DiscourseVolume 3, Number 2, April 2002 |
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Editors: Sue Dyson and Roger McShane Contributors: Danielle and Jeff Pillet-Shore (Los Angeles and beyond), Judith Gordon and Lawrence Banka (San Francisco), Lorraine Martindale (New York), Audra Sbarra (New York), Emma Lewis (Singapore), Annie Mills (London) and David Meredith (Tokyo). We are currently seeking people who would be willing to contribute to our newsletter. If you are interested in writing for fun rather than profit, please let us know. All material in
this publication is copyright and can only be reproduced with the written
permission of the publishers. Contact the publishers at mail@foodtourist.com |
Table of Contents |
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Breakfast in Los Angeles San Francisco Style Picasso in Las Vegas Dining abroad London Report: Mr Kong Drinking Decoded: Lost Valley Cortese The chemistry of fermented foods Book Review: Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini News and Views |
Breakfast in Los Angeles |
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Danielle & Jeff Pillet Shore survey the breakfast scene in Los Angeles More than any other meal, breakfast makes us really happy. Perhaps it is the cost to value ratio (how easily could one get such large amounts of carefully prepared food for the same price at dinner?), or perhaps it is simply the fact that we are so delighted to be “taken care of” at an hour of the day when we feel least capable of taking care of ourselves. With that in mind, here’s a quick tour of just a few of our favorite L.A. breakfast spots…where style sometimes clashes with, but never crushes, substance. Cora’s Coffee Shoppe1802 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica, CA
90401 Tues – Sat 6:30am – 9p; Sun – Mon 7am - 3pm A local restaurateur/chef named Bruce Marder bought this half-century old coffee shop late last year and renovated the heck out of Cora’s. One block from the beach, Cora’s is now decorated to the hilt; the small interior is like a dream kitchen, all stainless steel and teak wood, the tables are faux-marble with nice bistro chairs, and the syrup and milk come in the kinds of containers you used for glue in elementary school. The service is astonishingly, "L.A. Story" bad. The waiters are all wearing walkie-talkies with headphones/earpieces attached to their heads, and appear to have been shipped in from some planet where everyone is fairly nice, but the concept of breakfast or service just doesn't exist. Amidst all this hilarity, the food – in particular, the Italian Frittata – is terrific. It looks like a cross between a deep-dish pizza and a quiche. Profoundly thick, with a crunchy, creamy, egg-y crust, the vegetables (broccoli, celery, peppers, carrots) inside were plentiful and bursting with flavor. They tasted like they'd been pre-roasted, smooth and sweet. This comes with a thick slice of potato that tastes like it had been baked and then pan fried on both sides. Sounds simple, but we’d never had anything quite like it before. Mani’s Bakery519 S Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA
90036 Mon – Fri 6:30am – 12am; Sat 7am – 12am; Sun 7:30am – 12am As experienced latke makers, we consider ourselves quite picky in the department of potato pancakes. Mani's has a unique take on this classic. Shredded Yukon gold potatoes with egg, onion, and cream combine into something that really does look like a pancake. It's big, it's thick, and it is incredibly rich tasting, all without being overly filling or heavy. Moist and chewy and quite delicious. S & W Country Diner9748 Washington Blvd, Culver City,
CA 90232 Their biscuits are meals unto themselves; their grits are creamy and honest; their omelets are properly cooked (all mixed together, not folded over) and, before 8am very cheap. But man, those hash browns… They are fried with just the right amount of oil for a very long time (it actually slows down your entire order by a few minutes), and emerge crispy from top to bottom, without being overly greasy. Gets our vote for nature’s perfect food. Urth Caffe8565 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood,
CA 90069 Mon - Fri 6:30am – 12am No visitor to Los Angeles should miss Urth Caffe. Seriously – if you have to, skip Disneyland, skip the Walk of Fame, but don’t skip the Urth Caffe. Why? Glimpsing the sea of life swarming on the steps of this West Hollywood eatery is, like trip to a water hole in the plains of Africa, your best opportunity to see some amazing wildlife in its natural habitat. Everyone here – including you, the tourist, of course – is a walking, talking, living, breathing stereotype. The food? Great, but the best culinary reason to visit Urth Caffe is the coffee. They roast their own fully organic beans, and the result is, almost literally, like a first growth Bordeaux. Complex and layered, it has bouquet, midpalate, and finish. Expensive, yes, but worth it; there’s no better coffee in Los Angeles. (And you’ll have no trouble getting soy milk and a nice vegan dessert to go with it.) Pann's6710 La Tijera Blvd, Los Angeles,
