+++SCOFF! - The free email newsletter on good food and drink. - ISSUE THIRTEEN, APRIL 2006. For a printable colour version of this newsletter (in a ‘pdf’ file), see: http://www.gastronomail.com/archive.htm . Please forward to all your friends and colleagues so they can register to receive their own copy by visiting our web site: http://www.gastronomail.com . We never pass on email addresses. Further information at the end of this issue. ++Issue Thirteen Contents: 01: An A-Z of Scoff: the alphabet of food wisdom - ‘M’ is for ‘MSG’: Everyone’s least favourite additive. 02: Reader offer - Free beer: Celebrate Spring with Chapel Down ales. 03: Review: Smelly Section of the Table’s Holy Trinity - French Cheeses, by Kazuko Masui - Reviewed by Dan Jellinek. 04: Recipe: Prune Crema Catalana - by Nick Wood and Chris Barber. 05: The drink spot: Letter From The Big Apple - Shaken, not stirred: anatomy of a martini, by Tony Powe. 06: Titbits and crumbs: ‘Tescopoly’ – barbed anti-supermarket campaign; eggbaconchipsandbeans – celebrating greasy spoons; Wine- Searcher – vast online wines database. 07: The food spot: Easy Riders Hellbent on Fruits de Mer. Antony Julyan on a group of bikers slightly past their sell-by date who like to roar through France, raising a little hell and above all, eating well. 08: How to: Cook Perfect Pasta - Essential tips from gourmet chef Anna Venturi. [Contents ends]. +01: An A-Z of Scoff: the alphabet of food wisdom - ‘M’ is for ‘Monosodium Glutamate’. Monosodium Glutamate or MSG (contained in `E numbers’ E620-25) is the bugbear of food additives. People groan at the sight of this flavour-enhancer on a label, assuming it is the hallmark of cheap, tarted-up food that is bad for your body. It is even blamed for something called ‘Chinese restaurant syndrome’, involving headaches, nausea and all sorts of other unpleasant symptoms. Oddly enough however, the very fact that it is used so widely, not least across the most populous country in the world, China, without any question or fear, may well mean that MSG is actually one of the safest additives you will consume. No scientific study has ever proved it offers any health risks, and Chinese restaurant syndrome has not been proven either. Neither have assertions by some nutritionists that it aggravates poor behaviour in children with existing behavioural problems. There are other safety pointers as well. Natural forms of the chemical — an amino acid called glutamic acid — occur in many common foods that are full of flavour such as cheese, tomatoes, mushrooms and soy sauce. On the other hand, while MSG may not have been shown to cause health problems directly, it is generally true that the types of food that make heavy use of it — cheap foods without much inherent flavour of their own — are usually not that good for you for other reasons such as poor quality of meat or high fat content. After all, if you exist purely on Chinese takeaways, ill-health is predictable. And ask yourself, why does the food’s flavour need ‘enhancing’ in the first place? In conducting research for this piece, we discovered the French term for MSG and similar additives is ‘exhausteur de gôut’. When we plugged the term into Google for a translation the result came back: ‘suction pipe of taste’. We rest our case. +02: Reader Offer: Free beer for Spring. Celebrate the arrival of Spring in style with some fine English ales, a new departure for award-winning wine producer Chapel Down, based in Kent. Chapel Down’s attention to quality and detail has been turned to beer- making under the ‘Curious Brew’ brand of real ales. They include Curious Brew Brut, a lager re-fermented using French 'sparkling wine' yeast; Cobb IPA, an Indian pale ale intensely hopped with aromatic Kent Cobb hops; and Admiral Porter, a bottle-conditioned English porter, matured with oak. All these beers can be ordered with online discounts from the Chapel Down web site: www.chapeldownwines.co.uk or by phone on 01580 763033. And for one lucky reader, Scoff! has a mixed case of 12 bottles of Curious Brew beers (four of each of the above) to give away. To enter your name into a draw for the crate, simply email your name and address with the words ‘chapel down beer offer’ in the subject line to dan@gastronomail.com . +03: Smelly