Dancing Spoon

Wine Futures in Trouble?

Wine About

by J. Michael Wheeler
“Prices need to return to the level where people who like to drink good wines can afford them,” Francis Cruse, director of the Union des Maisons de Bordeaux, the négociants’ union is quoted in The New York Times (Wine Market Struggles to Adjust in New Era, 3.31.09).

Buying wine after it is made, but before it is bottled is called buy wine futures (En Primeur). Cask samples are tasted by wine critics, journalists, and wine brokers and merchants. The brokers and merchants sell the wine to their customers.

The wine futures is a wine investment, and like any investment can make, or lose money for the investor. Wine futures are available for the wines of Bordeaux, Burgundy, California, the Rhone Valley, some parts of Italy, and even vintage port. And, where the wines are very low production, such as some properties of Burgundy, buying on futures is the only way to get the wine.

Provençal Goat & Bean Soup

Ordinary Out of the

OOO by Kate Krukowski Gooding
Provençal Goat and White Bean Soup
I really enjoy the herbs of Provence. In the heart of winter a flavorful soup simmering in the kitchen with lots of herbs creates a comforting smell that says to me that there is no place like home.

Did you know that there are two types of savory; summer and winter? The winter is a heartier herb and pairs well with beans whereas the summer savory is more delicate and used in fresh salads.

Winter savory leaves are bright green, narrow, and tough. It has a clean, piney fragrance with a peppery bite. This herb is best used for dishes requiring long cooking times, like this soup. The long simmer releases the flavorful oils in the winter savory and also softens the leaves so that they are palatable.

Summer savory, although more delicate than winter savory, has a strong, hot and slightly bitter flavor reminiscent of thyme.

IACP Green Conference

Green Be

by J. Michael Wheeler
Pioneering a Sustainable World
The IACP is trying to help food professionals find better, more earth-friendly ways to feed our hungry planet. That's the topic for the 31st Annual IACP International Conference to be held in Denver, CO, April 1-4, 2009.

"Pioneering a Sustainable World" is the conference theme, and Denver is the ideal spot -- a place where culinary cultures are defined by a pioneer spirit birthed from rugged landscapes, determination, natural beauty, and a commitment to sustainability and food artisanship. Here, the natural and organic food industry has staked its claim, and given rise to new solutions and sustainability advocates.  "Green" has become the mantra for a city determined to preserve and protect the mountains' majesty as well as the global landscape.

The IACP is a not-for-profit professional association with a worldwide membership of more than 3,000 encompasses 45 countries and is literally a "Who's Who" of the world of food. It provides continuing education and development for its members who are engaged in the areas of culinary education, communication, or in the preparation of food and drink.

Related Links
International Association of Culinary Professionals IACP
IACP Pioneering a Sustainable World Conference 

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"Don't eat anything that your great-great grandmother would not recognize as food."

In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto
"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." These simple words go to the heart of Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food, the well-considered answers he provides to the questions posed in the bestselling The Omnivore's Dilemma. Humans used to know how to eat well, Pollan argues. But the balanced dietary lessons that were once passed down through generations have been confused, complicated, and distorted by food industry marketers, nutritional scientists, and journalists-all of whom have much to gain from our dietary confusion. As a result, we face today a complex culinary landscape dense with bad advice and foods that are not "real."

Hand selected books are at Foodie's Emporium! Click here.

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Roast Chicken & Barley Soup

Irishman The Healthy

by Chef Gavan Murphy
Roast Chicken & Barley Soup
Looking to find new ways to incorporate whole grains into your diet? Although technically barley is not considered a whole grain, the high fiber content enables it to be counted toward your whole grain servings. It comes in two forms, either ‘pearled’ or ‘quick cooking,’ the latter of which is perfect for soups especially for those of you still wearing your winter woolies.

Don't Knead Bread?

Trends Food

by J. Michael Wheeler
No Need to Knead: A Simple Way to Bake Bread
All Things Considered, March 22, 2009
National Public Radio's Jacki Lyden talks with Nancy Baggett, author of the new cookbook Kneadlessly Simple: Fabulous, Fuss-Free, No-Knead Breads. Now, with Nancy Baggett's revolutionary new Kneadlessly Simple method, even complete novices can bake bread quickly and easily in their own homes, with no kneading and no kitchen mess. The secret is in Baggett's slow-rise method, which allows the yeast to grow slowly and develop the same full, satisfying flavor of traditional bread, without any kneading at all.

"Kneadless bread, in fact — we think of it as very novel and revolutionary now — kneadless bread is actually the way it was made before people figured out that you could knead bread," Baggett says.

