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Book Review: “Au Revoir to All That” by Michael Steinberger

The Accidental Wino — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 08:52:48 +0000

I suspect that in middle America — and perhaps anywhere else the Western world — most people would assume that the French have cemented their reputation as the world’s culinary avant garde. It’s certainly a fair assumption. Not only have the French enjoyed an enviable culinary tradition for the last two centuries, but Western pop culture has reinforced this idea again and again. The notion of sophisticated French cuisine has become an enduring cultural archetype both here and abroad, as seen recently in movies like 2007′s “Ratatouille,” or even going back 20 years prior, to the Danish film “Babette’s Feast.” Within the media, French cuisine has been portrayed as the Western standard for decades now, and pop culture has continued to reinforce this hierarchy. Even one of America’s earliest and greatest culinary icons, Julia Child, had deep roots in French cuisine.

But for those who have been following culinary trends for the last 10 years, the center of culinary relevance has slowly shifted outside of France. As author Michael Steinberger points out in his book “Au Revoir to All That,” several factors have contributed to France’s declining culinary influence, including the nation’s poor economy and its general complacency, the rise of chef Ferran Adriá and Spain’s nuevo cocina, the increased competition of fine wine from the New World, and the recent “franchising” of French chefs in overseas markets, such as Las Vegas and New York. Of course, based upon its long history of culinary contributions, France will still continue to enjoy a large stake in the game, but its chip count has steadily eroded over the years, and perhaps for good.

With each chapter, “Au Revior to All That” delivers an insightful analysis of the French malaise, supported with thoughtful and compelling research. Steinberger also provides many terrific first-hand anecdotes along the way, making the text both approachable and engaging. What surprised me the most, however, was a statistic in the book’s seventh chapter, titled “Fast-Food Nation,” in which Steinberger reveals that France has become the single-biggest market for McDonald’s outside of America. Talk about undermining some deep-seated stereotypes — the French have actually embraced the Golden Arches? While it may still be true that most Westerners might still give France the benefit of the doubt when it comes to gastronomy, in reality, globalization seems to have cost France far much more than it has gained.

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Eating Well: Slow Food Napa Valley’s Potluck Brunch @ Ehlers Estate Winery, St. Helena

The Accidental Wino — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 07:40:35 +0000

The dining area outside Ehlers Estate.

Slow Food Napa Valley hosted a pig roast and potluck on Sunday, September 11th, in conjunction with Ehlers Estate in St. Helena. The following photos highlight the event, which provided a forum for SFNV members to discuss the future of SFNV, and how they can help to increase interest and awareness of the Slow Food movement. Naturally, the brunch was amazing. Please click on any photo for a full-screen view.

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Pig cracklins, up close.

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CIA instructor Patrick Clark carves the Mulefoot Hog, which was provided by Michael Fradelizio of the Silverado Brewing Company and Beer Belly Farms.

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Michael Fradelizio (left) and Patrick Clark (right) remove the pig from the Caja China roasting box. A hungry crowd gathers.

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A look at the just-finished pig inside the Caja China.

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The Mulefoot hog, just a couple hours into cooking.

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The Ehlers Estate line-up. Delicious.

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Ehlers winemaker Kevin Morrisey (far left) talks shop with SFNV members.

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The Ehlers Estate tasting room, built in 1886.

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Debbie Fradelizio (left) and Corrie Beezley (right) greet SFNV members as they arrive for the potluck with baskets in hand.

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One very impressive apple pie.

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A beautiful honeycomb and cheese platter from Marshall's Farm.

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Heirloom tomato platter.

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In Ehlers Estate's BioDynamic vineyard.

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Flowers outside the Ehlers Estate tasting room.

