Yes, there are drinking games involving Saké, including at least one with a very long history. Care to partake of such a game?
Kyokusui-no-en, also known as gokusui-no-en and which translates as "party held by a meandering stream," is a game where the participants must compose poetry within a certain time limit. The game is held outdoors, beside a stream or slow flowing waterway.
In ancient times, March 3 (using the lunar calendar) was a time when the Chinese would purify themselves, washing away their sins. Over time, this developed into the game of Kyokusui-no-en and became very popular in the fourth century. The Japanese later adopted the game, which became popular with the nobility during their Heian period (794-1185).
The participants, aristrocrats and artists, would sit by a stream while lacquered Saké cups would be sent floating down the stream. A person had to write a tanka, a short poem, on a piece of paper before the cup passed him. If he failed to do so, then he had to drink Saké as a punishment. (Though I would not consider that a real punishment!)
In the present day, a Kyokusui-no-en Festival is held in certain areas of Japan on the first Sunday of March. They still play this poetry writing game, though sometimes with slight modifications.
You may not have a stream by your home, but you could try something similar. Just use some type of timer, giving each person a set amount of time to write a small poem, maybe a haiku. If they run out of time, they must drink some Saké.
Have you played any drinking games with Saké?
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Stoneham Sun: Walters Handmade Honey Nougat
My new column of "A Passionate Foodie" can be found in the February 10 issue of the Stoneham Sun newspaper. This is a weekly column that concentrates on reviews of local restaurants though it also sometimes touches on other food and wine topics.
The new column has been published today and will be available online soon. The new article is a review of rwo South African treats, Walters Handmade Honey Nougat and Angels Nougat Biscuits. These are high quality foods which I have found very delicious and compelling. They can be found at the Beacon Hill Wine & Gourmet in Melrose.
If you have any questions or comments about my column, feel free to add them here.
Dine with passion.
The new column has been published today and will be available online soon. The new article is a review of rwo South African treats, Walters Handmade Honey Nougat and Angels Nougat Biscuits. These are high quality foods which I have found very delicious and compelling. They can be found at the Beacon Hill Wine & Gourmet in Melrose.
If you have any questions or comments about my column, feel free to add them here.
Dine with passion.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
BiNA Osteria: The Sounds & Tastes of Argentina
Though most of his days are spent in the kitchen, every once in awhile, BiNA osteria’s chef de cuisine, Bruno Ariel Guadagnin, has a serious craving: a taste of home. A Buenos Aires native, of Italian descent, Bruno’s love of Argentinian and Italian cooking was nurtured by his grandmother, a personal chef from Veneto, Italy, who relocated to Buenos Aires after World War II.Additionally, another love of Bruno’s is Latin music. On Friday, February 19, Bruno will combine his two great loves and welcome acclaimed Buenos Aires singer/songwriter, Federico Aubele, with a native-themed reception celebrating the release of his latest album, Amatoria. Inspired by the classic and passionate sounds of bolero and Argentinian tango, Aubele infuses his distinctive Spanish guitar sound with sultry vocals and subtle electronic beats to create a unique collage of intimate love songs.
The reception will offer guests an opportunity to meet Aubele while sampling Argentinian-themed hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. Bruno will present a special empanada, Argentina’s most signature snack food, inspired by the artwork displayed on the cover of Aubele’s album.
When: Friday, February 19th, from 4pm-5pm
Cost: $25/person; additional $15 to purchase cd.
Reservations strongly recommended. Please call 617-956-0888.
City Feast at Tresca
The 5th Annual City Feast was held on January 31 to benefit the Joslin Diabetes Center, specifically the Joslin's High Hopes Fund. Seven North End restaurants, including Terramia, Antico Forno, Lucca, Prezza, Tresca, Taranta and Cafe Graffiti, hosted special five-course dinners with wine pairings.
As mentioned previously, Carla Agrippino Gomes, the owner of Antico Forno and Terramia, is the founder of City Feast. She is very passionate for the cause of vanquishing diabetes. It is certainly a worthy cause, and the City Feast event hopefully raised lots of money. I saw plenty of people attending the event so it seemed like a big success to me.
