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The Daily Dish Archive

by Sally Bernstein

December 31, 2006
Goodbye to 2006! However you plan to spend New Year's Eve, enjoy it with family and friends. New York City's Times Square is ready for New Year’s with at least a million guests expected for the famously flashy celebrations.

December 30, 2006
New Grocery Store News: Natural food retailer Whole Foods Markets opened a new store in Dallas, Texas, December 6th showcasing several new features from the Austin-based grocery chain, including an in-house spa.

December 29, 2006
New Chocolate Cereals: Look for Life Chocolate Oat Crunch from Quaker and Special K Chocolatey Delight from Kellogg. Neither cereal will turn your milk brown but don't be fooled into thinking these cereals are completely good for you. Both companies are trying to cash in on the latest "chocolate is nutritious for you" craze. 19% of new foods and drinks launched in 2006 mention " chocolate" or "chocolate flavored," including a chocolate-flavored beer, wine and grilling rub. (USA Today)

December 28, 2006
New Beer Book & Newsletter: Sally's Place contributor Lucy Saunders has a new book GRILLING WITH BEER: Bastes, BBQ Sauces, Mops, Marinades and More Made with Craft Beer and an online newsletter. These 2 items are for those who enjoy grilling, BBQ and craft beer.

December 27, 2006
Hotel News: Ritz-Carlton is re-inventing the famous, luxury brand of 63 hotels by overhauling its image to accommodate a new crowd, one that prefers a less stuffy atmosphere. The Ritz-Carlton is working on design, mood, restaurants and service. You'll see fewer crystal chandeliers and hotels that resemble European chateaus and more contemporary art collections, modern design, well-known chef restaurants and more relaxed and casual service. (USA Today)

December 26, 2006
New Wine Article: Ramey Wine Cellars Raises the Bar by "It's Time for Wine" columnists Sara & Monty Preiser, discusses that each Ramey wine is distinctive in its own way, and reflects not only the character of the varietal and vineyard where the fruit is grown, but also David Ramey's own whims and desires.

December 25, 2006
Merry Christmas!

December 24, 2006
New Food Article: Spain: Spain Reigns at San Antonio, Texas New World Wine and Food Festival by Sharon Hudgins.

December 23, 2006
Food Terms: Prix Fixe, the French word for "fixed price," is defined as complete meal of several course items, sometimes with choices permitted, at a set price. The price is generally exclusive of all taxes and gratuity. The prix fixe is often presented as a supplement to a la carte items or, as is the case at many five-star restaurants, is the main attraction. These are often "tasting" or "degustation" menus, and typically the courses are plentiful and the portions small.

December 22, 2006
Crab News: Surimi, or imitation crab, has a new name. It is "Crab-flavored seafood, made with surimi, a fully cooked fish protein." After years of lobbying the seafood industry hopes the new label will help increase sales. Surimi is mainly made from lean, white fish such as Alaska pollack and Pacific whiting. (The Wall Street Journal)

December 21, 2006
Marshmallow Article: Candy Store Marshmallows This article, by Sally, first appeared in Travel Savvy magazine. It includes her Five Favorite U.S. Artisan Marshmallow Makers.

December 20, 2006
Travel Plans: Thinking of traveling this holiday season? Check out and save big with the 225 BookingWiz Top Travel Deals in the US and Abroad , which are updated every 10 minutes, 24 hours a day. Specials include airplane travel, hotels, car rentals and cruises.

December 19, 2006
New Wine Book: Oz Clarke's Pocket Wine Guide 2007 by Oz Clarke includes 1,600 reexamined and reconsidered wines, wineries, producers, and regions. What immediately sets this annual pocket guide apart from the competition is the A-Z format. Each entry, whether a wine, producer, grape, or region is accessible by name rather than by location. You can quickly find what you need. Once again, Oz Clarke has produced a guide of unrivaled quality. It is, quite simply, the best of all comprehensive pocket wine guides.

December 18, 2006
New Food Anthology Book: Death by Pad Thai: And Other Unforgettable Meals by Douglas Bauer is an anthology of some 20 short pieces focuses on each of the contributors' most memorable meals. From such writers as Amy Bloom, Claire Messud, Andre Dubus III, Richard Russo and Peter Mayle, Bauer gathers pieces about meals that were "unforgettable by occasion"—if not savoriness. The reliable Jane and Michael Stern, here writing separately, provide the most humorous essays. Jane Stern, today a great exponent of thoughtful American cookery, recalls with some embarrassment her first postwedding Thanksgiving, a menu loaded with half-baked ideas and overbaked frozen turkey. Michael recalls a "night of a thousand embarrassments" in "My Dinner with Andy Warhol's Friends," when the Sterns took a Swiss art dealer to a fish house in Hoboken, N.J. A very few of these essays have recipes attached.

December 17, 2006

New Food Article: Why Anchovies Deserve a Second Chance by Toni Lydecker. Anchovies from Camogli, a fishing village on Italy’s Ligurian coast, were split open by fishermen and deftly stripped out of their tiny, neatly formed skeletons. A recipe for Linguine with Anchovy Sauce is included.

December 16, 2006
Hanukkah Potato Latke Recipe: Hanukkah is a time for family and friends to gather around the table to commemorate the rededication of the temple of Jerusalem by lighting a candle each of eight nights. Eating foods that are cooked in oil, such as the much beloved potato latke, is also very much a part of the celebration.

