MARIANI’S

Virtual Gourmet


  January 22,   2016                                                                                             NEWSLETTER



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"Bon Appetit" (in Julia Child's Kitchen) by Ralph Cahoon , Cahoon Museum, Cotuit, MA.

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IN THIS ISSUE
TRAUBE TONBACH,
A JEWEL IN THE BLACK FOREST

By John A. Curtas
 
NEW YORK CORNER
    PINTO GARDEN 

By John Mariani


NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR

WHAT I'M DRINKING NOW

By John Mariani


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TRAUBE TONBACH

A JEWEL IN THE BLACK FOREST

By John A. Curtas

     Germany’s Black Forest is one of the most enchanting and awesome places on earth. Less than two hours from the vineyards and wine towns of Alsace, it is a world unto itself -- a world of deeply-pitched hills and valleys, where cuckoo clocks, majestic trees and gingerbread houses share the landscape with some of the best food Germany  has to offer. Smack in the middle of Baiersbronn (its culinary capital), lies the Traube Tonbach, a luxurious resort where well-heeled Germans have come to relax be pampered for over two hundred years.
    There's a lot to do at the Traube Tonbach. Spas, swimming (indoors and out), skiing, hiking, exploring the picturesque valleys and towns of Baiersbronn, all while taking in some of the crispest, cleanest, pine-scented air in Europe.  If you're the shut-in type, you'll find nothing to complain about either. The 153 rooms are enormous, the bathrooms even more so, and it seems everywhere you look (out of giant, wood-trimmed windows) you see one stunning forest view after another.
    Calling the Traube enchanting is an understatement. From the traditional Tyrolean garb of the crackerjack staff to the oversized, Black Forest décor, everything about it has a formal-yet-friendly precision that seduces you from the moment you sink into an overstuffed chair or start sipping a glass of crisp Riesling. You can be as laid back or active as you wish at the Traube Tonbach, but what you really ought to be doing is eating.
    Harald Wohlfahrt's Schwardwaldstube has held three Michelin stars since 1992. The name means "Black Forest Room" (below, left) and the thickness of the wood, the chairs and the linens give not a clue as to the lightness and freshness of his cuisine. The room seats only 40 customers, but so precise is the food, you get the feeling that there are at least that many cooks in the kitchen.  Chef Wohlfahrt told me (through an interpreter) that his cuisine has become more international over the years, and, like most chefs in this league, he now plays with flavors from all around the globe. Some might fault him for letting these flights of foreign fancy overtake him, such as when he accompanies beautiful poached Gillardeau oysters with ponzu jelly, shredded beetroot and horseradish, plus a chive vinaigrette, but for me everything harmonized the way it's supposed to with highfalutin fusion food. What Wohlfahrt's elemental, not-bashful cooking proved was that I was in a bigger, bolder, German version of a French restaurant, not a dainty Gallic one.
    "Not bashful" would be my same description of the Swabia-meets-Bologna construct of Wohlfahrt's ravioli (below) . Stuffed with a moist, dense confit of calf’s head and garnished with sweetbreads and tongue, it was elegant and earthy, not an easy feat in any cuisine. Festooned with truffles, it was part French, part Italian, and definitely German, acknowledging all three cuisines without surrendering to the heaviness of its pedigree.
    
