World On A Plate

Stage 10- Born to Rhone Deux

Nestled beneath the impressive Mont Blanc, Europe's rooftop at 15,771 feet, is the Rhone-Alpes region which borders Switzerland and Italy. The area extends out toward the Rhone wine areas west of Lyon.

It's capital, Lyon is the second largest in France and a mecca for gourmands. The region itself offers 24 microclimates allowing for a wide variety of agriculture and food production. So with the chicken farms of the Bresse and the cattle ranches of Charolais, wild game (guinea fowl) of the Dombes, fish from the Savoy lakes, fruits and vegetables of the Rhône valley and the poultry of theForez region are all within easy reach and supply Rhône-Alpes battalion of grand chefs.  There are a total of 62 Michelin-starred restaurants of which five have three stars and 11 have two stars. The 10 Beaujolais crus and the wines of Côtes-du-Rhône, along with a wide range of cheeses including Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage (AOC), Reblochon (AOC) all pairing well with the region's specialties.

Today the start of the race shifted to a different starting point due to a farmer's protest.  They were protesting the reintroduction of wolves in the Alps. So naturally my mind wandered to what these farmers where growing and what the organics looks like here ? 

Organics is still a relatively niche market in France, representing only 0.5% of total retail food sales. More and more supermarkets are outlets for selling organics.  Biocoop is a smaller version of our Wild Oats or Whole Foods. It has over 230 stores today and is expanding everyday--much like Whole Foods.  Health food stores and open air markets make up 35% of total sales; supermarkets 45%.

In 1981 organic legislation was passed; in 1985 the state-approved organic logo started appearing gaining wider acceptance of organics in France and throughout Europe. Products with this logo contain more than 95 percent organic components, and are produced or processed within the EU.

By 1999 more than "60 percent of the organic land is located in the six regions of Basse Normandie, Bretagne, Pays de la Loire, Languedoc-Roussillon, Midi-Pyrénées and Rhône-Alpes, which account for less than 40 percent of the French agricultural area." (French Ag Report 2003)

The Rhône-Alpes is one of the most dynamic regions in France in the agro-food industries. The irony is that while some of the best producers, farmers and cheesemakers can be found so can the French HQ of Monsanto, one of the leaders in GMOs as does Bayer Crop Science, one of the largest "crop protector" companies.

All of this makes me believe that there is room for opportunity everywhere, much like there is here in the U.S., for organic advocacy.  The region also sounds very similar to the Bay Area and California in general. Well, all except for the Alps.

Image:  Pajaro Street Grill

Podcasts-Lance in France

I have two obsessions right now the Tour de France and podcasts. With the latest release of ITUNES (4.9) you can now manage--automatically--all your subscriptions in one place.  Now be aware and be warned there's a lot of mediocre sprinkled with some excellent audio out there. I've been doing a lot of heavy listening on my commute.  A review in the form of a post on food podcasts should be ready in the coming week. But since this site is a growing dedication to TDF and food found on the race course, back to why podcasts. 

Sirius has a "Lance in France" short daily program.  A good place to stop and get some local color--weather, chit-chat from the race site.  Aside from the gratuitous Sheryl Crowe dribble, "He's a bad-ass and a good kisser." , it's quick and keeps you connected to Lance (via post-race interviews) and other insights and highlights from the day's cycling. If you have ITUNES 4.9 go to the Store, click on Podcasts in the search box type in Tour de France. Viola subscribe! 

And I think I've crossed the line--I find this list of TDF factoids--well, truely fascinating:

• Calories consumed by a rider per day: 5,900 average, 9,000 max (that's a lot of cheese!)
• Most stages won by a single rider, career total: 34, Eddy Merckx (1969: six stages and overall; 1970: eight stages and overall; 1971: four stages and overall; 1972: six stages and overall; 1974: eight stages and overall; 1975: two stages)
• Most days spent in yellow jersey: 96–Eddy Merckx (in 7 participations)

 

