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lsandersonFigs by the Basket From a City Rooftop
By FLORENCE FABRICANT
"For the past few summers, the fig trees on the roof of the Vinegar Factory, 431 East 91st Street, have provided their owner, Eli Zabar, with enough fruit for his personal use. But this year he has hit the jackpot with a crop of green and Mission figs large enough to sell in the store, $2.50 for a basket. Scott Bieber, his chef at Taste, the restaurant in Eli's Manhattan at 1411 Third Avenue (80th Street), is using the figs to make a rich confit served with artisanal cheeses ($11), a fig cake with a jam filling ($8) and a custardy trifle ($8). "
Sichuan's Signature Is Now Legal Again
By FLORENCE FABRICANT
SOMETIMES the federal Department of Agriculture can be tough on connoisseurs. Its rules, set to protect the health of Americans and American crops, often mean that specialty foods cannot be sold unless strict conditions are met.
The Sichuan peppercorn is a case in point. Since 1968 it has been illegal to import this spice, the dried berry of the prickly ash tree, because it might pose a threat to the American citrus industry. The trees can harbor a canker, harmless to humans but contagious among plants and for which there is no known cure. It has not been proven that the dried berries can transmit the disease but it is so devastating that about three years ago the Department began enforcing the ban in earnest.
Despite the ban, Sichuan peppercorns, an essential ingredient in many Sichuan dishes, were still being sold as recently as about a year ago, especially in Chinatowns. Then last year the department approved a treatment to destroy the canker, heating the berries to at least 140 degrees for 20 minutes.
Now, many spice dealers, including Adriana's Caravan in Grand Central Terminal, and several shops in Chinatown, sell Sichuan peppercorns in bags bearing labels stating that they have been heat-treated. Some stores in Chinatown sell them without the label.
Who Knew a $10 Bill Had Such a Nice Bouquet?
By ERIC ASIMOV
"DECADES ago, when people in wine-producing countries routinely drank a few glasses with every meal, vast amounts of wine were made quickly and cheaply. It was sold for pennies - make that francs, lire and pesetas - to be consumed right away. Most of it was utter swill: thin and sour, or thick, raisiny and volatile."
Tasting Report: Why Plunk Down Good Money for Plonk?
WHITES
Steenberg South Africa Sauvignon Blanc 2004
$8
**½
Crisp, fresh, zesty and balanced, with unexpected depth. (Importer: Monsieur Touton Selections, New York)
Veramonte Casablanca Valley, Chile Sauvignon Blanc 2004
$7
**
Bone-dry and refreshing, with tart herb and mineral flavors. (Franciscan Estate Selections, Rutherford, Calif.)
Domaine Duffour Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne 2003
$7.40
**
Bright, intense fruit flavors, like sauvignon blanc except it's colombard. (Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, N.Y.)
Bodegas Salentein Mendoza, Argentina Sauvignon Blanc Finca el Portillo 2004
$9
**
Mild and refreshing, with citrus flavors. (San Francisco Wine Exchange)
Bolla Venezie I.G.T Pinot Grigio 2002
$10
**
Persistent melon, tropical fruit and honey flavors. (Brown-Forman Beverages Worldwide, Louisville, Ky.)
REDS
J. Vidal-Fleury Côtes-du-Rhône 2001
$8
***
Earthy and balanced, with lingering fruit flavors and a great sense of place. (W. J. Deutsch & Sons, White Plains, N.Y.)
Domaine Lafond Lirac Roc-Épine 2002
$8
**
Balanced fruit and tannins, with a pleasing bitter flavor. (Wines of France, Mountainside, N.J.)
Bonny Doon California Ca'del Solo Big House Red 2003
$10
**
Not complex, but full of spicy fruit flavors.
Sumarroca Penedès Tempranillo Barrel-Aged 2002
$10
*½
Herbal flavors, decent tannins. (Frontier Wine Imports, Dover, N.J.)
Bogle California Old Vine Zinfandel 2003
$9
*½
Juicy and fruity, but a little too sweet.
Easing the Way to Dinner
By MELISSA CLARK
Published: July 27, 2005
"LACKING the icy gloss of a dry martini or the urbanity of a perfect manhattan, aperitifs have always played the spinster aunt to the cocktail's gin-soaked good-time girl. And unlike a cocktail party, which looms large in our cultural consciousness, an aperitif party doesn't even register." -- Lottsa canape recipes with this, but they're a little basic...