CA 90045 Mon – Sun 7am – 11pm While everything from food to service at this restaurant is way above par, the real star here is the physical space of the restaurant itself. Built in 1958, this really is one of the best-preserved examples of Googie architecture. Perhaps the “Googie” name doesn’t ring a bell, but the design will; the angled roof, wacky patterns, slate walls are the archetype of the space age 50’s coffee shop. The food strikes a fascinating and impressive balance between coffee shop comfort food and somewhat boundary-pushing (for a coffee shop) mod-soul food. We like the veggie omelet with Louisiana Sauce, and salmon croquettes with poached eggs, grits, and sautéed spinach. |
San Francisco Style |
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From our San Francisco correspondents, Lawrence Banka and Judith Gordon As the kind of people who like to linger over our meals whenever possible, we’re not much prone to indulge in “traditional” fast food. Indeed, when we need a quick energy boost, one or two irresistible chocolates from zeroo or fresh fruit gelées from Citizen Cake hold more allure. That’s why we’re so intrigued by Slow Food, an international movement that started in Paris in 1989. The movement is aimed at food and wine enthusiasts, and membership comes with a subscription to the exceedingly handsome quarterly magazine, Slow. Members also can attend all events organized by the Slow Food movement throughout the world — such as the annual Salone del Gusto to be held this coming October in Turin, Italy. Currently, Slow Food has upwards of 65,000 members in 45 countries, organized into 560 local convivia or chapters. In Italy alone, there are about 35,000 members and 340 chapters (there, known as condotte). According to Slow Food’s website, “the condotte in Italy and the convivia worldwide are the linchpins of the Slow Food movement and interpret and represent its philosophy at local level.” For details, visit the website at www.slowfood.com. Recently, we attended an event
hosted by the San Francisco convivia at Albona, the only
Istrian restaurant on the West Coast. The menu at this small, highly personal
restaurant strongly reflects the area’s (and owners’) Austro-Hungarian and
Yugoslavian past. Albona is located in North Beach at 545 Francisco
Street, 415-441-1040. |
Picasso in Las Vegas |
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Sue Dyson and Roger McShane We often write about our disappointments with ‘hotel food’. So often it is formularised, contorted and lacking soul. There are glittering exceptions of course. Ducasse in both Paris and New York has his restaurants in hotels. Lespinasse is in a hotel. The Fifth Floor is in a hotel. But, usually, these are operated separately to the management of the hotel. But in Las Vegas there is an even greater problem. It must be difficult in a fun town like Las Vegas to maintain high food standards in a restaurant. Food is often seen as something to fit in between gambling and a show and then more gambling. As such, despite the glittering array of names of top chefs that are bandied about here, there is not great depth to the food offerings. Most of the big names merely 'oversee' the menus - they rarely appear in the kitchen during service. Julian Serrano is an exception. The food served at Picasso in the Bellagio is very good and is cooked with real commitment. In fact the entire dining experience here is very, very good. The greeting when you arrive at the downstairs venue on the edge of the 'lake' is warm and genuine. You will be shown to your table past huge arrays of flowers and a tantalising display of original Picasso paintings and sculptures. Our experience started well when we saw that the wine list included the Salon 1988. This is an intriguing, little-known label that has a unique and appealing flavour. It is one of our favourite specialty champagnes and one we take every opportunity to sample. We perused the brief menu and the four of us decided to opt for the Degustation menu (something we don't normally do). It consisted of three appetizers, a main course and a dessert. An amusee geule quickly arrived as did a huge bowl of breads. A tiny, crisp frog's leg set off with a deeply-flavoured tomato concasse was interesting without being a show-stopper. But the bread was wonderful. Everything from a spicy lavoche, to grissini, to more traditional offerings were very difficult to stop eating. The first of the appetizers was a Peekytoe crab stack topped with frisee and with yellow and red bell tomatoes dotted among tiny balls of melon and avocado. We had some misgivings about ordering a dish based on produce from the other side of the country, but we trusted the chef. The presentation was great, the flavour satisfactory without being the type of dish that transports you to a new realm. But the next dish did. It was so good that it reminded us of some of the great dishes of Neil Perry along a similar line. Neil Perry understands scallops better then just about any chef on earth and does unbelievable things with them. Well, a dish of roasted U-boat scallops sitting on a mousseline of potato and surrounded by a jus