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Monday, August 31, 2015

* THE REISSUES, THE REPRINTS, AND THE NEWER EDITIONS...

 
...all reflect a boom in the cookbook publishing business. A paperback reprint will lower the cost to the purchaser, and also give a publisher a chance to correct egregious errors or add a postscript. Some will reissue a book in paper covers with a new layout or photos. Others will rearrange existing material to present it as more informative text while keeping the focus tight. Some magazines will reissue popular or classic recipes in an "easy" format. Here are some recent "re-editions"...
 
 
 
29.THE CRAFT BEER REVOLUTION; how a band of microbrewers is transforming the world's favorite drink (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014, 2015; distr. Raincoast, 252 pages, ISBN 978-1-137-28012-1, $16 US paper covers) is by Steve Hindy, co-founder of the Brooklyn Brewery, It comes loaded with more than a dozen different log rollers, most of whom are associated with the US microbrewing industry. And four glosses of reviews. It is a basic history of the past 50 years' explosion of artisanal crafted beer. The pioneers started the demand for strong flavours, all-malt, and higher alcohol than the frankly acknowledged horse piss of the major players. It is also about independence and the frontier, reflected in the labels that are just short of cuss words and incitement to riots. There are more than 3000 craft brewers in the US, with more being added all the time; they have about 10% of the total market. There is comparable growth in Canada, but the regulatory bodies have nipped the flashy labeling. For example, in the UK, 140 labels have been pulled since 1989. Rebel brands are a big deal in the US, especially south of the Mason-Dixon line where some labels really are rebel, as in Civil War. Still, there are fractious factions in the craft brewing industry, and he pulls no punches. Hindy also discusses the acquisition period where big money meets craft brewing (1994 – 2000). There are notes on the associations (Brewers' Association of America and the Association of Brewers). But nothing on NAFTA or free trade. There are black and white photos scattered throughout this good business history book. But as Hindy says,
"The future of craft brewing largely depends on how that [Brewer's Association] power is wielded." Quality/Price Rating: 89.
 
 
 
30.WORLD CHEESE BOOK (DK, 2009, 2015, 352 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-3605-4, $25 US soft covers) has been edited by Juliet Harbutt (cheese expert since opening Jeroboams Wine and Cheese Shop in 1984, now an industry consultant-judge) with an international list of 21 contributors, generally one per country or region. It is a basic reprint of the 2009 edition but in paper covers. Gurth Pretty (www.cheeseofcanada.ca) covers Canada. He gives 24 cheeses, three per page, on p310 through p317. He tries for regional representation, but still, most cheese are from Quebec – and rightly so. And there's even a generic "cheddar curds" from all over the country. My Canadian fave is the black waxed cylinder of Dragon's Breath Blue from Nova Scotia, which changes over time and intensifies its "blueness". The book has 750 cheeses, photographed as you would buy them AND in close-ups so you can see the cleanly sliced version and check for colour, holes and texture of the paste. Most should be available at the larger urban cheese store. Some can come via post from producers or cheese shops. There is a basic primer on cheeses, well-illustrated, over two dozen pages. Then there is a country-by-country arrangement beginning, of course, with France, plowing through the rest of Europe, the Americas, Japan, and Australia and New Zealand (you'd think that with all those sheep there would be more ewe cheeses, but no). For each cheese, there is a description, tasting notes on the paste and rind, how best to enjoy it, its age, weight and shape, size, type of milk (not broken down by time of day), classification, producers. A first rate job. The publisher has lots of menu suggestions for accompaniments, with some wine notes, use in cooking, and cheeseboard ideas and possibilities. And I love those close-up pix of the pastes and 7rinds. Quality/Price Rating: 91.
 
 
 
 
31.THE VEGETABLE GARDEN COOKBOOK (Skyhorse Publishing, 2015, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-63220-673-2, $24.99 US hard covers) is by Tobias Rauschenberger, a chef who is now a food stylist and cookbook author. It was originally published in German in 2013. 23 veggies are covered through 60 recipes, beginning with eggplant and running through to fennel and onions. There is a good description and photo of the plant followed by some recipes. Onion pasta is pretty  simple, but also pretty good. Preparations have their ingredients listed mainly in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85.

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Saturday, August 29, 2015

MORE FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS

3.SEVEN SPOONS (Appetite by Random House, 2015, 268 pages, ISBN 978-0-449-01630-5, $29.95 CAN hard covers) is by Tara O'Brady, owner of the eponymous blog since 2005. She has one of the oldest food blogs; she also does freelance writing. It comes with heavy-duty log rolling from Molly Wizenberg, David Lebovitz, and Bonny Stern. There are about 100 preps here, globally inspired, covering the range of family dishes from breakfasts through desserts and staples/pantry items. These are her fave recipes from her blog; this is the food that she likes. Scattered throughout are memoir stories. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table equivalents.
Audience and level of use: beginner to intermediate.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Vietnamese sausage rolls; tomato raita; yellow dal; braised veggies; yellow tomato gazpacho; celeriac soup with green horseradish oil; blurry sunrise smoothie.
The downside to this book: they may be fave recipes, but the scope of the preps also seems very general in tone.
The upside to this book: there is a heavy bent to Indian subcontinent cooking in Canada.
Quality/Price Rating: 87.
 
 
 
 
 
4.COMFORT FOOD WITHOUT THE CALORIES (Orion Books,, 2015, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-4091-5469-3, $18.99 CAN paper covers) is by Justine Pattison, a UK diet recipe writer and recipe developer for TV, as well as a magazine food writer. She has a series for Orion, "Without the Calories"; her other books involve takeout, quick and easy, pasta and rice, one pots and desserts – without the calories. The standard setup is one page for the prep, with calories highlighted per serving, ingredients, recipe, tips, etc., and a photo of the plated results. It is all arranged by course. At the back of the book is nutritional information for each dish and various other useful pantry ideas. It is a winning series. Preparations have their ingredients listed in metric measurements, but there are many tables of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: beginners; those looking to lose weight, or at least count calories.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: minestrone soup; eggplant parmigiana; moussaka; Cobb salad; braised peas with lettuce and bacon; panna cotta; roasted squash tomato and spinach lasagna.
Quality/Price Rating: 85.
 
 
 
5.MASTERING HOMEBREW (Chronicle Books, 2015, 384 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-0551-2, $29.95 US soft covers) is the latest beer book by Randy Mosher (he's already written one this year for Storey Publishing). It's a basic how-to book, with gorgeous illustrations. He's got 26 master recipes, all of which can be customized for substitutions and add-ons. There are sections on understanding beer style, choosing and using equipment, understanding ingredients, how to formulate your own recipes, and how to package and serve a great glass of beer. The book is thorough, comprehensive and very witty. Heartily recommended for its bibliography and extra reading matter, resources lists, and large type index. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there are also tables of equivalents.
Audience and level of use: those who love beer and want to know more about the process; those who want to make their own beers.
Some interesting or unusual facts: "Clever homebrewers, in search of simplicity or speed, have thrown out the rule book [on sparging]and found a number of alternate methods of separating the wort from the spent grain."
The downside to this book: there is so much here, it all appears daunting. Read it slowly.
The upside to this book: comprehensive and encyclopedia.
Quality/Price Rating: 89.
 
 
 
 
6.GOOD CHEAP EATS; everyday dinners and fantastic feasts for $10 or less (Harvard Common Press, 2014, 320 pages, ISBN 978-1-55832-843-3, $16.95 US paper covers) is by Jessica Fisher, blogger at Good Cheap Eats. She's also written two other value-driven cookbooks. Here she concentrates on the dollar value: a meal for a family of four for under $10. She's got suggested menus, but readers can mix and match (prices will go up or down) from among the 200 preps here. Each recipe has been tagged for meatless, or dairy-free, or gluten-free, or make ahead, etc. Lots of tips on living well with minimum food purchases. This might be a popular book to be borrowed from a library (it will cost you nothing). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: strapped families.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: cranberry pesto pasta salad; buttery orzo; baby greens with lemon-basil vinaigrette; spinach and mushroom pizza with roasted tomato sauce; garlic rolls; arroz con pollo.
The downside to this book: it is on heavy paper, and weighs a lot (320 pages).
The upside to this book: good idea
Quality/Price Rating: 85.
 
 
7.TRULY MADLY PIZZA (Rodale, 2015, 230 pages, ISBN 978-1-62336-218-8, $27.50 US hard covers) is by Suzanne Lenzer, a food stylist and writer who has worked with Mark Bittman (he did the Foreword here) for many years. She's done a lot of styling for other magazines and cookbooks. Here, she admits to being obsessed by her crust. She tells the story of how she got to her "go-to, tried-and-true, know-by-heart" pizza dough. I won't give it away. She spent eons developing it, and here it is over 4 pages – much like Child's French bread recipe. Good detail and techniques. In honour of her late mother-in-law (who tinkered with the original go-to recipe by adding whole-wheat flour) Lenzer did devise one variation: a whole wheat pizza dough. Everything else in the book is a series of vibrant toppings. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. The bread flour weighs in at 390 grams or 2.75 cups.
Audience and level of use: pizza makers and lovers.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: caramelized onion jam; roasted garlic sauce/spread; walnut pesto; broccolini-mushroom-breadcrumbs; ground lamb with cumin-grape tomatoes and cilantro; duck confit and cannellini beans with caramelized onions and rosemary.
The downside to this book: I would have liked her take on gluten-free pizza dough.
The upside to this book: good idea – one dough, and stick with it.
Quality/Price Rating: 89.
 