December 15, 2006
New Restaurant Book: The Fearless Critic Austin Restaurant Guide by Robin Goldstein, Rebecca Markovits, and Monika Powe Nelson offers relentlessly opinionated full-page reviews of 390 places to eat in and around Austin, Texas. The Fearless Critic tells you where to eat--but also where not to eat.

December 14, 2006
New Indian Cookbook: Vij's: Elegant and Inspired Indian Cuisine by Vikram Vij and Meeru Dhalwala, owner of Vij's restaurant in Vancouver B.C., offer home cooks their best recipes. This personal collection of stories and original recipes, include typical dishes Tandoori Fish, Pork Vindaloo, and Butter Chicken, to name only a few. Beautiful color photos accompany many recipes.

December 13, 2006
New Wine Article: De Loach Vineyards and Russian Hill Estate Winery by "It's Time for Wine" columnists Sara & Monty Preiser, tells about two recent visits - one to the older, yet splendidly resurgent, De Loach Vineyards, and one to a sort of new kid on the block, the highly innovative Russian Hill Estate Winery.

December 12, 2006
Get Ready for the Holidays Article: Ten Last Minute Party Tips by Erika Lenkert.

December 11, 2006
Transfat News: The New York City Board of Health recently approved a measure that requires restaurants to phase out virtually all transfats from most of the items they serve. All city restaurants, from fast-food outlets to white-tablecloth eateries, will have to switch to frying oil that leaves food with less than half a gram of transfat per serving by July. Then, by July, 2008, almost all the rest of their food will have to meet the same standard. (Gourmet News)

December 10, 2006
New Wine Book: A Hedonist in the Cellar: Adventures in Wine by novelist Jay Mcinerney is a collection of short essays, reproduced from his monthly column in House & Garden. McInerney, author of Bright Lights, Big City; and The Good Life, brings a novelist's gift and idiosyncratic wit to his personal investigations, which touch on the Rieslings from the Finger Lakes, the "forgotten whites" of Bordeaux, new developments in the wines of Chile and Argentina, spirits like Armagnac and artisinal champagnes, and much more.

December 9, 2006
New Restaurant Cookbook: Sierra Mar Cookbook by Craig von Foerster showcases the Post Ranch Inn's restaurant in Big Sur, California. This 264 page colorful, visually stunning book of Chef Craig's focuses on his Asian, French and Mediterranean fusion menu. Sierra Mar was ranked as the #1 Hotel Restaurant in California by Zagat Surveys in March 2006.

December 8, 2006
Hotel Award: Relais & Châteaux names Healdsburg, California's Les Mars Hotel as the only new 2007 North American property and the only Sonoma, California property to hold this distinction. Les Mars Hotel opened in March, 2005.

December 7, 2006
New Chef's Cookbook: Michael Mina: The Cookbook by San Francisco chef Michael Mina and JoAnn Cianciulli is a 256 page tome with 100 beautifully crisp photos. Mina knows that cooks like to master one recipe but then try different flavors with the main ingredient. His cookbook reveals how to recreate his trio concept, where a master recipe is followed by three flavor variations, each with its own variations and accompanied by side dishes created just for that version.

December 6, 2006
New Spice Reference Book: The Spice and Herb Bible by Ian Hemphill and Kate Hemphill is a great resource... along with full-color photographs, you'll find historical information as well as tips on buying, storage and usage. This indispensable addition to any kitchen library is perfect for both the novice and the experienced cook.

December 5, 2006
New Cookbook: Memories of Philippine Kitchens by Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan, both Philippines natives, who own and operate Cendrillon, a popular restaurant they opened in New York in 1995. Dorotan is the highly acclaimed chef. Their book offers more than 100 unique recipes culled from private Filipino kitchens and their own acclaimed menu, including Lumpia, Pancit, and Kinilaw to Adobo and Lehon (the art of the well-roasted pig).

December 4, 2006
Peanut News: "Cocktail Peanut Dress " Unveiled at the 9th Annual Chocolate Show in New York. Peanut Butter & Co. has joined forces with the National Peanut Board and Broadway costume designer Gregory Gale to create The Cocktail Peanut Dress, which was unveiled at the Chocolate Fashion Show in New York City in November.  The Chocolate Fashion Show was the headline event of 9th Annual Chocolate Show's opening night, a gala benefit to raise funds for the Felix Organization/Adoptees For Children.

December 3, 2006
New Beer Article: No "Whining" From Samuel Adams by "It's Time for Wine" columnists Sara & Monty Preiser. This article tells how Samuel Adams pairs well with dishes served at a fine dining meal.

December 2, 2006
Great Holiday Gift Idea: Gustiamo.com Italy's Best Foods -- is the online source for artisanal Italian gourmet food. The easiest way to replenish the pantry with first quality ingredients made by the last Italian food artisans, Gustiamo offers regional specialties such as pesto made with basil leaves grown in Liguria, vine tomatoes ripened on the Mount Vesuvius, prized Mediterranean Bluefin tuna fished in Sicily, traditional Sicilian confections and Coffee from Sant'Eustachio Caffe' in Rome... All products are exclusive to Gustiamo and are delivered in 24 hours anywhere in America.

December 1, 2006
Get Ready for the Holidays Article : Must-Haves for Holiday Entertaining by Erika Lenkert.


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