Wine and Food World

Another use for #sousvide cooking: Making fresh cheese

douglevy — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 12:20:47 -0400

Another use for #sousvide cooking: Making fresh cheese :

Here’s a use for a sous vide system that I never would have thought of. Check out how Violet Willis of Kilby Ridge Farm in Maine made cheeses in her Sous Vide Supreme. This is now on my list of things to try.

Who’s got a recipe to share?

Spinach Is a Dish Best Served Cooked - NYTimes.com

douglevy — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 22:31:00 -0400

Spinach Is a Dish Best Served Cooked - NYTimes.com:

Finally got around to reading the New York Times Magazine today, and it was great fun to read one of Mark Bittman’s recipes and realize that I had all the ingredients right at hand. Thus, dinner tonight was a simple wilted spinach with a fresh egg. Simple, delicious, and nutritious.

Wine Sample Request Etiquette—for Bloggers and Others by @megmaker

douglevy — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 12:16:22 -0400

Wine Sample Request Etiquette—for Bloggers and Others by @megmaker:

A good post by Meg Houston Maker (@megmaker) on wine blogger etiquette. Worth reading for anyone who wants to have some insight into the challenges for wineries trying to cultivate the diverse wine blog universe - and ways they judge a wine blogger.

Great tip to prevent BBQ skewers from burning

douglevy — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 10:51:36 -0400

Every once in a while I see a chef do something that seems just plain brilliant, as in, why didn’t I think of that myself? TV chef Roger Mooking used this easy technique to prevent shish-kebob or satay skewers from burning on one of his show’s. Simply line the edges of your grill with aluminum foil so that the exposed ends of the skewers are shielded from the flames. Bingo! No more charred skewers. How easy is that?

You can try it out on Chef Mooking’s Grilled Passion Fruit Pork Satay recipe.

Inakaya - New York, NY: Good, reasonably authentic Japanese food, but I will not return

douglevy — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 12:20:06 -0400

Inakaya - New York, NY: Good, reasonably authentic Japanese food, but I will not return:

I rarely post reviews to Yelp but was motivated to add my comments there today after a lunch experience at Inakaya, a bustling Japanese robata style restaurant in the New York Times Building at Eighth Avenue and 40th Street in Manhattan.

The restaurant has gained considerable notoriety and mostly favorable comments, but I was not impressed. Yes, the food was pretty good. But I was offended by how the staff “accommodated” my shellfish allergy.

Here’s the link to my Yelp review: http://bit.ly/HrWNy4.

Visiting Reims 101 - 10 Things to Know

douglevy — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 11:39:53 -0400

The following is a guest post by my good friend John Hennessy:

I just returned from a trip including a day jaunt to Reims for Champagne tasting. Here’s some information that may be helplful if you are planning a similar, quick trip:

Do it. It’s a nice bucket list thing and there are some pretty cool parts of the tours.
It’s not cheap, so be thoughtful about how many wine houses you want to schedule.
The tour guide speeches are almost identical. Unlike wine country in the US, where the winery staff are at least wannabe wine geeks, the staff in Reims we are all professional tour guides…great on the script…not so much depth if you have a question.
Write ahead for appointments. Not a lot of walk-ins, and you will have a sense of mission.
You can cross town in about 40 minutes walking…and that will come into play.
Despite available dog potty spots, neither dogs nor humans seem to use them…watch your step.
I enjoyed Pommery the most but was torn because their brand “POP” is clearly appealing to underage drinkers
Save time to visit the cathedral…stunning, with Marc Chagall stained glass windows.
There are three good microbrew pubs, including one right by the train station if you need to cleanse your palate on the way out of town. Les 3 Brasseurs (see les3brasseurs.com) at 77 Place Drouet d’Erlon and Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin at 12 Rue du Temple. Yes, that’s the same Veuve Clicquot that makes great bubbly.
Share your experiences with friends and others!

Photo from http://www.accommodationnear.com.

Nectar Wine Bar in Harlem closes - NY Daily News

douglevy — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:41:03 -0400

Nectar Wine Bar in Harlem closes - NY Daily News:

Times are hard for Harlem small business owners - old and new. Owner Jai Jai Greenfield’s roots are in Harlem, which is why she opened the wine bar four years ago.

