There are a number of interesting reads in this weekly roundup from an interview with legendary restaurant critic AA Gill to Nathan Myhrvold's views on the next big thing in food, a list of some splendid bars, a guide to Emilia Romagna and some recommendations on places to eat in Venice. Food Republic has an interview with legendary restaurant critic AA Gill. He says that he wants blander food in restaurants. "Everything is overflavoured now. We've been dominated by the East and Latin America and these enormous, big flavours. This style of cooking is fantastic and I love it. But when was the last time that I ate a blanquette de veau that was just white, and just soft, and wasn't shouting at me," he said. Nathan Myhrvold, the founder of Modernist Cuisine says the next big thing in food is not about importing new foods but inventing them. "Invention is always how we have developed new cuisines," he said. Myhrvold also believes that we are in the midst of a major shift regarding all … [Read more...]

The past week saw the launch of Milan Expo. The theme is Feeding the Planet Energy for Life. Much has been written about the event, including the incidents that took place in Milan, so we are not focusing on this event in our round-up. So we start this week's roundup with a restaurant review with a difference. As we've said on Twitter, we do not always agree with Jay Rayner but in this case, we really shared his pain. See what happens when he asks some innocent questions after eating out at Jinjuu Chris Dwyer has a report on the Madrid Fusion Manila in which he reports on the biggest food event that ever took place in the Philippines. Spanish chefs like Elena Arzak, Luis Aduriz and Quique Dacosta were there. Dwyer reports that the Philippines are known for using all parts of the animal in its cuisine. This was taken to the extreme by chef Margarita Fores who presented tuna sperm as the highlight of one of the dishes; which was followed by a demonstration of the versatility of … [Read more...]

A series of documentaries called Chef's Table featuring Massimo Bottura from Italy, Magnus Nilsson from Sweden, Niki Nakayama and Dan Barber from the United States, Ben Shewry from Australia and Francis Mallmann was launched today. Many have written about these documentaries. Judging from social media, the series created by David Gelb who directed the popular documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi in 2011 will be a success. Here you will find an interview with the creator of this series. You can also read a review of the three episodes featuring Shewry, Nakayama and Mallmann here. He's rated the three documentaries 5 out of 5 stars. On the same theme, you may want to watch this amazing Op-Doc video which focuses on one of these six chefs. Ben Shewry, whose restaurant Attica, in Melbourne, Australia, is constantly considered as one of the best, developed his love for nature while growing up on a farm in New Zealand. His menu is an example of how sustainable ingredients can be made … [Read more...]

It has been a relaxing two weeks for me with limited access to the internet, which meant that not only blogging was sporadic but also the collection of stories for the weekly roundup was a bit harder than usual. Nevertheless, we have still managed to come across a number of interesting reads. At the start of this week, there was an event in Paestum, Italy showcasing the Mozzarella di Bufala called Le Strade della Mozzarella. Here are a few links to what was presented by chefs at the event starting from Belgian chef Sang-Hoon Degeimbre, a resumé of what happened on the first day and on  the second day of the event. Food Beast has come up with a list of 50 of the world's most breathtaking restaurant views. Which of them do you want to visit? In our view they've missed Brussels new restaurant La Villa in the Sky. This week we finished a splendid book by Michael Pollan called Cooked. It is a really interesting read. If you've missed our review, you can read it in our previous … [Read more...]

It's early Easter Sunday as I write this and I haven't written for the past two days so a Happy Easter to all our readers of Food and Wine Gazette. From the wines of Liguria, to a balanced diet and the search for the perfect ragu there is no shortage of interesting articles even today. So let's start with our links to some interesting reads. The first article is a long read about the search for the perfect ragu. If you speak to any Italian, they will probably tell you that the best ragu is the one which is either made in their family or else in their city. And while Bologna might be the place which gave the name to 'Bolognese' it is not necessarily the place where you will find the best ragu. The secret to a great ragu is time and the quality of the ingredients. So please take a dive. One day, I may be tempted to share my recipe of ragu. I don't claim it is the best but it does work wonders. I love Ligurian wines. Maybe it is the location of the vineyards perched over the … [Read more...]

