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including our new report: Rome: the complete food guide.
Rome: the complete food guide
This month at foodvacation.com: Epicurean Guide to Rome
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for all your culinary travel needs below:
Looking
for a special, gourmet vacation experience in a beautiful and relaxing destination? Seeking factual travel articles on culinary
travel and local gastronomy in the world's finest foodie destinations?
Consider the romantic Moorish quarter of Granada, Spain, the
serene wilderness of Nova Scotia, Canada, the timeless and refined gastronomy of Rome, or the cultural bounty and historical
richness of Turkey. All cooking school programs recommended here offer all-inclusive getaways and customized options
for groups. Extraordinary cooking instructors specialize in hands-on food knowledge and ingredients-based cookery.
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has Epicurean Destination Guides with unique and original content from our editors & writers.
The foodvacation.com 4 favorite hotel experiences of 2009
San Sebastian, Spain Hotel
Hotel de Londres y Inglaterra
foodvacation.com has selected the 4 best hotel experiences
of the year. Selection is based on actual hotel visits or stays, and includes a consideration of overall service quality,
comfort, and character as well as access to unique and high-quality gastronomy either in the hotel or nearby. The selection
has emphasized "hotels de charme" more than full-service hotels, accommodations that truly express a sense of place.
Each hotel has its own character and provides an authentic travel experience combined with the opportunity for a unique food-oriented
vacation.
Here are the Top 4 for 2009:
The Merrion Hotel, Dublin, Ireland, including Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud: Superlative 5-star service, elegance, and comfort at the Merrion
combined with a superbly orchestrated gustatory experience under the attentive eye of Mr. Guilbaud; stay in one of 3 Georgian
townhouses in the heart of Dublin
Hotel de Londres y Inglaterra, San Sebastian, Spain : The beachside location makes this grande-dame
hotel stately without being dated and stuffy, located in one the world's great food cities, you can walk to world-class restaurants
and lively tapas bars in minutes
La Casa de la Marquesa, Queretaro, Mexico : refinement, elegance and to-notch service in
an under-appreciated historic center with superlative culinary opportunities, both in the hotel and out; the Marquesa oozes
Mudejar style
Windamere Hotel, Darjeeling, India : Victorian charm overlooking the tea plantations,
harking back to the time of the Raj; food that is comforting and nourishing; no TVs or telephones in the Ada Villa
An insider's culinary tour in Provence, France
Cookbook author and culinary authority Carol Peck will be leading culinary tours in Provence, based from
her home there. Peck graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1973, and has more than 3 decades of experience in
all aspects of the food world. She has operated two restaurants in Connecticut, including the Good News Cafe in Woodbury.
"Like most chefs and restaurateurs, I don't let any moss grow under my feet," says
Peck. "In 1997, I published a cookbook called The Buffet Book, and in recent years I have appeared on numerous
television programs and in regional and national magazines. Much of my time is also spent running a catering business, teaching
cooking classes, and conducting culinary tours in Provence, France, where we have a home."
This very special Provence culinary vacation will introduce sophisticated travelers to the
rich history, natural beauty, and culinary delights of the captivating Provence region in the south of France. Intimate tour
groups of 8 to 12 persons will allow each participant to enjoy an unforgettable personal experience as they discover Provence
from a true insider’s perspective. Particpants are treated as honored guests at Peck's newly restored home in Montfrin,
Prieuré Notre Dame, which boasts a history dating back to the 12th century and all the contemporary comforts of today.
"I
am committed 'to act locally and think globally' in supporting substantial agriculture without using bio-engineered foods.
I belong to organizations such as Slow Food, Chefs' Collaborative, Women Chefs & Restaurateurs, IACP, and the James Beard
Foundation. Some outside events we participate in to raise funds include Working Land Alliance, Eve's Fun, and Share Our Strength,"
states Peck.
Those interested should visit www.saveurfrance.com. The Provence Culinary Tour has the following 2010 culinary tour dates:
June 6 – 12, Sept. 19 – 25
June 20 –
26, Oct. 3 – 9
A new discovery in Istanbul: superb vacation rentals perfect for exploring the food culture of this amazing
city
Istanbul!Place Istanbul vacation rentals offer accommodation for the perfect foodie vacation in ancient Constantinople.
istanbul!place is a small Turkish-British family project. Tarkan and Julia used to live in Istanbul,
then England and now Singapore. Your booking will be handled by them and then you'll be met at the apartment by Tarkan's Istanbul
family, who will give you the keys and explain about the practicalities and the neighbourhoods. More important, these 1- to
3-bedroom holiday lets have unsurpassed locations for exploring the restaurants, food markets, and specialty shops of Istanbul.