de veau (with a potato chip arching protectively over the whole to provide a texture contrast) reminded us of his dishes. This was a great cooking feat. More chefs should experiment with the combination of seafood and light meat sauces. They work perfectly together. The meat sauce melted into the beautifully light potato and lifted the delicate flavour of the scallop to a new height. A sauteed foie gras followed and was probably the least impressive dish of the night. The overly sweet and rich Madiera sauce dominated the plate and made it difficult to enjoy the flavour of the liver. We know that the French team foie gras with very sweet accompaniments, but it has to be done very cleverly. Similar dishes we tried at Cuvee and the Grill Room in New Orleans in the week preceding this meal were far better. This problem was soon rectified with the appearance of a simple aged lamb chop. Some jus was poured from a copper saucepan at the table. A nice ragout of mushrooms, a deep-red, flavoursome roasted tomato and a cylinder of potato accompanied. The flavour of the meat was incredible and went perfectly with the Girardin 'Les Darnodes' Nuit St George we were drinking at the time. Desserts often let us down, but tonight we were lucky. A tapioca pudding was topped with a compote of rhubarb, that was flavourful, intense, vibrant and absolutely delicious. If that wasn't enough, it was accompanied by a lovely buttermilk sorbet and a blade of crystallised rhubarb. This immediately went into our top five desserts of the year! Three great dishes in one night is more than you can expect at many great restaurants so we can unreservedly recommend this place to the food obsessed. Those who value a great dining experience will also value Picasso, as the service is friendly and very professional, the appointments luxurious without being gaudy and the cost of the food reasonable considering where you are and what you are offered. Bellagio Hotel, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd, South, Las Vegas, Nevada. Ph +1 702 693 7223 |
Dining abroad |
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By our roving reporter Audra Sbarra What’s so fantastic about eating in a strange and exotic land? What makes us hunger for bugs on a stick while in rural China, yet when we arrive back in our home towns we shutter at the thought of eating a pretzel from a street vendor? It’s understood that dining cultures and tastes can vary from place to place and the U.S. is no exception. Take the regional differences, for example. In New York, deals can be made and broken over lunch. In Washington, D.C. it is not so much where you are, but who your dinner companion is, and who they know. And in Los Angeles, hardly anyone can eat when Jennifer Aniston is within a 5-mile radius. And then there is dining abroad. I once had the good fortune of accompanying my husband, Kris, on a business trip to Tokyo last year where I began what I’ll call the beginnings of a love affair with Japanese food. Mind you there were many times I didn’t take my shoes off at the right moment, know where I was supposed to sit, forgot to put my chopsticks down after taking a bite, all of that. Once I even made the mistake of pouring soy sauce directly onto my sushi, and then the rice, when I was quickly scorned by my companion for doing so. (Mind you being Italian-American, the thought of any pasta without something on top seemed rather strange, but I was happy to oblige in this case.) On my final day in Tokyo I was asked to attend a tea ceremony. I was nervous about what I was supposed to do – if I couldn’t make it through a simple meal of rice an fish, how would I ever get through something more ceremonious? It seemed daunting. To complicate matters, after arriving at the proper location, I quickly understood that my hostess didn’t speak a word of English. But somehow, through my hushed reactions to the silky but bitter green tea, or bits of sugar served once the tea was poured, we were able to communicate on a much different plane. Of course food is more than nourishment. It’s a window to the culture. It’s the connection we make with the people who prepare, find, cook and serve the gift of food to us. It’s the difference between taking taxis and using public transport. And depending on where we are, it can be the difference between the guided tour and experiencing for ourselves how and what foreign lands we visit value, think and celebrate. But if you don’t believe me, simply go to any McDonald’s in a foreign country. It might not be the best example, but then again, a green curry burger with a soy shake and chips isn’t so bad either. Audra Sbarra is in the process of doing a million things, including moving back to the U.S., from Hong Kong, after a two-year stint. Recently she has settled in the New York Metropolitan area and admits to buying pretzels and Diet Cokes from street vendors, when the urge strikes. |
London Report: Mr Kong |
