Irvine resolution, part 1

In reference to the Food Network's relationship with Robert Irvine, network president Brooke Johnson says the following:

“We looked into the situation and found that, as Robert as already admitted, there were some embellishments and inaccuracies in his resume. The few and minor incidents of the inclusion of these embellishments into ‘Dinner Impossible’ have been removed. The show is, and has always been, completely accurate in the depiction of the cooking challenges faced by Robert. We will continue airing both old shows and the new season of programs currently in production. We have not renewed Robert's contract for future seasons but will fulfill our contractual obligations. We rely on the trust that our viewers have in the accuracy of the information we present, and Robert challenged that trust. We appreciate Robert's remorse about his actions, and we can revisit this decision at the end of the production cycle, but for now we will be looking for a replacement host. "       

Robert Irvine's statement is as follows:

"I was wrong to exaggerate in statements related to my experiences regarding the Royal Family. I am proud of my work while serving in the Royal Navy and on board the Royal Yacht Britannia , also as part of the Guest Chef program in the White House with the United States Navy, in addition to my culinary accomplishments. I should have stood on those accomplishments alone, without embellishment. I remain committed and enthusiastic about my work with Food Network and other future endeavors. I am truly sorry for the errors in my judgment. To all my family, friends and loyal fans, I will work tirelessly to regain your trust and continue to use my show and life to benefit the less fortunate."

Questions remain. It's my understanding that the Food Network had recently signed a new contract with Irvine. Does this mean he will continue filming new episodes of Dinner: Impossible until the contract runs its course? And he was among the chefs filmed in the Chefography series. Will his segment be broadcast? Also, we need clarity on the future of Ooze and Schmooze.

More soon...

Sobe wrap up

Jamie Oliver, Alice Waters and Michael Schwartz, chef-owner of Michael's Genuine in South Beach.

Liked this "Leftovers from South Beach: Recap of Wine and Food Fest" I got this morning from ZagatBuzz. Thought I'd share:

Nearly 35,000 wine-and-food lovers sniffed, swirled, sipped and chewed at this year’s four-day, star-studded, alcohol-fueled South Beach Wine & Food Festival, which took place from Thursday, February 21st, through Sunday, February 24th. Now in its seventh year, the sold-out extravaganza has exploded into one of the most successful of its kind in the world. It's the place for industry insiders to schmooze and for average Joes to get a taste of the lives of the food greats. The celebs are getting bigger every year and so are the crowds.

Celebs like Rachael Ray, Paula Deen, Bobby Flay, Mario Batali, Tyler Florence and Anthony Bourdain worked the crowds at more than 50 events and tastings. But it was whole-food advocates Jamie Oliver and Alice Waters who seemed to be everywhere last weekend. From a Friday all-day symposium on obesity with Dr. Arthur Agatston of "The South Beach Diet" fame to a dinner at Michael's Genuine Food & Drink in the Design District later that night to a Sunday morning cooking class for kids on the beach followed by a tribute brunch at the Loews Miami Beach, the pair was tirelessly promoting good, local and healthy eating.

"Listen babe, you can do it," said the charming and ever-smiling Oliver, in regard to fixing what's wrong with the food that American children are eating. "Sure, it's a bloody mess right now but in 10–15 years we can fix it. Without a doubt."

Future forecasting was also taking place on Friday night at the annual Wine Spectator's Best of The Best event. Scott Conant (ex L'Impero and Alto) served truffled polenta with a fricassee of truffled mushrooms and a salad of baby heirloom tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, giving diners a taste of what's to come when he opens Sprezzatura at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach later this year. Jonathan Eismann, of the now-defunct Pacific Time on South Beach, plans to launch his new Pacific Time in The Design District soon – he was serving a luscious crab-and-avocado salad. Other chefs at the Wine Spectator event were giving a taste of the present, including Jimmy Bradley of NYC’s Red Cat, Jose Garces of Philly’s Amada and many, many more.

The festival kicked off on Wednesday, February 20th, with a four-course dinner at the iconic Miami Beach steakhouse The Forge. Chefs Michael Chiarello, Nick Ritchie, Kim Canteenwalla, Jacques Van Staden and The Forge’s own Andrew Swersky shared a kitchen to prepare sea bass ceviche, pistachio-crusted foie gras, leg of lamb and chop marinated in grape lees, with chocolate-and-banana ganache and coconut sorbet for dessert. Founder and president of the United States Sommelier Association Rick Garced brought together these chefs and winemakers Marilisa Allegrini of Agricola Allegrini and Larry Maguire of Far Niente, who all chatted with socialites and foodies in the outdoor brick courtyard, enjoying balmy subtropical weather and Roederer Estate L'Ermitage champagne. Al di Meola, a Grammy-winning classical guitarist, played for the 150-person crowd until well after midnight.