I first attended the VIP Reception at Antico Forno which had free wine, beer and appetizers. The appetizers included slices of pizza (as delicious as usual) and large arancini, which were superb. They were perfectly crisp and crunchy on the outside, with lots of rice and gooey cheese inside, as well as some ground meat and peas. I would have been happy just eating the pizza and arancini all night.
I then moved onto Tresca for dinner, a North End restaurant partially owned by hockey legend Ray Bourque. The City Feast attendees dined upstairs, an elegant and cozy private area. I sat with Athena, another food blogger, who writes Forays of a Finance Foodie and has previously reviewed this dinner. Though I have met Athena before, this was the first time I held a extended conversation with her and it was a very pleasant evening. Two foodies can find plenty to discuss.
The first course was Caesar con Tartufi, a classic Romaine salad with white truffle Caesar dressing. The crisp, fresh Romaine had a delicious dressing, with touches of earthiness, and plenty of shaved cheese. The "crouton" was a long, thin and tasty cracker. A pleasant start to the meal.
Next up was Crespelle al Forno, crisp chive crepes stuffed with roasted wild mushrooms and truffled fresh ricotta. I was hesistant about this dish when I initially saw it listed on the menu as it didn't seem like something I might like. I was surprised though when I actually did enjoy it. The crepe was crisp and crunchy, with only a mild chive flavor, and the interior was creamy with a compelling earthiness. A very nice blend of flavors and textures very much pleased me.
The third course was Rigatoni Norma, rigatoni pasta tossed with roasted eggplant, San Marzano tomatoes,and fresh basil, topped with shaved ricotta salata. The pasta was cooked very well and the tart red sauce was good. Everything seemed very fresh.
Next came the Pollo Romano, a grilled, marinated chicken breast cutlet topped with arugula and grilled vegetables, served with creamy corn and sage polenta. The cutlet was quite large and had a tasty marinade atop it. The polenta was incredible, so creamy and flavorful, and I could have downed a large bowl of it.
The dinner ended on a very high note, with Sogno del Cioccolato, a warm chocolate truffle cake with espresso anglaise and vanilla gelato. The moist, rich chocolate cake was pure bliss, especially with the creamy gelato. It may have seemed a simple dish, but it was executed very well and would have pleased any chocolate lover. I would go to Tresca just for the dessert.
All of these dishes are available on Tresca's regular menu. The service was very good and it was quite a fun and delicious night.
Tresca
233 Hanover Street
Boston, MA
Phone: (617)742-8240
As mentioned previously, Carla Agrippino Gomes, the owner of Antico Forno and Terramia, is the founder of City Feast. She is very passionate for the cause of vanquishing diabetes. It is certainly a worthy cause, and the City Feast event hopefully raised lots of money. I saw plenty of people attending the event so it seemed like a big success to me.
I first attended the VIP Reception at Antico Forno which had free wine, beer and appetizers. The appetizers included slices of pizza (as delicious as usual) and large arancini, which were superb. They were perfectly crisp and crunchy on the outside, with lots of rice and gooey cheese inside, as well as some ground meat and peas. I would have been happy just eating the pizza and arancini all night.
I then moved onto Tresca for dinner, a North End restaurant partially owned by hockey legend Ray Bourque. The City Feast attendees dined upstairs, an elegant and cozy private area. I sat with Athena, another food blogger, who writes Forays of a Finance Foodie and has previously reviewed this dinner. Though I have met Athena before, this was the first time I held a extended conversation with her and it was a very pleasant evening. Two foodies can find plenty to discuss.
The first course was Caesar con Tartufi, a classic Romaine salad with white truffle Caesar dressing. The crisp, fresh Romaine had a delicious dressing, with touches of earthiness, and plenty of shaved cheese. The "crouton" was a long, thin and tasty cracker. A pleasant start to the meal.
Next up was Crespelle al Forno, crisp chive crepes stuffed with roasted wild mushrooms and truffled fresh ricotta. I was hesistant about this dish when I initially saw it listed on the menu as it didn't seem like something I might like. I was surprised though when I actually did enjoy it. The crepe was crisp and crunchy, with only a mild chive flavor, and the interior was creamy with a compelling earthiness. A very nice blend of flavors and textures very much pleased me.