 From there, our meal proceeded seamlessly through meaty slices of wild turbot in an intense, sea urchin nage, through local "homegrown" venison in a juniper sauce that tasted of a hunter's bounty. This is cold weather, nip-in-the-air eating at its finest, I thought to myself —food that matched the evergreen forest surroundings as much as the heavy, carved wood upon which we sat.
     As wonderful, and of-its-place as our game and fish repast was, it was my wife’s vegetarian meal where the kitchen really proved its mettle. Six courses of jaw-dropping variety even more stunning than the proteins:  a variation of carrots in a black tea emulsion, grilled pineapple and confit of fennel in a Ricard Pernod/passion fruit stock;  potato-mushroom ravioli with caper jus and chanterelles—dishes that could make you forget about meat altogether. As with my meal, every vegetable course was a show stopper, but the highlight was an egg white soufflé encasing a reinserted yolk with a white truffle sauce so intense I had to check my pulse.
    About the only clinkers in the meal were the desserts, which seemed terribly overwrought, as if the pastry chef was trying too hard to keep up with the pirouettes taking place on the savory plates. There was also a serious service lapse towards the last quarter of the meal, when everything seemed to slow to a crawl.
    As for wine, the list is extensive (750+ labels, 36,000 bottles) and shoulder deep in great German and Alsatian Rieslings.  Markups were more than fair—especially compared with New York and Las Vegas—with scores of great bottles for $100 or less. My rule of thumb when star-grazing in Europe is to look for bottles in the $50-$100 range, and I'm consistently amazed by the quality at those prices. I took the wine pairing with my meal, and it, along with our young sommelier, was superb.
    The Schwarzwaldstube would be a fitting crescendo to anyone's visit to the Traube, but we worked in reverse order for our two-day stay. Dinner number two found us again across the street from the main hotel, at the original, heavily timbered inn that now houses a traditional restaurant, the Bauernstube (left).  Those timbers, low ceilings, plaster walls and wooden benches give the Bauernstube a distinctly 18th century feel, but this being the Traube, the linens are as thick and crisp and the
and the food at the Bauernstube is every bit as formidable (if not as refined) as you would expect southwestern German food to be, while  still keeping its casual charm. The restaurants share the same wine list.
    Being strangers to Swabian cuisine, we didn't know quite what to expect, although we suspected that the six-mile hike we took earlier in the day was probably a good idea. As with all traditional German restaurants, the difficulties of the language will surprise you with a disconnect between what was described, what you thought you ordered, and what shows up. For example: three fist-sized stuffed ravioli (below) are described as a "snack" on the English menu, but what appears could fill up a sumo wrestler. (In a similar vein, an American chef told me he once ordered a plate of butter as an appetizer in a German restaurant.)
    Undaunted by our "snack," we sallied forth with the rest of our meal and found everything to be as enjoyable as a meal can be—golf ball-size sweetbreads and wide noodles, used to "garnish" a perfect blanquette de veau, no less ($24);  tennis-ball sized liver dumplings ($19.50) and brook trout ($24.50), which tasted as if it had jumped right from the stream onto our plate. Filling or not, those dumplings, veal and sweetbreads are dishes I'm still dreaming about. There is also a $35 fixed price menu available.
    My parents told me decades ago about the wonders of German breakfast buffets in upscale hotels, but it wasn't until I forced myself into an early awakening one morning that I saw for myself what they meant.
    "Get here early," one of the staff told me, and so I did, bleary-eyed and still wrestling with my weightlifter's repast of the night before.  What I confronted was more temptation than any one man should face while he's still digesting Swabian dumplings. Every bread and pastry imaginable, right out of the oven. Miles of meats, cheeses, fruits, jams, and jellies. Scores of butters and spreads. Eight kinds of milk. A dozen fresh-squeezed juices. Every kind of smoked fish you've ever heard of and more sausages than you could shake a stick at (left). Carved beef, cured ham (four kinds!), smoked ham, eggs out the wazoo and half a dozen local honeys. Aged cheeses from all over Europe, and did I mention the pastries and meats?
    Everything from the coffee to the headcheese was exemplary, and the finest of its kind of any buffet I've ever been to. It was so good it restored my faith in overeating.
    My parents were right; the Germans do breakfast better than anyone. Their hotels and 3-star restaurants concede nothing to the French, either, with everything correct down to the last detail. Michelin is right too, at least in this case: this magical place is definitely worth a special journey.