section of the table’s Holy Trinity - French Cheeses, by Kazuko Masui - Reviewed by Dan Jellinek It was Charles de Gaulle who despairingly asked the rhetorical question: “How can anyone be expected to govern a country with 325 cheeses?” In fact, since he made the remark 40 years ago, the number of cheeses made in France has increased to around 500, which puts the recent political travails in France in an interesting new light. Whatever its diversity says about the French character, French cheese forms, with bread and wine, part of the ‘Holy Trinity’ of French gastronomy from the highest to the lowest tables. The fabulous new edition of the Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Companion ‘French Cheeses’ by Kazuko Masui has at its heart a beautifully photographically illustrated directory of all the main kinds of cheese by name, region and type, from Abbaye de Citeaux to Vieux-Boulogne. Each entry shows the appearance of the cheese and describes in detail the consistency of its body, or pâte; likewise for its rind, if present; its length and method of curing or affinage; and of course its aroma and taste. As well as this treasure-house of information, there is a useful introductory section with information about the origins of cheese (first cited in ancient Sumarian writings around 3,000 BC); how to keep, store and cut cheese; and the Appelation d’Origine Contrôlée system which operates in France for cheese as it does for wine, guaranteeing its quality and place of manufacture. This is an indispensable book over which fans of cheese (cheesies? cheesos? fromagophiles?) could happily sit and drool for hours. NOTE: French Cheeses, published by Dorling Kindersley, £12.99, ISBN 1405312114. +04: Recipe: Prune Crema Catalana - by Nick Wood and Chris Barber. This Catalan speciality is similar to Crème Brulée. The sweetness of the cream contrasts with the acidity of the fruit, and with the crispy topping it tastes sublime. Serves two: 150ml red wine 50g stoned ‘ready to eat’ dried prunes 30g caster sugar 200ml double cream 2 egg yolks Simmer the red wine with the prunes and 10g of the sugar in a small pan until the wine has become syrupy and the prunes are completely soft: 15-20 minutes. Divide the mixture between two small soufflé dishes or ramekins. Bring the double cream to the boil with 5g of the sugar, remove from the heat and quickly whisk in the egg yolks. Return to a very gentle heat and cook, stirring constantly, for three minutes. Take the saucepan off the heat and pour the cream mixture over the prunes up to the rim of each dish. Leave to cool and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Sprinkle remaining sugar onto each pot and caramelise with a cooks’ blow torch or a very hot grill for two minutes until it begins to turn golden. Leave to cool before serving to allow sugar to harden. NOTE: From Kitchen Charisma by Nick Wood and Chris Barber, delicious recipes and Campo Viejo wine pairings, £14.99 from: www.cooktoimpresswithcampoviejo.co.uk The recommended wine here is Gran Campo Viejo Cava, £6.99 from Sainsbury's and Threshers. Scoff! has one bottle and one copy of Kitchen Charisma to give away: to enter the draw email name and address to dan@gastronomail.com . +05: The Drink Spot: Letter from the Big Apple - by Tony Powe. The other day we almost had an international incident in the restaurant. My team looked on in astonishment as a seemingly perfectly made drink was rejected with a tirade of colourful French that, among other things, accused us of being nothing short of serial killers. It turned out be a cultural difference for which no-one was really responsible. Our guest was expecting a refreshing long drink that he could sit back with and take a nice huge gulp from at the end of a trying day. Unfortunately, he was not expecting it to be quite so potent. That’s because we’re not in France, we’re in New York where a martini is really just a very civilized way of asking for a neat gin or vodka. The original martini is gin-based (or should I just say is gin), although vodka now seems more popular. The actual ingredient called Martini, or let’s call it Vermouth to avoid any misunderstanding, is lucky if it even gets a look in, in fact often just waving the bottle over the shaker is fine. What never