The Cut-Rate Connoisseur

Profile

2008-10-27T07:16:00.000-07:00

Tim Kelly, formerly the Cut-Rate Connoisseur, has been editor of The Beaumont (TX) Enterprise since 1996. Previously he lived in Washington and California, where they make pretty good wine; several cities in Texas, where the wine has greatly improved; and Florida, where they wisely stick to orange juice. He discontinued his blog in 2007.

Read this. Go shop.

2007-12-12T13:35:00.000-08:00

It's not a good sign when references to "last-minute gift ideas" are everywhere and I've barely started shopping. Fortunately, my wife doesn't read this blog.

If you find yourself in a similar spot and your potential giftee has an interest in wine, the below links from the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News might be helpful.

Wines under $25

Wines over (some way over) $25

Beyond the bottle: openers, aerators and gadgets

Beyond the bottle: accessories and books

A cellar's market

2007-12-05T13:30:00.000-08:00

The merits of having a refrigerated wine cellar are well-documented in this blog. I've long argued that the initial extravagance of the purchase is more than is offset by the frugality you achieve by purchasing $20-$30 bottles of wine and drinking them 10 years later, when they're worth 10 times that much.

Now it makes even more sense. Lately, in stores and in newspaper inserts, I'm seeing a lot of small units, holding anywhere from 8 to 24 bottles and selling for anywhere from $89 to $150. You know it's a big trend when they show up at Home Depot. They're attractive and can tuck into or go on top of a lot of places in your kitchen or dining area. You want a wine cellar, not a refrigerator, because wines need some humidity (there's very little in a fridge) and you want a higher temperature (55 to 60 degrees).

If you want to use your unit to keep your everyday wines cool, that's fine. But when you buy bottles that will stand the test of time, move the Chardonnays and Shirazes into that wrought-iron thing you got at Pier 1.

One thing to watch for: Sometimes the manufacturers will fudge a little on the number of bottles a unit will hold. Not all wines will fit on all shelves. A Pinot Noir, for instance, with its bigger bottom, might only go on the bottom. Certain wines might not fit on the top rack, by the unit controls. Just eyeball it to make sure.

If you fall in love with the wine cellar, as I suspect you might, you can always get a bigger one, put it somewhere a little less accessible and keep this one handy.

Guy walks into a wine store

2007-11-26T12:45:00.000-08:00

A good friend of mine just e-mailed me about a recent wine adventure. Two things struck me immediately: One, how much fun sharing wine can be with friends. Two, who in their right mind would give this guy their credit card?

Kenn's tale:

"I wanted to let you know about the wine fantasy that came true for me last week as part of Thanksgiving. Some of your readers will want to consider these wines for the Christmas holiday as well.

"The fantasy: Spending someone else’s money to buy 'two cases of wine in the $30-$50 range.' As wine fantasies go, this is moderately tame. But as a $6-$15 bottle purchaser, it made me feel like I was splurging.

"The only caveat was that one case needed to be white, the other red. A quick assessment of the menu, which we were already in charge of, and the number of guests (11 adults), helped us narrow it down. We figured four bottles of each wine would provide enough for all the guests to have more than one glass should they like the choice.

"Our first decision was whether to go it alone in the selection or ask for help. We chose to go it alone, but were only halfway through the whites when we sent up a flare to the assistants at Spec’s.

"Let’s start with the whites. We selected one Sauvignon Blanc and two very different Chardonnays:

"Spec’s recommended the Sawyer Sauvignon Blanc 2006 ($19.50). It was crisp, with the anticipated citric acids, and perfect for the early afternoon on Turkey Day. I’m an occasional Sauvignon Blanc drinker, so this was fine, but not significantly better than some of the $8-$12 bottles out there, such as Chateau St. Michelle or Mirassou.

"We knew we wanted the 2004 Mer Soleil Chardonnay($33.24), an old favorite. It features butterscotch and butter with some citric fruit highlights. This never fails to deliver. In my book, it’s second only to La Crema and as luck would have it, one of the guests brought two bottles of that zestier wine with its stronger mineral tint.

