What Fools These Mortals ( aka the majority of American's) be...The Perfect Hot Dog

I saw a disturbing poll taken this month that asked average American which they would prefer - a Hamburger or Hot Dog or none...the poll revealed that 85 % preferred a Hamburger, 10% a Hot Dog and the rest had no opinion. 
Ms. Katherine Mayhew, a fine writer, a BBQ friend of long standing, and one of the best people you'll ever meet, recently talked about the perfect Hot Dog and it was as she read my mind.

For those 85% that don't prefer a Hot Dog, read no further, for you'll never know or begin to understand one of man's  greatest creations. 
Here is what Ms. Mayhew said and to me, its the gospel.
~ What makes a perfect hot dog? it involves these things and they are non-negotiable
*** Hot dogs with casings. There is no snap to a hot dog without casing and without a snap there is no point.

*** Chili out of a can. Yes! you heard me, Chili out of a can and please..NO BEANS!

*** Plain yellow mustard. No Dijon, No Deli mustard, No Honey Mustard, plain and yellow, just as providence directed us to use.

*** Diced yellow onions. Enough said!

*** A buttered bun. Yes, add butter top a hot dog and chili. Why not? You're not eating these every day, well, Ms. Mayhew, I have to admit, some of us are !

*** Grilling. No boiling of the hot dogs. Can't you hear them screaming?
H.E Lewis - my heart and stomach goes back to the 1959's and the Hot Dog Show in the San Fernando Valley - the Mutt, the dachshund, the beagle, the husky, the Boston Bull, The southern hound and so many more........some of the greatest hot dogs every served,.

Savouries - My Choice for something at the end of the meal rather than some whimsical, effeminate dessert

I am reminiscing this morning about food, what else? Maybe because I was watching for several hours on Sunday, BBC television and my mind went back to my good food times in the city of London.
Today, the so-called urban man eating bowl food and Asian fusion, given the choice ( real men that is) would prefer swapping those noodles for English savouries. Ah! after a meal of smoke salmon, game and beef dishes and a menu free vegetable zone what could be better than cheese and savouries.
Just to list them, brings back so many wonderful memories.
Welsh rabbit, buck rabbit ( with a poached egg on top), mushrooms on toast, Scotch woodcock ( scrambled eggs, anchovies and capers on toast), Angels on Horseback (oysters and prunes, respectively wrapped in thin slices of smokes bacon) and so many others. 

Maybe because I have never had a sweet tooth, the idea of ending a meal with savouries was always appealing to me, even today. One of the places that I can still enjoy that is Wilton's in London. 
Edwardian men ( I count myself one in spirit) love the combination of strength and sweetness in food, something that is sadly lacking today, I find. Where today are the
foods  which emphasize smoked, curried and robustly seasoned flavors? 
The English savory course ( and in America, of those who make it at home) may
feel at odds with modern cooking, but in the end, we men must stand up and be counted and bring back one of the great types of food of our youth.

The Pleasures of a Gin and Tonic - Rediscovered

When I turned 21, my first drink that was served to me as a Gin and Tonic. For many years after it, it became my favorite libation, but as I grew older and more sophisticated, my allegiance turned to the classic martini. 
As of late, I have come back to my first love and can't image why I had for so long, spurned her. 

The New York Times the other day had a story that started with this
"Sipping a good gin and Tonic is like finding a 20th-century oxford shirt in the closet and realizing that you can still wear it downtown tonight without looking out of step with the century we're stuck in'
- I have always worn Oxford shirts since I was 7 years old and I am now 70 and this is still  my go to shirt. - HL
Gin and tonics were - like gin itself - originally developed as a medicine. In this case, to help fight malaria. When the British were in the East they became susceptible to malaria and eventually found out that quinine, an ingredient in tonic water, was useful for getting rid of the disease. Well you would expect that drinking tonic water by itself is pretty nasty and so they added Gin to it and they had no problems getting the British to drink it. 
Also, lime is traditionally served with the drink and it being a citrus fruit containing vitamin C, it also helps to prevent scurvy. Ah! those crafty English.
Tonight, after many years past, I am starting to take the pleasure of drinking Gin and Tonic.
Good times remembered? eh? and yes, 

Eli Wallach - Remembered

Eli Wallach had a great career on both the stage and in the movies, but what I'll always remembered him for was his portrayal of the Mexican bandit, Calvera in the movie 'The Magnificent Seven'. Mr Wallach died this morning and so I am sitting here remembering his film work and again I  go back to his role in that western. 
Who could ever forget one of his most famous lines in the movie
"Generosity..that was my first mistake. I  leave these people a little bit extra and then they hire these men to make trouble. It shows you, sooner or later, you must answer for every good deed"

Where is The Food That Late I ..Ate?

I have been accused more than once in my long life, as to being a throw back, wallowing in my past, especially my eating past. 

I say here and now, I am proud of that. 

