Matters of Taste

A Sparkling New Year

I never met a Mimosa that I liked.

The drink that Wall Street Journal cocktail correspondent Eric Felton calls “the semi-alcoholic drink of brunch and, frankly, an ordeal” may have started out glitzy and glamorous back in the ‘30s at the Paris Ritz Hotel. But in the ensuing decades it’s become a trite, tired sidekick to all-you-can-eat steak ‘n’ eggs and an uninspired way to use up cheap “champagne” and frozen orange juice. Don’t believe me? Check out Felten’s 2008 WSJ article.

“By the mid-1970s, the Mimosa was everywhere, its popularity fueled by the fad for brunch. But ubiquity and exclusivity are characteristics difficult to maintain in tandem (just ask Starbucks). By the end of the '80s, the drink had lost the chi-chi sheen it once had. John Sutter, the narrator of Nelson DeMille's 1990 novel "The Gold Coast," finds himself one morning drinking in a shabby Long Island harbor dive called "The Rusty Hawsehole." The clientele is decidedly down-market: "I don't think there was a full set of teeth in the house." Soon he is joined at the bar by a footsore diner waitress named Sally Ann looking to unwind after the night shift. What does she order? A Mimosa.”

But, let me back up. I never met a Mimosa that I liked. Until, that is, the one I made myself recently on New Year’s Eve. I used my favorite Prosecco --- Bellenda DOCG from Conegliano Valdobbiadene – and chilled, freshly squeezed blood oranges.

The crimson-fleshed fruit, thought to be of Sicilian or Spanish origin, has a lively, beguilingly sweet flavor. The Italian sparkling wine, from the region between Venice and the Dolomite mountains, is smooth and light, aromatic and refreshing, and a whole lot of fun to drink. In my mind, it’s Champagne without the attitude; Champagne without the de rigueur genuflections to that wine’s rich complexity and lofty pricetag. I love fine Champagne, too, mind you. But the “occasion” has to be just right. Prosecco fits in at any party, any time of day.

For the best Blood Orange Mimosa, use a stemmed wine glass or a tall, voluminous flute, NOT one of those skinny champagne flutes. This is a cocktail to drink with gusto, not sip demurelyy. Use a ratio of 1/3 or ½ fruit juice (from chilled blood oranges)  to ½ or 2/3 Prosecco. Top it all with a splash of sparkling water. The enticing photo here, from Saveur magazine, shows a sparkly Mimosa made with blood orange juice and Campari. I won’t wait ‘til next New Year’s Eve to try that one. 

A PROSECCO PRIMER

Once considered an undistinguished sweet fizzy wine, Prosecco has in the past decade achieved great respect and huge popularity.

Sixty percent of all Prosecco is produced in Italy’s Conegliano and Valdobbiadene region. These wines are protected with Italy’s quality assurance stamp, DOCG, guaranteeing the wines are produced within the specified region using defined methods and satisfying a defined quality standard.

Unlike French Champagne, which is produced by the methode champenoise in which bottles must be turned daily by hand, Prosecco is produced by the Charmat method which allows the wine to go through the second fermentation in pressurized tanks rather than in individual bottles.  The shorter (and more convenient), tank fermentation is preferable for Prosecco because it preserves the freshness and the flavor of the grapes. It also allows Prosecco to be sold at far lower prices than French Champagne. Very good Prosecco from the Valdobbiadene area is widely available for $13-$16. Mionetto is another respected, widely available brand.

 

Giving Thanks for Thanksgiving Day Wine Gifts

At the risk of sounding like my family and friends and I basically drank our way through the holiday weekend, I’d like to share a couple of wonderful wine discoveries from the feast.

Family friends from Walla Walla, Washington join our Thanksgiving table every year and they always bring new (to us) and interesting wines. This year they introduced us to Feather 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington’s Columbia Valley, an elegant and supremely satisfying wine. On turkey day all I knew about Feathers was that I loved it, and that it was a graceful partner to my turkey, Brussels sprouts with bacon and hazelnuts, mashed potatoes, and pureed yams with poached pears and tangerine juice.