"The other white we knew we wanted from the get-go was the Kim Crawford Unoaked Chardonnay ($12.38). We knew this would be a sleeper for most in the crowd. In retrospect, this pale but bright chardonnay could easily have stood in for the Sawyer Sauvignon Blanc. It has a clean, round taste full of fall fruits and at the price, you just can’t beat it. Kim Crawford, for those who don’t know his wines, is one of the best vintners coming out of New Zealand’s Marlborough region. We head to that island nation next week, so wanted to give our friends another reason to be jealous of our trip.

"Having success at keeping the prices very low for the whites, we decided to put some money into the reds:

"Spec’s highly recommended the Frazier Cabernet 2003 ($51.99). This was a runaway hit. We opened a bottle Wednesday night as everyone was nibbling on cheese and a spectacular sausage we got at Central Market. Dark stone fruits (think plums and cherries) predominated with a silky smooth finish. Everything I’ve read since talks about how well this wine will age, but I dare you to keep it in your house for a weekend, let alone 10 years. We couldn’t stop drinking it and went through all four bottles Wednesday. I would have loved to have tried it with the turkey.

"The assistant also was a fan of the 2004 Monticello Pinot Noir ($26.98). I have to say once again he was spot on (we’re working on our New Zealand lingo). I much preferred this to the Elvio Pertinance (see below) with the main meal. But my taste has always run to the fruitier Pinot and the occasional fruit bomb Shiraz from Australia. We decanted this wine mid-afternoon and it became the red of choice for the noshers as we prepped the main meal.

"Our final splurge was the 2000 Elvio Pertinace Barbaresco ($48.93). This was a risk for us because we’re not very knowledgeable about Italian wines and certainly have little familiarity with the Barbaresco region, which is halfway between Torino and Genova. It turned out to be a very dry red I would find more suitable to gamier meats like venison or elk. Still, the wine was a hit with folks with better palates than mine (i.e. most everyone there), so Spec’s was three for four on their recommendations (the sauvignon blanc being the only less-than-stellar choice).

"In all, the selection process was a lot of fun, we certainly learned a lot and came in at an average $32.17 per bottle – and all on someone’s else’s credit card!

"One last note I: The 2007 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau is delightful.

"One last note II: I forgot to mention that the Kim Crawford is a screw top -- and a kick-ass chard for easy drinking."

Cut-Rate postscript:

I suspect the problem with the Barbaresco wasn't the food. It was 3-5 years too early for the wine, unless the goal is removing enamel from your teeth. I can picture a bunch of people sitting around a table with their faces screwed up into puckers saying what a delightful wine it is. "And say, have you seen the Emperor's great new outfit?"

A Thanksgiving tale (sort of)

2007-11-21T14:50:00.000-08:00

The company's interim controller -- let's call him Jay, ('cus that's his name) -- likes to tell stories. Most of them are about rabbis. But come to find out the other day, he's got some wine ones, too.

"Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, a friend of mine was driving home from a weekend of skiing. He lived in New York City and was driving south on the FDR on Sunday evening around 10 pm.

"Underneath the Triborough Bridge, Allen came upon a couple in a new Porsche that had a flat tire and had pulled to the side of the road. Allen also drove a Porsche, though not as new, so he pulled over to see if he could lend a hand.

"The man with the flat had removed his bad tire and was preparing to go in search of a gas station to get the flat fixed. His spare was also flat.

"Allen explained to him that there were no gas stations open at that hour in that part of town and if he were lucky enough to find one somewhere, by the time he got back to his car it would have been stripped or stolen and his wife raped.

"Since it was around the holidays, Allen loaned the driver his spare tire. He gave the driver his phone number, fully expecting that he probably would never see his spare again.

"Thursday of the next week, the driver called Allen and set up a meeting to return the spare Allen had loaned him. To show his gratitude for saving his Porsche, and his wife, the driver gave Allen a bottle of something called Dom Perignon."

A cough, a cold and a real pain

2007-10-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

Easing back into the blog thing after a few weeks of keeping the other bosses happy . . .

I paid $80 for a bottle of prescription cough medicine last week. I'm sitting in the drive-through lane paying for it when it occurs to me that for the same money I could have gotten two bottles of Chateauneuf-du-Pape -- and the wine likely would have done as much good.

Oh, well. I couldn't have drunk it anyway. I'm still on antibiotics.