On this Friday late afternoon, with the world scene somewhat crashing around me, I taken great delight in remembering such restaurants of my youth as Tail O’ the Cock, Tractons, The Cove and so many others, that I grew up in and had some of the best meals of my life. One such place and its still around, is the Smoke House in Burbank, across from Warner Brothers Studios.

Even as a child, I had the great pleasure to eat there many, many times and it still has a warm corner of my heart.

What I remember best was the ‘Coast Guard orange’ colored, wonderful ‘slap you in the face’ taste of their redolent Garlic Bread.  I am told they still produce it.

Another reason I enjoyed eating here was the series Peter Gunn was filmed at the studios across the street and that one of its stars ( I was smitten by her to say the least) was Lola Albright, who to me was one of the most stylish, sultriest and beautiful actresses in Hollywood with one of the throatiest, smokiest and most distinctive voices around. She came in here on a regular basis after the days shooting.

As Geo and Ira Gershwin once penned “Who could ask for anything more”.

Why Don't Movies make You Cry Anymore?

Last night, I viewed the 1942 MGM classic film, Random Harvest and once again ( my 100th time, I think?) I began to cry as soon as the opening titles appeared. Its a film that really transcends time - of course the plot is implausible, but who cares, two eloquent speaking actors who when they come into sight and open their mouths, suspension of belief becomes effortless and pure enjoyment begins. I defy anyone with a heart to not watch this movie and not cry at the end. A cry for happiness, yes!
It has something, as many MGM films did during that time, a sweetness, that is all but lacking today in movies. 
This along with the'Enchanted Cottage', is my comfort film to go to whenever I need to rejuvenate my soul.
and did the mention the score by the not well known and under appropriated MGM composer, Herbert Stothart?

Margaret hurries to the cottage and calls "Smithy!", he turns, memories flooding back; he cries out 'Paula" and they embrace!
It does not get any better than this...................

Wine is meant to be with food - that's the point of it.” Julia Child

This is my day to rant - so be aware
Having just come back from a month in France, I am more convinced than ever that wine is meant to be eaten with food, not to just taste it. I have never seen the point of going to a winery and just having a tasting. I have had to do that many, many times in my lifetime and have always found it boring. Just tasting wine at a vineyard, I have found boring, Wine, I repeat wine if suppose to only be taken with a meal. 
First of all, let's face it, drinking wine, first of all  is for the nice 'buzz' one gets and second, its is only good because it enhances a meal. That's it.
In my latest France sojourn, I spent a few days in the Beaujolais region at the fabulous Chateau Bagnols.
http://www.chateaudebagnols.com/
The kitchen is phenomenal, with the cooking of the young chef, Jean-Alexandre OUARATTA.
But, the real joy here, what made the meal extra special was the interaction with the dining room wine steward, Robin. A man of considerable knowledge and charm. I put myself in his capable hands and we paired wine for each dish. It was through him, that I discovered a St Joseph Rhone white wine. The red St Joseph has always been a favorite of mine, but I was unaware of a white wine, and OH! what a find.
i am sure if I had the wine alone, it would not have impressed me as much as when I had it with my meal.

so, I will never be convinced to drink just wine alone, but always, always have it with a meal and cocktail parties in the States that only serve wine and not cocktails..DON'T GET ME STARTED!

Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire and Me.......

In the 1950's, as a teenager, I used to love to go the movies once a week, on a Saturday morning at 10:30am and stay until 5:00pm, when my father would pick me up.
Those days they made movies for adults, not children, today its reversed and there is nothing to see these days or 'movie stars' one can look up to and try to emulate. Thank god, I was around to see the Clark Gables, Gary Coopers, Greg Pecks, Cary Grants, and Audrey Hepburn's and Grace Kelley's and so many other wonderful and exciting people on the silver screen. There was true romance then, not just in the sexual way, but the romance of life, and the romance of places to visit.
Think about it, I was maybe 13 or 14 years old and the movies stars I mentioned about were already in their 40's and 50's and yet, and yet, they excited me as a young man as to someone I wished to be, to dress like, to have great lines to say, to visit exotic locales and the music, ah! the music, was beautiful, stirring, lots of strings and long melodic lines. 
Today, I was thinking about when I first say Paris on the big screen ( not realizing then) how important that city and country would be in my future life. 
The movie was 'Funny Face' ( music by the Gershwin, who could ask for anything more?) starring Paris and Fred Astaire ( who didn't want to be a Fred Astaire?)  and Audrey Hepburn ( and who didn't want a girl like her to be your pal?) 
How lucky to have lived in the 1950's and the movies that came out in that decade!

It's So Audrey! - She Would Have Been 85 This Past Weekend!

Off to France for a Month - Hurrah!

Dear Readers,
I am off to France for a month and will pick up my blogging on my return in late May.
You ask? where in France?
I am spending most of my time in my beloved Brittany and then on to Lyon and Northern Provence.

