Think twice about that diet soda

Once upon a time...

No, really, a long time ago, decades in fact, my friend warned me away from the "new" sweetener that was all the rage to replace saccharine.

I'm sure she told me all sorts of terrible things about it, but the one that stuck with me and that made me swear to avoid NutraSweet^® at all costs, was that they (yeah, "they") hadn't determined how your body excreted the chemical. Or if it excreted the chemical.

It's a product of my childhood that the pulsing, glowing bezoar of fake sugar I promptly imagined inside me bore a surpassing resemblance to Kryptonite. It was enough to scare me off the stuff for good.

A recent article on Huffington Post by Dr. J. Mercola made me really happy I don't ingest the stuff, which is back in the news with a name change, from "NutraSweet" to "AminoSweet," to highlight the manufacturer's claim that "aspartame tastes just like sugar, and that it's made from amino acids — the building blocks of protein that are abundant in our diet."

It's a common sleight of verbal hand, right up there with "all-natural." As they say (the other "they"), snake venom is all-natural, doesn't mean it's good for you. As for being made from amino acids, while they are "indeed completely natural and safe," according to Dr. Mercola, "they were never designed to be ingested as isolated amino acids in massive quantities, which in and of itself will cause complications."

Dr. Mercola states that the FDA has received more complaints, over 10,000 in all, regarding Aspartame than all other food additives combined. Take that statistic with a grain of salt, since he also goes on to say that "by the FDA's own admission, less than 1 percent of those who experience a reaction to a product ever report it."

Er, that is not exactly what the FDA admitted. In a 1993 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, then Commissioner of the FDA, David Kessler, said "fewer than 1 percent of all doctors report injuries and deaths following the administration of prescription drugs" (emphasis mine). Which is really not the same thing. At all. Like, in any way. I managed to find a few citations that the FDA estimates that less than 10% of people report adverse reactions, but I couldn't trace it to the source — so, more salt.

Well, that got me thinking, and digging. This is what I think I know about Aspartame now: "A 1970s study suggested that aspartame caused brain tumors in rats. However, the Food and Drug Administration persuaded an independent review panel to reverse its conclusion that aspartame was unsafe."

There does seem to be consensus that the FDA's approval of NutraSweet in the 70s was a political and financial hairball of liquid lunches and hidden (or not so) agendas. Everywhere I surf, I find Tamlin Carlisle's 1987 article from The Globe and Mail about the FDA's approval, both cited and not. I also found an interesting, albeit a little salty, time-line compiled by an anti-aspartame advocate.

There does not seem to be consensus regarding aspartame's harmful effects — a great summary of both high-profile sides of the argument is on the site care2.com. New studies from Italy published in 2007 caused the FDA to conduct its own new safety reviews and once again wholly dismiss any and all claims linking the chemical additive to cancer. At the same time, CSPI downgraded aspartame on its food additives list from a “use caution” rating to “everyone should avoid," and issued a brief castigation of the FDA's safety review as "perfectly predictable."

CSPI advises against Stevia (they're not alone on that one) and approves Sucralose. Mind you, CSPI itself is a little salty, given that in one sentence it advises avoiding sodium nitrite, saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame-K, Olestra and caffeine. Come again?

When is a nut not a nut?

When it's a coconut. Really. Well, almost.

The coconut is nut, I mean not, considered a "tree nut." According to US law (no kidding, there's a really a law about this) tree nuts include almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, chestnuts, filberts/hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts (pignolia nuts), pistachios, and walnuts.

Coconut trees are not technically trees because they don't have bark, branches or secondary growth (the process by which trees increase their diameter through the production of wood and bark). They are, believe it or not, perennials.

Which means those of you who are allergic to nuts (and/or peanuts) are not necessarily allergic to coconut. I bring this up because there's been a lot of chatter (from all those health-nut stringers who camp out in lawn chairs and follow these things) about the health benefits of coconut water. Low in fat, zero cholesterol, electrolyte rich, and more potassium than a banana — this stuff was even used in WWII and Vietnam as a substitute for IV solution. It's being touted as the best hang-over cure, the better "sports drink" drink, and all-round hydration champ.

