Innovative packaging or environmental fail?

Dr. Vino reports about a new, adventurous kind of wine packing. How would you like a single-serve plastic glasses of wine? Apparently a lot people in the UK like it a lot.

I can see that there's a market for it - for all those picnics, camping trips etc. that we all hopefully get to go on during the summer. But without knowing about the quality of the wine, I think that I can safely say, that I'm not in the target group for Le Froglet. It's just too unromantic for me, and I'd much rather bring a nice wine and my fine glassware to the park, even at the risk of breaking a glass or two.

But perhaps a more important concern is the environmental impact of this kind of packaging. I don't know the numbers, but I'm guessing that the impact is huge compared to regular bottles and even more compared to bagged or boxed wine. And I'm also guessing that the cost of the Le Frog-packaging is relatively higher than more traditional solutions - you simply get less wine for your money.

So if you're looking for an innovative, practical wine packaging, look for brands such as The French Rabbit from the Boisset family. You can also read more about the French Rabbit on Fast Company. It's ecofriendly, cute - and you get to drink more than just one glass!

A Danish foodie feeling at home

When my husband, our two cats and I moved to Berkeley about 7 months ago, we didn't just escape the coldest and longest winter in Denmark in my entire lifetime. We also landed in what appeared to live up to its reputation as the land of opportunities. So quitting a great job in the Copenhagen communication business to follow my husband to Berkeley, where he had gotten his dream job as a post doc at the University of California Berkeley, has turned out to be a very wise decision - though not in the way I had imagined.

Being a wine lover for many years, I immediately started to suck up all the knowledge (and wine) within my reach. It's a time- and money-consuming hobby, so luckily my wine mentor Bruce Cass helped me get in touch with Kimberly Charles - and now I'm here. Working with my hobby, learning even more every day and enjoying the company of my sweet and talented colleagues at Charles Communications Associates. I would never have imagined this before I left Denmark - but maybe that's one of the best things about jumping into something new: You never know where you're going to land.

One of first things I learned after arriving from Copenhagen to the magnificent Bay Area was that Danes and people in the Bay Area have at least one thing in common. We don't eat to live. We live to eat. And so, I have no trouble blending in among the foodies and winos, who seem to have occupied the larger part of this area, which I for the next one and a half years will call home.

I guess many were surprised when the Copenhagen restaurant NOMA came out on top as the World's Best Restaurant at this year's. But it didn't come as a surprise to most Danes, because we have witnessed an amazing transformation of the restaurant scene in Copenhagen over the past 10 years. Today Copenhagen takes great pride in the fact that it has 12 Michelin Star awarded restaurants. I know, it doesn't sound like much compared to the Bay Area's amazing 36 Michelin restaurants. That's really unique - and I love it! But taken into consideration that the population of Copenhagen is around 1 million (the Bay Area is 8 million) I can't help feeling proud of my good old hometown.

NOMA is the crown jewel of this little kingdom of gastronomy. Their concept is pretty unique and they stick with it. They only use ingredients from Denmark or further north. (NOMA = Nordisk Mad = Nordic Food). No olive oil, no sundried tomatoes, no foie gras, no black olives. Instead they will serve you musk ox, Atlantic halibut, wild salmon, skyr (a yoghurt-like cheese) wild berries and water from Greenland, lamb from Iceland, different kinds of grains and leguminous fruits. And they use techniques that are very traditional for Denmark such as smoking, salting, drying and pickling - and they make their own vinegars and Akvavits (distilled spirits). In addition to these traditional methods, they are also influenced by so-called molecular gastronomy, which has earned El Bulli in Barcelona its worldwide fame.