Today, after a little research, I know that it’s an acclaimed wine from the renowned winemaker Randy Dunn of DunnVineyards in California’s Napa Valley. I know that Dunn is part of the Long Shadows Vintners, a coalition of stellar winemakers from around the world who have established wineries on the hillsides of the Columbia Valley. That Feather is a blend of grapes from several respected vineyards including one poetically named Horse Heaven Hills Vineyard.  That it’s aged 22 months in new French oak. That only a couple thousand cases of Feather Cab are made each year.  And lastly, that Robert Parker and the Wine Spectator seem to share my enthusiasm…both give the 2006 Feather 93 points.

Rather than toss around a bunch of adjectives about a wine that I just met, I’ll let the winery and the Wine Spectator tell you why you want to experience Feather.

“The nose gives up aromas of toasty oak, scorched earth, Asian spices, black currant, and blackberry.”

 “This wine offers fresh, fragrant, fruity aromas; spicy, dark cherry on the palate and a silky mouth feel and lengthy finish.”

"Smooth and round, with a roasted red pepper note weaving through the ripe currant, plum and spice flavors, lingering easily against polished tannins.”

A bottle of Feather 2006 costs about $50 and is available on line at sites such as Wine Exchange and Discount Wine Buys.

 Another Thanksgiving dinner guest treated us to Addamo 2006 Estate Pinot Noir. Again, we knew nothing  about it other than that it was delicious. Now, I know that it’s from a Santa Maria Valley winery (in the Santa Barbara appellation) that was started in 2000 by David and Liz Addamo. I know that the Addamo family is originally from Sicily and that David grew up helping out in his parent’s cabernet sauvignon vineyards in Hollister, CA. also, that the wine costs about $35 a bottle and is fairly widely available including at some Whole Foods markets.

But, most importantly, I now know that this pinot has bright red fruit that makes you sit up and notice after just one sip. I found it lively, but with enough complexity to make it interesting. Also…very important on Thanksgiving Day…it’s a food-friendly wine.

Robert Parker has this to say: “The straightforward 2006 Pinot Noir exhibits a
medium plum/garnet/ruby color, a bouquet of sassafras, black cherries, earth, and spice, medium
body, and a streak of acidity.

This is a wine I’d be thrilled to drink in a party setting with noisy people and good pizza. But I’d also appreciate it as a partner to fine Italian, French or contemporary American cuisine.

A Seasonal Ale to Shout About

Legend has it that when the Benedictine monk Dom Perignon tasted a bottle of wine that had accidentally gone fizzy, he exclaimed “I am drinking the stars.”

If he were talking in today’s lingo,  he might very well be be shouting  “Damn, that Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale is awesome!”

I recently discovered this prized brew of the Anderson Valley Brewing Company in Northern California. My son, a craft beer aficionado, was raving about AVBC’s Summer Solstice Cerveza Crema and I, ever-intent on being in the loop (especially if it involves something good to eat or drink), hustled out to buy some. I quickly learned that the strictly seasonal Summer brew is no longer in the marketplace, but I did find the Winter version at Whole Foods.

Now I know how ol’ Dom felt. 

This is one truly delicious beer. The first whiff blew me away – caramel, butterscotch,  Christmasy spices like ginger and cloves, warm hazelnuts. And things got even better with the first sip. Rich, creamy, smooth, with a beguiling sweetness and a hint of bitterness to balance it. This is not a beer to belt back while mowing the lawn or rooting for the home team. Rather, it’s a beer to sip, smell, think about, and celebrate your good fortune in finding it. It’s also a beer to run out this very minute to buy, because it’s only made and sold from early November ‘til the end of December each year.

If you believe the brewery’s Web site, this beer will also plunk you smack in the middle of a winter wonderland. The prose is borderline silly:

From the first sip of Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale, your senses will be aroused with the vision of a glowing fire, warming the hearth and home, as gently drifting snow flakes silently blanket the trees outside. Each lingering sip will gently warm your soul with thoughts of family and friends, gathering around the table for the feast.

But, the truth is,  there IS something about the beer’s flavor and aroma that makes you think “warm,” “cozy,” “camaraderie.” And, yes, Christmas.

Even if you’re not a beer drinker, pick up a six-pack for cooking. It’s perfect for a braised pork casserole or beef stew. You can also sauté a few boneless chicken breasts with chopped onion, then splash in some Winter Solstice and sun-dried cranberries and simmer until the meat is tender.

