« November 2005 | Main | January 2006 »
Find the Right Cheese for Your New Year's Eve Party
Throwing a party for New Year's? Trying to find the best cheese to go with champagne? After reading about Cheese: A Conoisseur's Guide to the World's Best in a December issue of Newsweek, I was intrigued. Well, they called it the "best food porn," so who wouldn't be? The book does not disappoint. And I agree with the magazine: It's beautifully photographed and an amazing guide for anyone who purchases cheese or who would like to know more about it. Written by Max McCalman, the "master cheese man", the book boasts 200 beautiful photographs and has a vast amount of information on the best cheeses available today. You can find it at ecoobooks.com or in my kitchen.
December 29, 2005 in Cheese, Parties & Entertaining | Permalink | Comments (0)
Veuve-Clicquot La Grande Dame Wrapped in Emilio Pucci
Fashion designer, Emilio Pucci, has designed a pattern just for a neoprene sleeve for Veuve Clicquot Champagne Bottle. Available only with a Veuve-Clicquot La Grande Dame 1996 Champagne, we looked high and low for this bottle, and finally found it at at Sherry-Lehmann Wine.
Veuve Clicquot Emilio Pucci Gift Set | $199 at Sherry-Lehmann
December 28, 2005 in All Things Wine | Permalink | Comments (0)
Choosing a Great Party Wine
Bringing a bottle of wine to a party is always a tough decision for me. At a cocktail party, I always think that spending too much is just wasted on a crowd of mingling guests who just want something to drink, but then I wonder about the appearance of showing up with $5 bottle of wine as a host gift. Plus, there's the pressure of making a creative choice (more often wasted on a crowd drinking from plastic cups). I'm sure I'm not alone in this dilemma. Well, Food and Wine helps choosing a bottle easier with their recent list of 10 Great Party Wines.December 26, 2005 in All Things Wine | Permalink | Comments (0)
Hanukkah Traditions Revisited
Hanukkah celebrations start this week and if you are looking for something new - well, it's actually old - to cook, try jelly doughnuts a.k.a. sufganiyots. No, Homer Simpson hasn't revealed that he is Jewish, but as reported in The New York Times, sufganivyots, which are popular in Israel, are making a comeback. Latkes, or potato pancakes, have been the standard food of choice for Jewish dinners in the States; they are cooked in oil and are meant to represent the miracle of the oil that lasted eight days instead of one. Sufganiyots follow this same tradition and can be found on more dinner tables this Hanukkah. So, this holiday season, try something new, um, old.December 26, 2005 in New Food Trends | Permalink | Comments (0)
New Year's Day – The Historical Use of Sake
The tradition of drinking sake on New Year's Day
What if I told you that all of your ills and bad lucks to come would go away if you offered somebody a cup of sake? What if I told you that you could make amends for all of your "transgressions" if you offered a cup of sake to a stranger? And what if I told you that you could become as rich and famous as you so desire if you offered a cup of sake to somebody other than yourself? Hmmmmm I am saying that most of you would say show me the bottle!
The history of sake is not as crude as this, but it has always been a mainstay when praying to the gods. Sake has always and will always be an offering of sorts to those greater than ourselves for anything from producing a banner crop this year to having that boy that you always wanted. Most every religion in Japan incorporated the use of sake to make offerings and to bless things, lands, people etc. Sake was and will continue to be the elixir that defines a country's morays and traditions, and it has both an ancient and modern usage.
No other day sees the "need" for sake like New Year's Day. This was the day that fathers would welcome gods into their houses for a sip of sake and humble words. I have not witnessed this act in person, but I have both been told in great detail and have read the typical process to make an effective offering. Essentially the head of the house would put on his best clothes, have a small food offering of high quality, and of course would have an o'choko of sake poured for the arrival of the god. They would first walk around the house speaking about its contents and any stories that the year had provided. Then they would sit for a bit of sake and food. And lastly the cup – sill filled – would be placed in a shrine if the household had one. Sound weird? I don't think so. Don't we all have that imaginary friend that we talk to?
