Photo by J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines

Wine is intrinsically related to the celebration of Valentine’s Day. Can you imagine a romantic V-Day dinner replete with an array of IPAs, porters, and stouts? How about some shots of añejo tequila or smoky Mezcal? Not quite what you had in mind, huh?

Libations of all types are said to release endorphins, boost our happiness levels, and loosen our inhibitions, and you know what that means. But what is it about wine specifically that speaks to the romantic voice in us and can instantly put us in the mood?

For starters, the relationship between wine, love, and sexuality dates back to Greek and Roman mythology. Dionysus (called Bacchus by the Romans), who was the Olympian god of wine, intoxication, and the grape harvest, was also the god of ecstasy. No coincidence there!

An Italian research study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine a few years ago posited that red wine has the ability to significantly increase women’s sex drive and even improve their sexual function and performance. According to the study, antioxidants found in red wine can actually widen blood vessels and facilitate blood flow to the body’s most sensitive parts. Cheers to that!

Moreover, wine, and sparkling wine in particular, is romantic and celebratory in a way that other alcoholic beverages simply are not. You’d be hard-pressed to find a beverage that screams romance more than an effervescent flute of champagne. Perhaps it’s the fact that champagne doesn’t come cheap and is thus naturally relegated to special occasions, or maybe it’s the spritzy effect of champagne’s delicate carbonation that makes bubbly so sexually scintillating.

So to help you plan the ultimate wine-soaked V-Day, I’ve put together a list of three types of wine you should drink this February 14th and the aphrodisiac foods that pair swimmingly with them.

Bubbles

Champagne is a must on V-Day and no other aphrodisiac food speaks to champagne more than a dozen raw oysters on the half shell. Oysters are extremely rich in zinc, which nourishes the prostate gland and boosts testosterone production in men. OK, brace yourself for this one, but oysters also bear a textural and structural resemblance to aroused female genitals and are thus a no-brainer on Valentine’s Day. For the most unique experience, choose a small “grower” Champagne as opposed to a more famous, commercial brand.

Red Hot

As I mentioned above, red wine contains antioxidants that allow the blood vessels to expand, facilitating blood flow to the body’s key erogenous zones. Needless to say, your still wine of choice for Valentine’s Day should definitely be something red, not white.

Now when it comes to finding the best aphrodisiac food pairings for red wine, spicy foods may not rise to the top of the list, because generally speaking, the tannins found in most reds can intensify the sensation of heat in spicy foods, causing the foods to taste even spicier. But on V-Day, a little extra spice is a very good thing.

Chiles are a well-known aphrodisiac and contain a chemical called capsaicin, which stimulates the nerve endings, encourages the release of endorphins, and can raise your pulse, giving you a natural high. Try pairing a medium-bodied red like a Côtes du Rhône or a Spanish Tempranillo with a Moroccan lamb tagine with spicy harissa, or some red chile-flecked Korean or Chinese food.

Sweets for Your Sweet

Valentine’s Day is one of the few occasions during the year when dessert wine is an absolute must. Full-bodied dessert wines such as port, banyuls, madeira, and Pedro Ximenez sherry happen to pair wonderfully with dark chocolate, perhaps the most famous of aphrodisiac foods. Chocolate contains phenethylamine, a nutrient that enhances mood and is the chemical we produce in our brains when we fall in love. Like red wine, dark chocolate is also high in antioxidants, which helps increase blood flow to the body’s most sensitive parts.

Honey, a popular symbol of sexual ripeness, is another well-documented aphrodisiac food that can boost energy and stamina due its rich vitamin B and amino acid content. The term “honeymoon” is no coincidence, since legend holds that newlyweds drank a honey elixir on the night of their nuptials. Pair honey-hued dessert wines like sauternes, muscat, Jurancon, or Tokaji with honey-drenched desserts like baklava or aged cheeses drizzled with wildflower or truffle honey.

Editor’s Note: What foods or wines put you in the mood for love?

