Quinoa a great food, only grows in Bolivia

Interesting article from the NY Times about quinoa:

Now demand for quinoa (pronounced KEE-no-ah) is soaring in rich countries, as American and European consumers discover the “lost crop” of the Incas. The surge has helped raise farmers’ incomes here in one of the hemisphere’s poorest countries. But there has been a notable trade-off: Fewer Bolivians can now afford it, hastening their embrace of cheaper, processed foods and raising fears of malnutrition in a country that has long struggled with it.

Full article: Quinoa's Success

Italian San Marzano Tomato Taste Off

San Marzano tomatoes are the famous plum tomatoes from the Campania region of Italy. They are known for being the best sauce tomatoes in the world. At our 43eleven Italian store, we used to sell (a lot) of the La Valle brand. But when I was in Bay Cities Deli in Santa Monica I noticed a few brands I have not tried. So I decided to test out three different kinds.

Courtney and I made three different batches of basic tomato sauce with each brand and tried them side-by-side. We stuck with the Mario Batali recipe for basic tomato sauce which is a great all-purpose recipe. We always buy whole tomatoes (all of these come in tomato puree with a little basil in them) and then use a potato masher to make a chunky sauce.

Here are our notes:

1. All three of these brands were Italian tomatoes - there is a very popular brand in the supermarkets with Italian writing and look but are of domestic origin. Not that that makes them unacceptable - I didn't try them - but it is somewhat decieving, so read the label to make sure they are from Italy.

2. Most Italian San Marzano labled tomatoes are not neccisarily from the San Marzano area. Only the ones with DOP certification are the original, authentic San Marzanos grown in the shadow of Mt. Vesuvius in volcanic soils. That also doesn't mean the others are not good, usualy it means they use the same type of plum tomato that is known as San Marzano, but the DOP lets you know the origin and quality control. Only one of the brands we tried was DOP.

3. We tried them first right out of the can and then in the sauce. All of the ones we tried were very good. The differences were noticeable but relatively minor.

La Bella San Marzano -- $3.98

Very nice, lighter in overall flavor, more natural acidity.

Coluccio San Marzano D.O.P. -- $6.49

Very rich, the most balance between sweet and acidic, the sauce had a more lasting flavor.

La Valle San Marzano -- $2.98

The sweetest of the three, nice, rich.

The overall winner of the bunch was the DOP. But both others were very good, and at the price, I probably would use the DOP only when the sauce is kept simple and served with nice pasta or with vegetables.

We have a lot of sauce left over, we used a blender for part of the leftovers and added a touch of milk to make a smoother, creamier version. And you can always use the basic sauce and turn it into a meat sauce, or a Puttenesca sauce (add black olives, anchovies, capers, and red chilis).

Bon Appetito!

Two Cheese Articles

Sheep vs. Sheep in Basque Country - Atlantic Magazine

Explores the issue in the Basque region between the ancient indigineous Iatxa

breed of sheep and the hybrid Assaf sheep. Basque cheese are some of my favortie - the two examples given are Roncal and Idiazabal (from the Spanish Basque area). Other favorites are Ossau-Iraty, Abbae del Belloc, and Blue de Basuqe (from the French Pryenees/Basque area). The article just scratches the surface of the underlying issue of tradition vs. growth, but it is worth a read. Then go buy some cheese!

Where the Mozzarella Roams - LA Times

From the travel section in the LA Times, an article about Campania and the fresh Buffalo-milk Mozzarella so famous from that region. Some good info and anecdotal stories about the cheese and the region that produces it. Go get some fresh Mozzarella di Bufala to go with those farmers market fresh tomatoes.

FOOD, INC. - THE MOVIE

Very well done documentary about the food we buy in a typical supermarket and how/why it got there. Covering the industrial food operation, nutrition, food safety, and more.

Some of the story is sad and some is disgusting, but there are some great characters like farmer Joel Salatin who inspire and educate at the same time.

FOOD, Inc. - The Movie

Soupe au Pistou

Pretty simple french vegetable soup, made special with a "Pistou" - the french version of Italian pesto added to the soup at the table. We tried this and loved it. We used 1/2 stock and 1/2 water for a slightly added richness. Go to your Farmers Market and get some basil and try this.

Go here for Mark Bittman's recipe:

Soupe au Pistou

Kentucky "Grilled Chicken" (with Beef)

Wow!  Here is the list of ingredients in the Kentucky "Grilled Chicken" -- 

“KFC® Grilled Chicken Fresh Chicken Marinated with: Salt, Sodium Phosphate, and Monosodium Glutamate Seasoned with: Maltodextrin, Salt, Bleached Wheat Flour, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and Cottonseed Oil, Monosodium Glutamate, Spices, Palm Oil, Natural Flavor, Garlic Powder, Soy Sauce (Soybean, Wheat, Salt), Chicken Fat, Chicken Broth, Autolyzed Yeast, Beef Powder, Rendered Beef Fat, Extractives of Turmeric, Dehydrated Carrot, Onion Powder, and Not More Than 2% Each of Calcium Silicate and Silicon Dioxide Added as Anticaking Agents. Contains Wheat and Soy.”

Plus it's "grilled in an oven".  How do they get those grill marks?  How exactly do you get Beef Powder?  Never mind, please don't tell me.

This stuff does not even resemble real food.  Run, don't walk away from this stuff!

