The New York Times has an article about the strawberries that grow near the Belgian village of Wepion, south of Namur. Anyone who has been to the village in spring or summer knows that strawberries here are extremely important. You will find many strawberry stands on the main road leading to Dinant with these excellent strawberries that have been picked probably earlier in the day. The strawberry growers say they are special because they are picked when they are ripe. Ferran Adria, the chef of el Bulli fame does not need any introductions. Although he is no longer cooking in a restaurant, he is constantly doing new things, though he says that he is currently not doing anything related to gastronomy. His new project is to deconstruct the idea of food, its language, history, anthropology and culture. The restaurant has morphed into a lab and he wants people to think differently. Read what he is doing here. Gabriele Zanatta has a great interview with Joan Roca, the chef at El Celler de … [Read more...]
Weekly roundup of great reads on food and wine #36
This was the week that saw the announcement of the 50 World's Best Restaurants for 2015. Just like Michelin has been taking flak in the past years for its system, this award is also finding itself at the centre of criticism. We will be writing more about this during the coming week but in the meantime take a look at Tim Hayward's article in the Financial Times on the same subject. We find ourselves in agreement on pretty much all the points he makes. We've written before about Massimo Bottura's Refettorio Ambrosiano. It is a project by one of the world's best chefs, Italian Massimo Bottura of Osteria Francescana, to feed the poor using food which would otherwise be wasted. You can take a look at this week's launch here. And don't forget, if you want to donate to the project you can do so here. London's dining scene is on fire with many restaurants receiving lots of international press. But there is another side to the coin. This is explored by the editor of Observer Food Monthly … [Read more...]
What we’ve been drinking last month (November)
There is a certain allure to a blind wine tasting. Last weekend, when I visited Vini Birre Ribelli I was discussing with a friend what a humbling experience I had at a blind tasting dinner last month. We were a group of wine lovers who went to eat at a restaurant in Brussels (Ventre Saint Gris) which lets you to take your own wines on a Tuesday evening. It is a perfect way to try different wines from the cellar which you might not necessarily try in a restaurant. As an avid wine lover, I think I know my wines. I would think that it is easy to recognise a Riesling from a Chardonnay or a Pinot Noir from a Cabernet Sauvignon to give some examples. So it was an incredibly humbling experience to go to this blind tasting and find that I could actually not even recognise two Pinot Noir wines (together with many friends around the table). Neither could I spot the two Syrahs (a Hermitage and a Cote Rotie) despite the fact that Syrah is also an extremely distinct grape. Many wine … [Read more...]
Welcome to Food and Wine Gazette
Welcome to www.foodandwinegazette.com. This is the first post of the new website though you will find content which has been published before on www.ivanbrincat.com. Thank you for your support and I hope that you find the new format better. Given this is still work in progress, I would very much welcome your comments on how to make the site and its functionality better. I have decided to make these changes because the blog format was no longer valid particularly given even I was finding it difficult to find some old blogposts which I had posted. I hope that this format with its menus and categories helps you to find the content which you are looking for. A few words about the policies of this website. All that we review is independent and paid for. We will welcome guest posts because the format is such as to allow for it. This can only help to enrich the content of this website but this is on condition that the posts remain independent. We would like to develop … [Read more...]
What I enjoyed reading this week (6)
Here is a list of interesting articles I have come across this week. Enjoy your Sunday with these nice reads. You will find a great article about wine fraud and counterfeiting from wine searcher here which is food for thought especially for the risk it involves of buying expensive wines. For those in the know, drinking wines from Fleurie or Morgon may no longer be considered as inferior pleasures. Have you ever wondered in awe about wine sommeliers and their incredible depth of knowledge about wines. Here you will find what it takes to become a master sommelier. Chablis is a fantastic wine region and wine that is excellent with seafood. Here you will find a great lesson about Chablis. Fast food has a very bad reputation for health. However, eating in restaurants might not be any better according to a study. If you are heading to Amsterdam any time soon here is a list of 10 pop-up restaurants or food hotspots you can find in this Dutch city. … [Read more...]