Baggett lives and bakes in the Washington, D.C., area. NPR's Jacki Lyden paid a visit to her kitchen a few weeks ago to learn the secrets of no-knead baking.

Listen to No Need to Knead: A Simple Way to Bake Bread: Click Here. There's even a recipe for Baggett's Crusty White Peasant-Style Pot Bread

Related Links
Bread Simplified What really, is bread?
The Artisan An Artisan Baker Talks of his Craft
Re-Thinking Wheat Food Trends
Weigh In Weigh, Don't Measure

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"Nancy Baggett's technique is simple and virtually fool-proof."

Kneadlessly Simple: Fabulous, Fuss-Free, No-Knead Breads
For years, countless home cooks have shied away from baking their own bread because they were intimidated by all the mess, the experience, and of course, all the kneading required. Now, with Nancy Baggett's revolutionary new Kneadlessly Simple method, even complete novices can bake bread quickly and easily in their own homes, with no kneading and no kitchen mess. The secret is in Baggett's slow-rise method, which allows the yeast to grow slowly and develop the same full, satisfying flavor of traditional bread, without any kneading at all. The technique calls for minimal ingredients, often mixed in one bowl with one spoon, eliminating all the mess of traditional bread recipes, and it can be used to produce a wide variety of breads, from Whole Wheat Boules and English Muffin Loaves to Raisin Bread and Caraway Beer Bread. With this innovative new method, anyone who can read, measure, and stir can now make delicious, fine-textured yeast bread at home.

Hand selected books are at Foodie's Emporium! Click here.

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Farming the White House

Trends Food

by J. Michael Wheeler
Before the 2008 Presidential election, Michael Pollan wrote an open letter to the (then unknown) President-Elect in the New York Times (Farmer in Chief 10.9.08). That letter opens:

It may surprise you to learn that among the issues that will occupy much of your time in the coming years is one you barely mentioned during the campaign: food. Food policy is not something American presidents have had to give much thought to, at least since the Nixon administration — the last time high food prices presented a serious political peril.

The letter closes with a get your hands dirty kind of idea:

Since enhancing the prestige of farming as an occupation is critical to developing the sun-based regional agriculture we need, the White House should appoint, in addition to a White House chef, a White House farmer. This new post would be charged with implementing what could turn out to be your most symbolically resonant step in building a new American food culture. And that is this: tear out five prime south-facing acres of the White House lawn and plant in their place an organic fruit and vegetable garden.

The Obamas didn't "tear out five prime south-facing acres of the White House lawn" but they will be planting an organic vegetable garden on an 1,100-square-foot-plot. The raised beds will be fertilized with White House compost, crab meal from the Chesapeake Bay, lime and green sand. Ladybugs and praying mantises will help control harmful bugs. 

The Obama garden will grow 55 varieties of vegetable that from a White House kitchen staff list. The New York Times has a map of the garden: Local Food, From the South Lawn.

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"Don't eat anything that your great-great grandmother would not recognize as food."

In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto
"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." These simple words go to the heart of Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food, the well-considered answers he provides to the questions posed in the bestselling The Omnivore's Dilemma. Humans used to know how to eat well, Pollan argues. But the balanced dietary lessons that were once passed down through generations have been confused, complicated, and distorted by food industry marketers, nutritional scientists, and journalists-all of whom have much to gain from our dietary confusion. As a result, we face today a complex culinary landscape dense with bad advice and foods that are not "real." These "edible foodlike substances" are often packaged with labels bearing health claims that are typically false or misleading. Indeed, real food is fast disappearing from the marketplace, to be replaced by "nutrients," and plain old eating by an obsession with nutrition that is, paradoxically, ruining our health, not to mention our meals. 

Hand selected books are at Foodie's Emporium! Click here.

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Beaver with Tamarind Sauce

Ordinary Out of the

OOO by Kate Krukowski Gooding
Beaver with Tamarind Barbecue Sauce
There are so many of us trying to grow, forage, hunt, buy, and eat more local foods. And with all the health scares on industrialized meat and poultry, living off the land is my choice for sustainable mental and physical health.

With beaver trapping season in full swing I am craving comfort food that is healthy and hearty. Trapping in Jackman, Maine shed a whole new light on providing for your family. I’ve known Dwayne for 36 years and he is a true Mainer who has lived off the land all his life. After one trip of checking traps, as a surprise, Dwayne had asked his mother to cook a beaver dish for me. Arlene made a simple beaver in barbecue sauce served over noodles. I went wild! I slurped off some sauce so I could really taste the lean, sweet, red meat. It was delicious and has been one of my favorite dishes since that winter of 1976. It was the featured dish at my annual Winter Solstice Party in 1999. Phil, a vegetarian, even tried it! “Quite a change from my relish sandwiches!” he exclaimed.

