Wine School Is Open

 Fall is fast approaching  and with it comes lush meals. These dishes  require a good wine. Yet what do you choose to go with that pork roast or Cornish hen? Do you serve a desert wine and if so which one? The best thing to do is educate yourself knowing what to drink is as important as what to cook.

Wine critic and author of The Pour column in the Wednesday New York Times food section gave tips and pointers in his "wine school column' in today.s Food section. This is the seventh year of Wine Class and it has proven to be useful, especially for those new to wine. It's very practical. He tells readers don't be afraid to explore.There are now plenty of  good wines at reasonable prices.you can get a lot for  your dollar and build your own wine collection;. Also cultivate a relationship with your wine shop. They;re excellent in helping picking out the right wine. Defy conventional wisdom<it's closely related to biases and prejudices. Don't be snobbish as was the case with aligote which has long despised as the other white grape. It turned out to be quite delicious. ALso  consider the terroir or place of origin. That feeds into the grapes 'flavor as it does with cheese and chocolate too..Another tip is food pairings Experiment  with pairings. What works well with that roast chicken or pasta/ serve a different wine every time you have a meal

One of the most important aspects is finding the best value for the price. The smaller the distributor the higher the cost.Understand that the supply of most good wines is finite as they are products of specific vineyards with one harvest per year. Learn from mass market wines.They're basically mass produced and cost less than the more "boutique" wines.Oenophiles get upset when these are mentioned , and no good wine is under ten dollars. Mr. Asimov also recommends valuing simplicity along with respecting the classics. There are times when you'll want a more complex multifaceted wine , others ypu jut want something less complicated. Consider the classics like a good Bordeaux.Appriciate nuance such as the ripeness of the grapes>Also what is greatness in wine as wine lovers asked about Verdicchio de Matelica a white from Italty's Marche area.also get opinions and join the conversation on Mr. Asimov's take on a 2019 Chablis

wine school is open and take a class or two . Know your wines for easier  choices for dinners and parties.  They're simple lessons that will last a lifetime.

Saving The Season

 How can you preserve the summer? By saving the flavors of that spectacular season whether in sauces or preserves. It's a great way of savoring those sun kissed veggies and fruits all yar long.

The easiest way to preserve the summer is by taking all those extra tomatoes and turning them into freezable sauces. One of the simplest ways to do this is cooking them in a crock pot.This fees you up to do other kitchen chores or just get ready the bags and containers. You can use resealable plastic freezer bags or even freezer proof glass jars.Plastic containers also work well here. These and the jars offer a little more protection against freezer burn.The bags won't however they do pack in better than the others.Basil is not a vegetable but this herb and its' summery taste can also be savored all year round in pesto This is an easy sauce that originated in Genoa. Use all those fresh basil leaves and grind  them in a food processor. Add a drizzle of olive oil to give it that creamy texture.The recipe calls for ground walnuts to be added along with Pecorino cheese bu these don't freeze well. The best bet is omits these when freezing and add to the sauce when you're ready to use it.

Your favorite summer fruits can also be preserved too. Raspberries are having a second season right now and they are perfect in jam. It's a simple recipe of four cups of granulated sugar and four cups of raspberries.Its' then first warm in the sugar and adding it to the fruit. The mix is mashed and ladled into sterilized jars. You can do the same with blackberries, another berry that lasts into the fall.Just remember that wild ones need to be soaked in salt water to remove any bugs. Dry them thoroughly before cooking.  Keep in mind that the wild ones have more pectin than the farm raised ones.Also blackberries are quick to foam when they're boiled. Add the tiniest sliver of butter(!) to prevent this. The taste will remain the same ,especially with the addition of one to two cups of granulated sugar. You can add a tablespoon of lemon juice to if you want. Grapes are also a late summr fruit and one of the tastiest to make into a jelly or jam.Decide what you want to make.Jelly is made solely from the juiced of cooked grapes, namely Concord drained through a fine mesh sieve or muslin cloth> Grape jams has bits of the grape and skin.it is sweet with seven cups of sugar added.

Yes, you can stretch the season out. Make sauces and jams with the sweet flavors of summer. It's a nice way of preserving those sun kissed days for all year long.

It's Still Barbecue Time

It is still summer and we will still have warm weather well into the fall. That means cooking out and still enjoying barbecue favorites. You could add an autumnal touch with different spices. too.

