Reno Gazette-Journal from Reno, Nevada • Page 58

eatirog this week 2G RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL New Ideas for Meals, Products and Events WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2001 Martinis are back in style if you don't mind the guilt vermouth on hand, for no other reason than to reminds us to put down life's heaviness once in a while skip kickboxing class, watch the sun set and just chill, for Pete's sake. To concoct a proper martini you need crushed ice, a shaker, a strainer, a stirring spoon and appropriate glassware. I tried to make one at home recently and discovered how ill-equipped I was reduced, sadly, to using a Pyrex measuring cup with a slotted spoon as a strainer, not to mention red wine glasses for service. James Bond would have dispatched me on the spot. You should also have some (shudder) la Dean Martin? (By the way, we won't even discuss the poseurs, those chocolate- or fruit juice-enhanced frou-frou drinks that have no business calling themselves by the M-word.) Decadence aside, martinis still whisper "cool," conjuring images of hazy clubs, romantic intrigues, "New York, New York, it's a helluva town" and an era whose indulgences weren't couched in apology.

In those days, leisure was suave. Cool people just stood around and looked good. These days, you have to actually do things to be cool. Extreme things, like working 80-hour weeks and bungee jumping and staying up-to-speed on the Sopranos. As with the renewed popularity of things like swing dancing and platform shoes and (God help us) disco, the martini Someone brought up "guilty pleasures" the other day, and 1 was reminded of two things: reality TV and martinis.

You understand what I mean about the TV shows. But martinis are more complicated. Despite their -recent return to trendy tabletops everywhere, ordering one still feels a little naughty. A glass of fine wine in one's hand may lend a certain cachet it says you're I urbane and sophisticated enough to appreciate its -subtleties but a martini, on Tsome level, says you're in it for 'the buzz. At least, it does when you're 1 talking about vodka martinis.

can have floral or fruity characteristics that vary from brand to brand, so you can at least pretend to identify and savor them. But really good vodka aspires to no aroma 1 Food Drink KATHLEEN STEBBINS whatsoever. It's more of a textural difference; the brands I've tasted fall somewhere along the spectrum from "smoooooth" to "medium-grade sandpaper." Either way, comparisons to rocket fuel are appropriate so why would anyone want to drink one except to get all swoozy-eyed a -1 supermarket sampler by Bonnie Tandy Leblang and Carolyn Wyman New Ideas from Your Grocery Store Tasters disagree on BBQ sauces Hot or not? Jack Daniel's Grilling Sauce. Original No. 7 Barbecue Recipe, Sizzling Smokehouse Blend, and Tennessee Hickory Mesquite.

$2.49 per 1 6-ounce bottle. Bonnie: The gimmick behind this new line of Heinz barbecue sauces? They're flavored with Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey, although they're nonalcoholic since any alcohol is cooked off in the manufacturing process. I say gimmick because the flavors are good but nothing unusual. The company suggests using these sauces for marinating, basting and dipping. If you want to use one of these prove you're aware of the official" V'SV recipes, fr which specify and four parts gin or vodka to one part vermouth.

You don't have to follow the recipes. Most martini drinkers I've met order theirs "bone dry," which means reluctantly allowing the vermouth bottle to share shelf space with the other liquors. (If you can't stand not using the vermouth, you can always flambe something. And of course, Mark your Wine tastings Viaggio Italian Cuisine and Wine Shop in Franktown Corners on Kietzke Lane offers wine tastings from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays.

Cost is $1 5 and includes four wines and appetizers. The restaurant also offers wine tasting at the Sparks Hometowne Farmers' Market Thursdays on Victorian Square. Call 828-2708. Ben's Fine Wine and Spirits has free wine tastings from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Fridays at the Moana Lane and Lakeside Drive location.

This week: Deloach Winery. Call 825-0244. Adele's at the Plaza holds its Wednesday Tasting Experience from 4 to 7 p.m. tonight. Featured: Artesa Winery.

