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August 25, 2005
Encyclopedia of Food (0)
I started getting Wine Spectator in 1993 when I went to work for a small winery in Dallas. I liked wine, but had little knowledge on the subject. Don, the owner taught me some basics, and handed me a stack of books. He also paid for my first subscription, and made me feel less intimidated about wine. Don had tasted around the world and yet he said, "The great thing about wine is that you learn something new every time you open a bottle." To me this was magic. Even the most knowledgeable wine enthusiast had an entire field to study with each vintage.
I worked in the tasting room. My days consisted of helping customers taste and reading about wine. At 8pm when I closed up the shop, I had an hour to get to a liquor store to buy something I had read about earlier in the day.
I have always recommended the magazine highly to anyone interested in learning more about wine. It is filled with information and wine ratings, and the vintage card that they produce each year always ends up in my wallet. The card gives you an overall rating for several recent vintages in each major wine region. It is a great resource at a restaurant when there isn't anything familiar on the list and you aren't sure if your waiter can give you a good recommendation.
The latest issue of Wine Spectator, "The Encyclopedia of Food" is extraordinary. It is filled with basic, encyclopedic (of course) information. After reading about half of this enormous issue, I realize that while I have gained a certain amount of food knowledge in my lifetime, there are loads of basics that I need to learn or study further. Ultimately, I would be a better cook when I wasn't using a recipe. It would also afford me the chance to experiment with a greater chance of success.
This issue is divided into basic categories: Meat, Deli Meat, Poultry, Seafood, Produce, Dairy, Pantry, Bread, Oil & Vinegar, Chocolate, Coffee & Tea, Equipment, and Wine. The categories are subdivided into a thorough list of components. (e.g. Poultry has information about almost any edible bird) Each section is filled with advice on how, where, and when to buy, preparation, cooking methods, and wine paring information, along with interesting maps, charts, and diagrams.
There are quite a few tidbits that I picked up; some I should have known-- others might surprise most (like the fact that morels are not true mushrooms). Go pick up your copy today!
Posted by Rich at August 25, 2005 1:23 PM