 
 
8.NEW ENGLAND OPEN HOUSE COOKBOOK (Workman Publishing, 2015, 388 pages, ISBN 978-0-7611-5519-5, $24.95 US paper covers) is by Sarah Leah Chase, who had collaborated on The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook. She's also written other cookbooks based on New England food, and now lives on Cape Cod. Here are 300 recipes, introduced by some memoir-type material (including the diverse "how long does it take to write a cookbook?"). In a two column format, it is arranged by food type: salads, bivalves, lobster, fish, poultry, beef, and veggies. There are chapters on desserts, breakfasts, drinks and picnics. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: Down East food lovers.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Cape Codder stuffed lobster tails; hot crab dip; cranberry bog peperonata; broccoli salad with toasted almonds and cranberries; Cape Cod chocolate chip; angels on horseback; gratinee asparagus; New Hampshire styled egg scramble; corn canoes.
The downside to this book: it is a hefty book, and the perfect binding needs to stand up to wear.
The upside to this book: it is thorough and comprehensive, and with 20 preps for lobsters, it screams "classic!"
Quality/Price Rating: 90.
 
 
 
9.NEW ENGLAND FARMGIRL (Gibbs Smith, 2015, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-3800-1, $30 US hard covers)is by Jessica Robinson, who now divides her time between New England and North Carolina. She blogs at newenglandkitchen.com and carolinafarmhousekitchen.com. It is a very rural book since it deals with farm food from New England. There's some commentary on local natural and organic food, farmstand markets, orchards, honey, dairy, eggs, maple sugar, wineries and vineyards, plus the obligatory raising your own food. She's even got a chapter on Christmas tree farms. Each section comes with a resources list for personal (or even online) visits. She's got about 100 recipes. It nicely complements Chase's New England Open House Cookbook (see above). Together, the two would be a great gift for the New Englander who lives far from home. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: for the absent New Englander.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: apple cider doughnuts; farmhouse apple crisp; bacon-wrapped meatloaf; green beans in hearty sausage and veggie soup; blueberry coffee cake; creamy cheddar and broccoli soup; Maine lobster stew; and a lot of maple syrup recipes.
The downside to this book: it is a posh production, but maybe too posh.
The upside to this book: a good account of a farmer's daughter.
Quality/Price Rating: 88.
 
 
10.HEALTHY HAPPY VEGAN KITCHEN (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015, 352 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-37980-0, $25US soft covers) is by Kathy Patalsky, creator of a vegan food blog (HealthyHappyLife.com) and author of 365 Vegan Smoothies.
 
And
 
11.MASTERING THE ART OF VEGAN COOKING (Grand Central Life & Style, 2015, 328 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-5753-0, $25 US hard covers) is by Annie and Dan Shannon, authors of Betty Goes Vegan.
 
And
 
12.VEGAN EVERYDAY (Robert Rose, 2015, 576 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0499-4, $27.95 CAN soft covers) is by Douglas McNish, a vegan executive chef and consultant who has authored two  raw cookbooks.
 
All three books were published about the same time. The first two (Patalsky and Shannon) are quite similar, with over 200 recipes each. Both books are also loaded with log rollers. Patalsky arranges her book by course: sandwiches, burgers, sides, fritters, salads, soups, apps, entrees, desserts, smoothies, "for the kids", with a collection of 12 menus. It is family oriented, mostly derived from her blog, with many dishes titled "vegan", as in Vegan Cashew Ricotta or Vegan Senate Bean Soup or Vegan OO pizza dough. It's gluten-free in part, and she lists ways to "veganize" the kitchen and substitute within dishes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents.
 
The Shannons pay a vegan homage to Julia Child, and devote some space to tips on how to spend less but get more. They have more overt titles for vegan dishes, such as Vegan Yankee Pot Roast, Korean Kimchi BBQ Burgers, and Not-cho Everyday Chili Dogs. They encourage you to have your own "Victory" garden. It is arranged by meal: breakfast, lunch, dinner, with additional sections on leftovers and special occasions (maybe next time they could deal with leftovers for special occasions? Just wondering.). The concentration is on thrift, such as Americans did during the Depression and World War II. There are references to USO and to meat substitutes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents.
 
Both of these books also promote an attractive vegan lifestyle. But if you are already vegan (or vegetarian), you might want to look at McNish's book since he covers twice as many (500) recipes, from breakfast through desserts, with courses like apps, snacks, beans and grains, pasta, stir fries, soups and stews, and baked goods. His book is also gluten-free, an added value here if you cannot eat wheat, barley or rye. It is a well-thought out book prepared by a trained vegan chef for his clients. It is laid out in typical Rose style, with both avoirdupois and metric measurements for each ingredient. There's lentil shepherd's pie, potato salad wraps, stewed onions and mushrooms with millet, cannelloni, plus the usual vegan knockoffs of stroganoff, burgers, chicken noodle soup, and avgolemono soup among others.
 
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: all three books use nutritional yeast, but the first two only have it in a dozen recipes while McNish uses it in over 40 preps.
Quality/Price Rating: Patalsky 86; Shannons 87; McNish 90.

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Friday, August 28, 2015

* FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! : Spelt (Nourish, 2015)

 
SPELT (Nourish, 2015, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-84899-196-5, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Roger Saul, who grows organic spelt on his farm Sharpham Park in Somerset UK. Spelt is a passion with him, and this cookbook is the result. Spelt is probably the best of the wheat grains: more nutty in flavour, useful for anything driven by wheat, more nutrients than modern wheat, easier to digest (less bloat), a lower Glycemic Index, and it has the lowest amount of gluten from among the various wheat varieties. This lower gluten makes it useful for people, like my wife, with gluten "sensitivities" to be able to have some regular bread with chew. He covers the baking gamut of cakes, cookies, and breads. The range is from pasta through sourdough starters, farmhouse loaves, pizzas, pear and ginger muffins, spelt and herb dumplings, and a variety of desserts (there's even brown bread ice cream and Christmas Pudding). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: those with some tolerance for gluten.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: see above
Quality/Price Rating: 93.
 
Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

* DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! : Infuse (Clarkson Potter)

 
1.INFUSE (Clarkson Potter, 2015, 176 pages, ISBN 978-0-8041-8676-6, $25 US soft covers) is by Eric Prum and Josh Williams, both founders of W & P Design which works with the food and beverage industry to create environments. They have a whole series of Mason Jar products, including a shaker and a tap. And, of course, they are experts in mixology. This book concentrates on oils, spirits, and waters – and how to infuse (steep in liquid) to extract outside flavours. They have more than 50 recipes, with instructions, tips and ideas. I used to use EverClear which I brought back from the US and Saint Pierre/Miquelon. It provided maximum infusion capability (at 96% ABV) at low cost. After the infusion (for me, mostly herbs or lemons), I cut it with distilled water and syrup if needed. Here though, the authors grapple with peach bourbon (Southern Comfort anyone?), cucumber mint water, basil-infused olive oil, roasted pineapple mezcal, spiced pear liqueur, salted lime syrup, garlic confit oil, and cranberry-infused rum (among others). Each of oil, spirit and water gets about 40 pages, and apart from the oil, everything can be used at a bar. So this is also a barman's book. It's for millennials (the typeface is small and grey) with arrows directing eye traffic. And the photos are mainly of people under 30. Yet the book's recipes work very well and certainly will add to the delights of the kitchen pantry, especially the oils. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: bartenders, cooks, those looking for flavours
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: see above
The downside to this book: it is a very pretty book, appeals to the younger crowd, but the grey typeface made me rush to the magnifying glass.
The upside to this book: a good, useful collection.
Quality/Price Rating: 92.
 
Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Sunday, August 23, 2015

* THE REISSUES, THE REPRINTS, AND THE NEWER EDITIONS...

 
 
...all reflect a boom in the cookbook publishing business. A paperback reprint will lower the cost to the purchaser, and also give a publisher a chance to correct egregious errors or add a postscript. Some will reissue a book in paper covers with a new layout or photos. Others will rearrange existing material to present it as more informative text while keeping the focus tight. Some magazines will reissue popular or classic recipes in an "easy" format. Here are some recent "re-editions"...
 
 
 
25. 101 BBQ AND GRILL RECIPES (Dog 'n' Bone, 2015, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-909313-54-5, $19.95 US hard covers) has been compiled by Dan Vaux-Nobes, drawing from a writing stable led by Fiona Beckett, Maxine Clarke, Louise Pickford, and 13 others. It's a basic grilling and smoking book, with international preps for jerk chicken, grilled eggplant, duck satay, spiced falafel burgers, charred leeks, and Sicilian spiced seabass. The 101 preparations have their ingredients listed in a mix of metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85.
 
 
26.EAT RIGHT FOR YOUR SIGHT (The Experiment, 2014, 2015, 210 pages, ISBN 978-1-61519-249-6, $24.95 US paper covers) was first published in hardcover in 2014 as "Feast for the Eyes" by the American Macular Degeneration Foundation. Here it has been reissued for a larger commercially popular audience. As the publisher notes, these are simple, tasty recipes that help reduce the risk of vision loss from macular degeneration. And, to that end, of course, it is in large print. Even the index is in a larger typeface. Some preps come from other writers such as Lidia Bastianich, Andrew Weil, Alice Waters or Jacques Pepin, and some from named spas. Arrangement is from apps to desserts, with some healthy beverage drinks. It is a full panoply of recipes, totaling some 85 plus recipes (Tuscan kale salad, spicy broccoli saute, Provence pizza, spicy udon noodles, et al). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88.
 
