Serge the Concierge

Eat Your Broccoli, Message from Paris Cookbook Fair 2012 Poster?

Was poster for 2012 Edition of Paris Cookbook Fair (March 7-11) inspired by May 2010 event when Champs Elysees Became a Garden for 2 days...

...Or are they just telling us to Eat our Broccoli?

Welcome to the garden of earthy delights

Public Displays of Art, Outdoor Project 2012, 18 Artists, Lisbon, Opens February 28ry

Imagine if Time Square billboards in New York were switched from marketing messages to creative displays.

In Lisbon, art takes over spaces usually reserved to advertising with Outdoor 2012 a project of P28. 

Luisa Santos, the guest curator of the project, describes the endeavour in C-Heads magazine as "contemporary art as a Trojan horse in a mass society."

Artists: Adriana Varejão [BR], Bedwyr Williams [UK], Chitra Ganesh [US], Erwin Wurm [AU], Gabriela Albergaria [PT], Jesper Just [DK], Jorge Molder [PT], Leonid Tishkov [RU], Luisa Cunha [PT], Marcel van Eeden [NL], Mário Feliciano [PT], Miguel Palma [PT], Paulo Mendes [PT], Pedro Cabral Santo [PT], Pedro Cabrita Reis [PT], R2 Design [PT], Susana Anágua [PT], Susanne Themlitz [PT]

Grand opening is on February 28, 2012 at 6:00 PM.

Love Will Tear Us Apart, Celluloid Heroes Version, Japan Society Film Festival, NY, March 2-18

Not wanting to spoil anyone's Valentine's Day, the Japan Society scheduled its 6th Globus Film Series titled Love Will Tear Us Apart from March 2 to March 18, 2012.

What do you get?

"Bad romance, blind love, amour fou! This spring, we screen a series of twisted, obsessive, heart-blazing love stories from Japan and Korea, because, after all, it takes two to tango and at least two to tumble. The 20+ film lineup, mostly from the past decade, includes the U.S. premiere of Shinya Tsukamoto's latest film, KOTOKO, and the world premiere of Koji Wakamatsu’s Petrel Hotel Blue, as well as Hirokazu Kore'eda's Air Doll, Nagisa Oshima's arch-classic In the Realm of the Senses, Yukio Ninagawa's Snakes and Earrings, Lee Sang-il's Villain, Lee Chang-dong's Oasis, and Kim Ki-duk's Bad Guy, among other twisted tales. The complex relationship between Korea and Japan provides a fascinating coupling of national cinematic identities. Although both Japanese and Korean films and filmmakers demonstrate their own unique preoccupations, narrative traditions, structures and cultural sensibilities, a considerable amount of shared ground leads directly to unique avenues of artistic collaboration (Korean actress Bae Doo-Na and director Hirokazu Kore'eda, Kim Ki-duk and Joe Odagiri), ultimately revealing a similar visual grammar and inclination towards the emotional violence that flows beneath the quiet surface of societal restraints."

Non Japanese entries include Vegetarian (South Korea):

"Ominous dreams haunt and drive a young woman to abolish meat from her diet and her household, and even reject her husband, who smells of meat. Her family mistakes her sudden fixation for insolence, and she soon grows despondent, alienating herself from everyone. Her sister tries to reach her, but only her brother-in-law, an artist, manages to penetrate her withdrawn state. Her mysterious trauma ignites creativity and desire in him, and they collaborate passionately on beautiful body-painting art--drawing on her psychological pain but also providing the catalyst for a mystical sexual transformation."

Visions of love and film obsessions on menu of Tokyo Thursdays # 223

Previously: Kibo celebrates Food and Spirit of People of Tohoku One Year After the Earthquake

(* Image from 'Vegetarian' above from Japan Society event pages) 

F***ing Dinner Duos, A Planet of Chefs for Paris Stop of Omnivore World Tour, March 11-13

David Chang gets credit (blame) for title, F***ing Dinners, given to chefs duo for Omnivore World Tour stop in Paris (March 11-13).

I like the 'in transit' quality of James Henry accueille (welcomes) Ignacio Mattos (Isa, New York).

Here's how Omnivore introduces their duo:

"2 young chefs still little known, Ignacio Mattos, an Uruguayan who settled in Brooklyn and James Henry, an Australian who currently calls the East of Paris home, 2 expats who are not afraid to take risks, a must see."