After four days loaded with food and wine, many of the festival-goers may be full until the next South Beach Wine and Food Festival in 2009.

For those tired of the Robert Irvine flap....

Look for resolution later today. Food Network is issuing its decision this morning, and I'll have a statement from Robert Irvine and his partner J. Randall Williams today.

Until then...the Washington Post did a story today about the continued filming for Dinner: Impossible this morning. Go here to see the story.

America's best chefs?

Holy smokes, I've unleashed some deliciously spicy conversation with this post from a few days ago. Read what Hank, JM, The Urban Eater and Jim Webster have been saying about Emeril, Jacques Pepin and others. (Personally, not a huge fan of Emeril's food, but I met Pepin a few times when I was the secretary for the Sommelier Assoc. of California. He seemed like a real gentleman, and I do value his cookbooks.)

For no good reason, other than I'm procrastinating on a story, here are my favorite American chefs, in order (strictly in terms of meals of theirs I have eaten, not cookbooks or personalities or those with whom I'd like to frolic in the kitchen):

1. Daniel Boulud
2. Thomas Keller
3. Alice Waters
4. Charlie Trotter
5. Gary Danko
6. Margaret Fox (for breakfast)
7. Lydia Shire
8. Bradley Ogden
9. Rick Bayless
10. Annie Somerville
11. Jean-Louis Palladin
12. Mark Miller
13. Roland Passot
14. Hubert Keller
15. Michael Mina/George Morrone (at Aqua)
16. Michael Chiarello (at Tra Vigne)
17. Barbara Tropp (pioneering SF chef, died in 1991)
18. Mark Franz (but back when he was at Stars after Jeremiah left)
19. Jean-Georges Vongerichten (nice meal recently at Chambers Kitchen in Minneapolis)
20. Ken Hom
21. Julian Serrano
22. Masa Takayama (his L.A. restaurant was, um, interesting)
23. Joyce Goldstein
24. Cindy Pawlcyn
25. Jonathan Waxman

Restaurant websites--the good, the bad and the just plain annoying

For the past four months I’ve spent my weekends revising the copy for a second edition of a book I wrote two years ago. To that end, I’ve spent a lot of time surfing websites, often restaurant websites.

It’s gotten me thinking about what consumers look for in a restaurant site. Here are my priorities:

• The address and phone should be obvious. Duh, but you’d be surprised by how many sites forget this. A link to Google maps or MapQuest is a nice feature.
• Ditch the mood music. Many people surf and make reservations at work. A plucky harmonica version of “Cheeseburger in Paradise” is highly embarrassing if your cubicle mates catch wind of it. Restaurant B.T. has music I can live with, but then there are ones like this or like this one (and what's with the glass of water?).
• Online reservation options are nice, whether it’s overseen by the restaurant itself or by OpenTable (a great thing, reminds my friend Jim Webster, because you accrue points on OpenTable that can be used toward restaurant meals).
• A CURRENT menu. Restaurateurs, it's a big pain in the patoot, but every time you change out your menu (or amend the prices), scan it, pdf it and slap it on your site. People are looking at your site specifically to peruse the menu (and assess the price point). It should be accurate.
• Picture(s) that give an accurate sense of the ambiance. Is it somewhere I can envision myself? It's that much easier if there's a photo that shows an expanse of dining room.
• Tell me a story. Who are the principals? How did the restaurant come to pass? What are you trying to do? (It doesn't need to be a high fallutin' culinary philosophy, just a general description of the kitchen's passions and orientation.)

Irvine's future in St. Petersburg

Lest a day go by without a little Irvine action, I'd like to share some of what John Hamilton, of Beach Drive Retail (the landlord for the bottom-floor tenants at 400 Beach) said of the prognosis of Ooze and Schmooze. He says Irvine's partner, Randall Williams, has continued to be in touch with him this past week since the story broke, although Hamilton hasn’t spoken directly with Irvine. He says the restaurants are still on schedule and that it’s “a complex design from a technical standpoint.”

“There’s been a lot of talk, but from our perspective, the lease is the lease. Whether Irvine pulls out or not, we have a lease. We’re landlords, that’s what we do. All of this [media attention] puts it in a different light, but we’re moving forward. These stories take on a life of their own. If he pulls out, he’s lost an opportunity. He offers something from a culinary standpoint that will bring something to this city. We hope the plan hasn’t changed, but if it has it’s a business decision that we’ll address if that occurs.”

In other news, Irvine's Wikipedia entry states that he was the culinarian of the year in 2007 with the American Culinary Federation. According to the ACF's Director of Communications, Patricia A. Carroll, this was not the case:

"Robert Irvine was given the 2007 Culinarian of the Year Award by the Cordon d’ Or Cuisine not the American Culinary Federation (ACF). The American Culinary Federation does not have any relationship with Robert Irvine. He was an ACF certified executive chef (CEC) until 2005, when he did not renew his certification, and he was a member from 1999-2001."