 

 

Bottoms Up with Beaujolais

I read with interest this morning the New York Times obit on Marcel Lapierre, the 60-year-old Frenchmen generally credited with improving the image (and the quality) of Beaujolais wines.

I know just what you’re thinking. Beaujolais?  Eeeeeew. How pedestrian.

(This cool photo is from a Web site called “Confessions of a Wino.”)

It’s a pity that this lovely wine is so misunderstood. Most connoisseurs appreciate the charms of the Gamay grape. But many wine drinkers don’t know much about it, and wine snobs dismiss it as something that’s released each year with tacky hoopla as “Nouveau” on the third Thursday in November. Indeed, the contrived frenzy over Nouveau Beaujolais turned off a lot of potential fans over the years, as did a couple of whopper scandals in the industry. But today, the Beaujolais region is turning out impressive wines with remarkably low pricetags.

I personally like the stuff. The real Beaujolais, not the Nouveau. The more elegant crus. Read on.

To be fair, all Beaujolais is not created equal. There are 12 main appellations covering wine production in some 100 villages in the Beaujolais region. The most basic appellations are Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages. These are light-bodied wines with fairly high levels of acidity, minimal tannins, ripe berry aromas and intense red and black fruit flavors. They rarely have higher than 12.5 percent alcohol. They’re usually served slightly chilled and meant to be drunk young, with hearty food, lusty conversation and ample laughter. Two of the best known producers are Louis Jadot and Georges Duboeuf. Prices of these wines hover around the $10 mark.

The next level of Beaujolais, the crus, the more 'serious' wines, are made in villages that have their own appellations. These include Brouilly, Julienas, Regnié, Fleurie, Morgon and Moulin-a-Vent. They are more sophisticated wines and more likely to be made in the style of the famous Burgundies (Pinot Noir) from further north. While still deliciously “gulpable,”  these wines are more complex with lovely cherry and raspberry notes, floral overtones and a bit of spice. The crus are generally in the $15 to $22 range.

I, too, had one foot in the naysayer camp decades ago, but ever since an enlightening dinner at Le Cirque some 20 years ago I’ve been a fan.

My husband and I were dining at the revered New York City temple of haute cuisine with Pierre Franey.  one of the trailblazers who brought fine French food to New York City and the U.S. in the ‘40s and 50s, and who went on to become a prolific cookbook author and New York Times columnist.

Chef Daniel Boulud was in the kitchen in those days, preparing trend-setting fare that was both elegant and exciting. (That night’s sea bass prepared with a scalloped jacket of paper-thin potato slices, and the scallop in “black tie” are still at the top of my all-time-greats list.)

When the sommelier presented me with the wine list, I deferred to Franey. With some trepidation I might add. I was paying the bill and Le Cirque’s wine list was notorious for triple- and quadruple-digit price tags. After a brief survey of the list, Franey declared enthusiastically, “Brouilly. I love a good Beaujolais.”

And it was with that “good Beaujolais” that I enjoyed one of the most memorable dinners of my career. To this day, I get a craving for the food-friendly wine every now and then. And I always raise my glass in a toast to my friend Pierre Franey, one of the food world’s least pretentious and most influential personalities.

 

Dumb Luck...and a Delicious Dinner

While I’m on the subject of Le Moutardier du Pape …. (please see post below):

Our dinner there was a valuable reminder of the importance of spontaneity. Of serendipity. Of “going with the flow.”  Of realizing that the best doesn’t have to be the most expensive or the most famous or the most hard-to-get.

Many of my food-loving friends and acquaintances visit France – or New York or London or L.A. – armed with an eating itinerary. They’ve got reservations months in advance at the hippest boites, the Michelin-starred manses in the countryside, the chic big-city eateries with $350-per-person prix-fixe menus. (No, I’m not kidding.) They rack up Michelin stars like a gunfighter puts notches in his belt.

In contrast, on the first night of our recent trip, my husband and I found ourselves at Le Moutardier in Avignon, France, a restaurant we chose, basically, because it was open on a Sunday night when virtually everything else in town was closed.

We dined outside on the cobblestone plaza, in front of the imposing, 14^th century Pope’s Palace. The evening air was balmy, the ¾ moon rose and hovered over the palace turrets, and the food – including sauteed rascasse (the principle fish in bouillabaisse) on remarkable ratatouille, a dreamy dessert, and salad with local cheese and roasted cherry tomatoes -- was creative and delicious. (The restaurant’s Web site shows the full extent of the Perrin family’s creativity and devotion to detail.)

