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Laura Werlin on Pairing Cheese and Wine

YumSugar — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:15:50 -0700

One of my favorite classes during the Food and Wine Classic in Aspen, was Laura Werlin's American Raw Milk Cheese seminar. Laura is one of America's foremost cheese experts and an awarding-winning author. Upon arrival, I was greeted with a plate of cheese and three wines (a white, red, and dessert). Laura walked us through each cheese and wine pairing while giving the rundown on what we were tasting. She also provided some interesting cheese tips. To see her tips for pairing wines and cheese and to learn more about cheese in general, read more.

When pairing wines with cheese, taste the wine first. The flavor of the cheese affects the wine's flavor more than the wine affects the cheese.

Cheese kills off the fruit flavors in wine and brings out the tannins making it harder to perfectly pair red wines with cheeses.
Candied walnuts are served with cheese and red wines because they help bridge the gap between the cheese and the tannins in red wine.
Blue cheese is especially difficult to pair with red wine. Instead match a good blue cheese with a dessert wine.
The crystals in aged cheeses are called tyrosine. They're the deposits left behind as protein breaks down.
When cheese is left out for a while the butter fat separates from the cheese causing the cheese to appear as if it were sweating.
Different types of cows make different kinds of cheese. Sometimes one can taste the different grasses in the cheeses as well.
Raw milk cheese is cheese made with unpasteurized milk. They are legal in the US, but only if they have been aged for 60 days or more. This includes imported cheese.

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Get Excited for Fall Foods

partysugar — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 09:00:15 -0700

The first official day of Fall was over the weekend and with the cooler weather and shorter days comes a bounty of fresh, crunchy fruit and hearty vegetables. While apples and pumpkins are commonly consumed in large quantities, this year the Wall Street Journal has published a list of 10 other foods to consider for Fall cooking. To check out their delicious suggestions, read more.

Concord grapes: Native to the Northeast, these small, black tart grapes are delicious raw or baked in a pie.
Kabocha: A type of squash with sweet, nutrient rich flesh that can be prepared as one would prepare an acorn squash.
Pears: The apple's less popular cousin definitely deserves its time in the spotlight. Harvested in September and October, there are more than 1000 varieties that taste great in everything from salads to sauces to sweets.
Pomegranate: The jewel like fruit's nectar is a wonderful source of antioxidants. Its seeds are a pretty garnish and its flesh adds a rich flavor to glazes.
Pine nuts: In summer these nuts are used as an ingredient in pesto, but in Fall they are an easy snack or crunchy addition to salad.
Quince: Popular in Europe, this fruit is packed with vitamin C and fiber. Although sour raw, when cooked or turned into jam, quince is soft, delectable, and subtly sweet.
Rutabaga: With a texture similar to potatoes and a taste like a turnip, this root vegetable is a scrumptious side especially when treated like a potato.
Thyme: The woody, fragrant herb can season anything from marinades to soups.
Tuscan kale: Its dark, green leaves are full of vitamins. Serve in stews or soups or in a classic Italian preparation, with white beans.
Sheep's milk cheeses: Due to the milking cycle of sheep, the Fall is the best time to consume aged sheep's milk cheeses. Best served at room temperature, enjoy alone or with crostini or preserves.

After reading this list, are you more excited about Fall? What foods are you looking forward to eating?

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How Long Will It Last?

partysugar — Thu, 22 May 2008 15:00:22 -0700

The other day I opened my refrigerator and pulled out the gourmet Italian bologna I had been snacking on earlier in the week. However, I was greeted by that gross, gag-inducing old lunchmeat smell. Disappointed and shocked, I wondered: Just how long does fresh sliced deli meat last? I did some research and came across an incredibly useful chart that lists tons of ingredients and how long they last in the fridge or freezer. According to the chart, my open luncheon meat lasts just three to five days in the fridge.

To check out the shelf life of a bunch of common ingredients, read more.

