Food Porn

 

American Life

A man who got angry with his wife because she wanted to cuddle after sex when all he really wanted to do was watch sports on television was sentenced to death for killing her with a claw hammer. The judge said:” The defendant struck his wife approximately 70 individual blows after spending a happy interlude with her. Her desire to cuddle does not justify the extremely violent and brutal response of the defendant.”

I wonder if watching telly was what made him violent in the first place. This seems so excessive

Week in Wine

Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon

2004 Barnwood 3200′ Santa Barbara County Cabernet Sauvignon ($20)

2003 Bishop’s Peak Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon ($16)

2004 Clos LaChance Ruby-Throated Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon ($18)

2004 Cycles Gladiator Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon ($10)

2002 EOS Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon ($18)

2004 Lockwood Vineyard Monterey County Cabernet Sauvignon ($15)

2003 Lucas & Lewellen Cote del Sol Santa Barbara County Cabernet Sauvignon ($32) 

2003 Mitchell Katz at Ruby Hill Thatcher Bay Vineyard Livermore Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($16)

2003 Peachy Canyon Old School House Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon ($25)

2004 Robert Hall Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon ($18) 

2003 Smith & Hook Grand Reserve Santa Lucia Highlands Cabernet Sauvignon ($25)

SAUVIGNON BLANCS

Sauvignon Blancs

2005 Bogle Vineyards California Sauvignon Blanc ($9)

2005 Crane Lake California Sauvignon Blanc ($5)

2005 Dona Paula Los Cardos Tupungato Sauvignon Blanc ($8)

2005 Finca El Portillo Valle de Uco Sauvignon Blanc ($9)

2005 Fish Eye California Sauvignon Blanc ($9)

2005 Jindalee Estate South Eastern Australia Sauvignon Blanc ($8)

2005 Penalolen Limari Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($12)

2005 R&B Cellars California Sauvignon Blanc ($12)

2005 Shenandoah Vineyards California Sauvignon Blanc ($10)

Vino Italiano

There is a simple way to classify the manifold Italian wines by region: northwest, northeast, central italy, and south & islands.

Northwestern wines originate from Aosta Valley, Piedmont, Liguria, Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna. This terroir covers the arc of the Alps and the Apennines that walls in the Po as it flows east through its broad valley to the Adriatic. As the topography varies so do the wines and the grouping is purely geographic. Between them, the five regions produce one fifth of Italy’s total wine but more than 25% of the DOC. Emilia-Romagna is a heavy contributor with the fourth largest output after Veneto, Sicily and Apulia. It heavily exports to the US swet and bubbly Mabrusco but of late there has been renewed focus on the Albana and Sangiovese of Romana, and the Barbera, Cabernet, Chardonnay and Sauvignon from the Apennine foothills of Emilia. Piemonte, while highest in quality with the most DOC and DOCG zones, it ranks only seventh in production. Piemonte’s worthy natives include Barbera, Dolcetoo, Grignolino, Freisa, Cortese, Arneis, Brachetto, the Canelli clone of Moscato (for Asti Spumante) and the noblest Nebbiolo (source of Barolo, Barbaresco and Gattinara). Valle d’Aosta is the smallest regions and prodcues the least wine from its rocky slopes and its DOC output is often surpassed by some single wineries in other regions. Its vines often have French names, like Petit Rouge, Grose Vien, Blanc de Valdigne, owing to the Savoyard history of the region. Ligurian wines are obscure and usually esoteric, with little space for vines between the mountains and the Mediterranean.Liguria favors the local Rossese, Pigato and Vermentino as well as the Ormeasco (local version of the Dolcetto). Lombardy, the most populous region, is only twelfth in wine production but has a major concentration of Nebbiolo wines for the DOC reds of the Valtellina mountains and spread of Chardonnay and PInot vines for sparkling wines of Franciacorta and Oltrepo Pavese.

Northeastern wines hail from Veneto, Trentio/Alto Adige, and Friui-Venezia Giulia. This is realy modern and the three regions are known as the Tre Venezie (or Venezie) which began newer techniques in wine production in the 1970s. Two leading Italian wine schools (think UC Davis and Fresno State) are San Michele all’Adige in Trentino and Congeliano in Veneto. The world’s largest vine nursery is at Rauscedo in Friuli and the important wine fair, Vinitaly, is held each spring in Verona. These wines accoutn for fully a third of the DOC with Veneto leading the way as the largest. Vine conditions (protected from the damp cold of northern Europe by the Alps) range from cool at high altitudes to warmer near the Adriatic sea and along the valleys of the Po, Adige and Tagliamento rivers. Popular wines currently favor Merlot, Cabernet, Pinots, Chardonnay and Sauvignon, with the local Tocai, Prosecco, Verduzzo, Refosco, Schioppettino , Ribola Gialla and Raboso. In the Trentino-Alto Adige, reds still prevail (Schiava, Vernatsch) while the whites include Chardonnay, Pinots, Sauvignon and Gewurtz. Local vintages include Teroldego, lagrein and Marzemino.
Central Italian wines are from Tuscany, Umbria, Marches, Latium, Abruzzi and Molise. Ample sunshine and higher temperatures led to overproduced grapes. The central regions led by Toscano with Chianti and Brunello run the noble reds. The regions are divided (physically and culturally) by the Apennines. To the west (Tyrrhenian side) are Toscano, Latium and lanclocked Umbria and to the east (Adriaticside) are Marches, Abruzzi and Molise. Tyrrhenian wines are dominated by the dark skinned Sangiovese and the light skinned Trebbiano and Malvasia (tasty but rarely inspiring whites). Sangioveses rule the Florentine region of Toscano where it prevails in Chianti, the national archetypal red, and Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Monetupulciano and unclassified Super Tuscans.

White Malvasia reigns in Rome’s regionof Latium. It is prominent in Frascati and the wines of the Alban hills, and combines with the ubiquitous Trebbiano in Est! Est!! Est!!! di Montefiascone and most other whites of the region.

Umbrians have had the chance to pick and choose, favoring Sangiovese for their reds and the Procanico strain of Trebbiano for their prominent white Orvieto.

A trend, more evident in Tuscany than elsewhere, is to introduce noble outsiders, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, the Pinots, Chardonnay and Sauvignon. But efforts are also being directed at upgrading such worthy natives as Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Umbria’s Sagrantino and Grechetto and Latium’s Cesanese.

