Rant: Is It Wrong To Be Moist?

How do you properly describe a cupcake or slice of cake? Is our language adequate to accurately explain how we feel about such a dessert? I am unsure as to the answer to the first question, and may have to answer in the negative to the second.

Much of this has surfaced lately over the use of the term "moist" in describing cupcakes. People don't seem to have an issue with describing a cupcake as "dry," which is usually used in a negative manner. But some people dislike the use of "moist," which is a term I tend to use. I use it in a positive manner, describing the opposite of dry, a taste and texture which seem "moist" to me.

I think that people understand exactly what I mean when I use the term. But some prefer not to use it, though they generally cannot offer a better alternative. What word do you think would be a better substitute for "moist?" Or is "moist" the best possible word, despite its inadequacies?

In the larger scheme of things, maybe our language is not perfect for describing certain food-related items. Have you ever tasted something, but felt that words could not describe how you felt? Have you bitten into something, but not been able to properly describe what you were tasting? I find myself in those situations sometimes and I suspect others have too.

I think that as long as other people can understand what you mean when describing food, then the words you use are likely appropriate. They might not be perfect, but at least they convey your meaning.

Japanese for Saké Lovers

Saké can be intimidating because of all the "strange" terminology, the Japanese terms of which many people are unfamiliar. On my blog, I have tried to help demystify this terminology, explaining the definitions of these words. I have also presented additional resources that will assist you in that regard.

But another obstacle still stands. Ok, you may know the meanings of these Japanese terms but that is not enough. How do you correctly pronounce them? You would like to order Saké at a restaurant but you don't want to sound foolish. Help is now here.

John Gauntner, the famed Saké expert and "Saké Dendoushi" ("Saké Evangelist"), has created Japanese for Saké Lovers ($9.99), a short text file and three audio files that will teach you how to pronounce many Saké-related terms and phrases. I purchased it, hoping to hone my own pronunciation skills.

The fourteen-page text file begins with "The Basics of Pronunciation of the Japanese Language." This section provides some theory behind pronunciation, as well as how certain letters and letter groups are pronounced. This part will give you some valuable tips, that may help you pronounce other Japanese words that are not in this text. The other sections provide the list of words that are in the audio files. There is an Appendix too, providing a chart of the basic hiragana symbols, one of the Japanese forms of phonetics.

The first audio file has a list of 46 items, including Saké grades, rice names, and other terms. The second audio file contains 62 Saké brand names and the third file contains 29 useful phrases and sentences, especially when ordering Saké. The voice in the audio is a native, female speaker and she repeats each word three times in the first audio file, and twice in the other two files. There is no explantion for the difference in the number of repeats.

I found these files to be very helpful, especially the file of useful phrases such as "Please show me the sake menu" and “What ginjō do you carry?” The files are certainly easy to use, and cover plenty of Saké-related terms. Most Saké books do not contain a pronunciation guide to all of these terms. At best, you might find a few pronunciations provided, but with no explanation for the reasons why. You'll gain more confidence when you feel more secure pronouncing these words, and another obstacle to your enjoyment of Saké will have fallen.

Da Vinci Ristorante: All You Can Eat Pasta

Da Vinci Ristorante will now feature an All-You-Can-Eat entrée on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Chef Peppino’s hospitality will be served up to the tune of a $12 pasta entrée and a $3 signature dessert. Da Vinci’s endless pasta dishes will be offered at the bar only in addition to Chef Peppino’s seasonal small plate offerings, priced at $6 and under.

Da Vinci’s all-you-can-eat dishes are slated to be the following:

Tuesday: – Cheese Ravioli ($12) and Berry Cheesecake ($3)
Thursday: – Bolognese Pasta ($12) and Chocolate Soufflé ($3)

All pastas are made fresh daily in Peppino’s kitchen

WHEN: Tuesdays from 5:30pm until 10:00pm, and Thursdays from 5:30pm until 10:30pm (in the bar/lounge area only)

For reservations, please call 617-350-0007.

Chianti: The Simpler Path

Danielle Cernilli, the founder and editor of chief of the famed Gambero Rosso, said it succintly: "Chianti is simpler path of Sangiovese."