fails to amaze me about the martini culture in New York is the hoopla that surrounds it. Martini drinkers are so particular about where and how they want their neat alcohol served (until about the third one). They’ll specify a brand of gin or vodka; they’ll want it on the rocks (rarely) or up (no ice); dry, very dry, extra dry; dirty (olive juice), with a specific amount of olives, with a twist or without fruit — most will want it shaken, some stirred, others will specify extra cold and some will even tell you to make it like so-and-so at such-and-such a bar. This might sound complicated, but actually the making of the martini is the easy bit. God help you if you have the wrong pour though! The martini — we’re talking ‘up’ now — must come to the rim of the glass (specifically designed for this drink, of course). If it’s less, the customer feels cheated, more — well, it’s messy. At work today we discussed where we’d had our best martinis, and all agreed it was at a bar called “Hell”, although some of us can’t even remember going there. Alas, Hell is now under renovation (perhaps into Purgatory?) so the search is back on. Meanwhile, here’s one to try at home: Vodka Martini Up Xtra Dry: 1: Fill Shaker with ice 2: Wave Dry Martini bottle ceremoniously over the top of the shaker 3: Start pouring vodka — count to six — stop 4: Shake in slow rhythmic movements till shaker sticks to your hand (keep all the pieces together!) 5: Remove chilled martini glass from fridge 6: Put in appropriate fruit (olives should be on a cocktail stick) 7: Pour with a flourish, twisting shaker at end with a triumphant “Enjoy.” Variations: Very Dry: Rinse glass with a few drops of Martini Dry. Dry: Add one or two drops of dry martini to shaker. Cheers! NOTE: Tony Powe owns the highly-regarded Jarnac Restaurant in Manhattan’s West Village. He can be reached at tony@tonypowe.com . +06: Titbits and Crumbs. - Tescopoly Pointedly witty campaign against ongoing world domination by the supermarket giant, spearheaded by a consortium of bodies including Friends of the Earth and the GMB union. Includes a link to current Office of Fair Trading investigation of supermarkets. Every little hurts: http://www.tescopoly.org . - eggbaconchipsandbeans Go on, admit it – for all the organic veg and five a day we all have a soft spot for a greasy spoon cafe. And is there any greater hangover cure? This ‘blog’ or weblog, which has also been turned into a book, will aid you in your quest for greasy perfection: http://www. eggbaconchipsandbeans.com . - Wine-Searcher A vast global online database of wines for sale by type, vintage and supplier, including rare and hard to find wines. You can limit the results by country: http://www.wine-searcher.com . +07: The food spot: Easy riders hellbent on fruits de mer - by Antony Julyan. In word association games, motorcycling and food would not be a pairing that you would expect to surface often, notwithstanding the two hairy gentlemen of recent TV fame. But not so for us, for we are the Old Bastards, a group of determined thrill seekers who flee reality for an annual long weekend in France hellbent on consuming fruits de mer and a selection of crisp whites. This may seem confusing as the pleasures of food and wine are derived through smell and taste, and motorcycling is a positive assault on the senses. Struggling into crowded eateries, with petrol reeking from your gloves and an oily residue from your riding jacket marking your progress on the pale evening clothes of everyone present, the reason bikers eat at roadside burger vans becomes apparent. Happily however, the above is about 10 years out of date. Modern motorcycles all have electric starts, clothing is synthetic, and motorcyclists themselves are of course all suave, hip hedonists. In fact, of course, the OBs exist to help us embrace those passions remaining to us in our advancing years. For more than a decade this group of bikers slightly past our sell by date has been journeying to France to celebrate the thrills of the open road, although in recent years as average speeds have dropped the amount of time spent in bars and restaurants has increased, and the annual festival is now as much about the enjoyment of food as the pumping of adrenalin. On one evening it is traditional for