Serge the Concierge

Not just Sesame Street, ZD Wines also turned 40, Celebrates with 2008 Chardonnay

2009-11-07T14:54:39-05:00

If we wanted to get technical, ZD Wines was founded in 1968 so 2008 was really the year but obviously you can't just push a new vintage out the door as soon as the harvest has been done so they celebrate in 2009 with the release of their 2008 Chardonnay bearing a special anniversary label.

Here's what Chris Pisani, the winemaker, has to say about it.

"We have created a unique character by blending the distinct attributes of the cool growing regions of Napa and Sonoma Carneros as well as the fog shrouded Santa Maria valley in Santa Barbara and the cool, windy Arroyo Seco in Monterey. Our winemaking techniques are designed to preserve and enhance the character of this fruit. We use a long slow cold barrel fermentation and allow no malo-lactic fermentation to maintain the natural acidity and flavor. Aging in lightly toasted American Oak barrels gives us hints of sweet vanilla and coconut and adds a depth to the wine through slow evaporation and concentration."

Happy Anniversary ZD!

Raw Vegan to Bacon Flavored in 5 Steps at NY Chocolate Show

2009-11-06T18:21:55-05:00

It was not an out of body experience but it made for a wild contrast.

On Sunday, November 2 at the New York Chocolate Show 2009, it took me only a few steps to go from gluten free, raw vegan, organic, no sugar, no soy chocolates by Vanessa Barg of Gnosis Chocolate which also came up with a raw chocolate- cinnamon soap (pictured below) to pigs in the mix.

Pigs and chocolate, I don't mean pig feet or chocolate sausage.

First there was Roni-Sue and their Bacon Buttercrunch part of Rhonda Kave's Pig Out Collection.

I just realize now that I did not take a snapshot of these politically incorrect treats.

Was it a conspiracy for next to her was Christopher Michael with his Sizzling Bacon Bar (41% Venezuelan milk chocolate with bacon, sea salt and popping candy), great flavors.
I also liked Christopher's Aztec Spiced Dark Chocolate Bar (61% Dark Venezuelan chocolate blended with chiles and cinnamon).

My vote was not bought..

I did not take any freebies of their products home with me (except for a tiny bit of the chocolate soap)

Now that I think about it, if I could turn back the clock, I would have indulged in a bit more of Christopher's Spiced Dark and Roni Sue's Bacon Buttercrunch...

There's always another time and anyway, I still have plenty to munch on and write about.

Cooking and Manga on Menu for Our Everyday Harumi Book Contest, Part 3

2009-11-06T17:19:58-05:00

After Crepes for Part 2 of our Everyday Harumi Book Contest, I was itching for a different direction.

I asked myself what is a big part of Japanese popular culture.

The answer was simple, manga and anime.

Not being quite sure if cooking had its place in the manga world, I consulted a Japanese friend who said yes.

The best known example of that she said is Oishinbo ('The Gourmet' in English). Seems like the first volume of Oishinbo was only recently published in the US according to the review by TangognaT (February 09).

Besides Oishinbo , Wikipedia lists 8 other titles in its Cooking Anime and Manga category amongst them Addicted to Curry (published since 2001, cover below) and Cooking Papa, it's not about me (published since 1984).

So now what's Manga got to do with the topic at hand you might ask?

The third and last signed copy of Everyday Harumi will go to the best submission of either a Manga on Food and Cooking or a Woman character featured in one of them showing some similarities with our author Harumi Kurihara.

Everyday Harumi Book Contest, Part 3 starts on Friday, November 6 and ends on November 15, 2009.

Send your entry with an illustration to sls [at] njconcierges [dot] com no later than midnight (US Eastern) on Sunday, November 15...

Bubbling up, bubbling over for Everyday Harumi Book Contest, Part 3...

'Comic Strip' by Serge Gainsbourg is not playing in the background

Master Chefs put on a Show at Cook, Eat, Drink Live 2009, New York, November 6 to 8

2009-11-06T14:28:59-05:00

For its 2009 Edition, Cook, Eat, Drink, Live invited Master Chefs to put on a Show for us, the lay people of cooking.

I hope I learn a few tips and tricks from the Maitres Cuisiniers de France on Sunday, November 8 when I tour the event.

Cook, Eat, Drink also gives us a chance to sample what a number of NY restaurants including Bice, Havana Central, Natsumi and many others have to offer.

One of their star attractions could be Michael Symon (of Iron Chef) who will be doing a demo from his new book Live To Cook: Recipes and Techniques to Rock Your Kitchen (Random House) on the Astor Stage at 6:30 pm on Friday, November 6.

As for myself, I will be looking for tasty and healthy treats, new trends, old timers that are getting back in fashion.

Let's not forget that wine and other beverages are featured.

This year's Cook, Eat, Drink, Live is at La Venue (608 West 28th Street).

Show times are:

Friday, November 6: 6pm-9pm

Saturday, November 7: 2pm-6pm

Sunday, November 8: 2pm - 6pm

You should hear about my picks early next week.

Barcelona Zine Apartamento Cooked Up a Storm at Utrecht in Tokyo

2009-11-05T18:58:54-05:00

Could it be that publishing a small, crafty magazine is the new adventure?

In the same way that vinyl records experienced a resurgence as a tactile experience, small batch magazines might be the new must have object for collectors.

Even though their subject matter is 'everyday life interiors', Apartamento, a Barcelona based magazine reminds me of The Art of Eating, Edward Behr's labor of love.

Apartamento is published twice a year (Spring-Summer and Fall-Winter).

They landed in Utrecht, an Art Gallery-Bookstore in Tokyo for the launch of Issue 4 (published in November 09) and turned the place into their Cafe, cooking up a storm with an Everyday Life Recipes project, Tasca (poster below) from October 28 to November 1, 2009.

Each day, a selected few (15 of them) were treated to lunch.

If I wet your appetite, check all the details in Apartamento Magazine Issue 4 Launch (Tokyo Art Beat, November 4).

You can order the current issue via Bruil.