Overachiever from Down Under

2007-10-10T10:45:00.000-07:00

The other day in the wine store, two guys were buying up all the Pillar Box Red, a table wine from Australia. They were so enthusiastic about it, they gave up one of their bottles so I would try it. Noticing it had a screw top, I thought of circumnavigating the store till they left and discreetly replacing the bottle. Then I figured what the heck, and bought it.

This blog is replete with references, not all of them polite, to the mass-appeal approach of most mid-market Australian wines that gives many an almost-fruit juice quality.

The 2006 Pillar Red (the marketers can explain the name) was a pleasant surprise. The wine, a Shiraz-Cab-Merlot blend from Henry's Drive Winery in South Australia, is dark red and redolent of sweet earth. At about $11, wine guru Robert Parker calls this "one of the great wine bargains of the world!" The alcohol is noticeable on the finish, but overall the wine is balanced, with a warp and weft uncommon in this price range. While bright with fruit, it didn't overpower like so many berry-Popsicle Aussie wines.

This is a good one for casual social occasions. The screw cap will start the conversation.

Recipe: Keep it simple

2007-10-01T13:50:00.000-07:00

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Leonardo da Vinci

After our five-year-old went Captain Jack Sparrow on a potted Thai basil plant my mother, Faye Kelly, gave me on a recent visit, I had several decent-sized sprigs to put to use. Thai basil has a stronger flavor than other sweet flavors, so I set my mind to something that would highlight that, rather than hide it. More and more chefs are taking the simple-is-better tack these days. If you have a go at this dish, you might up the amount of basil. Adjust the other amounts as necessary. I was just sort of eyeballing it. This makes a simple supper or can be served alongside a more substantial entree.

Angel Hair with Tomatoes and Thai Basil

1-1 1/2 cups Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
3-4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2-3 tablespoons Thai basil leaves (or your preference), roughly chopped
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
white wine
lemon juice
6-8 ounces angel hair pasta

Add tomatoes, garlic, salt and pepper to a saute pan with a little olive oil. Cook on medium-low heat for 10-12 minutes.

Prepare the pasta separately. When it's near done, splash some wine and lemon juice into the pan with the tomatoes, stir and add the basil. Cook for another minute to release the flavor of the basil, but don't overcook it to mush.

Drain the pasta and combine with the tomato mixture.

I recommend a light Italian white -- Pinot Grigio or Orvieto -- to complement the the citrus-basil bite of the sauce.

After 10, an 8

2007-09-28T12:30:00.000-07:00

Recently drank the 1997 L'Ecole No. 41 Merlot I had been holding on to. Corresponded with winemaker and former Beaumont boy Martin Clubb first about whether it was ready. He wrote:

"On the Merlot, I think the 1997 is ready to drink now. It was a cooler year than normal, and the vines were being retrained on the heels of a deadly 1996 artic freeze. The wine is nice, but not what I would consider our best vintage. The more recent vintages in your cellar (1999, 2001, 2002 and 2003), starting with 1999 were all strong. I generally say 10 to 12 years on the good vintages of Merlot.

"We now have 130 tons of fruit in the door, and probably double that in the next week. Quality is looking great given the cooler August weather."

Here's a review of the '97. I'm not as fawning about this one and am inclined to agree with Marty Clubb that this is a good but not great wine. It paired nicely with beef but seemed to lack the focus and organization of the great L'Ecole wines.

I'm really looking forward to the '99.

Wine in the wind

2007-09-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

Southeast Texas got clouted by Humberto, a Category 1 hurricane, earlier today. Read about it at BeaumontEnterprise.com. Humberto hit some parts of the region hard but in general paled compared to 2005's Rita, a Category 3 hurricane.

In browsing the Web, I came upon an appropriate wine called Category 5, a white Sangria produced by Florida Orange Groves and Winery. Yes, Virginia, they make wine in Florida.

As the winery's Web site describes it, "This secret blending of several of our most popular tropical wines is...uniquely Florida...elegant for any occasion and perfect with any food....Made for the courageous, cheerfully optimistic and romantic of temperament -- especially during our exciting hurricane season!"