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Our London correspondent, Annie Mills reports on one of her local favourites! In a Chinatown crammed with restaurants, choosing the right one is never easy. But a visit to Mr Kong on Lisle Street, parallel to the ‘pedestrianised’ Gerrard St in London's Chinatown will calm your choice-bewildered nerves and guarantee a top value eating experience. Their seafood is always very fresh - the soft-shelled crabs a particularly delicious offering - but for a classic roast duck and rice nothing beats Mr Kong. They are open very late, the Hong Kong Chinese staff are always friendly and seating is available on both the ground and first floors. Highly recommended by a local local! Mr Kong, 21 Lisle Street, Chinatown, WC2 (7437 7341/
9679) |
Drinking Decoded: Lost Valley Cortese |
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Sue Dyson and Roger McShane The Cortese grape is reputed to be a native of the Piedmont region of north-west Italy. It is the grape used for the legendary Gavi di Gavi wine from that area. The DOC of Gavi di Gavi is centered on the village of Gavi where Napoleon rested after his victory in the battle of Marengo. (The village of Gavi is almost at the centre of a triangle formed by the cities of Torino, Genoa and Milano.) And the good news is that finally wines made from this noble grape are being produced outside of Italy. The tiny Lost Valley vineyard can be found in the high country of northern Victoria near the town of Yea. It is owned by Robert Ippaso and Shane Jackman. All the wines are good, but we got particularly excited when we saw that they had released a wine made from this rare, yet delectable, Cortese grape. The Lost Valley Cortese is a very fine wine indeed. It manages, at the same time, to be incredibly delicate yet has a fully developed flavour profile that begins with lemon and ends with honey. On the way through you pick up the normal fruit nuances associated with this variety, namely apples and pears. The crispness and the lemon overtones make it the perfect accompaniment for shellfish and chicken. It will mellow and develop over time. This wine is very rare, especially outside Australia. If you are in the United States or Europe try a Cortese from one of the Italian Gavi di Gavi producers such as Pio Cesare. |
The chemistry of fermented foods: part 2 of the series |
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Sue Dyson and Roger McShane In the first part of this article published in the February edition of Discourse, we discussed why societies throughout the world have used fermentation to preserve and enhance the flavour of food. We also discussed some of the many advantages of fermented food. This month we are going to look more closely at the fermentation process and what causes it to happen. Why does bread rise? What turns barley into luscious, golden beer? How do green soy beans turn into the black, unctuous, oozing liquid that we dip our sushi into? What creates that tingling flavour that we detect in Indian dosas? Why do the Welsh soak their breakfast cereals overnight? We will attempt to define what fermentation is and then we will look at some of the chemical reactions that take place while food is fermenting. The fermentation processThere isn’t common agreement on a definition of fermentation. It all depends on who is defining it and what their perspective on the process is. A food aid person might define it as a relatively low-cost means of using bacteria, yeasts and moulds in preserving food and enhancing its flavour and nutritional value. A food technologist, however, might see it in a different way. To them, fermentation is a process by which bacteria, yeasts and moulds convert sugars and carbohydrates into less complex products such as carbon dioxide and alcohol. A key point about fermentation from a chemical perspective is that relatively complex organic compounds are split into simpler chemicals. We exclude from the definition processes such as drying, canning, freezing and pasteurising for two reasons. The first is that they are all about excluding bacteria, yeasts and moulds. Secondly, the equipment required is usually (with the exception of drying) high cost. Everyone knows what bacteria are, but not everyone realises that there are ‘good’ bacteria as well as ‘bad’ bacteria. Some of the fermentation processes actually encourage the presence of bacteria to break down inedible or harmful food products and render them safe for consumption. A good example is the introduction of bacteria into milk products to produce yoghurt. Yeasts and moulds are less well understood by the general community. Both are funghi and are by nature parasites. They must feed off other substances such as soil, wood, leaves or fruit. Yeasts chomp away at the barley malt to produce the alcohol for beer. Moulds are injected into cheeses to produce the fabulous flavour of a gorgonzola or stilton. A fundamental chemical underpinning of fermentation is that an acidic environment is created. Many harmful organisms cannot exist in an acidic solution. All of this has been known for a long time. Georg Stahl developed the theory of fermentation back in 1697 although the chemistry was detailed by the famous Lavoisier in 1787. Bacterial fermentationWe all know about bacteria spoiling our food. Just leave a glass