Typically sake is opened the night before on New Year's Eve to celebrate, and what is left over is steeped in herbs for the evening and then served warm on New Year's Day. And yes kids get to have some. (How cool is that?) They celebrate well-being and life appreciation. It is an opportunity to be thankful and to ask for a special favor if needed. All in all it represents another way that sake is meshed into the fabric of Japanese culture and tradition, and it bears trying here in the US.
I say grab a bottle of sake for New Year's eve – if you like the bubbly we have 6 different sparkling sakes – ring in the New Year and then save a little bit for the next day. And whilst watching college football bowl games warm a cup of sake and be thankful!
Reprinted from September’s True Sake newsletter written by Beau Timken, owner of True Sake: America’s first sake store located in San Francisco, CA. Beau is a professional sake taster and sake sommelier. Visit his website True Sake.com to learn more, and shop for your perfect bottle of sake to ring in the new year.
Technorati Tag: Food and Drink
December 23, 2005 in All Things Wine | Permalink | Comments (0)
Entertaining Essentials are Easy to Find on the Web
I am very lucky: I have all my entertaining-essential stores near home. I can walk to a Sur La Table store. I am minutes from fine cheese stores, wine stores, organic-food stores, and my most recent discovery: an Italian grocery store that has the best bread in town. If I lived anywhere else that didn’t have specialty stores, how would I find items needed for entertaining? How do you throw a great party for holidays or any special occasion if your resources are limited? Luckily, the easy answer is the web. And there is a lot of information out there, so where does one start? I’ve taken the liberty to list some of my favorites to help:
Epicurious.com. The first thing a host/hostess must start with is his/her menu. Food is the most important part and should be the focal point. Recipes from the top food magazines can be found here and the reader ratings are very helpful.
igourmet.com has everything you need to get your party started. It offers cheese, party ideas, oils, sauces, meats - too much to mention. And it should be your next stop.
Target.com has become such a wonderful, inexpensive source for dinnerware. My current favorite is their BIA Cordon Bleu Fromage Plates (pictured above).
Sur La Table is so much fun. It has all the essential kitchen tools plus cookbooks, classes, and all the little things you need at the last minute.
Wine.com offers wonderful wines and great recommendations. Check out the wines that rated 90 pts plus and are still under $20. (If you don't know what points are, please refer to winespectator.com.)
And my absolute favorite for its obscure and fun party treats: Oriental Trading Company. The site offers a number of inexpensive party goods. If nothing else, it’s fun to surf: Where else can you find a felt chicken hat for $5.95?
Oh, one more: Martha. Despite her recent setbacks, Ms. Stewart still knows how to entertain.
December 21, 2005 in Parties & Entertaining | Permalink | Comments (0)
Holiday Baking & Cookie Making with Kids
Baking holiday cookies with kids has many benefits - they learn to follow directions, they get a chance to be creative, and it's fun to do. Plus, making Christmas cookies to leave out for Santa has a special purpose for the youngest kids. At Epicurious.com, they have holiday cookie recipes with some video lessons on baking techniques that you might find helpful when baking with your kids.
December 19, 2005 in Christmas | Permalink | Comments (0)
New Orleans Restaurant Update: Post-Katrina
Stay up-to-date with the comeback of New Orleans restaurants through Food & Wine's blog "on the line", a daily journal about the work behind re-opening Katrina stricken restaurants.December 19, 2005 in New Orleans Restaurant Updates | Permalink | Comments (0)
Chocolate & Dessert Fondue Recipes
Get your chocolate fondue ready for your Christmas holiday parties. Here's some links to chocolate and dessert fondue recipes and ideas.