The Adriatic regions have a rather neat and straight-forward structure of vines and wines. Vineyards are almost all planted in hills running in a tortuous strip between the sea and the mountains, where the climate is tempered by cool air currents.

Two native varieties stand out along the Adriatic coast, the white Verdicchio in the Marches and the red Montepulciano, which originated in the Abruzzi and is now widely planted elsewhere, including in Molise. The influences of Tuscany and Romagna can be tasted in Sangiovese (especially in the Marches) and Trebbiano (planted nearly everywhere that worthier varieties are not). Montepulciano can be remarkable on its own, though it also has a natural affinity for blends with Sangiovese in such fine reds as the Marches’ Rosso Piceno and Rosso Conero.

Wines from the south and the Islands are from Campania, Apulia, Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia.

The six regions of Italy’s south take in the “sunwashed” vineyards that prompted the ancient Greeks to nickname their colonies “Oenotria”, the land of wine. From Hellas they brought to Magna Græcia vines which are still planted today, under such names as Aglianico, Greco, Malvasia, Gaglioppo and Moscato. The Romans in their turn recognized the potential of the slopes that gave them Falernum, Caecubum, Mamertinum and other heady wines that were eulogized by poets from Horace to Virgil. Pliny the Elder and Columella were among those who recorded methods of viticulture and enology that included descriptions of how to age and preserve wine and even to make it bubbly. But wine had its ups and downs under the Romans, too, reaching a low point when the Emperor Domitian ordered vines removed while restricting trade to combat excess production.

Many outsiders left their marks on these Mediterranean shores. Foremost among them were the Spaniards, who dominated until the Risorgimento (?) and brought vines into Sardinia, Sicily and other places centuries after the Arabs and Phoenicians planted what may have been the first “foreign” vines in Italy.

It might be argued that at times in the past the vineyards of the Italian Mezzogiorno were put to better use than they had been until just recently. Apulia and Sicily have been perennial leaders in volume produced, much of it in bulk blending wines shipped to northerly places.

Though the six regions produce nearly 40 percent of Italy’s total wine, they account for only about 14 percent of the DOC/DOCG. Yet, after decades in which the emphasis had been steadfastly on quantity, producers in all regions have become increasingly convinced that the future lies in quality, as the class of wines steadily improves while volume steadily decreases.

Studied techniques of grape growing and methods of temperature controlled fermentation and maturation in oxygen-free conditions have permitted production of dry, balanced wines that can be attractively light and fruity. Several of Italy’s most impressive red wines for aging originate in the south, led by Campania’s DOCG of Taurasi. White wines of modern style have also come forth. There has been a welcome trend to upgrade the quality and status of the traditional sweet wines, such as Moscato and Malvasia, as well as Sicily’s fortified Marsala and Sardinia’s Vernaccia di Oristano.

The misconception that the Mezzogiorno has a universally torrid climate overlooks the fact that much of the territory is temperate and parts are downright chilly. Conditions depend on altitude and proximity to the Tyrrhenian, Ionian or Adriatic seas. Some good wines are made in hot places, the slopes of Vesuvius, the isle of Ischia, Apulia’s Salento peninsula, Sicily’s western coast and Sardinia’s Campidano. But many wines of scope come from higher, cooler places, the hills around Avellino in Campania, Basilicata’s Vulture, Sicily’s Etna and central highlands, Apulia’s interior plateau and Sardinia’s eastern coastal range.

Major wineries from elsewhere in Italy have been investing in the south, where the climate permits consistent quality from year to year to offer wines of premium class at reasonable prices.

Passion Fruit

It hit 115 degrees (as per the Acura’s inside outside temperature sensor) and made me very nervous. Luckily, K and E had the marvelous notion of having an indoor outdoors barbecue. You prepare outdoors but eat within like civilized persons. Unfortunately, there were thermal dessert issues so I was only too keen to return home to try my new summer granita.

Boil some simple syrup (1/2C each of granulated white bleached sugar and distilled water) and cool. Puree 3C pineapple chunks (I just buy them pre-chopped from the store to save time) with 1/4C simple syrup. Stir in 4C passion fruit nectar (chilled, I use Loozaa brand) and 3/4 C champagne (I substitute chilled prosecco). Transfer to shallow metal baking pan and freeze. Stir and crush lumps with a fork every hour until the mixture is firm but not frozen hard. This takes 4 hours. You can make it ahead of time and freeze it covered for 2 days. Just before service, scrape with a fork to lighten texture. I take the extra step of freezing them in translucent cobalt candle votives with an embedded toothpick. As the edges melt, you lift up the sectorian disc and get the most intense flavor when the disk lands on the dorsum of your tongue. It also looks fabulous.

Arrival London

Arrival into London by air will bring you into one of 5 airports. Most international travelers will arrive at London Heathrow [LHR] or London Gatwick [LGW], the two major international airports. London City airport LCY is used by business passengers and a rapidly increasing number of leisure passengers happy to avoid congestion at the other London airports when visiting European destinations. Luton and Stansted airports, to the north of London, are mostly used by charter and low-cost airlines, with mostly short-haul European destinations, though some US flights do arrive at London Stansted.

From Heathrow, you can get into the city by taking the Underground Piccadilly Line (this currently costs £4 for a single (one-way fare) or hopping on the Heathrow Express (£13.50 single if purchased online; £14.50 if purchased at the station), which takes you directly to Paddington Station. A relatively new rail service, the Heathrow Connect, offers a less expensive and slightly slower train service between Heathrow Airport and London’s Paddington rail station. Although the Heathrow Express is considerably more expensive than the Underground Piccadilly Line, it is by far the best way to start your stay in London depending on your final destination. It takes you straight to the west-central Paddington station, in clean, modern and comfortable trains which take about 15 minutes and don’t stop at all, and there are special areas to place your luggage in. Keep in mind that once you reach Paddington you will be at the mercy of the London Transport system or taxis. Therefore, Paddington might not be the best terminal depending on where you are staying.

The Piccadilly line is much slower (stops over 15 times before reaching Central London and takes 30+ minutes) and can be very hard to manage on with suitcases and luggage, and often gets very busy with commuters during the rush hours and even at weekends. Whilst access to the Heathrow Express is made easy, if travelling on the Piccadilly Line (Underground) you must expect lots of carrying your bags up and down steps where lifts or escalators are not provide and trying not to get in people’s way etc. – not a very stress-free experience after a long journey. You may have to queue for quite a long time at the London Underground ticket office if you cannot use the automated machines. It is not widely publicised, but if you are staying at one of the nearby hotels in Bath Road such as the Holiday Inn, Renaissance, Radisson, Marriott etc. and don’t have much luggage then you can use a free travel service on the local buses which leave from the Central Bus Station. There is more information on this map from the British Airport Authority.