But it's not the top restaurants that seduce me when I fall in love with a city. It's the many smaller (and more affordable), fun, everyday restaurants, which play just as important a part in a well-developed and diverse restaurant scene. Like San Francisco, Copenhagen also has many wonderful small gems of ethnic cuisines, funky restaurants, cocktail bars, grand cafes and bistros. Some of my favorites are located in Copenhagen's equivalent to San Francisco's Mission District. Here you find the former meatpacking district, which has been transformed into a Mecca of funky, lively, exquisite restaurants mixed with galleries of modern art, offices for creative designers and bars - and what's left of the industrial meatpacking factories, catering companies and Copenhagen's public culinary school. It's all located in the heart of Copenhagen's red-light district, which, if I may put it this way - adds a distinct flavor and edge to the area. If you ever go to Copenhagen, do yourself a favor and visit Fiskebaren (The Fishbar) or Karrierebar (Career Bar) - you won't regret it.

Meanwhile, watch this interview with the young chef and owner of NOMA, Rene Redzepi, who seems almost speechless after receiving the San Pellegrino Award, but manages to tell the story about Ali, his dishwasher who had fallen afoul of Britain's immigration laws and wasn't granted a visa for the occasion.

Macaroni & Cheese, Please

Every time I open the cupboard I feel the power radiating from the ocean-blue box. I can spot one a mile away and will go the distance to get my hands on that cheesy goodness. My first memory of macaroni and cheese was while backpacking with my family in Colorado's San Juan Mountains. I was no older than five; it was hailing, I was carrying a pack about my size (or my dad was); and my stomach was screaming at me. That simple box of Max & cheese was perfection. It seemed to soothe our souls: it has soothed mine ever since.

Through high school and college I honed my skills with these two unadorned ingredients, as well as, of course, the help of Kraft. I stirred in everything from anchovies to lemon zest saving leftovers to eat cold, with a side of ranch, the next day.

It's funny how such a simple conglomeration can be, well, complex. Really, can preparation by another ever be as good as one's own? I think not. Each step is deceptively intricate and particular. Minor modifications yield a significantly different end product. Starting with the boiling of the water.

When out to eat I like to experiment with different renditions: Bar Louie's in Evanston has a three cheese macaroni with the choice of chicken or fish. I choose the chicken and add lots of pepper and chili flakes. The three-cheese sauce is folded into the macaroni and is a little soupy which is excellent for the flavors to expand. Jimmy's in Aspen has a baked Mac & cheese with a breadcrumb topping. Extra ingredients include jalapenos, red peppers and sometimes pancetta! Mesa Pizza in Iowa City has an excellent Mac & cheese pizza. This is a great way to try something new, see them make it in front of your eyes, and add absolutely anything on top!

The only time I have ever passed up a box of the stuff was while living abroad a few years ago. The 4th of July was approaching. I was the only American on the island and had no fireworks! To honor Uncle Sam, I traded my two last boxes for some bottle rockets. Now that, my friends, is what you call Patriotism. Very particular pangs of hunger immediately ensued. I took the opportunity to expand my repertoire. The Vegetarian Epicure has a nice recipe…Nutmeg makes for a nice aftertaste.

Macaroni & Cheese

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for casserole

6 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into ¼ to ½ inch pieces

5 ½ cups milk

½ cup all purpose flour

2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for water

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 ½ cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar cheese

2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyere of 1 ¼ cups (about 5 ounces) grated Pecorino Romano Cheese

1 pound elbow macaroni

1.Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place the bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour the melted butter into the bowl with the bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside.

2.Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

3.While whisking, slowly pour in the hot milk a little at a time to keep mixture smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, 8 to 12 minutes.

4.Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere (or 1 cup Pecorino Romano); set the cheese sauce aside.

5.Cover a large pot of salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook the macaroni until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir the macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

6.Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyere (or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano), and the breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer the dish to a wire rack for 5 minutes; serve.

Still, for me, the box trumps all and forever will. It is time-sensitive, consistent, recession-friendly, comforting and almost always a crowd pleaser. Put it in the microwave, make it on top of the stove or just take it out of the fridge and eat it cold. My grandma used to eat it cold with maple syrup (which I have yet to try!).

Some claim that Thomas Jefferson created the buzz about macaroni & cheese when he served it for a White House dinner. I like to think that it powered his penning of the Declaration of Independence and that I am feeding my brain with 'power food' that will one day serve me as well as it did him.