Lots of good food awaits, LOTS!!!  ( Chez Jacky), solitary walks on the beach and in quaint villages and time with new and old friends ( The French are the best) 

A platter of taste - This is worth getting up each day for -

 As George and Ira Gershwin once penned "Who could ask for anything more?"

"All I Want is the Best Of Everything and There's Very Little of That Left " - Lucius Beebe

I recently came upon a photo in an old London Magazine taken during WW2 ( in the underground) and the sign on the wall  read
                                    "Temperatures Will Fall, Standards Mustn't'.

My Edwardian grandfather and to a lesser extant my Bostonian father, were constantly hammering that into myself and my brothers. It was not a snob thing, far from it, but an idea to live your life in a style and manner that reflected well on the family, but moreover,a style you wished for yourself. My grandfather use to say ( among so many things) that being a gentleman ( the thing he prized most) was a 24 hour a day profession, not just sometimes. 
Smoking a cigar or having a glass of single malt Scottish whisky was something you did in the quiet of a room,to enjoy the full flavors. You sat there and thought about what you were smoking or drinking, taking time ( 45 minutes to smoke a cigar was the norm) to really get all the satisfaction you could out of it. That was one, of many, of life's pleasures that I was taught. 
As a boy, my grandfather ( many times) took me to visit his cigar maker and to really understand the time and craft that went into it and thus be able to appreciate it to the max. 
He was horrified, as I am today, by people who rudely open bottles of Champagne and let the glorious ingredients spray everywhere as if its the way you do it. 
As I love Champagne ( and cigars, port,whisky, foie gras, Tweed clothing and so many other refinements)  and have spent much time in the French Champagne countryside and see how long it takes to produce a bottle, I always looked at people in horror who let corks fly in all directions and guzzle the 'stuff' . I guess I am just old fashion....I think there is a song by that name by Jerome Kern...
What this all leads up to, as an Edwardian at heart, I live and have lived since I was 13 years old, in a style and manner that has never changed and I am happier for it as the world today seems that ' have gone to hell in a hand basket', my god, have you seen what young men are wearing today and how they groom themselves..I think they all need a bath and manners? Don't ask and young ladies with tattoos? They look like gangster's molls? Is that attractive? Not to me! Never!!!

OK, OK..I am sounding like my grandfather! Well...that's the nicest thing you could ever say to me.

The American highly civilized non-conformist ( and one of my life's heroes) Mr. Lucius Beebe

Locke-Ober – The restaurant that gave hope to generations of Boston men that if they just followed the rules, they too could find their rightful place

Established in 1875 – the restaurant was a fine dining haven, serving the cities’ most powerful people and old line Bostonian families ( Men that is –the restaurant only admitted women in 1970) for over 100 years.

The restaurant was an institution, a sort of manners-school-meets-lunch club for the Irish, Jewish and Italian men who worked downtown but weren’t welcome at any of the exclusive clubs controlled by the Boston Brahmin. It was the place for men of Boston to learn how to behave like Yankee gentlemen.

To me, it was not only the atmosphere, the wait staff, but it was the food and drink and great company. Now lost on today’s dinners, here was the food of my past and still lives with me - Lobster thermador, finnan haddie, calfs liver, Bay Scallops with bacon, Lobster stew, Scrod, lobster Newburg and many more dishes that gladden the heart and cocktails – like the Ward Eight and ice cold Gin Martini’s ( for lunch!!) I had arrived when I was able for lunch to down a few Ice-Cold Martini's

My grandfather and father and then just myself, were frequent clients, no! Frequent members, for it felt like an exclusive men’s club with better food and people. Men dressed (albeit) in Boston conservative dress, and if you too where dressed correctly, you would get the Nod of approval, not only from the staff but from other dinners.

It was and will forever remain one of the great joys in my lifetime.

It closed after 136 years, because the world had changed, the younger generation did not care a fig and still does not about tradition, or style or manners (Ok, don’t get me going!).

But who cares, I had my time ‘to bask under the sun’ and experience this magical place.

Who Screwed Up the Classic Caesar Salad - I'd Like To Punch Them In The Nose

A Warning - If the photo below is your idea of a classic Caesar Salad, then leave now, because I am going to hurl insults at you,

                   Le Cirque - shame on you (A Caesar Salad, this is not)
if your Classic Caesar salad must have shrimp or chicken on it, starting running, because I am going to through things at you, if you want your classic Caesar Salad without anchovies, then don't even talk to me, you have no idea what great food is about and never will and don't tell me you (like it seems for a vast majority of US Citizens)  have the need for Gluten Free products, I don't believe it, that kind of thing has reached epic proportions in our country and a Doctor I know at the CDC (Center for Disease Control) says that only 1% of the population has the disease known as Celiac (which requires a Gulten Free diet).  
When I was young, about 7 years old, in the late 1940's and into the early 1950's, I was taken to a classic continental style food restaurant (where one had to wear a coat and a tie - which I still do today, I am happy to say)  and had a table side prepared classic Caesar salad and that salad, its taste and preparation has stayed with me for over 70 years. I, early on made that dish one of my cooking repertories. There is not a week that goes by that I don't make that classic dish it in my garlic-rubbed wooden bowl ( de rigueur, of course) and my mind goes back to those happy days of dining in the 1950's.
The world today, as it does so often of late, has bastardized that dish and many other from my youth. 
My blood is boiling, so I need a Caesar salad to calm me down!!!
Here is the classic Caesar from my 1950's days and of course , its correct - never, ever deviate. 

