project
A collection of classic cookbooks on American cookery archived by the Michigan State Library.  It has provided me many sleepless nights and hours of enjoyment.  Browse through this collection for your gastronomic enjoyment.  Most of the offerings are available to view in PDF.

Los Angeles Public Library Menu Collection
A collection of searchable restaurant menus by cuisine, date, and restaurant.  Check it out to view vintage menus.

Biodynamic Cider

It is Autumn so I am tired of tomatoes and am now inspired by apples and pears.  The majority of apples and pears for America are grown in the Pacific Northwest.  The majority of apples and pears in France are grown in Normandy and I would hope most Americans know where this is.  Cider is one of the best values and underated beverages out there.  I am now quite fond of the ciders produced by Eric Bordelet in Normandy.

Inspired by the late Didier Dagueneau, a champion of biodynamics and master of sauvignon blanc, Sommelier Eric Bordelet left his job at a Parisian Michelin 3-Star Restaurant to pursue his family heritage of orchards and cider in Normandy.  In the early 1990's he began applying biodynamic practices to about 15 hectares of apples and pears he farms. Some sections of the orchards have 40-50 year old trees.  There are about twenty different varieties apples and about 15 of pear all ranging from savory to sweet.  Eric Bordelet Website Click Here

The fruit is allowed to cure or dehydrate for about 4-5 weeks before it is pressed.  The result is some of the best and most complex cider I have ever tasted.  There are several different bottlings from dry to off dry and the more expensive ones are probably made with the fruit from the older parts of the orchards.  With apple, pear, caramel, hay, & honey like notes it is lower in alcohol and lightly effervescent.  I could drink it all day with Brie cheese. 

Old Chicago Wine Lists

The following are a few vintage Chicago restaurant wine lists and I wish the prices were the same.  1947 Chateau d' Yquem for $10!!!
You can view old menus at the LA Public Library archives.

The Buttery at the Ambassador East Hotel in the Gold Coast...Circa 1960's.

Barney's Market Club on Randolph Street.  Circa 1940's.

Allgauer's Nufer Restaurant on North Ridge Ave.  Circa 1940's.

DDT Day

I am not here to say if DDT is good or bad, should be banned, sprayed, or eaten—just keep it away from the grapes.  It reaffirms to me that unnatural things are bad and biodynamic concepts are good. 

It is a lot like the mercury in tuna argument and lead paint is bad for kids.  It's all about balance and moderation.  If all you feed babies is organic carrots, their skin will start to turn orange.  Some of the following is hilarious, absurd, and ironic...and I like bugs.

This is a 1947 Time Magazine advertisement "DDT is Good for Me."

Let's spray some DDT on the kids in the swimming pool.

DDT is harmless to humans.



Time Magazine Article on buying WWII surplus DDT.

How to Understand French Grapes and Where They Come From

The following is how I taught myself to understand French grapes and where they come.  American wines are labeled by grape variety.  French wines are labeled by the area in which they come from which generally implies a certain wine style and/or grape(s).  The French government has a system called Appellation d'origine Controlee (AOC) which regulates what grapes may be grown where.  There are derivatives of this system and it is constantly changing.

I first learned by breaking France into the following 6 major regions: Loire Valley, Bordeaux, Rhone Valley, Burgundy, Alsace, and Champagne.  I then learned which major grapes grow in each respective region.

Loire Valley—Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc

Bordeaux—Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon

Rhone Valley—Syrah, Grenache, Viognier, Roussanne

Burgundy—Pinot Noir, Gamay, Chardonnay

Alsace—Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris

Champagne—Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier

There are many other grapes that are allowed to be grown in each respective region, but these are the major ones I learned first.  When I first starting learning about these major regions I pulled out a map of France and stared at the map and drawed on it until each region was stuck into my brain.

Birds & Pinot

So as the weather becomes a little cooler into fall my mind intuitively switches gears and starts thinking of my favorite red varietal pinot noir.  The birds that naturally pair well with pinot noir are squab, quail, chicken, pheasant, and so on. 

Squab is hands down my favorite eating bird, but for some reason, Americans give the pigeon a bad rap.  I think it has something to do with Central Park—they are not flying rats!  They are rich and meaty with a distinctively squabby flavor, and delicious. If I was allowed to in public parks, I would trap them, just as the residents of Dijon did during Nazi occupation in their town square, and then eat them with pinot noir.  Here are two classic dishes that pair well with pinot that is quintessentially, American.