What I enjoyed reading this week (5)
It has been a depressing week in the news. The above photo which was shared by Gambero Rosso on their Facebook thread while being humorous pretty much sums up my feelings for the week. Wherever you look in the media, whether it is the news on television, newspapers or even social media sites, you see photos of destruction. And you ask yourself why? Why is this happening? Why is there so much hatred? Please stop to think about what is happening and what we could do to try and make a difference. In any case, these are a few links to articles/video I enjoyed this week. My readers by now know that I have a fascination with Massimo Bottura, who is considered as Italy's most creative chef. Here you will find a fantastic interview about the creative process and evolution in his cooking. If you need some creative inspiration I recommend you watch it. This is a beautiful piece of writing in its own way. In this article, Eric Asimov, one of my favourite wine writes looks at the … [Read more...]
What I enjoyed reading this week (3)
There is a renaissance of Italian cuisine and restaurants in Brussels. Two of my first reviews were about Caffe al Dente and Winehouse Osteria which are setting the bar. This has also made it to the Belgian press. The first read for this week (in French) is an article in Le Soir about the Italian food revival in Belgium. It mentions quite a number of interesting spots some already known and others still waiting to be discovered. One of the articles I enjoyed most this week, also for nostalgic reasons, since it has been a long time since I have been to Sicily is this list of 13 islands of Sicily for foodies. Above is a view from Lipari. You will also find a photo essay of some abandoned places which look really stunning. Here you will find a very nice story of two English men who took an Ape and travelled Italy before ending in London where they have opened a pizzeria as well as one on wheels. It's called Pizza Pilgrims. The Roca Brothers of El Cellar de Can Roca are travelling to … [Read more...]
What is happening to French restaurants?
There is no question, at least at the high end of the restaurant scene that the French are still at the top of the culinary world although the competition has become incredibly fierce with countries like Spain, Italy, the UK (yes you read that correctly) and Japan challenging for the top position. But amid that reputation is a creepy feeling that not all is rosy. While the top chefs can command huge international respect for their creations, you need to sit and wonder at what is happening in the more traditional 'bistros' and 'brasseries'. That feeling is more pertinent when you learn that France is introducing a law that will force restaurants to mark their food as 'fait maison' or home made to save their culinary reputation. When this happens you realise that things are not always as they seem. As you can see from this article in The Guardian, many mid-range restaurants are using industrial companies as a way to cut costs and serve customers food that has been prepared elsewhere. … [Read more...]
The wines of Sicily – a wine region like no other
Maybe it is because of Malta's close affinity to Sicily, or because of the fact that I have been there so many times, but I find Sicilian wines to be extremely interesting. True, they might not compare with the finesse of Barolo's from Piemonte or Brunello di Montalcino from Tuscany but still they are extremely fascinating. Sicilian cuisine to me epitomises what is best about Mediterranean food. Take simple, sometimes humble ingredients and within minutes you have the makings of a great meal. Like my home country, Sicily is a hotpot of different influences from the Mediterranean. Some of the most memorable meals I have experienced were in Sicily whether it was a menu free restaurant in Scoglitti serving just one fish dish after another of what their fishermen had caught earlier in the day, to some of the best pasta creations. Nothing beats their spaghetti with sea urchins or pasta with prawns and pine nuts or pistachios which are so common in Sicilian cuisine. But this post is not … [Read more...]
What I enjoyed reading this week (2)
This has been a pretty hectic week. Nevertheless, I still had some time to read some interesting links which I share with you here. In this case, I also must thank some friends who send in interesting links. So if you find anything interesting don't hesitate to share. The first one comes from Franklin and relates to a 'giant' in French cooking, the great Paul Bocuse. Have you ever wondered why the lights are switched off on landing in aeroplanes. You have your answer here. Lists are always subjective and sometimes provocative. Here is one on the top 50 cities to see. How many have you seen> I've counted 18. A recipe in Italian on making a typical dish from Campania. Not the healthiest option but interesting nevertheless. Some tips on some food related books to read this summer. What is on your reading list this summer? And finally, a very inspiring video on Elon Musk, one of the most talked about entrepreneurs in recent years. … [Read more...]