Want to Learn About Wine? Drink More!

A friend sent me this New York Times article by Eric Asimov (he's the nephew, BTW): To Study Wine, Buy and Drink. The article requires registration, but if you'd like to read it without signing on, you can always use Bugmenot. Or just read on, I'll give you the gist.

In Asimov's opinion, you get the most out of wine classes and books after you already have a working knowledge and a desire to get serious. He recommends that find a good wine shop, let them know that you'd like to learn, and have them help you pick out a mixed case in the around- $250 price range. Then, you take it home and drink it, preferably with food, paying attention to what you like and don't like. Take notes as you go along, recording how the wines interact and change with food. "The most important thing," he says, "is not how you describe the wine but whether you liked it or not, and whether you felt it enhanced what you ate or clashed with it."

When you're done, you take the notes back to the shop, discuss your experience, and ask them to put together a new case for you. Swirl, smell, swish and repeat.

To demonstrate, Asimov is actually employing this process himself and you can follow along on his blog, The Pour. You can find his case list (he actually ordered two cases from two separate shops for comparison) in the post The Dining Table Wine School.

While I don't agree with the statement that classes and books are only for the experienced, I do think this is a really fun and useful method and a great alternative if classes and books really do intimidate or disinterest you. If nothing else, you get to sample a lot of great wine and he's absolutely right in that you'll start to figure out what you like and don't. He's also right in that that's all many people want or need to know.

If you can't afford a case (and at the moment, I can't, otherwise I'd try and follow along with Asimov) there's nothing wrong with buying by the bottle. The most important thing to understand is where to buy it and what a good wine shop is. As I heard Diana Hammond, the Wine Goddess of the Chopping Block, repeat over and over: the grocery store is not a good wine shop, nor is Whole Foods or the World Market. While the employees may have some knowledge of wine, they usually don't know enough to make a real recommendation. These places are fine if you already have some idea of what you want, but a good wine shop will have employees that really know wine and can make knowledgeable recommendations based on the information you give them.

The second most important thing to know: if you want a wine shop to give you a recommendation, you need to be able to give them a starting point, at the very least a price range. Choosing whether you want a red or a white is helpful, too. You also need to be open minded. If you go in and ask for a really good wine for under $10, expect to be given a recommendation for a wine that you're not familiar with. The most familiar wines (i.e. Cabernet and Chardonnay) are often the most expensive precisely because they're the most familiar. Be willing to try something new, and no nose-wrinkling! If you don't like the wine, feel free to return and say so, but at least try it.

If you live in the Chicago area, there are a ton of good wine shops. Diana always recommended the Wine Discount Center and I've always had a good experience there. There is also an extensive (and recent) list available on the Chicago Sun Times website: The Best in Bargain Wine.

If you are a class and book person (as I am) I highly recommend Diana's wine classes as the Chopping Block. She is extremely knowledgeable, very accessible and not at all snobby. She also offers a Cheap n' Good Wine List on her site. As for books, Eric Asimov does cover his recommended reading list in the post School is in Session, but for a light and entertaining introduction to wine, I highly recommend Drinkology Wine: A Guide to the Grape by James Waller. The information is there, but it's also an easy read.

So drink up and stimulate those brains cells! Apparently, a recent study found that Light to Moderate Drinkers Show Greater Cognitive Ability. True? Who knows, but it sounds good! Cheers!

What's for Dinner? Pretty Pasta!

I was feeling inspired to make something nice for dinner, but I wanted something easy. I went to the gym after work (yay, me!) and didn't finish up until almost 8:30pm. Remembering that I still had the Foglie D'Autunno pasta that I picked up at the West Point Market in Ohio, I decided to make a quick run to Whole Foods for some basil, Parmigiano Reggiano, bread and a bottle of wine to go with the sun dried tomatoes and olive oil I already had at home.



Foglie D'Autunno,which translates to the 'leaves of autumn,' is a rustic Italian pasta that's made by Castellana in Apulia, the 'heel' of Italy. It tastes like pasta, so it's nothing special in that regard, it's just that it's so pretty! The colors are made with various vegetable powders—and squid ink!

