What is real food, wine and beer???

Real Food and Wine???

You can't miss articles about real food. The farm to table movement, organic food, natural food etc. Same things goes for wine and beer. I have written about ingredients in wine and how there are no rules or laws regarding putting ingredients on labels. See my 9/21/2013 post.
For years I thought that nitrates were bad for you so I bought bacon without nitrates. Now it turns out that nitrates are not so bad and bacon without nitrates actually has nitrates. It confusing but bottom line, eat bacon in moderation if you like it. In fact take some whole wheat toast, bacon, lettuce, a little mayo and some NJ tomatoes and make yourself a BLT. Simple and yummy.

Beer

Have you noticed lately that beers are beginning to be made in place other than where they started. Check out Beck's beer. A German beer, right? However I guess it was bought by the company that owns Anheiser Busch. Look at a Beck's bottle closely and you will see it is made in St Louis. The bottle says in big letters "originated in Bremen, Germany" and in small letters "product of the USA" "St Louis,  Mo.". Check out this article. http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-10-25/the-plot-to-destroy-americas-beer

How about Bass Ale. Look at the bottle. Brewed by William Bass and Co's, Baldwinsville, NY. A good English ale! If you look at the boxes they come in it is almost impossible to tell where they are made.

If I told you that Chateau Lafite Rothchild is now made with grapes grown in NJ would it still be Lafite Rothchild. I always thought that the water is what gives a beer a special flavor. Newark always had lots of breweries since it had good water.

Beer made in places other where it originated just doesn't cut it with me. I'm sure there are many other examples of these types of foods. Italian cheeses made in Wisconsin. Can't the folks in Wisconsin give the cheeses a new original name. Brie comes from France, not Wisconsin. Champagne has gone to great lengths to protect their name. Champagne is sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France. Can you believe that there are still several very cheaply made American sparkling stuff that have been grandfathered and can still use the name Champagne in their cheap stuff. I think Andre is one.

I am not sure where to draw the line with food and drink. I was in Whole Foods the other day looking for ricotta cheese. As I mentioned last time, I have noticed lately that most ricotta cheeses have all types of additives like guar gum and other stuff. Polly-o is a big offender. In Whole Foods  they have their 365 brand that says it is made from milk that does not have Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone with a note that says ' The FDA has said that no significant difference has been shown and no test can now distinguish between milk from RBGH treated and untreated cows." Yet the Whole Foods ricotta has all kinds of additives not necessary for ricotta. Ricotta only needs milk, vinegar and salt. So which is better for you a cheese with no RBGH or one with no additives. Of course we would like to have both but???

Wine

This summer I have been checking out low alcohol wines and coming up with some winners.

2012 Montinore Estate Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
7/12/2014 - I like this wine: 88 points
Best 2012 inexpensive Ore PN that I have tasted so far. Interesting fruit, tannins are balanced, medium bodied representative of the 2012 vintage, my only quibble is the finish; slightly sour and not the taste that you want to remember; will try again; the price is compelling.
  White  2013 Valley Vineyards Chenin Blanc The RoyalSwartland 
7/9/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points
Great value. Good fruit and balanced acidity.
  Rosé  2012 Château Montaud Côtes de Provence Rosé
7/6/2014 - I wrote: 84 points
Decent French rose, nothing special, clean taste, dry, low alcohol, Drank at the Borgata'a Italian restaurant for $28, cheapest on a good wine list. We enjoyed the bottle but their arer much better rose's out there.
  White  2013 Ameztoi Getariako TxakolinaHondarrabi Zuri 
7/7/2014 - I like this wine: 91 points
Light, refreshing and some fizz; just enough fruit; a really good white wine; drank with grilled shrimp and paprika potatoes. Wiil drink again although not a cheap wine.
  Red  2009 Barbet Saint-Amour Domaine des Billards Cuvée RéserveGamay 
7/3/2014 - I like this wine: 92 points
Medium bodied, still quite tannic but it opened up as we drank it; complex and subtle; an excellent Beaujolais, a serious wine, drank with grilled chicken; will drink again.

All of these wines are low in alcohol but big in flavor.

I made my first cherry tart last week and mys second tonight. Almond paste lattice with traditional pie crust and fresh sour cherries pitted by my wife.

Friends came over recently. Grilled swordfish, scallop[s., eggplant and asparagus over risotto. All NJ except for the rice.

We visited Atlantic City again last week. The Borgata was great as always. They had a sand sculpture contest on the beach and the results are fascinating.

Enjoy.