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Book Review: “Cooking: The Quintessential Art” by Herve This and Pierre Gagnaire

The Accidental Wino — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 19:59:14 +0000

“Cooking: The Quintessential Art” is an odd little book, but with noteworthy pedigree. Co-authors Herve This and Pierre Gagnaire have each earned their stripes in the culinary realm (the former, as a food chemist and one of the pioneers of molecular gastronomy; the latter, as a three-Michelin star chef and an innovator of fusion cuisine). As contemporaries, This and Gagniere have both forged unique careers by rethinking the basic elements of cuisine. In “The Quintessential Art,” the two authors delve into the very meaning of cooking, by analyzing the culinary arts through a surprisingly comprehensive philosophical lens. Replete with references ranging from Plato to Einstein, “The Quintessential Art” tackles the philosophy of cuisine in a chronological history, beginning with the Greeks and Romans, continuing into the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Enlightenment, and eventually tackling modern territory with folks like the Surrealists and the Bauhaus Movement. It’s awfully heady stuff, to say the least.

It also begs the question: Just whom, exactly, was “The Quintessential Art” written for? On one hand, the book assumes a weighty amount of culinary knowledge from its reader. Gagnaire’s recipes are among the most avant-garde you’ll ever read (or taste), with dishes such as Udon with Raw Ham and Cooked Strawberries, or a Ratatouille of Chanterelles, Eggplant and Apricots. The “recipes” themselves are almost presented off-handedly, but with obvious thought and consideration at their core. Devoid of weights, measurements, or cooking times, Gagnaire’s recipes read more like a loose set of instructions, all predicated on an innate knack for cooking (and, alas, not a single food photo in the entire book). As a result, “The Quintessential Art” seems to be geared partially towards professional cooks, yet on the other hand, the book’s dry, philosophical slant caters to an entirely different demographic: namely, philosophy majors.

As a professional cook with an English degree (and a minor in philosophy, no less), I suppose that I’d fall squarely into the target demographic of “The Quintessential Art,” but I’d be a filthy liar if I didn’t admit to catching myself skipping through certain passages of the text. I’m just being honest. But really, what does that mean for those readers who don’t have a built-in predilection for Aristotle or John Stuart Mill, nor enough experience in the kitchen to follow Gagnaire’s vague recipe methods? I think it’s safe to say that most people — even those who might even consider themselves food lovers — simply wouldn’t be bothered to finish “The Quintessential Art.” Frankly, I don’t feel that anyone would be the worse for it. In a nutshell, I suppose the book is just a bit too lofty to be practical. I will confess, however, that reading “The Quintessential Art” did teach me a fancy new term: “gustatory alliesthesia” — it’s the sensory fatigue, or unpleasantness, from eating too much of the same food (or too much food, in general). Somehow, feeling “full” just sounds mundane in comparison.

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Book Review: “Riesling Renaissance” by Freddy Price

The Accidental Wino — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 19:19:12 +0000

“Coffee’s for closers only.” Anyone who has seen 1992′s “Glengarry Glen Ross” might recall this line from the film’s first act, when Alec Baldwin delivers one of my all-time favorite movie monologues. The scene marks Baldwin’s only appearance in the film — a scant seven minutes — but his abusive tirade establishes the movie’s tone, and it sets up the second act perfectly. In “Glengarry,” Baldwin plays the character of Blake, an über-alpha real estate salesman, and a role that was written specifically for Baldwin by playwright David Mamet (as great as it is, Baldwin’s “Glengarry” monologue was not part of Mamet’s original 1983 stage play). During his brilliant rant, Baldwin espouses the acronym “ABC” — short for “Always be closing” — a hard-boiled sales mantra that he imparts to an ensemble of A-listers, including Jack Lemon, Ed Harris, and Alan Arkin (with Al Pacino and Kevin Spacey rounding out the cast, just for good measure). As someone who’s seen “Glengarry” dozens of times over, I’m always reminded of Baldwin’s monologue whenever I hear someone use the acronym “ABC” within the context of wine.