Our dinner for (two tasting menus + one wine pairing) at the Schwarzwaldstube came to $465, including a generous tip. (Yes, they tip in Germany, usually around 10%.) The Bauernstube dinner was $110.


 



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NEW YORK CORNER
By John Mariani
Photos by Mikey Asanin

PINTO GARDEN
117 West 10th Street (near Seventh Avenue)
212-366-5455

    Thai restaurants in America have generally followed the same formulas as have most other Asian restaurants since the 1980s, creating menus with a huge amalgam of dishes in myriad variations that have become safe, sure winners with the American dining public.  Thai dishes like mee krob, tom yum soup, pad Thai and an array of curries (beef, shrimp, chicken or duck) are as ubiquitous as General Tso’s chicken, moo shu pork and orange beef are on Chinese menus and mulligatawny soup, samosas and tikki kabobs are on Indian.
    Pinto Garden is one of a few emerging Thai restaurants in NYC’s five boroughs (Staten Island perhaps exempted) that have deliberately broken from the clichés, both in cuisine and décor.  Chef Teerawong Nanthavatsiri, nicknamed Yo, originally opened Pinto Garden on Christopher Street, then one in Brooklyn Heights, and two months ago he moved the first location to a West Village storefront where he features regional Thai cuisine of a kind he grew up with in Bangkok.
Having trained to be an actor, Yo switched from stage to kitchen, seeing parallels: “I like to imagine I’m the director looking into the culinary world to create a show. Chefs, like actors, have to train for their roles. Every day is a rehearsal and when it’s time for dinner service, it’s my time to perform.”
    Yo has also avoided the trite décor of typical Thai restaurants, instead creating a small brick-walled dining room with a garden out back that seats 30. It is as cozy as a country inn, with its bentwood chairs, wooden benches, wainscoting and fireplace. Images of rabbits honor Yo’s mother and the late Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who were both born in the Year of the Rabbit.  There is also a very popular communal table down the center of the room.
    Again, in contrast to Thai menus that seem never to end (I count more than 150 dishes on the menu at the highly praised Queens restaurant SriPraPhai), Pinto Garden’s is admirably  reduced to less than 20 dishes wholly dependent on what Yo, with Chef de Cuisine Tong Rattanun, finds best in the market, all of it meant to be enjoyed family style, with replenished pots of sweet sticky rice.  You won’t find those chili pepper icons next to dishes to indicate hotness, and while some of Yo’s food is indeed hot, chilies never overpower the fragrance of the spices used or the sweet balm of coconut milk.  You may, however, ask that the milder dishes be served first, so as to build towards a higher level of spice and heat.
     KO-RAE” marinated then fried chicken ($10) is a dish from the South, where red turmeric and plenty of chilies and honey are used in the cooking, both evident in this wonderfully crisp, crunchy, peppery chicken.  Koi Neur ($16) is a dish from the Northeast, where raw meat is much appreciated, so Pinto Garden’s version is a lustrous filet mignon tartare topped with a quail egg and dressed in mint, kaffir, shallots, spicy lime and fish sauce—such a delightful departure from the usual steak tartare around town.
    There are six rice and noodle dishes available , including pad Thai with oysters ($16), and a delicious and complex jumbo crab fried rice with young coconut tossed  very quickly in a wok and served with egg and jasmine rice ($21).  Num Ya Pu ($19) is a pasta with more jumbo crab meat and southern Thai curry that packs a wonderful wallop.
    Among the larger plates, which tend to be the milder ones, I enjoyed lamb masamun ($21), the meat long braised with curry spices, fingerling potatoes, sweet pearl onions, roasted carrots and crunchy peanuts.  All the elements of the Thai kitchen come together is lusty green curry short ribs ($22), whose meat pulls easily from the bone (above), perfect with sticky rice. Similar in style are the Kau-Kling Berkshire baby back ribs ($20) slowly cooked with southern Thai herbs.  The mildest of the dishes I tried was pan-roasted duck breast (above) with a pineapple curry ($25), a rendering that would not be out of place on an American kitchen table.
    The wine list is serviceable, little more, and there are Thai beers available, but not cocktails.
    The warmth of the reception by a comely hostess is carried through the evening by General Manager Koby Songyoo, who is eager to answer any questions you may have about the marvelous cuisine.  If I lived in the neighborhood, Pinto Garden would be my go-to place for dinner at least once a week. And on the other nights, I might do take-out from Pinto Garden.  It really is that alluring.