Coq au Vin, “rooster in wine,” is a traditional peasant dish of Burgundy.  It is essentially vegetables, mushrooms, and whatever random chicken cuts around roasted and braised with red wine and herbs.  Naturally, since Burgundy is the motherland of pinot noir, pinot is drunk with this dish.  I prefer a rustic style that is earthy and seductive.  The more dirt I taste the better.  Volnay is a good commune to look for in the Côte de Beaune of Burgundy.

Pekin Duck

Duck à l’Orange is a French dish popularized in the 1960’s most likely by the influences of Julia Child, the Pekin Ducks raised on Long Island, and emergence of Haute Cuisine in Manhattan—Lutèce, Four Seasons, etc.  The orange sauce, Sauce Bigarade, which usually has an addition of sugar, is the origin for the modern day gastrique sauce that is prevalent in modern day restaurant menus.  (Sweet and sour sauce is another theory.) Naturally pinot noir is the perfect match for it—its acidity cuts through the rich sweet sauce.  I like a powerful style of pinot with good fruit and some muscle.  I like a nice Pommard from Domaine Parent in Burgundy or a Santa Barbara County pinot noir—grapes sourced from the Bien Nacido Vineyard stylistically work quite well.  Some producers I enjoy from Santa Barbara are Foxen and Au Bon Climat.

Terrior and Scores

The following clips show some humor, critique, and observations on why sommeliers prefer terrior driven wines. 

This video is freakin' sweet...thanks LindaMV somewhere across the pond for bringing it to my attention...terrior in Napa??? It does exist, but...

And this is the ultimate in terrior...Domaine Romanee Conti...2000 years and counting.  It goes beyond the wine, it's the culture and history.

DRC Terrior Video Click Here

Tomato Schedule for 2012

Tomatoes are a year long project to get a good crop and yield.  The following is a timeline I use to grow tomatoes.

January-Procure tomato seeds.  I get mine from www.tomatofest.com.  There are also many good catalogs out there.  I like to get several varieties including different sizes, colors and short and long season varieties.

February/March-Sow seeds in accordance with the lunar cycle.  I will purchase potting soil and sow them in jiffy pots.  The jiffy pots may be planted directly into the ground.  I will have several fluorescent lights set up wateringthem about every other day and letting the light shine for about 18 hours a day.

April-Move plants outside for several hours each day.  Progressively let them stay outside longer and longer as it becomes warmer.

May-Plant in permanent home after last frost.  Soil should be tilled prior to planting and I like to give it a boost with a fish emulsion.  Place newspapers topped with hay all around the plants for weed control and mulching purposes. 

June-Set up trellising system.  Use bamboo sticks set up like a tipi.  Trim and train the tomato vines as needed to the bamboo sticks with twine.

August/September-Harvest and enjoy—should have production until temperature drops consistantly below 55 degrees F.

October-Purchase bales of hay for next season.

Oak Joke

The following is a conversation I had on the telephone a little over a year ago...

Saturday 2 p.m.
ring ring ring...

"Good day sir," Timothy answered.
"Is a manager there?" asked the caller.
"Timothy speaking, (sommelier) may I help you?"
"Do you have Silver Oak on your list?" said the gentleman.
"No—but we have many great California Cabernets...Diamond Creek...Bryant Family...Grgich...Duckhorn," Timothy said politely.
"Whoever is doing your wine buyin' doesn't know what they're doing—I'm from the Bay Area," claimed the client.
"Good day sir," Timothy responds placing the receiver down.

When I reflect on this conversation I will always find it quite amusing.  I am always diplomatic when it comes to wine, but off the record, Silver Oak's inside joke is to call it Silver Joke.  It's not that it's a bad wine, but the people that drink it tend to put the snobbery into wine.  There's always diners that want to impress their guests and show off how much they know about wine. They want to try and stump the sommelier by chatting about the review and score they just read about in the Wine Spectator or Robert Parker.  It's always a little strange and awkward when a client is trying to tell you about all the great local pinot noir he recently drank while vacationing in Bordeaux.