The temptation is to dismiss this as another goofy effort from a boutique winery. After all, their other wines include Cracker Grapefruit, Mango Champagne, Pineapple Sunset and Watermelon. But it won a double gold and Best of Show at the 2006 Florida State Fair, which suggests it's quaffable, if not exactly wine.

It can be ordered online for $18.95 plus shipping. Small production probably accounts for the price. Still, it might be worth a shot. It's the closest I hope to ever come to a Category 5.

To have, hold, then have

2007-09-05T08:25:00.000-07:00

The 2008 edition of Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book is now available. A previous posting touted this handy, fact-crammed guide.

One of the book's best features is its advice about when to drink or hold wines you have been keeping. It is provided both by type, e.g. 1985 French Bordeaux or 1995 California Cabernet and by specific wine, e.g. 1988 Chateau Palmer Bordeaux or 1995 Duckhorn Merlot.

The guide also gives you a good idea of promising vintages to stock up on, for those who have the space and temperament for holding wine.

Most wines these days are crafted to be consumed within five years, sometimes a lot less. The obvious benefit to holding on to bottles is that you can drink and serve a higher class of wine than you might otherwise be able to afford. The Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon that ran you $40-$45 in 2001 is going for three to four times that now in wine stores and restaurants, if they even have any.

The catch is that you HAVE to wait. If you spend good money on a bottle, say $60 for a high-end Italian Barolo, realize that it will be years before you can drink it. The Internet is littered with reviews of aficionados disappointed in highly touted wine they drank too soon. An expensive wine opened early will be tight and tannic and rinse the enamel off your teeth. It might take 5-10 years or more for all the elements to marry and mature. The one caveat is that wine stored at a higher temperature than the desired 50-55 degrees will mature faster, sometimes much faster. That can be a risky proposition, so if you're semi-serious about this, you might want to get one of those small glass-front wine cabinets that holds 24 or so bottles.

Among the bottles I am tracking from the home cellar:

-- 2000 and 2001 Pauillac from Bordeaux, especially '01 Chateau Lynch-Bages and also 2000 Haut-Bages-Averous (Lynch-Bages' second wine) and 2000 Chateau Lacoste-Borie (the second wine from Grand-Puy Lacoste).
-- 2000 Lalande de Pomerol from Bordeaux
-- 1995 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington State
-- L'Ecole No. 41 Merlot, Washington State, from 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2003
-- 2001 Saintsbury Pinot Noir, Carneros, California
-- 2001 and 2002 California Cabernet Sauvignon, including '01 and '02 Clos du Val from Napa Valley, '01s from Jordan in Sonoma County and from The Hess Collection, Napa Valley (not to be confused with the good-value but age-proof Hess Select), and half a case of '02 Joseph Phelps, Napa Valley.

Except for the Quilceda Creek, some of the L'Ecole No. 41 and maybe the Saintsbury, I'm not expecting to see anything ready to drink. I wouldn't want to. That's part of the fun, knowing that at least some things in life get better as you get older.

Of course these days you can track your wines' progress toward maturity on most wineries' Web sites. But I consider that cheating. There's something disturbingly incongruous about using an instant-gratification medium to learn about a delayed-gratification product. Perhaps a post for another day.

Raspberries for Blackberrys

2007-09-04T08:30:00.000-07:00

With everyone in the house napping yesterday afternoon, I wrote a blog entry about tracking wines toward maturity. Unfortunately, I did it as an e-mail draft on my Blackberry. This morning, in syncing the stupid little thing with my work computer, I deleted the e-mail. Of course the longhairs in IT (actually our guy has no hair) couldn't rescue it. They can never recover anything. It makes me wonder how these white-collar criminals ever get convicted with evidence found on their hard drives.

I know it was operator error. But griping about it helps.

Anyway, I'm going to have to recreate the post tonight after I check some things at home. If technical difficulties can be overcome, you'll see it tomorrow.

In the meantime, as a pun on the tool of my temporary demise, here's a photographic homage to perhaps the first wine I ever tasted. I think it was blackberry. Now that I think about it, it might have been elderberry. Close enough. My poor mother, Faye Kelly, drank this stuff before she developed a palate that could put Emeril to shame. I can't remember if Tom Kelly drank it, too. What they were doing with kosher wine in the house I have no idea. The bottle seems different, but I bet the stuff still tastes terrible.