Open nightly for dinner.



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NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR


WHAT I'M DRINKING NOW
By John Mariani



In the vineyards of Allart Champagne, Reims

"Wine is a bride who brings a great dowry to the man who woos her persistently and gracefully; she turns her back on a rough approach."--Evelyn Waugh


 

Baron Knyphausen Riesling "Baron K’ Kabinett" 2011 ($17-$20)—German Rieslings may well be gaining traction in the American market but labels and appellations are still unfamiliar to most wine lovers.  Baron Knyphausen, from the Rheingau, is a leader, and this Riesling has the lovely light gold color and the minerality that distinguishes it from most American examples of Riesling. This is of Kabinett quality, showing tropical fruit and excellent tang that makes it a fine aperitif.

Casal Thaulero Thalè Trebbiano d’Abruzzo 2011 ($40)—Casal Thaulero is known for its high-volume Abruzzese varietals, but their Thalè label is the winery’s leap to a much higher quality that shows the humble trebbiano d’abruzzo white grape can achieve distinction in its floral bouquet, pear fruit flavor and a little piney (not resinous) taste. Excellent seafood wine.

Lepia Tenuta Santa Maria Soave 2015 ($20)—Soave is another Italian varietal that has not deserved much of a reputation until recently, and Lepia’s pretty, citrusy example is why there is now growing interest.  Made with the garganega veronese grape, this  bottling is from a low-yield, single-vineyard Soave and shows craftsmanship, so that it’s easily matched with a wide variety of foods.

Ben Marco Expresivo 2013 ($35)—Nice brawny, well priced blend from Mendoza, Argentina: malbec 65%, cabernet franc 30% and cabernet sauvignon 5%.  There’s good minerality and spicy black pepper in the bouquet, which is due to the high elevation of the Valle de Uco, which winemaker Susana Balbo calls “an extreme site” with good chalky soil.  The 14.5% alcohol level is in balance because the amount of cab is so low.

Champagne Allart & Fils Brut Rosé ($40)—Fine Champagne need not head north of $40 a bottle as this charming, non-vintage shows, from its cheery effervescence to its rosy salmon color and a Pinot Noir flavor along with Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay to give it delicacy.  Three generations of the Allart family are involved, and this is an example of an earnest and honestly produced Champagne from a small estate in the region of Reims.

Esporão Private Selection 2011 ($45)—Some may balk at paying this kind of money for a Portuguese Garrafeira, but Esporão, in the Alentejo region, definitely shows how well the country’s modern winemaking is excelling at distinctive varietals.  It’s got power, at 14.5% alcohol, but it’s quite smooth on the palate, rich in fruit, and has the characteristic of a reserve and small-lot production.  The blend is aragonez, alicante bouschet and syrah, this last giving a lot of ballast rather than tannin.

Flor das Tecedeiras Douro 2014 ($18)—Yet another fine intro to Portuguese winemaking today, and at a gentle price for this fruit-forward example from the Douro Valley, a blend of touriga nacional, touriga franca, tinta amarela, tinta barroca and tinto roriz (tempranillo).  It’s not yet at its peak, but you can easily drink it now with all red meats or a good hamburger.

