Dancing Spoon

Wine Tasting 101

Wine About

by Eric Olson
Well, it might stop raining some time soon here in New England, but in the meantime I have the perfect cure for cabin fever in February and March. Let’s do a bit of wine tasting. Drop into your favorite wine shop and try find a bottle of one of these wines: Luna Beberide, Mencia; Novecento Chianti Classico; or Ch. Fabas, Minervois. If you can’t get the exact bottle, ask your knowledgeable wine merchant for something close.

Now, take it home, build a fire in your fireplace, and put the wine in refrigerator for 10 minutes. Open and pour. Don't swirl just yet, you want to try the wine before you aerate it to see how it changes. Smell and sip and think: is it fruity, earthy, mineraly, acidic, aggressive or compliant? Now swirl for a minute or two, smell, and try again. Same fruit? Calmer, less forceful? Acid integrated a touch? What is the dominate interest in the wine, and is it balanced? In other words, do the fruit, acid, alcohol, and flavors balance each other, or does one dominate over the others? For instance, if you taste too much of the acid, then the wine needs more fruit (or rich food) to be balanced.

Take another sip and see if other flavors are showing themselves: coffee, vanilla, cherries, blackberries, leather? Is it opening up more as you oxygenate (swirl) more? Does the wine feel good in your mouth? Is the temperature correct? Around 60 degrees should do.

Temperature is hugely important in wine. Nothing over 68, please. Now warm the wine with your hands and see if it is more appealing or less. Mouth feel is often times overlooked, but a proper weight and structure should give you a pleasant feeling in the mouth; smooth or gritty, soft or hard, a wine should entice you to have more.

Feeling better yet? Look at the fire through the glass and really look at the color. Now, lean back, relax and let your particular bottle take you to the Bierzo region of Spain, the hills of Tuscany, or the warm countryside in France, and smile. If you've had a least half of the bottle and don't feel a lot better please return for a full refund. 

Have fun, this is not a serious project but a way to, every now and again, really think about that wine in your glass and appreciate it more. Where else does man and nature combine so beautifully? Especially on a rainy night.

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Cooking with Photoshop

Beyond Above &

by J. Michael Wheeler
Boot Up the Oven
Okay, I’ll admit it: I’m both a foodie and a bit of a geek. Cooking with Photoshop...I can virtually smell it now! Enjoy.

Adobe Photoshop Cook from Lait Noir on Vimeo.

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Wine Worlds

Wine About

 by Eric Olson
There's an old saying in the boat business that, "if it looks good, it is good."  Nowhere, I believe, is this more obvious that in my beautiful Piscataqua wherry that I've rowed these last 12 years around Salem Sound here in Massachusetts. As pretty a dory as there is and yes, she rows like a dream. Breakfast at the Driftwood in Marblehead, no problem, lunch on one of the Miserys in Salem Sound, sounds good (actually it doesn't sound good, but it is). My Piscataqua: form and function in perfect harmony.

In the wine business it's not so obvious. Marketing firms try to sell us on cute animal names, play on words, and "mommy's night out" nomenclature. Mass marketing for mass produced ordinary wines. I like the marketing done by small farmers gathered around the dinner table with family the members as the board members. Real wines produced as naturally as possible (with little intervention) from skills learned through the generations. What the season gives to grapes, the producer gives to us. Different, thank God, from year to year as determined by the elements.

Now we can say that "if it tastes good, it is good" as you are the only "expert" that matters. Lesson for today is just to vary your wines as you do your other main food groups. Experience next time, lets say the Mencia grape from Bierzo (you will like it), or the Monastrell from Jumilla (ditto), Spain.

To assist in expanding your wine horizons, ask your knowledgeable wine merchant to make up a sample case of 12 red wines from around the world: France, Argentina, Spain, Italy, and California (we do it for our own customers). It is a great way to experiment without too much risk.