For folks like me, those who are devoted to drinking and exploring Napa wine, “ABC” usually means “Anything but Chardonnay.” This quippy, yet dismissive critique of Napa’s most prominent white wine may seem surprising to some, especially since Chardonnay still enjoys both pedigree and popularity the world over. However, the “ABC” philosophy does have some merit in regard to local wine. On one hand, the Chardonnay alternatives are few and far between here in the valley; for most Napa wineries, Sauvignon Blanc represents the only other local option for white wine (Chardonnay accounts for almost two-thirds of Napa’s total white wine production, while Sauvignon Blanc accounts for about one-fourth). But for the “ABC” camp, it’s not so much the fact that Chardonnay dominates the white wine landscape — it’s more the idea that California Chardonnay, despite its overall popularity, simply lost its taste appeal to many wine drinkers.

The local backlash against California Chardonnay began to build in the late 1990s, following an era when many local producers used to treat Chardonnay with a heavy regimen of new oak, coupled with heavy malolactic fermentation (often referred to simply as “malocatic” — or even “ML” — this secondary “fermentation” is actually bacteria-based, and isn’t a true yeast-based fermentation). With Chardonnay, heavy oak plus full ML typically results in the oaky-buttery style that many folks still enjoy (Rombauer Vineyards is the poster-child for this particular approach, and Rombauer will probably always bear the oaky-buttery torch). In the 1980s, this heavy-handed style became the vogue for many (perhaps most) Napa Valley winemakers, and the result was that Chardonnay eventually began to taste less and less like the grape, and more and more like the process. Taste, of course, remains subjective, and inherently, this particular style of winemaking wouldn’t necessarily present an issue, except that it began to make lots of Napa Chardonnays all taste the same.

Indeed, Chardonnay is widely known as “the winemaker’s grape,” a canvass that can lend itself to plenty of tweaking and manipulating in the cellar. As author Freddy Price acknowledges in his brief introduction of “Reisling Renaisance,” the Riesling grape is the complete opposite of Chardonnay. Classically, Riesling is rarely aged in oak barrels and the use of ML is non-existent. As Price also points out in his introduction, Riesling expresses its terroir more clearly than any other wine. Terroir, or what I would colloquially call” the taste of place,” is the notion that no grapevine grows within a vacuum. For better or worse, nature’s elements are bound to have an influence on the vine, and farming techniques are also bound to play a role in a grape’s flavor development. For serious wine drinkers, this idea of terroir is what allows experts to identify a wine’s origin simply by its taste, smell and appearance.

“Reisling Renaissance” is invaluable for anyone who wishes to gain a deeper insight into the world’s Riesling production. Price has spent more than 50 years pursuing his passion for the grape, and his knowledge of Riesling certainly shines. The book is divided into regional chapters, leading off with the most important, Germany, and then delving into sections on France, Austria, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. “Riesling Renaissance” features great maps, concise and insightful histories, and lists of the top Riesling producers for each wine-growing region. Unfortunately, here in the Napa Valley, Riesling is all but absent, even though the grape was extremely popular before Prohibition, and also during the 1960s and 1970s (today, Riesling accounts for a little more than 1% of Napa’s total white wine production). To be fair, however, Napa is generally too warm to grow world-class Riesling on a large scale (Washington State has since become the domestic leader in Riesling production).

“ABC” has become a tough bet for Californians who wish to drink locally, but a few wineries have continued to produce Riesling with some success. Among the California wineries in consideration, Price highlights Bonny Doon, Greenwood Ridge, Navarro Vineyards, Smith-Madrone and Trefethen. Although it is noteworthy to point out that Bonny Doon sources its juice from Washington State and Germany’s Mosel, the other four wineries do grow and produce a true California Riesling. Trefethen and Smith-Madrone are the only Napa representatives on the list, although personally, I would also add Stony Hill Vineyards, since they’ve been producing an admirable dry Riesling in Napa Valley for more than 50 years now.

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Lunchtime: Pizza @ Arizmendi Bakery, Emeryville

The Accidental Wino — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 11:01:42 +0000

Pizza @ Arizmendi Bakery, Emeryville: Housemade Tomato Sauce, Kalamata Olives, Spinach, Parmesan and Garlic-Herb Oil.