Move over, microwaved bean and cheese burrito

It was just a matter of time, right? 7-Eleven has just combined the trendiness of low-cal iced coffee drinks among older teens and young adults with the fun of Slurpee to create a, pregnant pause....

Slurpuccino.

It's available now through the end of March on Slurpee machines at 7-Eleven stores. Same price as regular Slurpees, not milk based. It was test-marketed in Canada in 2007 and evidently went over big.

Golden Clogs

I've been wondering what other celebrity chefs think of the Robert Irvine flap. And now I know.

According to Serious Eats, Anthony Bourdain and Michael Ruhlman announced the nominees for the Golden Clog Awards on Tuesday. The award was created to "honor, dishonor, or skewer various people in the food biz."

Our own Sir Robert is nominated for The Cat Cora Award ("for most fame based on least actual culinary achievement"):

The nominees: Guy Fieri for..."Tex Wasabi?"; Tony Bourdain—"One f-ing book. Did this a-hole ever work anyplace GOOD?"; Robert Irvine--"Sir Robert? Uh....Maybe not. Prince Charles' wedding cake?...uh...no. White House? Hmmm...not according to Walter Scheib....Five Stars? Who IS this guy? Really?"

(photo from Serious Eats, but note that it's a Croc, not actually a clog. How Batali.)

More Irvine

It’s 9:17 on Friday night. What am I doing? Lurking around foodie sites trying to get a sense of what the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences (the bequeathor of the Star Diamond Awards, of which Robert Irvine is a recipient) is all about. I look at the list of trustees. I don’t know these people. Are they chefs? Donald Trump, the wind always coming strongly from his left, is on the list. George Schwab out of Palm Beach. But someone interesting catches my eye.

Jean-Pierre Duteron, one-time maitre d’ to the late French president Francois Mitterand, is on the list. He’s been at the Waldorf-Astoria most recently, but his stint there has been sullied by accusations. Waiters Francois Spach and Claude Waryniak say sexual harassment was on the menu in 2006, charging Duteron grabbed their private parts and made unseemly comments about their anatomy.

Hmm.

Another of Irvine's awards, La Toque Blanche International award, I could find no links for. What is this award and who gives it? In a Google search, only Irvine’s bio comes up. Surely, if it’s a legitimate award, someone else has received it?

Cheap hooch takes gold

At the Florida State International Wine Competition this month, a new brand, Oak Leaf Vineyards from California, took home the gold. With 84 wineries competing in chardonnay category, only four received gold medals and Oak Leaf was the biggest bargain by far, at a suggested retail price of, um, $2.97.

Available in five varietals (chard, pinot grigio/chard blend, merlot, cabernet sauvignon and white zinfandel) Oak Leaf Vineyards wines can be found at Wal-Mart and most grocery stores.

The word "recession" swirling around, tax time around the corner--a $2.97 winner sounds good to me. Here are tasting notes from the blog Cork'd:

"This chard is certainly nothing earth-shaking, but it's quite drinkable, and better than many I've tried. The nose is sour and citrusy, with a little oak and vanilla. Something floral, too, maybe honeysuckle? The taste is slightly oily but with solid acidity. Sour, refreshing, and a nice finish. There was something at first that was strident, but it disappeared as the wine warmed in the glass. GREAT value."

What's this? News that's not about Robert Irvine?

In all the hubbub of the past few days, I never reported that Tuesday Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. bought the rights to the Emeril Lagasse franchise of cookbooks, television shows and kitchen products (but not Lagasse's 11 restaurants and corporate office) for $45 million in cash and $5 million in stock at closing. So Martha thinks she can kick it up a notch?

In other news, in a letter to the Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer, seven consumer groups Tuesday urged the USDA to issue an emergency rule to allow the agency to identify all of the outlets that purchased recalled ground beef from the Hallmark/Westland company, the largest recall in U.S. history. The groups also urged the agency to finish a long delayed rule change that would require the agency to list retailers that sold recalled meat and poultry products in official recall announcements.

The letter was signed by the Center for Foodborne Illness Research & Prevention, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, Food & Water Watch, Government Accountability Project, and Safe Tables Our Priority. You can see it here.

Seems reasonable to me that consumers need more information during product recalls, not less. A USDA rule to make this change has been in the works for two years and, according to the agency, is now stuck in the departmental review process.

