Charcoal grilling tastes better than gas. It’s just science: The statistics I just made up don’t lie: More people will die this summer from fighting each other over gas grilling versus charcoal grilling than all other causes combined. Americans, you see, have themselves some assertive opinions about their grilling.
How did Denmark become a leader in the food waste revolution: A six-year-old sniffs asparagus suspiciously as his father grapples with a grapefruit and several women admire a selection of cabbages, in search of a bargain. “Everyone pays 20 kroner (about £2) for a reusable bag to fill with whatever they like,” says Bettina Bach, 31, of Bo Welfare, a social housing project in the Danish city of Horsens that runs the food waste pop-up shop.
Wylie Dufresne: Wisdom of a New York Chef: Last year I seemed to bump into Wylie Dufresne (one of my favorite people) all over the place in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles, far from his NYC base. I ran into him again in Mexico City when he was in town for the Mesamerica-initiated Round Table along with Michel Bras from France, Lara Gilmore (wife of Massimo Bottura) and many other chefs, producers, and journalists. I have been a fan of this young chef since my first visit to wd~50 years ago when I remember being taken on a tour of the kitchen and his office down the stairs by Wiley. Extremely intelligent, sans any ego, and surprisingly unaware of his celebrity, we had an interesting conversation, a portion of which was also shared on The Daily Meal.
How Restaurants Are Dealing With Pokémon Go Mania: If you didn’t spend the weekend immersed in Pokémon Go, prepare to be thoroughly confused by today’s watercooler talk/Slack conversations. Tweens and grown-ass adults alike have been consumed by the new “augmented reality” mobile game, which uses GPS and your smartphone’s camera to turn your surroundings into an IRL Pokémon hunting ground.
Etna Fumes and Spews, but the Winemaking Goes On: Chiara Vigo was just a young girl at the time, but the eruption of Mount Etna in 1981 is burned into her memory. Her parents grew grapes, olives and hazelnuts on roughly 150 acres in the Etna foothills near the Alcantara River. A glowing cascade of lava as tall as an 18-wheeler and as wide as an avenue snaked toward the estate, scalding anything in its path. It was pointed directly at the estate’s vineyard and main house. The lava approached the grounds two days after the eruption. Ms. Vigo recalls the helpless feeling as the family discussed leaving everything behind to flee to the relative safety of the coastal tow
ns, and she can still summon the fear of what they would find when they returned.
Greek varieties on the rise: Food for thought: I must admit that Boursiquot’s comment did not come exactly as a shock but nevertheless shook me hard since Greek wine’s strategy relies mainly on indigenous varieties for a comparative advantage in premium markets. An excellent Syrah may be profound in terms of quality but will obviously have to compete dozens of others in the same price tag; a good Assyrtiko or Xinomavro however, will stand on its own making a unique statement.
How new UK prime minister Theresa May might treat wine: It’s early days, of course, but May is on record as saying Brexit must mean Brexit, in reference to Britain’s EU referendum. Most of the wine trade supported the campaign for Britain to remain in the EU in the lead-up to the 23 June vote, and there is now significant uncertainty about what happens next.
Bordeaux that won’t break the bank: Bordeaux is regarded by many as the pinnacle of wine drinking. Sadly, it can also be the pinnacle of spending, as classed growth prices continue to hover out of reach of all but the richest of consumers. There is Bordeaux for the rest of us, the 95 percent who want a glass they can drink without breaking – or robbing – a bank. They are the ones critics score between 84-89 and can be found in the lesser-known communes.
Lisbon: top 10 dining gems: “I hear horror stories about food in Portugal. Everything is made with bacalhau and I can’t tolerate that fish,” so said one of my guest reviewers recently, when I mentioned my plans to visit Lisbon. I’ve heard this type of commentary so many times. The perception of a Portuguese pantry is one that does indeed boast bacalhau (cod that is either fresh, or dried and salted), but also piri piri (chilli spice), chargrilled sardines, pasteis de nata (custard tarts) and port. However, I spent four days in Lisbon recently and only two of these ingredients found their way on to my plate, thankfully.
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