Their encounter will take place at Au Passage a wine bar located 1 bis passage Saint-Sébastien, Paris 11e.

Organizers were kind enough to invite me to join them in Paris during the event. Unfortunately, I doubt I will be able to escape New York for 4 days. 

(* The 'Omnivore' site and most of the 'Omnivore World Tour' program are in French only)

Kibo celebrates Food and Spirit of People of Tohoku One Year After the Earthquake

After first shock and aftershocks of the earthquake that hit the Tohoku region in March 2011 subsided, Elizabeth Andoh decided to pay tribute to food, traditions and spirit of the people of Tohoku.

The result of her work is and e-book titled Kibo 'Brimming with Hope' to be published by Ten Speed Press on February 28, 2012.

In an interview on NPR's All Things Considered (February 9, 2012) she also said that she wanted to document recipes of the region as in moments of chaos, some ancient recipes and tradition tend to fall into oblivion.

The Tohoku region is known as an important Sake and Miso producer.

With that in mind, alongside recipes, Elizabeth Andoh included Sake pairing suggestions.

A share of the profits from Kibo will go to a fund helping people from Tohoku recover.

In case you missed it, you may want to read the Kansha Kitchen Conversation i had with Elizabeth Andoh in October 2010.

Food and the human spirit headline Tokyo Thursdays # 222

Previously: Umeshu and Shoshu Liqueur Filled Chocolates for a Japanese Valentine's Day

Free Brazilian Arts, Music, Dance and Film Festival, New School, NY, February 27

End the month of February with rays of sunshine thanks to Brazilian Arts, Music, Dance and Film Festival presented by Student Film Collective at New School in New York.

Details:

Event Date: Monday, February 27th from 6 to 9:30 – Location: Wollman Hall – Event Name: The New School Brazilian Arts, Music, and Film Festival  “Free Food, Films, Live Concerts by 2 Brazilian Bands from the Jazz School – Amanda Ruzza/Chris Stover Quintet and – Scott Kettner’s Maracatú NY Free to New School Students Come hang, eat and dance with us right after you are done with class!

Last sentence makes me wonder if it is opened to general public. I guess it is since they are spreading the word via social media.

Should We Point Finger at California and Australian 'Ports' on Port Day?

January 27, 2012 is the first official Port Day...

As Center for Wine Origins who is behind this initiative reminds us this unique wine, Port, "comes exclusively from Portugal’s Douro Valley".

Nevertheless some wineries in California, Australia and other places still call their port style fortified wines 'port wines'.

An example is Revolution Wines in Sacramento (California) with their 'St Rey Single Quinta Ruby Port'.

Should they call it Port style instead?

American producers of these type wines have an umbrella organization called Sweet and Fortified Wine Association whose site shares a few historical facts on Port and details on port styles (reproduced below):

"What is Port?

Port is a fortified wine originating from the Douro Valley in Portugal. The wine takes its name from the Atlantic coast city of Oporto at the mouth of the 560-mile long “River of Gold”.

The Romans introduced wine to the Iberian Peninsula in the first century B.C. But it wasn’t until the 17th-century that the British added brandy to the harsh red wines of the Douro to stabilize them for shipment to England. The ongoing wars in Europe affected the ability of the British to obtain their favored “clariet” wines from France so they looked to Portugal as a reliable source of drinkable red wine.

The first English port house was established in Oporto in 1670. In 1703 the British and Portuguese signed the Methuen Treaty that paved the way for the port trade that exists to this day.

While there are port-style wines made around the world from Australia to South Africa to California, strict use of the term Port is reserved for fortified wines produced in Portugal.

Port Wines

Over 500 grape varieties are grown in Portugal but only 30 different varieties are found in the Port wine region of the Douro. Of these, only five are considered to have the exceptional quality for Port wine. These varieties are Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), Tinta Barroca, Tinto Cao, and Touriga Francesa.

Much of the grape harvesting along the steep slopes of the Douro Valley is still done buy hand. Grapes were traditional trodden barefoot in open granite lagers but today most of the crush is done mechanically. The must is placed in concrete or stainless steel tanks for fermentation. When about have the grape sugar has been turned to alcohol, the juice is run off into barrels containing about brandy which stops to fermentation. The usual mix is one part brandy to four parts juice.