Recipe: Penne with pancetta and mushrooms

2007-08-10T12:05:00.000-07:00

Anytime I make up a dish with ingredients on hand and it works, I feel a little proud of myself. Such was the case with this one -- until I looked on the Internet the next day and discovered there are versions all over the place. Either it's an obvious combination of ingredients or I read it somewhere before and sublimated it.

This started out as a way to use a mock cream recipe I found in the Frugal Gourmet Cooks with Wine. It's half low-fat cottage cheese and half skim milk put through a blender. It tastes better than it sounds, but if you're not watching fat grams, I'd use regular heavy cream instead. The mock cream separates seconds after being added to the pan, and you have to do a lot of stirring to get most of it back together.

Feel free to vary the amounts and ingredients. I thought about adding frozen peas. You can use regular bacon if you don't have pancetta, but you should pick up some of the real Italian stuff. It freezes in the vacuum pack, and, since it's so thin, thaws quickly when you need it. It also slices easily in a semi-frozen state.

Penne with Pancetta and Mushrooms

8 ounces penne or other pasta, cooked al dente
olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
4-5 slices pancetta, diced (about 3 tablespoons)
1 cup mushrooms, variety of your preference, sliced thick
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup or more heavy cream
freshly grated parmesan
chopped parsley
salt to taste, if necessary (the pancetta already gives you some)

While the pasta is cooking, add the olive oil to a large skillet on medium heat. Add the pancetta and garlic. As the pancetta begins to brown, add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden brown. Stir in the wine and cook until it is reduced by half. Stir in 1/2 cup of cream. Add more if desired. When the sauce comes to a boil, remove the skillet from the heat and stir in some cheese and parsley. Adjust the salt and toss with the pasta.

With dinner, you will want a wine that is crisp and acidic enough to cut through the cream sauce, like a young Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.

Rats! Foiled. Again

2007-08-07T12:02:00.000-07:00

Funny how an old-fashioned newspaper editor can't seem to break this cycle of posts about the electronic media.

I missed the first shoe dropping on this story, but apparently Disney conceived of a wine to tie in with the release of its animated success Ratatouille, the sort-of subject of a couple previous posts.

Now, says the San Francisco Chronicle, that plan has been abandoned, partly because the label on the white Burgundy to be sold in Costco in California featured the creepily cuddly little rat holding a wine glass. That apparently violates industry standards.

Darn. What will the world do without another cleverly labeled, slickly promoted no-better-than-average white wine?

***

Speaking of rats-foiled-again: As you're no doubt aware -- if you care -- last night's Hell's Kitchen was one of those bait-and-switch deals ("Part 1 of the season finale!") When I saw what was going on, I took a phone call and then settled in with the boy for his 15th viewing of The Magnificent Seven. I'm up over 50, I think. We say it right along with Steve McQueen: "We deal in lead, friend." From the Fox Web site recap, it looks like Rock is in trouble. Maybe it has something to do with his go-to pitch being fried chicken and crabcakes. Let go, man. Allegedly we will find out next week how this thing ends. I'll have to wait to see if I care.

Bonnie or Rock?

2007-08-06T11:25:00.000-07:00

At risk of sounding like one of those people who have their own lives confused with the soap operas they watch:

Tonight we find out whether Bonnie or Rock wins the coveted but likely titular prize of chef at a fancy Vegas hotel on Fox's Hell's Kitchen. (You don't really think Trump, Ramsay et. al. actually let these people touch anything that could cost their masters money. It's TELEVISION.)

A colleague of mind who is a devotee of reality shows says Bonnie will win. I say Rock, but with decidedly less conviction. Brian's thinking is that Bonnie will be more effective directing the previously ousted chef wannabes than Rock, who needs to hear the "no-I-in-team" speech again. But if I had to pick one of these two to cook a meal, it would be Rock.

We'll see tonight.

Recipe: A riff on Ratatouille, No. 2

2007-07-31T09:40:00.000-07:00

When the creepily cuddly little rat in Ratatouille comes up with his variation on the classic of the same name to appease the just plain creepy restaurant critic, it looks a lot like another French dish I've been making for years -- Tian de Courgettes.