We ordered a bottle of Gigondas, in a sentimental nod to biking friends who learned to love that local wine on our last Provence trip but weren’t able to join us this year. The wine was as heavenly as the food.  And we toasted our good fortune at finding and appreciating this serendipitous dining experience.

BY THE WAY…. Gigondas, pronounced “zhi-gon-dahs” is often referred to as the poor man’s Chateauneuf-du-Pape. It’s been produced in the Rhone River valley since Roman times. AOC (Appellation d’Originie Controlée) rules state that the wine must be made of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre grapes, but the proportions are up to the winemakers. Gigondas tends to be a rustic, in-your-face kind of wine, but with lovely cherry, raspberry and plum notes. The Syrah and Mourvedre grapes add spice. Descriptive words that tend to pop up in “tasting notes” are grapey, jammy, ripe fruit, coffee and anise. E. Guigal is a well-known and reliable producer whose Gigondas sells for about $20, but you can find other good examples of the wine for under $15.

 

 

 

 

Tequila Tutorial

About 60 of the country’s professional food writers gathered last week in Santa Fe, New Mexico for the annual conference of the Association of Food Journalists. (AFJ) That means seminars on subjects such as Native American Cuisine, Chocolate & Chilies, and Memory and Experience in Food Writing.  It also means long hours at tables laden with the best food this city’s imaginative chefs have to offer. Oh yeah, it also means tequila….lots of it.

One day Al Lucero, a jovial gent who happens to own Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen, led the group on an hour-long tequila tasting and tutorial. (This tempting photo is from Variety.com which offers an unusual margarita recipe.) I’ve never been a fan of that particular spirit…finding that gin has far more fragrance, and bourbon far more spunk. But I went along for the ride and discovered some fascinating facts. 

**Tequila can only be made in Mexico, where the government strictly regulates its production.

**Only blue agave can be used to make tequila. It’s a relative of the lily and the aloe vera plant.

**The plant is harvested, hacked up, steamed, mashed, strained, and double distilled. Yeast is added, nothing more.

**If the bottle says “Silver,” it’s 100 % agave, taken straight from the still to the bottle. If it says “Reposado,” it’s 100 % agave that’s been aged for 60 days in oak barrels. “Anejo” is 100 % agave that’s been aged a year in oak barrels.

**If the bottle says “Mixto,” it’s 51% agave and 49 % sugar water.

**Oak barrels give the older tequilas a hint of yellow-gold color. On the other hand, Jose Cuervo’s Mixto is colored by a caramel mixture, according to Lucero, who hastened to add that Jose Cuervo Mixto is a high-quality product that makes an excellent margarita.

**It's a no-no to use a blender on a margarita unless fruit is involved; and the less said about margaritas in which fruit is involved, the better.

Lucero, who says he serves 3,000 hand-shaken margaritas a week at Maria’s, also weighed in on the origin of the margarita. He insists that the drink was concocted in Palm Springs for Bing Crosby and his cronies. Or, to be more precise, the women who hung out with Bing Crosby and his cronies.

According to Lucero, the gents were accustomed to drinking tequila as “a shot, a lick and a bite,” meaning, down it, lick salt off your fist and chomp a lime wedge. But, as more wives and girlfriends starting showing up at the increasingly popular desert hideaway, bartenders needed to come up with something more, er, ladylike. “An enterprising bartender came up with the idea of shaking tequila with Cointreau,” said Lucero, who added that this is his favorite explanation, though his book "The Great Margarita Book" offers 30 or so other versions of the creation story.

Our group got to sample Maria’s 100% Agave House Margarita at a cocktail party featuring food from 10 of the city’s best restaurants. Served, with crushed ice, in a balloon-style stem glass with a heavily salt-encrusted rim, it was made with Jose Cuervo Tradicional, Bols Triple-Sec and freshly squeezed lemon juice. I wasn’t crazy about the potion, finding it too sharp for my tastes. During the tasting that Lucero led earlier in the day, I discovered that I greatly prefer anejo tequila (aged in wood for a year) to silver (straight from the still) or reposado (which is what Cuervo Tradicional is). I also greatly prefer fresh lime juice to lemon juice.