Plus, the well-equipped kitchens in each apartment will allow you to experiment on site, with access to the freshest and most
exotic ingredients!
For example, the pera!place apartment is situated for a great gastronomic
exploration. Restaurants, pastry shops, and the world's best cafe culture await. Step back in time with a stop at Markiz.
This lovingly restored pastry shop serves delicious coffee and elegant pastries, including classics like Sacher Tort. Markiz
sports two Art Nouveau wall panels, L'Automne and Le Printemps, painted by Annoux. The smart waitresses, attired in timeless
black and white outfits enhances its Bell Epoque atmosphere.
After that, explore the city's best
fish market and the numerous restaurants and meyhane!
Istanbul!Place is the place for your next
Istanbul foodie vacation. Check out their web site, here.
New vacation rentals with fantastic kitchens
Istanbul!Place offers Istanbul apartment rentals for fantastic foodie vacations
The Carmen: A Unique Representation of Granada's Food Culture
For centuries, the most traditional type of habitation in Granada was the "Carmen," though
now this unique union of house & garden is on the cusp of disappearing. A carmen consists of a freestanding house with
a tower, a garden-nursery, and a high wall that separates it from the street. Originally, it was a suburban smallholding with
a dual use of the land: one part pleasure or ornamental garden and one part vegetable garden with fruit trees and, very importantly,
grape vines.
The house remained
a relatively small and modest, with the important part of the ensemble being the orchard / garden, where most of the time
was spent outdoors enjoying the plants, the shade, the pools & fountains. Granadinos used mundane materials in house construction:
brick, mortar, limestone and mosaics, in short, simple and inexpensive materials, although in modern times the carmen has
come to have an aura of being a rich & luxurious mansion.
In the 14th century, the polymath Ibn al-Khatib in al-Badriyya Lamhat gave a description of the surroundings
of Granada and said that outside the city walls, there was not a free place since everything was occupied by orchards and
carmens:
Farms and gardens were in such number that
Granada resembled a mother surrounded by children, with luxuriant herbiage adorning her sides as if she had donned a necklace
covering the upper part of her breasts, whilst winds embalmed her with zephyrs. Villas and royal properties encompassed the
city like bracelets. Nuptial thrones [i.e. beds] were set up for the brides of the gardens [i.e. the flowers]. The Sultan
of the Spring [i.e.the rose] took his seat to review the rebels [i.e. the other flowers]. The nightingale of the trees preached
a sermon, whereupon [all] listeners fell attentive. [Acres of] vines waved like billows, and the [whole] neighbourhood overflowed
with their juice. Like the sky of the world beautified with innumerable stars so lay [the plain] with towers of intricate
construction and equipped withstaircases. The winds exhaled perfumes, bringing Paradise to mind for whoso hopes for what God
has in store for him by way of requital.
The sustainability of the carmens as agricultural enterprises
related intimately to the sophisticated Arab-era water system. The channelling and distribution of potable water through internal
channels and cisterns (Ajibe, from the Arabic al-Andalus Gubb, and the classical Arabic Gubb), tanks for storing
drinking water brought by the major water channel (acequia) named Aynadamar from the village of Alfacar, led to the
buildings in the Albaicin, their environs, and the numerous carmens. Each Carmen had an alberca (water pool or pond)
and a system of irrigation for the terraced lands.
It was in the early 17th century when the Spanish term carmen was applied to houses that did not necessarily have
all the characteristics of the earlier settlements, as a version of the Arabic term "karm:" the typical green space
carmen of the Albaicin was popularized and exported to the slopes of the neighbourhoods of La Antequeruela, Realejo and La
Churra.
Although they had
their origin in the Muslim-Andalusian era, it is from the fall of Granada and primarily in the 17th and 18th centuries that
this important type of habitation came to fore in Granada, born from the carmen after the expulsion of the Moors. In
just two years, from 1568 to 1570, the Albaicín went from being a heavily populated neighbourhood to one in ruins and
the Spanish moved into spaces previously occupied by the Moriscos.
After the conquest of Granada, and due to the rise of the likes of the Habsburgs and concept of the
Baroque garden among the Spanish, the Muslim al-Andalus gardens quickly disappeared from the horizon. Palaces and gardens
were Italianized following the influence of the Renaissance, altering the carmen's style forever.
