Serge the Concierge

In the Belly of the Olive Oil Beast, Extra Virginity Talk with Tom Mueller

Having spent 5 years working on his first book, Extra Virginity (WW Norton, Fall 2011), Tom Mueller shares good sides as well as shady corners of the olive oil world.

After a bit of back and forth, Tom finally found time to answer a few questions I sent his way.

Here's my Extra Virginity talk with Tom Mueller.

Q: Tom, did your piece 'Slippery Business' for New Yorker in 2007 plant seeds for your book 'Extra Virginity'? 

Yes – I knew next to nothing about olive oil before writing that story, though I'd lived in Italy for over a decade.  I started looking into olive oil when I happened to see a video of olive farmers blockading a port in south Italy – Monopoli, to be precise – claiming that fake olive oil was being illegally imported.  This made me want to investigate further.

Q: Was there a moment, a person, something that incensed you, that motivated you to write this book?

Flavio Zaramella, terminally ill w/ cancer and raging at the inequities in the market.  And a hundred or more honest, determined olive farmers and millers, talking about how their customers sometimes called them thieves for charging an honest amount for their oil.

Q: The prologue 'essences' takes us to Mastri Oleari in Milan, can you describe what the organization stands for?

Highest quality olive oil and high ethical standards.

Q: Being around people like Flavio Zamarella at Mastri Oleari or with the De Carlos family where there times when you felt like you knew next to nothingabout olive oil?

Certainly the learning curve was steep at first and I find I never stop learning about olive oil – even 5 years on, every time I speak w/ an expert or visit a mill I learn something new.

Q: If you had to pick 3 of the worst odors/ characters of bad to worse 'olive' oils what would they be?

Rancid (gone off – the most frequent flaw), worm (grubs from the parasitic olive fly inside olives, ground into oil), and musty (mold)

Q: How do farmers/producers who have poured their life, their soul into making 'honest' olive oil survive in a market flooded by cheap knockoffs?

They often don't.  Many are abandoning their groves, and going into bankruptcy.  Those who do make their money elsewhere (eg wine), and take a loss on their oil.  Ridiculuous situation, but omnipresent.

Q: Who are the worst offenders in pushing virgin in name only oils? Is it country specific?

The biggest industrial olive oil companies are all Iberian (Spanish & Portuguese) bottling companies. They often sell oil under Italian labels, but the oil is usually Spanish, Tunisian, etc.

Q: Why is 28.9 temperature important for professional olive oil tasters?

The aromatics in the oil become volatile and therefore enter the taster's nasal passages more easily – it's like warming brandy in a snifter.

Q: Greeks celebrated aesthetic and spiritual aspects of olive oil while Romans concentrated on its commercial possibilities, what is at the root of this difference?

Deep-rooted cultural differences:  Greeks were more oriented philosophical, scientific, hedonistic pursuits, the Romans to business, conquest, orderly human structures. 

Q: If in time of amphoras as oil receptacles one could tell what he was buying, why is it so difficult to sort the bad from the great now?

In large part because the central governments aren't taking the time and going to the expense to police the market.  At times because the big companies have strong political ties at the governmental and EU level.

Q: Are labels, first press, extra virgin, organic, meaningless and how can trust be restored?

Right now they are empty phrases.  Trust can be restored by a minimum of enforcement from above, and a lot of education from below among consumers – that's how the quality revolutions in wine, microbrew beer, coffee, artisanal cheeses, etc,  got started.

Q: How much should we expect to pay for authentic 'extra virgin' olive oil?

Wide range of prices.  Perfectly good, fresh, extra virgin  olive oil should be available at current supermarket prices (Corto Olive and COR now produce it in the states, adn Kirkland at Costco is real extra virgin).  The really grand cru estate oils, esp those made in high-price places like Tuscany, can (inc labor, shipping etc) cost $30/lit.  Much more than this however is markup by the retailer.

Q: Last, name 3 'honest' olive oils at various price points that one should try in the U.S?

See above.

Thanks Tom for your time

Gringos Welcome at Green Conference of the Americas, MiaGreen 2012, Miami, Jan 26-27

I enjoyed Greener Gadgets conference while it exhisted.

It was a great space for exchanging ideas.

In the sunny climes of Miami, the MiaGreen 2012 Expo and Conference (January 26-27) is more detail oriented and down to earth with topics like Urban Core Rooftop- Permaculture in Hurricane Prone Areas or Organic Waste is Too Valuable to Dispose in Landfills amongst the numerous subjects discussed.

