Tag: Food

Long after the embers cooled from the 2017 California wildfires that ripped through North Bay wine country, many families and businesses are still recovering, and efforts by the wine and dining industries to help are ongoing. But the November 2018 fires in Butte County and Malibu have displaced tens of thousands of people, and the industry is stepping up once again.

The most high-profile of the initiatives on the ground is that of chef José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen (WCK), the fine-tuned meal-making machine that has fed displaced and hungry victims of natural disasters from Puerto Rico, in the wake of 2017’s Hurricane Maria, to Indonesia, where communities were ravaged by earthquakes last month. Andrés—who has reportedly been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize—has been in California with area chefs, including Tyler Florence and Guy Fieri, and 1,000 volunteers, including restaurant owners from Paradise, Calif., who lost their homes. WCK staff told Wine Spectator that they’ve cooked 175,000 meals for victims of the Woolsey and Camp fires, including a Thanksgiving extravaganza at Chico State University that put away 7,000 pounds of turkey, 3,500 pounds of mashed potatoes, 100 gallons of gravy, 3,000 pounds of green beans and 1,000 pumpkin pies.

California wine retailer K&L Wine Merchants is holding an epic raffle through Dec. 4 of wines from that “impossible category of bottling where we never get enough quantity to satisfy customer demand,” said co-owner Brian Zucker, via email. Raffle ticket holders have the chance to take home a bottle of 2008 Cristal rosé, a duo of red and white Chave Hermitages, a rare magnum-and-then-some 1.92-liter bottle of 1961 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo or the Karuizawa 34-year-old Japanese whiskey K&L usually sells for $10,000. The effort has already raised more than $100,000.

Wineries have been pitching in as well. Grable Vineyards in Knights Valley is pledging half the proceeds from all magnum sales to the North Valley Community Foundation’s Camp Fire Relief Fund, repeating an initiative they did last year after the Tubbs fire came very close to their property. “It’s awareness, and we’re happy to contribute, and it’s a way for us to get other people involved,” co-owner Amy Grable said. Over in St. Helena, Correlation Wine Co. is giving 25 percent of proceeds from case sales to Camp fire victims.

One wine industry pro put a slightly different twist on the theme. Jordan Vineyard director of marketing and communications Lisa Mattson moonlights as a memoirist, and is donating all proceeds from the just-released second edition of her book The Exes in My Glass: How I Refined My Taste in Men & Alcohol to Sonoma Family Meal. “I remember how bad I felt physically while being displaced during the Tubbs fire, eating fast food in a hotel room, waiting to be allowed back into our neighborhood,” she said via email. “Sonoma Family Meal is providing that vital, healthy meal for fire victims at a time when eating well is the last priority on their minds.”

Finally, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., whose staff voluntarily evacuated its Chico facility in the Camp fire, announced the launch of the Sierra Nevada Camp Fire Relief Fund, putting up $100,000 to kick things off and brewing up a Resilience Butte County Proud IPA for release early next year.

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A luscious French dessert you can’t miss: try this alternative version of madeleines with chocolate and almonds, ready in about 30 minutes from start to finish.

The Michelin Guide for San Francisco 2019 has been released with Dominque Crenn becoming the first female chef in the States to receive three stars.

This video recipe will teach you the ins and outs of making a festive king cake, a staple of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. You’ll love the results!

The ongoing national debate over interstate retailer shipping took another twist yesterday, as a federal appeals court reversed an earlier decision that had allowed Illinois to bar shipments from out-of-state retailers, as reported by Shanken News Daily, a sister publication of Wine Spectator.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit found that the earlier district court decision in favor of Illinois failed to adequately examine the state’s justifications for the law, which was challenged on Commerce Clause grounds by Indiana chain Cap n’ Cork (Lebamoff Enterprises). But while it overturned the ruling, potentially opening the door to shipments into Illinois from out of state, the appeals court noted that the looming Tennessee v. Byrd case before the Supreme Court could have significant implications for this and other similar cases looking ahead.