In the Baroque era, there was a boom in the number of carmens,
and in the 19th century during the bourgeois explosion in Granada, influenced by the 18th century Orientalists, the Albaicin
was revitalized, rebuilding the green spaces of the old carmens but decorated with false oriental details. They also lost
all connection to agriculture and food production, becoming purely pleasure gardens.
In this era, having a carmen in Albayzin was synonymous with wealth, with its identity
and name tied to a particular ownership, each possessing a unique bourgeois identity.The traditional, pre-romantic carmen
in Granada is a product of its hillside development, organized in paratas (terraced plots for cultivation), a rather
small living space, tied to the ability for food production. In general, it was not an estate of luxury, but a small house
with a utilitarian garden, a smallholding with a series of terraces or paratas to ascend or descend, often shaded with vines,
creepers and trees to mitigate the rigors the sun, having its access zone to the side of the plot, never in the center.
There are no true carmens surrounded by an iron gate, as
is the style in the rest of Spain; rather a Carmen is enclosed by high walls, a productive smallholding that has trees, fruit
trees and ornamental shade trees, and under them roses, lilies, carnations, honeysuckle, valet mixed with lettuce, chard,
tomatoes and spinach, with wide box hedges or myrtle.
The carmens occupy the hillsides nestled between the channels of the Rivers Darro and Genil, and those
in the Albaicin opposite the Alhambra, are considered the most valued for their views.Today it remains a tradition jealously
kept by the owners of the carmens: although the ornamental garden (versus the agricultural aspect) has gained space in time,
there is always a corner with a pergola with good grapes, and many fruit trees. Inherited from the time of Moorish legends,
the true carmen has the sensual refinement and sense of intimacy of ancient times. Modest mortar walls hide the richness of
the interior, an aesthetic and non-economic wealth.
Nat Decants FREE Wine E-Newsletter Wine picks, articles and humor from Natalie MacLean, named the World's Best Drink Writer at the World Food Media Awards
in Australia. Natalie is also the author of Red, White and Drunk All Over: A Wine Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass.
For more details on this book and to sign up for the newsletter, visit www.nataliemaclean.com.
As featured in Bon Appetit (December, 2008): "ten terrific culinary vacations":
"The lodge was built by three Louisiana gents who decided to mimic the peregrinations
of the original Cajuns (who initially settled in Atlantic Canada and called it Acadia) but in reverse. In 1998, they left
a succesful organic farm outside New Orleans to build an Adirondack-style lodge at a bend in two rivers, next to a wilderness
area. "
Trout Point Lodge Relais & Chateaux hosts the summer and fall Nova Scotia Seafood Cooking School combining luxury accommodation, gourmet meals, hands-on culinary instruction, and visits to Nova Scotia
seafood destinations. Chefs and cookbook authors Vaughn Perret & Charles Leary lead and organize all the Food
Learning Vacations. These renowned instructors specialize in seafood cookery and wild foods in the tradition of the French
New World, covering Acadian, Creole, and Cajun styles along with the fundamentals of choosing, storing, and cooking seafood.
Trout Point Cooking & Wine School can also customize topics and dates to the desires of small groups.
If you’ve ever been to New Orleans, you know
all about gumbo, a stew in both the gastronomical and historical sense; its role is beautifully summed up in “The Trout Point Lodge Cookbook”: “Gumbo evolved not only from the city’s
history of trade and commerce but also from the interaction between aristocratic and slave cultures. Black cooks, unable to
find ingredients they had used in Africa, substituted others closer to hand in a process that produced new culinary sensibilities
in a new world. When you taste gumbo, it is like tasting history.”
Participants stay at Trout Point Lodge Relais & Chateaux, on the edge of the Tobeatic Wilderness Area, about
20 miles inland from Yarmouth, where they also receive instruction in the Lodge's working kitchen. Trout Point provides
spacious guest suites with water views, bar & café, the Dining Room, and numerous public areas for relaxation. The Lodge has full facilities for outdoor recreation, including canoes, kayaks,
paddle boat, mountain bikes, outdoor hot tub & sauna, nature and hiking trails, and offers guided fishing, hiking, and
kayaking.
Visits are often made to the coast near Yarmouth,
a major working fishing port, for trecking the largest salt marsh in the province, wild blueberry fields, and mussel beds
on the Chebogue River or to a nearby oyster farm.