By all means, give ratatouille a try. There are a lot of interesting variations, as well as the tried-and-true, on the Internet. But make this one too at some point. Among other things, it doesn't have eggplant, which makes it an easier sell for some. This is the perfect time of year for this dish, with a bounty of zucchini and tomatoes available all over.

"Tian" is the name of the square or rectangular glazed earthenware dish in which vegetable, meat or fish dishes are baked. Because of this, all French Provencal dishes have taken the name of "tians."

Tian de Courgettes
Baked zucchini with tomatoes and green onions

1 pound green onions (4-5 bunches)
1 1/2 pounds medium zucchinis
1 1/2 pounds firm ripe tomatoes (I usually use Roma)
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
1 sprig fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried if you must)
1 sprig fresh savory (or 1/2 teaspoon dried if you can't find fresh)

Cut the onions into quarter-inch slices, including green stalks. Cut the zucchini diagonally into quarter-inch slices. Do the same with the tomatoes.

Preheat the oven to 400. Heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil in a large non-stick skillet and cook the onions over low heat, stirring frequently until they are soft and transparent, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, salt and pepper and cool two minutes more.

Transfer the onion mixture to a baking dish and smooth the surface. Arrange alternating, overlapping rows ofzucchini and tomatoes on top of the onion base. Sprinkle with the thyme and savory, and drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the top. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake uncovered about an hour, till the vegetables are soft and slightly browned.

Your wine selection will depend on what you serve as the main course with this. But think French and down-to-earth -- vin de pays, Cotes-du-Rhone, Sancerre, etc. As a half-decent rule of thumb, you can't go wrong with wines of the same origin as the food it accompanies.

A riff on Ratatouille, No. 1

2007-07-26T14:40:00.000-07:00

As animated children's fare goes, Disney Pixar's recently released Ratatouille is no Shrek or even Over the Hedge. It's more in the league of Flushed Away or Barnyard. (Can you tell I have a five-year-old?)

But the movie, about the unlikely cooking prowess of a creepily cuddly little rat, is an unexpected treat for foodies on the order of Big Night. Its treatment of fine cuisine is reverential, sensuous and visually appetizing.

Ratatouille and No Reservations, another restaurant movie opening today that I'll see at some point (it does have Catherine Zeta-Jones in it), got me thinking about favorite food-and-wine-related movies, books, etc. For your consideration, herewith a multi-media gastronomy taxonomy:

Movies

Big Night, 1996, starring Stanley Tucci and Tony Shalhoub (pictured above). A feast of a movie with more flaky layers than a Napoleon pastry.

Sideways, 2004, starring Paul Giamatti and Virginia Madsen. An overrated but entertaining film that sure made pinot noir producers happy for a while, until people who don't appreciate pinot stopped pretending to try.

Television

The Galloping Gourmet, with Graham Kerr, 1969-1971. I watched this as a child. Judging from Internet comments, a lot of other kids did too. "Even as a kid I loved watching this guy bounce around the room and cook, drinking wine and laughing," wrote one blogger. Kerr was reborn in the 1990s as a teatotaling, health-conscious chef and lifestyle guru. It happens to the best of us.

Specialty of the House, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, 1959, starring Robert Morley. You might still be able to catch this on cable every once in a while. I can't say much without spoiling it. Robert Morley played essentially the same character in the 1978 film Who is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?, which starred George Segal and Jacqueline Bisset. I don't know how I remember that.

To Serve Man, The Twilight Zone, 1962. Stretching the theme, of course, but who can forget: "IT'S A COOKBOOK!"

Hell's Kitchen, Fox Television, Monday nights. A recent favorite, with London chef Gordon Ramsay channeling bad boy Anthony Bourdain (see below). You can learn stuff from this one, if you don't mind the bleep-bleep-bleep that overlays Chef's exhortations like a run-amok heart monitor.

Books

Kitchen Confidential, by Anthony Bourdain. One of my favorite non-fiction works of all time. Also my first inkling that the world behind the swinging doors was not what I had imagined. I have favorite pages dog-eared. That Bourdain became the kind of Food Network sellout he professes to loathe makes the book more interesting from my perspective, not less.