Cost is $1 5 per person. Adele's is at 425 S. Virginia St. Call 333-6503. Bananas Thai Cuisine holds a Wine of the Week tasting Thursdays from 6 to 8 p.m.

The event features three wines for $7.50. Bananas is at 2323 S.Virginia St. Details: 825-5500. Whispering Vine Wine Co. sponsors wine tastings from 4 to 7 p.m.Thursdays.

Cost is $1 5. Whispering Vine is at 3886 Mayberry Dr. Call 787-9463. O'Ski's Pub Grille is offering a free tasting of wine from Mirassou Vineyards Thursday during the Sparks Hometowne Farmers' Market. O'Ski's is at 840 Victorian Sparks.

Call 359-7547. This will take up space in your refrigerator and lasts only a month after opening. By contrast, the powdered kind doesn't need refrigeration and lasts pretty much forever. As yet, the liquid concentrate also doesn't come in decaf or diet. In short, the superior dissolving capability of this iced tea concentrate simply doesn't seem important enough to overcome its many other deficiencies.

Starbucks Frappuccino Blended Chocolate Covered Caramel Coffee Bar. $3.69 per box of four 2.5-ounce bars. Bonnie: The Frappuccino bars ISf SSsI Pli I'i Vta.tonMe'' watti have long been my favorite of the Starbucks frozen treats. They're essentially coffee-flavored Fudgsicles with only 2 grams of fat and 1 10 to 120 calories. To make its newest frozen novelty, Starbucks has taken this low-fat Nestea Iced Tea Liquid Concentrate.

Lemon, Raspberry, and Green Tea With Honey. $1.89 per 1 6-ounce bottle. Bonnie: For centuries, people have ceremoniously brewed tea from leaves. In as a marinade, dilute it a bit with water, wine, juice, beer or some other liquid. Otherwise, the sugars in these (and most other barbecue sauces) will caramelize and burn when you're grilling the meat.

Instead, I suggest brushing the food with the sauce during the last five minutes of cooking and serving additional sauce from the bottle for dipping. Carolyn: Bonnie is dead wrong when she says these sauces are nothing unusual. you'll need a garnish to top things off. A salty, plump olive gives your drink a nice yinyang balance, whereas a lemon twist keeps things light. It should be noted that much of a martini's aura comes from the glassware: It's impossible to move a shallow, triangular martini glass quickly in any direction without sloshing wildly, revealing your pathetic lack of suavitude to all.

Navigating the world with a martini in hand means allowing it to fuss about you as you glide through, unruffled and unperturbed. Forget the guilt. Sometimes it's good to be cool. Write Kathleen Stebbins at the Gazette-Journal, P.O. Box 22,000, Reno, 89520; e-mail kstebbinrgj.com; or call 788-6591.

calendars Wine seminar Women Chefs and Restaurateurs will host "Divine Wine Exploration" from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Aug. 27 at Whispering Vine Wine Company. Cost is $35 for members, $45 for non-members. Wine tasting and hors d'oeuvres are included.

Whispering Vine is at 3886 Mayberry Dr.To register, call (877) 927-7787. Winemaker dinner Atlantis Seafood Steakhouse will hold a winemaker dinner featuring Trefethen wines at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Tickets are $11 5 inclusive. Call 824-441 1 Classes TMCC Community Services presents a class in cake decorating from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Wednesdays, Sept. 26 through Oct. 24., sit Vaughn Middle School. Cost is $49 plus $25 to $40 in supplies. Registration deadline is Sept.

1 9. Call 829-9010 or go to http:commserv.tmcc.edu. Western Nevada Community College offers "Food Service Sanitation" from 7 to 9:40 p.m.Thursdays beginning Aug. 30. Cost is $154 for three credits.

To enroll, visit www.wncc.nevada.edu. WNCC is also offering "Quantity Food Production" from 7 to 9:40 p.m. Tuesdays beginning Aug. 28. The three-credit class costs $1 54.