Madeline Puckette of Wine Folly

Madeline Puckette is a woman of many talents, from singing and producing electronica to graphic design. She’s also a certified wine expert who hosts a web series at Wine Folly, which offers online wine courses, wine videos, and media that deliver the world of wine to the web.

Over the years since I’ve started working in restaurants as a wine server, wine by the glass (known in the biz as WBTG) programs have been growing in size and popularity. But there are a few things to watch out for in ‘by the glass’ wines, particularly at large corporate chains. The following guide illustrates the issues and will help make your next glass of wine much more delectable.

Know the Mark Up

A single glass of a wine is typically priced at the wholesale cost of the entire bottle. That means a wine you drink for $9 a glass would retail by the bottle for $12 (with the typical 30% markup from wholesale). While this is the baseline, I’ve seen restaurants across the street from one another vary in as much as $4 per glass of wine—where the local casual eatery was charging $13 per glass and the behemoth fine dining restaurant charged $17 for the same wine!

Solution: Buy by the bottle. Without being an expert in every wine, the safest bet is to buy a bottle, which tends to be a better value. If the wine is available by the glass, you can feel comfortable asking for a taste before committing to an entire bottle. A bottle contains enough wine for four to five glasses of wine, a comfortable amount for a two-person party.

No Standard Pour Size Exists

A six-ounce pour is a typical glass of wine; however, many establishments prefer a five-ounce pour as it allows them to serve five glasses of wine per bottle, versus four. My opinion is that a five-ounce pour has no benefit for the guest because it creates confusion as to the value of the serving.

Solution: Ask and make an impact. Ask your server before ordering what the serving size is. Comments like these make it to managers who can change the restaurant’s policy. I worked at a corporate steakhouse who changed their pour size from five ounces to six because of overwhelming demand from regular diners.

An Open Wine Spoils Quickly

Most restaurants do not use open wine preservation systems. The wines I pour at the beginning of service are often open from the night before. On larger wine lists (25+ selections by the glass) some wines can be open for multiple days. The wines that are left open the longest tend to be ordered the least: esoteric varietals, high-priced wines, sweet wines, and sparkling wines.

Solution: Order smart. Use this simple rule: if you’re at a French restaurant, French wines move the quickest. Steakhouse? Bold red wine. A restaurant in Washington Wine Country? Washington wines.

Corporate Brand Placement Dominates

Major wine brands pay thousands of dollars a year to partner with corporate restaurants. Partnerships are decided at an executive level, wherein the individual restaurants in the chain have limited, and in some cases, no control over their wine lists. To fortify their already dominant position on the corporate chain’s wine lists, wine brands will run giveaways and offer cash rewards to the servers who sell the most of their product. This in turn encourages servers to push a product based on an incentive rather than a good pairing with your meal.

Solution: Dine local. Dine at local restaurants who have control over their wine buying choices. Ask your server what’s special, what’s popular and what their favorite two wines are. This will help you hammer down what sells the most. Be willing to try something new, and if you’re not sure, ask for a taste of the wine before buying the glass.

Got questions for Madeline? Tweet her @madelineelectro, or leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Photo by Pilar Azaña

Menuism got 2012 off to a rousing start. We welcomed a new editor to the team, as well as a new blogger: burger expert Mr. Lew.

There were many highlights on our blog this month, so be sure to check out all the great links below:

Beer, Wine, and Spirits

Video – What the Color of Your Wine Means – Watch this short video and learn what wine qualities you can discern just from a wine’s color
3 White Wines for Red Wine Drinkers – If you’re a red-only devotee, these three wines might make you see the light

Gourmet Foods

A Brief History of Hamburgers – key dates surrounding how hamburgers came to be
Does Aging Beef Keep You Younger? – a look at dry-aged beef, a technique that concentrate’s a meat’s juices
21 Awesome Chocolate Pairings – chosen by our readers

Other Fun Stuff

Infographic: International Cooking Habits Compared

Lots of exciting posts coming in February: guest blogs, interviews, hosting and entertaining ideas, and more. Stay tuned!