However, one margarita does not Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen make. The drink menu is an eight-page affair with more than 170 different margaritas, including the Paradiso which is made with El Tesoro anejo tequila, Grand Marnier’s Special Anniversary Cuvee and lemon juice. It  costs $48 a pop.

 

 

A Taste of Sunshine -- The Groovy Grü-V

 I spent a couple hours last week with young Austrian winemaker Christof Höpler. It was a nasty afternoon, cold and clammy, with strong winds and fierce black clouds. But it sure tasted sunny.

That’s because Höpler brought along a bottle of Grüner Veltliner to share. This unique wine – the grapes are grown only in Austria --- has become hip over the past couple years, especially in the U.S. That’s “hip” as in groovy, which is what fans who can’t pronounce the intimidating name call it:  “Grü V.” (For the record, it’s pronounced GROO-ner FEHLT-lee-ner.)

Grü-V is a delicious wine, fresh, fruity and crisp, with subtle spicy notes. And, though “light and refreshing” is an overused descriptive, that’s exactly what Grü V (which has just 11 percent alcohol) really is.

It’s great all by itself, especially if there's a colorful sunset involved. But it's also an elegant partner to oysters, sushi, and tuna or salmon tartare. I think it’s terrific with Thai food and salade Nicoise. And Höpler bragged that “it even goes well with asparagus.”

After the Grüner Veltliner, we opened a bottle of Pinot Blanc, which Höpler calls a “real food wine.”  (It’s the #1 seller in Austria, though Grüner Veltliner is the most widely planted grape.)

“It’s lighter than Chardonnay, in a positive way,” Höpler said, adding that it’s more delicate than Chardonnay and has a lovely creaminess. I liked the faint tropical notes and the hint of almond in the wine; I also like the nice balance of fruitiness and acidity that make it such a good match with many foods.

 

Last summer I visited with Jöst Höpler, Christof’s father, at the winery in the tiny town of Winden, in Austria’s Burgenland region. (See my blog post about that visit and the wonderful bike ride we did along picturesque Lake Neusiedler.) Though the family had been involved in the wine business for generations, Jöst took the winery to new levels in the late ‘80s, and eventually built it into the international presence that it is today.

But now it’s Christof’s turn. The handsome, boyish-looking 33-year-old oversees the winemaking operation today – though he says he still consults his father when making final blends; contributes to marketing efforts (he has created a clever “interactive’ museum exhibit at the winery), and travels to places like Southern California to spread the word about his wines.

Christof’s goal is to expand the number of varietals produced (Höpler currently produces about 25,000 cases per year), and to keep the flavor profiles of his wines in sync with consumer tastes.

As we sipped one of the label’s elegant Pinot Noirs, Hopler talked about the color of red wine. “There’s been a dramatic change in taste since I started making wines,” he said, adding that today's consumers like their red wines really, really red...deep, dark red.

Höpler has also made other changes in the family’s portfolio. He created the yummy K-7, a blend of Syrah, Blaufränkisch and Merlot which he designed with a young, sophisticated, cosmopolitan audience in mind.  I wrote about it in my blog post last year: “It’s fruity and fragrant, earthy, easy to drink yet with plenty going on if you’re into analyzing and expounding. The label is unique; so’s the trendy glass “cork.”

The young Höpler also created the brand’s first Single Vineyard wines, including a Blaufränkisch Kirchberg and the Pinot Noir Rosenberg. He also debuted the first Höpler rose wine, Rose Celeste. And, like most people his age, he’s big into social networking, landing Höpler wines on the lists at trendy restaurants, such as those run by Bobby Flay and Jamie Oliver.

Oh, yeah. There’s also the matter of management style. As befits his age, Christof uses a full panoply of techie tools to run the show.  Though he may travel far and wide, he’s never far from the action, he says. Using Google Earth, GPS and the like, he knows where his tractors are at all times, whether the ignition is on or off, their RPMs, who’s cutting vines, who’s fertilizing, and much more.

(Höpler wines are available in Southern California, including at WineSellar/Brasserie in San Diego. The Web site Snooth also offers an excellent selection.)

 

 

A Taste of Things to Come

Wow. What the heck happened to March? You’ll note that I didn’t do much writing here on Matters of Taste. But I did do a lot of eating, and skiing, and drinking, and skiing, and cooking, and skiing…you get the picture.

