NOTES
FROM THE WINE CELLAR
A RETROSPECTIVE OF GEORGES
DE LATOUR WINES
By John Mariani
❖❖❖
ÁVILA By John Mariani
Photo: Gerry Dawes
The first thing
everyone will tell you about Ávila is that it’s
a walled
city, which does not make it unique in Europe.
But its 1.6-mile,
nine-foot-thick wall, built in the 11th to 14th
centuries, is as impressive as
any outside of China, dotted with 87 turrets
from which the local militia used
to rain down holy hell on invaders.
For one
thing, it circles the medieval city and
is in extraordinary shape; for another, its view
of the city of Ávila is
extraordinary in its sweeping breadth and depth.
It is, therefore, requisite
for every visitor to see, but be aware that if you
start at the lower section
of the wall, it requires an uphill battle on a
rough stone pathway. And that
trek is only half the length of the wall.
Better to begin at Puerto del
Puente and take
the elevator to the top of the wall, then walk,
more or less, downward, exiting
at El Alcázar. The route is clearly marked with
signs (in English) at important
spots and vistas. Once finished, you will be at
the center of the beautifully
restored old town, which claims to have the
highest number of Gothic churches
per capita in Spain.
Photo: Gerry Dawes
The
Romans occupied the territory in the 5th
century BC, and it was one of the first in
Hispania to convert to Christianity.
It was later captured by the Visigoths and Moors
before reverting again to
Christian control. Ávila declined in power and
population in the 18th century
and grew back only with the establishment of a
railway line from Madrid. It was
a Franquista rebel town in the Spanish Civil War
before Franco became dictator, and in the
post-Franco era Ávila has thrived as a major
tourist attraction.
If you go to Ávila in October,
you may enjoy,
and will definitely be caught up in,the month-long Fiesta of St. Teresa, its
beloved patron saint (above), whose
pictures are everywhere. There are concerts,
bullfights, Masses and plenty of
food and
wine.
Photo:
Galina Dargery
One
could spend days in Avila merely popping
into churches, but the ones to see are the
Cathedral, dating to the 12th
century and finished in 1350, and the Basilica of
St. Vincent, begun in
1175.The
cloistered Monastery of
St. Thomas, built in 1482 and located outside the
walls, is of interest for its
so-called Isabelline architecture, which combines
Gothic and Moorish elements, ans the splendid Castle of
Arévalo outside of town (right), one of the best
preserved of its kind in Europe.
As a World Heritage Site, Ávila is a place for
slow strolling, or sitting in a
plaza and nursing a cerveza,
coffee
or hot chocolate. There are many restaurantes
with outdoor seating and people dine at all hours
of the night.
My wife and I stayed at the
beautiful Parador Ávila (Marques de
Canales de Chozas
2; 920-211-340; left), near the Basilica of St.
Vincent and the wall. Los
Paradores hotels are a series of historic
properties throughout Spain, each
completely different, located within sites that
might be have been monasteries,
palaces or fortresses. The Ávila branch, for which
my wife and I paid a very
modest 140 Euros a night (with breakfast), was set
within the former Piedras
Albas Palace and was very luxurious, across from a
pine garden. Rooms, some
with canopied beds, are large and done with a blend of traditional
wallpapers
and fabrics with a fine use of stone, wood, light
and large windows, all
wonderfully quiet and away from the tourist bustle
of the city center.
Ávila is full of good restaurantes, and on one street,
Calle Figones, are several asadors
specializing in suckling pig and
baby lamb. We ate at Asador Las Cubas, where you
walk in to find the cooks
pushing the meats into a smoking ancient oven,
with the appetite-stirring
aromas wafting through the entire restaurant. (The
owners also run the asador
across the street.)
We got there around 1 p.m. and found
the place
almost empty, but within in an hour it was packed.The main dining room is
large and well-lighted, with tiled
pillars and a canned music selection that
consisted of three songs played on
the clarinet, including “Unchained Melody,” which
we heard about nine times.
