"without the Culinary Arts, the crudeness of reality would be unbearable"
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On the one hand, its blasphemy. On the other, it
makes perfect sense. Pairing on-the-go fast food with a beverage that takes
life at a slower pace might be the perfect way to have your cake and eat it
too. But only about 40 percent of wine
drinkers say they are likely to enjoy wine at home with takeout, according to
a new study from the Wine Market Council and Merrill Research. Read Article.
The world's first beer health spa is newly opened in the Czech Republic. Beer? Health? Spa? A real beer bath? And what, pray tell, is a real beer bath? According to the brewery, located in Chodova Plana at the edge of the Bohemian Forest, it's "an original curative spa therapy connecting a soothing hot bath, the spring of healing mineral water Il-Sano, the unique dark Bathing Beer (made only by Chodovar) and rejuvenating effects of beer yeast with a mixture of hops and dehydrated curative herbs." Read Article.
Dinner in some
restaurants long has included entertainment - vocalists, strolling musicians,
women selling roses to moony couples - but these days television sets are
showing up more frequently. "TVs in the dining room are just the next extension of Muzak," says pop-culture observer Robert Thompson, director of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University. Read Article.
Wine lovers already know the role a glass plays
in enjoying a great wine. But beer drinkers shouldn’t feel left behind.
Here’s a quick primer on some typical beer glasses and their uses. Read Article.  Carryout. Delivery. Drive-thru. Heat and eat. America is a nation of
on-the-go eaters. We're also a nation of wine lovers. But even after 10
steady years of wine consumption growth in this country, only about 40
percent of wine drinkers say they are likely to enjoy wine at home with
takeout, according to a new study from the Wine Market Council and Merrill
Research. PIZZA - The red Sangiovese
grape, whether as a varietal or in the classic
Chianti wine from Italy, is perfect with pizza. Sangiovese
grapes have zesty acidity to complement tangy tomato sauce and cut through
rich cheese. For white wine lovers, the Sauvignon Blanc grape's lively
acidity and grassy character create flavor fireworks with tomato sauce,
oregano and bell peppers. CHINESE - Whether sweet and sour or
stir-fried with soy sauce, Chinese food has lots of crunchy-sweet veggies,
sometimes with a kick of spice. Pair Chinese with a wine made from the Gewürztraminer
grape - the soft fruity, spicy flavors complement the veggies and
contrast with the salty soy and spice. Or consider a red wine made from the
soft, Gamay grape, which complements sweet and sour
and hoisin sauces. The Gamay's
earthiness also brings out the subtle tastes of soy, garlic and fermented
black beans in stir-fry. FRIED
CHICKEN - There's
nothing better than the scrubbing bubbles of a sparkling wine to cut through
the crispy coating of fried chicken. Look for value choices like Spanish cava
or American sparkling wine. For red wine lovers, wines made with soft and
juicy Gamay or Beaujolais grapes have lively
acidity and plush fruitiness - perfect for cutting through the richness
and showcasing chicken's tenderness. MEXICAN - Mexican and Tex Mex have spunky flavors that need a lively yet rich wine
to beat the chili heat and complement the spark of lime while matching the
richness of avocado and cheese. California and Washington wines made from
rich-but-racy Fumé Blanc grapes are perfect with
these foods. Another alternative is dry rosé wine, which has the fruity
intensity and spice of the red grapes from which it's made while providing
the lively acidity and refreshment of a white wine. BARBECUE - Wines made from Riesling
white grapes are the best with barbecue. The concentrated fruit of the
Riesling grape stands up to even the heaviest meats. For red wine fans, the
big, bold Zinfandel grape works well, offering lots of smoky and spicy
flavors to stand up to barbecue's bite. The world's first beer health spa is newly opened in the Czech Republic. Beer? Health? Spa? A real beer bath? And what, pray tell, is a real beer bath? According to the brewery, located in Chodova Plana at the edge of the Bohemian Forest, it's "an original curative spa therapy connecting a soothing hot bath, the spring of healing mineral water Il-Sano, the unique dark Bathing Beer (made only by Chodovar) and rejuvenating effects of beer yeast with a mixture of hops and dehydrated curative herbs." The bath is designed to harmonize, recondition and relax the body and mind, soothe muscles, warm joints, improve complexion and cure scalp ailments. You won't find any froufrou aromatherapy. "When entering the baths," Chodovar's Web site continues, "the (surface) is covered by characteristic beer foam of caramel color and the area is scented by the fragrance of freshly brewed dark beer." Here's the best part: "To increase the outcome of the bath and enhance the relaxation experience, guests are recommended a glass of unique unpasteurized Rock Lager including active yeast culture which positively works on all the digestive system." The spa, in the cellar of the brewery's U Sládka Hotel, includes seven beer tubs. After a soak, you can indulge in a beer massage or beer wrap…whatever those are. And what would any