In the coming days, I’ll share recipes and restaurant reviews from my recent “day-boat scallops” binge (I discovered eight luscious creations in two weeks);  a look at some moderately priced wines that’ll make you say “Wow” with that first sip; and my tasting notes on the explosion of yogurt-based salad dressings in the marketplace.

(The scallops pictured here, with white bean "cassoulet" and a knock-your-socks-off savory bread pudding, are the creation of chef Brian Hyre of Pacific 333 in Oceanside, CA.)

We’ll also check out an ambitious bike path in Napa Valley; taste Thai desserts designed for American palates; and take a vicarious peek at New York’s Surrey Hotel’s elegant approach to “bottle service” – the in-room mixologist. Blackberry Mint Margarita, anyone?

Memorable Morsels....My Favorite Foods of 2009

All the world loves a list. And food lovers especially love lists of good things to eat and drink. Here, in no particular order, are my most delicious food discoveries of 2009.

 

I had never heard of BARLEY RISOTTO before I stumbled upon it at a tiny mountain inn in the Villnöss valley of northern Italy. We had been hiking for several hours in the shadows of the Dolomite mountains when the weather turned blustery. We stopped for lunch in the GeislerAlm, a chalet that looked like Heidi should be peeking out the window, where we were treated to this unforgettable “risotto” made with barley, onions, garlic, multi-colored confetti of bell peppers, gorgonzola cheese and ribbons of arugula. A beer and a slab of apple strudel with whipped cream further fortified us for the rest of the day’s hike.

 

I have a tendency to fuss the most over chef Sean O’Toole’s dessert of BRETON SHORTCAKE, Oregon huckleberries and fresh ginger ice cream. And, indeed, this dessert of  lemon-spritzed berries and slightly undercooked Sablee Breton (instead of making little cookies with the dough, O’Toole makes a loaf, then sautes each slice in butter) was amazing. But  the rest of our dinner at  the new Bardessono hotel in Napa was equally impressive and one of top favorites of the year: Alaskan halibut with whole Brussels sprouts sauteed with julienne of  young ginger and Meyer lemon skin, and moistened with Perigord truffle vinaigrette; and roasted pork loin with a warm bean salad, buttery, nutty La Ratte potatoes and a glossy mustard sauce.

At Sapphire Laguna in Laguna Beach, CREME BRULEE often comes as a tantalizing trio (pictured here). During a holiday lunch on the restaurant’s sunny, flower-festooned terrace, chef Azmin Ghahreman‘s threesome included delectable orange-chocolate, fresh strawberry, and, my favorite, Chai Tea crème brulee. Sweet and sassy, with a crackly sugar crust, it was an exciting modern riff on an old classic.

Elegant. Ethereal. That’s the GOAT CHEESE MOUSSE at Skopik & Lohn in Vienna, Austria. I’m guessing the trick is the whipped cream that’s folded in, though the fresh local goat cheese and gingered red bell pepper chutney certainly deserve credit too.  

TUNA TARTARE is like the little black cocktail dress. Dress it up, dress it down, it’s always in style. My favorite in 2009 was at Market, Del Mar where chef Carl Schroeder accessorized the silken cubes with minted farmers market apples, diced chilies, ginger-spiked aioli and curry vinaigrette.

 Three months after my first-ever CRUISE experience -- on the Seabourn Spirit -- I’m still in awe of chef Bjoern Wassmuth’s (left) performance. Crispy corn-crusted prawns with fennel slaw and romesco sauce;  red carrot and curry potage with shrimp dumpings; warm ricotta and potato ravioli in truffle butter; chilled  corn and lemongrass soup with lobster salad and spicy shrimp oil; swordfish Sicilian style with  chili, capers, olives and basil...and much more. Each dish was picture-perfect and served by an attractive and amiable staff.

The menu at Fig in Santa Monica’s Fairmont Miramar Hotel calls it SPINACH RISOTTO. I call it Spectacular.The first sensation was butter.  Sweet, creamy, luxurious, remarkably rich.
Next came the intoxicating aroma of anise…and the flavor, too, in wisps of fresh tarragon.
Then there was one perfect spring pea…a tiny carrot that tasted like it had just been pulled from the garden…a baby mushroom as smooth as, well, a baby’s cheek…two lithe asparagus spears, one green, one white. And, finally, rice.  Each grain of Carnaroli cooked a point and imbued with all the summer flavors playing together on the plate. 