Taxis from Heathrow can be quite expensive, depending on your destination in London; fares of £60 or more are not unheard of. A good alternative is any of the various airport transfer services running to and from Heathrow. These are cars or vans that you book in advance, and can be especially economical for groups. Fares can be as little as £28 for a group of 4 or 5 people.
For Gatwick arrivals, the easiest way to get into the city is by taking the Gatwick Express train which is non-stop for the 25 miles and arrives into Victoria Station, the hub for all coach transportation in London (£14). You can also buy a round trip (called a “return ticket”) for £25, saving £3. On the Gatwick Express, four people travel for the price of 2 – so this is effectively half price (£7). However, you can not take advantage of this when buying your ticket on the train, instead you will have to queue at the ticket offices of eiter Victoria or Gatwick stations. Without this group deal, a slightly cheaper option (£9) — which only takes about 5 minutes more — is to take the Southern Train to Victoria. First Capital Connect runs service to Kings Cross Station (£9). If you’re heading to Brighton or other points south, arriving at Gatwick airport and catching the train is much more expedient than arriving at Heathrow, making your way into London, and then catching a train south. For both, there are other options of both coaches and taxis, but due to traffic and cost, it’s best to stick with the trains.

For Stansted (mostly for European flights), the coach can be a better option than the train. To Eastern London the A9 coach ( National Express) is quicker and cheaper (£7 one way) than the train (£15 one way). It runs every half hour and only takes 45 minutes to Stratford, where you can catch the Jubilee or Central lines. It usually takes about an hour to Canary Wharf using this option. For other parts of London there are other coach services or the Stansted Express train. The train runs a direct service to Tottenham Hale and Liverpool Station. For Northern London it is quicker and cheaper to buy return tickets to Tottenham Hale (the train slows down considerably between Tottenham Hale and Liverpool Street), from where there is easier access to Northern London via the Victoria and Picadilly tube lines. Terravision run 2 coach routes into London. One route to Victoria (taking 1:15 – £8.10 one-way, £13:50 return) and one to Liverpool Street (taking 1 hour – £6.7 one-way, £11.80 return). National Express run several routes including one to Victoria which also stops at Baker Street and Marble Arch.

For Luton there is a free shuttle bus to Luton Airport Parkway station. The train services are operated by two companies. Midland Mainline runs into St Pancras where you can catch the underground from Kings Cross or First Capital Connect which runs through London to Brighton, stopping at Kings Cross, Blackfriars, London Bridge and Gatwick Airport.

London City airport has a Docklands Light Railway (DLR) station. This will take you to Canning Town, where you can catch the Jubilee Line to central London.

Coach transfers are also a very economical way to travel into the city centre. Due to varying congestion on the motorways, they can take much longer than the train, but can be much cheaper. The UK’s main coach company National Express runs very frequent, comfortable services from Heathrow (about 1 hour) , Gatwick (about 1h20), Stansted (about 1h30) and Luton (about 1h20) to Victoria coach station, the main hub for British coach travel, where coaches can be caught to many other parts of the UK and Europe, or the tube taken to your destination in central London. Other companies such as Terravision also offer low-cost coach travel from Stansted and Luton, with discounts for Ryanair passengers. GreenLine and EasyBus also offers a coach service from London Luton airport, with discounts for EasyJet passengers. All the coach services operate very frequently and tickets can be bought online or at the airport when you arrive.

The other option is, of course, car hire. Driving around London can be a hellish experience, especially during “rush hour”, the daily morning and afternoon commutes that, despite their name, tend to last from about 07.00 to 09.00 and 17.00 to 19.00. Car hire in the UK is expensive, but all the major rental companies operate from the airports, though most travellers will find they have no use for a car in London City Centre. Only consider hiring a car if you’re planning to visit more rural areas. Also remember that if you rent a car, you are responsible for paying the Congestion Charge, £8 per day, to drive into Central London. Parking is also very costly.
Train travel can enter into a number of stations. From Europe, the train arrives into Waterloo Station (Eurostar from France or Belgium). King’s Cross, Paddington Station and London Bridge are just a few of the main terminals for train travel and all connect to the Underground and buses. If you get lost, there are maps galore in all the Underground stations and you can always ask one of the knowledgeable staff members who patrol the stations.

Train times from London airports:

• DLR from London City Airport, 22 minutes to Bank, 14 minutes to Canary Wharf.
• Heathrow Express, 15 minutes to Paddington. Piccadilly Line 1 hour to Piccadilly station.
• Gatwick Express 30-35 minutes to Victoria (30-40 minutes on the Southern Line). First Capital Connect 30-35 minutes to London Bridge.
• Stansted Express 45 minutes to Liverpool Street.
• First Capital Connect (formerly Thameslink) 35 minutes from Luton Airport Parkway to Kings Cross Thameslink station

London Heathrow

Week in Wine

Washington State Red Blends

NV Bunnell Family Cellar Vif Columbia Valley Red Wine ($32)

2002 Columbia Crest Walter Clore Private Reserve Columbia Valley Red Wine ($35)

NV Long Tail Lizard Columbia Valley Red Table Wine ($9)

2004 Pendulum Columbia Valley Red Wine ($25)

2003 Helix by Reininger Pomatia Columbia Valley ($20)

2004 Shimmer Columbia Valley Shiraz-Merlot ($15)

2003 Three Rivers Winery River’s Red Columbia Valley Red Wine ($15)

2004 Thurston Wolfe Doctor Wolfe’s Family Red Washington State Table Wine ($15)

Wines for a Very Very Very Hot Day

Pink

NV Barefoot California White Zinfandel ($6)

2005 Folie a Deux Menage a Trois California Rosé ($12)

2005 Los Cardos Lujan de Cuyo Malbec Rosé ($10)

Red

2003 Cameron Hughes Lot 11 Paso Robles Petite Sirah ($11)

2003 Cameron Hughes Lot 12 Sonoma Mountain Syrah ($11)

2004 Cycles Gladiator Central Coast Syrah ($10)

2004 Inca Calchaqui Valley Cabernet/Malbec ($9)

2004 Rosemount Estate Diamond Label South Eastern Australia Shiraz/Grenache ($12)

2004 Sexto Terra Alta Red Wine ($13)

2005 Valentin Bianchi Single Vineyard Elsa Mendoza Malbec ($9)

Arrival Chicago

 

