Recent Culinary Trends Are Back to Basics from the Caveman Diet to Better Butter

The hottest new culinary trends now include both the very old to the newest of the new.  Just consider, for example, the newest dietary trend – the caveman diet. Yes, that’s right, the caveman diet.

Called the “Paleo Diet” by academics such as Loren Cordain of Colorado Sate Univeristy, it focuses on a return to the 10,000 year old diet of Stone Age hunters and gatherers. As a result, it is heavy on meat, restrictive of most modern grains and devoid of processed or cultivated foods.

Initial reports suggest the diet can assist in alleviating such modern health issues as obesity, Tyoe-2 diabetes and an assortment of coronary problems. But there’s just one problem – you have to have the physical activity level of a caveman to burn off the accumulated calories from so much protein.

Ouch! In our far more sedentary modern lifestyle, few of us have the time to equal the effort of a bison hunt via exercising at the gym.

In addition, few individuals from the Paleolithic era lived past 30 years of age. Maybe the short lifespan made eating all that very rare meat and gathered berries bareable.

Also making a return from the past is better butter.  For a long time the best butter came, like so many things culinary, from la belle France where it is revered like fine wine and cheese with its own AOC classification, based on region and butterfat content. 

Sadly, America has suffered through margarine and over-commercialized butter with reduced butterfat and added salt and water. The result was higher profits for the manufacturers and poorer pastries for the consumer.

If you doubt this is a serious matter on the food front, just consider that embattled US dairy farmers staged a “Margarine War” in a valiant effort to limit the sale of the butter substitute.  They gladly prosecuted and sent any bootleggers of fake butter that they encountered to jail!

But it’s the French who literally declared war on margarine. During World War I French soldiers were so enraged at supple officers, who forwarded margarine instead of real butter to the front lines, they loaded it into their 75mm howitzer cannons and shot it over to the Germans! (The famed 75 Champagne Cocktail was created in Paris to honor those very guns and was a favorite of the young American reporter Ernest Hemingway).

America, however, can now take heart. With the rise of artisan cheese has come the availability of better butters, many matching the famed butters on France in butterfat (83% and above) and flavor.

Hurray and congratulations to these fine producers.  All is not lost. But take heart, if you long for the modern. Jean-Louis Hecht, a baker from northeast France has invented and installed a 24-hour automated baguette dispenser.

Yes, yes, it does allow access to “fresh” bread during the evening, over a holiday or when many of France’s 33,000 bakeries take their August vacation. But is this really what we want? Bread from a machine, not a bakery – a place traditionally filled with the heavenly smell of all that’s best?

Perhaps absolutely ancient and equally so hip modern, are extremes too far.  Humanity has struggled for endless centuries to reach enjoyable cuisine.  Let’s not throw away the best for over simplification or excessive modernization.

Here’s to cheese, bread, butter and all at makes life enjoyable!

 Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2011

Golden Rolling Pin Awarded to Ledbury Restaurant for Guest Defense during London 2011 Riots

Your Culinary World is proud to award a Golden Rolling Pin to Australia's Chef Brett Graham and his staff for their valiant defense of their guests and kitchen during the sadly still occurring London Riots.

Diners were enjoying dinner at The Ledbury in the affluent west London suburb of Notting Hill when 50 to 60 rioters smashed their way into the restaurant with machetes, knives and cricket bats. They demanded that the stunned diners hand over their wallets, cellphones and wedding rings.

As soon as the staff realized what was happening, they charged the looters with rolling pins and any other lethal-looking culinary tool they could find in the kitchen.  

Yelling and screaming they drove the robbers, all 50 plus, from their restaurant back into the street.

They then calmly served glasses of complimentary whisky and champagne to their shaken guests. What style! What composure! For this alone they deserve the Golden Rolling Pin Award.

But the story of their courage and professionalism doesn’t stop there.  When it was realized that the front door had been smashed, making the restaurant’s entrance onto the street unsecured, the staff first sheltered their guests in the restrooms and then the wine cellar, urging them each time to lock themselves safely inside.

Their decision was a wise one. The rioters did return, breaking and smashing everything in sight.

When it was all over, the restaurant’s guests emerged safe and sound to a scene of mob destruction few will ever forget. Yet none of those present could doubt that, first and foremost, the staff had thought only of them during the mayhem that wrecked the once elegant restaurant.

Amazed and thankful, the grateful guests offered to pay for the dinners never served as some small way of saying “thank you” for the staff’s brave efforts that evening. In a gracious response worthy of the great Alexis Soyer himself, the staff declined payment. 