This is the season for tailgating too and you can easily make those game day treats in the comfort of your backyard.Hot dogs are big with the football crowd. Think piling them with either sauerkraut or chili sauce. A novel idea for the season is an apple relish or chutney. This involves peeling and cooking any red apple along with a a green Granny Smith one.Ginger, onions and apple cider vinegar is mixed in along with raisins to create a sweet and tart topping for both hot dogs and bratwursts. This would also be good with barbecued pork chops too for a hearty outdoor meal. Hamburgers are another great barbecue dish. Add a layer of sharp Vermont cheddar and applewood smoked bacon for a substantial lunch or dinner, You could turn this into a vegan treat by using Beyond Burgers topped with soy cheddar and Morningstar Farms soy bacon.You can also take a fall classic turkey.Home chefs can grill a turkey breast on the barbecue.Use a sweet rub made with brown sugar or one with herbs. Have ii with gravy and barbecued butternut squash brush with herbed butter.

Of course steaks are always on the barbecue menu.Elevate them to the next level with a red wine sauce. This is made with a Cores di Rhone red, mixed with garlic, unsalted butter and freshly ground black pepper.You could also serve the steaks with a fresh chimichurri sauce. It's an easy make of just red wine vinegar and garlic and a blend of oregano, parsley and cilantro. Sometimes simplicity is the best route to take. Marinate it in olive oil and lemon with a sprinkling of oregano. This can be squash strips and carrots for a simple side.Parsnips and turnips can also be roasted and served with a sage infused butter. in a week or two there will be the first batch of pumpkins, and these, too, can be added to a late season barbecue.Keep in mind that you need to buy the kind used for pumpkin pies and not the ones used for decoration.It has to be sliced and then the seeds and pulp have to be taken out.After that you can add butter or olive oil along with such spices as cardamon or nutmeg.

It's still barbecue season. Keep grilling delicious meats and veggies during these late summer days. Add a touch of fall seasoning like nutmeg , pumpkin or apple to make it interesting.

Shared Food Shared Thoughts

 It's hard during a pandemic and widening political divide to reach out Yet today is a reminder that we can do just that. What better way is there than sharing home grown crops or something from the oven. Food can unite us better than ideologies.

Sharing your back yard harvest is one way of reaching out. Consider splitting your late summer crops with those struggling with putting food on the table. Donate those extra carrots and tomatoes to your local food banks or just to neighbors , family and friends who need food If you're planting your fall crops such as turnips and beans, try to plant extra so you can give away the overage. This is the time to take all those tomatoes and make sauce.Save a few jars for your kids' teachers or even your postal workers. Include boxes of pasta and maybe a shaker of cheese. (It's even better if you can make the pasta) Baking is another way of showing thanks and unity. Bake some cupcakes for a elderly neighbor who has become a recluse thanks to the pandemic. If you're still into baking bread, then make extra loaves for neighbors. You may not see eye to eye on certain matters but at least you can agree on a warm and crusty loaf.

Another way of showing compassion and unity is by visiting struggling mom and pop eateries , These are still trying to survive even though some pandemic restrictions have been listed. Now many are just getting back on their feet thanks to Hurricane Ida closing or damaging them. Try to have a night out, possibly a Saturday or Sunday eating out or take out supper. Doing such is a nice weekend treat whether it's just a coffee and a croissant or a whole pizza or a plate of dim sum.Remember to generously tip the waitstaff and delivery people. They are struggling as well and just getting back their financial footing. Also consider buying gift certificates from these eateries as well. It's a a good make  up gift if you've been having political differences with friends or loved ones. Better yet take those out  for a dinner or even quick snack. You may forget why you were disagreeing in the first place.

Today reminds us that we were all united once. We all need to be that way again. What better than to close the divide with food, a symbol of togetherness , nurturing and peace

Tuscan Influences

 Tuscan food is some of the best  ITaly can offer. There are amazing dishes from Florence and the surrounding countryside. A book, not a cookbook - but an interesting account of ayoung man's journey in this piece of heaven highlights this cooking and Tuscan life. It's an inspirational read.

There isn't enough good things to say about Andrew Cotto's Cucina Typico and its' sequel Cucina Romana (both published by Black Rose Writing).Its the story of Jacoby Pine an unemployed ad rep and former musician who heads to Italy with his  travel writer fiancee Claire. During this trip he finds  thanks to an old photo that he's related to local nobility, loses a financee and gains a girl. Along the way he meets amazing people, eats amazing food and drinks amazing wine. I thought it would be all about food which it is but it's also a great exciting story, perfect for a movie. Yet it's the descriptions of dishes that made me drool and want to cook. I am not a big pork person but Mr Cotto's luscious and vivid description of the region's cinghiale or wild boor had me craving a ragout made of it. He even gives props to  my great-grandparents. region Piemonte with its Ribiola cheese and shaved white truffles.