 

Whether you arrive at Midway International (MDW) or O’Hare International (ORD) Airport, the fastest (and by far the cheapest) way to get into the city is by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Rapid Transit, known as “The El” for Elevated, which is how it operates in many parts of the city. There are convenient boarding stations at each airport and for $2.00 you will be dropped into the heart of the city. You can actually travel between the two airports on The El, but it requires a transfer between lines. It would be good to research in advance the various stops and the one closest to your hotel because people do not talk to each other on the El, just like in the Tube. There are system maps in the stations and in each train car for easy reference. While there are other ways to get “downtown” such as taxi, but you will pay around $30 for the adventure. If you have a lot of luggage, consider Airport Express.
The Chicago Greeter program offers visitors (groups of up to 6) a chance to hook up with a local for a free tour of 25 neighborhoods, architectural attractions, hidden gems, or whatever special requests the visitor might have. The program even includes a free visitors pass for use on the CTA’s “EL” or Bus system! The program also offers an Instagreeter option which allows visitors who didn’t have time to make a reservation to meet up with a Chicago Greeter representative at the Chicago Cultural Center and spend an hour with them walking around the loop.

 

Cookie Monster

My favorite cookies -

Offelle di Parona al Cacao are rich buttery chocolate biscuits from Parona (less than an hour from Milano) with wheat, flour, eggs, chocolate, butter, sugar and olive oil.

Osso di Morto, or bones of the dead, are meringue cooiee s from Siena combining almonds, flour, sugar and egg whites in a crunchy cookie that goes well with espresso, cappuccino or dessert wine. I like to dip in vin santo.

Cialde di Montecatini are from spa county (Monteccatini Terme, think Calistoga) and are coin shaped embossed wafers filled wtih creamy paste of crunchy Apulian almonds and sugar.

Amaretti are little bitter almond cookies from outside Vicenza dating back to the 1700s when a young baker and his fiancee swiftly gathered sacks of almonds, sugar, eggs and flour to bake these for the visiting cardinal of Milano. Sprinkled with sparkling sugar crystals, these are delicious dipped in red wine or vin santo.

Biscotti all’Arancia di Sicilia are handmade organic orange butter cookies from southeastern Sicility in the province of Siracusa and produced by the Ferragamo family. Wafer thin delicate biscotti are handmade with the pulp and peel of oranges. Pair with tea.

Biscotti di Meliga are crunchy cornmeal cookies from Piemonte and make a good ending to a light meal.

Biscotti di Prato are Tuscan style biscotti flavored with almonds, orange zest and anise seeds.

Cork Screwed

The World Wildlife Fund has called on the wine industry to ‘choose cork’ in order to save the environment. In a leaflet entitled ‘Cork Screwed? Environmental and economic impacts of the cork stoppers market‘ the WWF argues for the preservation of the US$329m cork industry. It predicts that by 2015, 95% of wine bottles will be closed with alternatives to cork. Annual cork production will go down from 300,000 tonnes to 19,500 tonnes. 27,500 industrial jobs and 35,000 forestry jobs would disappear. At present the cork industries of Portugal, Spain, Algeria, Italy, Tunisia and France maintain 2.7m ha of land and provide income sources for 100,000 people. Cork forests also support endangered species such as the Iberian lynx, the Iberian imperial eagle and the barbary deer. Cork, the WWF says, has a wide variety of uses, from clothes to insulation, ‘and even rocket technology’, but bottle stoppers represent 70% of the total market value.

The onus to save the cork business is laid on the wine industry. It needs to ‘demonstrate its corporate responsibility by considering the environmental and socioeconomic values of cork by choosing cork and promoting its use’. It also needs to seriously address the issue of cork taint, TCA, and traceability. ‘WWF believes that industries offer added value to their consumers while working for nature,’ the leaflet concludes. Whether this will have any effect is a moot point, as more and more wine producers turn away from cork in favour of closures that offer less chance of taint. Andrew Jefford, who has written extensively on the subject, said, ‘The industry will always take quality control as the most important issue. Producers will go for screwcap regardless of the environmental considerations if they think it is the best closure. While red wine producers are still very uncertain that screwcaps are the future, for short-term storage wines cork has already lost the battle. No amount of environmental pleading will change that.’

Dining VISA

Dine Out With Visa promotion runs this month in the city. Around fifty restaurants are offering special four-course meals for $54.95 if you ask for the “special menu” and you pay with your Visa. You have to ask for this as it is neither posted nor offered. This is just the way life is around here. The list of participating restaurants isn’t stellar, but there are some decent ones on the list. In order of preference, the restaurants that I think happen to be worth dining at (this is, of course, without having seen the menus that they’re offering) are:

• Scott Howard
• Ana Mandara
• Le Colonial
• Frisson
• Big 4 Restaurant
• XYZ at W Hotel
• Faz
• Maya

Buon appettito!

Running Movies

• The Games, in which a British upstart, an Aussie aboriginal, a reluctant Czech veteran, and a swaggering Yank contend in an Olympic Marathon. Watch when training morphs from plodding drudgery to radiant ecstasy for Michael Crawford.
• The Four Minute Mile, a documentary of Roger Bannister, John Landy, and Wes Santee’s pursuit of the four-minute barrier, with commentary from all three men. (Light years better than the recent ESPN drama Four Minutes.)
• The Jericho Mile, the story of a convict who shapes himself into an Olympic contender behind bars. When Peter Strauss talks about “floating” as he runs, it might be the first moment of unadulterated bliss in his character’s life.
• Run Lola Run, in which a German punkette dashes all over town trying to raise money to save her useless boyfriend, is no “track” movie, but the flame-haired Lola can really run in this compact film with a great soundtrack.
• Fire On The Track, a nonfiction film with rare footage of Steve Prefontaine, the 1970s running icon, and testimony from those who knew him, gives more insight into who Pre was than either Without Limits or Prefontaine.
• Forrest Gump may not have started the Running Boom–Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers, and Joan Benoit Samuelson can take credit for that–but I like to yell “Run, Forrest, run” as they plod through the streets. In this movie, the U.S.A. looks like a pretty nice country to run across.
• Across The Tracks features Brad Jolie and Ricky Schroeder as reluctantly reunited brothers who become arch-rivals in the 800-meter run.
• Second Wind, a little-known Canadian production, is the best of a whole batch of films about regular working adults who get more enraptured by running than they could ever have imagined, and about how their lives are transformed by the experience.
• Personal Best makes the balance between tenacious training and casual camaraderie in the life of a young Olympic hopeful seem enviable. Mariel Hemingway is the teenage prodigy, caught in a triangle between a veteran athlete and a water polo star, played by Olympic marathoner Kenny Moore. Also, lesbians.
• Chariots Of Fire, naturally. As depicted here, grim and dogged Harold Abraham and ebullient Eric Liddell couldn’t be more disparate characters, but each has his own vivid reason for pursuing gold at the 1924 Paris Olympics. The theme by Vangelis is a staple at road races, and if the opening sequence doesn’t get you out running, nothing will.