The Illinois case stems from the state’s refusal to allow out-of-state retailers to ship to its residents, while allowing shipping by retailers with a physical presence in the state. While Cap n’ Cork and several wine consumers assert that the law is discriminatory and unconstitutional under the Commerce Clause, Illinois says “its restrictions fall within its reserved powers under the 21st Amendment,” in the words of the court.

The appeals court decision continued, “The district court accepted Illinois’ reasoning and dismissed the case with prejudice. We conclude that it was too quick to do so in the face of material contested issues about the necessity for and justifications behind the Illinois statute.”

For more on this case and other legal challenges, read the full story in Shanken News Daily.

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Sink or float? Can you remember how to test for egg freshness? Follow these simple tips.

Hip-hop all-star Raekwon may go by “Raekwon da Chef,” but his latest concoction comes not from the pantry but the cellar: a new fizzy wine called Licataa, made in collaboration with Lambrusco producer Cantine Ceci and just launched this month in New York. Raekwon told Unfiltered he recently traveled to Italy to do tastings that helped determine the “special potion” Lambrusco-based blend. “It’s a velvety, smooth taste that still has a little sparkling feeling to it,” he said. “Licataa won’t be something that you feel like is a little too dry, or too fruity; [it’s] right in the middle.”

The Only Built 4 Cuban Linx … rapper joked that he could have easily named his wine “Raekwon the Chef,” but, as in his lyrics, he wanted to tell a story. “Licata [one “a”] is a small [town] in Sicily where a lot of people that were immigrants to America came from,” he said, drawing a connection to the Wu-Tang Clan’s home borough, which also requires a bit of a journey. “In Staten Island, we’re the farthest out from New York City—you have to go across the water. I love the name; it’s relatable.” When choosing a design and logo on the blue-chrome bottles, Raekwon came up with the silhouette of an archer. You shoot the arrow “to make sure it sticks,” he explained. “I wanted to be able to have a wine that, when I give to you, it sticks.”

Licataa is now available in NYC at $35 a pop—Staten Island’s Shaolin Liquor is among the stores that carries it—and will launch next month in California, Florida, Atlanta and New Jersey. Despite all the archery, there are no plans to weaponize the bottle’s corks on national TV.

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Anna Faris, Tituss Burgess ‘Sleigh’ in Barefoot’s Holiday Music Video

‘Tis the season for celebratory sips, holiday headaches and catchy tunes that will be stuck in your head until after the New Year. Bundling all three of these yuletide traditions together is the new song and music video “Sleighin’ the Holidays” from Barefoot Wine’s “Slay Team,” an all-star cast including Anna Faris, Saturday Night Live‘s Cecily Strong, Yvonne Orji (from HBO’s Insecure) and Chrissie Fit (Pitch Perfect 2 and 3), with a special appearance by “Peeno Noir” lover Tituss Burgess.

With the help of ever-present bottles of wine, the group cheerfully navigate a gamut of holiday mishaps, such as oversized luggage at the airport, a cancelled office party, a surprise visit from a great aunt and, of course, the dreaded re-gift: “Socks, candles, scarves and ties,” Burgess raps/laments. “All I want for Christmas is sparkling wine.”

According to Anna Bell, vice president of marketing for Barefoot, the fun didn’t end when cameras stopped rolling. “There were a ton of great moments on set, especially seeing the Slay Team members bond so quickly, as this was the first time that each of them have had the opportunity to work together,” she told Unfiltered. “One of my personal favorite moments was watching Anna Faris attempt to stay in character throughout the entire time she was on set—talk about commitment!”

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It’s a top tool of organic grapegrowers. But is copper sulfate truly safe for vineyards? A new push by European leaders to reduce—and eventually eliminate—copper compounds used by organic and biodynamic winegrowers is making the future of organic viticulture uncertain in some wine regions.