Stage 9 Mountains of Choucroute

Gérardmer - Mulhouse, 171 km; 105.6 miles

The first of the class mountain climbs today. There's now only 177 riders competing. If you're keeping track--and if you are reading this to do so well I encourage you to go here or here for updates---this here is just one woman's justification for abandoning everything for three weeks without losing sight of its purpose. Michael Rasmussen (Denmark) and his KofM polka-dotted self won today--by a long lead. I'm impressed with the CSC team this year. Right from the beginning with the blazing yellow-jersey winning speed of Zabriskie (USA) and then today's Jens Voight (Germany) won the malliot jaune today. And let's not forget Bobby Julich (USA) and Ivan Basso (Italy) to top world cyclists. Unfortunately Zabriskie abandoned today, saying "his body is not recovering." I can't even imagine the anger, sadness and frustration that races through a rider at this point of decision. The only American to win a stage in each of the three major tours. And he has a dry sense of humour.  He's only 26--someone to watch. 

Team Discovery is down to 6 (from 9) leaving Armstrong with 5 teammates, that includes Savoldelli, Azevedo (Portugal), Hincapie (USA), Popovych (Ukraine) and Rubiera (Spain). But after yesterday's performance the team has rallied.  And for those of you who are new and now are thinking that Lance has no chance--the race has just begun.  The pressure is off him now. He feeds off this type of focus. Overall Lance is third; Hincapie is 10th; Landis (Phonak-Tyler's former team) is 12th; Popovych in 14th. No TDF tomorrow--a rest day for them and the rest of us crazy fools.

The Alsace region, is located on the eastern border of France, and shares a border with Germany and Switzerland. Its capital and largest city is Strasbourg. The region is France's smallest, nestled between the Vosges Mountains to the West and the Rhine river to the East.

Pork rules here in the form of choucroute. The charcuteries offer delicious hams and sausages such as cervelat (smoked pork), Strasbourg (pork, beef and caraway) or Montbéliard (lightly smoked pork). Some of them make their way into choucroute, probably the best-known regional dish. Choucroute refers both to the sauerkraut and to the finished dish where a mound of white cabbage is liberally garnished with sausages, smoked meats and potatoes.The specialty has been contemporized with choucroute de la mer where fish and shellfish replace the pork.

Savuer let me know that the word choucroute has also come to mean "the show-stopping dish, definitive of Alsatian cuisine, of sauerkraut topped with copious portions of pork in myriad forms — but it translates simply as fermented cabbage. The earliest reference to sauerkraut in Alsace dates from the 15th century. For hundreds of years, until the early 1900s, Sürkrüt-schniders, or sour-cabbage cutters, toured the countryside, shredding cabbage to order. Today, the process is left to professionals."  It involves copious amounts of cabbage.

In these mountains pot au feu is given a special twist with the dish of boiled beef being served with an array of salads radish, celeriac, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, beets and horseradish sauce.  According to food historians it was here that the first pâté de foie gras en croûte was created in Strasbourg in 1780 and which gained favor with the king.  In Southern Alsace, where there are a lot of ponds filled with carp, fish and chips or  carpes frites, are prepared by dusting the fish in soft wheat semolina for a crunchy exterior, then pan-fried or deep-fried and served with French fries or a green salad.

It's also in this region that Soufflenheim ceramics in the Alsatian village of the same name is made. Soufflenheim.  This pottery has a hand-painted floral pattern on a smooth background and comes in colors of blue, ochre, green, yellow, and brown. The Emperor Barberrouse granted Soufflenheim’s potters the right to extract their clay from the Haguenau forest, a right that continues to this day. Today there are some 20 workshops in Soufflenheim. Although beautiful it is also practical as all the pieces are cast to be used in the oven.

Savuer article on Gewurztraminer

Image: Frankenreich

Choucroute Garnie à l'Alsacienne

Sauerkraut Garnished with Smoked, Cured, and Fresh Pork

excerpted from Saveur Cooks Authentic French

1-1/2 lbs, fresh ham hocks
1/4 cup goose fat
3 small yellow onions, peeled and finely chopped
4-1/2 lbs. sauerkraut, drained and rinsed
3-1/4 cups Alsatian riesling or other dry but fruity white wine
1-1/2 lbs. boneless pork loin
1 lb. smoked ham
1/2 lb. slab bacon
Bouquet garni with 1 head garlic, 3 whole cloves,
   6 juniper berries, and 5 coriander seeds added
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 medium red bliss potatoes, peeled
6 fresh pork sausages, such as saucisses de Strasbourg
3 blood sausages (optional)
1 tbsp. peanut oil
6 smoked pork sausages

