Gourmet

Organized roughly from least to most intense—from mild Hefeweizen all the way to robustly sweet and bitter Imperial Stout—this chart gives a general sense of beer style so you can train yourself to be a better taster. Dave McLean also ...

A hands-on wine blending workshop at Lavau winery in Provence, France (Still thirsty? See Liqurious)

Designer Kate Jenkins goes for a mix of realism and humor in her crocheted works of art. Here, the poppy seed bagel looks quite delectable until you notice the lips on that lox. 2012 © Kate Jenkins Throughout history, food has been sketched in pencil, painted in watercolors and oils and cast in stone. In the 1960s, Wayne Thiebaud replicated cakes and pastries in great pastel detail. Centuries before that, the Italian painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo painted fruits and vegetables in the shape of human faces. Designer Kate Jenkins immortalizes food in a different medium: lambswool. Jenkins crochets meals that look almost realistic enough to eat, from birthday cakes and chocolates to roasted chicken and topping-heavy pizzas. “The possibilities are kind of endless with food, because it appeals to everybody,” says the Brighton-based designer. “We all have to eat.” Jenkins began crocheting food in 2003 to boost publicity for her new accessories label, Cardigan. “Everybody loves food,” says Jenkins, who studied fashion and textile at Brighton University. Before that, she spent a decade as a knitting consultant, selling her designs to fashion labels such as Marc Jacobs, Missoni, Donna Karan and others. Stuffed Boars Head with assorted vegetables, 2013 © Kate Jenkins Her first piece was a woven take on the full English breakfast. Jenkins fashioned the eggs, sausage, bacon and beans out of wool, which she says is “a comforting kind of textile to use.” The medium aligned perfectly with her first collection, “Comfort Food,” which chronicled the usual suspects of British cuisine: fish and chips, bangers and mash and fried eggs and beans on toast. A few years later, Jenkins borrowed inspiration from across the pond. “Kate’s Diner,” a collection of classic New York foods, featured burgers and fries, hot dogs, pretzels and donuts. Her crocheted chow mein in a takeout box appears on Smithsonian magazine’s June cover. Mexican Burrito © Kate Jenkins One crocheted dish can take between one to three weeks to complete, depending on the level of detail involved. She usually lays out the ingredients, or photos of them, out in front of her as a reference. While traditional artists can sketch out an idea on paper and erase what they don’t like, Jenkins must weave part, if not all, of an ingredient before seeing if it will work. “Often I’m making something for the first time, and there’s a lot of trial and error involved and stopping and starting,” she says. “It’s not as quick as a pencil sketch—it’s a lot longer because I’m making a 3D piece.” Tinned sardines, 2012 © Kate Jenkins Jenkins’ favorite foods to crochet are crustaceans, which are usually adorned with shiny sequins. She’s woven enough of them in her career to fill an entire collection featuring canapes, caviar, “sewshi” and different types of fish. Crocheting bread is another story. “A slice of bread is quite boring to look at,” says Jenkins, who will spice plain-looking loaves and slices with a more textured look or deeper color in the crust. While Jenkins says she’s a healthy eater who cooks for herself, she’s not an avid home chef. “I’d prefer to crochet the food than spend hours making it. Being a cook is an art form in itself, and I think it takes a lot of practice to become really good at cooking. My time is best spent sticking to something I’m good at.”

This week’s roundup from Tasteologie and Liqurious includes Crème Brûlée Pie Pops, Aubergine and Quinoa Croquettes, and Strawberry Vodka Martinis. (Still thirsty? See Liqurious)

I've written about many wines from Cognac One, an importer that I know mostly from the Xavier Flouret marque. However, they import many other wonderful bottles, and have just brought a new bargain Bordeaux ($20) to the United States. If you read a lot of British novels written in the 70s and 80s as I did, you'd find many references to a "fine bottle of claret", opened at lunch in the case of Rumpole or at more appropriate hours in many other works. In these cases, they were referring to affordable, properly aged blended wines from Bordeaux. Here we're talking about the right bank of the Dordogne in the small subregion of Montagne Saint-Émilion. The vineyard is owned by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild, the only son of Baron Edmond Adolphe de Rothschild, who held substantial investments in the Bordeaux region, and the famous family has been involved in French wine production for 150 years. 2009 Château de MalenginMontagne Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon$20, 13.5% abv.The initial impression carries aromas of deep black cherry, and a little pencil shavings. Underlying tones of prune and spice. On the palate, you encounter smooth tannins and a light, mildly fruity body. Pleasant finish, and an excellent quality-price ratio. I enjoyed it with a bleu cheese burger and steak-cut fries with a rich aïoli. Excellent combination, and an affordable and delicious Bordeaux for the weekday dinner table. Note: This wine was provided as a sample.