Summer Eating

Summer is here and fresh, local food choices abound. I am lucky to have 2  excellent farmer's markets close by. Saturdays its Montclair, NJ and Sundays its Summit, NJ. This time of year in this area there are interesting food choices. Strawberries, cherries, blueberries., lettuces, kale, kohlrobi, tatsoi, aspargus and broccoli are just some of the local produce that I have bought recently. The Summit market now has a mushroom guy with all types of mushrooms that he grows.
The Montclair market also has a stand for the Montclair Bread http://montclairbread.com/. Thier ancient grains bread is awesome; my son can't stop eating it. Their store is on Walnut  Street, down the block from the market.
I am awaiting the arrival of sour cherries. Their short season make my cherry tarts special.

My garden is also starting to produce veggies. No tomatoes yet.

What to do with all of this food?
I made broccoli and ricotta raviolis and shitake mushroom and ricotta raviolis. Interesting note, read the ingredients in ricotta cheese. Many brands including Polly-o have all kinds of additives. I currently use Biazzo, http://www.biazzo.com/index.htm  which has only milk, vinegar and salt.
While on the topic of ingredients, we are on the lookout for high fructose corn syrup. Apparently it is not healthy and not necessary. The fact that so many products have it as an ingredient is surprising. Even hamburger buns can have it. Try buying foods without it.
We love ice cream. Turkey Hill makes a line of all natural ice creams. They are very good and guess what, they have cream. milk, sugar and flavoring. You would hard pressed to find any other ice cream  that is make so simply and is reasonably priced. Watch it actually melt. Many ice creams don't melt because of all of the additives. Also ice cream is sold by liquid volume. So a serving of one ice cream is totally different from another brand. It makes comparison tough. For example, Haagen Daz ice cream is denser than many other brands and so has twice the weight per serving than other brands.Thus it does not much more cholesterol and fat than other ice creams, it just weighs more. BTW look at the labels of some ice cream flavors of the major brands. The are called dairy desserts not ice creams. They have whey and apparently under FDA rules are not ice cream.
This week the NY Times came out with their ultimate ice cream recipe. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/02/dining/the-only-ice-cream-recipe-youll-ever-need.html?hpw&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=HpHedThumbWell&module=well-region&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well&_r=0  They use egg yolks as the basis for their ice cream. I have not yet tried their method. Egg yolks do add lots of cholesterol to the ice cream.
But we digress. The raviolis were great and I made a light tomato sauce of garlic and San Marzano tomatoes and some mushrooms. If you want to make ravioli and other fresh pasta, a pasta machine is helpful. The machines are not expensive, around $50 and they are hand operated. Making fresh pasta is really quite easy. The basic recipe is eggs and flour.
I found dry sprouted lentils at Costco. They cook in 6 minutes and stay firm, which we like. I sauteed onions and mushrooms in olive oil and then added the cooked lentils. I then sauteed some kale and grilled asparagus with olive oil and salt. I then pan seared NJ  scallops and placed them over the lentils and veggies. Yum!
Blueberries are in season. I make a blueberry coffee cake which is easy and delicious. If you want the recipe, let me know.
I also recently made a vanilla cake with strawberries and chocolate. I sliced 2 vanilla cake layers into 4 layers. I then put chocolate mousse between the layers with sliced fresh strawberries. I then  frosted the cake with a dark chocolate ganache. Topped with some whole strawberries.A yummy but elegant cake. If you would like any of the recipes, let me know.

Wines
Summer calls for lighter wines, not necessarily fruitier. Cavas, Beaujolais', Barberas, Sancerres, Verdelhos, are just a few of the white and red wines that are great in the summer.

  2009 Piatelli Vineyards Trinità Grand ReserveLujan de Cuyo Malbec Blend, Malbec
6/6/2014 - I like this wine: 88 points
Interesting blend of Malbec, cabernet sauvignon andd merlot. A bit disjointed but lots of fruit with some tannin,. Could use more structure. Drank in a Scottsdale restaurant with wahoo.(others had steak). $60 on wine list. Probably would not drink again. There are better Argentinian Malbec blends.

  White  2011 Concha y Toro Sauvignon Blanc Terrunyo Los Boldos Vineyard Block 5Casablanca Valley
6/4/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points (Edit)
Nice grassy sauvignon blanc. Nice fruit, light bodied. Drank with wahoo. Drank in Scottsdale restaurant $45 on wine list. Would drink again.

  White  2010 Chalone Vineyard Chardonnay
6/6/2014 - I wrote: 86 points (Edit)
I agree with a prior comment. This wine has consistency problems. I had to return some bottles to the winery due to lots of sediment in the bottles. I asked if their were problems with this vintage and they did not admit to any.
This bottle was good but not up to other Chalone vintages. Oak and fruit not fully integrated yet. Drank with salmon and lentils.

  White  2011 Jermann Vinnaioli Pinot Grigio Venezia Giulia IGT

6/1/2014 - I like this wine: 91 points (Edit)
Excellent white wine. A pinot grigio with flavor; good fruit and acid; drank with flounder and clams; would drink again; not an inexpensive wine but it drinks nicely;


  Red  2011 Cave de Roquebrun Coteaux du Languedoc Terrasses du FrigouletRed Bordeaux Blend 5/31/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points (Edit)
Funky but good funky, fruit and complexity, surprised us, not sure of the grape; great value, lots of flavor; would drink again.