Irvine additions

Today's story about Robert Irvine in the paper didn't have space for a couple interesting conversations I had yesterday. I talked to Steve Fraser, CEO of Wilton Products Inc. based in Woodridge, Ill., who manufactured pans for Irvine:

"We put Robert on HSN TV about a year ago with a line of Royal Titanium cookware. He was promoting something called the "Possible Pan." He was on maybe three or four times, and just wasn't good on live TV. We decided not to pursue the relationship in late November. He wasn't a successful pitch man. Maybe he sold several thousand pans. We make the product and Reliant Interactive (Kevin Harrington) is the middleman with HSN. Personally, all of this [recent developments] makes me feel sad. We never made any money off of him, but he's a gregarious guy and a tremendous chef. It sounds like some of this started as a white lie with individuals...."

Late in the day I spoke with Kevin Harrington, CEO of Reliant Interactive, which produces infomercials for Home Shopping Network. He met Irvine a little more than a year ago at a Museum of Fine Arts fundraiser, at which they started business dialogue:

"We started hearing rumblings recently, but we were surprised by a lot of the facts that came out. I was out of town Sunday when this broke, and I tried calling him and Randall repeatedly. In all honesty, I’m not getting my calls returned. I just get voicemail.

Robert hasn’t been on HSN for a while. He’s been missing in action for scheduled appearances for the past few months. He lost interest in this side of the business and wasn’t showing up. Robert had gotten too busy with his Food Network show. My understanding is he’s done well with his TV show on the Food Network.”

We are a vendor to HSN, Robert is a talent who sells the product. In some cases we [Reliant] owns the product, and in some case he owns the product. His book and his spices, he owns. The mandoline and the cookware, we own. We don’t have a lot of inventory, maybe 150 sets of cookware sitting idle. For us it’s pennies, not big money. We have 100 products—you move on. Not everything is a success. Months back we decided this wasn’t something that was working for him or for us, we hadn’t shipped product in quite a while.

My understanding is HSN doesn’t want Robert on air. The products we own aren’t branded with his name. We can sell them under another name. He was an on-air talent. HSN likes to develop talent, but when the talent isn’t into it, that’s not a good thing. In the last 5-6 months, I haven’t talked to Robert, ever.”

Yup, off HSN, at least for now

According to Nancy Bushkin, vice president of public relations and communications for Home Shopping Network:

"At HSN we were stunned by the revelations. The trusting relationship we have with our customers is fundamental. With that in mind, we have pulled all existing inventory from Mr. Irvine while we review the situation. I have no idea what the future holds. I'm not sure how many products he has had with HSN, but at the time we pulled them he had eight products. I am unaware of any appearances he has scheduled on HSN, but I'm not aware that he was going to be here any time soon."

Irvine off Home Shopping Network?

The day ended quietly yesterday for fresh news in the Irvine flap (well, except the story aired on Inside Edition). Late in the afternoon, Erin Crumb, director of corporate communications at HarperCollins, told me: "Our statement on it is we are reviewing the issues raised regarding Robert Irvine and his book Mission: Cook!"

But, get this: As of 6:30 p.m. last night, Irvine's line of cookware was all for sale on the Home Shopping Network's website. This morning, as of 8:15, all of the products have been pulled and are no longer available. Several attempts to speak with representatives at HSN yesterday went unanswered.

I'll be working today to find out what this means for the future of the "Possible Pan" and other Irvine merchandise.

Robert redux

I'd like to thank regular blog commenter Richard G. for this graphic.

I'm not sure how I feel about this, but the unfolding Robert Irvine story was picked up today by TMZ (scroll down past all the mean Britney bits, but why are they saying the St. Petersburg Times' story was "oddly thorough"? that's a diss, right?) in addition to many blogs and papers around the country. Strangely, many of the stories indicate that Irvine's St. Petersburg restaurants are on hold--this is not something that the Times has reported, nor does it jibe with what the 400 Beach Realtor indicated, nor what Irvine's partner J. Randall Williams has stated.

We'll see.

In the meantime, I've contacted HarperCollins, the publisher of Irvine's 2007 book, Mission: Cook!, to discuss some of the possibly erroneous biographical information in that book. They are aware of the situation and are currently consulting with Irvine about the particulars--they promise to give me some kind of statement later today.

I'm also waiting to talk to Food Network officials today for a more in-depth statement about what will become of Irvine's Chefography segment (a show that gives the "inside scoop" on the network's celebrity chefs). I wonder if Irvine's segment will air, or reruns of those Dinner: Impossible episodes that make reference to his relationship with Charles and Diana (his involvement with the making of the cake) and other facts that appear to be false.

Food Network comment

The official comment from Lisa Del Colle, a Food Network spokesperson, concerning recent allegations surrounding chef Robert Irvine is as follows:

"It's unfortunate if Robert embellished the extent of his culinary experiences. We are investigating the matter and taking the necessary steps to ensure the accuracy of all representations of Robert on Food Network and foodnetwork.com."

Taking the cake

Robert Irvine boasted numerous places about having participated in the baking of Lady Diana and Prince Charles' wedding cake. For instance, here. Also, in the introduction to his HarperCollins book entitled Mission: Cook!