Tales from the Dining Table: Let the Entertaining Season Begin: Part II

Continued from Part I It's telling that this post has reached a two-part series. I didn't intend it that way. Not until I started writing did I realize how in-depth a night of entertaining can be. Which should serve as Rule 8: Don't underestimate the amount of time it takes to prepare a feast! You might have timed your dishes perfectly and patted yourself on the back that everything was under control when the doorbell rang, until, @#$%! you realized you forgot to get yourself ready. So as part of rule 8, make yourself pretty before perfecting the food and table. Your guests are often happy helping out, but can't help the fact that you are still in your "comfy cooking clothes."

Now, on to the main event. You may be wondering what I decided to make for the main course? Now this is very important when you cook for 10+ people: make something that won't get you in trouble later. I may be a bad example on this one, but I don't support the rule that you should never try something for the first time when company is coming over. There is far too little time in life to make the same recipes over and over again. With that being said:

Rule 9: Don't make fussy food for a huge group. It's not worth it. Make something delicious and plentiful. This is where my mantra comes in: Braising is your best friend in the kitchen. So I decided on Lamb Shanks braised in Syrah with dried figs. It was an adaptation from Hiro Sone's Terra cookbook. If you haven't worked with shanks before, I highly recommend it. They are so easy and end up tasting decadent. The plump, dried figs I found at Rainbow were saturated with syrah and lamb juice when served. Brilliant. For the finishing sauce, I just reduced down the braising liquid, but added in a little more of the Pavo Syrah- which was the wine were celebrating for Harvest Dinner. For my lovely vegetarian friend, I braised some huge portabellas in their own little vessel. (Which I tasted that night and quite seriously would have been happy eating it in place of lamb…) My preferred braising vehicle? A Staub Cocotte. I love you my grenadine red beauty. For this task I had to have a friend bring over his Le Creuset so I could fit everything in. If anyone cares, please ask why I recommend Staub over Le Creuset.

Rule 10: Always offer a salad course. Now, I don't mean to be hypocritical in what I am *about to say, because I firmly believe in this rule. People like to eat healthy. It doesn't mean that we don't indulge in braised meat and fois gras from time to time, but on a daily basis, fresh vegetables are good. For this reason, and for the French reason- salad cleanses your palate- always make a big, hearty salad. It makes the meal seem lighter and more fulfilling. Those people who are known to "eat like a rabbit" will be happy, those people who would rather eat a rabbit, don't need to take salad. It is an easy and gracious offering. My friend brought over the most beautiful salad: spinach, arugala, persimmons, pomegranate seeds, pine nuts and goat cheese. A true harvest salad. And we didn't touch it. We were so full from course 1-6 that we didn't touch it. So sad, but at least we had the option. Ok, so I am neglecting on minor detail: we didn't touch the salad because dessert was staring us in the face. We had to make the call!

Rule 11: Present your beautiful dessert for all to see through out the meal. Aka- why I love my vintage cake stand. I am known as a cake-person. I love the concept of cake. Which is funny, because I never really loved cake growing up. I liked brownies. I just love the grand presentation of cake. While the rest of the world is wooing over cupcakes, I am making full sized, triple layered master pieces. For this occasion?... A Triple Layer Pumpkin Cake with Pecan Brittle and Marscapone Cream Cheese Frosting. It sat on its perch in the pretty cake stand looking at us as we ate the rest of dinner. It might have been for this reason, that no one felt like they had room for salad. Rule 12: Offer coffee & tea after dinner, even if everyone would rather keep drinking wine. Which was our case. So here's the line up of the unveiled brown bags (as best as I can recall...)

