"newspaper" news and stories

Frank Bruni has some very astute observations about the way that restaurants present themselves these days. Chefs are artists and the meal is art. While once a diner could still eat what they wanted, when they wanted to, those decisions are now given to the restaurant and to the chef, each of which has a vision (usually of an expensive tasting menu) and vanity to preserve.

Even with advertising deals, cookbooks and tv shows, chefs are still making most of their money at their restaurants. And it's not as much as you might think, at least not until the chefs have already hit the big time in terms of popularity.

Issa Moskowitz, of the PPK, talks about being vegan, being punk and then shares some recipes: Devil's Food Cupcakes with Fluffy White Filling and Chocolate Icing, Spicy Peanut Stew with Ginger and Tomato and Butternut Squash Rice Paper Rolls.

Winter is a good time for smoking - smoking meats, that is.

Americanized haggis leaves out the offal (most of it, anyway) and is much more popular with consumers as a result.

Frank Bruni dines at The Waverly Inn and Garden and gives it one star.

Mark Bittman, the minimalist, makes Farfalle with Gorgonzola, Arugula and Cherry Tomatoes.

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We already rounded up the highlights of the food world from 2006 in a comprehensive a to z list and highlighted a couple of trends that we see coming up in 2007, but the Miami Herald has their own list of predictions for the top food trends of 2007. The list runs from A, for "Anti-aging products for boomers," to U, "Upscale salts" (v-z are left out) and highlights include:

• Downsized desserts -- small sizes appeal to health-conscious eaters, but also mean that people will be tempted to take more "bites" than they would o a single dessert, especially if the pastry chef goes for big, creative flavors in spite of the dessert's small size.
• Hamburgers and hot dogs go haute -- More chefs tackle these favorites, from Thomas Keller and Joe Bastianich (Mario Batali's partner) to Rachael Ray, who is rumored to be planning her own burger joint.
• Mad science meets fine dining -- Molecular gastronomy meets the mainstream, as more chefs gain access to the ideas and tools needed to create some of the unusual presentations made popular by Ferran Adria. Like foam.
• Salt backlash -- Contrasting with the trend for gourmet salts, food watchdogs looking for their next fight could move on to salt from trans fats in a matter of months.

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Daniel Boulud, the notorious perfectionist, driven chef and wildly successful restaurateur, has been accused of racism by some of his former staff members, who claim that he favors white Europeans (he himself is a French immigrant) over other groups. Boulud, rather than settling the issue with a payoff that could look like an admission of guild, has chosen to fight back, suing the "group leading the protest for... defamation, nuisance and harassment, and of causing damage to his business." Boulud says that "racism is a vicious charge. It is too easy to accuse someone of that, and it is very hard to defend yourself."

Fishermen are worried about the state of the seas. Lately, in Maine, their chowders have been made with only lobster and few other fish. The fact that the typically fish-rich stews are so lacking diversity means that the supplies are not as good, or as stable, as they could be, which may lead to problems with even the lobster in the future.

Black skinned, black boned chickens are not that appetizing to look at, but are hugely popular with Asian cooks that enjoy their "deep, gamy flavor." Unlike regular chickens, Silkies are usually cooked in soup, sauce or a broth, not roasted.

UglyRipes get approval from Florida growers

Frank Bruni dines at Porchetta and gives it one star.

Mark Bittman, the minimalist, makes scrambled eggs with shrimp.

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Greenwashing is the term that is applied when mass market products (junk food, mostly) are made over with some organic ingredients, giving consumers the idea that they are buying something good/good for them. There are several ways to identify their packaging. Look for: farms and fields, possibly dotted with giant vegetables and a cute tractor, diversity if any people are pictured, animals with "special skills or great emotional range" (sunglasses, saxophones etc.), family photographs for a family-owned company and have a cause of some kind. Toss in some subdued coloring and you have a greenwashed product that is sure to fly off the shelves.

What music, if any, should be played in a restaurant's dining room? Some restaurateurs go it alone, but as the complaints start to pile in, many turn to the pros for assistance. Professionals can fit the music to the restaurant, the staff, the food and the time of day to try to create the ultimate dining experience for their guests.

The caviar ban is lifted and exports from caviar-producing countries can begin again.

Absinthe is a spirit flavored with wormwood and a variety of other herbs and spices. Thujone, a chemical in wormwood, gives the spirit an "evergreen aroma" and causes it to become milky when diluted. It is legal throughout Europe (dispite a lack of regulation as to what precisely should go into it), but not in the US.

For the ultimate dining experience, some recommend dining off the menu, rather than from it. Often, it is the regulars who find out about the availability of such dishes, but usually they are available for anyone who orders them.

Greek food is inventive and, at the moment, very popular. Try dishes like Slow-Cooked Beef With Cracked Wheat , Timbale of Skate , and Tomato Sushi at home.

Mark Bittman, the minimalist, makes pork tenderloin.

Frank Bruni eats at Mai House and gives it two stars.

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Every restaurant wants to get a good review in the paper, whether they actually like the reviewer or not, and there have been so many books from the critic's perspective (Garlic and Sapphires, for example) that most people don't have a clue has to how a restaurant actually handles a review, good and bad. The Denver Posts's dining critic, Tucker Shaw, sat down with restaurateur Danny Meyer to try to get some perspective on how reviews are seen from the other side of the kitchen door.

Meyer has 11 New York restaurants, including Grammercy Tavern and Eleven Madison Park, so he is certainly no stranger to reviews. He says that all reviews will have positive and negative consequences, regardless of the content of the review. Reviews bring the team together, creating a support system that helps the kitchen perform better. Negative reviews not only drive customers away, but they also drop morale, meaning that some staff members might leave, too. Positive reviews can set the bar too high, leaving new customers disappointed and spreading negative word-of-mouth.

Meyer, while he and his staff members have some coping strategies, also said that restaurant critics and restaurants need each other to some degree and, no matter what the reviews are like, he tries to make sure that everything is always done the best that it can be. In the end, he rightly points out, it is the diner that makes the final decision, whether they believe the review or not.

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