Sip, Sip, Hooray: Part 2

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Made from Monterey grapes, the 2020 Tribute Pinot Noir.
Made from Monterey grapes, the 2020 Tribute Pinot Noir.

2020 Tribute Pinot Noir

You know the Benziger name, of course, as the Sonoma winery that has been growing grapes biodynamically and organically for more than 40 years for its roster of award-winning wines.

In 2021, Chris Benziger, the youngest of the family’s seven children, embarked on his own brand, Tribute, meant to honor his iconic family and to build on his own roots.

Recently, I had a chance to sample one of its newest releases, the 2020 Tribute Pinot Noir from Monterey County. A juicy tasting wine, it exudes big notes of cherry, blackberries and strawberries with hints of leather and clove. It’s a medium body wine that is velvety on the palate.

This wine is ideal with summer salmon on the grill or pretty much any kind of pork dish, whether it be a juicy chop, kebabs or meatloaf.

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Way More Than A Grain of Salt

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Salt in the form of fish sauce adds umami to these easy kebabs.
Salt in the form of fish sauce adds umami to these easy kebabs.

Anyone who knows me knows that I gravitate to the sweet.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy and appreciate the salty.

After all, salt is one of the most essential ingredients in cooking. It boosts flavor and balances tastes. It can add moisture; and leech out excess liquid to firm up textures. It can also preserve and ferment.

For a real appreciation of all the forms that salt take and what they can do just pick up a copy of “The Miracle of Salt” (Artisan, 2022).

This comprehensive book is by Naomi Duguid, a writer, photographer and world traveler who has made a career out of immersing herself completely in the traditions and cultures of various foodstuffs in her award-winning cookbooks.

This fascinating book looks at how salt is harvested around the world, from Japan to Ethiopia to Gujarat in India. You’ll learn how to use salt in new ways, such as to make your own “Red Miso” from scratch and “Quick Salted Egg Yolks” that can be grated over pasta like bottarga.

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Diving Into Del Popolo’s Frozen Pizzas

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Potato, rosemary, and mozzarella pizza baked from frozen -- from Del Popolo.
Potato, rosemary, and mozzarella pizza baked from frozen — from Del Popolo.

You know you’ve made it when you not only graduate from a insanely popular food truck to a wildly successful brick-and-mortar pizzeria but finally to primo frozen pizzas stocked at discerning local grocery stores.

That’s the story of San Francisco’s Del Popolo, started by owner Jon Darsky who started hauling a 5,000-pound pizza oven around in a deconstructed shipping container in 2012 before opening his Del Popolo pizzeria in 2015.

The frozen pizzas.
The frozen pizzas.

During the pandemic, it started offering frozen pizzas, which can now be found at the restaurant, as well as in the freezer cases at Bi-Rite Market, Rainbow Grocery, Berkeley Bowl, Piazza’s Fine Foods, Draeger’s, Epicurean Trader, and Whole Foods.

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Irish Teatime Bakewell Tart For St. Paddy’s Day — And Beyond

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A classic Irish tart especially for almond lovers.
A classic Irish tart especially for almond lovers.

With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, all stomachs turn to corned beef and cabbage.

But mine? It’s squarely on “Irish Teatime Bakewell Tart.”

Buttery, flaky crust. Sweet raspberry jam. Plenty of crunchy almonds. And a thick layer of heavenly almond pastry cream. Who can resist?

This recipe is from “A Return to Ireland” (Hatherleigh Press, 2022), of which I received a review copy. It’s by Judith McLoughlin, an Irish chef who now makes her home in Atlanta, where she hosts cooking classes.

The book is a collection of both classic rustic Irish dishes, as well as more modern refined ones with Southern influences. See for yourself with a taste of “Irish Stout & Onion Soup with Blue Cheese,” “Low Country Watermelon Pickles,” “Slow Braised Shoulder of Lamb Stew,” and “Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Whiskey Truffles.”

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In Praise of Pi Day

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Celebrating Pi Day in a big way.
Celebrating Pi Day in a big way.

Someone on social media recently praised the glories of Pie Week, which could only mean that the usual Pie Day or Pi Day has now given way to an entire week of celebrating instead.

That’s my kind of inflation.

But who can blame people for wanting an excuse to indulge in even more crusted creations?

March 14 (or 3/14) commemorates pi, the mathematical constant rounded to 3.14, which is the ratio of the circumference of any circle to its diameter. In other words, no matter how small or large the circle, the ratio will always equal 3.14. It’s since turned into a perfect excuse to revel in pie.

Fun fact: Pi Day was founded in 1988 by physicist Larry Shaw, who worked at San Francisco’s Exploratorium for decades. How’s that for proud local lore?

You don’t have to be an expert in pi to enjoy pie. In fact, just use the day — or week — to treat yourself to a slice or slab, either homemade or from your favorite bakery.

A mix of mushrooms make up this hearty filling.
A mix of mushrooms make up this hearty filling.

I decided to go savory this year, and attempt something somehow both rustic and regal looking after spying “Mushroom Ragout in A Savory Crust” in the New York Times archives.

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