At Whole Foods, I ended up buying a Pecorino Tartufello, which is an Italian sheep's whole pieces of black truffles, instead of the Parmigiano. I wasn't positive that it would work with the basil and the sun dried tomatoes, but I love truffles so I thought I'd give it a try. The wine I chose was the Da Vinci 2005 Chianti Classico. I've been wanting to try this for a while. The 2004 was highly rated for such an inexpensive wine—the 2005 was $10.99. I also picked up some Sicilian-style marinated olives and a small loaf of Ciabatta (Italian 'slipper' bread, named for it's shape).



I tossed the pasta with Frantoia, an Italian olive oil that was a favorite at the Chopping Block and one of mine as well. I added the basil and sun dried tomatoes, both of which I sliced chiffonade (in thin strips). The Pecorino Tartufello was pretty powerful so I only used a little; I used a vegetable peeler to make thin slivers to top the pasta. I warmed the bread, sliced it, and poured a little more of the Frantoia into a saucer for dipping. I also added a couple the olives on the side to complete the meal.



Everything went together pretty well. The wine wasn't the best match—I guessed when I picked it up that it might be a little too fruity to stand up to the truffles and the olives, and I was right. I think it would go better with a tomato-based sauce or a regular Pecorino. But the wine that I thought would match perfectly was $20, so this was good enough! It made for a rustically simple meal, but it was quite satisfying and again, very pretty! Not quite as exciting as the Digg party I'm missing right now (I'm listening to it enviously via Justin.tv; it sounds fun!) but it'll do.

Calacanis on Barcelona

Jason Calacanis is currently in Barcelona to give a talk on Social Media. Befitting that subject, he's been posting frequently on Twitter about Barcelonian food. He sent a Tweet out earlier today looking for advice on finding the best rabbit in the area, and the current update: "At abasolo etxea with my friend Xavier in barcelona. Amazing rabbit I'm told!!!" I've been enjoying his commentary immensely, and oh, how I would have loved to have been at the Barcelona Blogger/Web 2.0 dinner! Read more about his experience and drool over the imagery here: Tapas in Barcelona.

New Basque cuisine seems to be playing a major role in culinary evolution here in Chicago. I've often heard Alinea referred to as second only to El Bulli, the world renowned restaurant just outside of Barcelona. Cantu of Moto is also considered to be directly inspired by El Bulli chef Ferran Adria, who is credited as being the founder of the molecular gastronomy movement. Even Ambria, classically French, is currently offering a Tribute to Spain tasting menu that features Basque cuisine. And speaking of Ambria, I had the chance to dine there recently. It was fabulous, of course, and I'll be posting more on that experience very soon.

Tasty Tech at the Food Network Awards

I don't watch much of the Food Network. Not because I dislike it, but because I rarely sit down and watch shows on an actual television and so far I haven't been interested enough to seek out the torrents. Therefore, the first annual Food Network Awards was only vaguely on my radar, but enough so that I did check out the website.

I'm sure that, even if I had watched the show, I wouldn't agree with Bourdain's rant on Ruhlman.com: "Last night, during the breathtakingly awful, interminable cruelty that was The Food Network Awards, I even found myself feeling bad for Rachael Ray." Don't follow the link if you're not fond of profanity—it took me a minute to settle on a usable quote that didn't contain a colorful string. While I find the Food Network a little fluffy, and am aware that it's celebrities are often chosen for their cute-factor rather than their culinary ability, it's driven Americans to get more interested in good food and I can only thank them for that. It's not the Food Network's fault that we prefer everything fed to us with that special Hollywood-style seasoning.

There were only a few highlights for me from the award pickings. I was somewhat surprised that they had a Tasty Technology category (although I guess I really shouldn't be), and the most geek-friendly award winner was the PoliScience Anti-Griddle. It flash freezes instead of grills, and was created for Grant Achatz in 2004 (PoliScience is based in the Chicago suburbs). There's an interesting article about it on Chow (and I think I might change my tagline).