of milk in the sun for a couple of hours and those tiny microbes will have had more fun than Denzil Washington at the Oscars. But bacteria can be harnessed for good as well. Bacteria added to milk in the presence of rennet starts the process of cheese production. Bacteria added to chopped cabbage produces the acidic environment required for the creation of sauerkraut in Europe, kim chee in Korea. A similar process is used for cucumber pickles in the United States, khalpi and gundruk in Nepal, hum choy in China and torshi khiar in Egypt. Bacteria are either single or multi-cell organisms that are found just about everywhere in nature. Often, but not always, they contribute to food spoilage. They are voracious eaters. They do this by sending enzymes out through their cell walls on raiding parties into the surrounding environment. These enzymes attack food sources and break them down into particles that can be absorbed by the cell through osmosis. Some bacteria are particularly fond of carbohydrates found in dairy products and can rapidly convert them into lactic acid. Far fewer are very keen on the sugars in fruit and break them down to produce acetic acid. The reason that not so many bacteria are successful at fermenting fruits is that growing fruits are usually high in acid – the nemesis of many bacteria. Not so with vegetables, however. Most vegetables are low acid and very susceptible to bacterial fermentation. Therefore the fermentation of vegetables into a high acid environment (sauerkraut, pickles, kim chee) is a perfect way of preserving them. The acids produced by fermentation are the slightly sour taste that you will recognise in many of our favourite foods including buttermilk, yoghurt, sauerkraut, pickles and even olives. As the acid levels increase, harmful bacteria are killed off. Lactic acid bacteria go to work on carbohydrates found in flour, grain, dairy products and vegetables to produce an acidic environment that is both suitable for the preservation of the food and for changing the nature of the flavour of the food. Thus, lactic acid bacteria are responsible for the highly desirable sour taste in sourdough bread. They are responsible for the acidic nature of sauerkraut. They are even responsible for nullifying the harmful cyanide substances in cassava enabling the production of the widely eaten gari and fufu in Africa. In this case the lactic acid bacteria turn the cyanide compounds into cyanic gases which then escape from the fermenting food, thus rendering it harmless. By producing the acidic environment they cause other, harmful bacteria to die, thus making the food safe for storage and subsequent consumption. In some cases the process is quite complex. For example, the production of sauerkraut requires the presence of at least three different types of lactic acid bacteria as well as salt and pressure to release the sugary juices from the cabbage. There are also bacteria that are responsible for acetic acid fermentation rather than lactic acid fermentation. These are the bacteria that work on fruits, ciders and wine to produce vinegars of all types (and also ruin wine if it is left open for too long). It should be noted, however, that vinegar production actually involves both bacterial and yeast fermentation. The yeasts start the process and produce ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide. The bacteria then take over and, in the presence of air (hence oxygen) turn the alcohol into the required acetic acid. So the chemcial process for vinegar production is: C6H12O6 + Yeast ===è 2CO2 + 2C2H5OH C2H5OH + O2 + Acetobacter ===è H2O + CH3COOH Yeast fermentationYeasts can be found everywhere. They are in your garden, they are on your hands, they are in the air, they are on the surface of some fruits. They are members of the funghi family. Yeast is used in the production of bread, beer, cider and wine. In Belgium with some of those lovely, rich beers are produced without any added yeast at all. The vat are simply left open to enable the air-borne yeasts to find their way in. Yeasts are single-celled organisms that tragically reproduce asexually. They are generally larger than bacteria. The cell wall allows oxygen to pass inwards and waste products such as alcohol and carbon dioxide to pass out through it. Yeasts release enzymes (an important one for fermentation is zymase) on search and destroy missions aimed at sugars. The enzymes induce, and control the rate of, the chemical reactions necessary to break down sugars to produce alcohol and carbon dioxide. For example, in flour there are abundant starches. These are simply lots of glucose molecules joined together. When the yeasts have done their work we kill them. Thus the action of baking bread kills the yeast that has produced the carbon dioxide that has helped the bread to rise. Or when they produce alcohol in a closed environment the alcohol eventually kills them. Yeasts (the best are from the Saccharomyces family, particularly Saccharomyces cerevisiae) convert carbohydrates: Yeast + carbohydrate or sugar = CO2 + alcohol In some processes, bacteria compete with yeasts in the race for the sugar. If the bacteria win the race then an acidic solution results with no alcohol present. Therefore the yeast must win. So we must keep bacteria away. However, if yeasts are to produce alcohol there is another enemy, namely oxygen. If oxygen is present then aerobic fermentation occurs and the result will be the production of carbon dioxide and water. This may be OK if you like non-alcoholic fizzy drinks but is useless if you are dying for a beer! The reaction you get is: Sugar + Oxygen ===è Carbon dioxide + Water Or in the more technical jargon. C6H12O6+