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A Chocolate Air Valentine

Beyond Above &

by J. Michael Wheeler
Whiffable Chocolate Powder
A box of chocolates is so last century. This Valentine’s Day you can get her breathable chocolate from Le Whif! Really! Le Whif is a flavor delivery device invented by Harvard University biomedical engineering professor David Edwards at his ArtScience Labs (which has a base at, oddly enough, the cultural center Le Laboratoire, in Paris, France).

And just what is Le Whif?

Le Whif is a new delicious approach to eating by breathing. With Le Whif, we inhale food, like chocolate, into our mouths and taste it, without chewing, an experience of flavor without the calories. Le Whif is a fun new way to experience chocolate without the calories and coffee without the cup. – Le Whif Brochure

Chocolate without chewing? Coffee without, well, coffee? I just hope Professor Edwards and ArtScience Labs haven’t started work on Le Kiss.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

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New Restaurant Trend: Loud

Trends Restaurant

by J. Michael Wheeler
What?
When we opened FINZ oh-so-hip Seafood Restaurant on the waterfront in Salem, Massachusetts in 2001, we surrounded the wide open bar and dining room in windows, we laid hardwood floors, our bar top was copper, our tables were without linens, and half of the restaurant was open to the second floor. We were defiantly the hippest place in town.

And the loudest. All of those hard surfaces, the windows, the hardwood floors, the tables, and the copper bar, were an exercise in sound reproduction. Six couples in the place sounded like roaring stadium crowd. We quickly added sound-absorbing tiles to the ceiling.

But it appears that, once again, we were ahead of our time. The Wall Street Journal reports that loud is the newest trend: “Pass the Salt ...and a Megaphone, New Design Styles, High Ceilings and Hardwood Floors Are Making Restaurants Noisier; How to Find a Quiet Table,” 2/3/10.

Many of the most cutting-edge, design conscious restaurants are introducing a new level of noise to today's already voluble restaurant scene. The new noisemakers: Restaurants housed in cavernous spaces with wood floors, linen-free tables, high ceilings and lots of windows—all of which cause sound to ricochet around what are essentially hard-surfaced echo chambers.

Upscale restaurants have done away with carpeting, heavy curtains, tablecloths, and plush banquettes gradually over the decade, and then at a faster pace during the recession, saying such touches telegraph a fine-dining message out of sync with today's cost-conscious, informal diner. Those features, though, were also sound absorbing.

Even as restaurants are ditching style elements that squelch sound, they are bringing in more sources of noise: Open kitchens, lively bar scenes and disc jockeys and iPods programmed with the latest rock music. Loud music can make diners talk louder—which ups the volume even more.

We found that at FINZ, our customers really did want to hear each other. Some early reviews loved the food, the bar, and the vibe, but were really put off by the decibel level. We listened and fixed the problem. The Wall Street Journal article lists six tips for “Dinner Without Yelling,” but really, I don’t think that we, as customers, should be required to have a defensive strategy for an enjoyable dining experience. To this trend I say, “Shut up!”

Read the WSJ article Pass the Salt ...and a Megaphone

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Kitchen Sink Cadillac

Beyond Way Above and

by J. Michael Wheeler
Kitchen Sink Cadillac

Must see slide show from the New York Times:

Built by General Motors for its 1956 Motorama show, a touring exhibition of extravagant dream cars and the latest automotive technology, this Cadillac was loaded with conveniences to serve that era's on-the-go potentate with a hearty appetite. The space once devoted to the front passenger seat is replaced by a raft of culinary gadgets, including a toaster, refrigerator, hot plate, cutlery holder and, yes, a kitchen sink.