- Whiskey Chocolate Fondue Recipe - via GourmetSleuth
- Chocolate Fondue Recipe - via Epicurious.com
- White Chocolate Fondue Recipe - via Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade
- Caramel Cognac Fondue - via Epicurious.com
- Bittersweet Chocolate-Orange Fondue - our favorite recipe with a dash of Grand Marnier and grated orange peel - via Epicurious.com
December 17, 2005 in Chocolate, Parties & Entertaining | Permalink | Comments (0)
New Scharffen Berger Gianduja Bar
Here's a stocking stuffer for your favorite chocophile. Gianduja is a European favorite: milk or dark chocolate compounded during the manufacturing process with roasted hazelnuts to create a smooth finished product. Scharffen Berger has just created a 45% version. A hazelnut lover and gianduja virgin, I thought I would miss the sight of nutty mounds and the sweet crunch, but rather enjoyed the subtler, integrated flavor.
December 15, 2005 in Chocolate | Permalink | Comments (0)
A Holiday Treat: White Truffles
I did something this holiday season I had never done before. Today I was fortunate enough to have risotto with white truffles. I was so moved by the experience, I thought it was worth writing about. Although I wouldn't call white truffles a food "trend," they have a very limited season, thus, white truffles are what are hot NOW. And tomorrow they won't be, because they'll be out of season. Isn't that trendy?
I'm sure many have had truffle oil or truffle cheese, but nothing is like having thinly sliced white truffles, fresh, untouched and - oh such an aroma. Really. It was heavenly. I felt rich and I'm not. I was sitting at Spago's in Beverly Hills (trust me, this was a work luncheon) and I felt special, warm and fuzzy. It was definitely a holiday treat.
I could go into more detail about these truffles, but I will let the mushroom hunter explain. All I can say is that white truffle season runs out by Christmas, so if you are fortunate enough to, please go eat some. Otherwise, you can hold out for black truffle season, which lasts through spring.
And if you want a firsthand tale of truffle hunting, check out The Hunt for White October. I think I was intrigued by the author's mention of Valentino in Los Angeles. I've been meaning to go there too. Maybe I can suggest it for our next work luncheon, if I'm so lucky.
December 14, 2005 in New Food Trends | Permalink | Comments (0)
Gourmet Editor, Ruth Reichl, to Produce New HBO Foodie Show
HBO taps into the food world
Ruth Reichl, editor-in-chief of Gourmet Magazine, has signed to become executive producer for a new HBO series about the life of a restaurant critic. Based roughly on Reichl's own life, the not-yet-named series, HBO has purchased the right to two of Reichl's memoirs, "Comfort Me With Apples" and "Garlic and Sapphires".
According to WWD -
"The books chronicle Reichl's years as a food critic, first for The Los Angeles Times and later for The New York Times, as well as her affairs with Colman Andrews, her boss at the time, and Michael Singer, a television producer whom she eventually married. Reichl hinted she and her co-producers would not mind it at all if their show was seen as the successor to "Sex and the City." "Certainly, the thought has flown around the room," she said."
So "Carrie Bradshaw meet Ruth Reichl" - there's a new girl in town.
Sex and the Foodie | via WWD
December 14, 2005 in Food News | Permalink | Comments (0)
Food Gift Idea: Bacon of the Month Club
The Grateful Palate offers a 12-month bacon of the month club - a perfect gift for a bacon lover's stocking. Each club member will receive a different artisan bacon every month along with informational notes about each selection, plus a Bacon of the Month membership card, monthly bacon comic strip, BOM club pen, toy pig, and a t-shirt. Sounds like a great gift to give to yourself too.
Bacon of the Month Club | $140 (+ shipping) from The Grateful Palate
December 14, 2005 in A Food & Wine Gift Guide | Permalink | Comments (1)
Daily Olive Welcomes Kyeann Sayer to the Chocolate Section
My family still hides it from me, and with good reason. There was a time when I couldn't tolerate the notion of chocolate left uneaten. An unopened bar, lonely in the pantry (or hidden in my brother's backpack), meant a squandered opportunity. Six Pudding Pops stuck in the freezer? How cruel to leave them stranded! Dessert that didn't incorporate it? Not much point. If the average American consumes twelve pounds per year, I would wager that I doubled that amount more often than not.
As I grew, however, so did my tolerance for complexity and moderation (for the time being, two nibbles per day of the robust and biting Dagoba eclipse 87% sate me). Also, I have learned that like most pleasures, chocolate resonates more completely when shared and savored rather than hoarded and, well, pilfered. This is why the opportunity to write about it for Daily Olive readers thrills me.