In the spring following harvest, the wines are moved down the Douro Valley to Vila Nova de Gaia where blending, aging, and bottling takes place. There are many different styles of Port but two broad categories – bottle aged or cask aged. Bottle aged Ports are aged for a short time in oak then bottled unfiltered to age to maturity. These Ports retain the color and fruitness into maturity. Cask aged Ports are aged in wood then filtered and bottled. While cask aged Ports become tawny in color, they are ready to drink on release."

To (i am sure) the chagrin of Center for Wine Origins, they follow this nice introduction with chapter on 'American Port'.

While looking for details on Port, i found the Port Wine 'Times Reference' page which includes a Port Navigator and an archive of articles on topic in NY Times.

I suggest you pay that page a visit. You will emerge rich with knowledge.

Happy Port Day!

Chill your White Bordeaux Gently, Decant Younger Sauternes

Making my way through the numerous offerings at Bordeaux Grands Crus Vintage 2009 tasting in New York was a challenge.

In addition to the shear number of wines, tannins on the reds have not had time yet to loose their rough edges.

Towards the end of the event, Laurence Brun of Chateau Dassault suggested that this challenge for the palate could be best managed by taking breaks between sections of the tasting. Dilemna one is faced with is you have 4 hours maximum to get a good feel for 100 plus wines showcased.

Professional tasters with more discerning noses and palates will have I am sure seen more shapes of things to come (in 4 to 5 years) when this wines are ready to drink.

Whites from Graves and Pessac Leognan (at the beginning) and Sauternes (at the end) were not as much of a challenge.

The 'chill me gently' plea from Chateau Carbonnieux was a nice way to ask to make justice the wine by not serving it ice cold.

Sauternes selection at the end included Chateau La Tour Blanche, the only one to decant its wine.

Their representative told me that in his opinion, any Sauternes less than 10 years old should be decanted to give wine breathing room and reveal aromas.

Fresh impressions from Bordeaux Vintage 2009 tasting.

Sauternes by Chateau Bastor-Lamontagne is Part of Bordeaux Grands Crus Tasting on January 25

Tastings offer more wines than one has the time and palate to sample in 3 to 4 hours.

With that in mind, i started doing my homework before Grands Crus de Bordeaux 2009 Vintage Tasting in New York on January 25th (2012).

At letter B, I found Chateau Bastor-Lamontagne, a Sauternes producer I am not familiar with.

Call of Margaux will lead me to Chateau Kirwan table.

The hardest part will be to decide who to skip.

Burgundy Celebrates Its Wine Climats with Saint Vincent Tournante 2012, January 28-29

On January 22 winemakers (in France at least) celebrate Saint Vincent, their patron saint.

Burgundy since 1938, stages its big event, La Saint Vincent Tournante, on last week-end of January.

In 2012, the theme is Saint Vincent Tournante des Climats de Bourgogne (Dijon-Nuits St Georges-Beaune).

 

Climats, what does it mean, organizers explain:

"What is a CLIMATE?

1247 climates, 2000 years of history, universal recognition. In Burgundy, when we speak about climates we don't raise our eyes to the sky, we lower them to the ground.
Bernard PIVOT President of the support committee

Did you know? Climates only exist in Burgundy!

It's all about these small plots of vines, carefully delimited, known by the same name for centuries (often since the Middle Ages) and that , see from the sky, make up this astonishing mozaic along the 60km of a narrow range of hills, that go from Dijon to Santenay south of Beaune.

But the climates are not just square metres of vines, however prestigious they may be. The climates are a delicate harmony, an alchemy between a place, nature, men and time."

Don't want to drink and drive, organizers partnered with SNCF to offer a Special Deal to travel using local lines.

"A partnership with the French Railway company SNCF allows you to go from town to town with a 1 day pass for 5 EUROS.

Specail train tariff : if you buy the special pass you can have a reduced price for the Saint Vincent entrance fee, 12 EUR instead of 15. You must show the pass SNCF-TER Bourgogne sold outside the stations."

Worse thing that can happen is you fall asleep and miss your stop.

Lovers of wine art might want to visit the Poster Archive for the event. One of my favorites is the 2008 Edition (above). It reminds me of the work of Arcimboldo. I mentioned the Italian painter in Faces full of Fruits and Vegetables...

(* Poster for 2012 edition by Joyce Delimata, both images from the official Saint Vincent Tournante site, all rights reserved)