Customized
programs are available for groups of 6-12 persons.
for worldwide culinary vacations by Food & Travel magazine
Granada, though home to the most visited historic monument in Spain, is often overlooked in favor of
the Alhambra. This picturesque metropolisis at the center of the most geographically diverse province in Spain, and you can
sun bathe at the Costa Tropical or ski at the Sierra Nevada all in one day. Granada city hosts of wealth of music venues,
architecture from various era and style, gypsy cave dwellings, and the winding streets of the spellbinding Albaycin. Stay
in the Parador--though book well in advance--on the palace grounds or the AC Santa Paula, or for small hotel charm: Ladron del Agua, Hotel Zaguan, or the Hesperia Granada.
Surely with Sherry
Forget about your grandmother’s tipple. True Spanish
Sherries are serious wines . . . Or so we discovered a few years ago on an unsuspecting tour of Andalusia.
We landed in Madrid, really on our way to Corsica, France. A cheap
Internet fare lured us to crisscross through Spain on our way to the Mediterranean isle, and we settled on spending a few
days in transit. Having no reservations for anything anywhere on the Iberian Peninsula, we rented a car and headed unsuspectingly
south through the blazing sun, the moonscapes, and the olive groves until after a few hours we stopped in Cordoba, ancient
city of learning and culture. It soon became obvious
that somewhere between Despeñaperros, the mountainous frontier of the Junta of Andalusia, and the last olive
tree, we had entered Sherryland (though not yet the snooty stuff they produce in Jerez further south,
and which every Brit worth his or her instinctive salt knows to order by name).
In Cordoba, the waiter of each bar, cafe, and restaurant we entered took it as an insult if we failed to
quaff a Fino or perhaps an Amontillado right off, little matter the time of day. Served very cold and produced
very dry, it took no more than a few glasses to really love the stuff. We learned that Cordoba province has its own Sherry production from the region called Montilla-Morilles,
and Sherry here, as in the areas surrounding Cadiz further south, is bred in the bone. You must drink it, using little flute-like
glasses, there's simply no choice. The history of
Sherry, like that of Port in Portugal, intertwines in an almost baroque way with British merchant interests and worldwide
trade, starting centuries ago.
That's why you
have traditional Spanish Sherry bodegaswith names like "Harvey," "Osborne," and "Garvey"
in the middle of Andalusia. "Sherry" itself is an English mongrelization of the word for Jerez, while the
Spanish themselves simply order a "fino" or an "olorosso." The English also used to call this high-alcohol
wine "sack" and transported it in "butts," but we needn't get too intimate. Let's just say that Shakespeare
depicts everyone from swarthy Fallstaff to various kings drinking copious amounts of it. The production of Cordoba finds its way more into Spanish bocas than foreigners,
while Jerez wines travel the globe satisfying the Sherry habits of aficionados worldwide. Unlike the stuff your aunt used to serve from gaudy cut glass decanters, Spanish sherries
have a sophistication, complexity, and culture of consumption worthy of appreciation.
I'm Fine
with Fino
If you don't want to get into the messy vocabulary to follow, then stick with Fino,
it sounds nice, is easy to remember, and has enough distinction to go for miles (or kilometers, in our case). The Andalusian
bodegas make Fino primarily from palomino grapes grown on extremely chalky soils that occur only in two areas. It can be "dry"
(seco) and "very dry" (muy seco), and has a very light to light straw color. The stuff from Jerez, which many consider
the best, is generally a bit darker in color than finos from Montilla-Morilles, and those are the only two places it's made.
When in Cordoba--an amazing city, home to the Great Mosque--you drink Montilla-Morilles, and when in Seville--home to the
Alcazar and La Giralda Cathedral--you imbibe Jerez. In Granada, you drink whatever's available.
Fino, served
quite cold, is extremely dry--vanish thoughts about Australian Chardonnay; in fact, remove normal wine parameters from your
mind. It has bunches of very subtle flavors and smells, all in the dry format. "Like toasted almonds" is a good
phraseology here, though there's much more dwelling inside a glass of Fino. It is, in our opinion, the quintessential aperitif.
The Spanish work their butts off (no pun intended) making each bottle, in a production method known as solera involving
multiple American oak casks and plenty of special yeasts, called flor, all housed in huge buildings, the bodegas,
near to the coast for easy transshipment around the world.