 
 
27.SIMPLY VEGETARIAN THAI COOKING (Robert Rose, 2015, 240 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0505-2, $19.95 CAN paper covers) is by Nanci McDermott, a food writer who specializes in Thai food (she lived there for three years). She has written other books dealing with Thai cookery. In fact, this one was originally published in 1997 by Chronicle Books in San Francisco. Here it has been revised, extended, and also rendered into both metric and avoirdupois. Of the 125 recipes, more than 100 can be considered vegan; in essence, this is mostly a vegan cookbook. Her preps have substituted for eggs and dairy. She seemed to have worked really hard in finding a replacement for fish sauce, but she did it. The arrangement is by course, from apps to sweets and drinks. There is an important collection of basic recipes such as various curry pastes, mushroom mince, roasted chile paste, and even sriracha sauce. The range of soups covers coconut and butternut; there are also spring rolls and bean fritters. There are cook notes plus the usual Rose photos, clear instructions and ingredient lists. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and  avoirdupois measurements. Quality/price rating: 90.
 
 
28.SUPERGRAINS (Appetite by Random House, 2013, 2015, 224 pages, ISBN 978-0-449-01688-6, $19.95 CAN paper covers) is by Chrissy Freer, a food writer-nutritionist and recipe developer who contributes to many magazines.. It was originally published in Australia by Murdoch Books in 2013. Here are over 100 recipes (about 40 or more are gluten-free) for 12 grains: quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, brown rice, chia, millet, oats, and the gluten grains of spelt-kamut-farro-freekeh (all variants of "wheat") and barley. But no rye, which is puzzling. "Supergrains" have nutrients to control blood sugars, they are a source of dietary fiber, and half are gluten-free. The book is arranged by grain, which is a nice touch. Typical preps include barley and oat porridge with fig and hazel nuts, creamy Parmesan millet with ratatouille, buckwheat granola bars, and chicken and freekeh (toasted green wheat) tagine with lemons and olives. All good international flavours. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88.
 
 
29.THE FOODS OF THE GREEK ISLANDS (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2000, 2015, 298 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-46502-2, $19.99 US paper covers) is by Aglaia Kremezi, who won a Julia Child Award for her best-selling "The Foods of Greece". She has written other Mediterranean cookbooks as well. This book was originally released in 2000 and has been reprinted in 2015, and without (apparently) updating web resources. No matter as things move slowly in Greece itself. Her other book covered Greece; here, it is the Islands' turn. Some preps come from Molyvos in New York, from their extensive Greek menu. It is arranged by course, beginning with meze and moving on to savoury pitas and pies, fish and seafood, meats, beans/rice, salads, breads and then desserts (which includes cheeses). There is not much directly mentioned about "healthy" food since the book was written by 2000, but the Islands have been acclaimed for their inhabitants' longevity based on their diets. It is good to see this book back in print. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87.
 
 
 
30.PEANUT BUTTER COMFORT (Skyhorse Publishing, 2013, 265 pages, ISBN 978-1-63220-362-5, $14.99 US paper covers) is by Averie Sunshine, a food blogger whose work has appeared in major US food magazines and food blogs. It was originally published in 2013; this is the paperback reprint. It's a good collection for breakfasts, brunches, bars, cakes, brownies, fudge, candy, cookies, frozen or cold desserts, frostings and dips, savoury and salty snacks, and even no-bake preps – over 100 recipes in all. At the end she's got the basic recipe for homemade peanut butter (food processor) plus 27 more ways to jazz up the butter (adding coffee or cinnamon or hazelnuts or cherries or chocolates, et al) and five recipes to make a dish in under five minutes each.  Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85.
 
 
 
 
31.AT HOME WITH MAGNOLIA (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2006, 2015, 157 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-46272-4, $19.99 US paper covers) is by Allysa Torey, who opened Magnolia Bakery in New York's Greenwich Village in 1996. She had also authored "The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook" (1999) and "More from Magnolia" (2004). This time the book is an all-purpose cookbook of family dishes, ones she uses at her upstate New York home. It was originally published by Wiley in 2006; this is the 2015 paperback reprint. As such it is trading in on the Magnolia name. There's nothing wrong with that, so long as the purchaser/reader of the book knows that the recipes here are not just for baked goods. 93 preps cover all courses (it's arranged that way), and deal with retro-styled comfort food – such as corn fritters with chile-lime mayonnaise, eggplant with cherry tomato sauce, tomato lentil
soup with spinach and corn and brown rice, baked vegetable cavatappi with besciamella sauce, chicken with mustard cream sauce. While the preps are expressed in US weights and measures, there are no metric tables of equivalents. A bonus: the index is in large print. Quality/Price Rating: 84.
 
 
 
 
 
32.GENIUS RECIPES (Ten Speed Press, 2015, 254 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-797-0, $35 US hard covers) has been compiled by Kristen Miglore, executive editor at the multiple award-winning food52.com site (Beard, IACP). There are over 30,000 recipes at this site, and Miglore also writes the Genius Recipe column. The idea for the book is terrific: a one-stop place for all the great recipes created by cooking geniuses in one place in print (otherwise, one could use the Internet to locate the original prep or her columns). Thus, she has Judy Rodgers' roasted applesauce, Roger Verge's fried eggs with wine vinegar, Deborah Madison's currant cottage cheese pancakes, Ottolenghi and Tamimi's basic hummus, Lahey's no-knead bread, and other preps from Wolfert, Greene, Willan, Ruhlman, Hazan, Kennedy, Raichlen, Lawson, Waters, Medrich, Kafka – quite a parade (hey, even my wife's ex-husband's first wife is here!!). But no Bayless nor Trotter nor Bittman; and some writers have more than one recipe here. The complete recipe is given, along with a re-shot photo of the plate and some new tips from Miglore and others. All tips and recipes have a credit, and full bibliographic data is at the end of the book. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88.
 
 
 
33.BLUE RIBBON CANNING; AWARD WINNING RECIPES (Taunton Press, 2015, 268 pages, ISBN 978-1-62710-769-3, $21.95 US paper covers) has been collated by Linda J. Amendt, who has won nearly 1,000 awards in state and country fair canning and baking competitions. She's also a cookbook author. Here she has 140 prize-winning recipes, all sourced and notated, for jams, jellies, marmalades, preserves, conserves, sauces, butters, pickles, veggies and fruit. There are photos of some of the winners and some photos of being at a fair (many tilt-a-whirls here), as well as stories about people involved. She's got a primer on preservation, and as well some material on judging: what they look for (container, appearance, texture, flavour), reasons for disqualification, and canning mistakes (e.g. stale nuts, weak seals, incorrect headspace). The book also has a directory of fairs, including Canada. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88.
 
 
 
34.THE COMMUNITY TABLE; recipes and stories from the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan and beyond (Grand Central Life & Style, 2015, 352 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-5435-5, $35 US hard covers) has been collated and pulled together by Katja Goldman, Judy Bernstein Bunzl, and Lisa Rotmil, all chefs at the JCC. From around the USA there are anecdotes and other recipes. Log rolling involved Claudia Roden and Mimi Sheraton. It is kind of an upscale junior league collection, like Colorado Cache. But of course everything here is kosher, with an indication of what works for holidays and Passover. It is arranged by topic, with breads, starters, soups, salads leading the parade, marching through pasta and polenta, fish, poultry, meat, grains, legumes, veggies and desserts. There are recipe charts for dairy, meat or pareve, shabbat and holiday menu suggestions, plus recipes that are kosher for Passover. I enjoyed fig and fennel bread, latkes four ways, stracciatella, and cilantro matzo balls. Despite the overlarge photos that show people and food (not plated dishes), the book can be a real winner in the Jewish gourmet cookbook sweepstakes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89.
 
 
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Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

WORLD WINE WATCH (LCBO VINTAGES TIP SHEET) FOR AUGUST 22, 2015

WORLD WINE WATCH (LCBO VINTAGES TIP SHEET) FOR AUGUST 22, 2015
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By DEAN TUDOR, Gothic Epicures Writing deantudor@deantudor.com. Creator of Canada's award-winning wine satire site at http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.com. My Internet compendium "Wines, Beers and Spirits of the Net", a guide to thousands of news items and RSS feeds, plus references to wines, beers and spirits, has been at www.deantudor.com since 1994. My LCBO tastings are based on MVC (Modal Varietal Character); ratings are QPR (Quality-to-Price Ratio). Prices are LCBO retail. Only my top rated wines are here.
 
NOTE: The LCBO does NOT put out all of the wines of the release for wine writers or product consultants. Corked wines are not normally available for a re-tasting. It is getting more difficult to endorse wines under $20 for the simple reason that the LCBO does not release many of them into the Vintages program, ones that can be deemed to be worthy of your consideration. So I will now just ADD some "under $25" suggestions, along with point values.
 
 
====?>>> ** BEST WINE VALUE OF THE RELEASE *UNDER* $20
 
Chateau des Moines Menodin 2010 Bordeaux Superieur, +424259, $14.95: showing some oak tones (eleve en futs de chene), this is an extremely flexible all-purpose Bordeaux showing some yum and MVC flavours. 13.5% ABV. Gold medalist. Bargain price. Well worth buying a case. QPR: 92.
 