One thing that prompted me to mention this 4th Edition of MiaGreen is the accent they put on describing it as Green Conference of the Americas, plural.

An escape to Miami (with proper carbon offset, travel by train maybe) from cold and possibly snowy Northeast is another reason to attend.

Making green biz wheel turn for Green Day # 208

Previously: Snail, Bottle and Coin Help You Navigate 'Slow Wine Guide' 2012

It's All in the Nose, Whisky Tasting Advice by Charles MacLean from Malt Whisky

Some Champagne makers trust their nose more than their palate to compose their latest cuvee.

When it comes to whisky tasting, it's all in the nose according to 'tasting' chapter in Malt Whisky 'The Complete Guide' (Mitchell Beazley, Fall 2011) by Charles MacLean.

He starts by quoting Aenas Macdonald bemoaning lack of appreciation for malt whisky in the 1930's:

"Let us number their sins. Foremost amongst these is that they drink not for the pleasure of drinking nor for any merits of flavour or bouquet which the whisky may possess but simply in order to obtain a certain physical effect. They regard whisky not as a beverage but as a drug, not as an end but as a means to an end...Whisky suffers its worst insults at the hands of the swillers, the drinkers-to-get-drunk who have not organs of taste and smell in them but only gauges of alcoholic content, the boozers, the 'let's-have-a-spot' and 'make-it-a-quick-one' gentry, and all the rest who dwell in a darkness where there are no whiskies but only whisky-and of course, soda."

The author then moves on to note in 'sensory evaluation' that "whisky 'tasting' is something of a misnomer, since most of the work of evaluation is done by the nose not the palate, Professional whisky tasters are themselves called 'Noses'. We should really be talking, more correctly, about 'sensory evaluation', for the proper assesment of a glass of whisky employs four of our five senses- sight, smell, taste and touch."

His take on the importance of 'Smell':

Although it is under-used in daily life, smell is our most acute sense, and can have a powerful subliminal influence upon our reaction to a place or a person. The acuteness of our sense of smell is demonstrated by the fact that scientists have identified 32 primary aromas, while there are only three primary colours and four primary tastes. Smell is also the most evocative trigger for memory- think how scenes of childhood can instantly be conjured by certain smells- and professional whisky noses and wine tasters consciously store their memories with key aromas, with standard norms and exceptions to the rules."

The chapter concludes with two pages on 'the chemical derivation of flavour' (where do flavours come from) illustrated by whisky wheels of 'aromas' and 'taste and mouth feel'.

Next chapter is dedicated to Whisky Regions followed by Directory of Whisky Houses including some now defunct.

Malt Whisky, the complete guide by Charles MacLEAN is a book to sip slowly.

(* Excerpts from Malt Whisky, the complete guide by Charles MacLEAN-published by Mitchell Beazley- 2011- all rights reserved)

FAS makes Amazonian Forest worth more Standing than Cut, Google Documents

Sustainable agriculture, eco-tourism are words bandied around by many players around the world.

When you scratch the surface, there is a lot of green wash going on.

In Brazil, FAS (Fundacao Amazonas Sustentavel) is putting its money where its mouth is by helping communities build businesses from the ground up that will help support them while protecting their surroundings.

They will surely get a boost in awareness, fundraising and the interest of travelers once Google Street View starts broadcasting images of the area.

Health and education facilities are part of the project as illustrated by facility below in Tumbira, one of five.

You can get an idea of what's going on thanks to the Voices from the Forest videos.

'Making the forest worth more standing than cut' for Green Day # 198

Previously: Carbon Emissions 10 Times Higher for Air Freight than Sea Freight plus Trailer

 

(* Photo from FAS website)

Making Dough, Mapping Food Prices on Blog Action Day 2011, October 16

Any blog post or article starts with a byline and I pondered for a minute if Let's Talk About Food which is the guiding theme for Blog Action Day 2011 on October 16 should be included?

I decided not to as I talk about food in some shape of form pretty much every day, whether it is in Interviews with chefs and authors or via Recipes i share.

My European upbringing still shows up in my approach to food.

A good meal is not just something to nourish the body, it is also fuel for conversation, a way to show we care for people we share a meal with.

A nice meal does not have to be complicated.

It can be a simple combination of crudites, cheeses and cold cuts.

Bread has to be part of it.