Honestly, I constantly read reviews , but I really don't care about scores and numbers.  I am not a critic.  I am a service professional trained to objectively assess wine and serve wine warranting a client's preferences.  Wine doesn't have to cost a lot of money to be good.  I would rather serve a complex, obscure, food-friendly $50 bottle then a $500 bottle that is overpriced, high in alcohol, and one-dimensional.  Wine doesn't have to be expensive or have a high score to be great!

Sauvignon Blanc for Fall

When I think sauvignon blanc, I usually begin to think of fresh cut grass, all things green, and spring—but —towards the end of September there is a toony hither of brown and dead grass. There is the first of fallen leaves in the mix as the grass is mowed that makes me think to drink sauvignon blanc.

Sauvignon is incredibly diverse.  The styles I drink in spring are different than the styles I drink in the Fall.  I like to think of sauvignons with extended lees contact; influenced by neutral oak; definitively terroir driven; rich and complex; or aged for several years. 

Some Sauvignons that I think meet some of the criteria:

Quivira “Fig Tree Vineyard” Dry Creek Valley Sonoma County 2009

Biodynamically farmed with neutral oak and stainless steel fermentation with extended lees contact

Cloudy Bay “Te Koko” Marlborough New Zealand 2007

Oak aged, lees contact, left to mature for three years before release

Pascal Jolivet Sancerre (at least 5-7 years old) >2005

May seem strange, but acidity preserves things, and the general racing acidity and grassy notes of Sancerre mellow into brown grass and hay—I have strange tastes… I also love things that smell like diesel fuel…

First Cookbook Written in America

I often look to Europe, and more specifically France, for century old texts on cooking—and—America has a better evolving cookbook history.  The first cookbook in American was published in 1798 by Amelia Simmons entitled American Cookery.  Its mere 48 pages is a good preface for cooks in America.  Typesetting is definitely an art into itself.

Ingredients utilized back in the day were a little different than they are today; you had to preserve many fruits and vegetables. Procuring loaf sugar nowadays may be a little difficult.  They didn’t have stoves, but fire and cast iron pots.  I don’t see many turtles at the local supermarkets and for economy sake, every part of an animal and ingredient had to be used.  It took several weeks and much patience to cure bacon.

The way cookbook writing has evolved from a narrative of instruction to a more specific ingredient list and method displays are evolution of science, mechanization, and technical writing.  The narrative allows for fluidity, creativity, interpretation, and utilizing what ingredients are around.  Cooks today should learn to be creative with recipes and adapt them to what is locally and economically available.

To read American Cookery click here

Apple Butter Time

The following is a recipe on how to make Märzen Apple Butter for autumn.  I prefer to pick my own peck of apples at a local orchard. I like to get as many varieties as possible, especially ones that are more acidic, like Granny Smith.  I have refined this recipe over the last few years. It is definitely geared towards applications of cocktail making and beverage service.

I always like to research old recipes and learn the ways of our American cooking heritage.  There is nothing more American then apples.    The following is an excerpt from American Cookery by Amelia Simmons published in the 1790’s on preserving another great pom fruit, the quince.

Retrieve a large stock pot.  Core and slice the peck of assorted apples, leaving the skins on, and place them in the stock pot.  Cover them with apple cider and a couple of bottles of Märzen style beer (Oktoberfest), a few cinnamon sticks, and a cup of apple cider vinegar.  Let this come to a simmer and let the apples cook until fork tender.  Strain the apples, reserving the cooking liquid, and process the apples through a food mill.  The leftover liquid makes good hot cider.  Remove the skins, measure the resulting pulp, and place back into the stock pot.  For every cup of apple pulp add a half cup of granulated sugar.  Stir this over a simmer until everything is dissolved, add a little more Märzen, add cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and allspice to taste.  Utilize a Microplane to grate the baking spices fresh and add just a pinch of salt.  If there happens to be some Calvados around, add that too. Cook it down stirring every few minutes until it caramelizes and becomes thick—this will take a few hours.

When it is ready, store it in sterilized mason jars.  It will last several months refrigerated and almost a year frozen.  I like to use it for many winter cocktails.  It makes a great base for Hot Toddies and whiskey based cocktails.  It is great as a condiment with toast and cheeses.  For a hot toddy, add a couple heaping tablespoons of the apple butter to a cup of boiling water, a measure of whiskey, and garnish with a lemon twist.