Cheese

A fine bloomy rind, triple creme. Just testing the mobile posting.

I've Been Busy...

So, when I started this blog, I had intentions of updating more frequently. After we closed 43eleven, I did have more time on my hands and lots of information to share.  

But then I found a company, who carries wonderful food products, to work for and this blog got pushed to the back burner - the back right burner specifically, that is my least favorite burner, the flame is inconsistent and I have to reach to far to stir things, you get the idea.

From 43eleven to CheeseWorks:

I first heard about CheeseWorks in Italy from their buyer, so in September of 2007 they hired me to be the one and only sales rep for the L.A. area. They are based in the San Francisco Bay area, but service the L.A. area too.  

The best thing about it is that we carry so many great products. 

Cheeses (of course) - the best imported from France, Spain, Italy, and a good amount of artisan cheeses from the US. And I get to work with the best independent stores and restaurants in L.A. And my refrigerator always has samples in it which keeps me and my wife happy!

CheeseWorks is a distributor, so we only sell to retail and restaurants, so I am not selling you anything here.

Anyway, I won't be using this blog to promote my employer, but will try and post more frequently for the few of you show still might care ;)  One thing though , is in the past few years there has been an explosion of foodie web sites and blogs, so many of my posts will simply refer to the great writing that is out there. 

Artisanal Premium Cheese

Imagine sitting around for three days discussing all the milky details about the worlds best cheeses all the while methodically tasting over 100 different cheeses! That was my experience back in July as I took the Master Class for Professionals at the Artisanal Cheese Center in New York. While I have a good working knowledge about Italian cheeses, this experience certainly gave me a more global appreciation for that wonderful product of controlled spoilage that is cheese!

Our instructors for the class were Daphne Zepos and Max McCalman, two experts in the cheese world. Daphne is an experienced cheese affineur (an expert at maturing cheeses), a teacher, an accredited taster, and much more. Her passion and knowledge of cheese is contagious. Max McCalman is a passionate advocate for great authentic cheese and the author of two must-have cheese books, "The Cheese Plate" and "Cheese: A Connoisseur's Guide to the World's Best". One of Max's specialties, and I think favorite hobbies, is wine and cheese pairing. He led us through a couple grueling sessions of tasting 36 different combinations of cheese and wine. It was grueling, I tell you...no really...ok, maybe not.

The class was wonderful and I am hoping to get Max to do an event next time he is in Los Angeles and will certainly tell you all about it when that happens.

What is so special about Artisanal Premium Cheese?
Artisanal is one of a few affineur's in the U.S. They buy cheeses and then expertly ripen or age them to perfection. They age the cheeses in five different cheese "caves" (fancy walk-in refrigerators) kept at different temperature and humidity settings to optimally ripen the cheese. This is a hands-on operation, some cheeses get washed daily (with brine or other liquids to add flavor), turned, tasted, and moved to different caves as needed.

Cheese Tasting and Review
So, after I got back from my class, I thought I would test out their mail-order and get a selection of cheese for a tasting. I ordered seven different cheeses online and they showed up in great shape. Then invited some lucky friends over to evaluate and enjoy!


Here was the line-up for our tasting:

• Thym Tamarre, France - an fantastic goat cheese identifiable by its shape and the elegant touch of thyme and lavender folded within. Creamy with hint of herbs.
• Queso de Aracena, Spain - a washed-rind goat cheese with firm, moist texture and an earthy, slightly tangy flavor.
• Roncal, Spain - a sheep's milk cheese, somewhat similar to Pecorino Toscano, but with a bit more nutty flavor, fantastic with Rioja wines.
• Munster, France - authentic Munster is a washed-rind cow's milk cheese from Alsace, France. Ours arrived perfectly ripe, strong barnyard aromas, flavors of earth, a rich tanginess.
• Cheddar Fiscalini, American - Fiscalini Bandaged Cheddar is a raw cow's milk artisanal cheddar from California. Sharp flavors, grassy, fruity.
• Roquefort, France - Carles Roquefort is a classic sheep's milk blue cheese that was simply amazing. Velvety creamy, sweet with a consistent and long-lasting piquant flavor.
  
• La Tur, Italy - a three-milk cheese from the Piemonte region of Italy. Silky smooth, tangy, creamy and rich. (not from Artisanal Cheese, but I needed something Italian!)
• Fondue - Artisanal's own fondue is a mix of Emmentaler and other mountain cheeses, melted nicely and has great flavor.

Our tasters all left with big smiles on their faces - and some of them weren't even drinking. So, look for or request these cheese in your local cheese shop or order online at Artisanal Premium Cheese. [This blog, ArtisanTaste is not affiliated in any way with Artisanal Premium Cheese, just similar names.]

Cheese Class at Market Gourmet

I'll be facilitating a cheese tasting at Market Gourmet on Thursday, September 13th. At this tasting, we will feature farmsted and artisanal American Cheeses. If you think American cheeses can not compare to the great cheese making traditions in Europe, you are in for a surprise. The tasting will include a handful of cheeses ranging in style from light and expressive goat cheeses to rich and creamy blues. Market Gourmet will pour a few complementary wines to go with these amazing cheeses, all for just $40 if you sign up in advance.

This class will be held on Thursday, September 13th at 7:30 p.m.
Please call Market Gourmet at 310-305-9800 to make your reservation.
Class size is limited.
Advanced Purchase Fee: $40.00

Hope to see you there!