The flor grows atop the wine in partially filled large barriques and prevents the wine's total oxidation. Flor
adds tremendously to the flavor profile of Finos, as does the solera system of blending wines of different vintages to produce
a consistent and wonderful production each year. The oak of the New World adds its own character, and a bit of historical
continuity, for Andalusia populated most of Latin America. Each glass of Fino, in fact, contains the history of Sherry, with parts of the wine and the flor going back
decades and perhaps centuries. The best known Fino houses include Gonzalez Byass with their "Tio Pepe" and the various
sherries made by Lustau--not bad but try some from Montilla-Morilles too, if you can find them.
What the Heck, Give Me an Oloroso
Moving beyond Fino in Sherryland brings you to the sub-classification of Manzanilla,
and then on to Almontillado and Oloroso--wonderfully sonorous names, aren't they? There's
also "Cream" Sherry, but forget about it--that's the sweet stuff from your grandma's decanter. All Manzanillacomes from a town on the sea called Sanlucar de Barrameda; very
similar to Fino, it has a slightly different color, and a saltier perhaps slightly nuttier, and smoother taste. Like Fino,
it's perfect served very cold with seafood. Amontillado possesses a light amber cast, and has greater dry fruit flavors,
like raisins and hazelnuts. It compliments more savory and complex dishes, including Spain's wonderful cheeses. Oloroso leans much more strongly to the thick, sweet side of things, and is a component of Cream sherry. Dark in
color, it can have deep, almost molasses-like flavors, and may take some getting used to. The Spaniards drink it with full-flavored
meat and game dishes.
Some Sherry Suggestions
Anything from Lustau, Cadiz Province: they produce excellent Finos, Olorosos, and Amontillados. Tio Pepe from Gonzalez Byass, pure palomino Jerez fino muy
seco flavors. Also excellent for fino and others,
and widely available: the products of Pedro Domecq, including "La Ina." From Cordoba Province, try any fino or amontillado you can get; production is very consistent amongst the
different bodegas, butthe style is quite distinct from Jerez. Consumption is mostly local, and little is
exported.
Espresso Machines: The Serious Beginner's Guide
by Charles Leary & Vaughn Perret, Chef-Proprietors of Trout Point Lodge of Nova Scotia
Coffee simply tastes better in Europe. Based on frequent travel and living abroad in Italy,
Spain, Turkey, & France as well as Canada and the coffee-producing countries of Panama, and Costa Rica, the only conclusion
we can draw is that the western European way with coffee wins out for robust flavor and drinking pleasure.
Why?
Even in France, Spain, and Italy finding the appropriate brand or kind proves difficult, involving
day after day of trying new coffees, new grinds, new roasts. Any coffee afficianado will tell you that the water is important:
the purer and better tasting the water, the better the coffee. In Costa Rica and Panama, we sample reputedly some of the world's
best coffess, locally grown, processed, roasted, and ground. The results vary considerably, and with the best, a subtle, superior
complexity of flavor shines through. But the Central American coffees are lightweights when compared with that flavorful,
transporting experience of just-made cafe au lait, espresso, or cafe con leche.
In Europe, the espresso machine has won out as the only way to make epicurean-level coffee.
Drip machines are tolerated for home use, but precise heat, pressure, and water combined and forced through a densely packed
puck of finely ground, freshly ground coffee beans produces the quintessential coffee flavor.
As restaurateurs we have long wanted to reproduce this experience for our guests. In 2001, we
had purchased what at the time was one of the best small commercial machines readily available in North America: the Pasquini
Livia 90. This compact espresso machine has held up admirably and remains in use in the Dining Room at Trout Point Lodge of
Nova Scotia.
However, new plans for a small guest cafe have steered us back into the market for a light commercial
or serious home use espresso machine, something that will truly reproduce the European coffee experience we know so well.
To say that the world of small espresso machines in North America has changed in seven years
puts it mildly.
Here's a rundown of several of the best choices we came up with after several weeks of research,
and based on our eight years of experience with the Pasquini machine:
First, there is a basic tri-partite division of these machines. 1. There are inexpensive home
machines that function without boilers or pressure—just direct steam creation. 2. There are single boiler machines that
use one boiler to produce steam for both brewing and for steaming milk or providing hot water. 3. There are double boiler
machines that have one boiler for brewing at one specific temperature, and a second boiler, usually at a higher temperature,
for producing steam and hot water. Further variables can include the voltage (i.e. 110 versus 220), the power of the heating
element(s) (i.e. 1500 watts), the size of the boiler(s), and the type of “brewing group,” the place where the
steam comes into contact with the ground coffee.