Photo:
Gerry Dawes
A leg of baby lamb (right) was as
succulent as could be
imagined and the gambas in
olive oil
and garlic came to the table sizzling in a black
skillet. I learned the hard
way that Ávila is not the
place to
order a Basque dish like cod cheeks pil
pil, which were awful. Our lunch, with
salad, water and three beers came to
63.25 Euros, including tax and service.
That
night we had a unique experience, made so
at Rincon Jabugo (Calle San
Seguindo 28) near the
Cathedral by the ebullient Benjamín Rodríguez, a master carver of jamon Iberico
(above),
a
talent he exhibits merrily but seriously, paper
thin square by square.In the boisterous front room
bar, its
orange walls hung with various aged hams, a young
crowd sits and stands
enjoying a beer and light bites while cheering on
or cursing at their favorite soccer teams on
TV.
Photo:
Galina Dargery
The
back
room is for those wanting a full meal, and ours was
very, very full
indeed.Having
put ourselves in Rodríguez's hands, we began with
silky, shiny slices of sweet Jalisco 51 ham,
with tomato-rubbed bread, followed by strong-tasting
sardines with olive oil; a
potato tortilla
with mushrooms;
boletus and muscullus mushrooms that had been
foraged that morning; a massive chuleton of
beef cooked very rare and
served on a sizzling platter; and a lovely
cinnamon-flavored rice pudding. The
bill, with wine, tax and service, came to under 100
Euros.
We
were in
Ávila on a weekend when the city is thronged with
tourists from all around the world and in October
its must get crushed, but I could tell that when
those throngs disappear, Ávila must surely be one
of Europe's most congenial cities for slow, quiet
walks and good cafes, all under the protection of
Saint Teresa.
❖❖❖
NEW YORK CORNER
By John Mariani
FOOD PHOTOS: DAN KRIEGER
INTERIORS PHOTOS: NOAH FECKS
PIERRE
LAPIN
99 Bank Street (off Greenwich Street)
212-858-6600
On
my first day in Paris—I was nineteen and all
alone—I got off the hissing train at the Gare du
Nord and sheepishly took a
table at the bistro inside. Looking over the menu
with only the benefit of high
school French, my eyes found the familiar—steak frites, soupe à
l’oignon, coq
au vin, boeuf bourguignonne—and then I
spotted blanquette de veau. I knew veau
meant veal, which I loved, and was willing to take
a chance on the unknown word
blanquette.
What came forth from the
kitchen was a gleaming
white ceramic pot, whose lid the waiter removed to
send an astonishingly
delicious aroma into the air. The steam lifted to
reveal morsels of tender
veal, string beans and sweet white onions in an
ivory sauce made with crème
fraȋche. The waiter spooned some onto my plate, I
tasted it and I was forever
in thrall to the food, the feel and the comfort of
the remarkable thing called
a French bistro. In some way, that bistro led me
into travel, wine and food
writing years later. Vive le bistro!
Many years and many bistros
later, I’ve never
lost my ardor for bistros and the traditional food
they serve, so when I
entered Pierre Lapin, my smile broadened from ear to
ear upon seeing the charms
of flowered wallpaper, a cozy little bar, red and
green banquettes, gingham
curtains, tables set with white linens and paper, a
lighted candle and fresh
flowers on top, and through the window the narrow
streets of the West Village.
Nostalgic French songs by Cyrille Aimée and Annie
Girardot played without intrusion.Even the
pelting rain outside had the
cast of Paris in what Hemingway called “the false
spring.”
Added to the pleasure of merely
entering Pierre
Lapin (Peter Rabbit, whose figure you’ll find affixed to the window), I was
greeted by a lovely hostess named Gabriella with an
irresistible Rumanian
accent and brought to our window table by a
stunningly beautiful Parisian waitress
named Sophia, who could be on any magazine
cover she
chose.