Howard’s Classic Caesar Salad

Ingredients:

1 – Large garlic clove, mashed

½ lemon

1 – tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce

1 – teaspoon of Dijon-style mustard

2 to 3 Anchovy Fillets

3 tablespoons of Olive Oil

1/2 cup of grated Parmesan Cheese (fresh or prepared)

1 head of Romaine Lettuce - chopped

1 whole egg (coddled or raw) -This is NOT an option, without it,its not a CAESAR salad - nuf said!

Salt

Pepper

Croutons –  freshly made, of course!! 

Put your serving dishes for the salad in your refrigerator to chill

In a wooden bowl – make your dressing:

Mince the anchovies and mash in the bowl with a pinch of salt with the back of a spoon

Add the Olive oil – mustard – mashed garlic – few turns of fresh crushed pepper - Mixed well, pressing the ingredients against the side of the bowl until well blended.

Note: Try to make the salad just before serving so it remains fragrant and crisp.

~ In a large bowl, put in the lettuce and pour over it the dressing. ~ ~ toss gently, but not to long.

~ Add the egg and toss well, so that the leaves are coated well.

~ Add the Worcestershire sauce, squeeze the lemon over the lettuce (be careful not to let the seeds into the salad) and then add enough Parmesan cheese to lightly cover the top.

~ Mix well.

~ Add the croutons and more Parmesan Cheese to cover the top (again based on your preference)

Toss well

On the chilled plates – sprinkled a bit of pepper first and then plate the salad.

                                       Hail Caesar!

 Of course it even tastes better if you prepare it table-side in your dinning room, what you don't have a dining room but an open kitchen - Dining room? Don't talk to me !

Wilton's London - Not For the Impoverished of Dress nor Pocket...

For those of you who know me (How lucky they are), they know that although I am mad for France and anything French, I am also mad for a touch of Edwardian London.
I never go to London without dining at Wilton's - 55 Jermyn St. It has become my home away from home for most of my 70 years. One dresses to eat here and does one.... eat!!! 
I must admit and am rather surprised and in truth ever-so-slightly-disappointed when I arrived as of late, to be informed that I am no longer required to wear a tie ( a coat, still, yes!), This was always a pre-requisite to getting into the building. Well, I guess one must make some kind of nod to the 21st century, but I can tell you, I hope it does not go any further than this!
As you glide through, past the doorman, into the soft-carpeted bar area ( Sammy; the bar man, preparing your oysters as he sees you pass), then into the dining room, there is the most palpable sense that you are leaving behind a world of vulgarity, of hashtags, and reality TV and entering an altogether different sphere. The tone is that of the London Gentleman's club, of staunch Conservative principles and undeniable elitism, but here, for a quiet, stolen couple of hours from the mania of modern life, I care not a jot. Dining at Wiltons for over 65 years has been and will be an experience to savor. 
So tuck into a Pullman booth, have you service Nanny take your order and be prepared to return to another world of manners and glorious food and drink. Ah! don't forget at the end , have your savory ( Anchovies on toast is my recommendation) and then a glass of port and some Stilton!

Grits - A Perplexing Thing To Folks North Of The Mason-Dixon Line..BUT....

Southerners have a love affair with grits and as a Born-Again Southerner ( at least in my heart, if not in my soul) they are part of our past, our customs, our hospitality and sheer Southern-ness!
One of the best places to experience this dish of Southern Love is in Charleston at the Charleston Place Hotel in their dining room.
Served on an well starched white tablecloth, a large bowl of love - Shrimp/Sausage and Grits, of course served along with a side order of salty country ham. It does not get any better than this.. 

"Now Give Three Cheers and One Cheer More" As G & S Once Wrote..Hurrah For the True British Soul...

Today a modest band of immaculately dressed chaps and chapettes descended upon Savile Row ( London's key street synonymous with good taste, sharp cutting and bespoke tailoring for more than two centuries ) to protest against the opening of a children's store by Abercrombie and Kent. "We felt ( and I totally agree)  "rather strongly that Savile Row is not the right sort of street for the sale of T-Shirts, cargo pants and thongs with suggestive slogans on them"
If WS Churchill was still alive, he'd have something to see about it! By god!

Indiscreet - They Don't Make Them Like This Anymore - The Movies nor the Stars.....

One of my favorite movies of the past - the movie still proves yet again that great acting, crackling writing, deft direction and two handsome stars never go out of style. 
If you have never seen it, shame on you!

My Watch Of Choice - Ingenuity and Simplicity Are Always My Choice When It Comes to Wrist wear....