Professionalism, as you known, requires that one never accept payment for a dinner unserved. That would not be honest. What a difference their attitude was to that of the looters outside.  They protected while those outside destroyed.

Bravo, bravo and so well, well done! How truly all those at The Ledbury deserve the Golden Rolling Pin Award for a night of remarkable bravery and professionalism!

One can only hope that one day compassion and hospitality will reign and that all of humanity will feast together at a "table of brotherhood" in mutual peace and understanding.

Post Note, August 26, 2011: Due to the threat of potential harm from the massive approaching Hurricane Irene to the hundreds of thousands expected to attend, the dedication of the Martin Luther King Memorial has been cancelled.

"It is with a heavy heart and enormous disappointment that we announce that, in the interest of public safety, we are forced to change our plans," Mr. Harry Johnson told a news conference today.

Instead, the historic event will be moved to September or October when the skies have cleared and any damage(hopefully minor) to roads and cell towers has been repaired. After years of effort to make the Memorial a reality, the decision to delay the dedication must have been a hard one, but the right one.  Safety always comes first – something every great hotel knows and practices daily.

Post Note, August 22, 2011: As the U.S. begins a week of celebration honoring the memory of Martin Luther King, many visitors to the new King Memorial are delighted that the installation promotes freedom as a universal human right, not merely a singular American occurrence.  Congratulations to the Martin Luther King Memorial designers for their personal courage and global perception.

Post Note, August 12, 2011: Many of Washington DC's leading hotels are working hard to make rooms (and tickets) available for the upcoming August 28th dedication of the Martin Luther King Memorial. If you were not present when King made his famous "I have a dream" speech, here is another choice to be present when history is made. 

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2011

Lock onto French Wedding Trends Old and New

While weddings used to be a seasonal event, now they are joyfully celebrated year round. Spring bridal traditions often seem out of place at a golden autumn vineyard wedding. But have no fear – there are two elegant French wedding traditions, one classic and one more contemporary, that can easily bridge the gap from June to October.

Nothing but nothing says “wedding” like a towering wedding cake, embossed with frills and flowers all crafted in sweet sugar frosting. When made by professionals, the effect is light and bright – perfect for a spring or summer wedding.

But come a fall or winter wedding, the traditional tiered wedding cake can seem slightly out of place – far too delicate a taste or image to serve when cold winds blow. 

For these seasons of falling leaves or drifting snow, the traditional French wedding cake, the croquembouche, is a rediscovered perfect choice.

French chefs create this stunning cake by stacking caramelized cream puffs into a pyramid that is as visually beautiful as it is tasty. 

Made popular by the famed French Chef Antonin Careme (1783-1833), these towering wedding cakes with their stunning appearance were an inpressive treat for the waiting guests. Then as France’s empire and culinary influence increased, elaborate decorations, such as flowers crafted from royal icing and spun sugar drapes, were added.

Today’s creative French chefs often offer their clients croquembouche crafted from chocolate truffles or macaroons in addition to the classic rounded cream puffs. As a result, croquembouche are also suitable for birthdays, anniversaries and other special celebrations throughout the year.

A newer romantic French tradition centers around "Love Locks." After finding one’s true Love, the fortunate couple writes their names on a lock, attached it firmly to the famed Pont de l’Archeveche bridge and then toss the lock key into the river with the promise to Love each other forever.

Now, though the imagery is touching, you can easily imagine that the administrative staff of Paris is less than charmed at having to remove hundreds and hundreds of love locks from the city’s bridge railings (any more than a hotel would be).

So why not  convert the concept into a champagne cocktail (what could be more French or romantic) called perhaps the “Love Lock” that the wedding couple can share together at their reception, with possibly an actual key given them by the well-wishing hotel staff to toss or treasure after their wedding dinner reception?  

In either case, as Humphrey Bogart said to Ingrid Bergman in the movie Casa Blanca, “we’ll always have Paris.”

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2011

Parisian Pastry House of Laduree Honors Monaco Royal Wedding with Special Sweets

This past weekend all of Monaco celebrated the wedding of their Prince Albert to the lovely Olympic swimmer, Charlene Wittstock of South America.

As the crowds cheered and the assembled 800 celebrity guests enjoyed glasses of Belle Epoque 2002 Perrier-Jouet Champagne, Laduree, Paris’ famous pastry house, has crafted a special sweet commemorative confection to honor their wedding day.