Other winners that I thought were interesting:

• MooBella Ice Cream: A vending maching that uses "a multi-patented, fully automated ice cream process" to create custom ice cream on the spot.
• Zingerman's: Z - Club: A "gift for the adventurous eater." Zingerman's supplies a boxed collection of rare and specialty foods such as "olio nuovo, a coveted version of the new season's olive oil pressed and bottled just days ago, or maybe a cheese from one of America’s small dairies" up to four times a year.
• Liz Hickok, Jell-O Artist: Cities of Jell-O. Go look—it's cool!

I also have to give a little shout-out to Matt Lee and Ted Lee of the Boiled Peanuts Catalog. They lost to Alicia Polak of the Khaya Cookie Company under the category of Edible Entrepreneur of the Year. Polak hires South African men and women to bake handmade cookies that are brought to the U.S., so the award was well-given. But there's a Southern heart beating deep inside this yankified urbanite, so I just had to mention the boiled peanut boys. I might just have to order one of those boil-your-own peanuts kits...

IACP Conference Welcoming Event: Culinary SENSE-ations

I've spent the past few days preparing for the food photography exhibit for the welcoming event at the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) conference. The event happened yesterday and was absolutely fabulous. It took place at the Merchandise Mart, and the overarching themes were Chicago and food art. The Mart showrooms that chose to participate each hosted a particular theme. My showroom was Valcucine, and my theme was food photography. I wish I had done more (I still regret not being able to find someone to create that food photography cake) but I think in the end it turned out pretty well. We had 5 large photos by Jeff Kauck hanging from the ceiling, and 5 smaller photographs scattered on easels through the showroom. I also created a number of tiny matted stock photos to hang and scatter throughout the room, just to draw the eye through the exhibit. We also had a Chicago-themed video put together by Eric Futran, which featured a montage of local food photos set to a foodie-based version of Sweet Home Chicago. Valcucine decided to keep the exhibit up for a while as part of their showroom, so you can see it if you happen to be passing through the Mart anytime soon.

I also participated in the Written Word exhibit, headed by Leslie Swibes, which was in the Varenna Poliform showroom. The walls were decorated with food quotes, and themed cocktail napkins covered with quotes related to food and wine accompanied the wine stations and bread table. There was also a huge wok full of fortune cookies with food quotes inside.

This event was the brainchild of Shelley Young, owner of the Chopping Block. Shelley and Linda Avery, Executive Food Editor of Leite's Culinaria oversaw the event and all of the exhibits, and they did an amazing job. I would imagine that this was one of the most creative events that the IACP has ever seen.

The other exhibits are listed below, and you can see photos of the show on Flickr.

• Meat and Potatoes Buffet at the Chopping Block.
• Pulled Sugar Demonstration by Mark Seaman of Marked for Dessert at the Chopping Block.
• Jel Art Gelatin Flowers created by injecting food coloring into the gelatin, by Delectogo at the Chopping Block (they were tasty, too
  
• Ice Bar and Bananas Foster Shots provided by moto Restaurant and Jim Nadeau of Nadeau Ice Sculptures, Inc. (I give, moto is cool, and the bartenders were really fun.)
• Interactive Audio Challenge Video by Steve Dolinsky, Host of Hungry Hound.
• Merchandise Mart Cake Sculpture by Cathay Li of the Sugar Syndicate.
• Sustainable Fish, bathtub aquariums with live fish provided by Shedd Aquarium in Kohler. [Correction: Shedd provided Right Bite cards. The fish were bought from Old Town Aquarium.]
  
• Micro-Greens Countertops by Bill Bagby of Tiny Greens at Pedini.
• Breaking Bread, a 16 foot bread loaf.
• Edible Zen Garden, sugar sand and beignet rocks, in Urban Archeology.
• Bee Cheese Mosaic by Nadine Royster, Artist and Wisconsin Milk in Granite Marble Resources.
• Iron Maiden Serving Girl by Red Moon Theater.
• Corpus Delecti, a human figure made of gelatin by Sage Reed in association with Local Infinities Visual Theatre. Rachel Humphrey, Chopping Block chef and author of the Sweet Savory, oversaw this exhibit.
  
