Thursday, November 29, 2001
More On Napa Valley, CA
This is the final installment on Sean Brady’s and my trip to Napa Valley. To remind you, we were attending the Culinary Institute of America’s Food Media Conference (actually a four-day crash course in food writing, etc.), he as a student, me as a faculty member. [more]
Wednesday, November 28, 2001
Wine Buy: Paul Cheneau Cava Brut
This week’s wine buy is a Spanish sparkling wine called Paul Cheneau Cava Brut. It is not bone dry, even though it is labeled brut, a word used to denote the driest of a particular company’s sparkling wines.. It is ever so slightly sweet, which makes it perfect for serving to large groups this holiday season. Everyone will like it. This cava, as in the “caves” where champagne is fermented, is made from a three-grape blend. The label tells us that this wine is a blanc de blanc, meaning white wine from white grapes. [more]
Monday, November 26, 2001
Don Giovanni - Napa, CA
Here's another review of a Napa Valley restaurant written by my assistant, Sean Brady. We don't agree on everything. We have generational differences. But I trust him totally on food. Well, almost totally. We certainly have the same opionion about Don Giovanni. It is terrific. One reason we like it better than our other Napa restaurant experiences, is that it isn't just for tourists. It attracts a local and diverse crowd -- everyone from winemakers and vineyard owners to the trades people who service the valley. Perhaps that is because it is at the edge of the city of Napa, which has a population of about 60,000. It is not "up valley," where the expensive spas, galleries and shops are. [more]
Sunday, November 25, 2001
Mushroom Strudel
My sister, Andrea, got this recipe from “Love For Cooking,” a wonderful cookbook and memoir written with style and warmth by the great actress Uta Hagen in 1978. The book is long out of print, although I see that there is occasionally (like right now) a used copy available on Amazon.com. [more]
Thursday, November 22, 2001
Thanksgiving Recipes (Including Leftovers)
There are many recipes on The Food Maven website that may be useful for Thanksgiving and for the next few days. [more]
Wednesday, November 21, 2001
Bistro Jeanty - Yountville, CA
Following is another of Sean’s reviews from our trip to Napa Valley. I had been to Bistro Jeanty before and enjoyed it more this time. Still, my first visit, though slightly disappointing, perhaps only because of the build-up I’d gotten from locals who regard it as a very special place, was good enough to make me want to return. My only remaining quibble – and something Sean does not mention in his review – is that the extensive wine list is very expensive for a bistro. There were just a handful of bottles under $30. [more]
Tuesday, November 20, 2001
Pumpkin Pie With Eggnog
This is the pumpkin pie recipe made with eggnog that Dorie Greenspan mentioned last week on the radio. Oy, the problems this has caused. [more]
Wednesday, November 14, 2001
Wine Buy: Chateau du Rouët
After spending a week in “wine obsessed” Napa Valley, I couldn’t wait to see what Carol Berman, our “Food Talk” sommelier had in store for us this week. [more]
Thursday, November 01, 2001
Wine Buy: Navarro Correas Cabernet Sauvignon
This week’s Wine Buy proves that some bottles definitely do need “to breathe,” as the wine geeks tell us. [more]
