Gastronomy 101

One of the best parts of spring and summer is getting to preserve your favorite flavors for later use. Jellies, jams, pickles, etc. are all fun to make and let you save the fruits and vegetables that are in season so that you can enjoy them even in the winter. I've tried to make marmalade once before and it didn't quite work. I used a recipe that didn't involve pectin, relying on the pectin in the fruit to thicken it and I ended up with a lemon syrup rather than a marmalade. Luckily it could still be used for something (ice cream!) but it wasn't what I was really trying to make. This time I chose a recipe that was virtually foolproof and as a bonus it had an added ginger flavor that was really appealing to me. The only difficulty I had was in reducing the recipe, since I had a different size of pectin packet than the recipe anticipated so figuring out the amount to use was kind of tricky. I probably could have used a bit less than I did, but the marmalade still turned o

The other day, I was invited to a preview tasting and showcase for the winners of the Los Angeles International Wine and Spirits Competition . The competition for wine takes place over three days, during which time a panel of 75 judges from all over the world tasted 3400 different wines. They were judged in three different categories this year based on price: $14.99 and under; $15-$29.99; and $30 and up. In each price category there were "best in class" winners for each type of wine and from each group of "best in class" wines was chosen a "best in show" winner in each price category in red and white wines. For the first time, electronic voting was implemented so that each judge placed their vote completely unaware of what others were voting. In previous years it was a hand-raising system, which could have influenced the votes, by others being allowed to see what the most prestigious judges were voting for. Not so anymore! When I arrived, I had the opportu

In my attempt to do more than just show you pretty pictures of food and talk superficially about something to do with that food, I'd like to try to diversify my topics. Having a passion for something isn't just about enjoying it as a hobby, it's also about trying to support and maintain conditions that are ideal for pursuing your hobby. For example, ideally hunters should be concerned with conservation and environmental preservation, since without thriving wilderness and healthy animal populations, they would not be able to hunt. Wine lovers should be concerned about global warming, since changes to the climate mess with a region's ability to produce wine. Sports fans should be concerned about integrity within the professional sporting world, as corruption tends to inhibit the spirit of competition that makes sports so enjoyable. And food lovers? Food lovers should be concerned with food politics as well. Not only should we be concerned with sustainable, responsible foo