Times writer Ben Montgomery corresponded with the baker who actually was responsible for baking the cake, Dave Avery (pictured with the cake, above). Here's an article about Avery's experience.

Irvine made the claim to several St. Petersburg locals that, in addition to having been part of the baking team, he still had the top tier of the cake in his freezer.

Avery responded to Montgomery this morning via e-mail:

"Thank you for your very interesting e-mail. Robert Irvine may have been a trainee student at the Royal Naval Cookery School whilst I was making the Royal Wedding Cake. He most certainly was not involved with me in making or baking the cake. I did make two identical wedding cakes, just in case of accidents. The second cake I cut up and distributed to all the trainees in the Naval Cookery School. So, there is a possibility that he may have a piece of that one. It would only be about an inch square finger of cake. Maybe you could ask him questions that only I would know the answer to! e.g. Where was I when it was announced to the public that I was making the cake? The answer: HMS Drake in
Plymouth. Or who did I ask to draw the blueprint to take to Lady Diana for her approval? The answer: Barry Dunkley. Looks like Robert Irvine has a very successful career in the USA. Good luck to him--hope he hasn't built his career on lies. Time will always find you out! Regards."

--Dave Avery, BEM, MCFA(CG)LCG, WACS

Irvine cooked up some whoppers

One thing I can say for sure: Robert Irvine's cookware must not be Teflon. Because things are sure beginning to stick. In the aftermath of the Times' s story on Irvine, many sites are picking up the news and running with it.

Although the Food Network has not returned my call yet, glancing at their site today I couldn't help but notice that the Irvine bio page that existed last week has been removed, and the list of celebrity chefs on the network no longer includes him.

Wikipedia has already tagged its entry with: "The factual accuracy of this article is disputed." And then it gives a brief overview of the Times's story.

Gawker picked up the story, with a Youtube video that shows Irvine making some of his more, um, creative assertions. The comments section has some humdingers, such as this one: "Lessons learned: 1) Americans do not tolerate media personalities with bloated egos. 2) Do not f**** with St. Petersburg socialites. 3) Do not name your restaurant anything that causes immediate, forceful vomiting: Ooze, Splurt, Shart, Pus, Blumpkin, ..."

As did Television Without Pity. Best comment: "I'm not surprised: the last time I watched Dinner: Impossible, I really listened to the intro and started thinking, Boy, he's a relatively young man. If he's really done all those things, he must not have spent much time doing any one of them. And it made me wonder. People in this country sure will roll over for a British accent."

And Chowhound, as one would expect, has had a field day with this info. Here's one of the better bits:

"I had the unfortunate experience of working for "Chef" Irvine. His culinary skills are "ok" but nothing spectacular. He is, beyond a doubt, the most insecure man I've ever met. I am certainly not a professional psychologist but my only explanation for the ridiculous tales that he spins was a neurotically poor self-image.

In a meeting one afternoon he tried to pass off the story of having made Lady Di's Wedding Cake. Knowing his age and the year she was married I intoned; "Chef, you were like...12, that remarkable!!" Everyones laughter was uncontrollable, his embarrassment was uncomfortable, and retribution was forthcoming.

Other tales of being the only Chef that Tony Blair would allow to cook for him when he was in the States, redoing the plates of Tom Keller, Charlie Trotter, and Eric Rippert at a James Beard event in NYC before they left the kitchen are just too bizarre. Tom Keller would break his arm if he touched his plate!"

Photo: Irvine takes a break during Titaniumn Chef Challenge at Don Cesar Beach Resort. Click to enlarge. [Scott Keeler | Times]

Sir Robert

I've been staying away on purpose. Could barely contain myself the past few days with all that I was hearing from Floridian writer Ben Montgomery's cubicle. He thinks I'm stalking him, I'm sure. The result of all his efforts was the incredible piece about chef Robert Irvine in the paper today.

Ben's thoughtful, balanced story enumerated so many ways in which Irvine twisted facts or wholesale invented a past for himself. In a phone interview with me last March, he emphatically stated that he'd put $9 million of his own money into Ooze and Schmooze. Doesn't seem like that was the case.

I could dish about his shenanigans all day long--it's galling to be lied to. Delicious though it might be, there are bigger issues to focus on. As a celebrity chef on the Food Network, Irvine would have brought national attention to St. Petersburg with the launch of his two restaurants. Bon Appetit, Gourmet et al would have turned their sights on our town, albeit briefly. But that's how cities get on the culinary map. Having a notable and flashy restaurant unveiled and celebrated often has the effect of drawing the attention of other chefs and investors. Good (or at least buzz-worthy) restaurants beget other good restaurants.

If Ooze and Schmooze don't open it will be a loss for St. Petersburg, not to mention the condos at 400 Beach Drive.