Vintners say that without effective alternatives to copper, crop loss in damp years will make organic vineyards economically unsustainable, forcing them to turn to synthetic chemicals or bankruptcy. But as the E.U. moves toward a vote on whether or not to reauthorize the use of copper compounds, leading winemakers argue that Europe’s current approach to organic farming is too simplistic, and advocate a more nuanced strategy.

“Natural is good, synthetic is bad? It’s too basic to reason that way,” said Charles Philipponnat, CEO of Philipponnat Champagne. “The objective is to make fine wine in a way that doesn’t leave a negative impact for our children.”

Since the 1880s, copper compounds, typically copper sulfate mixed with lime, have been used by grapegrowers to fight fungus and bacteria threats to vines. For organic growers, who cannot use modern fungicide sprays, copper sulfate remains the most effective weapon against downy mildew. While wine grapes were the original target crop, copper compounds are also widely used for organic potato, tomato and apple farming.

But risk assessments by public authorities like the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) show that copper compounds pose risks for farm workers, birds, mammals, ground water, soil organisms and earthworms. These risks make copper unpalatable to many vintners.

“Copper is a heavy metal and it stays in the topsoil. It’s not natural; it’s not clean,” said Philipponnat. While his Champagne house has eliminated herbicides and chemical fertilizers and uses natural vine treatments, he doesn’t rule out synthetic remedies. “I don’t think it’s bad to use synthetic molecules. Some synthetic molecules disappear much more rapidly. Some synthetic treatments are better than copper, but they aren’t accepted for organic viticulture.”

Can organic farming endure with less copper?

Nearly 17 percent of Italy’s vineyards are certified organic. In France, 10 percent of the country’s vineyards are certified organic or in the process of certification. In Italy, Hungary and Slovenia, roughly half of small and medium-size estates are organically farmed.

Under current E.U. rules, certified organic growers are allowed to spray about 5 pounds per acre per year. But there is also a so-called smoothing mechanism: Growers can spray more in wet years as long as they don’t exceed 27 pounds per acre over a five-year period.

“In some areas they used [6 pounds per acre] this year,” said Lorenza Romanese, policy advisor for the E.U. Confederation of Independent Growers.

Those days are numbered. E.U. lawmakers are currently leaning toward a 25 pound per acre limit over a seven-year period (3.5 pound per acre per year average) starting in January 2019. Initially, E.U. lawmakers did not include the “smoothing mechanism,” but the French predicted more than half of the organic vineyards would return to conventional farming. Lawmakers acquiesced to a smoothing mechanism.

“At least we’re not dead,” said Romanese. “For all of Europe, with the smoothing mechanism, we can survive.” But he says organic farming will shrink. “We lose Champagne and a few regions in the Loire. The Prosecco region and Trentino–Alto Adige, those two won’t make it with [3.5 pounds].”

In Burgundy, Philippe Drouhin of the Beaune-based merchant house Joseph Drouhin, told Wine Spectator, “I think that will be a hard challenge for all of us, big and small estates.”

Not all regions will be as impacted. “It depends where you grow the vineyard. If you are in Bordeaux or Alsace, it’s different than if you are in Châteauneuf-du-Pape or Provence,” said César Perrin, a fifth-generation grower in the Rhône whose family owns Château de Beaucastel and multiple other properties. “The last rainy vintage was 2008. This year we used [2.7 pounds per acre].”

While the concerns of organic farmers have not been ignored, E.U. Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis said, “The protection of health and the environment is my main priority.”

With environmental and economic sustainability on the line, leading Spanish winemaker Miguel Torres told Wine Spectator, it’s time to reconsider where we grow wine: “The most important challenge is climate change. Some organic vineyards have a higher carbon footprint than conventional vineyards. If we listen to nature more, ask ourselves, are we in the optimal place to grow wine grapes?”

What are the options for a greener future?