This book has made me want to cook again. Of course I can't get my hands on cinghiale much less pork but I can sort of sub in vegan sausage. As for the truffles, there are gourmet  stores that can ship them. However I wonder how good they are. I could sub in dried mushrooms or sliced fresh baby bellas. Will it be as good as what Jacoby and his new ex-pat friend Bill eat? no, but it can be made tasty with the other ingredients. The New York Times has a recipe for the ragout  that includes Chianti, canned tomatoes celery and carrots. A sprig of fresh rosemary seasons it.It will never be the same as rge real thing but a kind of facsimile for vegetarians.It's served over tagliatelli, which is an easy  get.Another recipe from the book that is a must try is the artichoke souffle. The recipe in Cucino Typico has eggs married to artichoke heart bits. THere is a similar recipe that also has goat cheese added to give a silkiness.  Souffles savory or sweet can be tricky but they're worth making simply because of the taste and mouthfeel.

This fall's reading list has to include Andrew Cotto's Cucina Tipico and Cucinoa Romana. These are the perfect books for Italophiles and food lovers. THe recipes and the cast of characters are tasty morsels sure to whet the appetite

An Appreciation Of A Wine Lover

Becky Wasserman's name was not known among everyday wine lovers but to wine critics and oenophiles, she was the force behind those rich red burgundies. SHe  brought them to the forefront, to be loved and rejoiced by those new to wine and those passionate about a good flavorful reds

Eric Asimove, the drinks critic wrote a tribute to Ms Wasserman_Hone who passed in August in yesterday's New York Times Food section.Ms Wasserman_Hone (she later married Englishman Russell Hone) started selling wine barrels to Californian wine makers. She quickly acquired a knowledge of the terroir and wines.She then transitioned to identifying promising young producers and matching them with American wine merchants.When she started, this province in east central France was dominated by big merchants who bought grapes and wine from smaller wine makers or vignerons and then sold the wine under their labels Of course, these merchants prospered instead of the farmers.The produce was also subjected to arbitrary price changes or not to be bought at all, this coming from the merchants.

However Ms. WaSserman was one of the agents of change who challenged this. Often she was the way in for a lot of producers, introducing them to the world.Yet she wasn't motivated by money She  wanted the wines and culture of her adopted Burgundy to be seen and known."If we don"t drink it we don"t sell it" became her mantra for her company Becky Wasserman and Company. Even in the Eighties she foresaw that Burgundy's future lie in re-embracing the sort of farming that existed before chemical farming , that is farming that relies on pesticides.This allows for grapes and wines to be more expressive,She sided with rebel winemaker Rene Lafon of Domain Comte Lafon of Meursault. He stuck with traidtion and grew grapes without the help of any chemicals> Ms WAsserman also worked with vintners jn Alsace and also hosted Burgundy symposiums in her house ar Bouen.

Ms. Wasserman Hone left a tremendous legacy for burgundies and oenophiles. It will keep on going  as more vintners  embrace chemical free farming. This will bring in a new more organic wine.

Dining In The Covid Era

Everything has changed since the pandemic. How we work and go ro school were greatly affected. What was the most affected area? How we eat. Restaurants have forever changed. Like it or not they're the face of the new normal.

Most of the contributors to the New York Times Food section weighed in. Yes, protocol  has changed tremendously. Priya Krishna weighed in on drive throughs which have always been big on the American fast food scene.Even fine dining restaurants like Carlos in Seattle There may even be a way of scanning in a license plate and suggesting dishes based on the drivers' past orders. As for actually dining in, say goodbye to those pretty menus.Tejal Rao predicts we scan in the QR or bar code on our phones and have the menus pop up on them.Patricia Farrell has noticed more eateries are accepting solo diners. Pre-pandemic there was a certain snobbery regarding a person eating. Not anymore. The less people in a place the better. Yurts are becoming a thing too according to Pete Wells.It turns out they're better than indoor dining There's more privacy and better for larger parties. Florence Fabricant noticed that utensils now show up in rolled napkins.

Have the actual food and drink changed?Yes. The chicken sandwich, namely from Popeye's has topped the hamburger in popularity according to Kim Severson.It was at its height during the first half of 2020 and even influenced Manhattan eatery Please to create a fourteen dollar version with the addition of a salted egg yolk.Plant based dishes were also popular, eclipsing meat ones.Again Tejal Rao weighed in on this. She noticed chefs like Jocelyn Ramirez of the vegetarian Todo Verde created ceviche with fresh hearts of palm and mushroom mole tacos. She even spiked mac and cheese with poblano chiles. Also more people are eschewing meats for either health, environmental and ethical reasons. Plus plant based meats like Beyond Burger taste just as good as the real thing.There are even vegan barbecue trucks like LA'sMo Better Brews run by Courtney and Chastitie Lindsey.Robert Simonson has noticed that cocktails are being served not in glasses bu branded flasks , coffee cups and even juice pouches.

Yes, how we eat has changed. We've adapted to it quite well though. These new habits and protocols will stay l,ong after Covid has finally gone.