Arizmendi Emeryville lies in the shadow of Pixar Animation Studios, and although the bakery may not provide the ideal venue for a high-level power lunch, it certainly must be a welcome oasis for those who don’t occupy Pixar’s corner offices. And that’s the point, really: Arizmendi Bakery is steeped in the ethos of the everyman, an owner-operated cooperative and a spin-off of the famous Cheese Board Collective in Berkeley. Since its initial launch in 1997, the Arizmendi Bakery has expanded to four locations in the Bay Area, which may give the illusion of rampant franchising. However, each Arizmendi Bakery remains a unique entity in terms of its cooperative ownership (there’s actually no person named Arizmendi behind the scenes; the four bakeries take their common name from José María Arizmendiarrieta, a Basque labor organizer from the last century). As for the pizza itself, the pie at Arizmendi Emeryville is only slightly analogous to that of the Cheese Board, although it certainly boasts a familiar, if not similar, aesthetic (for better or worse, the sourdough crust at Arizmendi seems slightly less crispy than its Cheese Board counterpart). While I do concede that Gioia still remains my favorite slice in the East Bay, if I happened to work at Pixar, I would easily visit Arizmendi once a week, probably even more. In Emeryville, perhaps movie deals are hashed out over pizza.

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Photo Purge: Scenes from the California Bay Area and Beyond

The Accidental Wino — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 08:14:03 +0000

Gateway Market, Emeryville: Adorned with a fantastic mural alongside its parking lot, the Gateway Market is tough to miss on San Pablo Blvd. The artwork has a definite graffiti vibe, but the details are fantastic. Luckily, it hasn't been tagged over. The "W" in Gateway is pictured above (each letter has its own theme). Click on the photo to reveal all of the great flourishes.

Most of these pictures have never appeared on this site, although a couple did appear a few years ago, long before I sharpened my photo-editing skills. Many readers have emailed me about my approach to photography, and I must confess, my only real secret is to simply seek the best lighting possible. Truthfully, I’ve never had any formal photography training, but I did develop an eye for proper lighting while I was working (briefly, almost 15 years ago) as a grip in Los Angeles. Any moviegoer who has bothered to sit through the credits may have wondered what function a grip serves. In a nut shell, the grips help to manipulate the film set’s lighting, based upon the director of photography’s instructions. The “key” grip is the lead grip, while the “best boy” grip is second in command (I was never either of those, obviously). Much like cooking, gripping is long, laborious work with odd hours. However, if you pay attention on the job, you can also learn a few things along the way. Who knew that a summer of gripping would’ve ever become useful?

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Uni with Caul Fat on Crostini @ Marea, NYC: Long before Anthony Bourdain developed his upcoming show, The Layover, which premieres November 21st, I used a four-hour window at JFK to jump onto the subway and eat a seven-course lunch at Marea (top that, Tony). David Koon, my old CIA roommate, was in the kitchen at the time, so I received the VIP treatment, and fast. Coincidentally, Dave opened up his own restaurant, Chuko Ramen, just two days ago in Brooklyn. He said the 35-seat dining room turned out more than 200 covers on its first day, which is an insane number.

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Highway One, Near Salt Point State Park: I was driving up California's North Coast to forage porcinis when I spotted this old fellow gazing out over the Pacific Ocean. He was laying near the edge of the grassy cliff, apparently in total zen mode. Unfortunately, he stood up when I approached to snap a picture. After a two-minute stand-off, I gave up and left him to his meditations. Sorry, buddy.

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Philo Apple Farm, Philo: This large painting adorns the small shopping area at Philo Apple Farm, which is owned by Don and Sally Schmidt, the original owners and founders of Yountville's French Laundry. All purchases are based upon the honor system (at least every time I've visited), and the farm itself is Demeter-certified.

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Nopalito Restaurant, San Francisco: I really like the artwork on this ice-cream freezer outside of Nopalito.

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Five-spice Pork Belly over Rice: This is one of the very first pictures I published on this blog, back at a time when I was publishing recipes. My format has evolved over the years, and at this point, I save all my recipes for the annual Project Food Blog competition, which is coming up again this year (I finished in the Top 12 out of almost 2,000 contestants last year -- just saying).