2005 Domaine Carneros Brut 2007 La Tunella Pinot Grigio, Friuli, Italy 2008 Parallel Napa Valley Chardonnay 2005 Moulin de la Gardette "Cuvee Ventabren" Gigondas 2007 Pavo Estate Syrah, Bennett Valley 2006 Zlatan Plenkovic "Zlatan Otok", Island of Hvar, Croatia 2004 Vall Llach "Idus" Priorat Quady Elysium Black Muscat

Rule 13: Always, always, sit down and enjoy the meal with your guests. If you can't, you've made too fussy a meal. Believe me, it took me many dinner parties to get that part down. Born hosts and hostesses have a hard time sitting down, but do it. You'll end up loving it and feeling a sense of victory. rah!

Cheers my friends. To a happy and successful entertaining season.

Oakland Fires Up the Burners

Being a Bay Area resident, one learns quickly that more than any other cultural obsession be it music, fashion, politics, San Francisco is a food town first and foremost. And while San Francisco certainly can claim the title of one of the leading culinary towns in the country, nearby Oakland across the bay has recently come on the scene with exciting restaurants popping up like porcini after a fall rain. Ever since my New York days when I'd take a subway two hours out of Manhattan for killer Moroccan food, or my college days in Washington DC when I got to know all four quadrants of the city in my culinary quests, I've always been eager to venture afar in the name of gastronomy. Recently, I met up with my friend super star (literally) chef Rick Corbo who is laying out plans for his restaurant Pizzeria Zanna Bianca in Jack London Square, opening next year, and decided that it was time to see for myself what all the fuss is about. Like movie reviews, if enough friends tell me to see a certain flick, then it's a go. In the case of Oaktown, which is its local nickname, there were far too many signs telling me to head east young woman.

One Friday recently I rounded up the food-obsessed team at Charles Communications and after taking polls with my foodie friends, we drew up a short list. Ably guided by Oakland resident expert and green guru Anna Hartman, we set off for a culinary treasure hunt. First on the list was Bocanova, a pan Latin restaurant right on Jack London Square that serves a menu inspired by the heritage of the kitchen crew featuring dishes from Mexico to Argentina, infused with California accents. Although the interior beckoned with its warm colors and rustically elegant decor, we opted to sit outside on a cloudless day, and enjoyed halibut ceviche, roasted sunchokes, plantains stuffed with queso fresco, and Huarache with pumpkin, bacon and sage. Huaraches have become one of my favorite Mexican dishes since I moved to San Francisco, it's a fried masa base with a variety of toppings and is so called as it resembles the shape of a sandal aka huarache in Mexico. The fairly priced wine list with mainly Spanish and South American offerings gave us tempting choices to pair.

Flora was our next stop, formerly the Oakland Floral Depot building, an Art Deco landmark located on Broadway across the street from the newly renovated Fox Theater, another great Deco building in its own right, another of my favorite features about this town. There's an old world glamour about Oakland which has a more human scale with its architecture, and the spirit of creativity is alive and vibrant. It reminds me of the way New York was in the mid 80s when the restaurants were packed with creative people of diverse backgrounds all sharing great food in a convivial way. Flora in particular reminds me of New York's Odeon back in the day, both design and vibe wise. We tried the Yellow Tailed sashimi with hot chili oil, seabeans, sesame seeds, scallions and radishes, the arugula, dried Calimyrna figs, fennel, and toasted almond salad, a killer sandwich of seasonal grilled persimmon, Explorateur brie, swiss cheese on a French baguette and a glass of Bandol rose, pretty heavenly.

The next stop given the gorgeous weather, and our need for a break from sampling so much good eats, was a stop at the newly renovated Lake Chalet, right on Lake Merritt which is a unique given that it is the largest lake within an urban area in the U.S., 3.4 miles around, covering 155 acres in downtown Oakland. It's ringed with lights giving it a holiday and European atmosphere year round. The same folks who renovated the Park and Beach Chalets in San Francisco are behind this project housed in the old municipal boathouse and there are a number of choices from casual to fine dining within the complex. Much like the other Chalets in the group, they brew their own beers on premise and have a solid but unadventurous menu. I wasn't overly impressed with our service which was less than attentive, as the outside bar area was geared to those who wanted to see and be seen, but it's probably a fun place for big groups.

