Bottles of vinegar. Photo: junmon603, Flickr.

• Sometimes seasoning to taste shouldn't be a spray of salt, but rather a splash of vinegar.
• Critics say that California chardonnay is becoming the bland "indecision beige of the wine world."
• Entertaining at home doesn't need to be an expensive affair or scattered potluck. Some hosts are having fun with team cooking.
• Three pros share party-hosting tips like pasta experimentation and budget cuts of meat.
• Michael Pollan is becoming a phenomenon?
• The Tribune's Cookie Contest will land one lucky baker $200 at Williams-Sonoma.
• Chicago food and drink events.
• Recipes: Mini Currant Scones, Orzo and Brown Rice Pilaf, Cherry Tomato-Walnut Pizza.

Deep-Fried Butter. Photo: State Fair of Texas

Behold the deep-fried butter!

Last week, Slashfood reported that Abel Gonzales planned to best his fried-food record at the State Fair of Texas with a concoction that shuddered even those with the most hardened of arteries -- Deep-Fried Butter.

The dish -- which comes in four flavors: original, garlic, cherry and grape -- took top honors on Monday when fair officials gave it the Most Creative nod in the Big Tex Choice Awards.

"It's similar to having a dinner roll with a lot of butter," Sue Gooding, a spokeswoman for the fair, told us last week. "It's very good."

Orange beets from Encino. Photo: dichohecho, Flickr

• With about 30 vendors, the Encino farmers' market is the place to be.
• Forget the pizza and fast food: Occidental College junior Saul Sutcher whips up gourmet fare at his own on-campus "Café Norris."
• West Hollywood's RH has a revamped menu and brings gourmet style to the Hyatt.
• Easy, fresh and elegant vino drinking is the way of 2008 Mirth Chardonnay.
• Linda Rivera's health battle after digging into some raw Nestle Toll House cookie dough back in May.
• On teaching tykes to love healthy eating with good food and fun.
• Chicken Charlie and his overwhelming addiction to deep-frying anything and everything -- s'mores, frog's legs, pickles, cupcakes, you name it.
• Burbank's Zaatar Factory serves solid Lebanese fare and savory baking.
• Recipes: Norris Hall Duck Ragu, Pan-Fried Fish Fillet with Rouille.

More people are drinking wine in a box than ever before. Read about the best boxed wines on Slashfood.

Columbia Valley Chardonnay. Photo: Gordon Brothers

Gretchen Roberts writes the wine blog Vinobite, has passed the introductory course at the Court of Master Sommeliers and is studying for her sommelier certification this fall.

Chardonnay is one of the most-planted wine grapes in the world (second in whites only to Arien, a Spanish variety, according to Jancis Robinson's "Oxford Companion to Wine"). The grape behind both crisp, acidic Chablis and rich, creamy California Chards can be made into some of the most expensive (Champagne) and least expensive (Two-Buck Chuck) vinos in the world.

As with people, Chardonnay is full of surprises.

After the jump, five Chardonnays under $15 that showcase the grape's full range of flavors -- and a question for my fellow oenophiles.

Gretchen Roberts has passed the introductory course at the Court of Master Sommeliers and is studying for her sommelier certification this fall.

"Great wine is made in the vineyard, not in the winery." The expression may have derived from top winemakers modestly claiming to be simple helpers taking advantage of Mother Nature's hard work. Still, a winemaker makes plenty of decisions after the harvest that affect the ultimate taste and character of the wine. Chardonnay is a great example of a vino whose character is formed through decisions made in the winery.

Chardonnay-making is rather like a Choose Your Own Adventure book. Start with the fruit; where you go from there can take you to many alternate endings. A couple of decisions that drastically alter the finished product:

• Stainless steel or oak: Chardonnay fermented in stainless steel will maintain a certain liveliness. Fermented in oak barrels, however, it takes on a lush, ripe character with notes of oak and vanilla spices.
• Malolactic fermentation: Malolactic fermentation converts harsher malic acid into softer, buttery lactic acid (think milk, cream and butter). Chard that hasn't been put through this process can taste bright, fresh and wildly acidic.

Read more Unoaked Chardonnay - Wine of the Week and vote in the Chardonnay poll after the jump.