Best Restaurants

As per the Wine Spectator, the fifty best restaurants in the world are:

1. El Bulli, Spain
2. The Fat Duck, UK
3. Pierre Gagnaire, France
4. The French Laundry, California
5. Tetsuya’s, Australia
6. Michel Bras, France
7. Alain Ducasse – Le Louis XV, Monaco
8. Per Se, New York
9. Restaurante Arzak, Spain
10. Mugaritz, Spain
11. El Raco de Can Fabes, Spain
12. Nobu, London
13. Gambero Rosso, Italy
14. Gordon Ramsay (Ryl Hosp Rd), London
15. Restaurant Alain Ducasse – Plaza Athenee France, Paris
16. Jean Georges, New York
17. Le Cinq, France
18. Daniel, New York
19. Oud Sluis, Holland
20. Chez Panisse, California
21. El Celler de Can Roca, Spain
22. Pascal Barbot – L’Astrance, France
23. Hof Van Cleve, Belgium
24. La Maison Troisgros, France
25. L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, France
26. Charlie Trotter , Chicago
27. Le Gavroche, UK
28. La Colombe, South Africa
29. Enoteca Pinchiorri, Italy
30. Rockpool, Australia
31. Le Calandre, Italy
32. Le Bernardin, New York
33. Noma, Denmark
34. Dieter Muller, Germany
35. St John, UK
36. Hakkasan, UK
37. Martin Berasategui, Spain
38. Le Quartier Francais, South Africa
39. Chez Dominique, Finland
40. L’Ambroisie, France
41. Schwarzwaldstub, Germany
42. Dal Pescatore, Italy
43. Bocuse, France
44. L’Arpege, France
45. Gramercy Tavern , New York
46. Bukhara, India
47. De Karmeliet, Belgium
48. Oaxen, Sweden
49. Comme Chez Soi, Belgium
50. DOM, Brazil

Week in Wine

Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

2004 Baker Lane Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($33)

2002 Fort Ross Symposium Fort Ross Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($28)

2004 Hartford Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($30)

2004 La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($22)

2003 Longfellow Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($35)

2004 MacMurray Ranch Sonoma Coast ($20)

2003 Merry Edwards Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($29)

2004 Papapietro Perry Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($39)

Basic Wine

So the wine library demo/construction draws near. I am often asked – what are the basic bottles to stock in a basic wine library and I think 30 basics are reasonable for a small family over a few months. This would be the ideal composition for the library of those who love to cook. I am criticized often for calling it a library instead of a cellar. People, a cellar is an enclosed spaced used for storage beneath the gorund or under a building, usually to shleter from inclement weather, like storms. A libary is a room in a private home for a collection of materials, especially when systematically arranged. Enough said.

• 2 bottles of Burgundy – Chardonnay pairs with all foods but heavily oaked Californian wines are lame. Crisp and mineral white burgundy goes with anything from cream based soup to pasta in white sauces. Choices include Puoilly-Fuisse, Chalis, Macon or Montrachet.
• 2 bottles of Alsatian Whites – excellent matches for complex spicy Asian dishes and a lovely aperitif in case of emergency
• 3 bottles of Austrian (or German) Riesling – the only wine to serve wuth Viet Namese, Thai and Indonesian recipes. I must reiterate that Indian food goes well without wine. Perhaps a beer (which I don’t) or champagne (which I do) but a yoghurt drink or sparkling lemonade are best. Look for wines designated as Kabinett or Halbtrocken (German) or Kremstal (Austrian). The wine appellations themselves have too many syllables for me to waste my memory cache
• 4 bottles of White Rhone wine – these are blends of Roussane, Marsanne and Viognier. Southern whites such as a white Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc can be opened with any dinner that cajoles you for a white.
• 4 bottles of Pinot Noit – Burgundy, or even from California, New Zealand or Oregon. Alcohol levels are creeping up so check the label to a ceiling of 13% or you will be masked
• 4 bottles of Southern Rhone Red – goes well with anything grilled and nearly all vegetables
• 2 bottles of Sangiovese – I now M abhors this lovely grape but you have to have this with your pizza. Or a tomato dish of any kind. You can also upgrade to Chianti classico/riserva, Vino Nobile de Montepulciano or Rosso di Montalcino with your budget constraint. If none, splurge for the Brunello di Montalcino
• 2 bottles of Provence/Languedoc Red -do you serve mushrooms or dark richsauces? These wines are mixtures of dark earthy grapes like Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignane, or Grenache.
• 2 bottles of California Cabernet – the King of Grapes. Splurge for Bordeaux if you can afford it. I cannot
• 1 bottle each of California Zinfandel and Australian Shiraz – these are bold and heavy but matched with cheese dishes
• 2 bottles of bubbles – there is simply no substitute for bubbles and I always make sure I have enough in case of an emergency. You never know when you might need to celebrate or have Sunday brunch. Explore the Txakoli (sparkling Basque wine) or Muscadets from the Loire valley
• 1 bottle of dessert wine – something sweet at the end of the meal: Sauterne (Bordeaux), Riseling Berenauslese (Germany), vin Santo (Italy), Jurancon (southern France), icewine (Canada) or Tokay (Hungary). Taste these before you serve as some flavors are challenging

Bombing Bombay

You could call it Mumbai but it will always be Bombay for me.Today, a series of seven explosions kille dupwards of 190 people on crowded commuter trains and station platforms in the film and finance capitol of India, now known as Mumbai, in an 11-minute span between 1824 and 1835 local time. This is similar to well coordinated blasts in Madrid (2004) and Londontown (last year before we were thre). Jency Jacob, from CNN- IBN, was on one of the trans and here is his horrific account. I do not exaggerate when I state that the trains are packed during rush hours. Sardines have it easy.