Beginning in 1862, Louis Ernest Laduree founded this remarkabke culinary dynasty that would convert the lowly backstreet bakeries of Paris into elegant cafes sparkling with crystal and catering to the elite and fashionable.

To achieve this transformation, Laduree engaged the services of Jules Cheret in 1871 to decorate his newly opened shop in the chic Madelaleine district of Paris.

No one could have been better suited for the task as he adapted images from the décor of the new opera house, cherubs and all, into his floating airy designs.  

Soon such cafes became a showcase of elegance and style of Paris. The world was changing and women of the upper class wanted to move more freely in society, but in a manner that was still “socially acceptable”.  

It was Laduree’s wife, Jeanne Souchard, the daughter of a well-known Rouen hotelier, who suggested the final touch that forever cemented the fame of Laduree as a must-visit site for all culinairians visiting Paris.

Why not, she suggested, blend the English tradition of tea with the great tradition of French pastries? Ladies could gather in the newly concieved “salon de thé” without fear of dishonor. All was light and polite there.

And then there were the pastries – ah heaven, what delights, especially the Parisian style macarons, first created by Pierre Desfontaines, a second cousin. It was he who first conceived of the idea taking two macaron shells and joining them with a delicious ganache filling.   

Crisp on the outside and soft in the middle, Laduree macarons take two days to craft correctly but they are well worth the wait. Once tasted, they are unforgettable.

Two contemporary gentlemen, Francis Holder and his son David Holder, never forgot their encounter with the delights of Laduree and in 1993 purchased the famous establishment.

Today Laduree sweet treats are available in London’s historic Harrods as well as in modern Tokyo.

Yet at each destination, the style and elegance, that is the hallmark of the firm, is subtly maintained.

Ah such sweets! What pleasures, what delights! What culinary art!

So as everyone cheers in Monaco, let us wish that every marriage be as sweet as Laduree's famed pastries and wedded joy as lasting as the memory of this Paris delight – long may Love and La Maison de Laduree reign supreme!

Post Note, August 25, 2011: This September issue of Town & Country Magazine contains a marvelous article about the history of the House of Laduree, that maker of memorable macarons - oh yes!

If you long to learn all about this legendary sweet so enjoyed by kings and queens, be sure to pick up this month's copy and turn to page 58. The insightful story by Alison Rose, entitled "Sweet Nothings", is a sweet delight in and of itself.  

And now there's a Laduree Shop in New York City. Just go to 864 Madison Avenue beginning August 27th - only be prepared to want to never leave. You can either purchase a charming box or relax and enjoy your sweets on elegant cushioned chairs that seem Paris perfect.  

Either way, you will never forget Laduree! New York City just got oh so much sweeter!

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2011

Be Sure to See Wine Enthusiast's New Top Wine Restaurant List

Hurray, hurray, hurray – the Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s August 2011 issue will present America’s 100 Best Wine Restaurants.

Not just wines, but the restaurants in which they are perfectly matched with cuisine. At last, a wine list set in the context of enjoyment!

A single glass of wine is always a pleasure, but when served with the appropriate cuisine, dining can become a memorable experience. This is because terroir, unless interpreted in the strictest soil-only sense, is expansive and inclusive.

What makes a wine great is not merely the liquid in the bottle nor the ground in which it grew. It includes the skills of the blender, the cellar master, the marketers, the sommelier and finally, the chef and the supportive restaurant staff.

Each of these talented individuals adds to the clarification of experience that is the essence of meaningful terroir.

Using the creative lists in Wine Enthusiast’s August issue, it’s now easy (and a lot of fun) to locate the stateside restaurants that embrace this more contemporary concept of terroir. Just take a look at their innovative destination titles: 

• Emerging Stars
• Best Blow Your Mind Bottle Collection
• Bragging Rights for Wine Buffs
• Best Dinner and a Show
• Sexy Sips
• Old School Made Cool - Wine Lists with History
• Best Blow Your Mind Bottle Collection
• Superb Saké Programs
• Outstanding Cocktail Programs
• Beer Trailblazers
• Trend Watch: Pop-Ups to Temp
• Restaurant Radar: New & Notable
• Best Bets for BYOB

With topics such as these, is it any wonder that the Wine Enthusiast Magazine has over 700,000 monthly readers.

And this month they have produced another not-to-be-missed issue.

Don't wait to get your copy as this is sure to be a sellout issue. Just be sure to write your name on your office copy as everyone will want to borrow it – the issue is that good. 

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2011