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Mandina's Restaurant, New Orleans: My sentimental favorite in the Crescent City.

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The Strip District, Pittsburgh, PA: This mural was a work-in-progress during my visit to Pennsylvania a couple years back. I'm sure it's completed by now. I liked where it was headed.

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Boonfly Cafe, Napa Carneros: I spotted this little VW in the parking lot of the Boonfly Cafe one morning. I'm not sure if it belonged to a purveyor or to a guest. Pretty cool whip, regardless.

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Cookie Fortune @ China Village Restaurant, Albany: I think.

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For Wine Geeks Only: Exploring Napa Valley by the Numbers

The Accidental Wino — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 08:01:12 +0000

It’s usually surprising for most people to learn that, by volume, the Napa Valley accounts for just 4% of California’s total wine production (in total wine revenue, Napa would earn a much larger percentage, though I don’t have the specific figure for this category). Still, as one of California’s most important wine regions, it’s interesting to learn some of numbers that shape the Napa Valley. At my last board meeting with Slow Food Napa Valley, one of our members distributed copies of Napa County’s 2010 Agricultural Crop Report, which is published by the Department of Agriculture and Weights and Measures. The pamphlet features about a dozen charts and graphs that spell out the details of Napa’s winegrape production, as well as its production of secondary crops. Here are a few key stats about Napa wine country, keeping in mind that these numbers pertain to Napa’s winegrapes more so than its wine:

• In total acreage, Napa’s red grapes outnumber its white grapes by a little more than three to one (specifically, that’s 33,060 total acres of red grapes versus 10,208 total acres of white grapes).

• Napa Valley is planted to 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, followed by 15% Chardonnay, 14% Merlot, 6% Pinot Noir, 6% Sauvignon Blanc, and 3% Zinfandel (the other 13% is comprised of dozens of other varietals, including Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Petite Sirah).

• Among all the white grapes planted in Napa Valley, about 65% are Chardonnay; among all the red grapes planted in Napa Valley, about 56% are Cabernet Sauvignon.

• In 2010, Napa’s red grapevines produced an average of 2.86 tons per acre, while white grapevines produced 4.13 tons per acre. More specifically, Cabernet produced an average of 3.03 tons per acre, while Chardonnay produced an average of 4.04 tons per acre.

• Napa’s total acreage for Cabernet Sauvignon outnumbers its total acreage for Chardonnay by almost three to one (that’s 19,557 acres of Cabernet versus 7,000 acres of Chardonnay). This scenario was much different 20 years ago — in the early 1990s, Cab and Chard each had plantings of just over 10,000 acres apiece (Chard plantings have declined since the mid-1990s, while Cab plantings began to surge about 10 years ago).

• Last year, red grapes accounted for 80.5% of Napa’s grape-farming revenue, versus just 19.5% total revenue for white grapes (the average price per ton for red grapes was $3,782, while white grapes earned just $2,906 per ton).

• In 2010, the average price per ton for Napa Cabernet Sauvignon was $4,453, while Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc earned $5,236 per ton and $4,919 per ton, respectively. Keep in mind, however, that Cabernet Sauvignon from a prime Napa vineyard can fetch upwards of $15,000 per ton, easily making it the priciest grape on the market.

• On average, the Rousanne grape earned the highest reported price per ton for any varietal, at $7,000. This figure might be a bit misleading, however, since Napa Valley only has 15 acres of Roussanne in total. Obviously, scarcity seems to have been a factor in this case (the only two Napa Valley bottlings of Roussanne that I’m aware of are produced by Kongsgard Winery and Truchard Vineyards).

• Among the winegrapes listed on Slow Food USA’s Ark of Taste, Napa contains 52 acres of Charbono and just 19 acres of Napa Gamay. My favorite Charbono is produced by Summers Estate, although I have also enjoyed the other Napa versions of Charbono — it’s definitely a grape worth seeking out. As for Napa Gamay, the only version I’ve ever encountered was the Melange by Vincent Arroyo Winery, also worth a taste.