Restaurant Week

If I did not need to work on the tea chamber, I should be in New York this week. During July 10-14 and 17-21, three-course dinners in select (see list scrolling down) places are $24.07 or $35 (lunch or dinner). Some of these places are overrated but you still get a good selection. Do not waste any opportunities as you could enjoy up to 16 meals depending on when you are reading this.

L=lunch, D= dinner. My picks:
Aquavit (L)
Asiate at the Mandarin Oriental (L)
Café Boulud (L)
Chanterelle (L)
Craftbar (L)
David Burke & Donatella (L)
Devi (L, D)
Eleven Madison Park (L)
Gotham Bar and Grill (L)
Gramercy Tavern (L)
JoJo (L)
Kittichai (L)
Perry St. (L)
Spice Market (L)
Tabla (L)
The Modern – Bar Room (D)
Union Square Café (L)
ViceVersa (L,D)

Joy Cup

Wacky Guac

It is too hot today to do much of anything. R & S were over for brunch, and I totally forgot to serve them the carefully sliced avocado and apricot stuffed croissants (unrelated items, of course). So the plan is to make guacamole, hereinafter “guac”, for the FIFA finals tomorrow. These are step-by-step instructions.

Walk to the postbox in 95 degrees heat and pick up the post because it is essential to read the post while making guac. There is no need to do this the night before the finals when the temperature is a more pleasing 94 degrees. Walk past snobbish neighbors and observe the “no waving hereinafter policy” now in strict observance.

Take three (3) ripe avocados that feel like baseballs, 2 limes (not lemons), 2 tomatoes (not the cute little pearls but regular hard core vine ripened suckers), 1 bunch of cilantro (this is called chinese Parsley) and 1 bag of blue nacho chips from the pantry. If any of these is missing, drive immediately to the Safeway and resume reading after you are well equipped. It is lovely to forget one item which is then later purchased after extensive swearing. And sweating. Wash all items, including the limes (not lemons). Place all items on countertop. Open some prosecco. Wipe hands clean.

Wonder out (loud) if you should unpeel the avocado. Wonder out (also loud) if you have ever seen anyone make guac. I think I saw I make some three years back. Where is he? Any recollection might be tainted by the very good tequila he brought to S’s home for the farewell party and so memory jogging is not to be relied upon. Cut avocado into sections of four and make many attempts to remove seed from center of the universe. It is acknowledged that if avocados are insufficiently ripened, it is utterly impossible to remove said seed. Why am I speaking like a lawyer? Oh yes, S was here this morning. When trying to unseed, ensure that you go Uri Geller on some butter knife. Sweating much? Now mash. First use a whisk – this is laughably impossible. Next use a mixer. What a mess. Now it is all over the granite countertop. Say fuck. Eight times. Now remove a potato masher. Of course you cannot find it. Wash fingers and go medieval on it. The Aztecs, you think, did not have a Sur la Table to buy specialty kitchen items and so you go organic. Meanwhile you are texted back “Are you retarded?” (You had previously texted your trust friend E asking “Should you peel an avocado when you make guac?”) You mentally note that this does not constitute a valid response to your question but you file it for later umbrage.

You mix all the ingredients, drink more Prosecco. You put the unholy mess in a Pyrex nesting bowl and clingy wrap the top. Leave it in the fridge.Now you wait 24 hours.

Croissant Ready

We have all heard that the croissant was created in 1686 in Budapest (Hungary) by a watchful baker when the city was under attack by the Turks. Working late at night, he heard odd rumbles and alerted the city’s military elders that they were tunnelling under the city’s walls. The tunnel was destroyed and the baker was a hero. All he wanted was to bake a special pastry commemorating the fight. This pastry was to be shaped like a crescent (the symbol of Islam) meaning the Hungarians had eaten the Turks for lunch. Sweet. Yet so utterly false. This first showed up in the 1938 edition of Larousse Gastronomique (Canada). This story was soon changed to site in Vienna (during a Turkish siege there in 1863). Also untrue. The problem is nobody quite knows when this happened but we do know it happened in France and not before 1850. The first croissant recipe was published in 1891 in France.

Enough of the history – my main beef so to speak is that people do not know how to eat croissants. That can be infinitely aggravating. Everyone has their own method of croissant consumption. From a mechanical point of view, some eat the ends first. Others tear off an end and bite the rest of the way. Others tear it into chunks like a muffin. Which is perfectly dreadful. Others like accompaniments, like a slap of brown sage butter and Saville orange/blood orange marmelade. And then those ridiculous people who bite a spot of delicious bittersweet dark chocolate with their warm croissant. Oh, just me?

Week in Wine

Carneros Chardonnay

2004 Acacia Carneros Chardonnay [$20]

2004 Bonneau Catherine’s Vineyard Los Carneros Chardonnay [$28]

2004 Buena Vista Carneros Chardonnay [$20]

2004 Buena Vista Clone 17 RY Ramal Vineyard Carneros Chardonnay [$34]

2004 Cuvaison Carneros Chardonnay [$24] 2003 Gloria Ferrer Carneros Chardonnay [$18]   

2004 Silverado Vineyards Vineburg Carneros Chardonnay [$30]

Tawny Time

D is a big port aficionado. For the rest of us, a primer -

Vintage

Vintages are “declared” about 18 months after harvest, but only in the best years when the wines show the highest quality and promise extremely long aging. Each house declares a vintage, but they tend to declare in the same years, when harvest conditions are most favorable. Properly stored, vintage Port tends to reach maturity about 20 years from harvest, though it typically lives much longer.

Single quinta

When a house decides not to declare a vintage, it may bottle its best wines as single quinta, or single vineyard, Port, with a vintage year noted on the bottle. Like vintage Ports, these are bottled two years after harvest and are meant to be aged a decade or more in bottle. They are less expensive because they are deemed to be early maturing.

Aged tawny

This Port is made from wines set aside a few months after harvest and aged in small (600-liter) casks called pipes. Through long-term aging — 10, 20 or more years — the wines develop an amber “tawny” color and flavors of nuts and dried fruits. These are blends of different years, meant to be drunk within two to three years of bottling.

Colheita

This is an aged tawny from a single vintage. These bottles tend to be rare and expensive.