6O2 ===è 6CO2 + 6H2O But scientists long ago discovered that yeasts are particularly flexible. They don’t particularly mind what conditions they live in provided they get to eat! Most living things die without access to oxygen. Yeasts are living creatures, however they don’t particularly mind if there is no oxygen around. They can still munch on sugars in this absence. Sugar + No oxygen ===è Carbon dioxide + ethanol C6H12O6
===è 2CO2
+ 2C2H5OH However, a word of warning here! If you produce alcohol in this way it must remain sealed from the air otherwise the resulting bacteria will digest the ethanol in the presence of the oxygen and acetic acid (CH3COOH) will be the by-product. This is why wine goes ‘off’ if opened for too long. And so this is why bread rises and beer fizzes – it is because the carbon dioxide is trapped. In the case of bread it is trapped in the cellular structure of the dough itself. The baking gradually kills the yeast and evaporates the alcohol. In the case of beer and cider the carbon dioxide is kept within the closed containers. Mould fermentationMoulds can be preservers or spoilers depending on the type and how they are treated. The aspergillus mould is often associated with food spoilage, for example. Moulds, do however, impart characteristic flavours and produce enzymes such as amylase for bread making. Moulds from the penicillium genus help ripen and flavour cheese. If you have eaten a Stilton or Roquefort or Gorgonzola then you have eaten the Penicillium roquefortii mould. While we have not had the opportunity to explore the caves holding the Roquefort cheeses, we can vividly remember walking through deep cellars in Burgundy, trailing our hands along the ceiling feeling the deep, soft, furry, black thickness of penicillium mould that has been growing for centuries and that is carefully guarded to ensure that it imparts the right ‘atmosphere’ to the cellars. Moulds generally do not assist with the fermentation of fruit or vegetables. They are better with dairy products. ConclusionWe made reference in the first article of this series to the so-called fermentation of tea. We will take up this issue in a future article about tea, but the ‘blackening’ of tea does not take place in the presence of bacteria, yeasts or moulds. Therefore it should really be referred to as oxidisation rather than fermentation. In the next edition of Discourse we will detail some of the food that are produced through fermentation around the world and provide some recipes for using these products. In particular, look out for our fermented blini recipe. |
Book Review: Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini by Elizabeth Schneider |
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Sue Dyson and Roger McShane This is a massive work. Almost 800 pages, 500 recipes, 275 photographs, 350 vegetables, as well as contributions from hundreds of chefs and produce specialists. So it was with eager anticipation that we set about devouring the contents. Would this be the ultimate vegetable reference? Could we find out the botanic background, history, production techniques and great recipes all from the one book? Well, in short, the answer is no. But it is a useful addition to your food library. Part of the problem is in the hype that surrounds it. On the front cover are the words ‘The Essential Reference’ – that suggests completeness. On the dust cover the word encyclopedia is used – further suggesting ‘enquire within upon everything’! Let’s take three examples to explain the strengths and weaknesses of this large tome. We turned to the section on carrots. Where did they originate? Why is a carrot orange? What are those large, fat carrots so beloved of the French? Well, there are a few lines devoted to the background of carrots in the form of a quote from Weaver’s Heirloom Vegetable Gardening which discusses white and yellow carrots, but then orange carrots are given only ‘the familiar orange form came along later, probably during the 17th century’. The five page section on carrots is devoted only to ‘non-traditional’ varieties. The big, fat French Chantenays (one of the most flavourful varieties on earth) do not get a mention. Most of the space is devoted to a purple variety from Texas called Beta Sweet. A couple of detailed carrot recipes are unremarkable, but in a section called Pros Propose there are brief descriptions provided by famous chefs. Here Liccioni’s terrine of carrots and lobster sounds intriguing, but there is insufficient detail to execute the idea. Similarly, there is a wonderful baby carrot terrine by Charlie Trotter. We