International Relations Between Japanese Sushi and the American Way

This week, the Washington Post featured sushi chef Kaz Okochi of Kaz Sushi Bistro. An immigrant to the United States, Okochi “worries about the state of genuine Japanese sushi, the kind that requires years of training, an almost obsessive attention to detail and a passion for fresh, clean flavors… He foresees an America full of casual sushi houses, where the fish might be frozen and the rice is not prepared in-house. A place, in short, where the designer maki rolls steal the spotlight from those elegant rectangles of seasoned rice and raw fish known as nigiri.”

A place, one might argue, like Sticky Rice, where the Post interview took place. Sticky Rice serves tater tots in a pail besides its sushi creations. Is this the kind of future we envision for our children?

Perhaps. Because I posit to you, fellow friends of the fork, that perhaps the sheer American-ness of our sushi is what makes it so audacious and special. A shining example: that same Sticky Rice launched the world’s first sushi roll into space. Soaring beyond the Earth’s atmosphere, the Godzirra Roll, made with crunchy shrimp, avocado, cream cheese, spicy sauce, cucumbers, tempura and tobiko, held up against the elements, as you can see in its flight video. And that’s a sushi roll built to last.

Not to be outdone by its solid counterparts, wine has also gotten into the space race. This week, a British winemaker announced Meteorito, a Cabernet Sauvignon infused with a 4.5 billion-year-old meteorite from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The question now… How will America compete?

Think Outside the Cinnabon

Fast-food establishments are an iconically American institution. And this week, they’ve shown us the best of what is possible by forging breakthrough partnerships between the taco and breakfast pastry sectors.Taco Bell has begun selling breakfast, and among its offerings are Cinnabon Delights.

But that wasn’t the only marriage of two marvelously American paragons: Starbucks announced more of its locations would start selling booze. [hold for applause]

It’s just further evidence that when we all work together, and keep our sights set on our shared goals, we win. We all win.

Let’s Get More Done

I leave you tonight with this parting thought: our citizens are cynical. And in this age, can you really blame them? Sure, this nation can launch sushi into space and eat tacos before 10AM, but what next? When will the real action begin?

To those cynical Americans, I say look around the corner, to that bright light up ahead. It cries out just two simple words that beckon you to keep faith until next week. Those two words?

MEAT WEEK.

Photo by Thomas Hawk

In 2012, the hamburger is prominently woven in the fabric of our day-to-day lives. Whether it be in your local family restaurant, your fast food favorites, or your higher end sit-down establishment, the hamburger has a place everywhere. It wasn’t always so. When looking at the history of the hamburger, a few key dates defined its role in modern society.

1836 – Can’t Have a Hamburger Steak Without Hamburger

1836 brought the first appearance of hamburger steak on a menu, at Delmonico’s in New York. Many consider the hamburger steak to be the ancestor to the modern-day hamburger. Burger purists may not want to accept that assertion since it’s missing a bun, but we can’t deny that, much like everything, the hamburger had to evolve from something.

1900 – The Hamburger Revolution Begins in New Haven

Photo by kaszeta

The Louis’ Lunch hamburger is not like anything we have today. As an early incarnation of the burger, Louis’ version does not have the common bun we’re so used to. Rather, the patty was sandwiched between regular slices of toasted white bread. While it might not resemble what we have today, all burger lovers owe a debt of gratitude to Louis’ Lunch.

1921 – Billy and Walter go to White Castle

Photo by Morton Fox

When you think of White Castle, you’re probably zoning in on Harold and Kumar and their trek to the famous establishment. Owner Billy Ingram and cook Walter Anderson probably could never have imagined that publicity. White Castle is often credited with inventing what we know as the modern-day hamburger, made with ground meat placed on a griddle with onions, then placed between a soft yeast bun. When it opened in Wichita, Kansas, White Castle sold their iconic burgers for only five cents.