It just happens that as Blog Action Day 2011 is held on World Food Day, some bloggers around the world picked the same day as World Bread Day and invite us to make dough and bake bread.

Bread is something easy to share, breaking the bread.

It is a basic staple in many cultures and the jump in bread prices in developping countries played a part in recent upheavals.

The theme for World Food Day 2011 is highlighted in image above.

Along these lines, Oxfam launched a Grow Week which runs from October 15 to October 22, 2011 and offers an Interactive Map of food prices around the globe.

Writing this piece, a conversation i had with a very fit Japanese speaker at Japan Society in New York came back to mind.

When I noted that everyone was in a rush to grab drinks and food as soon as cocktail party opened, he suggested that if Americans ate smaller portions and shared the surplus food saved that way with less fortunate people, it would contribute in no small way to solve hunger issues.

Happy World Food Day and Blog Action Day 2011!

Trust, Organic Strawberries, Do they All Live Up to their Label?

Adriene Hill on Marketplace reported that Organic strawberries may not be (September 29) as "a loophole in federal regulation allows "organic berries" to be grown from conventionally raised plants."

Now I read about Pesticides in Organic Strawberry Plants (Care 2 Make a Difference, Sam Taxy, September 29).

The Care 2 piece uses as its source Farmers Seek to Raise Standards by Rachel Gross  (Bay Citizen, NY Times, September 23) which reports on the joint action of Pesticide Action Network and 3 growers

In a nutshell, Care 2 piece notes that root of problem "stems from a loophole in the definition of organic produce: in order for something to be labeled as organic, only the produce itself needs to be pesticide-free. This means that before the plant bears fruit, it can be fumigated and treated with all kinds of dangerous chemicals."

Regarding strawberries in general, Pesticide Action Network in Safe Strawberries calls for a ban on use of Methyl iodide a gas that gets injected in the soil and describes it as a carcinogen.

 

They suggest that an alternative for organic farming to get rid of pests is mustard and list Swanton Berry Farm as a good citizen in the California berry field. 

Under the 'organic' label hood for Green Day # 196

Previously: Furnish your Place with Salvaged Manhattan Timber, Made of New York

Essence of Ammonium Phosphate, Silica Gel, Wine Chemistry 101 via Naked Wine

We both live in tri-state area so it's not surprising that once in a while I run into Alice Feiring at New York wine tastings.

For many years now she has been an advocate of small producers and of natural wines, the type that's not manufactured and chemically balanced.

In her new book Naked Wine (Da Capo Press, September 1, 2011), Alice shares her encounters with natural wine pioneers, the tensions over using sulfur (or not) for some winemakers like Robert Sinskey who uses sustainable methods.

Alice considers most New World and California wines 'over-ripe, over-manipulated and over-blown' .

There are exceptions she notes like Hank Beckmeyer, a musician turned winemaker in the Sierra Foothills. His approach is influenced by Masanobu Fukuoka's farming philosophy of do-little.

In 'Naked Wine', Hank explains his attraction to Fukuoka's ideas with these words:

"It seemed to address the same issues as biodynamics, but without religious overtones"

Many wine drinkers could get a little concerned if they started ready 'U.S approved additives and processes for wine' in the final pages of her book.

Would you be happy to know that amongst the 200 U.S approved ingredients that in the fields or at the winery find their way into a number of wines you might have an essence of ammonium phosphate or a whiff of silica gel?

Some of these ingredients might not be tolerated for long if they were listed on the label as happens with food.

By featuring natural wine actors and showing their passion, she prevents the book from becoming dry and professoral.

Giving 'Naked' a chance for Green Day # 193

Previously: Plastic Bags Optional and Subject to Charge when Shopping in France

Jacobsen's Brewer Marten Ibsen Gives us Scandinavian Beer Education, Nordic Feed Pt 3

Second day of Nordic Feed food conference (August 27) kicked off with a Scandinavian beer education by master brewer Marten Ibsen of Jacobsen beer at Carlsberg museum.

Getting off the city bus, I headed in the wrong direction and landed at visitor's center. I was put back on the right path and after passing under massive elephant gate (below) found my group.

Marten Ibsen did not arrive with the assumption that we were all fluent with the beer making process so he covered the basic steps first as well as the differences between top and bottom fermented brews.

The third phase of his presentation on New Nordic Null, Lox Barley and Carlsberg micro-brews is what I will focus on.