Kermit the Frog Coffee Beginnings

Kermit the Frog and Jim Henson's humble beginnings are gastronomically related.  Kermit got his start doing Wilkins Coffee ads in 1957.  Highly entertaining and I hope know one gets blown up!

Oysters & Months with Rrrr

There is and old adage that we should not eat oysters unless the month contains the letter R.  So, historically speaking, it is September and we may begin eating this aphrodisiac again.  A lot of this is because of weather and temperature—ambiant and water. Oysters that have not been stored properly or exposed to warm air for extended periods of time are not very good.  Their quality deteriorates rapidly.

This adage was coined by Charles Ranhofer in his cookbook The Epicurean.  Published in the 1890's, it contains the recipes and receipts of Delmonico's in NYC.  If we can imagine Blue Points from North Fork and how long it used to take to transport them to Manhatten—and they probably were not shipped on ice.  It reminds me of how the Romans used to ship oysters from Brittany to Rome through French rivers and would only do this in the winter months.  The following excerpt from The Epicurean explains the R with oysters.

With modern refrigeration and delivery channels today, we may consume oysters at any time of the year.  Bivalve farmers have learned to farm them in cold northerly waters and air travel lets us ship them to market packed on dry ice in about 24 hours. 

Riedel Breakage

Recently digging through my notes I came across this menu from a dinner back in 2005 with the Fat Duck, Tetsuya's, and Dom Perignon at Charlie Trotter's.  Hands down this was the most chaotic and challenging dinner I have ever worked, and, I'll never forget the amount of Riedel stemware I broke.  (Especially the kind displayed in the NY Museum of Modern Art...yikes!)  Several vintages of Dom Perignon was served and it was definitely a night to remember from a service standpoint.

Cookie Monster Training

Cookie Monster assesses the cookie—just like blind tasting.

1. Look at cookie
2. Identify the cookie
3. Smell cookie
4. Eat the cookie

Cookie Monster meets Count and counts the cookies—just like inventory on the first of the month, and then tasting what you counted.

Cookie Monster interview with by Matt Lauer—learn to be diplomatic with all types of food people, carnivores, and vegetarians...I'm perfectly omnivorous...Cookies? Vegetables?

Interview on NPR—Cookie Monster eats everything including microphone—must taste everything!

Grover the Waiter Training Videos

Before one must becomes a sommelier they must master the art of waiting tables.  The following video may be used to teach young ones the art of waiting tables.  Sesame Street has always been a leader in job training...

Helping guests with portion size.

 Learn how to deal with guest complaints about a fly in soup.

Learn Italian cuisine.

How waiters remember things—Poetry.

Round and tasty on a bun

Pickles, french fries, yum-yum-yum

In a hurry to be fed

Beady eyes and big blue head

Don't Boil Your Crabs

I have always been curious of estuary waters and their effects on seafood.  Spending summer weekends at the Jersey Shore, I often went crabbing in estuary inlets.  I remember being stung by jellyfish.  I noticed that water in some  areas tasted saltier then others—don't ask why...  We would take the catch from the traps and boil the crabs with local corn.    I harassed the crabs with my plastic sand castle shovel just before they were to meet their boiling destiny.

Buyin' Shrimp in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina

At one of my first restaurant jobs, the cooks about killed me one day when I submerged a crab in fresh water.  They told me you got to “steam ‘em—you’ve got to steam all crustaceans.”  They said when cleaning shellfish you want to clean them with as little water as possible. 


I often wondered why your skin in fresh water gets wrinkly and in salt water it seems to shrink—like I just had a face lift.  This has to do with a concept called osmotic equilibrium.  The balance of salt through osmosis will effect whether your skin swells or tightens. 


Naturally, solutions want to be in equilibrium, and move from areas of high concentration to low concentration, hence osmosis. This happens through the semi-permeable cell membranes.  Fresh water with higher osmotic pressure moves into your skin with lower osmotic pressure causing it to poof and wrinkle.  The lower osmotic pressure in the skin is due to the salt that exists naturally in our bodies.  The salt concentration is higher in the skin, but the pure water concentration is lower.  The reverse effect happens when you are swimming in salt water. Your skin tightens,  feeling like you just had surgery performed by Dr. 90210.

Osmotic equilibrium may help to explain why some fish mongers argue never to boil shellfish, but steam them.  The natural flavors will be lost.  Steaming is a gentler cooking method then boiling.  So please don't boil your crabs.