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Definition: Umami

partysugar — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 09:00:16 -0700

Umami
Discovered 100 years ago by a Japanese scientist, umami is believed to be a fifth taste sensation. The four basic tastes are sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. Umami is considered to be savory. This taste is found in such foods as oysters, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Difficult to recognize, umami is a subtle taste that blends well with other foods to enhance flavor.

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Happy Hour: Casa Noble Tequila and Cheese Tasting

partysugar — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:00:38 -0700

In my quest to become more educated on the world of spirits, I've taken a liking to high-end tequilas. Beyond Patron, there's a huge variety of wonderfully complex tequilas that are perfect for sipping solo or shaking into a classic margarita. One brand, Casa Noble, produces an amazing collection of authentic tequilas. Packaged in a traditional yet sexy bottle, Casa Noble's tequilas are uniquely modern because they're triple-distilled and naturally produced in French wine barrels. Recently I attended a tequila tasting hosted by the founding partner of Casa Noble, David Ravandi. To illustrate the fact that his tequilas are distinct from anything else on the market, Ravandi paired them with cheese. To find out what I thought of the unexpected combination of cheese and tequila, read more.

Although the idea of tequila and cheese together is shocking, I was pleasantly surprised by the duo. Ravandi paired Casa Noble Crystal (the brand's easy-drinking, award-winning silver) with a creamy goat cheese. The lingering finish of the cheese eliminated the usual bite of tequila.

The delicate Casa Noble Reposado (aged for 364 days in French oak barrels) was my favorite of the three tequilas. Fruity and floral, it has a peppery finish. Paired with roquefort, the reposado was rich, layered, and smooth.

The third pairing - the Casa Noble Anejo and stilton - was the least pleasing to my palate. While I enjoyed both alone, together the powerful spirit and pungent cheese canceled one another out.

After the cheese tequila tasting was finished, Ravandi invited me to sample Casa Noble Crystal in a vibrantly hued cocktail. Created by the bartender at the Fifth Floor, the tequila mockingbird was an interesting, almost salad-like concoction of celery juice, lime juice, and bitters. Rimmed with a mixture of cayenne and celery salt, the drink was refreshing, and the tequila blended flawlessly with the other ingredients. I enjoyed my experience with Casa Noble so much, I plan on adding a bottle of the reposado to my liquor cabinet.

How about you? Do you enjoy tequila? What's your favorite premium offering?

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Simple Tip: Rim Champagne Flutes With Sugar

partysugar — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 10:15:43 -0700

A couple of weeks ago FabSugar hosted a shopping event at Saks Fifth Avenue in San Francisco. The caterer of the party found a fun way to incorporate Sugar into the menu - they rimmed each of the champagne flutes with pretty pastel-colored sugar. The sugar wasn't flavored so it didn't affect the taste of the dry bubbly. This is a sweet way to incorporate color into a girlie party.

Wouldn't sugar-rimmed champagne glasses be fun at a baby or bridal shower? To rim the glasses, simply dip a flute into cold water and then the colored sugar. Carefully fill with sparkling wine.

Did anyone come to the party at Saks? What did you think of the sugary champagne?

Calcium = The Sixth Taste?

partysugar — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 09:00:46 -0700

Scientists in Philadelphia have discovered that mice can taste calcium. Since humans and rodents share many of the same genes, the human tongue should taste calcium as well. For centuries the four basic tastes were sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. However when umami, the fifth "savory" taste, was recognized 100 years ago, the door opened to research other tastes. According to Michael Tordoff, a geneticist who participated in the mice study, a human's palate can detect the mineral. It tastes:

Calcium tastes calcium-y, there isn't a better word for it. It is bitter, perhaps even a little sour. But it's much more because there are actual receptors for calcium, not just bitter or sour compounds.

Tordoff claims that the bitterness of certain vegetables, like bok choy or dark greens, is due to high levels of calcium. Although milk is full of calcium, the fats prevent us from tasting it.

Since I've always thought it was crazy that only four basic tastes exist, the discovery is incredibly interesting, and I think that maybe I've tasted calcium. What do you make of the findings? Have you ever tasted calcium?

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What's Cooking With Top Chef 5

partysugar — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 07:45:05 -0700

Currently the fifth season of Top Chef is filming in New York City. Although the competing chefs are still unknown, details of the upcoming season are being released.

Last week Tom Colicchio went on the Today Show with three dishes created by 13 of the current contestants. The female hosts of the show tasted the dishes (Kathie Lee spit one out she hated it so much!) and chose one as their favorite. The winner will present the dish on the Today Show when the TC episode airs in December.

In other TC news, rumor has it that the Foo Fighters will appear in an episode of the competition. While I'm looking forward to another season of TC, I can't help but wonder if the mania surrounding the filming (complete with images of the contestants moving into their house) will spoil the show's excitement. What do you think? Do you like to know about the competition before it airs?

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Talking With the Great Thomas Keller

partysugar — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:00:11 -0700

Last week the world-renowned, award-winning chef Thomas Keller left his Napa Valley restaurant, The French Laundry, to speak at a panel discussion in San Francisco. The symposium celebrated the 100-year anniversary of the discovery of the fifth taste, umami. After the day-long event, Keller took some time out to speak with us.

The food industry's Yoda, Keller is a humble and wise chef devoted to the culinary arts. He prefers the quiet hills of Napa to the glittering nights of New York and when I asked where he would be dining that evening, he selflessly replied, "I have to get back to my kitchen to cook the dinner service." To see what else the inspiring chef had to say and find out why he's never gotten into television, check out our exclusive video!

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