liked the sound of this recipe and we were also referred to Charlie Trotter’s Vegetables for more detail. A cream of carrot top soup sounds enticing but no quantities are given for those who need such a crutch. The chapter on jicima, however was more interesting. The history was brief, correctly pointing out that it is a native of Central America that was taken to the Philippines by the Spanish from whence it spread through South East Asia (it is particularly loved by the Vietnamese). The advice about preparation is good and there are three recipes that are worth investigation. Our only reservation is the liberal use of cornstarch which we find unnecessary. The chapter devoted to radish is also good reading. It begins with a discussion of daikon, moo and Beauty Heart varieties. There is an intriguing recipe for an accompaniment to pork or chicken dishes made from sesame oil-fried daikon peelings that are then sweated in orange juice, orange rind and pepper. And, unlike the carrot chapter, she includes a discussion of the standard old European ones that we all know and love. A recipe for radish top soup sounds good. There is a very comprehensive index at the back that includes all the recipes as well as cross-references to the chefs who have supplied them. This will be a very useful addition to our library, but we will still need to refer to other sources such as The New Oxford Book of Food Plants by Vaughan and Geissler (Oxford University Press) and the sumptuously illustrated The Origins of Fruit and Vegetables by Jonathan Roberts (Harper Collins). Elizabeth Schneider, Vegetables
from Amaranth to Zucchini: The Essential Reference. Morrow, William & Co,
2001. |
News and Views |
Chef shuffle in San FranciscoJudith Gordon and Lawrence Banka It’s not humanly possible to keep up with the changing restaurant scene here. But among the more newsworthy items are star-chef George Morrone’s flight to the new Redwood Park in San Francisco’s iconic Transamerica Pyramid from the Fifth Floor. Replacing him is French chef Laurent Gras, who’s worked with Guy Savoy in Paris and Alain Ducasse. One of our former faves, mc2 (reviewed in the October 2000 “Discourse”), reopened with Todd Davies, formerly of Lark Creek Inn, as chef, replacing Yoshie Kojima. We’ve only lunched there so far. Stay tuned! New food publicationJudith Gordon and Lawrence Banka Another relatively new publication that’s captured our attention is Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture. Published quarterly by the University of California Press, Berkeley, its contents lean toward scholarly analysis, as you might expect. Yet, overall, we find this publication engaging, witty, and pleasing to the eye. You can subscribe or get additional information at www.gastronomica.org. A drive in the countrySue Dyson and Roger McShane If you get to New Orleans, forget about Bourbon Street and the French Market they are a complete waste of time. Instead take a drive across one of the world’s longest causeways to the north of the lake to visit the tiny town of Abita Springs – home to the famous Abita Turbodog beer. Here is the recently revamped Artesia Manor (formerly Artesia Inn). In yet another chef shuffle, chef John Besh has moved in to the city and opened Restaurant August, while chef Gerard Maras has taken over as chef at the inn and upgraded the dining experience. We always loved his cooking at Gerard’s Downtown (which is still under his direction) and look forward to visiting his new location. Afternoon tea at the PeninsulaSue Dyson and Roger McShane Every afternoon, throngs of eager tourists line up in the foyer of the justifiably famous Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong to sample the cucumber sandwiches, cakes and tea. But did you know that there is something much more exciting happening in the Spring Moon restaurant upstairs? Instead of cakes and scones you could be choosing from a dazzling array of dim sum accompanied by special teas chosen for you by the tea sommeliers! Next time you are in Hong Kong treat yourself. Underwhelmed at OndineSue Dyson and Roger McShane The crew from est est est in Melbourne have closed their Clarendon Street location, moved to Queen Street in the city and renamed the restaurant Ondine. Our meal there was an almost exact replica of the food experiences we had at their former establishment. Initial anticipation followed by a procession of flat flavours. A duck, endive and scallop salad was as good a starter as you will find anywhere. Well-developed flavours, lots of things happening on the plate. Two duck textures, flattened grilled figs providing flavour, scallops cooked perfectly. But a tomato consommé was overloaded with ‘stuff’ rather than letting it stand alone. A crustacean agnolotti was OK and could have provided a foil for the delicate soup, but why crowd the bowl with squid pieces and tough, chewy little clams as well? An overworked rabbit dish reminded us of a very similar dish we had tried at Clichy in 1984 in the same city. For dessert, a reasonable bavarois was let down by some very ordinary grilled peaches but saved by a nice peach sorbet. An unmemorable meal. |