Place ham hocks in a large pot. Cover with water and simmer over medium heat for 1-1/2 hours. Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt goose fat in a dutch oven, or a large heavy pot with a lid, over medium heat. Add onions, cook until soft, 10-15 minutes, then add sauerkraut, wine, ham hocks, pork loin, ham, bacon, and bouquet garni. Season with salt and pepper, cover, and cook in oven until meats are tender, about 1-1/2 hours.

About 35 minutes before serving, place potatoes in a pot of salted water over medium-high heat and cook until tender, 20-25 minutes. Drain and keep warm.

Prick fresh and blood sausages, if using, with a fork, then place in a skillet, cover with water, and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Drain. Dry skillet, add oil, and heat over medium heat. Brown fresh and blood sausages (if using), turning occasionally, then remove. In the same oil, adding more if necessary, brown smoked sausages, turning occasionally, then remove. To serve, spoon sauerkraut onto a large platter, discarding bouquet garni. Slice pork loin, ham, and bacon, and arrange on platter with ham hocks, potatoes, and all sausages.

Stage 8 - Into the Black Forest

Distance

: 231.5 km/143.8 miles

Pforzheim to Gérardmer-The Road to Germany

This is the second longest stage of the race. The longest I've ever spent on a bike was 123 miles. Riding on two wheels from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon into Zion National Park was an eventful 12 hours. While these elites will finish in half the time that I did they certainly don't have the story of flagging down a Coke truck in lycra.

Germans are great bakers, particularly in the Southwestern region around Bavaria.  According to Spokesman Review, smaller independent bakeries are struggling. "Since 1965, the number of bakeries in southwest Germany has dwindled from 9,300 to just 2,500. While discount giants dominate the marketplace, German specialty shops like bakeries, butcher counters and pastry shops  have managed to survive. In part, that’s due to strict national regulations governing the ownership of the shops. Bakers, for example, must complete a three-year apprenticeship, followed by a public exam. To become a master baker, they must then attend school for another year."

Naturally, the cake that comes first to mind is Black Forest Cake. Originally called Schwarzwaelder Kirschtorte it's a chocolate layer cake with Kirsch, whipped cream, sour cherries and a blizzard of chocolate curls. Luscious deliciousness. Kirsch or Kirschwasser is a double distilled, clear cherry brandy made from the small, sour Morello cherry which has a dark red skin.

Mountains will make a first appearance tomorrow where we will start to see grades of 2.9% to 6.8%.  Might be best to have some cake and coffee.

Image: ActivePlaza

Stage Six - Champagne Anyone?

Today: 199km/123 mi; Flat to rolling

And on we roll into the Champage-Ardeen region, where the flat fields will begin to give way to rolling hills, the riders are looking to keep pace and watch for breakaways. 

Sandwiched between Burgundy and Alsace-Lorraine this region is focused on the production of bubbles. Local food specialties include pease pudding, pink Reims biscuits, dandelion and bacon salad, pike, vine snails. Troyes, the starting point today, the  andouillette de Troyes, a savory tripe sausage  made from  pork chitterlings and tripe, seasoned with fresh onion, salt, pepper and stuffed by hand into natural casings is highly sought out. Another regional speciality is potee champenoise--a pot-au-feu consisting of jambon des Ardennes (smoked ham), cabbage and sausage. Troyes, the historical capital is also the departmental capital of the Aube, which produces a quarter of all Champagne’s grapes, although it sends more than half its grapes, grape juice and unfinished wines to be transformed into champagne by the big champagne houses in and around Reims.

Champage, the region is centered around Champagne the drink.  Champagne has been a popular wine region since 816 A.D. It wasn't until the late 1600's that Champagne winemakers discovered how to capture the naturally occurring bubbles in their wine during the second fermentation. Most well-known brands are produced in the Marne area, around the Massif de Saint Thierry, the Valley of the Ardre, the Mountain of Rheims, the Valley of the Marne, the Côte des Blancs and the Sézanne Hills. 