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Inside Napa Valley: Yountville’s Cantinetta Piero closes, abruptly

The Accidental Wino — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 09:16:28 +0000

I learned something interesting about Cantinetta Piero tonight at Pancha’s of Yountville (which happens to be located right across the street): Apparently, all of Piero’s employees learned just yesterday that their last night would be Wednesday, July 6. Upon posting this news, I received some clarifications today from Jennifer Tomaro, Marketing Director of Moana Hotel & Restaurant Group:

“The owners of Hotel Luca have retained the two principles of Solage (Tim Harmon and Robert Watson) to help direct the operations of the hotel and restaurant. The hotel is still open and there are no changes planned at this time. As you know, the restaurant was closed last night. There is no definitive plan in place for the restaurant as the team is using this opportunity to evaluate the operation, but the goal is to have it reopened by the end of this year. Please note that we do not have plans to make this a Solage-branded hotel / resort.”

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Napa News: Sean O’Toole to Hopper Creek Kitchen @ Hotel Yountville

The Accidental Wino — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 11:34:01 +0000

Last week, Eater SF reported that Victor Scargle has become the executive chef at Bardessono, a position that chef Sean O’Toole had vacated last November. The recent twist to the story is that, as of just a couple days ago, O’Toole has been named the executive chef of the Hopper Creek Kitchen at Hotel Yountville, a property that’s located just a block or two south of his old stomping ground (formerly the Yountville Inn). We’ll see how this all works out; Yountville is a small enough town as it is. I was a big fan of the Sunday Supper at Bardessono when O’Toole was at the helm, though I haven’t been back to Bardessono since he’s left (not by deliberate choice, mind you, I just haven’t been in a while). Interesting timing, regardless. Hopefully, some good things are in store for both locations.

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Book Review: “Everyday French Cooking” by Henri-Paul Pellaprat

The Accidental Wino — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 18:47:13 +0000

Lobster Russian Style: Garnished with hard-boiled eggs and black truffles, though the book allows black olives as a substitute for the latter.

I meant to snap some food pics from Berkeley and the East Bay this week, but my camera battery was drained. Among the missed opportunities: a grilled bockwurst from Top Dog, a falafel pita from Fa-La-La, and a plate of yellow curried rice from Bua Luang. On the upside, I did find several great used cookbooks at Pegasus Books, including “Everyday French Cooking” by Henri-Paul Pellaprat. Originally published in America in 1966, Pellaprat’s book is an obvious response to Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” which was first published in 1961. Much like Child’s seminal work, “Everyday French Cooking” aims to assist the American housewife, as the book states in its introduction (the book’s original French title is “Le Nouveau Guide Culinaire,” published in 1956, or perhaps even earlier).

As the author of “Everyday French Cooking,” Henri-Paul Pellaprat began his culinary career as an apprentice in 1881, before training under some of the greatest chefs of Belle Epoque France. After his stint in the professional kitchen, Pellaprat spent nearly 40 years teaching at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris (some also credit Pellaprat as the founder of the culinary school, although I’m not so sure). Once retired, Pellaprat turned his attention to writing in 1932, and is perhaps best known for his comprehensive “L’Art Culinaire Moderne,” which was originally published in 1935. As a friend and contemporary of Auguste Escoffier, Pellaprat is considered one of the fathers of modern French cuisine, and “Everyday French Cooking” — though lesser in scope than some of Pellaprat’s other works — remains a valuable classical resource.

What I enjoy about the 1968 edition of “Everyday French Cooking” is the photography. Of course, it’s not great by modern standards, but technical merits aside, I appreciate the old school composition of the dishes. For me, it’s a trip back in time, and it’s interesting to consider how culinary aesthetics have continued to evolve over the last half-century.

Fried Trout a la Meuniere: Will curly-leaf parsley ever come back?

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Glazed Pork Chop: Garnished with parsley potatoes, grilled tomatoes and English peas.

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Tournedos Chateau Figeac: Garnished with mushroom caps on the steaks, boiled carrots, and artichoke bottoms topped with asparagus tips.

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Frosted Genoise: Garnished with candied oranges and cherries.

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