A beautiful view of Kaniatarowanenneh, the "big waterway" which is more commonly known as the St. Lawrence River. This is one of the sights I viewed during TasteCamp, a three day visit to Quebec, tasting wines, ciders, beers and local foods. However, this view was not on our itinerary and was discovered during a detour to eat some poutine. Outside of the official Taste Camp events, I used my free time to explore some of the other culinary offerings of Quebec and Montreal.I found much that was worthy of mention, from excellent restaurants to a killer food market. However, I didn't take many photos of these extracurricular activities as I chose more to relax and savor the food. I still want to rave about them though, to provide some recommendations for anyone traveling to Quebec and Montreal. I arrived in Montreal on Thursday night, a day early for Taste Camp, so I had some extra time to explore the city. For dinner, I went to Kaizen, a Japanese sushi bar and restaurant located on St. Catherine's Street. This is a sleek and rather large restaurant, divided into several different rooms. The main dining area has a high ceiling, and possess a nice elegance though without being stuffy. However, the background music was a bit disconcerting, making it seem more like a lounge than a restaurant.The menu was extensive, including lots of intriguing selections, and includes much sushi, which you can get with brown rice instead of white if you so desire. We ordered some sushi, all which was fresh, large and delicious. The tamago, the omelet, was especially tasty, one of the best I have had. The organic salmon sashimi was also very good. For hot dishes, the fried calamari was some of the best I have tasted, small and tender rectangular pieces with a delightfully crisp batter. The sweet potato fries came with a curry-like dipping sauce topped by thin slices of foie gras. The crisp, plump fries went well with the dipping sauce and the foie was heavenly. A large bowl of mussels were prepared in a savory Sake broth, and they were addictive. Everything we ate was fantastic.I was disappointed with the tiny number of Sakes on their wine list, and the only one that appealed to me cost over $600, which is not within reach of my wallet. The list though had a superb collection of wines, albeit pricey which is a common issue with most restaurants in Montreal. The wines came from all over the world, and included plenty of quirky and interesting wines. Wine lovers will certainly love perusing this list and will be sure to find something of interest. We ordered a Priorat white wine and an Austrian Blaufrankisch, both which I enjoyed.Service was impressive, including the sommelier. We had to send back the first wine we ordered as it was flawed, and the sommelier took it right back without question. The food was reasonably priced and we left the restaurant very satisfied. Kaizen receives a strong recommendation.On Friday morning, Taste Camp began with a late morning winery visit. I and my traveling companions, including Adam of Wine Zag, were a bit early so we drove around exploring the area. We stumbled upon the above roadside restaurant, drawn by the fact that they served poutine. I later learned that this restaurant has been around for many years and is a bit of a landmark. Poutine was likely invented in the 1950s in Quebec and essentially consists of french fries topped by brown gravy and cheese curds. There are plenty of variations, but the basic form is quite satisfying.Adam had never had poutine before so this was his opportunity to taste this decadent and fattening dish. A Poutine Virgin. We all, including Adam, enjoyed the poutine, while sitting looking out over the St. Lawrence River and you can see our view at the top of this post. A perfect way to start the morning.Our hotel was on the border of Chinatown and I spent some time exploring the streets of this small neighborhood. There were dozens of restaurants, bakeries, tea shops, souvenir stores,