To me, the Rolex Watch, although well made, is an ugly, not very stylish wrist watch,( crass if you wish to know)  but that is my opinion. Having forgone wearing watches the last several years and relying on my Smart Phone, I have seen the light and have gone back to wearing a wrist watch. I have also given away my Kindle ( going back to reading hard back books) and have forsaken my computer on my days off among other things. But that's d another story..................
Having visited Zurich last December ( what a WOW! city), I wanted a watch that shouted under-stated elegance,  something thin ( not those over-powering gunky sports watches you see men wear theses day), so, shopping one day, I came upon an example of 20th century design, an easy-to-read face,  distinctive watch hands and the famous red seconds hand ( this look is the official Swiss Railways Clock) and I knew I had found my watch.
It's made by the MONDAINE WATCH CO.
In fact, their design appears to take a place in the eternal hall of fame along side other well known design icons such as Coca-Cola, the Mercedes star, The Toblerone Packaging or the design of the US dollar bill.

I am back after a long ( blog site Respite) that is........

Last December, I had the good fortune to travel to Germany & France along with my famous chef brother, Robert Lewis (The Happy Diabetic) 
We took the Uniworld  river cruise from Cologne to Basel during the fabulous Christmas market period in Germany. I am not, to be honest with you,  a great fan of Christmas celebrations in general, but seeing these special markets devoted to that season in Germany was an real eye-opener WOW!
Check back for more on that story...................... 
If you have never taken a river cruise, you are in for a treat and no one does it better than Uniworld's River Cruises.
The above photo was taken in one of my all time favorite cities ( and areas) Eastern France - in Strasbourg. Behind me is the old town section called Le Petit France and its a must to visit when you come to the marvelous city. 
So, I am glad to be back and stay tuned for more to follow everyday..
~ Howard

Caviar Dinner at Wiltons, London - My Favorite Restaurant in London - Missed this years event, but there is always next year.

                                         The Caviar Dinner 11 May 2011
The Dinner will be hosted by Laura King from "Kings Caviar" who is a well known caviar aficionado. The night not only promises to be a gastronomic delight but an education into this wonderful food.
Bollinger with canapés
 To Start
Smoked sturgeon parfait
Rio Frio Spanish Naccarii Sturgeon
The only Sturgeon indigenous to Europe farmed in Andalucia. Subtle in taste a little like a mild Osceitra
Complimented with Pouilly-Fumé “Les Cornets” 2009 Domaine A.Cailbourdin
 Intermediate
Carpaccio of Rose Dutch veal, goats cheese “Angels Delight” with truffle and pickled salsify
Farmed Sevruga caviar from Bulgaria
 A delicately small egg with a taste of salt and the sea
 Complimented with
Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru 2008 Domaine Vincent Dancer
Pre-main
Gratin of langoustine, asparagus, basil and tomatoes
Farmed Osceitra from Belgium
 Large egg with golden tones, subtle flavours with a hint of brie
 Complimented with
Meursault “Les Vireuils” 2007 Domaine Dupont-Fahn
Main Course
Cornish turbot and Dover sole with bacon, onions, mushrooms and red wine sauce
Farmed Beluga Caviar from Bulgaria
 The largest and most opulent egg, walnut and creamy in flavour
 This is The King of the Caviars  
 Complimented with
Chablis Grand Cru “Les Clos” 2008 Domaine Christian Moreau
Dessert
Raspberry Pavlova iced soufflé with tapioca and mango pearls
 Complimented with
Dom Pérignon 2002
 Coffee and sweetmeats with chocolate caviar
                          HOW MUCH YOU ASK?

You know the old saying 

             " If you have to ask, you can't afford it"

Cooking is a long march that never ends....Temps Perdu

This past weekend I was laid up with the flu ( that seems to be everywhere these days) and so, when I do occasionally get ill, my prescription is always the same, I take to my bed with a cup of hot Assam tea and lemon, several good book, my IPOD and two to three plumped pillows. This weekend, I did the same, turned on my IPOD and listened to Rachmaninov’s Piano concert #2 (a favorite of mine since childhood) and pulled out some favorite restaurant menu’s for days past. As I lay there, dreaming of past delights, I was reminded of a line from Evelyn Waugh’s “Brideshead Revisited”,
“Just the place to bury a crock of gold," said Sebastian. "I should like to bury something precious in every place where I've been happy and then, when I was old and ugly and miserable, I could come back and dig it up and remember."

These menus’s I have saved for the years, and when revisited, truly make me happy. Dinner in my day was when people would dress up and use the restaurant as a stage, a setting for a night’s entertainment. Today, they just eat out for convenience, and then rush off elsewhere. For me, eating out was like going to a theatre. I prepared for what I was going to eat; I dressed up certainly and wished to spend at least 2 hours, if not more, enjoying the, meal, the service, and the atmosphere. To me, it was like going to church.