 
TOP VALUE WHITE WINES under $25:
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1.Southbrook Triomphe Chardonnay 2013 VQA Niagara, +172338, $22.95. QPR: 90.
2.Rutherford Ranch Chardonnay 2013 Napa Valley, +136382, $22.95. QPR: 90.
3.Man Vintners Free-Run Steen Chenin Blanc 2014 WO Coastal Region SA, +126847, $13.95: some off-dry texture on the mid-palate suggests fruitiness, great summer sipper at this price, may be useful for salty apps. Twist top. Great price. QPR: 89.
4.Lenz Moser Prestige Gruner Veltliner 2013 Niederosterreich, +71233, $13.95: another awesome value, Gvs seem to have come down in price over the past year. The source's TN comes from over a year ago, and the wine has moved on as it is a bit older and tamer, no longer "93" points, but still well-priced. QPR: 89.
5.Rex Riesling 2013 Nahe, +409714, $13.95: another nice rich riesling but without the sweetness as the catalogue indicates. 9.5% ABV is great for a fading summer. Twist top. QPR: 88.
6.Paco & Lola Albarino 2013 DO Rias Baixas, +350041, $18.95: concentrated tropical fruit flavours, longer finish, 12.5 % ABV, twist top. QPR: 88.
 
 
TOP VALUE RED WINES under $25:
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1.Black Sage Vineyard Merlot 2012 VQA BC Okanagan Valley, +593053, $22.95. QPR: 90.
2.Charles Smith Boom Boom! Syrah 2013 Columbia Valley Washington State, +301499, $24.95. QPR: 89.
3.Vina Maipo Gran Devocion Carmenere/Syrah 2012 Maule Valley, +274100, $17.95: a Chilean wine all the way in style and texture, tobacco, red and black fruit, and properly aged. 14.5% ABV. QPR: 90.
4.Tahbilk the Tower Shiraz 2013 Central Victoria, +412205, $19.95: the wine (formerly known as Chateau Tahbilk) is off-dry with spices and peppers, well-developed smoothness. 14.5% ABV, twist top. QPR: 88.
5.La Ferme du Mont Le Ponnant Cotes du Rhone-Villages 2012, +171371, $18.95: showing some brilliant CdR liveliness, it is GSM (80-10-10) says the back label (not the same grapes nor proportion as the quoted Parker TN states). Unfiltered. 14% ABV. QPR: 89.
6.Chateau Vincens Origine Cahors 2012, +343400, $17.95: the black wine of Cahors is malbec, as everybody now knows. Plummy beyond belief, and intense with mocha tones. Gold medalist. QPR: 89.
7.Masseria Altemura Sasseo Primitivo 2013 IGT Salento, +366955, $17.95: this month's LCBO primitivo release is 14.5% ABV, and is juicy enough to be confused with zinfandel. QPR: 88.
8.Borgo Salcetino Possole 2012 IFT Rosso Toscana, +412619, $16.95: good value for the price, mellowed after opening a while before. 13% ABV, cork closure. QPR: 88.
9.Castellani Filicheto Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2011, +184937, $18.95: great price for a vino nobile. 13.5% ABV, complex mix of fragrances and wood. Cork closure. QPR: 88.
10.Michele Satta Bolgheri Rosso 2012, +39834, $22.95. QPR: 90.
11.Sogrape Carvalhais Duque de Viseu Red 2012 Dao, +546309, $13.95: showing lots of dried fruit, 13% ABV, definitely a food wine. QPR: 88.
12.Balbas Reserva 2005 Ribera del Duero, +85183, $20.95. QPR: 90.
13.Celler Cercavins Lo Virol 2014 Costers del Segre, +425702, $14.95: juicy value, with earthy qualities, 14% ABV, taste Spanish. QPR: 88.
 
 
VALUE: "RESTAURANT READY" or "BRING YOUR OWN WINE BOTTLE" over $25 RETAIL
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Restaurants should consider offering these FINE VALUE wines at a $10 markup over retail; the wines are READY to enjoy right NOW. Consumers should buy these wines to bring to restaurants with corkage programs.
 
1.Charles Baker Picone Vineyard Riesling 2012 VQA Vinemount Ridge, +241182, $35.20 retail.
2.Vidal Fleury Condrieu 2012, +414516, $49.95.
3.King Estate Signature Collection Pinot Noir 2013 Oregon, +984005, $34.95.
4.Castello di Gabbiano Bellezza Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2011, +652438, $39.95.
 

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

The Event: The Evolution of Argentina #ArgWineJam wine trade tasting

The Date and Time: Wednesday July 29, 2015  12:30 - 5PM
The Event: The Evolution of Argentina #ArgWineJam wine trade tasting
The Venue: Snell Hall, St. James Cathedral Centre
The Target Audience: wine trade
The Availability/Catalogue: everything is available through the normal distribution channels (LCBO, Vintages, Consignment, future listing).
The Quote/Background: Sara D'Amato and Marcelo Pelleriti led a jam-packed 44 person seminar about Argentine wines. They had 1.5 hours to cover the whole country, which left little time for commenting on the 15 wines being tasted. We were encouraged to taste the wines on our own as we listened. These wines (some from the trade floor) have been folded into my notes below. Basic points: the industry has seen rapid growth and grape plantings have doubled since 2012; there are 22 clones of Malbec, each grown on their own rootstocks.
The Wines: There were 23 wineries, and some 75 wines. I did not try them all.
 
**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Octaviano Penedo Borges Reserva Chardonnay 2014, ERP $19.95
-Dominio del Plata Susana Balbo Torrontes 2014 Barrel Fermented, ERP $17.95  Profile
-Finca Agotino Familia Semillon/Sauvignon 2013 Barrel Aged, ERP $34.95  B & W Wines
-Monteviejo Lindaflor 2010 Malbec/Syrah Blend, ERP $60   Churchill
 
***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-La Mascota Sparkling Rose Extra Brut NV, ERP $17.95
-Zuccardi Aluvional Viata Flores Malbec 2012, ERP $80
-Bodega Colome Autentico Malbec 2013, ERP $50
-Catena Zapata Nicolas 2010 Cabernet75/Malbec25, +396960 Vintages, $110
-Alta Vista Single Vineyard Temis Malbec 2011, ERP  $58   HHD Imports
-Catena Alta Chardonnay 2013, ERP $40   Trialto
-Desierto 25 Chardonnay 2014, ERP $18.55   Heritage Cellars
-Desierto Pampa Malbec 2012, ERP $33.65   Heritage Cellars
-Famiglia Bianchi Chardonnay 2014, +1461 Vintages, $16.95
-Domaine Bousquet Malbec Grande Reserve Organic 2012, +303701 Vintages November, $24.95
-El Esteco Don David Torrontes 2014, ERP $15.95    Mondia Alliance
-Familia Zuccardi Finca Piedra Infinita Malbec 2012, Classics December ERP $120    Dionysus
-Finca La Moras Gran Syrah 2012, ERP $26.95     Mondia Alliance
-Pelleriti Selection Blend of Terroirs 2011 [Malbec70/PetitVerdot20/CabFranc10), ERP $40    Churchill
-Masi Tupungato Passo Doble Cosecha 2013, +620880 LCBO, $13.95
-Masi Tupungato Corbec 2010 (Corvina70/Malbec30), ERP $24.95   Authentic
-Monteviejo Petite Fleur Chardonnay 2014, ERP $30   Churchill
-Trivento Golden Reserve Chardonnay 2014, ERP $19.95   Select
 
*** GOOD -- Three Stars (85 – 87 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Luigi Bosca Grand Pinot Noir La Consulta 2013, ERP $36.95   Family Wine Merchants
-Ruca Malen Brut Sparkling Dry, ERP $25
-Marcelo Pelleriti Sol Fa Sol Torrontes 2015, ERP $9.95   Churchill
-Secreto Patagonico Chardonnay 2012, ERP $18.95
-Kaiken Ultra Chardonnay 2013, ERP $19.95    Kirkwood Diamond
-Pascual Toso Chardonnay 2014, +162636 Vintages October, $14.95
-Trivento Golden Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2013, +400143 Vintages, $19.95
-Zuccardi Serie A Bonarda 2012, ERP $16.95
-Sin Fin Guarda Bonarda 2013, ERP $21.95
-Casa Bianchi Leo Malbec Premium 2013, $19.95  Majestic
-El Esteco Serie Fincas Notables Tannat 2013, ERP $26.95
-Famiglia Bianchi Cabernet Sauvignon 2013, +677567 Vintages October, $16.95
-Domaine Bousquet Chardonnay Cameleon Organic 2014, +408450 Vintages, $13.95
-Domaine Bousquet Chardonnay Grande Reserve Organic 2012, +415026 Vintages, $24.95
-Dominio del Plata Susana Balbo Malbec 2012, +79798 Vintages, $19.95
-El Esteco Amaru High Vineyards Torrontes Rose 2015, ERP $13.95    Mondia Alliance
 
The Food: 10tation Event Catering handled the meat platters, the cheese platters, the empanadas, sauces and dips, and roasted veggies (peppers, onions, zucchini, portobellos). They were a pleasant accompaniment to the Malbec wines.
The Downside: the show itself was great, the seminar was too harried and hurried (and we started late).
The Upside: a chance to see where Malbec was at different price points.
The Contact Person: Monica Ralphs <mralphs.winespeak@gmail.com>
The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 89.