• Edible Dress, Verdure Couture by Sage Reed.
• Wild Mushroom Countertop by Tyler Gray of Mikuni Wild Harvest in Smartrooms.
• Chicago Food TV: Steve Dolinsky, Host of Hungry Hound and LeeAnn Trotter, Host of Good Eats in DiGiulio.
• Spice Art Rug and Aromatics by Barbara Koenen, Artist and Patti Erd of the Spice House in Chicago Kitchen.
• Illinois Wines from Fox Valley Winery and Owl Creek Vineyard and Mary Michelle Winery.
• Honey and Mead by Wild Blossom Meadery and Winery.
• Coffee by Intelligentsia.

Food and Tech: Use the Nabaztag, Save the World?

CNET Article: For Chicago Chef, It's Prepare, Print, Serve

Photo: Homaro Cantu/Moto

A friend of mine sent me this recent article on Homaro Cantu and Moto. I've already expressed my rather mixed feelings on the whole molecular gastronomy concept, but I have to admit, the photos that went along with this article made my little graphic designer's heart go pitter-pat.

It's also interesting to me that this is a CNET article. It's starts off with the standard Moto fare: edible paper, liquid nitrogen, lasers, blah, blah, blah. If you're a foodie, I'm sure you've heard it all before. But this is a story targeted at geeks, not foodies, and it goes on to highlight the technologies that Cantu has implemented. His kitchen is paperless; he uses a proprietary software system that he coded himself to track profits and losses, and his staff utilizes a voice-activated, 60-inch screen projection system for their prep lists. He also uses a Nabaztag for his email. I own a Nabaztag (named Fiverito, a gift from the same friend who sent me the article), and I'm not really convinced that it's functional enough for use in professional setting, but I think it's really cool just on principal. I wonder if Cantu uses Twitter...

Cantu also talks a lot about sustainability. He states that he doesn't "create technologies just to create novel technologies. I create because I see a need or gap that needs to be filled at the social or retail level." I don't entirely buy that multi-purpose utensils, edible ads and robotic bunnies that read email are going to save the world, but I suppose that any idea that intends to move our society in a more eco-friendly direction is a positive.

Molecular gastronomy is definitely interesting, but I thought the following was a very telling statement. When asked what he eats at home, Cantu replied, "My wife banned me from the kitchen. She does all the cooking. I do simple things, like a bagel with cream cheese. I do eat normal food. Pizza and a glass of beer—that to me is a perfect meal." And so it is. Cantu names Marie's Pizzaria and Lounge as the best pizza in Chicago. I'll have to check that out.

Cafe Descartes Oatmeal Latte

Earlier today I was working on initial drafts of a logo for a cafe. While doing some online research, I came across the recipe for the Cafe Descartes Oatmeal Latte. There was a Cafe Descartes just up the street from the Lincoln Square Chopping Block, and I would often stop in for an Oatmeal Latte on my way in to assist a morning cooking class. It's served in a tall cup with a spoon, so you basically drink your coffee and then eat the oatmeal and dried fruit. It's a great concept—coffee and breakfast all in one! It tastes great as well, and I love the texture that the oatmeal adds to the coffee.

If you live in the area, I recommend stopping in at a Cafe Decartes near you and trying one for yourself. If not, try out the recipe below. You could substitute strong coffee or add espresso powder to the milk if you don't have an espresso maker, and just scald the milk by heating it until it bubbles around the edges. I felt the collective cringe of coffee geeks everywhere as I wrote that, but really, I think it would work out okay.

If you're a purist, you can learn all about making espresso drinks at home on the CoffeeGeek website. From what I understand (and I would say that my understanding is limited) the easiest and least expensive way to accomplish this is to use a Bialetti Moka Express.