1924 – Enter the Cheeseburger

When we think of a hamburger these days, we don’t usually picture it without its best friend, cheese. In 1924, a man by the very suitable name of Lionel Sternberger, put cheese in a burger at his Pasadena restaurant. We can only imagine what major restaurants would try to put in its place if they didn’t have cheese.

Photo by FishRuan

1954 – A Fast Food Idea That Wasn’t a Kroc

The Golden Arches is a symbol more recognizable than most other corporate logos around the world. Ray Kroc opened his first McDonald’s location in San Bernandino, California, which revolutionized the world of fast food. Like it or not, burgers would not be the way they are today without McDonald’s.

1982 – An Equal-Opportunity Hamburger For All

In London, a jack-of-all-trades by the name of Gregory Sams created what he called the VegeBurger. For a long time, the hamburger had been something for the carnivore to eat. Sams’s invention allowed our friends, the vegetarians, to join in on the parade.

1984 – Where’s the Beef?

Picture this, a old woman walks up to your counter and asks that resonating question, “Where’s the beef?” In what made burger advertising more prominent, this commercial put Wendy’s on the map. More importantly, it was the first shot fired when it came to questioning the burger giants and the quality of their products.

2004 – Is That the Biggest Size You Got?

Morgan Spurlock’s released his eye-opening documentary Supersize Me in 2004. It’s the movie that forced many of us to give up on fast food establishments and seek out better, healthier burger options. The film demonstrates how fast food companies, led by McDonald’s, have contributed to North America’s growing obesity problems. It’s a little sad to see how much of a negative impact the hamburger has had on society, but in the end, it’s hard to hate this ever-present and delicious creation.

Sources: The Hamburger Through Time, Hamburger History

Photo Credit Robby Virus

On Mr. Lew’s Great Burger Search, Mr. Lew chronicles his eating adventures, from burgers and beyond, on his never-ending quest to discover the newest, most cutting-edge creations.

Describe your eating philosophy.

My eating philosophy is simple: I eat what I like. Though I like to try new things every so often, I tend to stick to what I like. It shouldn’t be surprising to anyone who knows me that I’ll stick to anything related to bacon. There’s very little on this planet that bacon can’t make better. Also, if I don’t like the way it looks, I won’t put it in my mouth. Other people react to me funny when I turn down octopus or squid dishes, but that’s where I draw the line. You’ll probably never find me at a fine dining establishment, but at a middle-of-the-road restaurant.

What’s your favorite burger of all time?

That’s probably the most asked question I get on a daily basis. I’ve been doing the Mr. Lew Great Burger Search since 2009 and I’ve had over 125 burgers. Each burger I try is different than the last. I can’t judge a burger based on objective criteria. If I were to single out one burger that I’d call my favorite, there would be no point to continue the search that I am so proud of. That’s the reason I call it the Great Burger Search— because there are more than one that can count as great.

Favorite burger toppings?

My favorite burger toppings are lettuce, tomatoes, caramelized onions, cream cheese, and obviously bacon. I choose cream cheese because it’s not something that you get in your everyday burger. I need to have lettuce and tomatoes because without them, the burgers tend to be lacking flavor. For me, since I spend a lot of time talking about bacon, it would be silly to not list it in my favorite toppings. Bacon is the accent that makes the burger so much better. If not done properly, the bacon gets lost and the burger sinks.

Where do you stand on veggie burgers?

I have yet to try a veggie burger. In my opinion, a veggie burger could probably never hold a candle to the real thing. However, one day, I’ll have to eventually add veggie burgers to my search. It’s not something that I’m dreading; I’m actually looking forward to it. It will add a new dimension to my search.

Next burger on your to-eat list?

The next burger on my radar is one at the Deville Dinerbar in Montreal. It’s a relatively new restaurant that offers class American fare with an upscale twist to them. They have a burger which is a take on the Vortex Bar & Grill’s Triple Coronary Burger in Atlanta. The burger has four 6-ounce patties with all the burger accoutrements between two grilled cheese sandwiches. It costs 35 dollars and is something that I want to try very soon.