WORLD WINE WATCH (LCBO VINTAGES TIP SHEET) FOR MAY 25, 2013^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^By DEAN TUDOR, Gothic Epicures Writing deantudor@deantudor.com. Creator of Canada's award-winning wine satire site at http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.com. My Internet compendium"Wines, Beers and Spirits of the Net" is a guide to thousands of news items and RSS feeds, plus references to wines, beers and spirits, at www.deantudor.com since 1994. My tastings are based on MVC (Modal Varietal Character); ratings are QPR (Quality-to-Price Ratio). Prices are LCBO retail. Only my top rated wines are here. NOTE: The LCBO does NOT put out all of the wines of the release for wine writers or product consultants. Corked wines are not normally available for a re-tasting. ======>>>> ** BEST WINE VALUE OF THE RELEASE *UNDER* $20 Domaines Schlumberger Les Princes Abbes Pinot Gris 2010 Alsace: excellent typicity, PG as it used to be in Alsace, with tropical fruit, soft but long finish, nothing cloying. 13.5% ABV. +21253, $19.95, QPR: 91. ======>>>> ** BEST WINE VALUE OF THE RELEASE *OVER* $20 Santa Sofia Arleo Rosso 2003 IGT Rosso del Veronese, +320846, $25.95. TOP VALUE WHITE WINES under $20 or so.^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^1. G. Marquis The Silver Line Chardonnay 2011 Single Vineyard Niagara Stone Road VQA NOTL: lightly oaked six months, elegant orchard fruit, slightly off-dry, creamy. +258681, $16.95, QPR: 89.2. Domaine Le Comte Quincy 2011 Loire: great elegance, smooth, not at all racy. Perfect as aperitif. +172528, $18.95, QPR: 89.3. Henri Poiron Fief Giraud Muscadet Sevre & Maine Sue Lie 2011: light and crisp, great with seafood or first course, 12% ABV. +327726, $14.95, QPR: 89.4. Miopasso Fiano 2011 IGT Sicilia: well-rounded, thickly concentrated, aromatic, 14.5% ABV. Orchard fruit and minerals in the finish. +326793, $14.95, QPR: 89. TOP VALUE RED WINES under $20 or so.^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^1. Don Cristobal 1492 Oak Reserve Shiraz 2010 Mendoza: in new French oak for one year, more in shiraz style as labeled. +236133, $13.95, QPR: 89.2. Wakefield Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 Clare Valley South Australia: a juicy big wine, lots of cherries and vanilla. +744235, $17.95, QPR: 89.3. Chateau Belair-Coubet 2010 Cotes de Bourg: a typical Bordeaux, and affordable. Ripeness and fruit on the front palate from merlot, spice from cabernet sauvignon. 13.5% ABV. Gold medalist. +321414, $16.95, QPR: 89.4. Château La Grange de Bessan 2009 Medoc: another Gold Medalist, 13.5% ABV. Delicious modern NA style, upfront juiciness of red and black berries, mocha, vanilla, wood. +321331, $19.95, QPR: 90.5. Pipoli Aglianico del Vulture 2010 Basilicata: slightly off-dry, made in modern style (older vultures were heavy-styled). 13.5% ABV. +320507, $14.95, QPR: 89.6. Tedeschi Capitel San Rocco Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2011: the LCBO Ripasso of the month, 14.5% ABV. +719294, $18.95, QPR: 89. VALUE: "RESTAURANT READY" or "BRING YOUR OWN WINE BOTTLE" over $20^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Restaurants should consider offering these FINE VALUE wines at a $10 markup over retail; the wines are READY to enjoy right NOW. Consumers should buy these wines to bring to restaurants with corkage programs. 1. Saint-Clair Pioneer Block 10 Chardonnay 2010 Marlborough NZ, +317651, $25.95 retail.2. Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Calcaire Gewurztraminer 2009 Alsace, +320481, $29.953. Dr. Hermann Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese 2005, +324285, $21.95.4.Siglas Santorini Assyrtiko 2011 Greece, +74781, $21.95.5. Domaine Bousquet Grande Reserve Malbec 2010 Mendoza, +303701, $21.95.6. Chateau Philippe-le-Hardi Hautes Cotes de Beaune 2010, +330852, $22.95.7. Piccini Vila al Cortile Brunello di Montalcino 2006, +164855, $36.95.8. Ruffino Ducale Oro Chianti Classico Riserva 2007, +353201, $44.95. Chimo! www.deantudor.com

3 Berry Sangria from Yeah...Imma Eat That (Still thirsty? See Liqurious)

strawberry jalapeño margarita with chile dusted rim ... who knew you could juice a jalapeño? (Still thirsty? See Liqurious)

1. PAIRING FOOD & WINE FOR DUMMIES (John Wiley & Sons, 2013, 382 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-39957-6, $22.99 US soft covers) is by John Szabo, Canada's first Master Sommelier (2004). He is now a wine consultant to restaurant and a free-lance wine writer (e.g. winealign.com). Here he has done an excellent job of dialing down the process of food and wine pairing, and that is a good thing since many people still to seem to follow the older rigid rules. Knowing the best wines to pair with food (and vice versa) is the height of the modern art of social food graces. Of course, there are many apps for this matching: just key in your wine or your food and back come some choices. But Szabo tries to explain the rationales, and hopefully reduce your dependence on Internet resources. When dining out, you can only go to the bathroom or lobby just so many times when you want to check your apps/email/texts/tweets. He proposes strategies for food low and high (burgers, bbq, Asiatic, fusion, haute cuisines). Along the way he delves into using your own senses and tastes to develop likes and dislikes with your mouthfeel. Styles of wine and food are discussed, restaurant sommelier advice is consumed, and finding a restaurant that knows what it is doing with wines ? all are important here. At the end, he goes into how to put on a wine and food party, beyond the cheese and snacks, to figure out which kinds of wine to served, how much wine, and with which foods.Audience and level of use: beginners, those without a phone app. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: his top ten food-friendly wines include unoaked chardonnay, riesling, sauvignon blanc, champagne, pinot noir, gamay, and valpolicella.The downside to this book: wine markups in restaurants are not discussed.The upside to this book: useful enough for both Canada and the US.Quality/Price Rating: 92. Chimo! www.deantudor.com