  2005 Ridge GeyservilleSonoma County Zinfandel Blend, Zinfandel  

5/31/2014 - I like this wine: 92 points (Edit)
VG Zin blend with some age to it. Surprised with some complexity and excellent balance. Fruit, terroir and just a good drinking wine. Not sure it has much development left. Drank with london broil. Would drink again.



  White - Sparkling  2010 Michel Olivier Crémant de Limoux Blanc de Blancs BrutChardonnay
5/30/2014 - I wrote: 85 points (Edit)
Drank at a restaurant at the Borgata in AC. $31 on the wine list. It was clean tasting with OK fruit but on the sweet side. I would not drink again.

  Red  2005 Château BernadotteHaut-Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend
5/23/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points (Edit)
Balanced; drinking great; good fruit and nice finish; nice complexity; low alcohol; bought more at WL sale; will drink again.


  White  2010 Gilbert Picq Chablis Vieilles VignesChardonnay

5/21/2014 - I like this wine: 91 points (Edit)
This wine has come around. Drinking great , balanced with that extra one gets from an aged chardonnay. Not a classic Chablis but a very good wine. If I had more, I'd drink more.

  White - Sparkling  2007 Domaine Carneros BrutChampagne Blend

5/23/2014 - I like this wine: 90 points (Edit)
Nice sparkling wine; big flavor with nice medium body; dry finish; drank with lobster; would drink again.



  White - Sweet/Dessert  2007 Maculan TorcolatoBreganze White Blend 

5/22/2014 - I like this wine: 93 points (Edit)
Great dessert wine; enjoyed at restaurant in Baltimore; complex; nice acid and fruit; ate with semifreddo. Would drink again.

  Red  2009 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir LaurèneDundee Hills

5/22/2014 - I wrote: 87 points (Edit)
I tend to love DD wines. This one did nothing for me; thin and tasted like alcohol. Drank in restaurant in Baltimore. I am having issues with the alcohol in wine.

  Red  2007 Col SolareColumbia Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
5/22/2014 - I wrote: 87 points (Edit)
Drank at a restaurant in Baltimore; Wine did nothing for me; cannot expalin the rave reviews; high alcohol and some fruit;


  Red  2009 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Le PetitPessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend

5/16/2014 - I like this wine: 91 points (Edit)
I like this wine; good complexity; it opened slowly; tasted with some big wines and this showed well; enjoyed; would drink again.


  Red  2011 Domaine Hubert Lapierre Chénas Vieilles VignesGamay
5/21/2014 - I like this wine: 88 points (Edit)
Good cru beaujolais; a little disjointed but nice bouquet and good fruit; good medium bodied wine; love those old vines. would drink again.

  Red  2011 Château Grange Cochard Morgon Côte du PyGamay
5/14/2014 - I like this wine: 88 points (Edit)
This bottle tasted tart; good body and nice bouquet; will drink alot more of this.


  Red  2009 Château Les Grands MaréchauxBlaye Côtes de Bordeaux Red Bordeaux Blend 

5/22/2014 - I wrote: 86 points (Edit)
Alcohol dominates; some fruit; I seem to have different impression of this wine each time I taste it; I admit I have become very sensitive to high alcohol wine; this is 14.5%. Good mouthfeel and nice body, not mcuh bouquet.

  Red  2012 Château Pesquié Côtes du Ventoux TerrassesRed Rhone Blend

5/15/2014 - I wrote: flawed (Edit)
Not awful but wine tasted disjointed and had a bad finish.
  Red  2006 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Premiere Napa ValleyStags Leap District

5/16/2014 - I wrote: 85 points (Edit)
Nice bouquet but I could not get over the alcohol; found it very hot and no real complexity; maybe an off -night for my palate but at 15.2 alcohol, I think not; wine needs more body since in tastes thin; would not drink again although I would be curious to taste other CL wines; Drank at a tasting in Baltimore.

  White - Sparkling  NV Vins El Cep Cava Kila BrutWhite Blend

5/13/2014 - I like this wine: 87 points (Edit)
Excellent cava; fruity; crisp. Great value for under $8. Way to go Jorge Ordonez.

  Red  2006 Château La Grâce Dieu Les MenutsSt. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend 

5/12/2014 - I don't like this wine: 78 points (Edit)
Not a good wine. Disjointed.

  White  2012 Cave de Lugny Mâcon-Lugny Les CharmesChardonnay

5/11/2014 - I like this wine: 89 points (Edit)
Medium weight with acid but could use a bit more fruit. Still a vg bargain and good white Burgundy. Drank with flounder and clams. Will drink again.

Enjoy.