Groth Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 ($64)—Dennis Groth has been making fine cabernets since 1983 in Oakville from land high in sediment and quartz, and he harvests his fruit at night when it’s cool in Napa Valley.  The 2013 vintage is among the best in this decade, following the also impressive 2012,  and the blend of cabernet sauvignon 80% and merlot 20% spends 22 months on French oak. At 14.9% alcohol it is skirting a too-massive assault on the palate, but its brawn should soften after a couple of years in the bottle,  and I expect this to be among the best California can produce; there’s also a Reserve at $130 that will take a longer time to come around.

Etude Pinot Noir Fiddlestix Vineyard  2014 ($45-$50)—There’s more spice to this charming pinot noir from the Santa Rita Hills than is usual in the Napa region, which makes up for a lack of complexity, but it is very easy drinking with dishes like pork loin and grilled salmon.  Winemaker Jon Priest has managed to respect Burgundian pinot noir traditions without giving up California brightness.

Còlpetrone Montefalco Sagrantino 2010 ($20-$23)—Sagrantino, whose name refers in some ancient way to the sacraments, is a deep, dark red grape from Umbria, with the vineyards around Montefalco turning out the best examples. The wine takes well to oak and by law must age in barrels for at least 30 months.  It is, therefore, heavy and concentrated in body, with 14.5% alcohol, less refined than Barolo, bigger than Sangiovese.  I’m not sure the appellation should rise to D.O.C.G. status, but Còlpetrone has a legitimate claim to making some of the best of the breed.







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DEPT. OF HATE AND AUDACIOUS BEAUTY

“Smyth’s 12-course dinner began with drops of sunflower-seed butter and ended with frozen tomatoes. Neither made much sense on paper. Speaking of paper, the crisp sunchoke chip with sea beans and chicken skin that kicked off the meal was served on actual sheets of it. The paper wasn’t edible, but I loved the dish. Two hours later, the unpredictable evening culminated with those frozen tomatoes, in the form of a mousse infused with almond-like notes drawn from cracked peach pits, and some spicy flowers: a deranged good-night kiss. I hated it, though I admired its audacious beauty."—Jeff Ruby, "Smyth’s Fine Dining Shines, but Loyalist Lacks Luster,” Chicago Magazine (11/16/16)

 



AND POPE FRANCIS SAID, "WHO AM I TO JUDGE?
BUT THE FRIES ARE PRETTY GOOD."

A 5,800-square-foot McDonald's has opened on Borgoi Pio, close to the Vatican, open from   6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., causing Cardinal Elio Sgreccia, president emeritus of the Pontifical Academy for Life, to tell La Repubblica that the decision to open the fast-food restaurant was "aberrant" and "a perversion."












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Sponsored by Banfi Vintners

ASKA
By John Fodera    
TUSCAN VINES    

         The story of coastal Tuscany, the Maremma -- or Bolgheri as its interchangeably referred to -- began with Sassicaia, but it's not anywhere close to reaching its pinnacle.  The region has been a prime area for nurturing vitis vinifera into compelling wine for decades.
         As I've written many times, the expansion to Maremma of wineries based in central Tuscany and even beyond to Piedmont, has taken on a frenetic pace.   The wild, untamed Maremma countryside, replete with water buffalo, wild horses, and cowboys called butteri,  has become the perfect cradle for cultivation of classic Bordelaise varieties.
         Castello Banfi acquired 5 small hectares of vineyards along the Tuscan coast with the aim of producing a classic Cabernet-based wine that portrayed the hallmarks of their elegant style.  The result, Aska.  The legend relates that  Aska  is the ancient Etruscan name for "wine vessel".  These ancient people, who called Tuscany home a millennia ago, used Askas  to contain and transport wine and olive oil.          
        
Aska  was a touchstone for the Etruscans because they believed that beneficial human emotions were conferred by the Etruscan Gods of Sun and Moon.  This legend is symbolized by the two luminous discs on the wine's label. First released in the 2012 vintage, Aska is predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon with minor additions of Cabernet Franc.  The vineyards giving the fruit are young, and the debut release of Aska was elegant and approachable.  I harbor the same sentiment for the subject of today's review and look forward to following this vineyard as it develops. We decanted the 2013 Banfi Aska for about 45 minutes before dinner, a simple pasta with earthy flavors.
oild boar and chanterelle. 