Wine lovers all over the country have reason to celebrate tomorrow: December 5, 1933, marked the end of the 13-year Prohibition on alcohol in the U.S. (Of course the resulting state-by-state laws are still confusing, cumbersome, and laden with politics, but individuals can speak up to their legislative representatives through the nonprofit organization Free the Grapes.)

During those long thirteen years of Prohibition, the California wine industry suffered. Most wineries were forced to close their doors, and those who remained open produced wines for medicinal and religious use. Farmers willing to ride out Prohibition fared a little better: each male was allowed to make 200 gallons of wine each year for personal use, so the demand for grapes around the country was fairly high, even as commercial winemaking all but disappeared.

This year, a new line of wines called Festival 34 was released to commemorate California's first harvest following the repeal of Prohibition 75 years ago. The wines include a Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon, all sourced from California's Central Coast and made by C & B Vintage Cellars in Napa.

I'm usually skeptical of fancy marketing ploys when it comes to wine, because there's often an inverse relationship between the quality of the wine and the cleverness of the label. Festival 34 is an exception for three reasons. One, the concept is truly clever, as it calls attention to and celebrates the end of a terrible era for wine lovers; two, the label art is gorgeous and practically collectible; and three, the wines are quite good. The Chardonnay was too oaky for my taste, but I loved the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Both are a great value for around $12-15.

I absolutely believe that moderation (called "temperance" in the old days), not prohibition, should be the buzzword with alcohol, and on the 75th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition in the United States, I raise my glass to the liberation of the vineyards.

In a recent (pre-election) People magazine profile on the Obamas, the writer mentioned that a bottle of Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay was on the future First Family's Chicago kitchen counter. Kendall-Jackson decided to send the president-elect a few cases of KJ Chardonnay, America's #1 selling chardonnay for 18 years running, for his new wine cellar on Pennsylvania Ave.

Jess Jackson, KJ's founder, says the Chardonnay was a favorite at the Reagan White House. He hopes the wine will bridge the political divide and become a favorite in a Democratic White House as well. (In the past, Presidents have favored American wines at State dinners. Of course, Serious Eats says that Barack Obama reportedly prefers beer to wine, but let's hope he still serves wine with dinner instead of Budweiser.)

Kendall-Jackson says the wine was sent as a congratulatory gift, but one can't help but think it might be a gift of condolence as well, with the shape and size of the economic and social problems that face our next President. When Obama is done celebrating his election, he should have several bottles left to drown his sorrows in once he faces the real work ahead of him.

We turn to another classic for this week's Wine of the Week. Chardonnay, probably the world's most famous wine grape, is like the Gumby of wine, versatile beyond imagination. It's a grape that can truly express terroir, or the wine's sense of place. In Champagne, Chardonnay produces light, acidic, bubbly wines. In Burgundy, Chardonnay ranges from crisp and bone-dry in Chablis to richer, aged, and complex in some of the southern districts. In cooler climates, Chardonnay is racy and acidic, with green apple and citrus fruit flavors. In warm climates, the grape takes on tropical fruit flavors.

In new world wine regions, Chardonnay can be beautifully balanced between acidity, fruit, and oak, or it can be a horribly overoaked, overripe adult Kool-Aid that makes one choke and beg to join the ABC (Anything but Chardonnay) club. Despite being one of the noblest grapes in the world, Chardonnay has been used and abused by mass wine producers in recent years, leading wine drinkers to look for varietals that are subtler and more interesting.

There's nothing worse than taking a sip of Chardonnay and feeling like you've been whacked over the head with a plank of charred oak. Good winemakers know that oak is a complement to the fruit, not a way of hiding its flaws, just as good cooks use salt to bring out the dish's flavors, not to overwhelm it.

Continue reading "Wine of the Week: Chardonnay" after the jump.

With the economy taking a nosedive the past few weeks (months? years?), plenty of wine drinkers are wondering whether they'll be able to afford their Bordeaux and Burgundy with retirement accounts shrinking and daily living more expensive than ever. Dr. Vino, a wine author and blogger, did a poll this week to find out if and how wine drinkers will cut back.

Not all winemakers are responding by dropping prices (a BBC news report says chocolate and Champagne have steady sales even in times of economic distress), but one company is embracing the socio-economic situation and turning lemons into lemonade (or, technically, grapes into wine). Recession Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon from California sell for around $5 a bottle. The company says they taste like $10 wines, explaining that the value comes from using lighter-weight glass bottles, saving on shipping costs, and using a recycled synthetic closure instead of cork, which costs $1 per bottle.