One of my fondest memories of dining was in London at the wonderful (now not so wonderful) Edwardian Hotel, The Connaught. That hotel, up to recently was like stepping back in time. Retreating to some safer, cozier era when ladies worn hats and gentleman wore suits. The big draw for me was always the Restaurant and Grill room. Here the low hum of conversation ( that is gone now world wide in restaurants), the genteel clink of polished silver on old china, waiters in tails exuding an a air of quiet efficiently and old fashioned servility. The atmosphere, of course was always clubby, exclusive and stuffy. An menu of mixed English comfort food and classic French cuisine and all under the eye of maitre-chef Michel Bourdin. M. BOURDIN retired (sadly) in 2001 and that began the fall of one of the best restaurants in the world. ………………, Please check back for more on this greatest of chefs and greatest of dining rooms.

My Japanese New Year Feast - A Lewis Tradition

Having been married for 41years to a Japanese-American, New Years to the Japanese ( and myself) is very special and is celebrated ( on New Years Day) in a big way.
Japanese New Year's food is called osechi-ryori, and colorful osechi-ryori dishes are packed in layers of lacquer boxes, called jubako. Each dish and ingredient in osechi has meaning, such as good health, fertility, good harvest, happiness, long life, and so on. The kinds of osechi dishes eaten at Japanese homes vary from region to region.
It's a Japanese tradition to eat osechi-ryori throughout the New Year's holidays (until Jan. 3.) Traditionally, people finish cooking osechi dishes by New Year's Eve so that they have food for a couple days without cooking. Most of the dishes can last a couple days in the refrigerator or at cool room temperature. Nowadays, people buy ready-made osechi dishes at stores instead of cooking them at home. It can be time-consuming to cook so many kinds of dishes. You can even order a set of osechi-ryori at department stores, grocery stores, or convenience stores.

Osechi Dishes

• Kobumaki - Kelp Rolls
• Kuromame - Simmered Black Beans
• Datemaki - Rolled Sweet Omelet

• Kurikinton - Mashed Sweet Potato with Sweet Chestnuts)

• Kinpira Gobo - Braised Burdock

• Tazukuri - Candied Dried Sardines

• Namasu - Pickled Daikon Radish and Carrot

• Nimono - Simmered Dish

Nimono includes gobo (burdock root), satoimo (taro), renkon, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, and more. Oh! my gosh, so much more.....................you spend all day eating, I mean all day!!!

Eat Your Last Meal NOW! What Would Be Your Last Meal?

In her newest book ( I Love Nora Ephron), Ms. Ephron talks about getting old and eating your last meal now, instead of later, she writes..
"You do get to a certain point in life where you have to realistically, I think, understand that the days are getting shorter, and you can't put things off thinking you'll get to them someday," she says. "If you really want to do them, you better do them. There are simply too many people getting sick, and sooner or later you will. So I'm very much a believer in knowing what it is that you love doing so you can do a great deal of it."For Ephron, there was a moment that helped bring that realization vividly home. She was with friends, playing a round of "What would your last meal be?"

(Her pick, by the way: a Nate & Al's hot dog.) "But (my friend) Judy was dying of throat cancer, and she said, 'I can't even have my last meal.' And that's what you have to know is, if you're serious about it, have it now," Ephron says. "Have it tonight, have it all the time, so that when you're lying on your deathbed you're not thinking, 'Oh I should have had more Nate & Al's hot dogs.'"
This set me to thinking ( as I love food and think about it all thew time) what would be my last meal....
My picks to follow....what are yours?

 

A New Sensual Champagne Find.............Tsarine

Last Month in London, one of the most beautiful and sensual ladies I know, introduced me to a new Champagne ( well, at least to me). It is called Tsarine and the bottle itself is worth the price of admission, as they say!
Created in 1730 by the brothers Jacques-Louis and Jean-Baptiste Chanoine during the reign of Louis XV, it is the second oldest champagne house and was the first house to be authorised by the city of Epernay to dig a cellar in Champagne. Champagne of the Tsars, Tsarine was created in honour of Tsarist Russia (the No.1 export market in the 19th Century). The attractive and unique bottle was inspired by the Kremlin where Tsar were crowned. Tsarine Premium Cuvee Brut
With lightness and finesse, the streams of delicate bubbles rise through the glass, reflecting hints of green and of gold.The aromas gently reveal lime flowers and lemon balm mingled with notes of bitter oranges and of quince. Freshness and elegance are confirmed on the palate. The dominant notes of citrus fruits combine with white peaches and raisins.

It does not come cheap ( but what is anymore), at 80 pounds sterling a bottle.
So find that right lady and sucumb to her charms along with a bottle of Tsarine, you won't be sorry!

London Comfort food from 1742!