Chef and restaurateur Harold
Mooreand
his partner, Julia Grossman, opened
Pierre Lapin exactly one year ago, he having earned
his New York stripes at
Montrachet, Commerce and Harold’s.At Pierre Lapin Moore did not wish to
replicate the vast, ear-splitting
atmosphere of a brasserie like New York’s Balthazar,
aiming instead for
intimacy and an ambiance that encourages good
conversation, with a menu of
bistro classics. And very, very good bread. And
plenty ofgood
butter and truffled cheese. There is a
nightly menu written on a mirror
with a lot of “Plats
Classiques” that
any true gourmand would swoon over.
One dish Moore cannot take off
his menu is the
round of ripe baked Brie (left).Once a
cliché of gourmet luncheons, it faded in popularity
because the Brie usually
wasn’t very good, but Moore presents a fine, rich,
gooey Brie with walnuts and
figs and a good deal of flair. His terrine of foie
gras with toasted baguette
($19) is as good as any in town, and it’s worth
ordering the garlicky,
parsley-flecked frog’s legs for two as an appetizer.
Equally delicious is a
generous slab of hearty, crisply fried tête
de porc with mustard ($14). And now that the
fat white asparagus are in
season, Moore lavishes them in a cream sauce and
slips them under the flame to
brown ($19).
For main dishes there is, of
course, steak
frites ($46), a good piece of perfectly cooked beef
with enough French fries
for the table. Tender morsels of sweetbreads are
done in a francese style, dipped in an egg bath
and sautéed with lemon and
white wine ($28). That evening there was a superb
risotto with peas, asparagus,
morel, parmesan and butter ($23) that we all shared.
After my epiphany about the blanquette de
veau at the Gare de Nord,
I wish Moore’s version ($28) were better, for while
it had good flavor, it came
messily plated and lacked the richness of a winey
white sauce that raises the
dish to the sublime.
There
is also a roast chicken with a foie gras bread
stuffing and pommes
purée ($68 for two) that has long
been one of Moore’s signature dishes since his days
at Montrachet and one I shall
gladly order next time.
Desserts include a
perfect crème brûlée with a
shiny, crackling caramel crust ($14), and as
unlikely as a coconut cake ($14)
seems at a French bistro, the version at Pierre
Lapin (left)
was a winning example,
not too sweet, very moist, very light.
There are about 50 wines on the
list, with
about one-third under $100, as well as some trophy
bottles upwards of $500.
Were I crazy
enough to open my own restaurant
in New York, I can think of few models more
congenial to my tastes and style
than Pierre Lapin. Fortunately, there can be but
one, so I’m safe and happy.
Open
for lunch anddinner nightly; Brunch onSat.
& Sun.
❖❖❖
NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR
A RETROSPECTIVE OF GEORGES DE LATOUR WINES By John Mariani
I’ve
written more than once that I consider
Beaulieu Vineyard’s Georges de Latour
Cabernet Sauvignons (GDL, I’ll call
them)
the best red wines made in America. And
a recent tasting with the vineyard’s
young winemaker, Trevor Durling (below),
did nothing to change my mind.
Beaulieu has
been in the business for 119
years, and its “Private Reserve” was the
family’s private wine.In
1938 the legendary wine consultant
André Tchelistcheff joined Beaulieu
Vineyard, and upon tasting the 1936
Reserve, he insisted it be bottled and
sold as the winery’s flagship offering,
with the first release in 1940, named in
honor of Beaulieu’s French founder,
Georges de Latour (right).
It was immediately ranked among the best
Napa Valley reds
then produced, long before Robert Mondavi
in the 1960s prompted more wineries
to make wines that might aim for the GDL
style of power and elegance.
(Beaulieu Vineyard also
makes dozens of other
wines under its “BV” brand, starting at
$25, while current vintages of GDL sell
for $145 to $350 a bottle.)
Durling is only the
fifth winemaker in BV’s
history and second youngest. Tall and
rangy, barely looking his 35 years,
Durling had been winemaker at Provenance
and Hewitt Vineyard, just
oppositeBV, and he recalls seeing
people lining up to buy GDL on allocation.