Alright, I know that last post was utterly random

Here's something a little more in my "beat":

Crepes are creeping out all over the place. There’s B.T. Nguyen’s new Flip in Tampa, the crepe-mobile called La Crepe D'Or at the Saturday at the art exhibit in Williams Park in St. Petersburg, and now you can have them at the new Toasted Pheasant Bistro (14445 N. Dale Mabry, Tampa, (813) 265-6700), with poached chicken in a white wine cream sauce or with classic beef bourguignon tucked inside. Opened on Feb. 11, Toasted Pheasant is the new project of Peter Leonavicius from London, former co-owner of Le Bouchon Bistro in Bellair Bluffs. The menu looks like a lovely assembly of classic French bistro dishes, and the aim is to conduct interactive wine dinners.

Weird food science

I love these kinds of Mr. Wizard questions about why food does what it does. Let's pretend someone has asked me the following questions:

Why are some of the potatoes in my bag green? Are they okay to eat? How do you keep honey from crystallizing? My guacamole turns black when I leave it in the refrigerator overnight. Wassup with that?

Well, kids, let me tell you. When raw potatoes are exposed to light, they can turn green. The color itself, which comes from chlorophyll, is benign. Unfortunately, that’s not the end of the story. A compound called “solanine” forms during this greening process, a compound that is both bitter and toxic. Avoid eating any potato skin or flesh with a green tint—just keep peeling until you reach snowy white potato. In order to prevent this greening process, store potatoes in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place, but preferably not in the refrigerator. In the refrigerator potatoes starches can turn to sugar, resulting in overly sweet potatoes and excessive browning during the cooking process. Don’t wash potatoes before storage (this hastens spoilage), and don’t store potatoes near stored fruit. Many fruits emit ethylene as they ripen, which in turn causes potatoes to sprout.

Honey is primarily made of two simple sugars, glucose and fructose. Those containing a greater proportion of glucose are likely to crystallize over time, especially at low temperatures—the glucose spontaneously precipitates out of the supersaturated sugar solution, leaving hard granules throughout. Most supermarket honeys have been filtered and cooked to decrease the likelihood of crystallization, but “raw” honey is especially susceptible. Store your honey in a sunny, warm spot, never the refrigerator or cold basement. If it does crystallize, all is not lost. Gently warm the honey in a double boiler to about 120 degrees F, stirring until the glucose crystals liquefy.

As per guacs, a vibrant green quickly turns to unappetizing brown when avocado is exposed to air. So how to shield your guacamole from oxygen becomes the challenge. The acid in lime juice retards the process—squeeze extra lime juice over finished guacamole to create an oxygen “barrier.” A swirl of olive or avocado oil achieves the same effect, as does plastic wrap nestled directly against the surface of the dip (not merely over the top of the bowl). Some avocado enthusiasts claim that storing the pit with the guacamole prevents browning, but it really only prevents browning in the guacamole it touches, again by shielding it from oxygen. Even after you’ve protected your guacs, browning will occur over time. Before serving, scrape the topmost layer of guacamole into the trash, revealing the still-vibrant dip below.

Guest blogger, we'll call him the earl of sandwich

a.k.a. Pete Couture:

Let’s face it: No matter our taste in food or our dietary philosophies, we all love sandwiches. Take Sirio Maccioni, the owner of the renowned Le Cirque restaurant in New York City. The New York Post reported recently that while at the Sundance Film Festival, Maccioni ignored the fancy restaurants in tony Park City, Utah, and had his driver take him to Burger King for a chicken sandwich. A man of simple tastes, after all. So Esquire magazine set out to identify the best sandwiches in America (and we refuse to call them “sammies”). Esquire obviously shares some of Maccioni’s passion for fast-food — why else would they include the McRib and the Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich? Surely, we thought, the Tampa Bay area has a good chance of being represented, what with our grouper creations and our history of Cuban sandwiches. Sorry. The Florida entries are the Cubano at the Latin America Cafeteria in Miami and the Seafood Salad sandwich at La Sandwicherie in Miami Beach.

Alright, where are our best sammies, er, sandwiches? I'm tossing the offerings at Pane Rustica into the ring, but I had a mighty fine curried chicken salad today at the new Emma Rose's tea shop on Central Ave. in St. Petersburg.

Nice eggsecution

I am not afraid of salmonella. I eat Caesar dressing, a raw egg in my tartare, aioli, chocolate mousse, and a zillion other things that contain raw eggs. There are too many other things in life to worry about. On the other hand, if there’s something that can be done (mind you, not something I have to do, like coddling each darn egg) that doesn’t hurt the flavor or texture of the egg but cuts down on the risk of salmonella—I say bring it on.