Consider this: 8 fl oz of Gatorade has about 50 calories, 0g fat, 16g carbohydrates (13g simple, or 'added,' sugar), 93mg chloride, 36.6mg potassium and 95mg sodium.

8 fl oz of coconut water has about 50 calories, 0g fat, 10g carbohydrates, 283mg chloride, 705mg potassium, and 60mg sodium. It is also listed as a good source of vitamin C, riboflavin and calcium, as well as dietary fiber(!) and magnesium.

By the way, peanuts aren't nuts either. They're legumes. Don't get me started.

It was a light and stormy night

This time, a mule by any other name is... a ginger beer rundown.

For years now, my favorite cocktail has been a "Manchester," a concoction of ginger beer, light rum (I'm a big fan of Appleton's Reserve), and a generous squeeze of lime — served on the rocks. This may sound familiar, as it's a variation on the classic Bermuda cocktail, the "Dark 'n Stormy," which is made with ginger beer, dark rum (traditionally Gosling's) and a lime squeeze. They're sort of your summer and winter clothes of rum and ginger beer cocktails.

The Manchester was my introduction to ginger beer (Barritt's Bermuda Stone to be precise), which it turns out is not alcoholic, it's more like ginger ale with personality. You drink ginger ale when you're not feeling well; you drink ginger beer when you're feeling just fine.

Turns out there are a few other ginger beer based cocktails, including something called the "Moscow Mule," which is made with vodka, lime juice and a lime wedge. Me, personally, I am no big fan of vodka, so this never really hit my radar screen.

Then my sister told me recently that she is now an avid drinker of something she called a "Jalisco Mule" — ginger beer and tequila (with a little lime). Now that's a mule I could get behind. Like everything that comes out of the kitchen or from behind the bar, a drink is only as good as its ingredients.

Would you rather belly up to the bar with Robin Williams or Tim Smothers? Bundaberg and Barritt's are the Jim Carrey and Stephen Colbert of ginger beer. They're not alone, mind you, you've also got Blenheim's, Grace, Stewart's, The Ginger People, Cock 'n Bull, and a host of others I haven't tried. To help you out — because that is, after all, my job — I found some ginger beer reviews. The Cocktail Nerd reviews a goodly number in his two part post (part one and part two). Scotte's Rum does a thorough ginger ale review, and tucks a few ginger beers in for good measure.

I'll tell you what I know for sure — Bundaberg has the coolest bottle by far. Not that I'm saying you should judge a beer by its bottle. It's not like anyone has trademarked some bottle that's shaped like an hour glass or anything.

Viti, Vini, Twenty...

And no, that's not a spelling mistake. Caesar may have come, seen and conquered. I bet he didn't have nearly as much fun as my friends and I who came, saw and drank. Which would be veni, vidi, bibi, for those of you who keep track of these kinds of things.

Vitis vinifera (Viti Vinnie - sounds like he's in the "family") is the grape species responsible for over 99% of all wine produced. One grape can do a lot of damage.

Last week the challenge was to bring a red wine under $20 that no one would guess was under $20. We succeeded handily.

Here are the results, in no order except the first one:

#1. Ideology 2006, Cabernet Sauvignon from LA Wine Co. — $19.95. This was the hands down winner.

Celler Bartolome Finca el Mirador Bellmunt del Priorat 2006, Grenache/Carignena blend from Wine House — $17.99

Delas Cotes-du-Rhone Saint-Esprit 2007 from LA Wine Co — $9.95

Fetish The Watcher 2006, Shiraz from World Market Cost Plus — $17

Vino Sfuso 2008, Montepulciano Abruzzo blend — I don't know where this came from, but it's $6.99 at K&L

It may look like $72 worth of wine on paper, but it drank like $250. Or something like that. There is some mighty tasty wine out there for less than an Andrew Jackson.

There is also some fine wine out there that is decidedly not $20 — we did also pour two Turley 2006 Zins: the Juvenile and an Old Vines. Enough said.

We came, we drank, we ranked. We did a little stand-up. Hail Dino.