To enroll, visit www.wncc.nevada.edu. Send information for the food calendar to the Gazette-Journal, P.O. Reno, 89520, fax 788-6458 or e-mail kstebbin rgj.com. have never been catered for this will be a different experience." Mike O'Connell, former PGA caddy and brother to Chris, says that his work with acobsen organizing the RTO ias caused him to reflect on his own experiences as a caddy. In the tournaments where he was forced to forage for burgers and stand in the sun all day, it make his work environment less enjoyable.

"The way they do it in Reno is as good as it gets for caddies," he says. "They cater for caddies at a few other (PGA) stops, but not many. At a lot of places caddies are looked at differently; they can't go into the locker rooms where the players are (eating). At Tahoe the caddies get taken care of. It absolutely makes a difference." SlQB 'HTi's fr Wednesday Fridav Calendar and Sundav Si(rm Sn.le REPORTERS Camille Hayes Nightclubs and dining chayesrgj.com (775) 327-6770 Kathleen Stebbins Food, restaurants, dining kstebbinrgj.com (775) 788-6426 The Bottom line: Frappuccino bars by Starbucks are-heavy on coffee flavor and calories.

9 treat, added caramel and dipped it in chocolate to create a tasty bar with five times the fat and almost double the calories. Thanks, but I'll stick with the other Frappuccino Bars. Carolyn: The people behind Starbucks Coffee Ice Creams and "coffeesicle" bars have combined the concepts in tact, one legend says the first tea was enjoyed by a Chinese emperor in 3000 B.C. after leaves fell from a wild tea bush into a pot of boiling water. It wasn't until the early 1900s that people poured hot tea over ice.

The latest development in tea history is this new liquid tea concentrate from Nestea. Just pour some The Bottom Line; Yourtastebuds will have the final say on whether Jack Daniel's grilling sauces are spicy or dull. (Going to a registered dietitian for advice on barbecue is like going to a police officer for advice on robbing a bank.) They are, in fact, the richest and most complex bottled sauces I've ever tasted. The Sizzling Smokehouse Blend is at once the sweetest and hottest. The Tennessee Hickory Mesquite is a chocolate-covered coffee ice cream Caramel fans will wonder where in the name, but people who coffee strong and their chocolate wonder at their luck at being able In fact, this bar has a stronger than the regular coffee-flavored Bars.

Tandy Leblang is a registered and creator of Express Lane A Simple Solution to What's for (Universal Press Syndicate). Wyman is a junk food fanatic and "Spam: A Biography" Brace). into chilled water for truly instant, not-too-sweet iced tea. One 1 6-ounce container makes up to four quarts of tea with no artificial anything added. Although I don't think the ancient Chinese emperor would have liked this, I was impressed with this product's ease and taste.

Carolyn: Nestea Iced Tea Liquid Concentrate is the first major innovation in iced tea in a very long time. But is it an improvement? It does dissolve quicker and faster than instant iced tea powder. But it doesn't really taste all that much different, costs a lot more and isn't as convenient. vinegary tomato-style sauce that I associate with South Carolina. The Original No.

7 is the one that really carries the Jack Daniel's flavor and is the one I'll be using most often both at the grill and as a dipping sauce. It's rare for a large food company to come out with anything that has this much flavor. Please encourage them by at least giving it a try. CaddiesPinocchio's to cater this year's caddy tent TheBottomllne: Nestea'snew liquid tea concentrate is tasty, but has a short shelf life. The dinner is at 6 p.m.

Friday. Cost per person is for reservations call (775) 782-8155, ext. 8953. Lots wine Item one: Trefethen winemaker dinner at the Atlantis. Recently, some friends and I went wine tasting in Napa, and Trefethen winery was our final stop of the day.