I tried the wines recently and really liked the Merlot, which was smoky on the nose, not too flabby like most cheap Merlot from California, and a little green peppery, like it had some Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. The vegetal aspect could definitely fool you into thinking you're drinking a much more spendy wine. My husband and I rated what we thought the prices would be if we didn't know they were $5, and here's what we came up with: Chardonnay, $9; Merlot, $14; Cabernet Sauvignon, $6.

The wines are currently available all over New York and will roll out nationally soon--unless our lawmakers can get it together and save the economy.

Who says that you have to spend $90 for a good bottle of wine? Or even $20?

A 2005 Charles Shaw Chardonnay, aka "Two Buck Chuck," was named the Best Chardonnay at the California State Fair Commercial Wine Competition. The wine is sold for $1.99 at the Trader Joe's chain.

This article at the San Jose Mercury News says that it's not really a surprise that the inexpensive wine won, since judges often try to be contrarian at these events (especially if it's something fruity). The article also says that if you want to go down to Trader Joe's and buy a case you should be aware that the quality of the chardonnay can vary from bottle to bottle.

I'm not a white wine guy, but for $1.99 it has to be worth a try; and I'll still have money left over to buy some Doritos and Yodels!

If I were a famous musician who went on tour a lot, I'm not quite sure what special demands I'd have. I think I'd want a TV in my dressing room and maybe a few snacks and drinks for me and my friends, but I can't really think of anything outrageous. Remember when Van Halen demanded no brown M&Ms?

Now take a look at what Diana Krall wants. This is a wine list that would make the Gallos jealous. This isn't what she has in her wine cellar; this is what she wants in her dressing room when she's on tour in North America. Obviously, she doesn't want all of them, it's just a list of wines she'll accept. There's Clos Pegase Cabernet Sauvignon, Falesco from Italy, D'Arenberg Shirz "The Laughing Magpipe," Landmark Chardonnay (2001, 2002, and 2003) and a ton more.

Deidre at our sister site Luxist has reported that the Robert Keenan Winery has now released their 2006 Napa Valley Summer Blend Chardonnay which bears the phrase "Solar Powered and Sustainably Farmed." So what does that mean exactly? Well, according to WineBusiness.com, the eco-friendly winery has built a solar-powered system on their property which will generate 100% of their electrical needs. The idea was actually that of Robert Keenan, founder of the business, who passed away in 2006. He had installed solar power in their family home and told his son he eventually wanted the winery to run the same way.

As for the Summer Blend Chardonnay, their website describes it as such: "Aromas of ripe peach, lemon zest, and pineapple augment the concentrated floral nuances. This is a medium bodied wine with crisp acidity and mouth filling flavors. Just a hint of toasty oak shows up on the finish."

Their red releases this fall will also bear the "Solar Powered and Sustainably Farmed" phrase on their labels.

The holidays can get pretty expensive, with gifts, food and entertaining expenses piling on until after the New Year (especially if you want to hit one or two after-Christmas sales), so it is always great to find a way to save some money without loosing out on quality. Food is one area where it is difficult to cut back, since price and quality are often closely linked. Paying more will usually get you better meats, cheeses and chocolates, for example. When it comes to wine, however, price are quality are not necessarily as closely inked - not unless you're talking about $100+ bottles of wine, anyway. Since AOL Food has a much larger staff than we do, they went through many bottles of wine to find five great ones that are $5.99 a bottle or less, perfect for serving with holiday dinners or bringing along as a hostess gift to a party because they are guaranteed to taste good without breaking the bank.

1. Trader Joe's Coastal Cabernet ($4.99)
2. Amaicha Torrontes ($4.99)
3. Banrock Station Shiraz ($5.99)
4. Barefoot California Merlot ($5.99)
5. Barefoot California Chardonnay ($5.99)

Earlier this year, we saw the WSJ's list of the top celebrity wines, from rockers ro race car drivers.Men's magazine Best Life has a column every month called Instant Sommelier, and in the new issue, Jessica Lothstein picks five wines by celebrites that you might not have heard of before but might be worth checking out. I've heard of several celebrities getting into the wine business, but I had no idea so many sports stars were really into it.

Best Cabernet By A Super Bowl MVP: Joe Montana's 2001 Montagia Cabernet Sauvignon.