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

* THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK...

 
...is one of the hottest trends in cookbooks. Actually, they've been around for many years, but never in such proliferation. They are automatic best sellers, since the book can be flogged at the restaurant or TV show and since the chef ends up being a celebrity somewhere, doing guest cooking or catering or even turning up on the Food Network. Most of these books will certainly appeal to fans of the chef and/or the restaurant and/or the media personality. Many of the recipes in these books actually come off the menus of the restaurants involved. Occasionally, there will be, in these books, special notes or preps, or recipes for items no longer on the menu. Stories or anecdotes will be related to the history of a dish. But because most of these books are American, they use only US volume measurements for the ingredients; sometimes there is a table of metric equivalents, but more often there is not. I'll try to point this out. The usual shtick is "favourite recipes made easy for everyday cooks". There is also PR copy on "demystifying ethnic ingredients". PR bumpf also includes much use of the magic phrase "mouth-watering recipes" as if that is what it takes to sell such a book. I keep hearing from readers, users, and other food writers that some restaurant recipes (not necessarily from these books) don't seem to work at home, but how could that be? The books all claim to be kitchen tested for the home, and many books identify the food researcher by name. Most books are loaded with tips, techniques, and advice, as well as gregarious stories about life in the restaurant world. Photos abound, usually of the chef bounding about. The celebrity books, with well-known chefs or entertainers, seem to have too much self-involvement and ego. And, of course, there are a lot of food photo shots, verging on gastroporn. There are endorsements from other celebrities in magnificent cases of logrolling. If resources are cited, they are usually American mail order firms, with websites. Some companies, though, will ship around the world, so don't ignore them altogether. Here's a rundown on the latest crop of such books –
 
 
13.SANTA FE SCHOOL OF COOKING; CELEBRATING THE FOODS OF NEW MEXICO (Gibbs-Smith, 2015, 120 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-3813-1, $19.99 US hard covers) is by Susan Curtis and Nicole Curtis Ammerman, founders of the SFSC. There is a short history of the School, some shopping locations in Santa Fe, pix of students, and the like. It's a lot like those cooking school adventures in Tuscany. The book then can serve as a model New Mexican instructional cookbook, arranged by starters, soups, salads, tortillas, salsas, sauces, corn, rice, beans, and then mains and desserts. Much of the teaching comes from local chefs. Some of the few illustrations are striking, but the value in the book is the larger typeface, the black on white contrasts, and the bold face of the ingredients. Even the index has a large typeface. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86.
 
 
 
14.BONJOUR Y'ALL; Heidi's fusion cooking on the South Carolina coast (Gibbs Smith, 2015, 152 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-3994-7, $30 US hard covers) is by Heidi Vukov and Sara Sobota. Heidi has run Croissants Bistro and Bakery for more than 20 years in Myrtle Beach, while Sara teaches journalism and is a freelance travel/lifestyle writer. It's a book dealing with life in Myrtle Beach, beginning with a history/memoir of the Bistro. It is mostly a brunch place, and so there are sections on breads, starters (crab cakes, she crab soup), brunch items, cookies, desserts, and some seafood mains such as shrimp and grits, scallops, bay clams, pan-seared grouper, and other seafood. A good book for the fans. Finishing off with pantry recipes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85.
 
 
 
15.ESQUIRE: the eat like a man guide to feeding a crowd (Chronicle Books, 2015, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-3184-9, $30 US hard covers) is from the magazine. It advises you on how to cook for family, friends, and spontaneous parties. It's even got a page from Mario Batali on what you'll need to begin, even before cracking open this guy book. About 60 chefs and recipe contributors appear here: Charlie Palmer, Michael Symon, Thomas Keller, Tom Colicchio, Wolfgang Puck – all with attributions. Apparently, having a lot of people at your home to feed is "every man's dream", or, in my case, nightmare. This book smooths the way through 80 recipes to prepare "great tubs of pasta", "foot-long sandwiches", grilled steaks, and endless platters of food. Thrown in are party tips, time savers, cocktails, etc. Use only forks and spoons, keep away from knives. Finger foods and bowls will keep the mess down. It is arranged by time of day, from "late morning" (aka brunch) through late afternoon, dinner, and late night. Unfortunately, like many such books, there is really nothing here about cleaning up – pay the kids. Preparations have their ingredients listed mainly in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86.
 
 
 
 
16.CONFESSIONS OF A SERIAL ENTERTAINER (Gibbs Smith, 2015, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-3715-8, $30 US hard covers) is by Steven Stolman, a US writer and designer by education and profession. It is a bit of a retro cookbook, with its sans serif typeface and photo layout. And it uses common everyday ingredients ("I use a lot of stuff that comes out of bottles, jars, cans and boxes to create loose impressions of classical dishes"). He's not neat, and again, there is nothing in the book to help you clean up – just pay the kids. But Stolman just loves to entertain, and will do it with sometimes weird food. It is the opposite of the Esquire life (see previous review) but it all works because we are back in the fifties and sixties, just like Mad Men. He's got tea sandwiches, country club chocolate cake, sweet-and-sour salmon en gelee, chicken hash, baked shrimp and feta, and even bouillabaisse. The book is arranged by grouping: cocktail parties, dinner for the boss, family stuff, winter dinners, alfresco, and breakfast. About 80 recipes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85.
 
 
17.FLAVORIZE (Chronicle Books, 2015, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-2530-5, $22.95 US hard covers) is by Ray Lampe, multiple cook-off champion, chef, and cookbook author for Chronicle Books (five and counting). Here he concentrates on dressing up the meats: 115 recipes for marinades, injections, brines, rubs and glazes. His recipes are for the grill, stovetop, and oven. The chapters follow the dressing, beginning with marinades through to glazes. For each, there is a recipe. But to a certain extent you can also mix and match. Cranberry brine goes with holiday pork roast, but it can also go with pork chops and chicken breasts (both of which have their own brines which can also go with pork roasts). Everything here adds more flavour, which can be unfortunately needed if you use commercial mass produced meats. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mostly avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86.
 
 
 
 
18.GRILLING WITH THE HOUSE OF Q (Figure 1 books, 2015, 181 pages, ISBN 978-1-927958-10-0, $24.95 CAN soft covers) is by Brian Misko, multiple BBQ Canadian champion pit-master with his own line of rubs and sauces (House of Q). He has a TV segment "BBQ Tips" on Global. It's a basic book, with tips and advice, instructions and some memoir/story material, but of course with a Canadian slant (God knows we need these). The range is from appetizers, sausages, burgers, pork, beef, poultry, seafood, veggies, salads, sides, desserts, with sections on brines, rubs, sauces, and spreads. As well there is a chapter on competition BBQ. Handsome photography but too many non-food pix detract from the book's total usefulness. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87.
 
 
 
19.GRAINS AS MAINS (DK Books, 2015, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-3180-6, $25 US hard covers) is by Jodi Moreno and Sarah W. Caron. Jodi is a chef, food photographer and blogger; Sarah is a freelance writer and recipe developer, and blogger. Here are 150 recipes with 14 "ancient" grains (six are forms of wheat). Each is identified, healthy benefits are explained, preps are step-by-step, and cooking techniques produce flavour combos. Most are gluten-free, except for barley, the wheat grains and rye (the latter is, for some reason, not here). The book is not arranged by grain but rather by course (breakfast, brunch, desserts) or by menu items (soups, salads, stir-fries, risottos, pilafs, burgers, stews). I particularly liked the framing of the photos and the layout. Preparations have their ingredients listed mainly in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87.
 
 
 
 
20.MASTERING THE ART OF SOUTHERN VEGETABLES (Gibbs Smith, 2015, 208 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-3738-7, $25 US hard covers) is by Nathalie Dupree, long time specialist in Southern US Cooking and TV host/chef on many cooking shows. Plus she's got at least three Beard awards. Her co-author is Cynthia Graubart, Southern Living magazine columnist, cookbook author and a Bear winner. This is at least the third book that these two have co-authored together. It used to be that veggies in the Deep South were boiled and/or fried in lard/baconfat. Now, of course, there are other ways. There are 120 recipes for some 26 categories, including the all important "Greens", which gets 12 pages. These include turnip tops and turnip greens, collards, kale, chard, poke sallet, sorrel, beet and broccoli greens, lambs quarters, and cressi. An important chapter. There is good detail on seasonings and on the prep methods. The typeface is large for the recipes, and even larger for the index entries: good ideas. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 90.
 
21.PATSY'S ITALIAN FAMILY COOKBOOK (St. Martin's Press, 2015, 214 pages, ISBN 978-1-250-03939-2, $29.99 US hard covers) is by Sal Scognamillo, third generation owner-chef of Patsy's Restaurant (NYC), which specializes in Neapolitan Italian food. It comes with celebrity log rollers Sean Combs, George Clooney, Michael Buble – even Martha Stewart. It is home cooking all the way – since 1944 – with puttanesca sauce, marinara, meatballs, shrimp casino, chicken pizzaiola, cacciatore, spiedini, gelatos, and ricotta cheesecakes. There are reproductions of old menus and a lot of memoir material. It is a great book for the Patsy's fans. Also, there is just a minimum of personal photos so that there is more room for the preps. A fun book, with menus. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86.
 