I am just back from my sojourn to France and London. When I recover from jet-lag in a few days I will add more to my blog about my ventures in both countries. As usual, as I have done for decades; a trip to London without eating at Wilton's would be unthinkable and so this last weekend, I once again for the umpteenth time, had a lovely meal at one of the worlds great restaurants. I could say so much, but let the late W. R. Apple say it for me I an piece he wrote shortly before he died. I agree 1000% with everything he says about this historical restaurant.
LONDON Wilton’s, 55 Jermyn Street, SW1;

Clubbish in location, in looks, and for the most part clubbish in clientele, wonderful Wilton’s in fact affords a cheerful, courteous welcome to all who show up in properly sober clothes, ready to pay the sobering prices. The best English food (as opposed to the best food in England, which is so grandly cosmopolitan these days) is still that which has been least messed about with. That is just what Wilton’s delivers. “Noted since 1742 for the finest oysters, fish and game,” it says of itself, with every justification.

You might start with a half-dozen oysters. They will set you back a pretty penny, but then they are imposing creatures, five inches across, pale beige rather than silver-gray, in shells as flat as saucers. They come from West Mersea, on an island off the Essex coast, from beds that are harvested exclusively from rowboats, lest oil or gasoline pollute the waters. They are opened by London’s best oysterman, Patrick Flaherty, a 40-year veteran when I last checked. None of the briny juices escape. No nasty bits of shell creep in. Then maybe a wild salmon from the Spey in Scotland (increasingly rare), or a snowy hunk of halibut . But whole Dover sole is the overwhelming choice of English connoisseurs: brushed with melted butter, sprinkled with salt and pepper, turned quickly on the grill so that the grill bars burn a dark lattice pattern into the fish, then cooked under the intense heat of the broiler for roughly 12 to 15 minutes. Perfectly simple, simply perfect and entirely sufficient. This is the porterhouse steak of fish. No sauce is needed, partly because cooking the fish whole (“on the bone”) helps to keep it moist. You may well come across an occasional apostate who insists upon tartar sauce (much too robust, in my view) or hollandaise (too rich). In game season, both partridge and grouse are exemplary.

~ Howard's Note:The Grouse as usual was out-of-this-world and the sole was the tops.

An American single dinner a few tables away ( his first time at Wilton's) remarked to Patrick that he had never had sole that tasted like this and I want to stand up and yell, 'You are right!, Its the best in England!'. but I did not, as I was engrossed with my savory of Anchovies on toast.

A musical accompaniment ..when did they start playing music in restaurants?

My worst dining nightmare is the above.

Don't get me wrong, I love music as much as the next person, but there is a time and a place for everything and it's not when I want a quiet meal to enjoy my dinner.

I'm mad a hell and I won't take it anymore.............when did this annoyance begin? I don't remember dining the 1950's/60’s and having music accompanying my meal.

It’s bad enough having to put up with restaurants where the noise level is on stun! Where the patrons and wait staff look like they need a shave and a bath. OK, I’ll stop………..

You're Only Old As The Era You Love!

30 years ago , Dr Ellen Langer, experimented, involving two groups of men in their late seventies and early eighties. One group remained in a 1979 environment, but was encouraged to reminisce about life 20 years earlier. The second group was placed in a house surrounded by props from 1959 and encouraged to watch Fifties’ films and debate Fifties’ news topics. The study, Langer found, revealed that the elixir of youth may lie in the workings of the brain. When tested, the second group emerged with improved physiological performances: their blood pressure dropped; their cognitive abilities and memory greatly improved; one man was even able to cast aside his walking stick.
That study only proved (what I have always thought was true) –that thinking differently can help wind back the clock. “If you go back to an atmosphere where you could do things, where you were king or queen of the heap, it will bring back those memories. And if you truly believe [that you’re in that environment] then your body will follow where the mind has gone.” To work in business environment and to remain current, one must have all the trappings of the 21st Century - Ipod, Ipads, Blackberries, multiple cell phones, multiple computers , you know what I am talking about. Well, unfortunately to survive, I have all of those and more in my life, but as soon as I leave my office, I turn all of that off and go back to the future to live 100 years ago.

My Edwardian grandfather lived always a measured life - meal at specific times daily, time to sit alone in a room and enjoy for its own pleasure – a good cigar and drink his whisky, time to read and write and reflect. Nothing every changed, he enjoyed life on his own terms and in his own time frame and I believe that helped him live comfortably into his late 90's. No stress. There was no multi-tasking in his life. Well before Martha Stewart, his life was always surrounded with beauty and beautiful things. Not expensive things (although he did have those) but with items that pleasured him and gave him solace and comfort. He taught me to enjoy a drink and a cigar, a love of books and their bindings, of eating a great meal in quiet and pleasurable surroundings, to enjoy just sitting in a room alone and quiet. The world today, in my opinion is going stark raving mad, but for me, its 1908 and it is here you’ll find a very happy man!