**Food Storage Chart**
Ingredient	Refrigerator	Freezer
Fresh eggs in their shells	3 to 5 weeks	Don't freeze
Raw eggs or yolks, out of the shell	2 to 4 days	1 year
Hard boiled eggs	1 week	Don't freeze well
Store-prepared (or homemade) egg, chicken, ham, tuna, macaroni salads	3 to 5 days	Don't freeze well
Hot dogs, opened package	1 week	1 to 2 months
Hot dogs, unopened package	2 weeks	1 to 2 months
Luncheon meats, opened package	3 to 5 days	1 to 2 months
Luncheon meats, unopened package	2 weeks	1 to 2 months
Bacon	7 days	1 month
Hamburger and stew meat	1 to 2 days	3 to 4 months
Steaks	3 to 5 days	6 to 12 months
Cooked meat and meat casseroles	3 to 4 days	2 to 3 months
Uncooked chicken or turkey, pieces	1 to 2 days	9 months
Cooked Poultry	6 months, unopened 3 to 4 weeks, opened	4 months
Cheese, Hard (such as Cheddar, Swiss)	3 to 4 days	6 months
Cheese Soft (such as Brie, Bel Paese)	1 week	6 months
Cream Cheese	2 weeks	Doesn't freeze well
Milk	7 days	3 months
Butter	1 to 3 months	6 to 9 months
Fresh fish	1 to 2 days	2 to 3 months
Cooked fish	3 to 4 days	4 to 6 months
Shrimp, scallops, crayfish, squid, shucked clams, mussels and oysters	1 to 2 days	3 to 6 months
Cooked shellfish	3 to 4 days	3 months

Don't see your ingredient on the list? Here is the completed list, which has evem more items.

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All The News That Fit To Eat - August 8

YumSugar — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 10:58:41 -0700

There's a big debate going on over raw milk. It's illegal in most states (although I can buy it here in California), but some folks say it's tastier and more nutritious. Plus 10 more meals you can make in 10 minutes. - New York Times

Tomatoes are great for salads and sauces, but how about using tomatoes in dessert? Plus simple fruity granitas and a luscious Tres Leches cake. - San Francisco Chronicle
Top Chef (and other Bravo reality shows) contestants and winners aren't necessarily guaranteed success. - BuzzSugar
We mentioned it during travel week, but it's true, cook and learn vacations are definitely on the rise. - Chicago Tribune
Can anybody tell me why I'm not at the annual American Cheese Society conference? Plus, would you have thought that beer would beat out wine in a pairing competition? - Boston Globe
The all American grilled cheese is receiving a modern makeover. - Los Angeles Times
Consumers are crazy for the mild, eco-friendly Tilapia, while chefs love to hate it. Why? Tilapia fish isn't very fishy. - Washington Post
Want to learn more about goat cheese? Start by accepting that excellent goat cheese is more than a gourmet garnish. - Dallas Morning News
In case you didn't get enough root beer earlier this week, here's a few more ideas for root beer desserts. - Minneapolis-St.Paul Star Tribune

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All The News That's Fit To Eat - September 26, 2007

YumSugar — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 11:13:33 -0700

Does your food have the blahs? Spice it up with ginger! Plus, several prominent dairies are joining forces to set safety standards for raw-milk cheese. - San Francisco Chronicle
Speaking of ginger, if you don't want to use it to spice up your food, try using it in your drink. Gingertini anyone? How about a Ginger Douro? - Los Angeles Times
When food costs are up, even frugal shoppers could use 50 ways to save while grocery shopping. - Minneapolis/St. Paul Star Tribune
I always have great food when I visit, so it doesn't surprise me that Portland is going through a golden age of eating and drinking. Plus, there is definitely a time and place for cream and butter. - New York Times

The cupcake trend marches on. Kickass Cupcakes has become Boston's first cupcake-only business. - Boston Globe
Remember the urban legend of the woman paying $250 for the Neiman Marcus cookie? Well, why pay $250 when you can have the mysterious recipe for free. - Dallas Morning News
And finally, what is it about communal office fridges that make people throw etiquette out the window? - Seattle Times