From 2008 he worked with BV’s
previous winemaker, Jeffrey
Stambor,
learning the secrets and traditions of
the legendary wine. Since his
appointment, Durling has been trying to
return to a more traditional style by,
ironically, investing in state-of-the-art
technology, like the Dynamax Flow
System that can read the water and
nutrients in a vine to see if they are
getting stressed so that BV can more
closely target irrigation, which is
becoming more important than ever owing to
global warming.
Still, Durling
believes that good winemaking occurs
through trial and error, with science to
back it up. “It is the sensory aspect of
wine making where you find the art,”
he says.
Today
all the GDL
vintages are aged in French, not American
oak, and for fewer months (two
years rather than three). The vintage
selection is based on an initial 1,200
lots tasted and
tested to come up with 500 barrels.
Over dinner at an
Italian restaurant in New York, we tasted
seven vintages of GDL. Unfortunately,
the first, from 1968 —which
Tschlelistcheff once said was “the
greatest
vintage”—whose bottle had been opened
earlier that day, had oxidized and
smelled badly, although I could still
detect the fruit.
The 1974, though 45
years old, was remarkable, having aged
well, still with some acid and a real
brick flavor of Bordeaux, which
has always been a benchmark for a winery
whose
originator was French.
The 1995 was
magnificent and everything I’ve always
loved about GDL—rich, impeccably
structured with luscious levels of fruit
and soft tannins. It was a hot summer
vintage made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
and spent time in both French and
American oak, released at 13.9% alcohol.
Big and somewhat
plummy at the moment, the 2001, also a
single varietal, had more of a
California Cab style, but I’d let it age
for a while until everything
commingles into better balance, at 13.1%
alcohol.
The 2007 was as
fresh as a daisy, with moderate spices,
superb fruit and backbone. Much younger
but very, very good was 2013, made from
94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit
Verdot, not yet ready for a full
assessment, and the 2016 had a density of
fruit and sweetness that needs calming
down from the influence of oak before
release, which will be this fall. Its
15.2% alcohol is high, though, so I’m not
placing any bets on its eventual outcome.
So,
if anyone asks
me again what I think the best Cab out of
California is, GDL will be my
knee jerk response, and I look forward to
seeing what Durling adds to the
reputation of the winery and himself in
the years to come. I do hope he doesn’t
let those alcohol levels climb.
❖❖❖
ARTICLES WE NEVER FINISHED READING
"Buffalo
Wild Wings Was My One-Man Gay Bar" By Logan Scherer, Eater.com
(May 8, 2019).
TASTES CHOCOLATEY!
The
Springtown, Texas, Police Department got a call about
possible food tampering at a Mr. Jim’s Pizza location
because one of the employees posted on social
media that they were putting Miralax laxatives on pizzas
that ended up being eaten unknowingly by a co-worker,
who got sick. The employee denied he put it on any
customer's pizzas. The city’s health inspector pulled
the business’ health permit and shut down the restaurant
until an inspection scheduled for Monday.
❖❖❖
Wine
Column Sponsored by Banfi Vintners SANGIOVESE
Wine is a joy year-round but
in cooler weather one
grape varietal has really taken center stage in
my daily activities – that most Italian of
grapes, Sangiovese, and its ultimate expression
– Brunello di Montalcino. From mid-September through mid-October,
the Sangiovese grown for our various styles of red
wines are be harvested, culminating with the top
selection for Brunello di Montalcino.
Second, cooler weather here means
it is time to start enjoying more red wines and
especially Sangiovese based wines.That
includes Banfi’s cru of Brunello, Poggio alle Mura,
literally the cream of the crop of our Sangiovese
vineyards. Alongside our Poggio alle Mura Brunello di
Montalcino, this year we introduced two more wines
from the cru Poggio alle Mura – a Rosso di Montalcino
and a Riserva of Brunello.Rosso is sort of like the
younger brother of Brunello, also made from 100%
Sangiovese grapes but usually a selection from younger
vines and the wine is aged only two years compared to
the four required for Brunello.The
Riserva, on the other hand, is an even more selective
harvest of Sangiovese, and ages for an additional year
before release.
