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	<title>Oyster Food and Culture &#187; wine</title>
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	<link>http://oysterfoodandculture.com</link>
	<description>a place to exchange ideas and learn about culture through food</description>
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		<title>Pebble Beach &#8211; Food and Wine</title>
		<link>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/04/15/pebble-beach-food-and-wine/</link>
		<comments>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/04/15/pebble-beach-food-and-wine/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 16 Apr 2010 01:34:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[California]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[oysters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[celebrity chefs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chefs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pebble Beach]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pebble Beach Food and Wine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://oysterfoodandculture.com/?p=7934</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival claims to be one of the premier culinary events.  I feel further research on my part is required before I support this claim, but, thanks to Foodbuzz, I attended this event on Sunday, and holy cow!  In a recent post, I touched on the current culinary obsession of elevating chefs to celebrity status &#8211; well this event takes it to the next level.  We rubbed elbows with some of the best and brightest and sampled an incredible array of food, all while sipping on fine wines.  I could get used to this lifestyle, although I&#8217;d have to sacrifice my current dress size. I&#8217;m going to apologize right off because my photos turned out like, well crap.  But I linked to some other bloggers that also attended so you could see the results of some talented photo takers, and some other impressions of the event. As I said, I&#8217;d heard about the Pebble Beach Food and Wine Event (PBFW) and seen many references to it in the food magazines I read, but had not given much thought to attending.  As I am still trying to get my bearings in terms of places and distances in [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/04/15/pebble-beach-food-and-wine/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>25</slash:comments>
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		<title>Farm Fresh Food</title>
		<link>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/02/14/farm-fresh-food/</link>
		<comments>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/02/14/farm-fresh-food/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Feb 2010 04:37:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[California]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sustainability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sustainable]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://oysterfoodandculture.com/?p=6239</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;Farm to Table&#8221; or &#8220;Farm to Fork&#8221; was predicted to be a new trend for 2010, but for the folks that have been eating this way for years, they&#8217;re wondering what all the fuss is about.   Like comfort food was the trend of 2009, how new is it? To me it sounds suspiciously like that nebulous and ubiquitous &#8220;California&#8221; cuisine with its focus on freshly prepared local ingredients, and frequently associated with Alice Waters, except the chefs have often moved the diners to within steps of the source.  Don&#8217;t get me wrong, I like this idea, I just question its trendiness, as wide swaths of the population routinely eat this way.  I believe this &#8220;trend&#8221; is in response to people being increasingly disconnected from their food source, and  wanting to remedy that issue.  I grew up  in the midwest, and had relatives that farmed, and while I&#8217;d never call myself a country girl, I knew the basics: the various farm animal and crops and their cycles &#8211; I helped birth calves and feed pigs, and ride combines.  For a city girl, it was an adventure, but not everyone has that exposure.  That fact was brought home to me while I [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/02/14/farm-fresh-food/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>26</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Champagne bubbles in Mendocino County</title>
		<link>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/10/20/champagne-bubbles-in-mendocino-county/</link>
		<comments>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/10/20/champagne-bubbles-in-mendocino-county/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:59:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[California]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[celebrations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[libations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mendocino]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vichy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://oysterfoodandculture.com/?p=5660</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My husband and I celebrated our anniversary last week with a weekend getaway to Mendocino County.  My husband planned the event, keeping me in the dark until we were about 15 minutes from our destination.  Until that moment, he had hinted strongly that we were &#8220;hiking in&#8221; and needed to stop and secure some bear canisters.  Now for a woman who has never camped a day in her life, the words &#8220;bear canisters&#8221; sent shivers down my spine. For sometime I had hinted &#8220;strongly&#8221; that we needed to explore more of Northern California&#8217;s bounty.  Dare I say complained even, that we seem to spend every weekend in the city. (I am aware that I live in an incredible place, San Francisco, and will probably not get much sympathy, but I am always curious to see what was around the corner.)  In any event, my husband proved he was really listening by planning this trip, but I was a bit worried about the events hubby had in store for me.  We struck out on a Saturday morning and made the drive up Hwy 101, and after a brief stop at one of our favorite vineyards in Sonoma, before meandering along some [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/10/20/champagne-bubbles-in-mendocino-county/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>26</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Fortified Wines &#8211; Timing is Everything</title>
		<link>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/06/08/fortified-wines/</link>