Some vintners believe they must look beyond copper. “We believe in organic viticulture, but I don’t believe it’s enough. It’s the past. We have to look to the future,” said Torres. “You have to listen to nature. If you have a warm, dry climate, then organic viticulture is fantastic. But if you try organic viticulture in places with high amounts of rain or humidity, the only recourse is fighting with copper, and you will pollute your vineyard with copper.”

At the same time, Drouhin emphasized that vintners know the disease much better than they used to. And more precise weather forecasts—”To the millimeter is essential,” said Drouhin—would allow growers to use sprays more effectively.

“I see a future for using essential oils and certain bacteria for fungicides,” said Philipponnat, who said they had also had good results with a nettle-based spray.

In the Rhône, Perrin said, “We use an orange peel spray that helps a lot, and we use a 10 percent whey mixture spray that helps fight mildew. We are pleased with the results.”

Both Perrin and Drouhin have also adopted the biodynamic philosophies. “With biodynamics, we help the vine be more resistant against those pathogens,” said Drouhin. The frustration for biodynamic growers is the dearth of scientific research to back up their anecdotal claims. “Scientists say it’s not a science,” said Drouhin.

Scientists have, however, come up with promising innovations, some with ties to organic and biodynamic methods. For instance, in Bordeaux trials are underway using a spray made with Atlantic algae that has been successful in fighting mildew and has had mixed results in fighting botrytis. The product, created by engineer-enologist Laurent de Crasto and Lionel Navarro of the French National Center for Scientific Research, should be commercially available by 2022.

Meanwhile, the French National Institute for Agronomic Research, INRA, has been busy creating disease-resistant grape varieties. In October, they announced the sale of 400 cases of wine made from Artaban, one of the four new grape varieties recently approved for production that are more resistant to fungi. But many winegrowers are skeptical. “The ones we’ve tried, they’ve changed the taste of the grapes and the final wine,” said Torres. “Will consumers accept the taste?”

The main lesson seems to be that organic farming cannot only look to past methods if it is to move into the future. “I’m convinced that if we invested [enough] financial means,” said Drouhin, “we would find [an alternative] to copper.”

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Adrian Wellock has not been able to taste any food for over three years. He says he lost his sense of taste after suffering from a cold.

Eight ingredients, plus pantry staples. That’s all it takes to make an entire meal from scratch. Add in a good bottle of wine for less than $20, and you’ve got a feast for family or friends.

Like many people, I am enamored with the sublime simplicity of Italian cooking. A few basic ingredients seem magically transformed into a decadent feast. The idea of creating a beautiful meal out of eight components must seem like no feat at all to many Italians.

My husband and I recently vacationed around northern Italy, bringing back inspiration for many meals to come. Of course, the first thing I was excited to make was pasta—ravioli in particular. Moreover, I thought I’d make pasta with almost no extra equipment. You can certainly use a pasta maker and ravioli mold if you’d like (and your results will definitely be more uniformly shaped), but all you really need is a rolling pin and, if you’re feeling lazy about kneading dough, an electric mixer.

For the dough, I called on a recipe I’d learned in culinary school, and then I created a very simple filling out of ricotta and butternut squash (purchased already cubed for convenience). Browned butter is all you need for sauce; however, I love crispy sage leaves, so finishing the dish with them really takes it over the top for me.

My ravioli definitely showed handmade imperfections. Though not the wondrous creations of practiced hands that I had tried on vacation, they were deeply satisfying nonetheless. They do, however, require a bit of time. If you would like to reduce the effort, I suggest purchasing fresh lasagna noodles from a specialty store and cutting them to create the ravioli. You can also make the dough ahead of time; it will keep in the fridge for one or two days and can be stored in the freezer for two or three months

Though Italy was the inspiration here, I thought the rich flavors of the butternut squash and butter would work well with the bold fruit of New World wine options. I opted for a Chardonnay and Pinot Gris, both from California.