The world's going bonkers over BOURBON these days.  And anyone who tastes the Kentucky Tuxedo concocted by bartender David Nelson at Spur Gastropub in Seattle will be happy to jump on the bandwagon. A marriage of Bulleit Bourbon, Sherry, homemade lavender syrup and homemade orange bitters, is smooth and elegant, with a come-hither aroma and layers of flavor.

Every June, German and Austrian restaurants become a raucous celebration of WHITE ASPARAGUS. At Glacis Beisl in Vienna, Austria the pale, slender stalks even end up in dessert – as three plump clouds of mousse (right) floating on a rich, condensed sauce of berry coulis accented with aged balsamic vinegar.  A shower of powdered sugar and a few ripe strawberries and raspberries completed the fascinating sweet-vegetal creation. 

Deftly sauteed SCALLOPS, at Seattle’s new Anchovies & Olives restaurant, were sublime on their own, nothing short of genius when garnished with roasted nubbins of eggplant, cauliflower, pine nuts and red bell pepper puree. And that was just one of the many dishes that knocked my socks off at the newest eatery from super-chef Ethan Stowell.

BURRATA -- This voluptuous mass of mozzarella and fresh cream, dreamed up a century ago by some dairy farmers in Puglia, Italy, took the foodie world by storm in 2009.

• At Bottega in Napa Valley, it was accompanied by butter-blessed cubes of roasted butternut squash mingled with chewy bits of mushroom and soft, golden shallot shards, and moistened with a subtle brown butter vinaigrette. Oh, yes, balsamic caviar – made by reducing the vinegar, “jell-ing” it, and dicing it into weensy baubles -- crowned the creation.

• The creamy-dreamy cheese gets yet another stamp in its passport when young Boston chef Will Gilson dusts it with Za’atar, drizzles it with lemon oil and teams it with a sassy spiced date puree. Za”atar is a popular spice in the Middle East where it usually consists of dried thyme, oregano, sumac and cumin, all crushed together with toasted sesame seeds and salt. Gilson is chef-owner of Garden in the Cellar near Harvard Square, Cambridge.

• Warm Burrata with Beets and Crushed Marcona Almonds won me over at Scampo in Boston where celeb chef Lydia Shire also pairs the cheese with pistachios and a hot leek tart, and makes a memorable BLT, too.

 

TRES LECHE CAKE, from the A. R. Valentien kitchen of Torrey Pines Lodge Executive Chef Jeff Jackson, is a sublime creation of sponge cake soaked in condensed milk, whole milk and heavy cream. A popular dish on the potluck and church-social circuit, this traditional Latin American dessert (translation: three milks) is often soggy, overly sweet and piled high with frosting. But this version, by pastry chef John Harmeyer, is an elegant, individual, dome-shaped package with a deliriously smooth, moist texture and a rich, caramelized creamy taste. Topped with cinnamon-scented whipped cream and tangy pomegranate seeds, it’s served with a fresh quince-apple puree and a weensy poached apple.

Not every great dish of 2009 was at a restaurant; some were in my own kitchen.  I loved the FETTUCCINE with Summer Corn, Bacon, and Shiitake Mushrooms  from New York City chef Andrew Carmellini’s new book “Urban Italian: Simple Recipes and True Stories from a Life in Food.” The recipe is an easy, elegant, supremely satisfying creation that screams “summer” while offering the high-level comfort-quotient of winter foods.

 

 LITTLE THINGS MEAN A LOT

• Broccoli rabe, sauted with EVOO and teamed with crisp polenta croutons at Scampo, Boston.

• Fresh baby corn, still in their husks, were roasted and spritzed with citrusy yuzu-butter. Roasted cauliflower rosettes had a sweet subtle, lightly caramelized flavor accentuated by a barely-there sauce of pureed jalapenos, garlic, Japanese vinegar and discreet grapeseed oil. I went to NOBU San Diego to feast on the restaurant’s signature miso-marinated black cod, but I found myself spellbound by the elegance and effortlessness of these two simple vegetable dishes from the brick oven.

• There are a lot of good reasons to visit Cambridge, Massachusetts. But only one of them involves oatmeal, crystallized ginger, plump sun-dried cherries, toasted walnuts and pecans. That would be the oatmeal cookie at Hi-Rise Bread Company.