the OBs to prepare a home-cooked feast at our traditional gathering place in a farm cottage in the rural backwaters of Brittany. This might be grilled fish, for which we chop up and light an unfeasibly large pile of wood, marinade fish, nip to a local bar for a pression and upon return, place grid over the hot embers. Or it might be a beef casserole as follows, the recipe of fellow OB Nigel Foster. You will need braising steak; garlic; tomatoes; thyme, oregano, rosemary; salt, pepper; shallots; red wine; and wild mushrooms — we found ceps and girolles close to the farm. Cut the meat into inch and a half to two-inch cubes. Roll in well seasoned flour and brown in olive oil. Add plenty of chopped garlic and whole peeled shallots and fry gently for five minutes. Add fresh peeled tomatoes or tinned chopped tomatoes, herbs and half water/half wine to just cover. Leave to simmer gently in the oven for a good three hours, checking liquid and seasoning from time to time. Add the wild mushrooms in decent sized pieces an hour before the stew is due to be ready. Serve with rice or potatoes, a green vegetable and plenty of red wine — with copious toasts to cameradery, absent friends and Old Baaastards! 08: How to: Cook perfect pasta - by Anna Venturi. Pasta — so many varieties and shapes to choose and so many ways to create delicious dishes but so easy to end up with a congealed mass. Firstly, what type to choose? I would encourage buying a good dried pasta made by small, usually family owned, producers. These are made using durum wheat flour (always use Italian) which has a very high gluten content that makes the pasta elastic and firm to the bite. 1: To cook pasta, you will need plenty of boiling water. As soon as the water is boiling it needs to be salted generously; for each litre of water (about 2 pints/1 quart) you will need 1 teaspoon of salt. The amount of time needed to cook the pasta will depend on the shape and whether it is dried or fresh — fresh pasta cooks only needs a few minutes. 2: When the pasta is cooked, it should be drained and dressed right away. Never leave your pasta ‘naked’ after draining. In a few minutes it will be stuck together in an awful blob! Always keep some of the cooking water and add 1 or 2 tablespoons to the pasta when dressing it, regardless of which sauce you use. 3: When cooking pasta for baked dishes (lasagna or timbales, for example), drain it a few minutes before it is completely done because the pasta will be cooked further in the oven. Remember pasta for baking should always be covered with a ‘blanket’ of sauce or vegetables. This will prevent the top layer from drying out in the oven. 4: With pasta salads, the secret is to rinse the cooked pasta under cold water before adding other ingredients, to cool the pasta and stop the cooking process. A little oil can then be used to prevent the pasta sticking together, but not butter as it will solidify when cool. 5: Remember that pasta salads do not keep fresh and fragrant for more than a few hours. NOTE: Anna Venturi owns and runs bespoke catering company Italian Secrets, promoting the simple elegance of classical Italian cuisine: www.italiansecrets.co.uk . ++End Notes: +HOW TO RECEIVE YOUR REGULAR ‘SCOFF!’ To subscribe to this free monthly bulletin, Send a blank email to scoff-subscribe@gastronomail.com Please encourage your friends and colleagues to subscribe! To unsubscribe at any time, email: scoff-unsubscribe@gastronomail.com For further information on subscription see: http://www.gastronomail.com . +ACCESSIBILITY NOTE: This newsletter conforms to the accessible Text Email Newsletter (TEN) Standard, which makes email publications easier to access for people with impaired vision using text-to-speech devices. For details see: http://www.headstar.com/ten . +COPYRIGHT 2006 Gastronomail Ltd. If you would like to reproduce stories from this newsletter, we generally allow this as long as a full credit is included, with our web address and a description of our newsletter. For permission please email jo@gastronomail.com . +PERSONNEL: Food Editor - Dan Jellinek dan@gastronomail.com Drinks editor – Johnny Ray johnny@gastronomail.com Consultant Editor – Hattie Ellis hattie@gastronomail.com Marketing Director – Jo Weatherall jo@gastronomail.com [Issue ends.]