Cafe Descartes Oatmeal Latte

8 oz Oatmeal, uncooked
2 Tbsp. Golden Raisins
2 Tbsp. Chopped Walnuts
2 Tbsp. Slivered Almonds
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 Shot of Freshly-Roasted Cafe Descartes Espresso
1 tsp. Honey
1 Tbsp. Hazelnut or Vanilla Syrup (found at specialty shops and some cafes)
8 oz. Skim Milk
2 Tbsp. Fresh Blueberries

Pour 8 ounces of raw oatmeal into a large cup.

Add the dry ingredients to the cup: 2 tablespoons each of golden raisins, chopped walnuts and slivered almonds; and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.

Pour in a shot of freshly-roasted espresso.

Add 1 tsp. honey and 1 tbsp. of hazelnut or vanilla syrup into the cup.

Froth 8 oz. of skim milk in a stainless steel pitcher, for about 10 seconds.

Add the other ingredients to the milk.

Froth all the ingredients together, about 15 seconds.

Add 2 Tbsp. of fresh blueberries to top it off.

Pour back into the cup and enjoy!

Foodie Tweet of the Day

"Seems like with bananas, you basically have a three-minute window between green and brown. Bananas are always 'becoming.'"—Merlin Man, via Twitter

How to Buy a Good Knife

When I worked at the Chopping Block, people asked us about knives quite a bit. What knives should you buy? What brand? How do you sharpen them? These questions recently came up on a culinary email list that I'm on, and I thought I'd repost my answer here.

The only real essential is a good Chef's knife. You can accomplish almost any task with that one basic. All of the high-end knives are equally good; you want forged knives, and you want to keep to the around-$100 range, give or take a bit. Size, style and weight are totally personal. I've assisted a lot of Knife Skills classes, and I've seen big burly guys that prefer the lightweight Global 8" Vegetable knife (Global knives were probably the most popular knives in the store that I worked in) and petite women that preferred the heft and weight of a 10" Friedr Dick knife. I really like my 10" Wusthof, but I did develop a fondness for the Global knives after working with them for a while. It's best to buy knives from a store that will let you hold and even test out a few different styles. I like to say that you don't choose your knife—your knife chooses you.

You also want to buy a honing steel. I really like the diamond steels—they're more expensive but they sharpen just a bit and I find that really useful. Some kind of sharpener is also good to have. I like having a stone, but you have to know how to use it properly or you can ruin your knife. There are also a variety of sharpening tools, such as the Global MinoSharp, that are okay. If you don't know how to hone and sharpen your knives, take a class or have someone show you. You should hone your knife every time you use it, and again if you notice the knife getting dull. A sharp knife is much easier and safer to use than a dull one. You should sharpen the knife once you notice that honing isn't doing much anymore.

After that, you want a paring knife for small tasks and a serrated knife for bread. Anything else you buy should be based on what you do most. A boning knife is nice if you like to bone out your own meats. If you carve a lot, buy a carving knife. If you make a lot of sushi, look into a sashimi knife.

You get the picture. Most of the chefs I know own a LOT of knives, but they'll also tell you it's more of a collector's impulse than a necessity.

I also highly recommend that you take a knife skills class to learn how to use your knife properly. If you're in the Chicago area, the Chopping Block offers some great knife skills classes. If not, most areas these days have cooking schools that cater to the home chef and offer some kind of knife skills class. You will, however, need to practice after the class or it won't do you any good!

Recommended reading: The Professional Chef's Knife Kit by the Culinary Institute of America.

Would You Like Some Tools With That Wine?

This service was mentioned in the April 2007 issue of Food and Wine, and I thought I'd try it out. Using your mobile device, you send an email or text message containing the vintage, name, and varietal of a wine along with your zip code. In response, the service sends you a message containing the local retailers that carry the wine as well as the various prices. It's an interesting idea, and may eventually be useful, but I would say that it needs a much larger database. It's possible that it could be targeting higher-end wines than the ones I was looking for, or maybe it works better if you're located on the west coast, but the only wine I got any return on was a non-vintage Yellowtail Shiraz, and it only listed one retailer. After repeated attempts with no results, I looked for this wine specifically because it's one that almost every retailer carries, including run-of-the-mill grocery stores. So for now, this isn't much use to me, but I will keep an eye on it. If their database of retailers grows, the service could be handy if you're looking for something specific.