It's here that you'll find locals dipping pink champagne biscuits called Biscuit Rose de Reims into glasses of the sparkler. Its unique texture, soft rose color and delicate icing powder have enchanted for over 300 years.

Stage Five-Chambord

Every year the TDF course changes.  Again, if you consider this fact you will become more impressed with these cycle jockeys.  Every year is different. The various villages along the route bid, cajole and bargain to be included as a stage start or finish.  I imagine that negotiations involve a lot of wine and cheese exchanging hands.

Today the TDF begins in Chambord and rolls on for 183km to Montargis. Chambord is a tiny village in the Loir-et-Cher region. There's only 204 people and might magnificent castle--in fact the largest one in the Loire.  In the reign of Louis XIV, nobility would travel to their chateaux and relax with a snifter of Chambord which has been made by the same family for over 300 years.

The sweet liqueur is made from the finest framboises noire (black raspberries) and infused into a four year cognac. The distinct bottle is a glass sphere with a cap shaped like a metallic crown. Chambord includes blackberries, plums,currants, raspberries, honey and spices.  It will come as no surprise that it is quite intense. As their website states, this is not another creme de cassis, "the cheaper, bitter and worse tasting" liquid that it is. I was gifted with a bottle and have concocted a vodka-based martini of my own making.  It's also great in desserts such as this Flourless Chocolate Chambord cake.

Riders will finish in Montargis,  a place renowned for its honey and its notable confectionery contribution those famous sugared almonds or pralines. According to one often-repeated story and recounted in Larousse Gastronomique it was in this town during the reign of Louis XIII,  that Lassagne, who was chef de bouche (master of the household), to the Compte du Plessis-Praslin, dropped almonds into a boiling cauldron of sugar whether on purpose or accidentally is widely argued. These confections, when cooled, became one of the Duke’s favorites, and he claimed the invention with his name they were named praslines. "Lassagne finally retired to Montargis in 1630 and there founded the Maison de la Praline, which exists to this day."

Purple Tini

2 oz. good quality Vodka (such as Grey Goose)

1/2 oz. Chambord Liquor

Fresh lime juice

      Pour all ingredients except lime into shaker over ice, shake, strain, and pour into glass. Squeeze a few drops of fresh lime juice into glass and top with a lime twist.

Let the Race Begin

I'm distracted right now with the boys of summer--not the Red Sox but the Discovery cycling team.  This obsession has hit me every year since I was 12 and saw I the movie Breaking Away. This effort entails early morning viewing to catch the latest news from France, visiting several blogs and searching for the live feed from OLN online (where is it this year?). The fitness level of these guys astounds and bewilders.  Check out those legs!

So once things get into the new routine--it's three weeks--I be able to spend time working on some posts which I hope to correct in the next day or so.  Oh sure I'm a Lance fan but I have other favorites--O'Grady, Hincapie (secretly I want to him win); and Zabriskie (he needs some media coaching!).  And this year is un petit bitterseet as I miss Tyler Hamilton.   

Play Ball!

Although the calendar states that it's Spring weather wise it hasn't sprung in many places.  One sure sign that it's coming is the 'spring forward' of the clocks last night.  The other is the baseball season opener tonight between the defending world champions, The Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees.

This week is all about baseball. This past Friday night, a few friends and I attended a SF Giants and Oakland A's exhibition game.  Aside from the fact that a Sierra Nevada costs $8.00 a cup it was a fun game with the Giants pulling in the win in the 10th.  The Giants finished up in first place in National League pre-season activity. 

Thursday night I'll return to PacBell Park (or whatever the name is this season) to the Giants in the LA Dodgers series. Both events have come courtesy of W. Thursday night we'll be a luxury box as she won an office drawing.

So let the season begin, let the soap opera that is the longstanding rivalry resume.  April 11,  Red Sox nation will savor the moment when the players receive their championship rings on the Fenway Park diamond at the home opener--against the Yankees.  Play Ball! 