ABC News reports 70% of Supermarket Ground Beef Contains ‘Pink Slime’

douglevy — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 21:52:18 -0400

ABC News reports 70% of Supermarket Ground Beef Contains ‘Pink Slime’:

This ABC News report is just one more in a long list of disclosures that makes me steadfast in my refusal to buy wholesale processed meats. What worries me is how much of this scrap stuff finds its way into restaurant foods.

Perhaps the former USDA scientist in this piece has it right: grind your own meat at home so you control what winds up on your table and in your stomach.

Ten Best Gluten-Free Date Restaurants in Manhattan - DNAinfo.com

douglevy — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 12:31:54 -0500

Ten Best Gluten-Free Date Restaurants in Manhattan - DNAinfo.com

Easy sous vide ginger-sage pork chop using @sousvidesupreme

douglevy — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 11:49:16 -0500

One of the first meals that I made using my new Sous Vide Supreme Demi convinced me that my decision to buy this appliance was a good one. The pork chop could not have been easier to make, and I honestly think it turned out as one of the tastiest pork chops ever.

After posting on Twitter, several people asked if I would share the recipe. I am happy to do so, but I am almost embarassed at how few steps are involved. Literally, I created this by looking around my kitchen to see what ingredients were on-hand.

Ingredients (per serving):

1 1/2-inch thick pork chop, trimmed
1 tbsp fresh ginger, sliced, diced or minced
1 clove fresh garlic, sliced, diced or minced
1 sprig fresh sage

Prepare sous vide water bath to 140 degrees F. Remove pork chop from refrigerator about 15 minutes before water bath is ready.

Prepare ginger and garlic.

Insert pork chop into vacuum bag. Add ginger and garlic. Rub sage gently between fingers, then add to bag. Toss bag with ingredients so that the seasonings are distributed, but this is not critical.

Seal bag. (I use a FoodSaver and manually stop the vacuum just before the juices get sucked into the neck of the bag. Or, just use the “moist” setting if your vacuum sealer has one.)

Drop sealed vacuum bag into water bath. Cook for at least 45 minutes, or follow your own preferred sous vide cooking reference. I cooked mine for 2 1/2 hours, and the result was a tender, juicy pork chop, perfectly pink, and completely infused with the ginger and sage flavor.

Let me know what you think.

Trying Sous Vide at Home - Good article from 2008 on WSJ.com #sousvide

douglevy — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:07:17 -0500

Trying Sous Vide at Home - Good article from 2008 on WSJ.com #sousvide:

I have been fascinated by sous vide ever since having my first egg made this way at one of Thomas Keller’s restaurants. Now that I am playing with the technique in my own kitchen, I’m learning every day. Here is an article from the Wall Street Journal that explains a lot.

Wine:30 41 E 30th St, NYC

douglevy — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:47:33 -0500

This is just a quick report based on one quick visit. This is a lively, almost cozy wine bar in the Murray Hill vicinity of midtown Manhattan.

The good: about 30 wines by the glass and 20 beers from around the world. Varied menu of both small plates and entrees, featuring what I would call global cuisine.

The not-so-good: wine that sells for $14 a glass at a wine bar deserves a higher quality wine glass than Wine:30 uses.

For my late dinner, I had the plate of four very small grassfed beef sliders. Here, they really were sliders: the rounded balls of meat slide right out of the cute little brioche buns because they rest on a slippery pickle slice. The chef might consider rearranging the layering of Gruyere cheese, onions, ketchup, mustard and the pickle slice to prevent escapes.

The wine I enjoyed very much. It was a glass of 2009 Termes, a full bodied Spanish wine that was spicier than a Zinfandel but smooth almost like a Cabernet. Nice way to end the evening.

I will return.

Good NYTimes #wine review: Ready or Not, 2008 Médocs

douglevy — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:20:05 -0500

Good NYTimes #wine review: Ready or Not, 2008 Médocs:

The wine tasting panel took a closer look at Bordeaux, focusing on the wines of Médoc, the standard-bearer for elegant, age-worthy cabernet-based wines.

Burgers can't get more decadent - or delicious - than this one

douglevy — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 10:04:05 -0500

Perhaps I am teasing myself because these juicy burgers are definitely not on my eating plan post-New Year’s, but just looking at the pictures of Chef David Boulud’s Original DB Bistro Burger makes me salivate.