All of the machines we have chosen are commercial quality and carry a fairly hefty price tag.
Our Selections:
The Elektra A3
The Marzocco GS3
The LaSpaziale Vivaldi II
The Vibiemme Domobar
The Elektra Verticale Semi-automatica
THE WINE CORNER
a regularly updated feature of recently tasted wines
Casa de la Ermita Petit Verdot
The Spanish wine region of
Jumilla is a rising star on the wine scene. Casa de la Ermita, in particular, has excelled at showing off the potential, including
with varietals such as Petit Verdot. Giving Ermita's production a try comes highly recommended.
Varieties:Petit
Verdot Ageing:12 months
Elaboration: Grapes harvested towards
the end of October, picked at the best moment of ripening, with very small and loose grain. Macerated in cold during the first
days of encubing, the fermentation temperatures up until the date of extraction from barrels set between 28 and 30 degrees
centigrade. After the 15 days of encubing, the malolactic fermentation was then undertaken.At this point it has rested in
French and American oak barrels for 12 months.
TASTING NOTES Colour:
Very deep red in colour, almost opaque, with a deep purple rim. Nose: Aromas of ripe, black fruits such
as plum can be detected with floral notes of violet and lavander with an elegant hint of orange. Taste:
On the palate following its initial sweetness, flavours are mainly dominated by over-ripe black fruits, however there are
hints of chocolate & coffee. Tasty, sumptuous, strong and elegant with a fresh and balsamic lengthy finish.
Serving temperature:
17 degrees Centigrade Format: 0.75, 1.50, 3.00, 9.00 and 12.00 llitres Gastronomy:
Roast red meats well-spiced, Castellian roasts, pheasant, duck, deer, venison, oxtail casserole, and harder cheeses.
Mentions and Awards Gold Medal, 3rd position, «La selezione del Sindaco 2003», Italy Silver Medal, «Bacchus 2004»,
Spain Gold Medal, «Quality Contest D.O. Jumilla 2004», Spain Gold Medal, «Radio Tourism Awards
2004», Spain Silver Medal, «International Awards city of Porto 2004», Portugal Gold Medal, «Nova
Scotia Port of Wine 2005», Canada Silver Medal, «Premios Zarcillo 2005», Spain Silver Medal, «Decanter
World Wine Awards 2005», U.K. Bronze Medal, «International Wine & Spirits Competition 2005»; U.K. Silver Medal, «Mundus Vini 2005», Germany Silver Medal, «Expovina 2005», Austria Silver
Medal, Best in its Category, «International Wine & Spirits Competition 2006», UK Silver Medal, «D.O.
Jumilla Quality Contest 2007», Spain Bronze Medal, «International Wine Challenge 2007»; U.K. 90/100
points, «Wine Advocate #169 (Robert Parker)», 2007, USA Bronze Medal, «Decanter World Wine Awards 2007»,
U.K. Bronze Medal, «International Wine Challenge 2008»; U.K. Bronze Medal, «International Wine
Challenge 2009»; U.K. Bronze Medal, «Decanter World Wine Awards 2009», U.K.
Purchase the complete Epicurean Pilgrim's Destination Guide to Rome as a pdf document, including authoratative restaurant
reviews and a guide to markets, wine & food stores. Use your PayPal account or a major credit card. The seller will be
listed as Trout Point Lodge, Limited. Delivery by e-mail.
This handsome, hardbound volume will delight all
lovers of Bordeaux wines, and especially its most emblematic region: Graves. Each of the 16 cru classe chateaux are profiled
in depth, and foodies will find excellent recipes from chefs like Eric Ripert matched to each chateau. The history of each
wine estate, the types of wines produced, and high quality photography fill the 215 + pages.
8Hugh Johnson provide an eloquent Preface, noting that in Graves, over time a certain recipe, as
it were, applied to a certain parcel of land, gave a consistent and distinct result: a cru with a life, both economic and
gastronomic, of its own."
Such famous houses as Haut Brion and
Carbonnieux receive detailed treatments that really bring them alive for the reader
Michel Bettane's Introduction will make a Graves expert out of even those learning about this wonderful wine
region for the first time. After chapter-length profiles of each chateau, there is a handy reference table at the back summarizing
their production and techniques.