Turns out, the Broken Egg restaurants in Lakewood Ranch and Sarasota have just started using Davidson’s pasteurized shell eggs in all their 30 egg dishes and five different eggs Benedict selections. There are loads of other liquid egg products that are pasteurized (meaning, they are shelled and then the raw egg goo is pasteurized--good for scrambles, bad for over-easy), but these are actually pasteurized in the shell. Nice way to watch the public's back, Broken Egg!

Oh, and in other news, maybe less about the general public's wellbeing, the 250-unit Beef ‘O’Brady’s chain just announced that it's planning to open a 4,000-square-foot unit on the campus of University of South Florida in partnership with Aramark, the school’s foodservice concessionaire. It'll be located in the student union, currently undergoing a renovation.

Dinner in a show

The idea is superb. Eat real food—as opposed to Milk Duds and Jordan Almonds, although I may be the only person I know who actually likes those babies—in the dark while watching a first-run movie. With beer and wine.

It’s like what we do at home but with a few improvements: A) you don’t have to shop, prepare, serve, or clean up the food and B) the screen is much bigger.

So, when I moved to Tampa, the Tampa Pitcher Show caught my eye. It took a while to get around to it, but when I finally settled in for a flick there, I realized there were some logistical problems. First off, if you’re seated at a normal round or square table, someone is facing away from the screen. You have to sit in a line, but then the table isn’t equally accessible for all. Really, you need those individual TV trays to make it all work. Second, you know how when you spill your M&Ms the whole floor at the movies is filled with a satisfying pinging noise and then a little crunchiness underfoot? Doesn’t work as well with steak or mashed potatoes.

Alright, I guess what I’m saying is that the Tampa Pitcher Show seemed like a good idea with some execution problems. Then I heard it was closing. But now I’ve been told that the 26-year-old cinema has a newly renovated and upscale lounge with full liquor and dining service. It offers live entertainment on weekend nights, with games, ladies’ nights and other bells and whistles. This means that now you can eat, drink, then walk a few steps to the flick. This will cut down on rug stains, for sure.

The Take 2 Lounge, 14416 N Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa, (813) 963-0578.

Man, do I have a lot of calories in my future, or what?

I’ve got a lot on my mind. It seems Tampa’s Ceviche Tapas Bar is moving where St. Bart’s Island House/Chateau Prive (1502 S. Howard Ave., Tampa) was and Big City Tavern in Centro Ybor just closed. B.T. Nguyen, of Restaurant B.T. fame, is opening a crèpe restaurant called Flip on Kennedy Boulevard and MacDill Avenue in Tampa, but there are also some fine crepes to be had each Saturday at the art exhibit in Williams Park in St. Petersburg. They’re made by Glenn David Cryer, who sells garden accessories and lush crepes (blue cheese, spinach, green apple, mushroom, walnut, prosciutto) out of his crepe-mobile called La Crepe D'Or.

Then, in other news, there’s a new tea shop called Emma’s Rose (911 Central Ave., St. Petersburg) open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Haven’t tried it yet. I just had a good meal at the brand new Indian restaurant called Raga Asian Indian Restaurant (16080 US Hwy 19 N., Clearwater) which opened a couple weeks ago. I’ve got the two new BayWalk restaurants (Banbu and Grille 121, where Dan Marino’s was) on my radar, and I’m looking forward to the opening of MJ's (9600 4th St. N., St. Petersburg), where Domenica Macchia, the old chef at Redwoods, will be executive chef. The Ben Thanh Vietnamese, which closed several years ago at 34th St. and 30th Ave. in St. Petersburg has reopened at 62nd Ave. N between 49th and 34th streets. Looking forward to checking it out—Chris Sherman really liked the old one.

Still haven’t heard when The Table (535 Central Ave., St. Petersburg) or Hammerheads (256 Second St. N, St. Petersburg) are opening. Anyone?

Time is of the essence (aka currying favor)

I razzed Janet yesterday about not getting on the cheese stick (ew?). But today I've got nothing but praise. This morning I learned that Mark Bittman at the New York Times has launched a new blog called Bitten. And what is the blog going to contain?:

"Welcome to Bitten, a blog about food and cooking... We’re going to look at great food made with everyday ingredients and readily achievable techniques...not food as something to be admired from afar, but as a part of daily life....To that end, I’m posting a daily recipe."

Well, Mr. Minimalist, Stir Crazy has been doing just that for years.

Not that I take issue with his goals. Even for avid cooks who gladly spend a whole weekend day puttering in the kitchen, post-work, mid-week dinners need to be fast and unfussy. Janet and I are currently working on story about the spate of 30-minute-meal cookbooks that have come out recently. We're each taking two books, making recipes and timing ourselves. Can a whole meal be done in 30 minutes? Is that a reasonable goal? What kinds of foods lend themselves to this? What are time-saving short cuts? What can you assume the average home cook A) knows how to do and B) has in his or her pantry?