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Meet and Eat with GraceAnn Walden - Eat Your Way Through North Beach

YumSugar — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 08:57:41 -0700

A few years ago I was looking for a great birthday present for the pasta-loving bf, and came across a walking tour of North Beach (the infamous Italian district of San Francisco). The tour, which is hosted by Bay Area food guru GraceAnn Walden, ended up being one of the best birthday presents I could ever give. Not being one to miss out on a food adventure, I bought myself a spot on the tour as well, and I was definitely glad I did. GraceAnn is a vivacious, well-connected SF food institution (she wrote for the SF Chronicle's Inside Scoop - local food & industry news column - for 14 years) and has been running various culinary/history tours of San Francisco for over 20 years. This particular 5+ hour tour was called Mangia! North Beach and we started it with an empty belly and ended it barely able to move.

The tour changes slightly over time, but when we were on it some of the highlights were: North Beach's oldest store, receiving traditional Italian baked goods and fresh focaccia, a lesson on how to make chocolate truffles, tastes from a new neighborhood hot spot, and a full meal at a fantastic restaurant. Since GraceAnn is quite vibrant and very well connected, she has relationships with every place she takes you. The chefs/owners know you're on the way and set aside some time (as well as goodies) to share with you. At this time, the tour costs $80 a person, but in my opinion, it's worth every penny, if not more. And even if you're not interested in the history of the region, Grace Ann's infectious love for the area will have you gobbling up every morsel of knowledge (and food).

I recently had the opportunity to catch up with GraceAnn, you can read the interview after the jump, or checkout GraceAnn's website for information on her history/culinary tours of San Francisco, read more

YumSugar: What did you eat today?

GraceAnn Walden: Breakfast: toasted onion bagel with lots of butter, 2 cups decaf; Lunch: chopped liver sandwich with sliced raw onion and a Diet Coke; Dinner: homemade textured soy protein & veggie loaf with tomato sauce, salad and two glasses of water. Weird huh?

YS: For a reader who might not know who you are, can you sum up your foodie career?

GAW: Julia Child once said, “I was never really interested in anything, until I got into food.” The same could be said of me. I enjoyed it all: cooking in a restaurant, catering, cooking for families, writing for a host of publications and creating a popular restaurant news column, the Inside Scoop, that has been copied a zillion times.

YS: What has been your toughest obstacle in your career?

GAW:Coming from a working class background. Not many of us get a leg up.

YS: How about the most exciting part?

GAW: One of the biggest thrills was to cook my first entrée for a paying customer, not a guest, not a friend. I snuck out to the dining room to peek at them eating my grilled swordfish with mango salsa. That was like 1983.

YS: How did your walking tours begin?

GAW: I had a cook’s job working weekday lunches. Since I had weekends off, I used to hang out in Chinatown and North Beach in SF. I am also a history buff. I just got this idea to put the history of a neighborhood together with info on food, tastes along the way and a terrific lunch… That was 20 years ago.

YS: Which tour is your favorite and why?

GAW: I lived for many years in North Beach and I know a lot of people there, so, Mangia! North Beach. But I enjoy Secrets and Tastes of Nob Hill, because I take people to Grace Cathedral, the Fairmont for a wine tasting, the Big 4 for lunch and dessert at the Ritz.

YS: If someone is visiting San Francisco for one night, where should they eat?

GAW: What a dilemma. I think the modern quintessential SF restaurant now is Nopa.

YS: If I opened up your refrigerator, what would I find?

GAW: Hahaha More of that soy-veggie loaf, homemade chicken soup, soy milk, homemade Bolognese sauce, hazelnut wheat bread, bok choy, napa cabbage, onions, cottage cheese and a couple of apples.

YS: What's your guilty pleasure food?

Avocados, butter, chocolate, macadamia nuts, a whole crab. I NEVER feel guilty about food.

YS: Anything else you'd like to share with our readers?

GAW: Eat with gusto and share food with friends and family. No eating standing up or on the fly.

Tour photo courtesy of about.com