A bit of history first, the philosophy of Jacobsen or 'Golden Words' was spelled out in 1882.

Its central tenets are innovation and making beer that matches food.

Brewery is getting ready to celebrate its 200^th anniversary early September.

Aim is to make beer the drink of choice at the dining table.

Barley is the main raw ingredient.

There are no bad vintages as brewery does not own the fields where barley is produced. They select the best crops.

Moving on to New Nordic Null and Lox Barley Malt, Marten first covered Organic Jacobsen Extra Pilsner.

He started by noting that organic products tend to be more vulnerable to aging. Oxydation is worst enemy of flavor quality.

Barley mainly contains starch and protein plus some fat.

Lox or enzyme lypoxygenase catalyzes oxidation of fat and lipids into trans-2- nonanal.

Carlsberg research center has bred barley without Lypoxygenase.

Regarding old Nordic hops used in Hallertau Jacobsen and Jacobsen Pale Ale, before 1950 Carlsberg had hop breeding program. Nordic breeds were crossed with British and German ones.

Until 2005, hop clones languished behind tennis courts of Carlsberg.

Hallertau is considered the best hop brewing region in the world. It has grapefruity flavors.

As for Nordic innovation, it is best found in Jacobsen Velvet, smooth and light.

In 2007, Marten Ibsen took a paternity leave to stay with his infant daughter.

He got the idea of creating a new Nordic beer that would be smooth like a baby's skin and velvety, made with wheat malt.

Marten describes it as 'clear and light like a Nordic summer with no bitter aftertaste.

It is sparkling with a bit of acidity thanks to use of champagne yeast.

There are tones of passion fruit and citrus from late added hops.

After a 'dry' morning, we were treated by Marten and his team to a Jacobsen beer and food pairing lunch (pictured above) in the Carlsberg dining room, a treat.

(* Jacobsen website does not seem to offer an English version, best enjoyed if you speak Danish)

197 Pounds of Food Thrown Away Per Person, American Wasteland, In Paperback

Statistics available when Jonathan Bloom was writing American Wasteland showed that even though America represents 5 percent of planet population yet on average each American throws away 197 pounds of food per year. It adds up to 100 billion pounds of trash for the whole country.

I failed to write about American Wasteland when it was published in 2010. I can make up for that oversight as it is Now available in Paperback (published August 2011).

Is waste caused by our tendency to buy many things in size large.

Huge portions in some restaurants with 'doggy bags' for leftovers are one example.

Another reason highlighted by the author is our obsession with picture perfect produce which means that slight blemishes and oddly shaped fruits and vegetables get discarded.

Jonathan Bloom also sees bulk shopping at superstores as creating waste.

If you are already conscious of your wasteful ways, feeling guilty about it and ready for an action plan, here are a few steps Jonathan suggests:

-Take realistic look at how many times you will eat at home during the week, then plan your menu

- When shopping, make a list and stick to it, avoid buying things you don't need just because they're on display.

-Shop for produce last, it will loose freshness that compromises its shelf life while you shop

-Eat before you shop, if you're not hungry, you'll fall victim to fewer impulse buys.

-Avoid the temptation of 2 for 1 deal-if you need 1, buy 1.

I barely scratched the surface as to what the book has to offer.

Obviously, there will always be things in our fridge ready to go to waste.

Before they go bad, head for the nearest food pantry and feed someone who needs it.

At $16 (full price) and much less on sale, paperback of American Wasteland (Lifelong Books-Da Capo) is worth the investment both for your wallet and for the planet.

I am a recovering food waster for Green Day #191

Previously: Light Up Bike Night Ride with Pedal Powered Hub Dynamo by Project Aura

Light Up Bike Night Ride with Pedal Powered Hub Dynamo by Project Aura

2 industrial design students, Ethan Frier and Jonathan Ota, at Carnegie Mellon University, document Project Aura whose aim is creation of bicycle safety lighting system with pedal powered hub dynamo.

In my restaurant years, i found myself on late evenings while driving back from work passing bicycle riders without any safety lights. Many of them I bet were immigrant restaurant workers.

 

In Europe many bicycles come equipped with dynamo powered front and rear lights.

 

Not always so in the U.S.

Project Aura is more an addition than a substitute for these.

What could be greener than design combined with safety and health.

Burn fat while creating energy for Green Day # 190

Previously: Traceable, Sustainable, Flavor Rich, Smoked Yukon River Salmon from Kwik' Pak Fisheries