One of the first ultra-burgers publicized in the United States, Boulud’s burger is juicy sirloin with a center of braised short rib, foie gras and black truffle. Need I say more?

While it’s no bargain bite at $32, I don’t think you will find a more memorable burger easily. It comes with either traditional French fries or “pommes soufflees,” which are crispy, house-made potato chips.

Of the many times I have dined at DB Bistro Moderne, I keep going back for the burger. The other items certainly show the kitchen’s craft, especially delicate preparations of fresh fish. But the burger… is what dreams are made from.

Tonight’s dinner: Seared ahi tuna on a bed of baby kale...

douglevy — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 20:32:30 -0500

Tonight’s dinner: Seared ahi tuna on a bed of baby kale with avocado, tomato, and ginger-soy vinaigrette. Total prep time: less than 15 minutes.

Texas sprouts recall gets even bigger

douglevy — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:03:56 -0500

Texas sprouts recall gets even bigger:

About a week ago, sprouts distributor Green Valley Food Corp., announced a recall of nearly 7,000 cases of sprouts distributed in Texas because of possible Salmonella contamination. (See my prior blog post.) Now, the recall has grown to 36,000 cases. That’s a lot of sprouts.

More details at the FDA website.

Please give to help feed the hungry.

douglevy — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:03:55 -0500

Please give to help feed the hungry.:

Many of us are thinking about making a last-minute charitable donation for tax purposes. Please consider contributing to Feeding America so that others may share the bounty that so many of us take for granted.

Here is a link to my Virtual Food Drive: http://help.feedingamerica.org/goto/douglevy.

Red wine enhances sex for women? Could be, study says.

douglevy — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 18:14:19 -0500

The “news cycle” in these days of the Internet and social media sometimes goes in circles, as it did today when someone, somewhere posted a link to a 2009 New York Daily News article that quoted a 2009 U.K. Daily Mail article that quoted a 2009 medical study about red wine and its affect on sex.

I must admit that the report is rather intriguing, even if it is more than a year old.

Here’s what the study was about and what the researchers found:

Although there had been prior favorable evidence connecting moderate red wine to men’s sexual health, nobody had studied whether there was a similar correlation among women. So, Nicola Mondaini and colleagues at the University of Florence asked 798 women in the Chianti region to participate in their study. After dividing the women into groups based on their usual red wine intake, the researchers asked them to complete a standardized sexual health questionnaire.

The results showed that women who drank one or two glasses of red wine daily scored much higher on measures of desire and lubrication - and overall sexual health - than women who either abstained from alcohol or drank more than two glasses of red wine daily or consumed white wine or other alcohol.

Dr. Mondaini says the “intriguing” results have their limitations because of the study’s methodology, but they certainly suggest a connection “between red wine consumption and better sexuality.”

Yet another reason I prefer red wine.

Look carefully: wheat additives pop up in unexpected foods

douglevy — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 12:20:05 -0500

I haven’t got a clue why it’s there, but right on the ingredients panel for this Swiss-made cherry preserves is wheat syrup. That’s a problem if you have a gluten intolerance. Worth noting is that this single-serve package accompanied my serving of gluten-free toast on a recent cruise. This is a perfect example of what happens when chefs, cooks and servers are not sufficiently aware of potential allergens to catch them before they reach a guest who has alerted them to a sensitivity. If I had Celiac disease and these preserves were either served without the label or I had not read the label, the health consequences could have been quite significant. Fortunately, I read labels, and I am sensitive to wheat but not allergic. Not everyone is so lucky.

Another sprouts recall. Remember when we thought these were health foods?

douglevy — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 15:03:07 -0500

Look carefully if you see “Let’s Grow Healthy Together” alfalfa sprouts in your local store. Green Valley Food Corp. of Dallas is recalling 6,723 cases of the sprouts because Salmonella was found in a test sample. These were distributed in Texas. Details are available from the company via the FDA’s website.

Unfortunately, there have been way too many sprouts recalls in the past several years, and illnesses reported. A different manufacturer recalled possibly contaminated sprouts from stores along the East Coast in April. Be careful!