         In the glass, the wine exudes aromas of crushed red plums, cherries, soft vanilla and spice notes and a faint hint of pine.  It's attractive to smell.   On the palate, the flavors echo the nose with primary red plum flavors backed by soft wood and vanilla notes.  The round, elegant mouth feel trails off delicately and there is little "bite" from the well-integrated tannins.  This wine stays fresh and lively and will be best enjoyed over the next 3-4 years.   Aska is vinified in stainless steel and then transferred to French  barriques  for 10 months of refinement. A brief bottle aging takes place before release. 

For more notes on wines from Tuscany, visit TuscanVine.com  






 Any of John Mariani's books below may be ordered from amazon.com.



   The Hound in Heaven (21st Century Lion Books) is a  novella, and for anyone who loves dogs, Christmas, romance, inspiration, even the supernatural, I hope you'll find this to be a treasured  favorite. The  story concerns how, after a New England teacher, his wife and their two daughters adopt a stray puppy found in their barn in northern Maine, their lives seem full of promise. But when tragedy strikes, their wonderful dog Lazarus and the spirit of Christmas are the only things that may bring his master back from the edge of despair. 

WATCH THE VIDEO!

“What a huge surprise turn this story took! I was completely stunned! I truly enjoyed this book and its message.” – Actress Ali MacGraw

“He had me at Page One. The amount of heart, human insight, soul searching, and deft literary strength that John Mariani pours into this airtight novella is vertigo-inducing. Perhaps ‘wow’ would be the best comment.” – James Dalessandro, author of Bohemian Heart and 1906.


“John Mariani’s Hound in Heaven starts with a well-painted portrayal of an American family, along with the requisite dog. A surprise event flips the action of the novel and captures us for a voyage leading to a hopeful and heart-warming message. A page turning, one sitting read, it’s the perfect antidote for the winter and promotion of holiday celebration.” – Ann Pearlman, author of The Christmas Cookie Club and A Gift for my Sister.

“John Mariani’s concise, achingly beautiful novella pulls a literary rabbit out of a hat – a mash-up of the cosmic and the intimate, the tragic and the heart-warming – a Christmas tale for all ages, and all faiths. Read it to your children, read it to yourself… but read it. Early and often. Highly recommended.” – Jay Bonansinga, New York Times bestselling author of Pinkerton’s War, The Sinking of The Eastland, and The Walking Dead: The Road To Woodbury.

“Amazing things happen when you open your heart to an animal. The Hound in Heaven delivers a powerful story of healing that is forged in the spiritual relationship between a man and his best friend. The book brings a message of hope that can enrich our images of family, love, and loss.” – Dr. Barbara Royal, author of The Royal Treatment.




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The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink by John F. Mariani (Bloomsbury USA, $35)

Modesty forbids me to praise my own new book, but let me proudly say that it is an extensive revision of the 4th edition that appeared more than a decade ago, before locavores, molecular cuisine, modernist cuisine, the Food Network and so much more, now included. Word origins have been completely updated, as have per capita consumption and production stats. Most important, for the first time since publication in the 1980s, the book includes more than 100 biographies of Americans who have changed the way we cook, eat and drink -- from Fannie Farmer and Julia Child to Robert Mondavi and Thomas Keller.


"This book is amazing! It has entries for everything from `abalone' to `zwieback,' plus more than 500 recipes for classic American dishes and drinks."--Devra First, The Boston Globe.

"Much needed in any kitchen library."--Bon Appetit.