On a more useful note, I highly recommend the article "50 Wines You Can Always Trust" from the same issue. I know a little more about wine than the average person and I'd like to know a lot more, but right now I'm a relatively casual wine drinker and I rarely find these sorts of lists useful. I find that the wines are completely unfamiliar, I don't remember them, and even if I do I rarely run across them at a store. This list, however, has a lot of familiar names on it. I see many of these wines on a regular basis, and many of them are very reasonable in price. If you like wine but don't know much about it, or would just like to know enough to pick out a decent bottle, this article is a keeper!

Creme Anglaise

Since I just posted the recipe for Guiness Ice Cream, I thought it would be a good time to discuss how to make a basic Creme Anglaise, which is the fancy term for French ice cream base. Below is the recipe. It makes a basic vanilla ice cream, but you can take this and add any flavor or combination of flavors (think Ben and Jerry's!) that you wish. The sky's the limit!

8 oz milk
8 oz heavy cream
4 oz egg yolks (6 large yolks)
4-5 oz sugar
1/2 vanilla bean (or 2 tsp. of vanilla extract—I love Nielsen Massey's Vanilla Bean Paste)
pinch of salt

Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the pan and add the vanilla bean halves. If you are using a flavoring that needs to infuse (green tea for example, or whole cinnamon), add it now.

You want to scald the milk, not boil it. This means you want to heat it on medium until the edges begin to bubble. You want to keep an eye on it because it will boil over the edges of the pot if it gets too hot. If the flavoring you are using needs a longer infusing time, cover the pot and let it sit for an hour. Remember to taste! Bring back to a simmer, then remove from heat.

Beat the egg yolks and sugar and just a pinch of salt in a medium-sized bowl. Salt seems an odd addition, and it isn't included in a lot of ice cream recipes. But salt is a flavor enhancer, and adding just a pinch adds depth, not saltiness.

Temper the yolks by slowly drizzling 1 cup of the hot cream into the yolks while constantly whisking the mixture. A liquid measuring cup or ladle is great for this. The tempering process allows you to add a hot liquid to egg yolks without causing them to cook quickly and form bits. If you add the liquid a little at a time, it brings the temperature up slowly and creates a smooth mixture.

Gradually add this mixture in a slow steady stream to the remaining hot cream. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until nappe, or when the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (170F on an instant-read thermometer), about 5 minutes. I find that a wooden spoon is the easiest to test for thickness on. You'll also be able to feel the mixture thickening as you stir, and it will begin to look glossy. Do not boil!

Remove from heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer into a clean container. If you are using a fresh vanilla bean, wash it off and save it in a plastic baggie. They can be used a couple of times over. Or, you can put it into a container of sugar to flavor the sugar with vanilla. It's great in coffee!

If you are adding liquid flavorings (such as a liqueur, or an extract) you can add them now or after the mixture chills. Adding them at this point allows the flavors to mature while the mixture chills, but the flavor is harder to gauge when the mixture is warm. Flavors are muted when food is cold (although you can add some now and add a little more later if you need to). Also, remember that too much alcohol can interfere with the mixture's ability to freeze.

Cover with plastic, pressing the wrap down so that it rests on the surface of the mixture. This keeps a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Remove mixture from the refrigerator. Whisking to blend flavors even if you added them before chilling to eliminate any separation. Pour into the bowl of an ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. If you want to add in fruit or other flavorings (like cookie dough—yum!) do it now. If needed, transfer the mixture to a bowl so that you can distribute the flavoring evenly.

Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm and ready to serve.

Happy St. Patrick's Day: Guinness Ice Cream

I thought I would post this recipe in honor of St. Patrick's Day. This is an Emeril recipe that I got off of the Food Network website a couple of years ago. I made it for a potluck and liked it quite a bit. Because I was afraid of it being too strong I did use less than the called-for amount of Guinness, but it ended up being very mild. I think that using the full amount would be fine, but you should always taste as you add and remember that flavors are milder when food is cold.

This yields about 1 quart, or 8 servings.