Danielle, his wife Marina, and others, representing the Consorzio Vino Chianti came to Boston for a luncheon, seminar and tasting to showcase the wines of Chianti. The Consorzio, which was founded in 1927, currently has about 1080 partners, representing much of the Chianti DOCG. Chianti is the largest denomination in Italy, and received DOCG status, Italy's highest level appellation, in 1984. The word "Chianti" derives from an Etruscan word that means "little stream," as the region is surrounded by numerous waterways. Chianti, with about 2500 producers, currently produces approximately 130 million bottles of wine each year.

Currently, Chianti can be a blend of 70-100% Sangiovese, and up to 30% other grapes, which includes some white varietals. Chianti is generally a fresh, light, inexpensive, and easy drinking wine. It is very common in Italy to drink it with everything from steak to lasagna. In general, wines from southern Chianti are larger, bigger wines while those of the north are more elegant. Sangiovese can make high-quality wines such as Brunello di Montalcino and Super Tuscans, but as Danielle put it earlier, Chianti is the simplest form.

During lunch at Eastern Standard, I tasted about ten different Chiantis, from a variety of subdenominations. These were all inexpensive wines, every-day drinkers that are intended to accompany food. This was a good way to taste the wines, to see how they fared with foods such as charcuterie, seared skate and grilled lamb loin. The wines were generally good though simple, wines to enjoy with dinner. The 2007 Frescobaldi Chianti Rufina Nipozzano Riserva did stand out from the rest, having more complexity and flavor.

But my favorite wine of the day was the 2008 Poggio Bonelli Chianti Villa Chigi. Lorenzo Ficini, pictured above, is a Sale Manager for Poggio Bonelli and I had the opportunity to chat with him a bit about the wine.

Poggio Bonelli is owned by MPS Tenimenti S.p.A, a subsidiary of the Gruppo Montepaschi, a very large and famous Italian bank. The winery currently produces about 20,000 cases each year, about 12,000 being Chianti. They also produce organic olive oil and are moving towards organic agriculture for their vineyards as well. Using the 2007 vintage, they will produce their first Chianti Riserva, though they already produce a Chianti Classico Riserve.

The 2008 Poggio Bonelli Chianti Villa Chigi (about $10) is a blend of 95% Sangiovese with the rest Colorino and Merlot. No white grapes were used to produce this wine. The wine was fermented and aged in stainless steel, and has an alcohol content of 13%. It had a bright red color with a mild nose of red fruit. On the plate, it stood out from the Chiantis as it had more character and complexity. Besides the red fruit flavors there was some pepper and even a bit of earthiness, which I like. There was a good acidity and a decent finish. I was very surprised when I learned the price of this wine, which makes this an excellent value.

This is a good example of how not all $10 wines are the same. You can find plenty of simple, easy-drinking wines for that price. But, with some effort, you can also find standouts, wines of character at that price point which would still be a good buy at twice the price. I get very excited when I find such wines, when I taste such a great value wine. This Poggio Bonelli gets my top recommendation.

Tavolo: Meatball Madness

Tavolo in Dorchester is honored and thrilled that Bon Appetit magazine has printed its recipe for Max’s Meatballs and Marinara Sauce in its May issue, on newsstands now.

Tavolo diners have long enjoyed these light, flavorful, vegetable-rich bites. Now, to draw even more attention to chef Max Thompson and his recipe, Tavolo will launch a month-long tribute to our favorite Italian sphere: Meatball Madness in May.

A side order of two giant meatballs in marinara sauce, regularly priced at $6, will be offered at half off from May 1-31. That's just $3 to taste the recipe that the editors of Bon Appetit enjoyed.

Tavolo’s spring menu also boasts:
Seared Scallops with escarole, fingerling potatoes, tapenade and caramelized lemons
Braised Lamb Crespelles with ricotta, fennel pollen and pecorino
Vitello Tonnato
Pizza with Porcini Duxelle, Taleggio and rosemary
Housemade Fettucini Nero y Seppia – with cuttlefish and capers

New beers by the bottle being served this spring:
Left Hand Sawtooth Ale, Rogue Dead Guy Ale, Magic Hat #9 Pale Ale, Red Stripe, Beer Lao and Long Trail Amber – more to come.

New spring cocktails:
Sicilian Breeze, New Amsterdam, La Donna, The Danny De Vito and The Old Cuban (Appleton Estate rum, mint, lime and Prosecco on the rocks $9).

Chef Thompson is also brewing his own Limoncello, which should be ready to sip by the first day of summer. Tavolo now carries eight types of cordials, including Bertacnolli Grappino ($8)

Tavolo
1918 Dorchester Avenue
Dorchester, MA
Phone: 617-822-1918