The Pinot Gris was refreshing, and its round fruit played nicely to the flavor of the squash. On the other hand, the creamy texture of the Chardonnay really brought out the buttery sauce, while its light touch of oak amplified the hint of nutmeg in the filling. If we’d been dining during a warmer time of year, I might have preferred the acidity in the Chenin Blanc. However, the Chardonnay brought an extra layer of luxuriousness to the meal, just what we were looking for in a fall pairing.

Butternut Squash Ravioli in Brown Butter with Crispy Sage

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Pair with a lightly oaked New World Chardonnay such as Decoy Chardonnay Sonoma County 2016 (87 points, $20).

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Prep time: 5 minutes
Approximate cooking time: 2 hours
Active time: 90 minutes
Approximate food costs: $16

• 7 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 2/3 cups), plus extra for dusting
• 2 eggs, plus 3 yolks, divided
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 4 ounces (about 1 cup) cubed butternut squash (or pumpkin)
• 1/2 cup ricotta, drained of excess liquid
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, or to taste
• 1 stick butter
• 20 sage leaves
• Salt
• Pepper
• Grated Parmesan, optional (for garnish)

Note: If you roll out the dough yourself, as I’ve done here, the recipe will likely yield fewer ravioli than if you use a pasta maker to create thinner sheets. You may need to adjust the amount of filling. Use 4 ounces of squash and 1/2 cup of ricotta if hand-rolling, or about 6 ounces of squash and 2/3 to 3/4 cup ricotta if using a pasta machine.

1. Pour the flour on a work surface. Form a well in the center of the flour, then put 2 eggs and 2 egg yolks, oil and a generous pinch of salt in the center of the well. (Reserve 1 egg yolk for later.) Beat the eggs and begin to incorporate the flour from the sides using a fork or your fingers.

2. Once the ingredients are mixed together well, form the dough into a ball and knead for about 10 minutes by hand or for about 4 minutes using an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. At the end the dough should be smooth and pliable.

3. Cover ball of dough with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Allow the dough to rest for at least 1 hour to make it easier to work with.

4. Make the filling while the dough rests. Fit a pot with a steamer basket and fill it with a couple inches of water. Add the butternut squash pieces and cover with a lid. Bring water to a boil and cook until squash is very tender and can be easily mashed with a fork, approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

5. Transfer the squash to a bowl. Mash the pieces with a fork until smooth. Allow the squash to cool until it is lukewarm or cooler. Mix in the ricotta and season with nutmeg, plus salt and pepper to taste. Whisk the remaining egg yolk and combine with the mixture. Set aside.

6. Divide the pasta dough into 2 to 3 pieces. Sprinkle flour on a work surface and begin to roll out sheets with a rolling pin until very thin. Cut into strips approximately 4 inches by 2 inches. (The pasta might contract as it sits. You can lightly re-roll the strips to extend them.) Alternatively, use a pasta maker to roll out the sheets.

7. Lay out the strips of pasta and spoon about a tablespoon of filling onto one half of a strip. Fold the strip over to cover the filling and pinch closed. Use a fork to press the edges securely together. Repeat until all of the ravioli are formed. (Alternatively, use a ravioli mold for these steps if you happen to have one.) This will yield about 20 ravioli if the dough was rolled by hand. Sprinkle the ravioli lightly with flour to keep them from sticking together.

8. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Add the ravioli and boil for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the ravioli float to the top. Transfer immediately to a colander to drain. Reserve about 1/4 cup of pasta water.

9. Melt the stick of butter in a pan or pot large enough to hold the ravioli. Once the butter starts to bubble, place the sage leaves in a single layer in the butter. Allow the sage leaves to fry for about a minute or until they begin to turn dark green and crispy. Transfer the sage leaves to a plate lined with a paper towel.

10. Allow the butter to begin to brown slightly, then add the ravioli and a little bit of pasta water to extend the butter if desired. Toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

11. Distribute the ravioli among 4 plates. Reserve several whole sage leaves. Lightly crumble up the rest and sprinkle onto the plated ravioli. Garnish with the remaining whole leaves and, if desired, season additionally with freshly ground pepper and top with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese. Serves 4.