The third course was Rigatoni Norma, rigatoni pasta tossed with roasted eggplant, San Marzano tomatoes,and fresh basil, topped with shaved ricotta salata. The pasta was cooked very well and the tart red sauce was good. Everything seemed very fresh.
Next came the Pollo Romano, a grilled, marinated chicken breast cutlet topped with arugula and grilled vegetables, served with creamy corn and sage polenta. The cutlet was quite large and had a tasty marinade atop it. The polenta was incredible, so creamy and flavorful, and I could have downed a large bowl of it.
The dinner ended on a very high note, with Sogno del Cioccolato, a warm chocolate truffle cake with espresso anglaise and vanilla gelato. The moist, rich chocolate cake was pure bliss, especially with the creamy gelato. It may have seemed a simple dish, but it was executed very well and would have pleased any chocolate lover. I would go to Tresca just for the dessert.All of these dishes are available on Tresca's regular menu. The service was very good and it was quite a fun and delicious night.
Tresca
233 Hanover Street
Boston, MA
Phone: (617)742-8240
Monday, February 8, 2010
Rant: Cheap Dining Companions
It is such a great pleasure to dine out with friends, to share good food, wine and conversation. For example, I recently had a fantastic evening at Myers + Chang, after the Boston Wine Expo, with friends, some old and some new. We devoured plenty of delicious food, drank some interesting Saké, talked about a variety of topics, laughed, and just had fun. The entire experience was perfect.
But other times your evening, which had been proceeding so well, can fall apart at the end when the check comes, when it is time for everyone to contribute some money. I think we all have been to dinner with very cheap, if not miserly, dinner companions. They might grab their calculator and try to break down their share of check to the very penny. Or they might try to offer less money that what they actually ate and drank. Or they fail to add in taxes and gratuity into their contribution, shortchanging everyone. In the end, the other dining companions often end up paying more than their fair share, making up for the difference due to the cheap ones. That just ruins the night.
I am not sure those cheap people will ever change. It seems ingrained in their personalities. One solution is just not to go out to dinner with those people again. And that does happen. You could also make a division on how to split the bill prior to going to dinner, maybe agreeing to an equal split. You can also just live with it, as part and parcel of the cost of being friends with such people.
When I dine out with friends, I prefer to just split the check equally, especially if they are friends with which I go out frequently. Any individual inequalities for a particular dinner usually get worked out over time. It is certainly the easiest way to handle the check. It is also more equitable if everyone is sharing dishes and drinks.
It can be fine as well if the check is roughly split based on what people ate and drank, though you need people willing to consider all relevant factors, including tax and tip. And they can't be worrying over pennies. You know you have a group of good people when the amount of money you gather is actually more than what is owed. It indicates people are overestimating, which is better than underestimating. You can always give people back some cash.
How do you handle the check when you go out with friends? How do you handle cheap dining companions?
But other times your evening, which had been proceeding so well, can fall apart at the end when the check comes, when it is time for everyone to contribute some money. I think we all have been to dinner with very cheap, if not miserly, dinner companions. They might grab their calculator and try to break down their share of check to the very penny. Or they might try to offer less money that what they actually ate and drank. Or they fail to add in taxes and gratuity into their contribution, shortchanging everyone. In the end, the other dining companions often end up paying more than their fair share, making up for the difference due to the cheap ones. That just ruins the night.
I am not sure those cheap people will ever change. It seems ingrained in their personalities. One solution is just not to go out to dinner with those people again. And that does happen. You could also make a division on how to split the bill prior to going to dinner, maybe agreeing to an equal split. You can also just live with it, as part and parcel of the cost of being friends with such people.
When I dine out with friends, I prefer to just split the check equally, especially if they are friends with which I go out frequently. Any individual inequalities for a particular dinner usually get worked out over time. It is certainly the easiest way to handle the check. It is also more equitable if everyone is sharing dishes and drinks.
It can be fine as well if the check is roughly split based on what people ate and drank, though you need people willing to consider all relevant factors, including tax and tip. And they can't be worrying over pennies. You know you have a group of good people when the amount of money you gather is actually more than what is owed. It indicates people are overestimating, which is better than underestimating. You can always give people back some cash.
How do you handle the check when you go out with friends? How do you handle cheap dining companions?
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