Baseball's Creation Myths - Boston Globe, 4/3/05

It's a "brand" new ballgame - Boston Globe, 4/3/05:  "The 105th Red Sox season begins tonight at Yankee Stadium, and the team you will see opposing the Yankees is not your father's Red Sox. That "B" is no longer just the logo of a baseball team. It is a cultural phenomenon emblematic of community and capitalism, the two blended seamlessly and seemingly without limits by an enterprising ownership and a willing fan base."

Image: Baseball Almanac

Super Bowl Sunday

Super Bowl Sunday has arrived.  Along with this day is a license to snack and drink through all quarters and of course, half time. In my view, there is nothing more American than this day of drinking, sporting and eating.  And I don't necessarily mean this in a good way, which is not to say that I don't enjoy my fair share of nachos, beer and wings from time to time.

The Snack Food Association states that Americans will consume around 30.4 million pounds of snacks today. Domino's Pizza is expected to delivery 300,000 pizza per quarter. This over and above pizza sales by 42 per cent of a typical Sunday.  Roughly 3.5 per cent of annual beer sales are generated around Super Bowl Sunday according to the Beer Institute. 

One of the most popular eats of the day will be nacho platters, chips and guacamole. Here on the West Coast the avocado reaches into nearly 90 per cent of homes.  The Hass Avocado Board estimates that football viewers across the U.S. will eat enough avocados to cover the field at Jacksonville's ALLTEL Stadium with 10.5 feet of guacamole--that's 43.8 million avocados.

As the governing board will tell you, avocados are available year-round. Two-thirds of all the avocados sold in the United States are bought within the three weeks surrounding Super Bowl. So that means with the peak season for Mexican or Chilean avocados which starts in October and whiles through to June, folks could be eating mediocre avocados. The California avocado season begins in January and will build into March.  But I'm loyal to California grown--the ones that travel thousands of miles are just too watery tasting.  And I'll eat them beyond Super Bowl.

If you are looking for innovation try AvoClassic Guacamole.  According to the folks at AvoClassic, who produce the dip for supermarkets and food service operations,  "It’s fresherized so it stays pure and delicious, with no artificial ingredients, no chemicals, no additives. Just avocadoes, onions and spices."  It's also apparently the number one guacamole in the country. 

I found the product in the Whole Foods refrigerated section but have also seen it at Safeway.  My cost was $4.79 for a box containing two 8-oz. pouches of guacamole.  So what is the 'fresherized' process?  A Food Engineering magazine article on the company elaborates, "high pressure preserves the product without causing the acidification that occurs with thermal processing.  Off-tastes are not masked as they are in traditional processes, so Avomex must use higher quality avocados."

The box contains the equivalent of five Hass avocados, white vinegar, jalapeno peppers, dehydrated onion, slat and granulated garlic.  Interestingly, it doesn't turn brown when exposed to air.  It can also be frozen.  The taste was surprisingly great.  It's mild tasting but with a little doctoring I was able to turn up the picante factor.  I'll still take a fresh avocado any day but when the California season hits a lull it's a great option due to its quality, convenience and taste.

GO PATRIOTS!!!

Fun Stats Avocado Myths Quiz

First Photo:  Hass Avocado Board

Magical Evenings

Sung to the Standells's Love that Dirty Water

I'm gonna tell you a story
I'm gonna tell you about my team
I'm gonna tell you a big bad story, baby
Aww, it's all about my team the Sox

Yeah, down by the river
Down by the banks of the river Charles
That's where you'll find me
Along with believers, diehards, and idiots
Well I love that team
Oh, BoSox, you're my team (oh, you're the Number One team)
Frustrated fans (I mean we're frustrated)
Have to be in after 86 (oh, that's sick)
But I've been wishin' and a-hopin, oh
That just once those Yankees were knocked out
Well I love that dirty water
Oh, BoSox, you're my team (oh, yeah)

Because I love those dirty boys
Oh, oh, BoSox, you're my team (oh, yeah)

Well, I love that team (I love it, baby)
I love that dirty Damone (I love Baw-stun)
I love that gladiator Schilling (Have you heard about the end of the curse?)
I love that Pedro (Manny's the man, Manny's the man)
I love that mighty Ortiz (Owww!)
I love the Boston Red Sox (Yeah We're on Top!)

Photo: bostondirtdogs.com