 
22.THE BEETLEBUNG FARM COOKBOOK (Little Brown, 2015, 304 pages, ISBN 978-0-316-40407-5, $35 US hard covers) is by Chris Fischer, who took over his grandparents five-acre farm on Martha's Vineyard. This is a year of cooking at that farm, using, of course, his own local ingredients and nearby fish stocks. There are 17 chapters through the year, each with a menu. Before the farm, Fischer had been cooking at Babbo and The River Cafe plus some more experience in Rome. Top log rollers here include Alice Waters and Mario Batali (his former employer at Babbo). He's a cook and a farmer here, with many stories about farming life that also translate into dishes. In November, for example, he will have venison on cedar, fromage blanc crostino with chard, rabbit and fennel, carrots and celery root, and a beet cake (with fennel icing). Excellent choices. Large print, great layout. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 91.
 
 
 
23.HONEY & CO. THE COOKBOOK (Little Brown, 2015, 291 pages, ISBN 978-0-316-28430-1, $35 US hard covers) is by Itamar Srulovich, once head chef under Yotam Ottolenghi in London, and his baker/pastry chef wife Sarit Packer. It's a Middle East cookbook, along the lines of Jerusalem (of course: Ottolenghi is log roller here). They started their own place, Honey & Co in 2012. Preps include dips, spreads, salads, one-pan dishes and stews from Persia, tagine, Israeli sofritos. Plus mezze, breads, and light dinners. About 150 recipes. Bold faced index entries, but also quite a few personal photos which take away space from the vibrant preps. Lamb salad with a Georgian plum sauce works for me, as do drinks such as orange blossom iced tea or elderflower cordial. A nice book for his fans, and for followers of Ottolenghi. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly  avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 90.
 
 
 
24.THE CRAFT COCKTAIL PARTY (Grand Central Life & Style, 2015, 226 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-8159-7, $26 US hard covers) is by Julie Reiner, co-owner of Brooklyn's Clover Club and The Flatiron Lounge in Manhattan. She's been featured on TV and many of her recipes have been published in print. Recipes are organized around the seasons, summer through spring, with an emphasis on different themes and events and holidays. This is a nifty collection of drinks for every occasion. The prelims cover the basics of mixology and equipment, and then come the recipes: in the summer it is fresh fruit and veggies, such as La Rosa (strawberries and rose wine), Maria sin Sangre (cherry tomatoes and tequila), or santana's sour (cilantro leaves and fresh pineapple with tequila). Extremely useful with large print, good white space layout, and excellent photos. No food recipes, but gotta love those glass shapes. With variations, there should be about 200 recipes. Cocktails have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89.
 
 
25.THE BROAD FORK; recipes for the wide world of vegetables and fruits (Clarkson Potter, 2015, 336 pages, ISBN 978-0-385-34502-6, $35 US hard covers) is by Hugh Acheson, chef-partner in four restaurants in Georgia. He's got two Beard Awards (one for a previous cookbook), and has been a TV food contest judge. Here he covers home versions of simple food prepared with veggies and fruits. It is all arranged by season with 12 or so ingredients covered (Fall through Summer), and then sub-arranged alphabetically within each by name. Fall has apples, celery, celery root, chanterelles, through to vidalia onions; winter has bok choy, broccoli, brussels sprouts through to winter squash. For each, there is a description and photo plus about four recipes each. So we are looking at around 200 preps. Emphasis seems to be on the US Southeast, what with collards and mustard greens, okra, melons, avocados, persimmons, sunchokes, and the like. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89.
 
 
26.PLANT BASED COOKBOOK (DK, 2015, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-3536-1, $25 US hard covers) is by Trish Sebben-Krupka, chef-owner of Local Girl Makes Food, specializing in vegan/vegetarian/eco-friendly diets through catering and culinary education. She's got about 200 whole-food recipes emphasizing a better life style through better health. Sections deal with breakfasts, sauces, salad dressings, dips, sandwiches, soups, one-pots and casseroles, breads, pastas, desserts plus sidebars on avocados, unrefined oils, mushrooms, ginger, greens, cruciferous veggies, sweet potatoes, quinoa, alliums, and berries. It appears to be exhaustive.  Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Entries in the index are very lightfaced, and also hard to read in size. Quality/price rating: 89.
 
 
 
27.PASTA BY HAND (Chronicle Books, 2015, 200 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-2188-8, $25 US hard covers) is by Jenn Louis, executive chef and co-owner of two Portland OR restaurants and competed on TV's Top Chef Masters. She has an impressive list of log rollers, headed by Mario Batali's foreword. No special equipment is needed since this is all hand made pasta shaped into orbs, cups, twists, shells and dumplings. The arrangement is by region, with such dishes as cavatelli from Basilicata, orecchiette from Puglia, gnocchi from Lazio, gnudi from Tuscany, or spatzli from Alto Adige. She's got a variety of 10 standard starter ragus (pesto, fonduta, tomato) but you can also, of course, use your own sauces. A needed component of many dishes is ricotta and/or squash puree, and she tells you how to perfect these at home. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and  avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. First rate book. Quality/price rating: 92.
 
 
28.SUPERFOODS (Quadrille Publishing, 2015, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-84949-666-7, $22.95 US soft covers) is by Julie Montagu, yoga and nutrition teacher in London, star of Ladies of London (Bravo). This one comes out of The Flexie Food Academy which she runs, along with her own line of energy snacks. It's a basic meat-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free diet emphasizing plant-based foods. But it does cover a wide-range of foods, and unfortunately it is a late arrival to the "superfoods" wagon. Still, a good introduction propelled by its star author, with good, clean and clear preps that are vegan, with lots of choice in substitutions. Essentially, all you need to do is scale back all the bad foods by being more flexible, and eating these foods. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85.

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Monday, August 17, 2015

The Event: Winemaker Luncheon and Tasting for La Ferme du Mont, repped by Eurovintage.

The Date and Time: Tuesday July 21 2015  Noon to 2:30 PM
The Event: Winemaker Luncheon and Tasting for La Ferme du Mont, repped by Eurovintage.
The Venue: Novotel Esplanade
The Target Audience: wine media, sommeliers
The Availability/Catalogue: All of the wines are available or under consideration, see below.
The Quote/Background: Winemaker/vigneron Stephane Vedreau spoke to the eight wines at the tasting, which was followed by lunch for 20 people. These are massive and fruity Cotes du Rhone wines, with  Gigondas and Chateauneuf du Pape leading the way. 50 hectares of old vines are cultivated on the estate, in a natural environment. Organic fertilizers are used, with no pesticides (other than in the case of disease). Vedreau's personal philosophy is to create elegance, freshness and fruit balance.
 
The Wines:
 
**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Chateau Bellane 2012 Cote du Rhone Villages Valpeas Les Echalas, 14% ABV, ~$35 - 100% roussanne
 
***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Le Ferme du Mont Rose 2014 Cote du Rhone, 13% ABV, $16.95 under consideration - 100% grenache
-Le Ferme du Mont Premiere Cote 2012 Cote du Rhone, 14% ABV, $14.95 Vintages +251645 - 60% grenache 30% syrah
-Le Ferme du Mont Gigondas Cotes Jugunda  2013, 14% ABV, $29.95 under consideration - 80% grenache, 20% syrah
-Le Ferme du Mont Chateauneuf du Pape Cotes Capelan  2011, 14.5% ABV, $80 Classics +78857 - 80% grenache, 10% syrah. 10% mourvedre
-Chateau Bellane 2013 Cote du Rhone Villages Valpeas Purete 400, 14% ABV, ~$24
 
*** GOOD -- Three Stars (85 – 87 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-La Ferme du Mont La Truffiere 2014 Cote du Rhone, 13% ABV, $16.95 under consideration - 50% white grenache, 40% viognier
-Le Ferme du Mont Le Ponnant 2012 Cote du Rhone, 14% ABV, $18.95 Vintages +171371 - 60% grenache, 40% syrah
 
The Food: Lunch began with an off-dry spinach salad (terrific with the whites and rose), followed by a striploin -- just perfect with the dominant reds.
The Downside: we started late
The Upside: a chance to speak with Vedreau.
The Contact Person: sales@eurovintage.com
The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 89.

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Saturday, August 15, 2015

* THE REISSUES, THE REPRINTS, AND THE NEWER EDITIONS...

...all reflect a boom in the cookbook publishing business. A paperback reprint will lower the cost to the purchaser, and also give a publisher a chance to correct egregious errors or add a postscript. Some will reissue a book in paper covers with a new layout or photos. Others will rearrange existing material to present it as more informative text while keeping the focus tight. Some magazines will reissue popular or classic recipes in an "easy" format. Here are some recent "re-editions"...
 
 
18.PROOF; the science of booze (Mariner Books Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014, 2015, 273 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-53854-2, $15.95 US soft covers) is by Adam Rogers, a science and technology award-winning writer. It comes with some heavy duty log rolling from at last 8 other writers, including a student dropout I once taught in journalism school! The soft cover reprint is the same as the hard version, but with a new afterword, commentating on the book and introducing some new updates. He begins with yeast, sugar, fermentation, and CO2 bubbles, and then the distillation process. After that, it is merely a matter of aging, smelling and tasting, reaction of the body, the brain, and then the hangover. At each point he goes into exhaustive detail. It is a scientific history, recapping all the advances that come together in the modern bottle. There is nothing social here such as religion and its impact, nor any mention of the Arabic world's contribution – at least not in the index. He has a discussion about craft brewers and artisanal distillers such as St. George, but little on wine (although he does address the issue in the afterword). He doesn't look at the complete decomposition cycle where alcohol will turn to vinegar, and then vinegar to water. Quality/Price Rating: 87.
 