What’s the best city for burgers and why?

I’m obviously going to be a little biased with this question since I spend the majority of my time in Montreal. I’ve tried burgers in Ottawa and Quebec City. I also hope to go to Toronto in the summer. I know that there are a lot of American cities that probably do the burger justice, but there’s no city like Montreal. In Montreal, we have over 300 restaurants that offer the burger on their menu. They range from your small family-owned establishments to your larger-scaled operations. The range and variety make the Montreal burger scene one that I’m glad to be part of.

What other sandwiches are you partial to?

I grew up eating simple ham sandwiches with mustard when I was going to school. As a matter of fact, I still regularly have them in my lunch. In Quebec, we also have steak submarines (hoagies) which are quite good. With the right amount of steak and cheese with lettuce, tomatoes, and peppers, there’s no turning that down.

McDonald’s or Burger King?

I’m going to say neither. I can argue for and against both those fast food chains. I mostly grew up with McDonald’s. My consumption of McDonald’s has steadily decreased in recent years and it’s not something that I rely on when I’m hungry. I would much rather go to Subway when I’m looking for something quick. I’ve had Burger King three times in the last 20 years, so I can’t really favor them. In Canada, we also have Harvey’s, which for a lot of people, myself included, is far superior to those two.

Your final meal: who, what, where?

My final meal has got to be a nice, simple bacon cheeseburger with a side of poutine and iced tea. It doesn’t matter where it is, as long as the right people are there. Those people would have to be the people I hold the closest in my circle. Also, I wouldn’t mind having people like Vince McMahon, Larry David, and Gordon Ramsay there. Those are all people who shape my views on life and allow me to live like I do. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that they’re all entertaining.

Editor’s Note: If you’re near Montreal, Mr. Lew just might let you accompany him on one of his burger escapades. And if you’re not, what American cities do you think best represent that all-American creation, the burger? Please weigh in in the comments below, and help me welcome Mr. Lew to the Menuism community! -Kim

Photo credit: Marco Derksen

For starters, Dan Evins, the founder of highway eatery Cracker Barrel, died from cancer on Saturday at the age of 76.

Next, Paula Deen confirmed long-held rumors that she has Type 2 diabetes. Deen also announced an endorsement deal with an injectable diabetes medication. She and her sons are spearheading the new public-relations campaign “Diabetes in a New Light,” advocating the use of the drug along with a diet of lighter foods and increased physical activity. Despite this “new light,” Deen told the New York Times that she would not change her own lifestyle or cooking style drastically, other than to reduce portion sizes of unhealthful foods. “I’ve always preached moderation,” she said. “I don’t blame myself.”

And in crime news, Young Lee, co-founder of the Pinkberry frozen yogurt empire, was arrested Monday night at LAX and booked for assault with a deadly weapon. According to police records, a homeless man was begging at an off-ramp last June when Lee and a companion had words with him. According to witnesses, the two men chased and beat the homeless man with a tire iron. Detectives could not locate the homeless man for a time, but witnesses reported the license plate of the attackers’ Range Rover, which returned to a rental in Lee’s name. Federal databases alerted detectives that Lee was on a flight from his native Korea, and detectives from the LAX Fugitive Task Force and the FBI met him at the airport and arrested him.

Yikes. Quickly, Pinkberry Senior Vice President of Marketing and Design released this statement:

Mr. Young Lee has no involvement with Pinkberry, our partners or our more than 170 stores world-wide. Pinkberry ended its ties with Mr. Lee formally on May 1, 2010. He has no influence or input into the company in any way, and the parties have not been in communication with one another since Mr. Lee’s exit. While it would be inappropriate for us to speculate on the allegations in question, we can say without hesitation that Pinkberry values the communities we serve and stands against acts of violence of any kind, especially those involving the most vulnerable among us.

In other words, “we’re not with him.”