Guinness Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate-Honey Sauce

12 ounces Guinness Stout
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise (or 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract)
6 each egg yolks
3/4 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt

Dark Chocolate Honey Sauce
2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup honey
20 ounces bittersweet chocolate -- finely chopped
2 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large saucepan, simmer the Guinness until reduced by 3/4 in volume, about 8 minutes. Reserve.

Combine the cream and milk in a separate medium-sized, heavy saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the pan and add the vanilla bean halves. Scald by heating on medium until the edges begin to bubble. Remove from heat.

Beat the egg yolks and sugar and just a pinch of salt in a medium-sized bowl. Temper the yolks by slowly drizzling 1 cup of the hot cream into the yolks while constantly whisking the mixture. Gradually add this mixture in a slow steady stream to the remaining hot cream. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until nappe, or when the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (170F on an instant-read thermometer), about 5 minutes. Do not boil!

Remove from heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer into a clean container. Cover with plastic, pressing the wrap down so that it rests on the surface of the mixture. This keeps a skin from forming. If you already know how much of the Guinness reduction you want, you could add it at this point, but if you don't, it'll be easier to judge the strength when the base is cold. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Remove mixture from the refrigerator and add the Guinness reduction, tasting as you go and whisking until well blended. If you added the reduction before chilling, whisk the mixture anyway to eliminate any separation. Pour into the bowl of an ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm and ready to serve.

-----

Dark Chocolate Honey Sauce

In a medium saucepan, combine cream and honey and scald by heating on medium until edges bubble. Remove from heat.

Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Add the hot cream slowly while whisking, then continue to whisk until smooth. Whisk in vanilla. Let stand until cool but still pourable. If you make this ahead you can rewarm it if necessary by placing the container in some warm water. You can also use the microwave, just keep an eye on it. Serve over ice cream.

Things to Do in Akron, OH: West Point Market

I originally read about West Point Market in The Experience Economy: Work Is Theater & Every Business a Stage. It is now one of my favorite places to visit whenever I’m in Akron. West Point is like Whole Foods taken up a notch. The food is fancy, the wine is abundant, and the atmosphere is ever-so-pleasant. They also have Mrs. Ticklemore's Tearoom.

Akron seems an odd spot for such a high-end grocery store, but it’s apparently been around since 1936. It moved to the current location in 1941, and has been through 6 expansions and 29 remodels.



During my latest visit, I purchased the following to create the cheese platter above:

• Explorateur Triple Cream: A creamy package of slightly salty yum, Explorateur was created by the French in honor of the first U.S. satellite, Explorer One.
• Cypress Grove Purple Haze Goat Cheese: A goat's milk cheese flavored with lavender buds and fennel pollen. With a name like Purple Haze, how could I resist?
  
• Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog: A creamy American goat's milk cheese named for the thick fog that rolls in from Northern California. It's bisected by a thin vein of vegetable ash that makes for a beautiful display.
  
• Ubianco Pignolo: Druken Italian cheese made from cow's milk, soaked in Pignolo, and aged in crushed grape skins.
  
• Dolci Pensieri di Calabria Fig Ball: Dried figs glazed in molasses and honey and wrapped in fig leaves. Beautiful.
• 34° Apricot Fruit Paste: Fruity goodness that is spectacular with the triple-creams.
  

I also bought this bottle of Cellar Can Blau 2005. It's a mix of Carinena, Syrah and Garnacha, and it's very good (I love the label, too). I picked up a second bottle at Whole Foods earlier this evening.

Best Fridge Ever!

I'm still working on an overview of my Ohio trip, but in the meantime I thought I'd post about this fabulous refrigerator! I saw this at Lehman's Hardware in Kidron, OH. It was an odd find considering that Lehman's specializes in appliances for the local Amish and Mennonite community, and I'm guessing it was a custom showpiece. It carries a hefty price tag of over $5,000, but wouldn't it go well with that toaster...?

Edit: This refigerator is a custom model made by Heartland Appliances, and retails for $4,995.00. Heartland also creates the appliances for the sets of Desperate Housewives.