Special schmecial

You all probably know by now, I'm a big fan of fat red wines. Plummy, juicy, raisiny, pruny, a little spicy and all around yummy — whatever it takes to make that nice big pow in your mouth, count me in.

But that's not to say I'm not a fan of other types of wine. And lately I've found that often as not, a cold glass of a sparkling rose — be it champagne, cava, spumante, frizzante or prosecco — tastes just right. (And that's with or without the three bears.)

This current fizzy predilection has sent me on a quest for affordable sparklers, because although I'd like to indulge in Billecart Salmon and Nicholas Feuillat on a daily basis, that's just not possible at the moment. There is joy in the hunt, however, and I have found a handful of bubblies under $15 that fall into that "all around yummy" category. What more could you ask for? I mean, really?

So who needs a special occasion? or Valentine's Day? or even company? (Okay, maybe company.)

Cristalino makes a cava rose that is my fave, though many reviewers actually prefer the blanc de noir. Presto makes a rose prosecco that is so easy to drink I went through half a bottle and practically didn't notice (practically, I said "practically").

As a side note — I did have a fat red wine the other night, from a winery I'd never heard of, CG Di Arie. It was a 2006 Syrah, it was about $25, and it was very, very tasty. And — because would I be me if I didn't share this piece of data with you? — the winemaker and owner of this winery is the very same gentleman who developed the technology for the breakfast cereal Cap'n Crunch. That's right. The technology. And you thought cereal was just cereal.

Mission impossible

I had a short list when I went to Costco today. (Note to self: do not, repeat, do not go to Costco at lunchtime. Free samples+old folks=hell.)

1. Brita water filter
2. Toilet paper
3. bagels
4. Whitefish salad (really, the whitefish salad they sell there is off the charts)
5. tomatoes
6. Ziploc bags
7. Pond's face wipes
   

This is what I left with:

1. Pur water filtering system for your faucet (I'm actually happier about that—ever try to fill your spaghetti pot from a Brita carafe?)
2. Toilet paper
3. 1 dozen bagels (that's the only way they sell 'em, baby)
   
4. No whitefish salad (how could they be OUT?? Everything else on my list was gravy)
   
5. No tomatoes (they were for the whitefish salad)
6. Ziploc bags
7. Pond's face wipes
8. Ready to eat edamame
9. Chicken potstickers
   
10. Pita chips
    
11. Salami
12. Cheese
    
13. 2 bottles of wine (Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cab—a phenomenal steal at $7.50/btl)
14. 10-pk of CFL bulbs (60w)

And only by the skin of my skinny chin chin (don't ask, just go with it) did I manage to refrain from buying $100 worth of Starbucks cards for $80. What I want to know is, is it possible to go to Costco and get just those items on your list? Maybe for some people, who alphabetize their spices—no, not even for them.

Cold is the new heat

No, really. The New York Times said so. And I thought beets were the new spinach.

Evidently the new must-have appliance is the Antigriddle by PolyScience, which freezes things instead of cooking them. Kind of like a freezer, but not. Now you too can have ice cream pancakes for breakfast. Or something like that. Although the Antigriddle page on Polyscience's website is currently broken, I'm sure every household will soon have an antigriddle parked between their microwave and the toaster.

No article on cold cooking or freezing would be complete without mentioning the Mpemba effect, of course, whereby hot liquids were observed to freeze faster than cold ones. I'm not going to go into it again folks, but wrap your heads around it, it's a fact, Jack.

What about making the simple act of making cool things cooler? The trick to that, evidently, is salt. (And you thought it was ice. Ha!) Ice water, my friends, can only reach 32 degrees--you know, water's freezing point?--and still be liquid, which limits how fast it can cool something down. Salted water, for molecular reasons I am definitely not going to go into here (read the article for the details), has a lower freezing point, so it gets colder without getting solid, meaning it can cool things down faster. According to the NYT, a warm bottle of wine in a regular ice bath chills in about 30 minutes, while in a salted ice bath it chills in about 15 minutes. Nice!

Open That Bottle Night

So, what's it going to be folks?

A dusty bottle of vintage champagne?

A precious bottle of '97 California Cabernet?

