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Food and Dining Radio Show – 2.28.08

 

Linda Gassenheimer (LG)Joseph Cooper (JC)

Fred Tasker (FT)

Dr. Barry Glassner (BG)

 

 

JC: Joining me now is Linda Gassenheimer. We’re talking with Doctor Barry Glassner about his new book, The Gospel of Food: Why We Should Stop Worrying and Enjoy What We Eat.

 

LG: Doctor Glassner is a Professor of Sociology and the Executive Vice Provost at the

University of

Southern California. He writes that much of what consumers hear about food is inaccurate and unhelpful. Our topic today is, can we believe what we read in the food media? Do you have any questions or suggestions? Give us a call. Fred Tasker is here in his usual seat. Are we talking about wine today?

 

FT: Yes, I am talking about what I tasted at the Wine and Food Festival last weekend.

 

LG: We have a lot of calls. Fred, what would you like to ask?

 

FT: Doctor Glassner, you made brief mention of the French paradox. That is the idea that the French eat more fat but their heart attack rates are lower than our’s. Some people attribute that to red wine and others talk more about the types of fat they eat. Which do you think is more important?

 

BG: I think it’s a combination of both of those factors and also a third which is how the French eat and how they drink. They do that in a much more relaxed fashion than we do and with take greater pleasure in their cuisine. Some people would say that it’s a lot easier to enjoy French food but there are a lot of great cuisines in the world. When you relax it’s going to have a big effect. This is acknowledged in the official dietary guidelines in some countries.

 

FT: I think Americans would have trouble consuming fewer calories if they ate a 2 or 3 hour lunch.

 

BG: Our culture is different in that way but it would be hard to do that at those lunches because of the way they eat. But if you transplant it into our culture it probably won’t work that well.

 

FT: In French restaurants in

France they take a bite of food and then puff on a cigarette. It’s bizarre.

 

BG: And smoking really does destroy your health. Their smoking rates are going down too.

 

LG: I use to live in

France and the food is very expensive there so you can’t get the enormous potions we have here. Also statistics are now changing with the advent of fast food in

France as far as obesity is concerned.

 

BG: Especially for the younger generations, fast food is a lot more common. That has to do with tempo changes in society generally. There are interesting studies of teenagers who go to fast food restaurants. They found it’s one of the few places kids can congregate on their own without adults being around, which is why this happens in the

US too.

 

LG: Just as an aside, when McDonalds came to

Paris when I was there they were serving Bernaise sauce on their hamburgers.

 

BG: I was in

China and they’ve adapted their menus to those tastes too. They do a lot of market research.

 

LG: Dr. Glassner, I applaud some of your theories but am curious about others. You mentioned trans-fats aren’t what they’re cracked up to be. Should we ignore restrictions?

 

BG: I don’t have a position on this because I think the evidence isn’t clear enough. There’s very limited research on trans-fats and what we do in these cases is we decide, as a politician, I can do well by going out after trans-fats. All I have to do is ban it and people will think I’m saving their health. But the evidence is limited and the costs are great. Who suffered in NY? The small mom and pop operations…

 

LG: You’re tying it to economics?

 

BG: We should always ask who is affected by these changes?

 

LG: Let’s go to a caller.

 

Caller: Thank you for pushing moderation. I have been an eater in moderation all my life and have maintained a normal weight.

 

BG: All evidence supports her way of eating.

 

LG: I was interested to know what reactions you’re getting from Doctors, media and the public?

 

BG: Mostly very favorable. Some folks don’t agree, especially those who push low-carb and low-fat diets. We have spirited long email discussions and debates. I love that. But by and large the response I have received is very positive, including from people that you’re talking about.

 

LG: You say that restaurant reviewers rarely reflect the experience of average diners. What’s your basis for that?

 

BG: One thing I did in researching this book is I ate in many of the best restaurants in the

US.

 

LG: Oh that’s tough.

 

BG: Well, someone had to do it. [laughing] I hung out in the kitchens and got to know the Chefs. I had this unique opportunity to see what actually happens.

 

LG: Was this anonymous and you paid for your meal?

