Cooking With Ideas

Hello, Wine

Hello, Wine (San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2013) is the title of a kind of bloggy book I purchased (well, we purchased) at Whole Foods some time ago. Authored by Melanie Wagner, we bought it because. . . . she was there. The subtitle is "the most essential things you need to know about wine." And, Melanie told us quite enthusiastically how she changed her career and got into the wine industry -- and is sharing all that she learned with others via the book. 

As I said, the book is bloggy. A lot of what is in there, anyone who consumes wine carefully likely knows. Of course, she does not know everything, which we learned even before we bought the book since she knew little (if anything) about Finger Lakes wines, which we all know are strong in, say, Rieslings that are dry.

Despite its imperfections, the book is fun. The mix of drawings and information, the organization, the mix of practicality (wines ranked by price) and romance of the vine, makes for a nice flip through. A few tidbits:

1. What to do if no corkscrew, or a broken cork, or . . . . there are "strange bits in your glass." (See pages 134-136 under the rubric Wine 911.) The silliness to seriousness ratio is, perhaps, indicated by the fact that the final disaster is when you run out of wine. (The solution, obvious, of course.) 

2. There is a helpful glossary of all those terms that wine fans (aka snobs) use to describe wines. (I use them too.) However, some of the definitions are a tad. . . circular. Here's one: grassy = "A wine that smells or tastes like freshly cut grass." Hmmm. I am not sure if this is a comment on who hte author thinks is reading or . . . (see p. 75). 

3. There is a terrific bit on awful smells that come with messed up wine, which is actually one of the mpost important things I have read about wine ever. On page 70 it not only tells you what it might mean if your wine smells like we cardboard or wet horse, it tells you what to do about it. Definitely worth the weight of the book. 

And, of course, there is more -- fun quotations, bits of trivia. I suspect no one will look at the book and leave with no new tidbit. Great gift for the novice too. 

This "Coming Soon" Means Archaeology -- Kind Of

Archaeology is not my forte. (and I cannot figure out how to get the accent ague -- is that right? - on the e at the end of forte. So, add it with your imagination, please.) Neither is running a vacuum. And yet, I did both a whole back and came across a heap of things I meant to blog about. So: coming soon are reviews of the following books:

1. Consider the Fork by Bee Wilson. I loved her book on honey and bees, so I was expecting to be disappointed by this one. Nothing ever quite lives up, right? I was not disappointed. I loved this book too. It was smart and while too many books I read ought to have been culled from the list of foodie books published (yes, it is a trend. YEs, it might be a seller. No not everything deserves to be published.), this one deserved every word on the back -- elegant, information-packed, passionate. . . . And, it was a gift. So I am doubly spoiled. Review to come with more details! Not to mention, more links.

2. In the mail (and thus free): Monday Morning Cooking Club: The Food, The Stories, The Sisterhood (I have a vague sense I may have blogged about this before. But I am going to do it anyway.)

3. A gift handed to me at an utterly unrelated conference that was really about higher education: Superfood Kitchen by Julie Morris. Yes, all of our campuses could be healthier. 

4. A bloggy kind of book purchased on a whim at Whole Foods because we met the author: Hello Wine! by Melanie Wagner. My advice: do not drink and buy books. It is always dangerous. But: this recommendation is NOT a review. That is comng soon. 

So: reviews are coming. Of books. Maybe someday soon, of food. Or my cooking. Or something. But: books are the food of the soul, right?

 

Fried Walleye and Cherry Pie

Edited and with an introduction by Peggy Wolff, Fried Walleye and Cherry Pie was, as I said in my "coming soon" entry a gift. It came just when I needed it -- and hasd been delightful to dip into. It is eminently dip-into-able as it is short pieces by a variety of people, each focusing on what the subtitle of the book signals by saying "MIdwestern Writers on Food." Not shockingly, a number of the writers write about. . . Chicago! This may be partly because Wolff herself grew up in Chicago. Or, it may just be happenstance -- or like the red cars you endlessly notice once you purchase one, it may be all in the eye of the beholder. 

In any case, while I have never consumed fried walleye nor am I desperate (ever) for cherry pie, I do indeed like to snack on this book. Of particular note: 

The opener to the book -- focuses on Wrigley Field hot dogs -- and the ways these connect Wolff to her father and thus connect food, place, experience. It made me stop and think. And, it was a delightful, open, entryway into the edited collection itself. Not all epigraphs are so open -- yet it is one part of all books that I particularly enjoy checking out. 

A few other tidbits: the owner of a South Side lunchroom reflects, and there are moments when the Joy of Cooking meets well, the ethics of pate. (I am working very hard to simultaneously forget and take seriously the latter.) But just if you read a tad out of order. A few, by the way, come with recipes. Hmmm. 

While you may find more details at ohter reviews, you will not find more joy at actually recognizing some of the places and experiences -- as a returner to Chicago, this was a delightful snack. And a reminder that food is, indeed, local. And more. 

 

 

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Billionaire Blend

I am defiitely a fan of Cleo Coyle, as all who read this blog know. And, I love getting the pre-published books in the mail from her. It kind of makes me feel special. So: this overdue review is a way of saying a big, heatry THANKS for the joy she has brought to me -- and my houshold -- over the years sicne the founding of this blog. Hurrah -- billionaire's blend is up to the challenge! It was a good read -- which is more than a cliche -- and made me smile. How murer and mystery combine to make for joy is sometimes baffling (and definitely not true in the real world) but Coyle makes it happen. 

It si kind of odd to say car bomb (early in the plot) plus Coyle (a pseudonym of course) equals joy, But, so its the claim that a stimulant (caffeine) plus a dandy espresso machine makes for joy. Both are true. And, given the complexities of the world economy around coffee (and other products) both are paradoxically true. As a strenger recently said to me when standing in line at a coffee joint, thank goodness prohibition only applied to booze -- and now to cigarettes. Please god, not coffee. And, I would add, please . . . not murder ysteries like those Coyle writes! 

For a dandy review, with more detail than here, click this link or this one and . . . enjoy! 

Mustards Grill

Down the pike from Ad Hoc, in Yountville, is a place I had never heard of – and that was absolutely splendid. It is called Mustards Grill. We went there one night, sat at the bar, and had both a delightful chat with the bar tender (who I suspect had more to do with the place than I initially imagined) and a terrific meal. The ambience is warm, welcoming, and seems to be a mix of locals and tourists. (Remember, this is Napa.) 

Now, months after starting this blog entry, I am finishing it, having been tied up (not literally) with a few other responsibilities. And, I have to say, while the meal was wonderful, what lingers is the warmth of the welcome. THe bar was beautiful -- the drink spectacular -- but it is not always the case that wnderful restaurants come with wonderful people. I cannot imagine what it would feel like to welcome strangers to your place every night for meals day after day and wek after week and . . . And this place made it seem like the best of all possible worlds. 

My partner left a ring there. Accidentally. What was miraculous was they opened the next day to let us pick it up. So: not only is the food amazing, but the kindness that flavors the food flavors their interactions even more. 

Eat there. You will not regret it. And, you will remember it for food and for more. 

Want the menu? Click here. Better yet, go there.