by Christina Waters | Aug 19, 2008 | Food, Home |
The subtext behind complaints about multi-cuisine restaurants (see my mini-rant below) is not only that it’s incredibly difficult to get one culinary genre right, much less two or three. But that calling a place, e.g. an “Asian Restaurant” implies that there is such a thing as “Asian” food. And that implies the devolution of specific ethnic cuisines and traditions into a glob of fused, homogenous cookery that merely nods in the general direction of its various influences.
How much of so-called “Asian” cuisine, for example, is Japanese? And how much is Thai? or Cambodian? or Mandarin, Szechuan, Vietnamese? You see where I’m going.
If I drove by a restaurant that billed its specialty as “American cooking,” I would not only be confused, but I’d wonder what happened to, e.g. Cajun, or Chesapeake, or Texas-style, or California, or Southern. What I mourn in this postmodern, globalized environment is the details of specificity – in wine it’s called terroir. Those unique flavors, styles, histories, influences, ingredients, which distinguish this place from that, one climate from another.
When you globalize cuisine, you cheat every one of those powerful, unique and honorable influences. You neutralize them in the name of convenience, i.e. $$$.
by Christina Waters | Aug 8, 2008 | Food, Home, Wine |
The irrepressible Randall Grahm, winemaker of Bonny Doon Vineyard will lead gastronomes through a memorable evening of wine and cuisine at Manresa, in Los Gatos, on September 7. Chef David Kinch will prepare a four-course dinner at his Michelin-starred landmark, inspired by the wines of Bonny Doon, and the unique terroir of our Central Coast. Think “ultimate wine dinner.” Long famed as an innovator, Grahm is easily one of the most brilliant eno-raconteurs available. He’s the mind behind such coveted Rhône-style wines as Le Cigare Volant, Le Cigare Blanc and Vin Gris de Cigare, as well as the biodynamic estate wines of Ca’ del Solo Albariño and Ca’ del Solo Muscat.
Both David Kinch and Randall Grahm are tireless fanatics about biodynamic farming practices in our growing region. Their culinary collaboration at this event should be sweet, to say the least. Join Randall Grahm at Manresa on Sunday, September 7 — wine reception at 5:00 p.m. and dinner at 5:45 p.m. The cost is $250 per person, (tax and gratuity not included). Reservations are available only at 408.354.4330. Pick up the phone. Now!
(photo:Alex Kraus)
by Christina Waters | Aug 6, 2008 | Food, Home |
“Chinese-Japanese Cuisine” says the sign on the old China Station building at Fair & mission, which is currently being revamped for a future opening.
Huh? The Westside is prime restaurant territory, where roving foodies (not to mention ravenous students) eagerly await the next dining possibility. Why would anyone offer the curious culinary cross-colonization of Chinese cookery and Japanese cuisine? (Do they give Oscars for alliteration?) After much emailing with the chef/owner of the O’mei, I want to clarify that I would welcome a menu reflecting an authentic, historically-based dialogue between Chinese and Japanese culinary cultures. What I fear is cross-over convenience that ends up being neither Chinese, nor Japanese.
Are we being asked to believe that a single restaurant can convincingly create dishes from two heavyweight culinary cultures? Or that if you can, say whip up a kung pao something, then you can obviously also make robata, or yakitori, or sushi?….What this means to me — and I’ll eat my words if I’m wrong — is that we’re looking at the imminent opening of yet another pan-Asian fusion everything that remotely involves soy sauce eatery.
How about a Bagels & Pho bistro? Or Norwegian Barbeque?
by Christina Waters | Aug 6, 2008 | Food, Home |
Ben Sims at Avanti made my new favorite summer salad last week.
Fresh local albacore confit, shredded into unctuous morsels and then arranged with organic green beans, heirloom baby tomatoes and a garlicky, fresh aioli garnish.
Consumed with something in the key of Rioja.
Yes.
by Christina Waters | Aug 6, 2008 | Food, Home |
At this week’s SCMWA professional wine judging, Lionel Le Morvan of Ma Maison Restaurant laid out a spread that was truly choice. Giant shrimps from French New Caledonia, coucous with succulent chicken and fiery harissa, housemade lamb sausages (tdf!), gorgeous desserts including the house signature bread pudding and beautiful little custards with fresh strawberries – and this was after crostini slathered (one of the appetizer tables is shown at right) with salmon and dill, plus enough of the house paté to pave Provence itself.
But here’s the best part, M. Le Movan confided to me that he would be repeating his cold weather triumph of last year — yes, cassoulet. It will make a guest appearance on the Ma Maison menu sometime in February 2009. We’re talking authentic cassoulet, three days in the making, cutting no corners, making no concessions.
I will begin camping out in the parking lot of Ma Maison sometime near the end of January. Cassoulet made by a French chef is the stuff of dreams.
by Christina Waters | Jul 28, 2008 | Food, Home |
My new favorite light dinner – three fat, perfectly cooked scallops sitting on a bed of crunchy, roasted cauliflower. The sauce? A dazzling sweet-&-salty puree of raisins and capers. For $13, it’s an affordable luxury. Add a Gruner Veltliner and find yourself smiling despite the economy.
Soif – 105 Walnut in Santa Cruz.