 

BG: I’ll get there. I was back stage and I would also dine there anonymously. I would also go with the restaurant reviewer from the major publication reviewing the restaurant and what I kept finding is they believe they are dining anonymously when they’re not. Smart restaurateurs make it their business to know when the reviewer is there. One person I went with used disguises and they still knew it was him.

 

LG: But I think a good reviewer will notice what’s happening in the rest of the restaurant.

 

BG: But you underestimate the restaurateur! For example I was in a restaurant in

New York, and I arrived 15 minutes early to meet the reviewer. I always do that to see what it’s like before they arrive. The reservation was under my name and they didn’t know who I was and I was greeted like I shouldn’t even have been there. When the reviewer arrived the heavens parted and everything changed in the whole restaurant, not just my table. And he was supposedly dining anonymously.

 

LG: We’re talking with Barry Glassner about his new book. We’ll take a short break and be back for more.

 

[break]

 

LG: We’re talking with Doctor Barry Glassner who is a Professor of Sociology and the Executive Vice Provost at the

University of

Southern California. He’s been giving us a lot of his ideas, but now it’s dinner in minutes time. Today, in honor of you, it’s a family-friendly dinner. It’s Steak Fajitas with Rocky Mountain Rub and Baked Beans.

 

JC: I love the beans. They taste so good.

 

LG: They are so easy. If you want the entire recipe go to my website dinnerinminutes.com. Fred, what’s going on with pod-casting?

 

FT: We’re pod-casting the show and I also have a new wine blog at the Miami Herald. Go to miamiherald.com/wine. Those are both there.

 

BG: I’m getting hungry from that recipe! Also I’m waiting for the wine pairing recommendation.

 

FT: I was at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival last weekend.. They have some very good wines there that are very expensive, but I also check out the cheapest wines they have. I’m looking for great wines that are $15 or less. I found a couple of real gems. The one that would go perfectly with this Fajita is the 2008 Gato Negro Malbec. It’s Black Cat and it’s from

Argentina. It has a deep violet color, it’s very creamy and has a long finish. This is just $6 at any supermarket.

 

BG: I have to say that this is very funny because I had an Argentinean Malbec last night. It was great and very inexpensive.  

 

FT: I also liked the Ferrari-Carano 2006 Fumé Blanc. It’s from

Sonoma County and has a pear flavor. It’s rich and crisp and very inexpensive. I also went to the Best of the Best tasting. The one I thought was interesting was the 2006 Hitching Post Pinot Noir from

Santa Barbara. Very intense, tart cherry and cranberry flavors. This is the Pinot Noir from the movie Sideways. The Hitching Post Restaurant is in that movie. The wine that Miles orders in that movie is the Highliner Pinot Noir. The people making this wine made 200 cases a year, but since the movie they’re making 2500 cases and they sell them all!

 

LG: You sent me there to taste their Merlot.

 

FT: Well in the movie he talks about Merlot and famously says something like “if anybody offers me a *** **** merlot I’m leaving.” That sent Merlot consumption down in the country for a while. But they make it and it’s good.

 

LG: Yes, it was quite nice. Well we’re almost out of time. It’s been a delicious week. Thanks for joining us. Fred, great advice as always. Next week it’s Restaurant Roundabout and it’s a whole hour. Join me then.

 

Fred Tasker’s Wine Suggestions

I attended a lot of the tastings at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, always looking for bargain wines, because newspaper readers aren’t usually looking for $50 wines to buy for every day. 

I found two gems:Best value of the tasting was the 2008 Gato Negro Malbec, Finca la Celia,

Uco Valley, Argentina. It had a deep, vivid violet color, with intense black plum and mocha flavors; it was creamy and rich, and only $6. 

Another nice bargain wine was the 2006 Ferrari-Carano Fumé Blanc,

Sonoma County: pears and cinnamon, rich and crisp; $15. 

At the Best of the Best tasting, where they served the expensive wines, one very tasty and interesting wine was the * 2006 Hitching Post “Highliner” Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County: intense, tart cranberry and tart cherry flavors, spicy and smooth; $42. This is the wine made famous in the movie Sideways, in which two buddies, Miles and Jack, spend a long weekend getaway in wine country. Frank Ostini, the man who makes the wine, says he was making 200 cases a year before the movie, and today is selling 2,500 cases. So a movie can be very powerful.