Weekly roundup of great reads on food and wine #5

This weekend I am busy reading a fabulous book that arrived in the post, Massimo Bottura: Never Trust A Skinny Italian Chef. I hope to review as soon as I finish it, probably tomorrow. It is a splendid book written by the most avant-garde Italian chef and one of the leading chefs in the world. It is not a cookbook but rather a journey into the philosophy of this incredible chef. More about this when I review the book.

In the meantime, there has been lots to read during the week. From a Hong Kong auction setting a record price for the highest price ever paid for a lot of wine (Romanee Conti) which sold for more than $1.6 million to a very interesting article by Jancis Robinson on winemakers which are making a u-turn as they become disaffected with the wines they made in the past and move to start using less oak and instead go for more traditional approaches such as clay jars, fewer new barrels and in larger sizes.

I have read a lot of books about neuroscience and how our brains are affected by things without us realising. There have been many experiments and one recent one with wine provides some very interesting food for thought. Read about it in Alder’s article here.

Chefs normally know where to eat. So this article about where top chefs eat in London is worth safeguarding for your next trip to London.

Given I have two young children, I have found these two articles very interesting. The first is about getting children to eat (or at least try) everything. It is not easy at times not to succumb to pressure. We parents need discipline, strength, a plan and determination. Its a difficult battle but one worth fighting for. The second article is about what children in different parts of the world eat for breakfast.

People who know me know that I hate soft-drinks with a passion. I did not realise that Mexico has introduced a tax on soda drinks. And it actually seems to be working with sales dropping. You can read about the tax and two possible initiatives in the US which will vote on whether to enact new taxes on soda and sugary drinks.

Jay Rayner has a particularly interesting view on supermarkets in this article. He says that these are sunlit days for people who tend to hate supermarkets but he is of the view that more than a revolution, what they need is a reckoning and to become fit for purpose. It is a controversial topic but at least he gives a balanced view of what is needed.

If you want to read a book about Domaine Romanee Conti (mentioned above), then I really recommend Shadows in the Vineyard: The True Story of the Plot to Poison the World’s Greatest Wine. It is a great book about this exceptional winery.

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