By FLORENCE FABRICANT
"For the past few summers, the fig trees on the roof of the Vinegar Factory, 431 East 91st Street, have provided their owner, Eli Zabar, with enough fruit for his personal use. But this year he has hit the jackpot with a crop of green and Mission figs large enough to sell in the store, $2.50 for a basket. Scott Bieber, his chef at Taste, the restaurant in Eli's Manhattan at 1411 Third Avenue (80th Street), is using the figs to make a rich confit served with artisanal cheeses ($11), a fig cake with a jam filling ($8) and a custardy trifle ($8). "
Sichuan's Signature Is Now Legal Again
By FLORENCE FABRICANT
SOMETIMES the federal Department of Agriculture can be tough on connoisseurs. Its rules, set to protect the health of Americans and American crops, often mean that specialty foods cannot be sold unless strict conditions are met.
The Sichuan peppercorn is a case in point. Since 1968 it has been illegal to import this spice, the dried berry of the prickly ash tree, because it might pose a threat to the American citrus industry. The trees can harbor a canker, harmless to humans but contagious among plants and for which there is no known cure. It has not been proven that the dried berries can transmit the disease but it is so devastating that about three years ago the Department began enforcing the ban in earnest.
Despite the ban, Sichuan peppercorns, an essential ingredient in many Sichuan dishes, were still being sold as recently as about a year ago, especially in Chinatowns. Then last year the department approved a treatment to destroy the canker, heating the berries to at least 140 degrees for 20 minutes.
Now, many spice dealers, including Adriana's Caravan in Grand Central Terminal, and several shops in Chinatown, sell Sichuan peppercorns in bags bearing labels stating that they have been heat-treated. Some stores in Chinatown sell them without the label.
Who Knew a $10 Bill Had Such a Nice Bouquet?
By ERIC ASIMOV
"DECADES ago, when people in wine-producing countries routinely drank a few glasses with every meal, vast amounts of wine were made quickly and cheaply. It was sold for pennies - make that francs, lire and pesetas - to be consumed right away. Most of it was utter swill: thin and sour, or thick, raisiny and volatile."
Tasting Report: Why Plunk Down Good Money for Plonk?
WHITES
Steenberg South Africa Sauvignon Blanc 2004
$8
**½
Crisp, fresh, zesty and balanced, with unexpected depth. (Importer: Monsieur Touton Selections, New York)
Veramonte Casablanca Valley, Chile Sauvignon Blanc 2004
$7
**
Bone-dry and refreshing, with tart herb and mineral flavors. (Franciscan Estate Selections, Rutherford, Calif.)
Domaine Duffour Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne 2003
$7.40
**
Bright, intense fruit flavors, like sauvignon blanc except it's colombard. (Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, N.Y.)
Bodegas Salentein Mendoza, Argentina Sauvignon Blanc Finca el Portillo 2004
$9
**
Mild and refreshing, with citrus flavors. (San Francisco Wine Exchange)
Bolla Venezie I.G.T Pinot Grigio 2002
$10
**
Persistent melon, tropical fruit and honey flavors. (Brown-Forman Beverages Worldwide, Louisville, Ky.)
REDS
J. Vidal-Fleury Côtes-du-Rhône 2001
$8
***
Earthy and balanced, with lingering fruit flavors and a great sense of place. (W. J. Deutsch & Sons, White Plains, N.Y.)
Domaine Lafond Lirac Roc-Épine 2002
$8
**
Balanced fruit and tannins, with a pleasing bitter flavor. (Wines of France, Mountainside, N.J.)
Bonny Doon California Ca'del Solo Big House Red 2003
$10
**
Not complex, but full of spicy fruit flavors.
Sumarroca Penedès Tempranillo Barrel-Aged 2002
$10
*½
Herbal flavors, decent tannins. (Frontier Wine Imports, Dover, N.J.)
Bogle California Old Vine Zinfandel 2003
$9
*½
Juicy and fruity, but a little too sweet.
Easing the Way to Dinner
By MELISSA CLARK
Published: July 27, 2005
"LACKING the icy gloss of a dry martini or the urbanity of a perfect manhattan, aperitifs have always played the spinster aunt to the cocktail's gin-soaked good-time girl. And unlike a cocktail party, which looms large in our cultural consciousness, an aperitif party doesn't even register." -- Lottsa canape recipes with this, but they're a little basic...