From criollo beans to silk screening, flower essences to nibs, scones to sauces, Scharffen Berger to Puyricard to organic; there is much chocolate ground to cover! Please be sure to share your discoveries.
December 13, 2005 in Chocolate | Permalink | Comments (0)
5th Annual South Beach Wine & Food Festival
The annual South Beach Wine & Food Festival is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year. The festival, running February 24-26, 2006, will showcase fine wines and exquisite food tastings from local restaurants. This three-day celebration boasts appearances by Queer Eye for the Straight Guy’s Ted Allen; chef Paul Bartolotta of Wynn Las Vegas fame; chef José Andrés, author of Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America; and more. I don't know about you, but eating good food, drinking fine wine, and hanging out at a sunny beach sounds like the perfect way to avoid February snow flurries in other parts of the continent.
Visit the 5th Annual South Beach Wine & Food Festival for more information on whose pouring and what's cooking.
December 12, 2005 in Gourmet Food Events | Permalink | Comments (0)
Cookie Baking Science by Alton Brown
If you're baking holiday cookies this weekend, and want to know the baking science behind crispy cookies and chewy cookies, then Alton Brown has your answers. Alton delves into the details of flat and crispy cookies, puffy cookies, and chewy cookies which is all about the ratios of butter, egg, baking soda, and sugar. All interesting information while you're baking your Christmas cookies.
Also fascinating is where we found this cookie baking resource - from the GoodEatsFanPage that has compiled all of Alton's Good Eats show transcripts.
Alton Brown's How-to Cookie Show | via Slashfood
December 10, 2005 in Baking | Permalink | Comments (0)
Momotombo: Organic Chocolate from Nicaragua | Treehugger.com
With dark chocolate's profile on the rise, it's hard to avoid salivation-inducing news: chocolate tastings, chocolate trade shows, the new Mars CocoaVia "nutritional" chocolate bar. By the time I read about Momotombo's fresh, fudge-like chocolate last week I was ready to hop on a (carbon offset) plane to Managua to try the stuff out.
The innovative confections are hand crafted from organic, unpressed and unheated cacao seeds. Sweet flavors include guava, lemongrass and ginger. Some savory options: garlic, habanero and tequila with lime. The preservative-free goodies have a shelf life of thirty days.
For now, you can grab your own at the Nicaragua air port, where Chocolate Momotombo is quickly becoming a national product. With international specialty demand, the company will be able to create more jobs, expanding from one kitchen with three workers to a network of rural studios. :: The Momotombo Chocolate Factory
By Kyeann Sayer | Treehugger.com
December 8, 2005 in Organic Chocolate | Permalink | Comments (3)
A Bistro Guide for Your Next Paris Culinary Vacation
Being prepared for Paris’ culinary experience is essential for all food travelers. Just this past spring my husband and I went to Paris for our honeymoon and there are so many fantastic restaurants, bistros, and cafes to choose from it can be quite dizzying. It would have been much better if we had a little handy bistro guide.
The Authentic Bistros of Paris is just such a guide. The focus of this book is the food. And let’s face it, sitting at a cute bistro can be lovely, but the French have so much to offer in sauces, desserts, wines, bread, and more that is a shame – no a sin – if you don’t take advantage of their fine culinary treasures on your next Paris vacation.
For you, or for your favorite foodie friend visiting Paris, check out Authentic Bistros of Paris available at ecookbooks.com. I may just buy it to reminisce about my last visit. Sigh…
December 8, 2005 in Cookbooks | Permalink | Comments (0)
Exquisite Stone Mortars and Pestles
Yesterday, we found these strikingly designed mortars and pestles by London based sculptor and designer John Julian. Made from porcelain (pictured above) or black granite, these simply sculpted shapes bring together a perfect blend of design and utility.
Available and found at Le Sanctuaire in Santa Monica California.