 
19.COMPLETE CHILDREN'S COOKBOOK (DK Books, 2015, 304 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-3546-0, $24.99 US hard covers) has been assembled by DK using material from eight other cookbooks they published between 2004 and 2013 (Children's Cookbook, Cookbook for Girls, The Children's Baking Book, and others). It is thorough and covers topics such as breakfast, soups, salads, light bites, mains, desserts, cakes, muffins, cookies, breads, and parties. The latter includes preps for pizza, min-burgers, cheese and pesto straws, potato and carrot chips, veggie platter, dips, ice cream, and lemonade ice pops. The text is relatively large with copious illustrations – for 150 recipes. Lots of techniques are illustrated, as well as a guide to kitchen equipment. With assistance from another family member, these are all nicely doable and sit well on the palate. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements ( with metric weights), but there is no table of metric equivalents. The downside to this book: it is a very heavy book, so obviously younger children need to be discouraged from moving it around, paying attention only to the recipe at hand. Quality/Price Rating: 87.
 
 
 
 
20.FLAVORS OF SUMMER; simply delicious food to enjoy on warm days (Ryland Peters & Small, 2015, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-634-1, $24.95 US hard covers) is a publisher's book of some 150 recipes for fresh foods: picnic, bbq cookout, al fresco, patio cocktails, and others. Most of the recipes come from Valerie Aikman-Smith, Tori Finch, and the team of Acland Geddes and Pedro da Silva. It is arranged by editor Kate Eddison to reflect context: snacks and sharing plates, summer salads, sunshine lunches, BBQ, outdoor dining, desserts and drinks. Hilary Bird provided the excellent index. Typical preps include kebabs, Buffalo wins, wild blueberry coolers, beef and black bean sliders, quinoa salad, rhubarb and ginger, French strawberry tart, Vietnamese summer rolls, and a chilled pear yogurt. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly avoirdupois measurements with some metric, but there is no overall table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 84.
 
 
21.HERBS AND SPICES; the cook's reference (DK Books, 2002, 2015. 336 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-3598-0, $30 US hard covers) is by Jill Norman, a longtime UK food and drink writer, and an expert on herb and spice usage. She has written many books on this topic, and some of them have won major writing awards in the UK. Here, she gives us a reference book that has been updated to 2015. There are three major sections: herbs, spices, and a collection of recipes. About 120 herbs and spices are arranged by aroma and taste, with notes on how to buy, store and cook. The subsections for herbs, for example, go from mild, through sweet, tart, licorice, minty, oniony, bitter and pungent. Thus, parsley -- since it is mild -- comes up first, and cilantro is in the pungent section. There are photographs of each plant, and the details cover at least one page, sometimes two, for the more prominent condiments. She details preparation methods (drying, grinding, crushing), herb and spice mixtures, sauces, and marinades -- all illustrated with colour photos. The index is by common and botanical names, and ingredients and techniques from the recipes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mostly avoirdupois measurements with some weight metrics, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 90.
 
 
 
22.THE COOK'S BIBLE; the best of American home cooking (Little, Brown and Co., 1996 [2015, 443 pages, ISBN 978-0-316-73570-4, $20 US paper covers) is by Christopher Kimball, the publisher and editor of Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country. He also hosts the TV show America's Test Kitchen. It was originally published in 1996, and this is a straight paperback reprint. It is a collection of articles, mainly in the "best way to make" mode, such as BBQ, stir frying, rice, roasting veggies, and salsas. There are 400 preps here plus 250 step-by-step illustrations. Not much has changed in how recipes are made, but there have been improvements since 1996 in techniques. One example is that mediocre manual knife sharpeners have improved so much that they have overtaken the electric models, especially if price is a consideration. Japanese knives? Not here. You can actually get the America's Test Kitchen cookbook covering more than the same ground (950 recipes) for little more than this paperback price, and the ATK book is current through 2014. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 83.
 
 
 
 
23.BIERGARTEN COOKBOOK; traditional Bavarian recipes (DK Books, 2014, 2015, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-3401-2, $20 US hard covers) is by Julia Skowronek, a German cookbook writer with chef's papers. It was previously published in German in 2014 by Dorling Kindersley in Munich, and this is the 2015 North American English edition. It's regional cookery at its finest, with 70 home style recipes for "Brotzeit": the food meant to accompany biergarten delights. As with all DK books, it is very heavily illustrated. Typical preps include apfelkucherl (apple fritters), krautschnecken (sauerkraut filled crepes), and leberkasburger (pork and egg sandwich). All recipes are indexed by both German and English names. She's got a short history of biergartens (the first was in 1812) plus some material on biergarten food for vegetarians, beer notes, tips on a biergarten party at home, and taking along children. The top 10 biergarten dishes are obatzda cheese spread, sausage salad, potato salad, soft pretzels, roast chicken, roast pork, hamburger patties, pork sausages, Tyrolean hash, and cheese spaetzle. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87.
 
 
 
 
 
24.THE DESSERT BIBLE; the best of American home cooking (Little, Brown and Co., 2000 [2015], 399 pages, ISBN 978-0-316-33919-3, $20 US paper covers) is by Christopher Kimball, the publisher and editor of Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country. He also hosts the TV show America's Test Kitchen. It was originally published in 2000, and this is a straight paperback reprint. It is a collection of articles, mainly in the "best way to make" mode, such as drop and shaped cookies, rolled cookies, brownies, custards, frozen desserts, pies, tars, and more. There are 300 preps here plus 100 step-by-step illustrations. Not much has changed in how recipes are made, but there have been improvements since 2000 in techniques and equipment. You can actually get the America's Test Kitchen cookbook covering more than the same ground (950 recipes) for little more than this paperback price, and the ATK book is current through 2014. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 83.
 
 
 
 
25.YAN-KIT'S CLASSIC CHINESE COOKBOOK. Rev. ed. (DK Books, 1984, 1998, 2007, 2015, 256
pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-3007-6, $25 US hard covers) was written by the late Yan-Kit So in 1984, and then revised in 1998 and 2006 – although it is difficult to surmise under what pretext she could also assume a 2006 copyright since she died in 2001. Her estate, maybe, but not she herself. Here are 150 preps, from different regions, set up as a course book with step-by-step instructions. It says that it is a visual guide to ingredients, equipment, and techniques. All courses are covered in the basic recipes, followed by regional menus with page references, regions in which local food character is explored. For what it is worth, the transliterated names have not been updated since the earlier edition. Hence, Beijing is still Peking (as in Peking duck). There is a
concluding glossary, and a menu for "mixed" food regions. The Peking menu has mandarin
pancakes, Peking duck (with Cantonese duck as a variation), deep-fried cabbage greens, fish in a wine sauce, pickled cabbage, and Chinese celery cabbage, plus rice, soup and dessert. The ingredients have both metric and US measurements, but only for weights. Volume is still expressed as US measurements, and there is no table of equivalents. This can be confusing for a cook using metric. Quality/Price Rating: 84.
 
 
 
26.A BONE TO PICK (Pam Krauss Books; distr. Random House Canada, 256 pages, ISBN 978-0-8041-8654-4, $26 US hard covers) is by Mark Bittman, the New York Times writer on food and recipes. This is a collection of articles published in the New York Times opinion columns between February 2011 and June 2014. The book has not all of them, just the more relevant to the themes of the subtitle: "the good and bad news about food, with wisdom, insights, and advice on diets, food safety, GMOs, farming and more." And the book's equal value is that it has an INDEX!!!!! Indexes are so often lacking in memoirs and collections of essays, so this is a great bonus – it means the material can be more easily retrieved and collated (and this works wonders if you are trying to pin down a named source). As Bittman says, "In this book is some of the best work I've ever done".
No recipes, but none were expected. Quality/price rating: 90.
 
 
27.THE GLUTEN-FREE COOKBOOK (DK, 2012, 2015, 352 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-3450-0, $18.95 US soft covers) is by Heather Whinney, Jane Lawrie, and Fiona Hunter (who is also a nutritionist), all experienced food writers and stylists. It's another book in the gluten-free sweepstakes, part of the vegan-vegetarian category of books now being published throughout North America. This is the paperback reprint of the 2012 hard cover book. Here are 230 "easy" preps, step-by-step illustrations, plus advice for the gluten-free diet. Hunter provides a nutritional analysis of every recipe and special "nutrient boost" features for menu planning. Essentially, gluten-free means no wheat, barley or rye. But there are plenty of choices for other kinds of flours, which work rather well. Only breads suffer, and if you are as picky as I am, then you might avoid gluten-free breads and move on to other foods. The taste of the bread is different and there is no chew factor. There's about 40 pages on flours and making pastry, cakes, pastas and breads. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois
measurements for weight (not for volume), but there is no table of metric equivalents.
Some interesting recipes include lavosh with eggplant dip, tuna and vegetable pasta salad, fattoush with corn tortillas, crispy fish, smoked salmon and cream cheese picnic pies. The book has good indexing plus highlighted heads. Quality/Price Rating: 85.
 