But the news this week wasn’t all bad: To coincide with the premiere of “Bizarre Foods America,” a Travel Channel survey showed Americans might be getting more adventurous in their food habits. Surveying 2,292 U.S. adults, smoked raccoon appealed to 39% of survey takers while 18% said they would dine on guinea pig. Only one in 20 would have duck testicles or cow placenta, but give it a few more years. They’ll come around.

Mashable posted their list of 5 iPhone Apps for Frugal Foodies. These included Scoutmob, Blackboard Eats, Poggled, Tweat.It, and Daily Gobble.

And in other lists, The Daily Meal named their 50 Most Powerful People in Food. They included high-profile individuals such as Wolfgang Puck (#13), “Top Chef” head judge Tom Colicchio (#38); TV physician Dr. Oz (#40); and first lady and healthy-eating advocate Michelle Obama (#8). The list also includes lesser-known but still powerful names like Jim Skinner (#6), who runs a little fast-food chain called McDonald’s; Hugh Grant (#9) — no, not that Hugh Grant — who’s the big boss at controversial company Monsanto, purveyors of genetically modified seeds; and Bill Marler (#46), personal injury lawyer who specializes in defending people who contract foodborne illnesses.

The most powerful person in food this year? Brooke Johnson, President of Food Network. Want to see how she got to be so darn powerful? Check out the history of food on TV infographic, and it’ll be no question.

Got other news from this week? Post your headlines in the comments!

Our new Managing Editor

Tell us about your evolution as an eater.

My mom is Vietnamese and my dad is Japanese. Asians treat food as a central part of our culture, so from early childhood, food has always been a way for us to get together and for relationships to grow. As a kid, though, when it came to the food itself, I was actually a really picky eater. I had such a tiny appetite. I didn’t like spicy food. And I treated marshmallows like they were their own food group. Luckily, I grew out of it. I have almost no sweet tooth, I love my food super spicy, and I’ve come to appreciate a lot of different flavors and cuisines. Now I eat just about everything. And a lot of it.

So then what’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever eaten?

Last fall, I took a trip to China so I could volunteer with the pandas. It was an amazing experience, and the food made the trip all the more amazing. I went to a Sichuan hot pot restaurant in Chengdu where I ate pig brains. And I have to say, I’m in love with pig brains. They taste like really creamy eggs.

Pig brains aside, what foods are you constantly seeking out?

I love cheeseburgers. I’m not sure I’ve met a burger I didn’t like. And I’m totally hopping on the ramen bandwagon that’s sweeping LA. Sushi is also a fave. And tom yum soup. And seafood. And tacos. And… well, I’ll stop there; I sound like a total fatty.

Do you have a favorite cuisine?

I can’t say that I do. I’m definitely a food enthusiast, but I’m not a food snob. I’m pretty equal-opportunity—I can get equally excited about a fancy steak as I can about Chicken McNuggets. But if I were to pick a few cuisines, I’d say Vietnamese, Thai, and Italian.

Is there anything you won’t eat?

I will try pretty much anything, so at least I can say with certainty that I don’t like it. But as I mentioned, I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, so it’s pretty easy for me to pass on dessert. I told my friend I’d rather have a birthday baguette than a birthday cake. It’s weird though… I have a weakness for caramel. So I do like some sweets, I just don’t really crave them.

Would you put candles on your birthday baguette?

If the candlelight helps soften the butter, of course I would.

What’s your favorite food-related TV show?

I love Anthony Bourdain, so “No Reservations” and his new show “The Layover” are definitely up there. But I have to say, I love watching reruns of the original “Iron Chef.” Episodes that were recorded fifteen years ago still seem cutting-edge when it comes to the food. I actually listed Masaharu Morimoto as one of my heroes in a grad school essay question. “Iron Chef America” is lame, though.

Last question. Name your top 5 restaurants of all time.

Deep breath. Okay. I’m going to name the first five that pop into my head, and I’ll probably regret leaving something out later. But here goes:

Did we miss anything? Add your questions for Kim in the comments, and please help us welcome her to the team!

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