There is Always a Moment in Childhood When The Door Opens and Let's the Future In"

                   (Cary Grant - The man I most wanted to be like ,act like and dress like)
That quote from author Graham Greene is so true to many of us, to me it's perfect to describe my love of life and food.
For me that door openned very early in my childhood, in 1952 to be exact. The generation of my parents and their friends as rule, went out to dine, never with their children. We stayed at home with a baby sitter. They vacationed away from us, except for once a year when we where taken along. But god forbid, if you were unruly or not well behaved, you where never taken out again for many years to come. Fortunately for myself and my brothers, we had Edwardian grandparents who taught us how to comport ourselves in every thing social. They were based on the mores of the 1900's to the early 1930's. I am forever grateful to them for their instruction as it has made my life that much richer.

The moment that 'door' opened for me was during our 2 week annual stay at the Hotel Del Coronado Hotel in San Diego.

As the rule, for dinner for my brothers and I, it was brought to our room and my parents ate later in the formal dining room. Not until we were in our late teens were we allowed to dine with them when we vacationed, save breakfast and lunch. Dinner was their time together, for in those days, our parents, certainly loves us and took care of us, but they did not live their entire life for us, unlike most parents today. I always thought that was more civilized and a wise approach to raising a family.

So, one evening, I asked my father if I could go down to the dining room and have dinner by myself. Being well brought up, dressing well and knowing all the rules of dining, they said yes.

So I wore my best suit and tie, shined my shoes to a polish and went off to the formal dining room. Here I was treated as an adult, because I acted as an adult. Even as a child of 13, I recognized how important that was and that has served me all my life.

It was a wonderful meal and I found that dining by myself was something I enjoyed. I enjoy the theatre of eating a great restaurant and the good service along with well prepared dishes. That dinner proved to be a very happy affair for me and I knew at that moment that was going to be very important in my life and living.

I have become attached to restaurants, some are old friends -the atmosphere, the food, the staff - all become a pleasing part of existence. Restaurants such as d'Chez Eux in Paris have enhanced my life of 67 years.

I must say that most dining today is like dining in a playpen -the buzz, the trendy, the noisy, the slovenly dressed clients, and the silly food concoctions etc.

What I expect from a restaurant (and that is why no one today would want me as a critic) is a grownup restaurant: An attentive reception, a civilized ambience, a well groomed staff and clientele, polished service and a halfway intelligent menu and wine list.

Fine dining (to my mind) like great art , music, and literature ought to be keen-minded, luminous and uplifting.

June 28, 1682 - Happy Birthday Champagne!

On this day, French history tells us that a Benedictine monk by that name of Pierre Perignon who was the head cellarer of the Abbey of Hautviliers invented Champagne.

That a drink now so glamorous, associated with seduction and the good life, could have been created by an ascetic monk makes a pleasantly ironic tale that has been carefully cultivated by the Chanpagne house, Moet & Chandon , owners of the abbey of Hautvilliers since 1822. It's a romantic myth, be that as it may ( I love romantic tales, if truth be told) but the good Dom's real achievement, truly dramatic for the time was to make clear still white wine from black grapes. He understood the climate of Champagne, that blending wines from different vineyards did produce a better wine than ones from a single vineyard and so in 1682, he made his first sparkling wine and we are so grateful for that.

Edwardian SuperSize Me!

The Edwardian era, from the death of Queen Victoria in 1901 to the expiration of her obese but happy son Edward VII from not entirely surprising double heart attack in 1910, was the Golden Age not just of cricket, motoring, amateurism and one piece swimsuits for gentlemen, but of eating!
He generated the first great restaurant boom, an explosion of new and exciting dishes.

I am proud to say, that even in the 21st century, I think, no, I know and comport myself as a latter day Edwardian - to live, dress, exercise, eat and drink like an Edwardian man of means.

Some people for relaxation read crime novels, some play silly games with spiroid balls, while others listen to Mozart and Operas ( you know what they say about Opera - " If it's too silly to say, then sing it!), some jog in tasteless clothes and visit gyms and sweat, BUT…ah! For me, my pleasure is reading old menus, especially ones from 1901 to 1935. It is and has been a pleasure of mine for over 50 years.

Here is one I was reading last night - along with my favorite cat ensconced on my lap and a glass of Maderia close at hand.

From the Savoy Hotel, London - 1905, January 14th 9 courses


Evening wear a must!


Beluga Caviar with native rock oysters (today that would be worth $2000.00)


Pot Au Feu Henry IV - the shoulder, shank, rib and tail of beef braised all day and served in their broth with a blob of Bernaise.


Sole cardinale and Whitebait


Chicken d'Albufera - a roasted bird ( are you sitting down?) served in a sauce of boiled cream, triply-reduced, with mushrooms and black truffles and quenelles of veal tongue and chicken. How I long for that kind of dish! Take that, the Thomas Keller's of the world, that is something you should inspire too. Not the silly dishes you foist on the public!


Saddle of Lamb with spring vegatables and parsley potatoes.


Pressed Rouen ducklings ( the best in the world) in its own juice.


Asparagus hollandaise ( which Edwardians loved as a pre dessert)


Peach melba


and finally Canapes a la Diane.

I love the Edwardian way of life - the great clothes, the staggering food, and the not much having to do.........