I'll keep you posted.

Comings and goings

Whiskey Soho in Tampa will close its doors on February 11th. Starting with The Claiborne, then Ho Ho’s, Buddy’s, Hot Shots, The HydeAway and now, Whiskey Soho, the location at Howard and
Swann Avenues has served as a meeting spot for South Tampa residents and guests to the area
for many years. The same troop still has Hyde Park Café, Whiskey North, Cheap, Taqueria, and Soho Pizza Joint. On the horizon for them: THE KENNEDY. Don't know more than that.

Casa Tina in Dunedin is opening up in a new, bigger space next to its old spot on Main Street. The old location closed Saturday night and the plan was to reopen ASAP in the new location. In the old location, the same owners are planning a wine and cheese and tapas-type place. Sounds like another fun addition to the already delightful Main Street lineup.

I worship little baby cheeses

Alright, I’ve been waiting for the Big Cheese to write about cheese. But she’s staying mum, evidently. It has recently come to our attention that there is yet another gastronomic reason to get in the car and blow through $15 worth of gas. Sarasota has a new cheese shop. A real one, where you can ask for tastes, describe your dream cheese, kibbitz about textures and runniness. It’s C’est Cheese, the first artisan cheese boutique in Southwest Florida.

Owner Sherri Krams has 75 to 100 cheese, mostly American artisan, not too much European unless it's rare (like an 8-month-aged manchego). She sells coveted American cheeses like Cypress Grove's new Truffle Tremor (it’s like Humboldt Fog but truffle infused), or Rogue Creamery's smoky blue that's roasted on hazelnut shells. She also sells chocolates, crackers, dried fruits and nuts, etc.

4114 Tamiami Trail at Bee Ridge Road, (941) 323-3374.

"Are you still enjoying that?"

I went to lunch today with a couple visiting from California. We checked out a new downtown St. Petersburg restaurant for a review I’m working on. At some point they began asking me about reviewing—eating out so much, don’t I worry about my weight or health?

I guess my answer to that is, not much. I’ve never been a member of the clean-plate club. I eat until I’m satiated and I try not to sport eat. I also am a glacially slow eater, which may effectively serve to allow my stomach time to communicate satiety to my brain. But that’s just a theory.

I do think a diet heavy in restaurant meals can make you, well, heavy. Things taste good in restaurants because they often have more fat, sugar and salt than you might be inclined to use at home.

I got back from lunch and a new book made it to my desk: the third edition of Eat Out, Eat Right. It's a pretty helpful little volume, especially as more of eat out with ridiculous frequency. It's got very sensible portion control strategies, easy directions on how to navigate a menu (cooking methods, red-flag words), and break-downs by cuisine or restaurant type. It's small enough to fit into a purse as a real-time reality check, but also makes a breezy read.

Roe by roe

Valentine's Day is my least-favorite American holiday. I like Groundhog's Day better. Nonetheless, V-Day is on the way, so here's some ammo.

The sharing of one of the world’s rarest culinary luxuries often provides an indispensable boost to a burgeoning romance. Cupid’s arrows have been reliably lofted for centuries with the unctuous pop and briny flavor of caviar, especially when contrasting with the yeasty effervescence of fine champagne. Beluga, sevruga, osetra — even the names sound sumptuous.

But not so fast.

In January 2006, the United Nations banned export of beluga sturgeon caviar from the Caspian Sea region. Since then the ban has been lifted, but the facts remain: beluga, stellate and Russian sturgeon face extinction unless consumers rely on other sources of roe.

It’s no surprise that we’ve begun farming American caviar in earnest. In fact, the American caviar industry dates back to sturgeon thronging the Delaware River in the 19th century. Roe was so plentiful it was offered as a saloon snack to make customers thirstier. More recently, farmed caviar from Siberian, Russian or Iranian sturgeon stock has made great strides, winning taste tests and savvy consumers’ approbation (hovering around $25 per ounce, whereas Caspian Sea goods come in at $100 an ounce).

California’s Tsar Nicoulai wins plaudits for its Estate osetra, hackleback and paddlefish varieties (all available at Mazzaro Italian Market in St. Petersburg); North Carolina’s Sunburst Trout is praised for its vibrant orange trout caviar (available at Wild Oats/Whole Foods in Tampa); and mild and big-pearled Marky’s Alaskan salmon roe (Fresh Market locations in Clearwater and Tampa) has numerous fans.

To put American caviar to the test you need only to take a seat at Marchand’s at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort. Caviar tastings include a generous scoop of Russian sevruga and another of farmed American bowfin (both accessorized with creme fraiche, capers, red onion and light, buttery Yukon Gold blinis). The takeaway? Russian sevruga may be black gold, but the glossy black eggs and mild, ocean-breeze flavor of domestic bowfin are precious pearls indeed.