Crab & Prawn Salad

Irishman The Healthy

by Chef Gavan Murphy
Crab & Prawn Salad with Mary Rose Sauce
Though my intention was to get this off in time for St Paddy’s Day, I figured it would also be a good cleansing meal for the big after-drink session. Maybe not the day after, but say after the head is fixed, when you’re back to grind, back to reality.  Perhaps you’ll pair this recipe with some brown soda bread—now we’re talking! 

You’ll notice we call shrimp “prawns,” no matter what the size. Stateside we’re able to get beautiful colossal shrimp, which are considered prawns, but in Ireland prawns usually refer to bay shrimp, as they don’t get too much larger than that locally depending on where you live. Seeing as I grew up in Kerry, this was the case so I recreated this dish just as I’ve had it many times before back home. The only difference is that I made my own mayo, cutting out fat, cholesterol and calories — do you think The Healthy Irishman would do otherwise?

Great American Meat

Trends Food

by J. Michael Wheeler
Great American Meat
One of those important things about our rediscovery of eating is food. While that might sound like a duh! kind of statement, think about how great that roasted chicken tasted in France, or that very simple pasta tasted in Italy. You returned home with the recipe, prepared it with care, and sat down in front of that dish with anticipation glory, only to be disappointed. What did you do wrong?
Probably nothing. You have the recipe, you have the skills, and you had the chicken. But you didn’t have that fresh French chicken. Or the olive oil from that small farmer. Or the butter from those Norman cows. Here in the States it’s been hard to find the same quality ingredients.

We’re rediscovering the importance of quality in food: the best ingredients make the best meals. And now we are entering, as Esquire’s Food Editor Francine Maroukian calls it (4.09), “The Golden Age of American Meat.”

Randall Lineback Cattle A breed of cattle, listed as “critically rare,” is being revived at Chapel Hill Farm in Berryville, Virginia, by Joe Henderson. His cattle are direct descendants from the breed originating in New England. His cattle range free and the herd is multiplying. A small supply of his veal (named rose veal for the color of the meat produced from the open-pasture diet) is offered as entire calfs to “nose-to-tail” chefs. Randall Lineback meat will be introduced to Manhattan in 2010. More info at Randall Linebacks.

Lava Lake Lamb Forage-finished, dry-aged lamb. The sheep are grazed on wild grasses, herbs, and pasture, producing an entirely range-fed meat with terrior. Lava Lake Lamb & Livestock is one of the largest conservation projects in the West.  More info at Lave Lake Lamb.

Artisan Salumi La Quirkier of Iowa are the makers of the first organic prosciutto in America. Esquire calls it “some of the finest cured meat in our charcuterie-crazed country.” Their pigs are free range fed on vegetarian, grain-based diets. La Quercia’s lardo, called Iowa White, is cured back fat seasoned with clove, coriander, nutmeg pepper and bay. More info at La Quercia.

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James Beard Foundation
 Cookbook of the Year 2008

The River Cottage Meat Book
"This book aims to help you find good meat, understand it better, cook it with greater confidence, and eat it with much pleasure." "It first of all covers the basics -- everything you'll need to know about choosing the very best raw materials, understanding the different cuts and the cooking techniques associated with each of them. I've then given what I hope are foolproof recipes for 150 meat classics from both British and foreign food cultures -- shepherds pie, steak and kidney pie, roast pork with perfect crackling, glazed baked ham, Irish stew, roast grouse with all the trimmings, toad in the hole, oxtail stew; plus definitive, authentic versions of pot au feu, cassoulet, choucroute, steak tartare, coq au vin, bolito misto, pasticcio, jerked pork, feijoida, cozido, curried goat, satay and chilli con carne." "I would like this book to be your first stop on the shelf whether you seek either inspire

Hand selected books are at Foodie's Emporium! Click here.

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iPhone Latte

Trends Coffee

The iPhone, it will do almost anything. And now it will make a latte for you, almost. The barista, currently a featured iPhone app, "can guide you through each step in the process of creating a caffè latte, cappuccino, americano, mocha, and other delightful expresso beverages. It also offers tips — on selecting and storing coffee beans and creating “latte art” — and a handy glossary."

There is a demo at the barista app website. Just add an espresso machine, and you're there.

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Hand selected espresso makers are at Foodie's Emporium! Click here.

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