Our last stop was Zza's Trattoria also on Lake Merritt, right on Bellevue Avenue. Zza's is a nickname for Morezza's and to my surprise, it's been around for 20 years: ¦it looks like it's new and hip to me. We knew we'd love it right away when the waiter brought over a margherita pizza, put it on the table and said, it was a mistaken order at another table and it was on the house, nice! I was duly impressed by the wines by the glass list which was truly global, Hungarian, Slovenian, Italian, you name it, very well chosen and fascinating wines. I enjoyed a dry Furmint from Hungary and couldn't have been happier. We tried the Sputini Tre olives/almonds/pickled vegetables, the salumi plate and several pizzas that truly satisfied. Hard to believe we still had room after all day dining but as they say, we have only one stomach to give!

So many other places are on the short list for Oakland, Commis, Pican, Dona Tomas, Cafe Van Cleef, Mua and one place that intrigued which was truly an old Oakland landmark would be a stop by Heinold's First and Last Chance bar at Jack London Square built there in 1883 from the timbers of a whaling ship. Appetite whetted!

Raw, Local & Organic Eggnog: Delicious and Easy to Make!

Once Thanksgiving Day is over, I always get excited about two things, holiday decorations and eggnog. Normally I would buy a carton of eggnog from the market, but this year as I reached for the store bought brand it occurred to me... I have never had homemade eggnog! I started to look up recipes and was disappointed with what I found. I wanted eggnog that would be remarkably different from processed store brands.

What I found was that many recipes use raw eggs but that is as far as they go. With this in mind I decided to make my eggnog as raw, fresh and local as it could get. I used raw eggs of course, but I also used raw sweetener, and my favorite ingredients of all raw dairy products (milk and cream). The only thing that could not be raw was the bourbon. After researching a number of recipes, I decided to make my own concoction. In the end, my eggnog turned out just as I had hoped and was a big hit with my family.

My ingredient list was as follows:

4 egg yolks

4 egg whites (make sure there is absolutely no egg yolks in the whites)

2 cups whole raw milk

1 cup heavy raw cream

6 oz bourbon

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/3 cup agave plus 1 tablespoon agave

For the eggs, I choose a local and organic brand. The more locally produced the eggs are, the fresher the eggs will probably be, which will most likely result in better tasting eggnog. I would also like to add that the safety of consuming raw eggs is highly debatable. I don't claim that they wont give you salmonella, but I was raised in a family that consumes raw eggs occasionally and has never had a problem. If you have a compromised immune system, or you are a very young or very elderly person, you should not eat raw eggs. I am not a scientist, so I won't claim that they wont make you sick, but for many others and myself, eating raw eggs works fine.

When it comes to dairy ingredients, I absolutely love raw organic dairy products. They taste amazing and also maintain a high amount of the good bacteria your body needs to absorb the protein and lactose. Lucky for us living in the Bay Area, it is easy to find raw organic dairy products in many natural food stores in Northern California.

For a sweetener, I used Agave nectar. Unlike honey, agave nectar is flavorless, which makes it great to add to your drinks when you don't want that honey taste to overpower the other ingredients. Agave also absorbs in cold liquids and is a low-glycemic sweetener. Currently there are no regulations for labeling sweeteners as raw, which causes all kinds of debates. Most agave nectar brands are labeled as raw, but some people consider agave nectar to be a processed sweetener since it is brought up to a temperature of anywhere between 118-140 degrees. As far as options for sweetening your eggnog go, agave is pretty minimally processed compared to most sweeteners.

My eggnog preparation went something like this:

Whisk the egg yolks until they start to thicken and lighten in color. Then gradually add in the 1/3 cups of agave while still whisking. Once the sugar is completely dissolved gradually add the milk, cream, bourbon and nutmeg.

In a separate bowl and with a different whisk start by whipping the egg whites slowly for a minute and then gradually work up to a faster speed until you start to see soft peaks. Then slowly add the tablespoon of agave and whisk at a high speed until the consistency produces stiff peaks.

Then whisk the egg whites into the mixture.

Chill and serve!