Happy Birthday to Me!

My 34th birthday was last Friday, March 9th. A friend of mine, Tarik Dozier, who I haven't heard from in a while or seen in years, sent me the following birthday wish:

"Little colorful candles, clearly enough, are the canonical birthday cake topper. So much so, in fact, that any food you put them in automatically becomes a birthday food. Candles in a fruit torte? Birthday torte! Candles in a potato-leek quiche? Birthday quiche! Candles in the partially-decomposed body of a hobo who died of exposure and heart disease? Birthday hobo! And remember, blow out every candle on the hobo or you don't get your wish!" –Lore Sjoberg

I love the quote, and as it was completely unexpected to receive a birthday message from Tarik, it was extra-special.

I spent my birthday with my mom and stepdad in Ohio and just drove home today, so I'm quite tired. A posting frenzy should follow tomorrow...

Irish Soda Bread

My friend Kara, who I used to work with at the Chopping Block, gave me the following recipe. She made it when we were assisting an early Sunday morning cooking class, and we had her make seconds because we liked it so much. I think I might have eaten almost a whole loaf by myself. It's simple, but fresh from the oven with a little butter—absolutely divine. The recipe comes from Darina Allen of Ballymaloe Cookery School, which Kara attended and speaks of quite fondly. I love the baking instructions, especially the bit about letting the fairies out!

White Soda Bread
Makes 1 large loaf

4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups buttermilk

First preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.

Sieve the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center. Pour most of the milk in at once. Using one hand, stir in a full circle to mix in the flour from the sides of the bowl, adding more buttermilk if necessary. The dough should be softish, not too wet and sticky. When it all comes together, turn it out on to a floured board and knead lightly for a second, just enough to tidy it up. Pat the dough into a rough about 2 inches deep and cut a cross on it to let the fairies out! Let the cuts go over the sides of the bread to make sure of this. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes, and then turn down the oven to 400 degrees F for a further 20 to 30 minutes or until cooked. If in doubt, tap the bread bottom. It should sound hollow.

Cool on a wire rack or on the windowsill in the time-honored way.

Fresh crusty bread makes my mouth water, but some people prefer a soft crust. Years ago a clean flour bag would have been wrapped around the hot bread to soften the crust. A tea towel will produce the same result.

Lettuce Keep Your Money Safe?

photo: Bim Bam Banana

By way of the Gadgettes Fashion Episode, it's the Iceberg Lettuce Safe! Why? Who knows. Perhaps it's in honor of lettuce being Finland's 2007 Vegetable of the Year? Maybe it's because the Wedge Salad experienced a brief burst of retro trend comeback a while back (although I'm pretty sure that's over now). Or perhaps they are aspiring to make the crisper the new freezer. At any rate, I suppose it does make sense that if someone were robbing your house, the last place they'd be looking for anything is in your veggie drawer.

The Gadgettes also covered my post on the skull toaster (the fascination hasn't worn off, so I may have to actually order one). Show notes aren't available yet, but I'll post the link when they are.

Dharma Initiative Rations

photos: Insanely Great News, Lost-Media

A Dharma theme for Lost night? The Lost Label Project provides PDF's to make your very own Dharma snacks! The beer labels are especially relevant, considering the latest episode. Hurley would be proud!

Beat Box Baking

I am amused.

Beatbox Fame Game

Geek Cocktails: The Wow Starts Now

On Episode 12 of Windows Weekly, Brian Livingston reported on the pre-Vista launch luncheon at Cipriani's, where he dubbed their signature drink, the Bellini, the official Windows cocktail, or the Vista.ini. I was not at all familiar with the Bellini, but Food Geeks describes it as "an alcoholic beverage made with peach nectar and sparkling wine that is served as an aperitif" and provides a few alternative recipes. Brian described it as a "nice, feminine European drink" that he thoroughly enjoyed. If everyone hadn't been too busy for Lost night, I would have served Vista.inis in honor of geekdom.

The word on Windows Vista? It's nice, but no need to upgrade now. Wait until you buy a new PC.