The Making of a Chef, by Michael Ruhlman. Try to read this soon after Kitchen Confidential. It's more earnest and less humorous, but it provides a perspective on the world and mindset of the cooking professional complementary to the ribald KC.

Got your own favorites? Add them in the comments.

The mugger who liked Margaux

2007-07-23T10:10:00.000-07:00

My dad, Tom Kelly, clipped this story from the Washington Post and mailed it to me. (Yes, people still do that, and as a newspaper editor, I appreciate it.)

Here's everything you'll want to know about Chateau Malescot, the wine that soothed the beast. The tasting notes fail to mention how it pairs with pepper spray.

So you want to be a vintner

2007-07-03T11:30:00.000-07:00

The Texas wine industry, for all its challenges, continues to grow and improve at a rapid pace. This news release, from the Texas A&M agriculture department, suggests how to cash in -- and why you might not want to. Some of the information is Texas-specific, but there's a lot of reality-check stuff here for anyone who has ever mused about owning a winery, me included. I'll wait till I win the lottery.

Recipe: Honey, what's for dinner?

2007-06-29T14:48:00.000-07:00

If you're like me, you find recipes all over the place. This one is from the First Baptist Church of Buna (Texas) Cookbook. Catholics will like it, too. It's fast and flavorful (and because of the staggered amounts, easy to commit to memory). Even people who don't have to eat healthy will like it.

Honey Lime Grilled Chicken

1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Add all the ingredients to a Ziploc bag. Turn to coat well. Refrigerate for an hour (or more won't hurt). Grill the chicken and discard the marinade.

Just about any white wine previously touted here will go with this -- Gruner-Veltliner, Orvieto, Pinot Grigio, Sancerre, Soave, Viognier, Vouvray, even Vinho Verde.

Lots of possibilities for side dishes. You'll probably want what my grandmother called "a starch." Other possibilities are fresh corn and a salsa, maybe a black bean version. Here's a recipe for Fiesta Black Bean Salsa, found in a magazine in the eye doctor's office.

Two for the road

2007-06-25T06:22:00.000-07:00

I spent the bulk of the past three weeks on vacation, on the road for work or catching up from both. While out of town, I drank a lot of unremarkable wines and a couple that stood out as better than average. The two worth revisiting were:

-- Luigi Bosca 2003 Malbec Reserva, Mendoza, Argentina, a gift in recognition of a special occasion from my wine lady, who knows my fondness for that varietal. It was soft and approachable, a step up from my usual Malbec meanderings. I usually drink Malbec with red meat, but this went very nicely with (and didn't overpower) a grilled pork loin stuffed with fresh herbs that my mom, Faye Kelly, introduced me to from a cookbook we both have.

-- Villa Antinori 2003 Toscana, a so-called Super Tuscan, at Trattoria Dell'Arte, a wonderful, contemporary but not over-the-top Italian place in New York that I've been going to for many years. They have a good-leaning-toward-eclectic wine list with many offerings fairly priced for New York-world. The wine was ruby red with balanced fruit and tannins and maybe a suggestion of chocolate. Postprandial research revealed it to be a Wine Spectator Top 100 selection from 2006. The magazine described it as "round and fruity, with berry, spice and chocolate character. Medium-bodied, with a fresh finish. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah." My colleagues and I enjoyed it with grilled lamb chops, a filet mignon with portobellini and Brunello sauce, herb-pressed chicken and Pepperoni Doppio pizza. I found this one on my own, but if you're ever there, be sure to ask for the wine guy, Mike Moran.

Even though these wines will run you $18-$25 at the store, they are good values. If you're looking for a wine for a special or semi-special occasion and want a hedge against high-priced disappointment, try one of these.

Later this week: The (health) adventure continues

Recipe: Time to eat

2007-05-30T10:30:00.000-07:00

As I shoot for a sub-200 cholesterol level, something has become apparent: Eating healthy is a function of time. If you're in a rush, you're less likely to be smart about fat grams. It helps to keep different healthier staples around -- brown rice, wheat pasta, black beans, corn tortillas, skinless chicken breasts, etc. But it's still hard. Here's a pretty quick one, though you'll need to take the time to get fresh scallops.