A crisp white Burgundy, left over from that great dinner party you had seven years ago?

Tonight is, after all, Open That Bottle Night - the annual evening that, in their infinite wisdom, the wine gurus over at the Wall Street Journal designated to be the night that you open that hoarded, coveted, revered bottle of wine you've been saving... and saving... and saving... and saving...

Open and drink the damn thing already! What are you saving it for? Your funeral?

Just a little lovin'

Here are my two cents (if you just can't get out of it):

theme song -- Just A Little Lovin' (but only the original by Dusty Springfield)

flowers -- framed postcard of Renoir's "Roses" (longer lasting and surely more original)

champagne -- a rose cava (try Cristallino) or the real thing: Billecart Salmon Brut Rose

chocolate -- it just doesn't get better than Mr. Chocolate himself, Jacques Torres. If I know one thing, it's chocolate - and these, friends are Off. The. Charts.

And if you happen to be in New York - check out the loooove banners in Times Square ("a public art project featuring 15 unique banner designs by 12 top graphic designers and illustrators"). I heart NY, anyone?

New Rule #3

Thanksgiving wasn’t that long ago – but I started fantasizing about my mother’s mulled wine the very next day, and haven't stopped. For some reason, she only makes it once a year, for Thanksgiving dinner. It’s perfect; it’s winy and sweet and spicy and slightly numbing. Here’s my New Rule #3: mulled wine (or cider – I’m an equal opportunity imbiber) should be simmering on the stove from Thanksgiving through January.

Here’s my mother’s recipe - it's fantastic:

Combine and boil together for 10 minutes:
1 Cup Sugar
3 Sticks Cinnamon
½ Cup Water
24 Cloves
3 Lemon slices

Add and heat
2 Cups Pineapple Juice
2 Cups Orange Juice
Juice of 1 Lemon

Add and heat until hot. Do Not Boil.
2 bottles Red Wine
Thin Orange & Lemon slices

It doesn't get better than this, folks, trust me.

Well, maybe not so simple

Just when I finish extolling the pleasures of my favorite classic cocktail, the Champagne Cocktail, what happens? Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, I find the one whose bartender doesn't know how to make one.

It started well enough, I ordered my cocktail, the bartender nodded. I returned to my conversation. When I looked back a few moments later, I saw the bartender pouring my cocktail out of a shaker into my glass.
Hmmmm, I thought, that's interesting; I've never had my Champagne shaken before, but I'm willing to try something new.
Then she handed me my pale, pink, rather cloudy drink. Cloudy? Hmmmm. I took a sip. Sweet, fruity. Fruity?
What's in this? I asked.
Raspberry puree.
Raspberry puree? I repeated. I asked for a Champagne Cocktail.
That's right - Champagne and raspberry puree.
How about Champagne, a cube of sugar and some bitters? I asked.
Bitters? What kind of liqueur is that?

At that point, friends, I surrendered. I drank my Champagne 'cocktail' - not a Mimosa, not a Bellini, and definitely not a Champagne Cocktail - quietly, and when I was done, I asked for a Perfect Manhattan, straight up. But that's a story for another day...

it's the simple things, after all

I have a new addiction... it's relatively harmless, as part of its charm is the limitation of just one. Not that one couldn't have more than one - but, somehow, that would defeat the purpose.

I have discovered the perfect aperitif - the Champagne Cocktail. Deceptively simple (a bit of sugar, a dash of bitters, Champagne, and perhaps a twist of lemon if you're feeling festive), this cocktail lends the start of any evening an air of festivity, while not shouting "let's celebrate!" at the top of its lungs.

Sitting easily at the bar, sipping slowly on this slightly sweet, slightly bitter, slightly fizzy drink - you just know it's going to be good night. The cocktail can be followed up nicely by another, more "serious" cocktail, if that's the direction to which you are inclined, or just as easily by a good meal and good wine.

Try drinking just one, it's the perfect way to put any evening in a good mood.

For goodness sake

If you forget everything else you learn tonight, remember this word: "ginjo" - or so spake John Gauntner, sake guru, last night. "Ginjo," that would be Japanese for premium sake (actually, make that 'super-premium sake' - which, if you really want to know, makes up only 6% of all sake produced). John is the sake guy. No really, he is. And he really knows his stuff.