• At Chez Papa Resto in San Francisco, chef David Bazirgan does all the big things right. But somehow it’s the little things -- pommes frites with spunky aïoli  and a decadent potato & fennel gratin Dauphinois – that bowled me.

• What can you say about a spiedini with crusty grilled hunks of rustic house-baked bread and fresh creamy mozzarella, all drenched with an in-your-face anchovy-herb olive oil?  More, please?  At Tin Table, Seattle.

 

Seattle Celebrates the Golden Age of Cocktails

Becherovka.  Sounds to me like a dance done at Slavic weddings.  Or maybe a primitive music instrument.

But in fact, Becherovka is a prized alcoholic drink, made in Karlovy Vary (aka Karlsbad) in the Czech Republic, from anise seed, cinnamon and a secret mash of 32 herbs. It’s showing up a lot these days at upscale bars such as Tavern Law, the popular new bar/lounge/speakeasy in Seattle.

Billed as a digestif in its homeland (meaning it aids digestion after a heavy dinner), the liquor has a lively, herbaceous flavor and a soft golden color. Czechs usually drink the stuff straight up over ice, but on occasion they enjoy a popular drink of Becherovka and tonic water that’s called a “beton.” Since that translates into English as “concrete,” I’m not rushing out to try it.

A far more palatable choice is Tavern Law’s “Eastern Waterfront,” a fragrant mingling of gin, Peychaud’s Bitters, Martini & Rossi white vermouth and Becherovka. It’s one of the many fascinating cocktails dreamed up by the eatery’s talented bartender/mixologist David Nelson (pictured here). On the same night that he splashed Becherovka into my son Nicholas’ cocktail, Nelson swirled together for me two types of rum (Rhum Agricole and blackstrap), allspice liqueur, lime juice, Chartreuse  and Demerara sugar. Though it didn’t have a name yet, the “work-in-progress” was an aromatic and warmly satisfying cocktail, perfect for sipping while the rain drummed the sidewalks in front of the atmospheric new saloon.

(Since that night, Nelson has christened the drink “The Indecent Monk,” a reference to the French monastery where the liqueur was originally produced and the green-brown color of the monks’ robes.)

 

Tavern Law is the baby sister of Spur Gastropub, one of Seattle’s trend-setting bistros. (This year Food & Wine magazine called it one of the country’s best gastropubs.) Open just since early fall, the Tavern is part of the nostalgia-driven “speakeasy” mini-craze afoot in the country. (A New York Times article earlier this year wrote of the hidden doors, darkened stairwells and pre-Prohibition brews.) From the sidewalk, there’s just an easily-missed façade, with tall frosted glass windows and a non-descript door. But step inside and you’re enveloped in instant warmth and quiet energy, thanks to dark paneled walls, a long, curvy vintage bar, soft lighting and a spirited buzz from patrons who are drinking and having fun as opposed to drinking to have fun.  (A Seattle Times restaurant reviewer called Tavern Law “a thinking drinker’s watering hole.”)

If this room were the whole operation, I’d be satisfied. But, in keeping with the speakeasy “theme,” there’s also a “secret” upstairs room, accessed through an old bank vault door (call for entry on an antique phone) and up a darkened staircase.

However, this is not just a Disneyland-with-Dewar’s. Tavern Law offers an exceptional array of  handmade cocktails (using Nelson’s fresh squeezed juices and housemade syrups, tinctures and bitters), and a small but stellar menu of cod fritters, braised short ribs, baby beet salad, truffled risotto and the like, from the dynamic duo of Brian McCracken and Dana Tough, who also man the stoves at Spur. (This photo of a classic Julep is by Kristin Zwiers.)

A quick word about its name. Tavern Law is a nod to the Pioneer Inn and Tavern Law, passed by Congress in 1832, which allowed inns and saloons to serve alcoholic beverages without requiring customers to rent a room for the night, effectively legalizing drinking. The “Golden Age” of cocktails came to an abrupt end in 1919 when the Volstead Act outlawed the production and possession of alcoholic beverages.

Seattle’s Tavern Law successfully invokes the glory days of American bartending while also offering the best food, drink, talent and know-how of the new millennium.

It's located at 1406 12th Avenue, Seattle; 206.322.9734.