Archive for October, 2008

I’ve said it again and again…..one of my favorite regional dishes in Europe is a platter of choucroute garnie (garnished sauerkraut), as served in Alsace, France. The difference from choucroute garnie as served in American bistros and brasseries is enormous. Oh, sure, we do fairly well on our shores in keeping up with the kinds of cured meats and sausages that ride on top of the sauerkraut. But where we fall down, time and time again…..is in the sauerkraut itself! Alsatian sauerkraut is remarkably light, almost fluffy–much of which derives from its incredibly thin cut. Forgive my cross-cultural stretch, but choucroute in Alsace seems like angel hair compared to the thick, spaghetti-like sauerkraut we see here. It truly makes all the difference.

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Whenever I tell people what I do for a living, the most common response I get is, “how on earth did you ever get that job… and do you need any help?”  While I could go on to tell people about the wine education classes I took in college, the experiences I had working in the hospitality or retail industries, or the continuing education classes I’m enrolled in now, I know deep down inside that there is only one true answer to that question: my father.

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Scotch is hot this year in New York City. I don’t know why, exactly…..but tongues are wagging about it (and slurring a few words) everywhere I go. You may recall my blog a few months back concerning the absurdly high-priced Scotch created by Macallan’s–a blend of 1945 and 1949 stocks, bottled in a specially designed Lalique bottle, available for only $1500 a pour at Del Frisco’s steakhouse in midtown Manhattan. The most absurd part of all was that I loved these precious drops…..though you won’t catch me pulling that kind of money out of my pocket anytime soon. Now comes another surprise. The very fine Greenwich Village steakhouse, Strip House, is offering an experiment in quaffing Scotch…..with steak!

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Recently, a friend passed on a thought-provoking article to me from the New York  Times. In the piece, Frank Bruni took stock of the current state of gender roles in the dining out culture. In a time when women seem to be filling up just as many (if not more) seats at colleges than men and climbing high on corporate ladders in many spheres, it’s surprising that old-fashioned restaurant etiquette continues on. But is that a bad thing?

Personally, I never argue when served my meal first or when a chair is pulled out for me.  I’m fine being offered the banquette so that I can see a view of the room, a ritual of fine dining. If the temperature is warm to accommodate me, I won’t demand that the thermostat be turned down. The fact is, it’s nice to enjoy these perks. And it’s chivalry. Right?

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One of the big events around our Mount Kisco offices takes place every Friday at 5 pm. No, it’s not quitting time–our work day doesn’t officially end until 5:30, and many folks stay at least til 6–it’s our weekly dispersal of extraneous wine samples. Employees are invited to wander over to our tasting room and help thelmselves to a bottle of wine for the weekend. Because we normally receive two bottles of each wine we review and often we only open one, we accumulate hundreds of bottles over the course of the year that we need to find homes for. Some end up at charity events or our annual halloween party, but others go home with staffers every Friday.

I find it fascinating to observe people picking out a bottle that’s just right for them. Many seem to know what they like and instantly gravitate toward those wines week after week. One guy always goes for Italian reds, while another employee invariably grabs a tall skinny bottle, because she’s learned those wines are often sweet. Some “shop” by looking for a pretty label, others look for specific grape varieties on the label. Pinot Noir must still be hot, judging by the reaction that it continues to draw from our office crowd. I should note that the staffers work in various departments of our multi-product company (we also produce an accessories catalog, run a large warehouse etc) so the level of wine knowledge varies widely, just like it does in the real world.

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Australia, anyone? Sydney Opera House? Great Barrier Reef? The big red rock in the desert? Nicole Kidman’s flat?Please. Leave those to the tourists. Last week I found a whole other reason to go to Oz….namely, the wonders of the sea-surrounded Eyre Peninsula (pronounced like “air”), a locus of major gastronomic activity that is, currently at least, off the usual tourist radar screens.In fact, the whole state in which the Eyre Peninsula sits–the beautiful state of South Australia, which takes up a geographical position in Australia roughly equivalent to the position of Texas in the U.S.–is ripe for exploration.Now, I know that you’re not about to drop everything and fly halfway around the world tomorrow. And I know that the products I’m about to describe do not have current American distribution. But this is not purely a “vicarious thrill” exercise: I would love you to note all of this carefully, to be among the first Eyre Peninsula visitors from America, when you’re ready…..and to be on the lookout for some of the outstanding comestibles and potables that may be coming this way soon.

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