See the Kitchen Sink Cadillac

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Super Bowl Tandoori Skewers

Irishman The Healthy

by Chef Gavan Murphy

Tandoori Chicken Skewers with Mint Raita
How ‘bout some spice to go with your beer? (Raita? How do you say that? Click to hear.)
Serves 6, so adjust accordingly

Ingredients

Chicken Skewers
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts – cut into ¼ ‘ strips lengthwise
2 tbsp tandoori paste (usually found in the Ethnic section of your local grocery)
1 cup non-fat yogurt
1 lime - zested

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

4 ½” long wooden skewers

Mint Raita    
1 cup non-fat yogurt
     
1 tbsp fresh mint – chopped
     
¼ tsp. salt
     
¼ tsp black pepper

Directions

1. Begin by soaking the skewers in cold water for up to 24 hours. This will help prevent them from burning when cooking the chicken.
2. Mix the tandoori paste, yogurt, lime zest and S&P in a bowl.
3. Add chicken strips to tandoori mix and marinate for up to 4 hours.
4. For Raita, mix yogurt, chopped mint, S&P and refrigerate.
5. Preheat grill pan on medium heat for 3 minutes.
6. Skewer each piece of chicken and lay on oven tray.
7. Spray grill pan with enough olive oil to coat and sear each tender for 2-3 minutes each side. You can do this in batches if needed.

Serve warm or room temp with Raita and squeeze fresh lime. Yet another kid friendly idea! See, Super Bowl food doesn’t have to be bad for you, does it?

Slainte!

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Fueling your body with healthy food. Fueling your mind with the wealth of health.

thehealthyirishman.com

Copyright © 2008 The Healthy Irishman. All rights reserved.

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Super Bowl Fish Stew

Gloria Cooking With

by Gloria Bakst

Gary's Super Bowl Fish Stew
This delicious fish stew is easy to prepare. It's named for my friend Gary, my local fishmonger. He's always ready with a suggestion and sells only the freshest fish available. This is a great fish stew to try if you've never made one: it's easy, full of flavor, and cooks quickly. It tastes wonderful on a cold winter afternoon. I've been making this stew for the Super Bowl for the last few years, and it disappears fast! Use a good quality wine for the best flavor.

Super Bowl Fish Stew
Ingredients

1 red pepper
1 can artichoke hearts (14 ounces)
¼ lb. pearl onions
2-3 cups Chardonnay wine
1 large can whole peeled tomato 28 ounces
2 tablespoons cilantro
¼ teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon capers
4 cloves garlic, minced
Salt, pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil (divided)
1 1/2 pound white fish (cod, mahi mahi, sole, halibut) can be a combination of different fish
½ pound scallops (sliced in half)

Directions

1. Roast red peppers, slice and place in broiler, skin side up until blackens, place in a
brown paper bag for 20 minutes. Peel skins off and dice the peppers.

2. Using a large wok shaped pan, sauté garlic in 2 teaspoons olive oil with pearl onions until slightly brown.

3. Add tomatoes, artichoke hearts, red peppers, wine, salt, pepper and cilantro and simmer for 20 minutes with cover on.

4. Sauté white fish in a non-stick frying pan sprayed with 1 teaspoon olive oil.  Place in casserole dish.

5. Add oregano and capers to the stew mixture, taste for seasoning adjustments.

6. Put the stew mixture in the casserole dish with the fish.

7. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, uncovered.

Recipe Yields: 103 grams carbohydrate, 112 grams protein, 14 grams fat

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Gloria's recipes and approach to a balanced lifestyle have been published by McGraw Hill in her book, ZonePerfect Cooking Made Easy. Her recipes have appeared in the Weight Watchers' Grilling Cookbook, Weight Watchers Meals in Minutes Cookbooks, The Jewish Vegetarian Year Cookbook, and The Healing the Heart Cookbook.

Gloria’s menus are always healthy and nutritious with an emphasis on flavor, freshness, and sophisticated tastes.

Have questions or comments? 

. To learn more about Gloria and her nutritional coaching go to her web site at Balanced Nutritional Lifestyles and at Gloria's Personal Chef.

If you like Gloria's recipes, you can buy her book, ZonePerfect Cooking Made Easy by Gloria Bakst at our Kitchen Store Click here .