gourmet

Caviar Ban Lifted in Iran

Filed under: Dining

Good news for caviar lovers. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) has given Iran approval to export caviar from wild sturgeon again. Other Caspian Sea nations are still out of luck. CITES approved exports of up 44,370 kilograms (around 97,000 pounds) of caviar from Iran provided that the eggs cover from Persian caviar, the only species which is not in dire straits. Beluga sturgeon is still banned. Other Caspian Sea nations including Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan failed to produce sustainable quota proposals before a meeting deadline and so they will likely remain under a ban for the rest of the year.

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Tags: beluga, caviar, cites, export, food, gourmet, iran, luxury, sturgeon, united nations

Luxist Guide To Beluga Caviar Alternatives

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

We've done a lot of coverage of the ban on caviar that comes from areas where the sturgeon is endangered. While caviar from Russia, Iran and other protected areas is still available, caviar lovers are beginning to cast their nets wider. Here we take a look at some of the more intriguing options from sturgeon, to paddlefish and even seaweed-based caviar substitutes.

Sterling Caviar: One of the best options coming out of California. At Sterling Caviar they raise the fish themselves, waiting patiently eight to ten years for the harvest. Their large farm has an inventory of thousands of sturgeon which are fed a high-protein, balanced diet and monitored for their health. Sterling comes in three versions, classic, royal and imperial, which is the best of the batch and costs $60 per ounce.

Tags: beluga, caviar, caviar alternatives, collins caviar, dining, food, gourmet, osetra, salmon caviar, sterling caviar, trout caviar

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El Bulli Named The World's Best Restaurant

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

What are the 20 best restaurants in the world? According to Restaurant magazine, El Bulli, Ferran Adria's iconic restaurant in northern Spain is now top on the list, upsetting last year's winner the U.K.'s Fat Duck (shown here), which is now number two, where El Bulli was last year. Both restaurants specialize in experimental cuisine. French Laundry was tops in the U.S. at number ~~three~~ four and Thomas Keller's New York restaurant Per Se ranked eighth.

1. El Bulli (Spain)
2. The Fat Duck (U.K.)
3. Pierre Gagnaire (France)
4. French Laundry (U.S.)
5. Tetsuya's (Australia)
6. Bras (France)
7. Restaurant le Louis XV (Monaco)
8. Per Se (U.S.)
9. Restaurant Arzak (Spain)
10. Mugaritz (Spain)
11. Can Fabes (Spain)
12. Nobu (U.K.)
13. Gambero Rosso (Italy)
14. Gordon Ramsay Royal Hospital Road (U.K.)
15. Restaurant Alain Ducasse (France)
16. Jean Georges (U.S., New York)
17. Le Cinq (France)
18. Daniel (U.S., New York)
19. Oud Sluis (Netherlands)
20. Chez Panisse (U.S.)

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Tags: el bulli, fat duck, ferran adria, fine dining, food and drink, gourmet, jean georges, per se, restaurants, thomas keller, top restaurants

New Ultra-Expensive Sandwich Hits London

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

All of London is abuzz about the McDonald sandwich. BBC News reports that the new sandwich, named after its creator Scott McDonald, costs $148 and is being sold at the London department store Selfridges. What do you get for your money? The sandwich uses 24-hour fermented sourdough bread, wagyu beef, fresh lobe fois gras, black truffle mayonnaise, brie de meaux, rocket, red pepper and mustard confit and English plum tomatoes. At 2,000 calories its not for dieters but a few curious Londoners have already sampled the rich repast. I think I'd still rather have the $100 Philadelphia cheese steak because at least your get a mini-bottle of champagne with it.

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Tags: brie, expensive sandwich, ExpensiveSandwich, fancy cuisine, food and drink, gourmet, luxury food, roast beef, selfidges, truffles, wagyu beef

Black and Whites from Dean and Deluca

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

High on the list of things missed most by New Yorkers when they take up residence in another state is the Black and White Cookie. The cake-like consistency of the cookie and the smooth, sweet chocolate and vanilla icing combine to make one of the ultimate treats. As a gift for your favorite ex-New Yorker, or perhaps for yourself, consider getting a box of Dean & DeLuca's Black and Whites. Black and Whites tend to be huge, since New Yorker's like things big, but the Dean and Deluca cookies are normal sized and packed in a box that fits two dozen. The cookies are a perfect version of the New York classic - tasty as well as beautiful to look at. If you can't eat them all at once, they freeze beautifully, but if you invite a friend over to share them, you might not have any leftover. Price: $30.

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Tags: black and white, BlackAndWhite, cake, chocolate, cookie, cookies, dean and deluca, dessert, gourmet, snack, treat, vanilla

Scottsdale Culinary Festival

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Events

Another excuse to jet to a warm locale and sample wine and food, the Scottsdale Culinary Festival is a six-day event held from April 18-23. There are a wide variety of events held during the week including the James Beard dinner, the Culinary Hall of Fame Awards Dinner and "Le Tour Culinaire" where guests are chauffeured to three different restaurants to sample cuisine paired with prominent wines. Over 250 wineries will be on hand to offer tastings during the week. Admission ranges from $5 for the Great Arizona Picnic to $200 for the James Beard Dinner. Proceeds benefits arts and arts education in the Scottsdale area.

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Tags: arizona, food, food and wine, gourmet, scottsdale, tastings, wine

Boulud Knife Set

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Personally I'm hooked on my Wusthof-Trident knives for the kitchen but this handsome set is worth a look. The knife set was created by French chef Daniel Boulud. The knives are drop forged in high-carbon stainless steel for a sharp edge. The six knife set comes in a wood block with an aluminum base and includes a paring knife, boning knife, serrated bar knife, chef knife, slicing knife and a sharpener. The set sells for $298.

[via Product Dose]

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Tags: boulud knife set, BouludKnifeSet, gourmet, kitchen, knives

South Beach Food and Wine Festival

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Wine

What could be better than food, wine and fun in South Beach? The South Beach Wine & Food Festival is a three-day celebration of food and wine indulgence February 24 – Sunday, February 26. Events include the Moët & Chandon BubbleQ with grillmaster Bobby Flay & friends, wine tasting seminars and luncheons and a special dinner to honor the grand master of quirky cuisine, Ferran Adrià that will be attended by top chefs like Emeril Lagasse, Thomas Keller and Nobu Matsuhisa and hosted by Anthony Bourdain. The dinner is followed by a dessert party and the next day dessert chef Maida Heatter receives a lifetime achievement award at a special tribute brunch. Many of the most noted food and wine personalities are attending the event and there are even cooking demonstrations for kids that will include Emeril Lagasse, Alton Brown and Rachael Ray. Weekend passes are already sold out but many of the ala carte ticket options are still available including the Celebrity Chefs Golf Invitational which costs $500 per person. The picture shown here is of Todd English at last year's festival. English will also be participating this year in the Sunday tribute brunch and Wine Spectator's Best of the Best event on Friday night.

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Tags: alton brown, dining, emeril, food, gourmet, rachael ray, south beach, tastings, wine