		<comments>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/06/08/fortified-wines/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:36:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[France]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Italy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Portugal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traditions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fortified wine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Madeira]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marsala]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[muscat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[port]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sherry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vermouth]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://oysterculture.wordpress.com/?p=4000</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Like much of life, fortified wines were born from necessity.  In this case, to preserve European wines on long trade voyages in the 16th and 17th centuries.  Brandy was added either before or during the fermentation process to stabilize the wines, and improve their shelf life.  As might be imagined, traditional wines did not store well in the wildly fluctuating temperature and motion they were subjected to on the voyages.  Once fortified, they are more stable than traditional wines and have a much longer shelf life once open. While the reasons no longer apply, the methods used today are nearly identical to those of old, so the fortified wines of today bear a close resemblance to their brethren of old.  The final product typically contains between 14% to 21% alcohol, and are more stable than ordinary table wines.  If brandy, or the alcohol of choice is added after the fermentation process, the result is a dry wine.  If the alcohol is added before fermentation, the result is a sweet wine with a high sugar content, with port being a classic example and consequently categorized as a dessert wine.  Wines are found to be drier when the brandy is added after the fermentation process such as dry Vermouth.  Depending on how the wine makers approach the process the results can vary [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/06/08/fortified-wines/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
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		<title>Mead: sweet, sweet nectar</title>
		<link>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/06/05/mead-sweet-sweet-nectar/</link>
		<comments>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/06/05/mead-sweet-sweet-nectar/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:15:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Britain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[celebrations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[England]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[France]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Germany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mead]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Slovakia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traditions]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://oysterculture.wordpress.com/?p=4002</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Mead is a fermented beverage also know as &#8220;honey wine&#8221; because that is frequently made where grapes are not grown and has the simple ingredients of  water and yeast.  Although, mead is not technically a wine.  It has a long history and has been the stuff of legends, literally, having been featured in Beowoulf.  Mead&#8217;s alcoholic content ranges from the equivalent of a mild ale to a strong wine. It may be still or sparkling.  It runs the gamut from dry → semi-sweet → sweet.  If you want to know what to look for when you sample mead, Michael Hall developed a treatise on mead tasting. The diversity of this beverage is as endless as the possible combinations, depending on local traditions and recipes, it may be brewed with spices and fruits, or flavored with hops producing a bitter, beer-like flavor.  The type of honey also has a significant impact on the flavor and color of the final product. History Mead, while not necessarily a world traveler enjoys consumption and recognition on a global scale.  While its exact origins are unknown, its consumption has been documented in ancient times from Europe to Africa to Asia.  &#8221;It can be regarded as the ancestor of all [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/06/05/mead-sweet-sweet-nectar/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>24</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Creme de Cassis &#8211; A Sweet Addition</title>
		<link>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/04/05/creme-de-cassis-a-sweet-addition/</link>
		<comments>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/04/05/creme-de-cassis-a-sweet-addition/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 06 Apr 2009 01:39:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[France]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beef bourguignonne]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[creme de cassis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dijon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mustard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://oysterculture.wordpress.com/?p=2705</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When we were in Dijon we had many (delightful) encounters with Creme de Cassis.  We, ok I stuffed our luggage with bottles of this yummy liqueur to take back to the States as gifts, and of course to use ourselves. Crème de Cassis is a sweet deep red, black currant flavored liqueur.  The modern version of the drink first appeared in Burgundy in 1841, displacing ratafia de cassis from prior centuries.  It is made from black currants crushed into refined alcohol, with sugar added. The quality of crème de cassis depends on the variety of fruit used along with the percentage of berries and the fabrication process. With the label &#8220;Crème de Cassis de Dijon&#8221; one is guaranteed berries from the commune of Dijon.  Interested parties have tried since 1997 to obtain an &#8220;Appellation d&#8217;Origine Contrôlée&#8221; for &#8220;Crème de Cassis de Bourgogne&#8221; which would guarantee both the origin and variety of fruit, as well as the count of berries in the recipe used by the manufacturer. Several cocktails are made with crème de cassis, including kir (white wine, especially Bourgogne aligoté, with blackcurrant liqueur, named after former mayor of Dijon canon Félix Kir). The same drink made with champagne instead of white wine is known as a Kir [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/04/05/creme-de-cassis-a-sweet-addition/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>23</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Wine judges, do we trust them?</title>
		<link>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/02/04/wine-judges-do-we-trust-them/</link>
		<comments>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/02/04/wine-judges-do-we-trust-them/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:45:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[wine]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://oysterculture.wordpress.com/?p=802</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8230; and if we do, should we?  When I select my wine, the scores posted along with the description of the wine certainly influence my decision.  My assumption is that the educated folks making the decisions are professionals after all, and as for me, I&#8217;m imbibing purely for pleasure.  Sure, I know what I like, but I am not confident enough to voice my opinion when pushed for details.  In truth, I wilt like yesterday&#8217;s parsley if questioned by someone I perceive as more knowledgeable.  But should I be so hard on my abilities?  I&#8217;ve consumed wine for a number of years, and really enjoy the experience.  My husband, while he drinks, is content with a glass of wine at dinner.  If I had my way, and for quest of scientific knowledge only,  I would open a few bottles of zin to do comparison tasting.  But being a properly raised mid-western gal I have waste issues, as I know my husband would not keep up his end.  (My dream job belongs to Jeffery Steingarten at Vogue)   Then there is the matter that we get up at 5 am to run.  If you&#8217;ve never tried it, I do not recommend early rising after a delightful evening of sipping [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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