Technology can be daunting particularly if it is not part of your main task. While some chefs have mastered the art of social media and others have learnt how to handle their clients using phones or cameras in their restaurants, few really have embraced technology to the maximum. We've discussed the issue in the past and think that there are many pros and cons to social media. So for our first link, here is a discussion about why chefs should embrace technology. Here is an interesting article of a professional chef who reveals the most common mistakes made by amateur cooks while cooking. Which are the mistakes you make most often? Big data could be the salvation for the restaurant industry according to restaurateur, publisher and entrepreneur David Chang. He wants to launch an app that can analyse customer data to create a better dining experience. Should fast food labels feature health warnings like cigarettes? It is a question asked in this article. Health food advocate … [Read more...]

You might be thinking that the easy option is better. After all, getting ready prepared fruit and vegetables should be the same as the vegetables you pick up from your store with the added convenience. Think twice next time before you grab that ready prepared package. It has far lower levels of vitamin C than unprepared produce. On the same subject, the food industry deceives us about the nature of its products but we go along with it. Andrew M. Brown in the Telegraph writes that nearly everything in our consumer society works on the basis of this voluntary self-deception. This is the bargain we make in industrialised society. He says that if manufacturers told us what was really in their products and how they were made, we'd be so nauseated we'd never buy them. There is an interesting, though controversial view, by David Chang of Momofuku and quarterly magazine Lucky Peach on how the internet has made the world's food taste the same. It is a topic we have touched upon a few … [Read more...]

The Observer Food Monthly has a list of the 50 hottest places, people and trends in food. Like all lists there is bound to be disagreement as to what has not made it to this list. Nevertheless, this is full of information on all matters related to food, so make sure you bookmark it and keep it as a reference point. Robert Parker, the influential wine critic has advised against buying wine as an investment. He pointed out that given the professional storage costs, slow appreciation and insurance costs, investment in wine is a tough and often fruitless endeavour. We do not necessarily agree with his 100 point system but agree that wine is there for enjoyment and not as an investment. Tim Atkin writes about the en primeur system in Bordeaux. He says that the system, to sell wine years before it is bottled, is outmoded, outdated and out of touch with modern consumers. We fully agree. Ultimately consumers will decide, but it might actually start to make sense for Bordeaux wineries to … [Read more...]

Yesterday we came across a quote on Twitter which went something like this: If your ingredient list reads like a novel it is best to stay away. It may sound obvious but whether we like it or not we end up succumbing to the convenience of supermarket food. However, author and journalist Joanna Blythman is on a mission to change this and she is clearly raising awareness on the horrors that go into convenience food. Her book Swallow This: Serving up the Food Industry's Darkest Secrets promises to be a shocking read. Blythman has also been able to promote her book and raise awareness through articles in newspapers. This one really turns your stomach. You've been warned. Wasting food is becoming unfashionable. It is great given that we lose about 31 per cent of our food to waste on a daily basis. While San Francisco, in the United States was the first city to make its citizens compost food, Seattle is the first to punish people with a fine if they don't. Running an efficient kitchen is … [Read more...]

This is a milestone post as it is the 200th one on Food and Wine Gazette. It's been an incredible journey so far. In a way it's great that this coincides with our weekly roundup of great reads on food and wine. It is a post we look forward to writing each week. It is also one which keeps us in contact with our readers who send us interesting posts from time to time. And it is a great way to share great content which we come across during the week in one post. Fellow blogger Fine Food Dude, an Englishman who is based in Hong Kong has a great post on Bagatelle, Oslo. It is a great review of a restaurant in Norway which closed its doors last year. By sheer coincidence, the blogger was the last diner to eat in this restaurant. It's a very interesting read, not only for the food, but it also shows the professionalism of the staff till the very end. Great resources are always useful to come across. Wine Turtle has compiled a list of 103 best wine blogs that you can't miss. We must … [Read more...]