spa be without a gift shop where you can purchase beer cosmetics? Back to top. Dinner in some restaurants long has included entertainment - vocalists, strolling musicians, women selling roses to moony couples - but these days television sets are showing up more frequently. "TVs in the dining room are just the next extension of Muzak," says pop-culture observer Robert Thompson, director of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University. For the most part, TVs in dining rooms are limited to neighborhood restaurants, ethnic cafes and sports bars. Yet, television sets are getting closer to the tables of even fine-dining establishments, many of which have at least added TVs to their bar. Often the sets are visible from dinner tables. Even if they aren't, the shouts of bar patrons gripped by an exciting basketball game or car chase can spill over into dining rooms. Many diners aren't happy about all this. Fred Hutchinson and his wife, Meride, just back from Italy, looked forward to telling friends about their adventure. They agreed to meet over dinner at an Italian restaurant in Sacramento, Calif. "We could not even hear, let alone communicate, due to the noise of the other diners and their reactions to the evolving basketball game. We left before ordering, as did four other couples," Hutchinson said in an e-mail. They couldn't see or even hear the game, the set being in the bar, but the fired-up cheers of the fans were enough to drive them from their table. Restaurateurs have mixed feelings about TV sets on their premises. Some go along with it grudgingly. TV sets look to be most popular at the one kind of restaurant that prides itself on live, talented entertainment - sushi bars. It's not uncommon these days to approach a sushi bar only to find a TV set or two on the wall directly over the shoulders of the restaurant's sushi chefs, who gamely compete with whatever is on the screen through their banter, adroit knife work and mastery of imaginative rolls. Derrick Fong, chief financial officer of the Mikuni group of Japanese restaurants, sounds conflicted as he talks of how the sets have come to replace rice-paper lanterns as the most obvious design touch in so many Japanese restaurants. "Younger Americans especially now have to be hooked to some kind of screen - their computer, PlayStation, phone, DVD player, BlackBerry," says Fong. "To some degree, the art of conversation has been lost." To restaurant consultant Bill Marvin of Gig Harbor, Wash., television sets in restaurants represent a social distancing that started to become apparent when people thought nothing of pausing during a conversation to take a cell-phone call. "It's a continuation of this whole thing about being together without having to relate to each other," Marvin says. Similarly, says Thompson, TV sets provide diners who are uncomfortable with each other - a couple on a first date, participants in a business meeting - with something to divert their attention. "The TV is an out, an excuse for not having eye contact or for not having to come up with something interesting to say," Thompson says. "Is it pathological? Yes. Is it sad? Yes." Chris Tripoli, president of A'La Carte, a restaurant consulting firm in Houston, and a teacher at the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management of the University of Houston, traces the rise of TV sets at restaurants to three factors: Restaurateurs recognize that the contemporary American is addicted to a steady stream of entertainment and information and can't go long between fixes. Today's sharp, sleek TV sets fit easily into restaurants with contemporary designs, taking the place of the art posters previously used to dress up the walls. Increasingly, TV sets in restaurants are programmed with videos that show off the restaurant's personnel and food. Tripoli has one client, a bakery cafe, which continually plays a video of its baked goods, employees icing cakes and the like. Restaurateurs who haven't been quick to add TV sets give several reasons for their reluctance. Generally, they feel that their clientele is there for food, service and companionship. Restaurateurs also indicate that if they were to install TV sets in dining rooms, their servers might get so engrossed in the programming they'd neglect customers. They also fret that diners might be so captivated by what's on the screen they'd balk at leaving until the program or game is over, slowing the turnover of tables. But challenges to face restaurateurs and guests when it comes to TVs in dining rooms may only be starting. Before long, customers are apt to start showing up at restaurants with small TV sets in hand, ready to prop them atop the table so they can watch whatever they want. "I can see some restaurants saying, 'No smoking and no portable TV
devices,' " Thompson says. Back to top.
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The American pint glass: With its sides widening from bottom to top, this
standby is good enough for most beer styles. The style developed from
cocktail shakers. (You likely have a couple of these in your cupboard,
perhaps pilfered from the local watering hole, probably bearing the logo of a
favorite brand. You also probably feel no guilt about the theft.) |
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What's Cooking
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