I signed up for this class thinking: I like sake, but I never have any idea what I'm ordering or why and wouldn't it be nice to have a clue? In 2 hours, John gave me more than a clue - for instance, according to John, 90% of the time sake is "fairly priced" - meaning that 90% of the time you are going to get what you pay for. As I know, unfortunately all too well, this is decidedly not the case when choosing wine.

And what about this? Sake is made from rice. Yeah, yeah, you knew that. Did you know that the rice has to be milled before the sake can be brewed - and that the more grain that is milled (ground away), the more expensive the sake will be? And, even though all sake is made from rice, there are really two kinds of premium sake - those made from rice and ONLY rice, and those made with distilled alcohol. And, the rice-only sakes are called Junmai. And, whether a sake is Junmai or not is relatively immaterial to selecting a sake - so that's one word I can jettison when attempting to make sense of a sake list.

Sake comes in grades (based on, you guessed it, how much rice is milled away). The words I did learn and remember are the different grades (John has a great and simple chart of all this):

• Daiginjo -- generally the top of the food chain in sake )at least 50% and as much as 65% of the rice is milled away)
  
• Ginjo -- one step below Daiginjo
  
• Junmai-shu and Honjozo-shu -- the bottom of the premium sake food chain
  
• Tokubetsu -- a special type of Junmai-shu... that I really liked, especially Suigei ("Drunken Whale")
  

There are 1600 sake brewers in Japan - somewhat overwhelming when you can't even read the label. But, on the flip side, find a few you like (John's not-lists are a good start) - and chances are you'll like their sake in every grade.

If you have questions, want to learn a little something, or are just a tad curious about sake - John Gauntner's site is a great place to start.

Oh, and the other thing he said to remember? Drink what you like - don't worry about the grade. Now don't you wish your parents had told you the same thing growing up?

BIN to heaven

A wine bar with serious wine, that doesn't take itself seriously? A restaurant with unbelievable food, without unbelievable prices? Am I dreaming?

Nope - I'm eating at Bin 8945, over in West Hollywood on Santa Monica Blvd. Perched on a stool at the bar, letting David, the owner, pick out a bottle of red and a menu to match, I couldn't be happier. We ask for a good value, an earthy red - and after a few short minutes of reflection, David snaps closed the list and announces he knows exactly what he's giving us.

He sets two large round goblets in front of us and uncorks a bottle of 2001 Paternoster "Synthesi" from Italy. I've never heard of it, and neither has my dining partner, who knows his wine. David pours us each a glass and we take a sniff. Wow. We take a taste. Now we're talking.

David walks away to take care of another table and, as I breathe in the berries and the leather, I think to myself - this guy's going to forget more about wine than I'm ever going to know. And he's wearing jeans and a funky t-shirt. He's waxing poetic about his Play Station 3. That's the kind of guy I want picking my wine.

He's got the resume (Guy Savoy in Paris, Le Cirque and Aquavit in New York, and Aubergine in Newport Beach), but surely didn't bring the attitude. He loves good wine, but is the first - in fact was the first when I was there - to say, dude, it's just wine, it's not going to change your life.

I'm already happy, and then he introduces the chef, Mike, whom David's kidnapped from Ford's Filling Station. (According to David, he dressed for the occasion in black and with hood, stuck his finger in Ben's back and said, your chef or your life. Happily for all, Ben's still breathing.) And the two of them proceed to discuss what combination of dishes and flavors will best complement the wine...

Out comes a procession of dishes, a rare tuna burger topped with a quail egg (which we don't break fast enough for David, do me a favor? he asks. Break that egg into the burger - it will make all the difference. We do and it does.) Monkfish on a heavenly puree of root vegetables. Pork cheeks glazed in chocolate. Each pairing with the wine differently and perfectly. David capped the dinner with a sherry and a persimmon dessert cake.

All in all, I could only ask that more restaurants took a page from David's book. The place, the people, the wine, the food... I can't wait to go back.