Garlic Scallops over Pasta

3/4 lb. bay scallops
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 cup olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons for searing
3-4 cloves garlic, minced, divided
2 shallots, chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 1/2 cups cooked whole-wheat pasta (linguine is good)
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Fresh parsley sprigs (optional)

In a medium bowl, marinate the scallops with 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, pepper and half the garlic for 20 minutes.Heat a medium-sized non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and coat with about a teaspoon of olive oil. Add the scallops and sear them 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until they're opaque. Remove them from the pan and keep warm.

Add a teaspoon of olive oil to the pan. Cook the shallots and remaining garlic over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until tender. Lower the heat if the garlic browns too quickly. Stir in the white wine and lemon juice and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley.

To serve, spoon scallops over the pasta, top with the sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan and fresh parsley, if desired.

This makes enough for two people. I like wilted field greens with some sauteed garlic, a smidge of fresh garlic and a little balsamic vinegar to go with this.

For the wine -- both to cook with and drink -- let me suggest a Gruner-Veltliner, which was incredibly popular a little while back. Now the faddists have moved on, and a bottle can be secured for $10-$15. It's been called "the single most versatile food wine in the world."

Words to the wine

2007-05-29T09:42:00.000-07:00

I've never met Bonnie Walker, but from where I sit (at my computer), the San Antonio Express-News wine writer understands the balance of wine and life. This recent article will help you decipher the wine code.

Recipe: Low-Rent Huevos Rancheros

2007-05-23T08:50:00.000-07:00

People who have worked nights at some point in their lives have a more flexible attitude toward breakfast -- not only when, but what.

According to the low-fat literature, I can have two eggs a week while aiming for a sub-200 cholesterol total. Most weeks I have them for dinner in huevos rancheros.

I've come up with a fast, reasonable facsimile of the Mexican breakfast classic. When I make huevos rancheros for other people, I do it the right way. For just me, this is plenty good enough.

Aside from mustard toast -- one of my wife's contributions -- this is the laziest recipe in my repertoire.

Low-Rent Huevos Rancheros

10-ounce can Hatch's diced tomatoes with green chilies or jalapenos
2 eggs
6-8 corn tortillas

Wrap the tortillas in a couple layers of foil and heat in an oven at 350.

While the tortillas are warming, heat the tomatoes and chilies in a small saucepan over medium-high heat till bubbling through. Crack the eggs and slip them into the pan on top of the tomatoes, careful not to break the yolks. Lower the heat and cover, cooking the eggs to desired firmness.

Remove the tortillas and eat them with the eggs.

Of course, you can do more work here if you want, sauteeing chopped green pepper, onion and even garlic before adding the tomatoes and chilies, but why bother?

If you're going to make other people eat this, use a larger pot or skillet and multiply the quantities as necessary.

Where's the wine? If this is dinner, have a glass of Vinho Verde, the fizzy, floral Portuguese white wine I've been urging you to try. If this is breakfast, maybe you shouldn't have wine.

A Spanish armada

2007-05-22T15:25:00.000-07:00

For variety, value and drinkability, you can do a lot worse than the wines of Spain. From the underrated sherry to sparkling Cava to Rioja, one of the world's classic reds, Spanish wines are enjoyable and affordable and handsomely complement a wide range of foods -- grilled meat, pasta and a lot of other popular summertime fare.

By law, Rioja producers may use four red grape types, but the most common are Tempranillo and Garnacha (Grenache in France and the U.S.)

The San Francisco recently ran a piece about Tempranillo.

Here are three Crianzas, the youngest, most affordable ($8-$12), lightest-bodied and readiest-to-drink of the three tiers of Rioja -- Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva (or Reserva Especial). They are deep in color with slightly reserved fruit and a pleasant dryness.

Faustino VII Rioja: 50 percent Tempranillo, 50 percent Garnacha.
Marques de Caceres Rioja: 85 percent Tempranillo, 15 percent Garnacha
Condesa de Leganza Crianza: 100 percent Tempranillo

Crianzas require no further aging in the bottle. They should be drunk within five or six years of the vintage.

If you enjoy the Crianza, consider stepping up to a Reserva ($15-$18). You will need to hold it for a few years, but you'll see a big difference and even greater value than the Crianza.