"Numerous
hotels have chosen to price themselves above the recession in the belief that the real luxury customer shares their immunity
to the crisis. But I’m not sure it’s just a question of price; what has happened in the global economy has also
brought about a change of style. Not everyone wants to be seen spending in the way they were before: the small, owner-run
hotel somehow fits better with the quieter spirit of the times." Sophy Roberts, Financial Times
We were a bit surprised
that the taxi driver didn't know where Checchino was. “Testaccio,” we said. For us, the restaurant was among the
culinary certainties of Rome, and the taxi driver should surely know where to go.
After giving him the exact civic address, he had to go to the extent of plugging it into a talking
GPS unit that told him how to wind his way there, in the old meat packing district just outside the centre. We had gone there
before; always arriving in taxi, we had left once on foot, trekking our way across sedate residential neighborhoods and strange
open spaces until we reached the Tiber and hoofed it rapidly back to the more familiar and strangely comfortable zone of Spanish
Steps, fountains, and Rotundas.
Checchino gives lessons,
every day, in how to become a destination, a landmark that weathers the storms of trendy times. It's Checchino dal 1887, wearing
its hundred and more years of continuous food service as a badge of honour. We went back not exactly because we remembered
the food as being the absolute best in Rome, or the ambiance and service as so transporting that this vaulted single room
of a restaurant would be a must go on every trip to Rome.
No,
Checchino was and is not our favourite restaurant in the Eternal City. But, it's there, nearly timeless, and always present
with its somewhat quirky and very Roman emphasis on offal, its cheese cart under the cheesy glass dome, stained glass false
skylight, and walnut veneer wainscoting.
We recognized
the owners—they must be the owners—ever present and attending with an air of dignified and professional interest
in the guests, not aloof, not bored, nor overly excited by their position as purveyors of culinary information and hospitality.
Always friendly. We recognized at least one of the white-jacketed waiters from prior visits. The décor had not changed,
since 1887 at the earliest.
From the street, one enters
a single, very high-ceilinged, vaulted room with a large fireplace at the very rear. There's not a single window, which makes
the room peculiar. There is a mysterious staircase to the upstairs, and a supposedly cavernous wine cellar downstairs, a little
bar, a reception desk, the cheese cart, and lots of exactly uniform, white table-clothed square tables, some nestled together
as 4-tops. We have heard that the restaurant is actually dug into Monte Testaccio, itself a gigantic pottery midden from ancient
Rome—a dumping ground for hundred of thousands of amphorae used to carry wine, oil, and garum. So, the culinary heritage
here is immense.
We called a few hours before to reserve
for 8:30 and arrived just about on time, despite the talking GPS and nervous taxi driver. Overcoats were taken. Good evenings
exchanged. We sit and receive our Pelegrino water. The dog-eared and somewhat stained heavy paper menus must be designed to
slightly disorient the patrons, with their set menu promotions—with a take-away souvenir plate—in Italian and
English, their somewhat non-standard divisions between courses written only in Italian, and the additional, smaller menu,
which seems to repeat some of the larger menu, but not everything. In addition, one can order the dishes on the set menus
separately, but only some make an appearance on the main listings.
Despite Checchino's (probably deserved) fame for its vast wine list, most diners receive a 2-page roster of suggestions
included with the main menu.
None of the above is a complaint—just some observations on the quirky side of the place.
In fact, Checchino clearly belongs in the upper echelons of the ristorante category.
Though family run and attended, this is not your casual trattoria. The Maitre D's dress in suits. All wine by the
bottle receives a full opening ceremony—side table, tasting glass, smelling the cork, checking the label, ritualized
pours to rinse the glasses, observation of the wine's color—all before the patron is given his or her taste.
The place has its well-established and comfortable routines for
both itself and its guests. The menu is stable, the décor indelibly fixed, the staff amiable and not stuffy, but deft
in their professional habits, though one over officious, non-Italian waiter did spill the wine all over hand and glass in
a failing attempt to be helpful.
The food at Checchino
strays from the typical Roman in its emphasis on old-style cucina romana, rustic, tasty, and meaty. With its heritage
in the old butchery district, the kitchen feature lots of organs, trotters, hearts, and the house dish, ox tail in a concentrated
tomato sauce.
The pastas rank good to very good: classic
spaghetti alla carbonara, spaghetti with
bavette di tonno, tonarelle a la griciaas well as arrabiata and amatriciana, etc.
The rabbit with sweet black olives and white wine sauce was the best we've had anywhere in Italy, and was served completely
bone free. The famed coda alla vaccinara arrived well cooked and flavorful on a too-small oval plate with literally no meat on the bones;
a bit more flesh would have gone a long way. The origins of this dish dates back to the customary payment to a vaccinaro (cattle butcher) with the entrails, hide, and tail of the animals being
butchered. As the butchers branched out to eateries such as Checchino, the name gained widespread use.
