| Fresh Food | Daniel Lenko, Pietro Nera, Wyndym Farm, |
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| Fresh Food | Daniel Lenko, Pietro Nera, Wyndym Farm, |
More (Archives + Search) * Contact * Subscribe (it's free) * About Us * Wine Agents * NEW: Gremoblog | ||
| Browse or Search All of Gremolata  Gremolata; gremolada: [greh-moh-LAH-tah] A garnish made of minced parsley, lemon peel and garlic. It's sprinkled over osso buco and other dishes to add a fresh, sprightly flavour. (Source: Food Network Encyclopaedia) | Daniel Lenko: Niagara's Cult Vintner The Lenko family vines were first planted at their farm outside Beamsville in the 1950s, but unless you're a serious Niagara collector or just a plain fanatic, you probably have never seen, heard or tasted a Daniel Lenko Estate Winery wine. Part of that could be, that to buy a bottle, you have to drive there yourself and wait at the kitchen table! Despite the age of the vines, the winery itself is relatively new, although this hasn't stopped them from amassing numerous awards and love from critics around the world. Gremolata's Chris Willsher made the trek and came back to tell us about Daniel Lenko and his family winery: Ontario's best kept wine secret...[more]. | Gremolata Presents the 2005 James Beard Award Winners * * * | |||
Northern Italian Cheese Summer inevitably means the fresh Bufala Mozzarella from Campagnia in Italy's South. But this is neither the only region for fresh Italian cheese, nor the only use for Bufala. This month, The Cheese Boutique has imported a number of rare fresh Italian cheeses, chiefly from the Northern regions of Piedmont and Lombardy. There are Robiola's, a fresh Bufala Ricotta - which is a fantastic use for the super-rich Buffalo milk, Stracchino (a great match with the Sassella below). The best thing to do is to go up to the counter and ask to see them all...so good. Not that there isn't any fresh Bufala. In fact, they have just put out for the first time a Bufala with truffles that is ridiculously opulent. A perfect patio appetizer, eaten with nothing but toothpicks. And finally, Afrim Pristine reminded Gremolata that the Boutique carries Umbrian black truffles throughout the summer, should you want a fix before the white truffle season starts again in the North. | |||||
Pietro Nera's Sassella Riserva It is quite impossible to have a conversation with anyone remotely associated with marketing wine that does not include the 'T' word: terroir. Ever since Mondovino, apparently every wine maker has discovered his or her vines grow in soil: an important fact they seem to have previously forgotten. Now, location, location, location is driving up the price of the best known appellations like never before. The trick, then, for the crafty and price-wise consumer is to find the terroirs that have not yet been wholly celebrated. The 1999 Sassella Riserva (LCBO# 707208 - $19.95 - released in Vintages on May 28) from wine maker Pietro Nera is a great example of a (just) under $20 wine that drinks like a $40-$50 bottle from a better known region. In this case, the DCOG is Valtellina Superior on the northern frontier of Lombardy and Switzerland. The wine is a 90% nebbiolo / 10% cab sauv that stands up to its much higher priced Northern Italian cousins, Barolo, Barbaresco and Barberra. Dean Tudor put it succinctly, when he wrote, "an excellent value for nebbiolo lovers, ripe and ready, buy it all up." The 1999 Sassella Riserva is widely available in Toronto and throughout the province. Summerhill, Queen's Quay and Bayview Village all report large inventories. To find a store that carries it near you, click here. | |||||
Wyndym's Farmer Dave Reports From the Fields Gremolata was very pleased this week to hear from Dave Perkins at Wyndym Farm in Niagara. Here's what Dave told us he has been picking: "Multi-coloured baby radish, French breakfast radish, Asian salad, baby white stem pak choi, flat leaf arugula, wild arugula, braising greens (a blend nicknamed Amaro di Pesce by Rob Fraccioni at the Millcroft Inn who helped design it)." This should be a great guide to what to look for in the markets and shops in the next few days and weeks. Dave added that Tokyo turnips would be ready by the end of this week. Dave mentioned that the very dry weather (driest May in 70 years) had slowed some growing and necessitated irrigation - some produce may be a little late this year. Finally Dave put forward his "anti-mesclun" stance, explaining his ten year plus frustration with the California plastic boxed greens he said, " I have decided to put my money where my mouth is and not offer mesclun to customers, although demand is strong on it. Instead, I have developed assortments of baby heads of lettuce to be used by each chef/restaurant as a means of composing their salads- giving more creativity. The first ones will go out this weekend." If you're interested in getting your own baby lettuce mix or Farmer Dave's other produce, Wyndym will be operating a "farmstand" starting in July. For details, visit Wyndym's website by clicking here. | |||||
 | Huh? Wine Seasoning? There's some very strange things happening to wine glasses in California restaurants. New LA-based Gremolata columnist Ben Wiener reports that the good old squeeze the cork, sniff and swirl will no longer do for wine service and sophisticated diners from the Bay Area to Beverly Hills are learning to expect their wine to be "seasoned"...[more]. | ||||
Mas des Bressades Rosé A well known Toronto wine writer confided to Gremolata recently that he does not serve red wine between June and September. This may be a little extreme, but the sentiment's right: there are so many great whites and rosés out there and they can be so lovely when served chilled on a warm day. One of the best of the bunch currently on release happens to be one of the best priced. At $12.95, the 2004 Mas des Bressades Rosé (LCBO# 950576) won five out of five stars from Vic Harradine, who raved "The flavours are nuanced and varied (red plums, cherries and cranberries) and the finish is the best of all, lengthy, tangy and just the right amount of acidity to clean it all up" in the Wine Current's last newsletter. The good news, beyond the price and reviews, is that the Mas des Bressades is widely available throughout the province's Vintages outlets (too many carry it to list). You can always look up a store carrying it by clicking here. | |||||
Splendido's Yannick Bigourdan and David Lee *UPDATED: to see David Lee's new Spring Tasting Menu "Exotica Canadiana" click here.* When Toronto Life's Foodie Godhead James Chatto wrote that his all time best dinner of 2004 was at Splendido, Yannick Bigourdan and David Lee knew their restaurant had truly been reborn as one of Toronto's top dining destinations. It hasn't always been easy (their grand re-opening party was slated for September 11, 2001), but over the course of three and a half years the partners have gradually and slowly reinvented the Harbord St. landmark, taking a declining 90's hold-over "Bar & Grill" and turning it into a French-inspired temple of regional, seasonal cuisine. From the little stools for ladies' handbags, to the exhaustive wine list and considered pairings of Sommelier Carlo Catallo, Splendido keeps pushing to be ahead of the game. Gremolata sat down with Lee and Bigourdan to find out more about the two men responsible for this amazing comeback...[more]. | |||||
Gremolata People: | ||||||
 David Miller |  Leah McLaren |  Matt Galloway |  Paula Wolfert |  Natalie MacLean |  Claudia Dey | |
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