What is so special about this cru
Poggio alle Mura?Well, it is the result our over 30 years of
ongoing research at my family’s vineyard estate,
Castello Banfi.When we first began planting our vines there in
the late 1970s studies from the University of Bordeaux
indicated which strains of many varietals we should
plant, based on the soil type and microclimate of each
vineyard.But
when it came to the region’s native Sangiovese, there
was only local lore, no scientific research.So we took
it upon ourselves to figure out this vine, and set off
on three decades of incredibly detailed research.
We started
with 600 apparent variations on Sangiovese, because it
is so susceptible to variations in weather and soil,
and narrowed that down to 160 truly genetically
different clones.We planted a vineyard with two rows of each
type, made wine from each of them, and charted the
differences – remember, you only get one chance a year
to make wine, so this took time.
It took about ten years to get some
concrete results, though we continue to experiment
today and always will – you never stop learning in
science and nature!Once we determined which were the best,
complementary clones that could be planted together to
make the best Brunello, we chose to plant them in what
we determined to be the optimal vineyard sites.Coincidentally,
the best soils and climate conditions are in the
slopes surrounding the medieval fortress today known
as Castello Banfi, known since Etruscan times as
Poggio alle Mura – the walled hilltop.Hence the
name of our most special “cru” of Brunello,
representing a synthesis between tradition and
innovation.
Though the focus of this study was
our Brunello, all of our Sangiovese-based wines,
including the super Tuscans SummuS, Cum Laude, and
Centine, benefitted from this work.And that’s
the third reason for celebrating Sangiovese this
month, for the range of wonderful reds that usher us
into autumn!One
wine in particular was inspired by our research – the
BelnerO, a Sangiovese dominant blend with what I like
to call a kiss of Cabernet and a whisper of Merlot.We grow the
grapes a little differently for BelnerO than for
Brunello, make the wine with less oak aging and
released it earlier from the winery, providing a
counterpoint to Brunello and a lovely terroir-driven
wine in its own right. If you
know Italians, you know that by nature we are
multi-faceted, varying in mood, and always passionate.As a
nation, we span from the hot sunny beaches of Sicily
near the African coast to the rugged mountains and
Alpine ski slopes of Trentino-Alto Adige in the north.Sangiovese
is grown in almost all of Italy’s regions and reflects
the unique nature of each; it is most famous
(rightfully so) in Tuscany, yet even there it reflects
the nuances of each hilltop, valley and subzone.It has
something a little different to say in Brunello than
Chianti, Morellino than Vino Nobile di Montepulciano,
Rosso di Montalcino than Super Tuscan blends.
Here is a smattering of
Sangiovese-based wines that you may wish to get to
know better, reflecting a spectrum that appeals to
every occasion, every taste, and every budget.We can
assure you that the conversation will never become
boring.
Recommendations for Celebrating
Sangiovese
BelnerO Proprietor’s Reserve Sangiovese
– A refined
cuvée of noble red grapes perfected by our pioneering
clonal research. This dark beauty, BelnerO, is
produced at our innovative winery, chosen 11
consecutive years as Italy’s Premier Vineyard Estate.
Fermented in our patented temperature controlled
French oak and aged approximately 2 additional years.
Unfiltered, and Nitrogen bottled to minimize sulfites.
Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino –
Rich, round, velvety and intensely
aromatic, with flavor hints of licorice, cherry, and
spices. Brunello di Montalcino possesses an intense
ruby-red color, and a depth, complexity and opulence
that is softened by an elegant, lingering aftertaste.
Unfiltered after 1998 vintage.