 
28.THE ILLUSTRATED QUICK COOK (DK, 2009, 2015, 544 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-3008-3, $24.95 US) has been edited by Heather Whinney, a British food writer and editor. The basics here: 700 plus recipes, many to be ready in 30 minutes or less, 1,000 photos of finished dishes, quick techniques, step-by-step master recipes. Categories involve everyday family meals and express entertaining. Of course you will need three things that not everyone has: a larder-pantry, a mise-en-place, and some food prepared in advance. She has planners, tables, and an illustrated table of contents. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly avoirdupois measurements, but there are also metric tables of equivalents and conversion charts, right up front. Extra features include: menu
planners, recipe chooser galleries, Cheat tips, Cook's Notes, recipe variations, and practical information to introduce every time-saving device. Signs are used to indicate prep times and cooking times. Some interesting or unusual recipes include quesadilla with feta cheese, green olives and peppers; asparagus and herb tart; spiced pork and
chicken pie; shepherd's pie (which correctly calls for lamb); coq au vin; pork with fennel and mustard. The book does weigh a lot, over 5 pounds, and can be inconvenient.
It has also been the source of many quick and easy spin-off books from DK. Quality/Price Rating: 88.
 
 
29.THE NEGRONI; drinking to la dolce vita with recipes & lore (Ten Speed Press, 2013, 2015, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-779-6, $18.99 US hard covers) is by Gary Regan, who has written other bar books and "The Cocktailian" column for the San Francisco Chronicle. This current book was published in a slightly different form in the UK in 2013, in time for the first celebration of International Negroni week. Two years later it arrives on American soil, just in time to celebrate the third International Negroni Week. There is new photography and some new text and recipes since 2013. It is a good narrative about the Negroni, with all the history and trivia, plus the the recipe for the classic. You can use any gin (I use Tanqueray Rangpur), any vermouth (I use Dubonnet Rouge), but you must use only Campari. My wife invented the Nero cocktail (I did due diligence): take away the gin, use only Campari and vermouth. From the word Negroni, drop the "g", the "i", and the second "n". Clever. There are bastards in this book, such as the French Negroni which uses vodka and Amer Picon, or the East India Negroni which uses rum and sherry but at least retains the Campari. An interesting book, worth reading if Negroni is your fave cocktail. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86.

Chimo! www.deantudor.com
AND http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
AND https://twitter.com/gothicepicures

Dean Tudor, Ryerson University Journalism Professor Emeritus
Treasurer, Wine Writers' Circle of Canada
Look it up and you'll remember it; screw it up and you'll never forget it.
Creator of Canada's award-winning wine satire site at http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.com

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Le Clos Jordanne Chardonnays in Review!!

1.Le Clos Jordanne Chardonnay Village Reserve 2012 VQA Niagara, $30 at Jackson-Triggs winery (+33936 for 2011 at LCBO): very minerally, green apple with a somewhat earthy complexity, modest length on the lemony finish. 13.5% ABV. 16 months barrel aging. Do not overchill. Quality/Price rating is 87 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
 
2.Le Clos Jordanne Chardonnay Claystone Terrace 2012 VQA Twenty Mile Bench, $40 at Jackson-Triggs Winery: minerals, some rancio plus orchard fruit, especially on the mid-palate. Light oaking evident but stronger om the finish. Soft tannins, 13.5% ABV noticeable on finish.16 months barrel aging. Best under-chilled. Tasted better on second and third days. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
 
3.Le Clos Jordanne Vineyard Chardonnay 2011 VQA Twenty Mile Bench, $40 at Jackson-Triggs Winery: again, pale through the glass, some nice tones of orchard fruit (apples, pears, peaches) and wood, some rancio. A bit richer than the Village Reserve and Claystone Terrace with fewer citric tones. After the mid-palate, fuller aromatics coast through to a long length. Good value, the best of the lot once price is factored in. 13.9% ABV, 16 months in barrel. Best under-chilled, tasted over three days with little change. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
 
 
4.Le Clos Jordanne Le Grand Clos Chardonnay 2011 VQA Twenty Mile Bench, $65 at Jackson-Triggs Winery: the top wine. Like the others, colour was pale, citric aromas were smokey with a bit of rancio (and some marmalade), orchard fruit of apples, peaches and pears. Vanilla tones can dominate and promote creaminess. Longer finish, 14.05% ABV. 16 months in barrel. Still a cool climate chardonnay. Do not over-chill. Tasted over three days, and it got better, so lay it down. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Ontario Ciders in Review!!!

The ever inventive late Larry Paterson (who is sorely missed) made the best apple cider in Ontario. For years I drank it, as well as cider made from organic windfalls. And I made my own cider. But now I am too lazy, so I buy it. The Ontario Craft Cider Association (OCCA) has an Ontario Craft Cider Pack at some LCBO stores. Priced at $17.95 (x6 473mL cans), the OCCA Pack has ciders currently available at the LCBO. It is a good sampler from among its 19 members – not all have ciders available at the LCBO. But these six do  – and all are made with 100% juice of Ontario apples. And according to my notes many were also at the Toronto Festival of Beer at the end of July trying to make an impact.
 
 
-Brickworks Ciderhouse, Small Batch: 1904, Toronto, 5.0% ABV. Light carbonation, aromas of fresh heritage orchard cider apples from Georgian Bay and Niagara, all GMO free. Citric finish plus spices suggest apple pies. Portion of profits goes to charities. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
 
-Coffin Ridge Boutique Winery, Forbidden Wicked Artisanal Cider, Annan, 6.5% ABV. Cold pressed and filtered, pale colour, fresh appley flavours, lemon finish. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
 
-Small Talk Vineyards, Shiny Apple Cider, Niagara on the Lake, 7.0% ABV. Hot tones from the higher alcohol, but definitely apples, could double as a medium-value sparkling grape wine with its apple-lemon complexity. Producer says made from "shiny" Ontario apples. Quality/Price rating is 87 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
 
-Southern Cliff Brands, Pommies Cider Co., Pommies Farmhouse, Caledon, 6.0% ABV. Baked apples dominate and the effervescence is high. Did they use a wooden hand press? Some wood tones. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
 
-Spirit Tree Estate Cidery, Spirit Tree Draught Cider, Caledon, 6.0% ABV. Natural draught style, not pasteurized (they use a UV glass panel to destroy pathogens, no heat). Some mammal tones usually found in wine from hotter climates, may be a factor of yeast (e.g., saddles). Gives the cider texture and character. My yum-yum fave of the pack. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
 
-Thornbury Village Cidery Inc., Thornbury Premium Apple Cider, Thornbury, 5.3% ABV. A bit green and lean with some grass orchard fruit notes amongst the fresh apple tones. Finishes balanced and useful for patios and parties. Quality/Price rating is 88 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Some good wines reviewed...

Other wines:
 
13.Dusted Valley Boomtown Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 Columbia Valley Washington State, +220376, $23.95 Vintages: Washington state cabbies are the most value-driven of all the US cabs. They are consistently overachieving but often underappreciated. They taste "above their raisin'" and are exceptional value. The Boomtown (no relation to the Irish Rats band) with its screw cap and 14.2% ABV, delivers consistent notes of black fruit (cassis, cherry). 6% Merlot and 3% Malbec have been added. It's versatile enough for summer sipping, parties or family meals. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
 
 
14.Henry of Pelham Cabernet-Merlot 2010 Estate VQA Short Hills Bench, +395855 Vintages, $24.95: made from Pelham's oldest Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot vineyards. Aged in US and French oak, 40% new for 18 months. An early wine will be slightly tannic but this can be fixed by aeration; I also enjoyed this wine over a week after opening. Needs more aging to appreciate some nuances while tasting, otherwise the wine is useful now so long as it has been paired with traditional food such as roasts or grilled meats and veggies. 13.5% ABV, vinified from heavy cropping and selection, held back four years before release. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
 
 
15.Henry of Pelham Family Tree White 2012 VQA Niagara Peninsula, +251116 Vintages, $17.95: another Ontario white wine blend, made from Pelham grapes and from other vineyards in the appellation. 40% estate grown, 40% barrel fermentation and eight months barrel aging (no malolactic). Grapes: chardonnay 60%, viognier 20%, gewurztraminer 11%, and sauvignon blanc 9%. Grapes and their percentages can change year over year; the blend goes well with chicken and as a sipper. Fruity on mid-palate, more lean on the finish. 13% ABV but with a cork closure. A winemaker's wine for summer patios or first course entertaining.
 
 
 
16.Thornbury Sauvignon Blanc 2014 Marlborough NZ, +734798 Vintages Sept 19, $18.95: zesty with lots of citric and green tones (herbs, grass, gooseberry, beans, typical low ripeness). Very much a Kiwi Savvy with minerality and a sense of place in Marlborough. Some juiciness near the end, but basically this is a food wine, great at lunch with salad, sandwich, soup. 13% ABV. Standard screw cap. Well-priced in its category. A medal winner at the Air New Zealand Wine Awards 2014. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
 
 
 
17.Mare Magnum Mauro Chardonnay 2014 Puglia, +404491 LCBO, $11.50: a new General List entry sure to start a sizzle with its screw cap, slick label design, and 14.5% ABV. The fact that it has won a few awards for previous vintages plus the most recent Citadelles du Vin Gold 2015 (for this vintage) is icing on the cake. It is an all-purpose white, going up against the $15 - 17 California-Latin America-Ontario chardonnays (but priced at a more modest $11.50). It's got that appley-lemon-vanillian off-dry oaky feel – all in perfect balance. It's obviously a winemaker's wine, dominated by balance and usefulness as an aperitif or first course white. Here's a chance for you to save a few dollars if you like the mid-priced chardonnay range. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
 

Chimo! www.deantudor.com