The recommended
wine, from the local region of Lazio, was superb and well priced at 23 euros: Casale di Giglio'sMadreselva, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot.
"“If I was 20 today and I was a truly creative person, I wouldn’t do molecular
cuisine. Everybody is doing it." Hervé This, inventor of molecular gastronomy, Financial Times interview, February
16, 2008.
Nova Scotia lodge invited to join Condé Nast
Johansens
Prestigious British small hotel group chooses
Trout Point Lodge as its only Nova Scotia property
The Vice President of Condé Nast Johansens, Leslie O'Malley-Keyes,
has invited Trout Point Lodge of Nova Scotia to join its lineup of specially selected small hotel properties oriented towards
the independent traveler. Each hotel must be approved by an annual inspection and invited to join. Hotels in the Johansens
Guide receive the coveted Condé Nast seal of approval.
Ms. O'Malley-Keyes, who heads a team of 20 inspectors
for the Americas, visited Trout Point personally this past June. “We are excited to include
Trout Point Lodge in our2008/9 portfolio,” said O’Malley-Keyes. “Our inspectors visit numerous high-end
and unique properties and select only those that meet the rigorous criteria of the Guides. Trout Point Lodge represents a
level of escape, rustic authenticity and eco friendly activity supported and
sought after by many of our readers and will be a popular vacation choice”.
According to the www.johansens.com web site, Condé Nast Johansens is the most comprehensive illustrated
reference to annually inspected, independently owned prestigious accommodation and meetings venues throughout the world. Condé
Nast maintains the trust of its guide users by recommending by annual inspection a careful choice of accommodation
offering. Headquartered at Bond Street, London, a team of over 50 dedicated Regional Inspectors visit thousands of hotels,
country houses, inns, spas and resorts throughout 60 countries to select only the very best for recommendation in its Guides.
Trout Point Lodge lies adjacent to the Tobeatic Wilderness
Area in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia. Consisting of an 8-room Great Lodge, the 3-bedroom River Bend Lodge, and two cottages,
the Lodge opened in 2000. Last year, Trout Point won the Parks Canada Sustainable Tourism Award.
The Lodge joins other Canadian hotels selected by Condé Nast including Sooke Harbour House, Wickaninnish Inn, and Hotel Quintessence. Trout Point is the
only property in Nova Scotia and one of only two in Atlantic Canada selected for the honour.
For more information, contact Charles Leary, Trout Point
Lodge, (902) 761-2142, troutpoint@foodvacation.com
While in Granada marvelling at the wonders of the Alhambra Palace, take a break for cooking classes
with renowned food experts at the Granada Cooking School. Located within the UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the historic Albaycin,
the School offers hourly classes on a flexible schedule. With a combination of detailed cooking demonstrations and hands-on
culinary instruction, the School will also customize programs for small groups.
Areas of
culinary instruction include:
Mediterranean
Creole
Spanish
Food & wine appreciation
Spanish Wines &
Sherries
Spanish language instruction focusing on culinary topics
Culinary
hikes into Parque San Miguel, just behind the Cooking School
Food market tours
Participants can also arrange gourmet lunches and dinners that will add extra spice and interest to your time in
wonderful Granada, a jewel of the Spanish Mediterranean! The School boasts a brand-new marble & granite teaching kitchen
including a traditional cave cellar and pastry area, numerous terraces including the vine-covered front terrace, all with
views of the Alhambra Palace, a rooftop herb garden, and walking access to the wonderful ingredients of the markets at Plaza
Larga and San Augustin.
Accommodations recommended by the School include complete villa
rentals. The beautiful property on Calle San Luis features broad vistas of the famed Alhambra Palace, the Generalife,
and the Sierra Nevada mountains, yet remains within walking distance of shops and restaurants in the Albaycin and Granada´s
historic center. Accommodation options include the unique 3-bedroom Rauda House or the 1-bedroom Loft View Apartment. See
www.alhambravistas.com for more information.
For online learning courses on topics of food, wine, history, culture, and gastronomy, visit the new Institute of Gastronomy, including studies leading to the Certificate in Gasttronomy.
Canticum Hotels Group
Sustainable Luxury Hotels of the World
Visit the new guide to luxury nature lodges and eco-lodges around the world: Boutique Lodges