Joining the fray

So, the year has ended - and in more ways than one. I was fired (for the first time) -- my friend, Deidre (the best recruiter on the planet!), put it best - "when one door closes, another one opens, but it's hell in the hallway." And, sweetie-pie, am I ever in that hallway, going full steam ahead for that open door!

In fact, I'm thinking I can build that door to be just the height, width and weight that I want. While I may not start a restaurant on an island in the Caribbean, nor be a CEO on Madison Avenue, right now I'm all about the Blanchards in Anguilla (check out their book Live What You Love), and Kevin Roberts, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi (check his book and website and philosophy, not so new, but fabulous, Lovemarks, the future beyond brands).

And why start a blog now? It's all part of that door I'm building... loving what I'm living and living what I love. Like Charles and Marie (check out their awesome site) - who have a passion for travel, for cool, for innovative, for design - and that's what they live. Add to that a passion for marketing and problem-solving, a knack for seeing connections others don't, and my door, not to mention my blog, begins to take shape.

I'm not sure the world needs another blog - even with blogidators like bloglines and newsgator to help - nonetheless, like Gene Kelly said, "gotta dance!" - though, somehow, "gotta blog" doesn't have quite the same ring. There's a glut of trendwatching with perspective out there already - some of it excellent, much of it good, some of it, well... But to share from the excellent category: Morning News Beat (don't let the food/retail slant fool you - this site has some of the best current consumer and marketing insight around!), Daily Candy (like Google, simple, true to its roots, and phenomenal), Gen Art Pulse (all that's of the moment - clothes, movies, travel, and more), Splendora (pop culture with personality - what more could you ask for?). That's it for today - have to keep some in reserve for the next post, after all.

So going forward, eat, drink and be merry (I figure being merry can incorporate all activities eating and drinking leave out)...


EAT
For those who haven't - go to The Griddle in Hollywood (Sunset & Fairfax) for breakfast, and go hungry, go starving, go famished - going hung-over would be best. This is one of the few places where the huge pancakes (the size of a dinner plate - and you get THREE!) are tasty and light, not frisbees made of pancake colored cardboard. The coffee is super dark, the bacon excellent, and the Manhattan frittata is a don't miss.

DRINK
Make your margaritas at home with Dr. Swami and Bone Daddy's incredible marg mix - use with fresh lime juice, and lots of it, for a margarita that isn't too sweet, too tart, or too sour - perfect!

BE MERRY
Go to the movies -- seriously, go. Cache - you can't quite believe it holds you the way it does, and you don't want to believe it ends the way it does. Walk the Line - it may be trite to say, but the performances really are amazing... personally, I think it's patently unfair that Reese and Joaquin look the way they do, perform they way do, and can also sing?? I already had an inferiority complex, thank you very much. King Kong - it's a spectacle, maybe a little too much so - I can just hear the visual effects team: "come on Peter, how can you NOT use our fabulous slug with teeth and slimy pink gums that can swallow a guy from the head down?" - but still, any movie that can have you believe that not only would a girl choose someone over Adrien Brody, but would choose an ape - that's filmmaking worth seeing. The Matador - a louche 007... is this what Daniel Craig has to look forward to? see it, if only to see Hope Davis utter every variation of the word "fuck" 63 times in 63 seconds (not an exact figure). Syriana - yes, it is like Traffic (go figure, same writer, same director) - this is a good reason to see it... just don't expect to get it all (that's why God invented DVDs and rewind for crying out loud), but if you miss the message, you must be deaf (or stubborn). Good Night and Good Luck - purely beautiful - and riveting. David Strathairn (whom I've loved since Passion Fish, which also stars Mary McDonnell - who is completely underrated, or at least underutilized (remember High Society on TV? No? Neither does anyone else, unfortunately. 'twas the only sitcom I've ever loved... alas, alack), but I digress...) is pitch-perfect, the cinematography is exquisite, and the cast is golden. Don't miss this. Fun with Dick and Jane - I walked out of this. You know me - for me to walk out - that's saying something, and saying enough, I think.
Still on my list - Munich, Capote, Brokeback Mountain, Chronicles of Narnia, Casanova.