Now in Paperback, too--How Italian Food Conquered the World (Palgrave Macmillan)  has won top prize  from the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.  It is a rollicking history of the food culture of Italy and its ravenous embrace in the 21st century by the entire world. From ancient Rome to la dolce vita of post-war Italy, from Italian immigrant cooks to celebrity chefs, from pizzerias to high-class ristoranti, this chronicle of a culinary diaspora is as much about the world's changing tastes, prejudices,  and dietary fads as about our obsessions with culinary fashion and style.--John Mariani

"Eating Italian will never be the same after reading John Mariani's entertaining and savory gastronomical history of the cuisine of Italy and how it won over appetites worldwide. . . . This book is such a tasteful narrative that it will literally make you hungry for Italian food and arouse your appetite for gastronomical history."--Don Oldenburg, USA Today. 

"Italian restaurants--some good, some glitzy--far outnumber their French rivals.  Many of these establishments are zestfully described in How Italian Food Conquered the World, an entertaining and fact-filled chronicle by food-and-wine correspondent John F. Mariani."--Aram Bakshian Jr., Wall Street Journal.


"Mariani admirably dishes out the story of Italy’s remarkable global ascent to virtual culinary hegemony....Like a chef gladly divulging a cherished family recipe, Mariani’s book reveals the secret sauce about how Italy’s cuisine put gusto in gusto!"--David Lincoln Ross, thedailybeast.com

"Equal parts history, sociology, gastronomy, and just plain fun, How Italian Food Conquered the World tells the captivating and delicious story of the (let's face it) everybody's favorite cuisine with clarity, verve and more than one surprise."--Colman Andrews, editorial director of The Daily Meal.com.

"A fantastic and fascinating read, covering everything from the influence of Venice's spice trade to the impact of Italian immigrants in America and the evolution of alta cucina. This book will serve as a terrific resource to anyone interested in the real story of Italian food."--Mary Ann Esposito, host of PBS-TV's Ciao Italia.

"John Mariani has written the definitive history of how Italians won their way into our hearts, minds, and stomachs.  It's a story of pleasure over pomp and taste over technique."--Danny Meyer, owner of NYC restaurants Union Square Cafe,  The Modern, and Maialino.

                                                                             





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FEATURED LINKS: I am happy to  report that the Virtual Gourmet is  linked to four excellent travel sites:

Everett Potter's Travel  Report

I consider this the best and savviest blog of its kind on the  web. Potter is a columnist for USA Weekend, Diversion, Laptop and Luxury  Spa Finder, a contributing editor for Ski and  a frequent contributor to National  Geographic Traveler, ForbesTraveler.com  and Elle Decor. "I’ve designed this site is for people who take their  travel seriously," says Potter. "For travelers who want to learn about special  places but don’t necessarily want to pay through the nose for the privilege of  staying there. Because at the end of the day, it’s not so much about five-star  places as five-star experiences."  THIS WEEK: BEST SKI LODGE IN THE WEST?






Eating Las Vegas JOHN CURTAS has been covering the Las Vegas food and restaurant scene since 1995. He is the co-author of EATING LAS VEGAS – The 50 Essential Restaurants (the fourth edition of which will be published in early 2016), as well as the author of the Eating Las Vegas web site: www.eatinglasvegas. He can also be seen every Friday morning as the “resident foodie” for Wake Up With the Wagners on KSNV TV (NBC) Channel 3  in Las Vegas.



              


nickonwine: An engaging, interactive wine column by Nick Passmore, Artisanal Editor, Four Seasons Magazine; Wine Columnist, BusinessWeek.com;  nick@nickonwine.com; www.nickonwine.com.



MARIANI'S VIRTUAL GOURMET NEWSLETTER is published weekly.  Editor/Publisher: John Mariani. Editor: Walter Bagley. Contributing Writers: Christopher Mariani, Robert Mariani,  Misha Mariani, John A. Curtas, Geoff Kalish, Mort Hochstein, and Brian Freedman. Contributing Photographers: Galina Dargery. Technical Advisor: Gerry McLoughlin.


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