Castello Banfi Rosso di Montalcino –Brunello's "younger brother," produced
from select Sangiovese grapes and aged in barrique for
10 to 12 months. Deep ruby-red, elegant, vibrant,
well-balanced and stylish with a dry velvety
finish.
Poggio all’Oro Brunello di Montalcino
Riserva – A single vineyard selection of our most
historically outstanding Sangiovese, aged five years
before release, the additional year more than that
required of Brunello including 6 months in barrel and
6 months more in bottle to grant its “Riserva”
designation.Incredible
elegance and harmony. Intense with lots of fruit and
subtle wood influence. Round, complete, well balanced
with hints of chocolate and berries. Unfiltered after
1998.
Poggio alle Mura – The first tangible result of years of
intensive clonal research on Montalcino’s native
Sangiovese grape.Estate bottled from the splendidly sun drenched
vineyards surrounding the medieval Castello from which
it takes its name.The Brunello
di Montalcino is seductive, silky and smoky.Deep ruby
in color with an expressive bouquet of violets, fruits
and berries as well as cigar box, cedar and exotic
spices. The Rosso
di Montalcino is also intense ruby red.The bouquet
is fresh and fruity with typical varietal notes of
cherry and blackberry, enriched by more complex hints
of licorice, tobacco and hazelnut.It is full
bodied, yet with a soft structure, and a surprisingly
long finish. The Poggio alle Mura Brunello di Montalcino
Riserva is deep ruby red with garnet
reflections and a rich, ample bouquet that hints of
prune jam, coffee, cacao and a light balsamic note.It is full
and powerful, with ripe and gentle tannins that make
it velvety and harmonious; this wine is supported by a
pleasing minerality that to me speaks soundly of that
special hillside in southern Montalcino.
SummuS – A wine of towering elegance, SummuS is an
extraordinary blend of Sangiovese which contributes
body; Cabernet Sauvignon for fruit and structure; and
Syrah for elegance, character and a fruity bouquet.An elegant,
complex and harmonious red wine.
Cum Laude – A complex and elegant red which graduated
“With Honors,” characterized by aromas of juicy
berries and fresh spices.
Centine – A Cuvee that is more than half
Sangiovese, the balanced consisting of equal parts of
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.Vinified in
a firm, round style that easily accompanies a wide
range of dishes, this is a smooth and fragrantly
satisfying wine with international character, and a
perennial favorite at my own dinner table.
Banfi Chianti Superiore – The “Superiore” designation signifies
stricter government regulations regarding production
and aging requirements, as compared to regular
Chianti.An
intense ruby red wine with fruit forward aromas and
floral notes.This
is a round wine with well-balanced acidity and fruit.
Banfi Chianti Classico – An enduring classic: alluring
bouquet of black fruit and violets; rich flavors of
cherry and leather; supple tannins and good acidity
for dining.
Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva – Produced from select grapes grown in the
"Classico" region of Chianti, this dry, fruity and
well-balanced red has a full bouquet reminiscent of
violets.
Fonte alla Selva Chianti Classico – This is our newest entry into the Chianti
arena, coming from a 99 acre estate in Castellina, the
heart of the Chianti Classico region.The wine is
a captivating mauve red that smells of cherry, plum
and blackberry with hints of spice.It is
round, full and balanced with very good
acidity.
Col di Sasso – Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon.Luscious,
complex and soft with persistent notes of fruit and
great Italian style structure.
❖❖❖
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.
“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.
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.
❖❖❖
FEATURED
LINKS: I am happy to report
that the Virtual
Gourmet is linked to four excellent
travel sites:
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:
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 (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.
MARIANI'S VIRTUAL GOURMET
NEWSLETTER is published weekly. Publisher: John Mariani. Editor: Walter Bagley. Contributing Writers: Christopher Mariani,
Robert Mariani,Misha Mariani, John A. Curtas, Gerry Dawes, Geoff Kalish,
and Brian Freedman. Contributing
Photographer: Galina Dargery. Technical
Advisor: Gerry
McLoughlin.