Late bottled vintage

A relatively new style of Port, developed by Taylor Fladgate in the 1970s. Aged in large vats (instead of the smaller pipes used in aged tawny), LBVs preserve fresh fruit flavors and pair well with chocolate, and are ready to drink upon release.

Ruby

A young Port meant to emphasize fruit flavors, it is not meant for aging.

Tawny

A young Port with some wood influence and brief exposure to air, which gives it a tawny color. It is not for aging.

Many wineries in California and Australia produce Port-style wines by adding neutral spirits to stop grapes from fermenting before all their sugar converts to alcohol. Other than geographic location, the main difference between these and traditional Port is usually the type of grape used: Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon are popular in California; Shiraz in Australia.

Ports to drink 

Taylor Fladgate 10-Year-Old Tawny ($29) 

Fonseca 20-Year-Old Tawny, ($53) 

Taylor Fladgate 20-Year-Old Tawny ($50)

Fire Works

M & I saw the lovely fireworks display at the club pond on Sunday night. It was a solid 23 minutes of Chinese explosive colorful smoky beauty. I prefer to go to these public displays as fireworks related injury is quite an extensive problem.

• In 2003, four died and 9300 were treated in ER for fireworks related injury (5% of whom required hospitalization)
• 45% of those injured are aged 14 years or less, and nearly 75% are boys or men (pretending to be boys)
• Children between 5 and 9 years have the highest rate of injury
• Those actively participating in fireworks related injuries are more frequently injured and sustain more severe injury
• Most of these injuries occur around July 4th and New Year’s Eve, and most occur at home or in parking lots.
• Injuries most frequently involve hands and fingers, eyes, and head and face. More than half (63%) are burns, followed by contusions and lacerations
• Fireworks can also cause life-threatening residential fires.
• Illegal fireworks represent only 2% of all firecracker injuries. Firecrackers (24%), rockets (18%) and sparklers (11%) account for most of the injuries seen in the ER. Sparkler injuries are most common under the age of 5.
• Despite federal regulation and variable State law, class C and class B fireworks are often accessible by the public, especially near state borders where traffickers avail of lenient State law
• Children are 11 times more likely to be injured by fireworks if unsupervised as they often lack the coordination to handle fireworks safely. They are also more curious and likely to re-examine a firecracker that initially fails to ignite.
• Homemade fireworks can cause dangerous explosions. These are mixed from various components in the crystal meth lab you have been harboring in your second garage
• In addition to direct medical costs, US fire departments reported approximately 24,200 fireworks related fires in 1999 that cost approximately $17.2 million in direct property damage.
• State laws regulating the sale and use of fireworks affect the number of injuries incurred. In one state, the number of ED visits doubled following the legalization of fireworks.
• Under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, the federal government prohibitis the sale of the most dangerous types of fireworks to consumers including but not limited to large reloadable shells, cheery bombs, aerial bombs, M-80 salutes, and larger fireworks that contain more than two grains of powder. Under this same Act, mail order kits to build these fireworks are also prohibited (Banned Hazardous Substances 2001)
• Leave fireworks displays to trained professionals and check out some safety tips

Go Forth

If you haven’t made friends with someone who has East River and/or Statue of Libery waterfront views yet, well really you shouldn’t be reading this. I kid, I am here to help. The Macy’s Fireworks Spectacular has three different fireworks launching sites this year: East River between 23rd and 42nd streets, between Liberty and Ellis Islands, and south of South Street Seaport. The fireworks will ight up the sky over the East River around 2100 EST. Battery Park is not recommended as a viewing site.
There are several places to catch the display tomorrow night including the FDR drive from 14-42nds (will be closed to traffic from 7-10pm) for spectator viewing, Liberty State Park in Jersey City, Long Island City, South Street Seaport, Brooklyn Promenade. Many will take their folding chairs and stake out spots early so be prepared for a lot of waiting around. Remember that street open alcohol is illegal and the coppers will be out in full force. No pedestrians are allowed to watch fireworks from the bridges and you should really leave your car at home. If you want to avoid the crowds (unless you, like me, love the energy and sweat), watch on NBC at 9pm and hear them on 1010WINS. Oh and remember to pee beforehand. Unlike in previous years, Roosevelt Island does actually let spectators watch for a fee. $18in advance and $20 after 1700 tomorrow. This year there will be five new colors and twenty-five new fireworks. Aren’t you excited?

Alto Adige

The Trentino-Alto Adige is really two separate areas – Trentino (southern part with its capitol, the ancient Roman Tridentum) and Alto Adige (northern part including the higher, alto, part of the Adige river). Populated since the Bronze age, this area was subsequently inhabited by the Celts and Etruscans but became part of the Roman Empisre in the first century BC leading to the construction of roads, building of cities, aqueducts and canals and roman law (including subdivision and distribution of land to locals for cultivation). In the Middle Ages, the curretn ethnocultural mix of Italian and Germanic peoples was formed. This region is thus specially autonomous and its inhabitants are bilingual. After WWII, rapid industrialization took over the Trento and Bolzano provinces, stimulated the construction of hydroelectric plants and made it proseprous. Tourist reorts were developed in the alpine zones of Alto Adige.

Pano e vino fanno un bel bambino (“bread and wine make a beautiful baby”) reflects the physical and emotional strength of bread and wine to this region. Alto Adige produces less than 1% of the national wine prodcution but about 10% of grappa (vodka-like made from leftoer skins and seeds of grapes used for wine). There are three grapes native to this region – white Nosiola, red Teroldego Rotoliano and red Marzemino. In addtion, international varietals like Chard, Cab, Merlot, Moscato, Pinot Nero and Pinot Grigio (also some Muller-Thurgau) are grown throughout the region. In Alto Adieg, most of the wines are prdocued by small family owned and managed wineries that sell their product locally with limited exports to Germany and Austria. Trentino counts on a large number of growers who joined into large cooperatives (like Ca’vit and Mezzacoona) which produce wines with consistent (?boring) taste and characteristics year after year. They make for good affordable wines for daily enjoyment. Good years for Alto Adige DOC red wines are 2000, 1997, 1995, 1990, 1988 and 1985. They are suited for moderate aging and may also be drunkyoung. Good years for Trentino DOC wines ae 2000, 1997, 1988 and 1985. They are suited for long aging if riserva.