By that point we were hot and tired, and the cool, spacious foyertasting room was a welcome relief. But what impressed me most was that I sampled a Chardonnay that I actually liked I'm usually not a big fan. I know it's America's favorite wine, blah, blah, but it usually just doesn't do it for me. So if Trefethen can manage to come up with a Camille-friendly Chardonnay, they must know what they're doing. The Atlantis will be pairing Trefethen Riesling, Merfot, the above-mentioned Chardonnay and a this new on a stick.

it is besides like their rich will to buy this. coffee taste Frappuccino Bonnie dietitian Cooking: Dinner Carolyn author of (HarvestHarcourt pld West menu features pan-fried squirrel Tjust got this press release -1 about an event I really want ULto promote, but I can't stop thinking about cousin Jethro. You guys remember Jethro. 3-Ie was the tall, dark-haired guy jan "The Beverly Hillbillies." Miss Hathaway had a big crush on him, and he was always jsaying things like: "Hey Granny, why don't you whip us up a mess or squirrel stew?" I was always curious about the Twhole squirrel thing what does it taste like, and why was Jethro so very fond of it? Well, I have it Ion good authority that it tastes a 3ot like chicken (no kidding, "someone really told me that). I And you can try it for yourself a fund-raiser dinner for the J.ake Tahoe Film Festival at -Dave Walley's Resort in Genoa.

iThe theme for the dinner is Old West" and Walley's will be serving old-fashioned delicacies including roasted tgoat, marinated tongue and 3an-fried squirrel. From 1 have snacks like protein bars and fruit. The (RTO) doesn't group people into classes, like at some tournaments. Everybody's treated right." This year, the RTO caddies will be treated right by Pinocchio's restaurant, which will be handling all the caddies' catering. Owner J.R Pinocchio is excited about his eatery's first time as an official caterer.

Among the treats the Italian-themed restaurant has in store are grilled tri-tip, homemade ravioli, fresh chicken and wild mushroom lasagna and assorted barbecued treats. Pinocchio promises that his food is going to "spoil the caddies. We love being involved with this, and we want them to have a great time. There are caddies who RFNOflA7FnT-Tfi IRNAT inu yjALLi i juumxvl Food Drink CAMILLE HAYES For those of you who are more conservative in your eating habits, there will also be a buffet spread with green chili stew, flank steak and red snapper. There's also entertainment on the roster: line dancing, cowboy poetry and a silent auction.

A portion of the proceeds will go to benefit the film festival, so you can support the arts and dine on squirrel at the same time. Cabernet with a five-course meal that sounds rather scrumptious. Lamb, crab cakes and grilled portobello with boursin cheese will all make an appearance. Cost is $115 per person, inclusive. The Atlantis is at 3800 S.

Virginia call 824-4411 for reservations. Item two: Is there an upscale restaurant in town that doesn't host a wine tasting anymore? Tastings are all the rage these days, much to the delight of Reno wine lovers. Add Galena Forest restaurant to the list of places you can go to sip and nosh. Every Wednesday from 5:30 to 7 p.m., you can try a selection of four different wines. They'll also supply you with free hors d'oeuvres, so all that sampling doesn't go to your head.

Cost is $15 a person. Galena Forest is at 17025 Mt. Rose Highway; call 849-2100. Call Camille Hayes at 327-6700 or e-mail chayesrgj.com. Street Mall II Virginia St A Dt ill Yirginia Antique WE'RE BACK! NEW LOCATION 4690 Longley Lane 36 RENO 775-825-5033 WHOLESALE TO PUBLIC OPEN TVE-SAT 10:00 -5 JO WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU Is there a good story out there? Are there issues, trends or situations in the community we should cover? Did you see a mistake in the paper? Mall: Food section, Reno Gazette-Journal, P.O.

Box 22000, Reno NV 89520-2000. Fax: (775) 788-6458. E-mail or telephone: If you want to speak with a food reporter or editor, please contact EDITOR Peggy Santoro Features editor psantororgj.com (775) 788-6427 Reno's Largest Antiques CoDecribks MaD SENIOR EDITOR Jim Sloan Senior editornews features rgjfeedbackrgj.com (775) 788-6338 1251 South 324-4141.