December 7, 2005 in A Food & Wine Gift Guide, Kitchen Essentials | Permalink | Comments (0)
Food Processor Test Review by Cook's Illustrated
Cook's Illustrated reviewed food processors in their Holiday Baking issue as the best tool for making pastry dough for tarts and pies. They write-"The champs in the pastry tests - the Cuisinart Pro Custom and KitchenAid - were also the best overall models. Both machines have large 11- or 12-cup bowls (ideal for many tasks and necessary for kneading bread dough), heavy bases (in excess of 10 pounds) so they remain stable, and ultra-sharp blades that stop instantly when the pulse button is being used. This last feature is especially important when making pastry dough. Some models required a 2-second spin-down after each pulse, making it much more difficult to stop cutting the butter into the flour at precisely the right moment." -- Garth Clingingsmith
Great for Baking
"The Cuisinart Pro Custom 11 is our top choice for baking tasks, including pastry and bread dough, but the narrow feed tube makes vegetable prep tricky."
Cuisinart 11-c. Classic Series Pro Custom 11 Food Processor
| $199 at Cooking.com
All-Around Champ
"The KitchenAid 12-Cup Food Processor excels at vegetable prep and pastry dough and handles bread dough well, but not perfectly."
KitchenAid 12-c. Food Processor
| $199 at Cooking.com
Give a Cook's Illustrated Gift Subscription this holiday season.
December 6, 2005 in Kitchen Essentials | Permalink | Comments (0)
Food Lover's Gift Idea: Shiitake Mushroom Log
This shiitake mushroom log raised some eyebrows with us initially, but the more we thought about it, the more we were certain that each of us knows one perfect recipient for this very exotic gift. With care, this log will yield a crop of shiitakes every 8 to 12 weeks for years.
Shiitake Mushroom Log | $38 at RedEnvelope.com
December 6, 2005 in A Food & Wine Gift Guide | Permalink | Comments (0)
Sur la Table Online Specials
Sur La Table has some great specials for your holiday shopping--- Buy a Shun 9-piece Block Set and receive a FREE 14" Bamboo Cutting Board ($99 value)
- Free Gift With Purchase of All-Clad Stainless Steel 9-PC Set
- 8" chef henckels knife Special 89.95
- Free Gift with Purchase of VillaWare Paini Grill
- Staub Round Cast Iron Casserole Special $49.95!
- Le Creuset Skillet Grill Special $59.95
- Capresso Impressa F7 Auto Froth Attachment free with Mail-in coupon, An $80 value!
- Free Gift with Purchase of Krups Thermal Coffee Maker
December 5, 2005 in Special Promotions | Permalink | Comments (0)
Wine Gift Basket Idea: Mark Oldman's Secret Wine Collection
Award-winning wine writer Mark Oldman has put together a great collection of lesser-known wines based on specific chapters in his new book, “Oldman's Guide to Outsmarting Wine
Mark Oldman's Secret Alternatives Collection
| $99 at Wine.com
December 4, 2005 in A Food & Wine Gift Guide, All Things Wine | Permalink | Comments (0)
Christmas Ideas, Cookie Recipes, and Decorating Tips from Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart does it again--showing you her best Christmas ideas from cookies, to holiday decorating around the home, to classic Christmas recipes. You’ll even find tips to making ornaments, choosing a poinsettia, to making stockings. And to top it all off Martha gives you her Holiday Gift Guide, Christmas checklist, and craft projects for the kids. Hurry, there’s only 23 more days till Christmas!Martha Stewart’s Christmas Ideas | at MarthaStewart.com
December 2, 2005 in Christmas | Permalink | Comments (0)
What is chiffonade?
I first heard the word chiffonade watching Alton Brown’s Good Eats. He was stir frying some melons (another first – have you ever had a warm melon salad?), and said the next step was to add your chiffonade. Huh? Turns out it was just finely sliced ribbons of basil leaf. Then, I found this great explanation that chiffonade literally means “made of rags” in French at ApartmentTherapy.comRead more: Word of Mouth “Chiffonade” | at ApartmentTherapy.com
December 2, 2005 in Kitchen & Cooking Tips | Permalink | Comments (0)