Of all the Alo Adige wines, one is making an effort to position itself in the international market: Hofstatter (remember more people speak German here than Italiano). Relying largely on classic French varietals of pinot noir (called Blauburgunder), cab sauv, chard, Johanissberg riesling and Gewurztraminer that are more traditionall Austrian than either French or Italian. there are popularly priced classic series and prestigious (dear) Singel Estate series:

• Hofstatter, Yngram 1995: blend of cab sauv, petit verdot and syrah aged in oak for 14 months
• Hofstatter, Pinot Nero, vigna S Urbano, 1995
• Hofstatter, Gewurztraminer, Koblenhof 1999
• Hofstatter, Rieslng, Classic 1999
• Hofstatter, Sauv Blanc, Classic, 1999
• Hofstatter, Gewurztraminer, Classic, 1999
• Hofstatter, Chardonnay, Classic, 1999

I don’t have price listings for these as they are hard to come by and you have to find your own importer. While they usually sell in cases or half cases, if you are nice to your importer, they are certainly not averse to letting you mix and match, and letting you go in with friends on a case. Enjoy!

Das Boot

Puglia, the boot’s heel, is the new Tuscany with the best Baroque architecture, miles of beautiful beach and unique cucina. You can stay in classy masserie (fortified farmhouses) or mysterious conical-roofed trulli.The entire Gargano Peninsula is a nature preserve and merits low level hiking. The Itria river valley (Valel d’itria) is located inland between Martina Franca and Ostuni, near Alberobello and the border of the Basilicata region. The Catehdrals and Castles trail includes Trani, Barletta, (both coastal) and Castel del Monte (inland). Salento is in the most eastern part of Puglia with a marvelous coastline and its capitol is Lecce. Puglia is sometimes called “Apulia”. You can skip the seaside resorts (like Gargano) which are deserted in winter. It is a good idea to  drive into Basilicata (at the instep) and stopover in Matera.The landscape is fascinatingly green with flatland or low rolling hills with millions of century old olive trees carpeting the land and properties fenced by dry stone walls.

Stay at Il Convento di Santa Maria Di Costantinopoli (Via Convento Marittima di Diso; 7736-362-328) is a haute B&B in a 15th century convent half hour south of Lecce. If you score one of the nine rooms, you access the entire property including Lord Alistair macAlpine’s (he was Tory party treasurer during te forgotten Thatcher years) museum of textiles, primitive and folk art from various sources, including Australian Aboriginal, West African, Indonesian and Indian. This is for the unwired – there are no tellys, phones or newspapers. So there is no Wi-Fi. The beds are large (some could sleep a non-American family of six) and made up in precious linens from Lecce. Lunches are euroModern (not Puglian) with access to the wine cellar. Il Frantoio (SS 16, km 874, Alberobello; Tel 0831-330-276) is a masseria near Ostuni that shelters an entire agrienvironment. This agriturismo (there are superior rooms too) supply the well known all female kitchen of Ciannamea who owns the place with her partner, Armando Balestrazzi, and turns out nightly ten course dinners featuring local food. Favorites – smoked mozzarella with clover, chickpea soup with fresh borage pasta, friend lamosconi (wild hyacinth bulbs) withorange blossom honey.

Several towns are carved out of the tufa (soft honey colored limestone). Ginosa, Massafra and Muttola are key examples but the best (matera) lies just over the border in Basilicata which along with the houses built out of the two ravines, Sasso Barisano and Sasso Caveoso, has many Byzantine cave churches. Bari, the capitol of Puglia and main entry point, is an industrial port city whichis prime tourist fodder. Skip it. The cobblestoned meandering Citta Vecchia has lame cafes and the Cattedrale di San Sabino and Basilica di San Nicolaare, two important Romanesque buildings of the land. Grotte di Castellana (tel: 80-499-8211)is a network of caves extending for miles and covered in stalactites and stalagmites carved by underground streams over centuries. The Grave (largest cavern) and Grotta Bianca (lined by alabaster) are stunning. Hourly tours in little canoes are the only way to see them. Lecce has dozens of churches and palazzi constructed from tufo, soft enough to have encouraged riotous carvings. In Piazza Oronzo, the main square, is a well preserved Roman Amphitheater. UNESCO World Heritage site Alberobello (Tel: 80-432-6030, tourist office) is the capital of the trulli with hundreds of extraordinary tiny whitewashed limestone cylindrical houses with conical roofs and runic graffiti. The earliest are only less than 300 years old. There are also trulli through Val d’Itria.

Cucina pugliese is to be classically had in simple trattorie. The antipasto misto (mixed appetizer) is more tan enough for two with usually served grilled stuffed and/or fried vegetables, some cheese like the famed Burrata, a little seafood salad and a few slcies of salami or a piece of quiche. The home made pasta is clean and they favor orecchiette often dressed with tomato sauce or broccoli rabe and garlic. Cavatelli is a rounded variety of orecchiette and served with cardoncelli, the local mushroom. The omnipresent fave e cicoria (broad bean puree served with blanched chicory) is filling yet light. lots of grilled meats are available as secondi piatti often acocmpanied by blanched vegetables such as chicory tossed in olive oil with the traditional involtini al sugo, rolls stuffed with cheese and garlic and slowly braised in tomato sauce.

• Al Fornello da Ricci (Contrada Montevicoli 71, Ceglie Messapica; Tel 0831-377-104): souffle omlets with mint and spinach, ricotta stuffed zucchini flowers with espresso sauce
• Trattoria Cucina Casareccia (19 via colonnello Costadura, Lecce; tel: 0832-245-178);fava bean puree with braised wild chicory and fried bread into which you mash some peppery olive oil
• Trullo d’Oro (via Felippe Cavalotti 27, Alberobello; tel: 080 432-1820): foccacia,orecchiette sauced with broccoli rabe.

Cavatelli alla rucola e olive

This is ridiculously simple. Clean and wash 10 oz rocket very well and then let it boil in abundant salt water with 2 lb fresh cavatelli. Meanwhile, chop 4 oz stoned black olives and 2 garlic cloves, and let them fry lightly in 16 tbs olive oil and chili pepper. Fry over low heat so as not to brown these ingredients. Drain pasta and rocket and pour into a large bowel. Add the sauce with the olives and garlic, Miz in 4 oz of grated ewe’s cheese. Stir and serve at once. For those garlic averse (why?) you can substitue capers in brine but it is very different. If rocket is tender, boil cavatelli until al dente. Cut rocket into thin pieces and pour pasta into the pan with the raw rocket. Let them mix over a high heat for a few minutes.