The Food Section

Q&A: Joanne Chen, Student of Sweet

Joanne Chen is the author of the newly released The Taste of Sweet: Our Complicated Love Affair with Our Favorite Treats. In the book, her first, she explores the science and culture behind why some of us have insatiable sweet tooths while others do not. The book also pays particularly interest to Americans' love-hate-guilt relationship to sweets and desserts.

There’s no doubt you're an avid lover of sweets. How did your sweet tooth become the inspiration for the book?

I grew up in a family that loved food, all sorts of food including sweets. We always had desserts and afterschool snacks, and I never thought sweets were a bad food or something limited to special occasions. So, when I became an adult, I was appalled that people didn’t feel the same way. I couldn’t believe people would pass up a just-baked pie! Or feel guilty about eating a cookie. So this book was an excuse to explore how our relationships with sweets (and food in general) came to be.

You write about the many ways people experience taste. What’s the difference between a non-taster, taster, and super-taster? How can someone find out what category they fall into?

Super-tasters have a higher density of taste buds than tasters and non-tasters. Our taste preferences are mainly determined by culture and experience, but our density of taste buds influence how intense certain foods might taste. So super-tasters are more apt to think certain vegetables, like Brussels sprouts, are very bitter, or certain sweets, like Rocky Road ice cream, are too sweet. As one scientist I interviewed explained, super-tasters live in a neon taste world, while non-tasters live in a pastel taste world. You can get an idea by taking a quiz on my website, The Taste of Sweet. You can also get strips of PTC paper from science hobby or teaching shops. These test strips will taste bitter to super-tasters and tasters. Non-tasters will taste nothing at all.

Are some sweets perceived as more low-brow than others? Why is a box of Godiva chocolates more coveted than a box of Whitman's? Isn't it all chocolate?

Yes, I believe some sweets ARE perceived as more low brow than others. It all depends on context. Godiva chocolates are considered more high end than Whitman’s because the price points are higher, justified, in part perhaps, by the purity/quality of the chocolate and fillings it’s made with. However, one scientist I interviewed brought up a good point. He wonders why certain wines are deemed better than others—what is “better”? It’s only deemed better because someone influential in a particular circle says so. Of course, in some social circles, Godiva chocolates are low brow, and something else—like Vosges or Michel Cluizel—is consider high brow.

There’s a lot of fear about high fructose corn syrup. Should folks be wary?

The jury’s still out on that issue. One UCSF doctor I interviewed, Robert Lustig, believes that we should be. HFCS contains slightly higher levels of fructose than plain sugar. Fructose is processed differently and he believes excess intake (which happens when we drink several cans of soda a day) could compromise liver function and wreak havoc on our insulin system. A study out of the University of Florida last December also voiced concern about fructose. But other scientists disagree, including those with the Centers for Science in the Public interests. I believe everything in moderation is the safe way to go.

Let's play a little word association. I will name a sweetener, and you'll tell me the first thing that comes to mind:

Sugar? Innocence
Saccharin? Old ladies
Honey? Breakfast
Maple Syrup? Sticky
Stevia? Green

After writing The Taste of Sweet, how has your relationship with sweets changed?

I eat sweets more frequently and freely, but I eat less of them at each sitting. Researching the book as really helped me appreciate the tastes and flavors of every bite and listen to my satiety signals. If the taste has dulled, that means it’s time to put it away and eat it later. Also, I’ve learned to take a moment and analyze my cravings—is it something crunchy that I want? Or warm? Or creamy? Then I zero in on that, rather than wasting time (and calories) on a fat-free muffin, only to make myself a brownie sundae 15 minutes later.

Finally, how do you stay so svelte?

I’ve found that when I stopped denying myself the foods that I liked, I stopped obsessing over them and I gained better control over my eating habits (and even lost a few pounds in the process of writing the book). Also, I should add, I was never a fan of heavy fatty foods. So, I’m the kind of person that orders a salad for an entrée with dressing on the side —and then gets the chocolate cake and ice cream for dessert.

Illustration: iStockphoto.

Taste of Paris

Hungry for Paris, a new guide to dining in Paris, provides reviews of more than 100 restaurants in the French capitol. Organized by neighborhood, with maps detailing each restaurant's location, the reviews provide deeply personal evocations of favorite eating places (but, if you're in a rush, "In a Word," bite-size reviews follow each entry). The author, Alexander Lobrano, longtime European correspondent for Gourmet magazine, is clearly smitten with the city, but don't think the book is mere boosterism. He writes despairingly that brasseries are on the decline and includes an honest appraisal of why some of the more famous Paris restaurants you've heard about didn't make the cut.

The reviews are bookended with short, useful essays on the basics of French dining, eating alone, seasonal specialties, and learning how to eat the "unspeakable" -- snails, smelly cheeses, frogs' legs and other foods that freak Americans out. "Why fly all the way to Paris to eat chicken breasts or steak?" asks Lobrano. "Push your limits instead. At worst, you'll have a gruesome gastro tale of your own to recount when you get home. More likely, you'll be amazed to discover that you actually like pig's feet, beef muzzle salad vinaigrette, and calf's brains." $10.88 at amazon.com.

Face Food

Design site Core 77 points to writer and designer Christopher Salyers' Face Food: The Visual Creativity of Japanese Bento Boxes, a collection images of the creative and complex brand of bento boxes known as charaben, where rice, tofu, seaweed, and other foodstuffs are transformed into kids' lunches inspired by anime, television, and movies. In addition to photography, the book includes a bento "how-to" and interviews with charaben enthusiasts. Salyers' writes: "For all of you who have ever eaten or prepared a slap-dash PB&J sandwich, or have been victim of school cafeterias, I offer up these pages as proof that when you show this much dedication to what you or your child eats, the end result will be nothing short of astounding." $10.15 at amazon.com.

Bread and Beyond

I've just gotten my hands on Beyond the Bread Basket, the new cookbook by master baker Eric Kayser. It contains more than 60 recipes for dishes that use bread as a "plate" (haute bread bowls), ingredient (stuffed baguettes and mille-feuille sandwiches), and as a seasoning (croutons and breadrumbs). There's even a recipe for a "toast tapenade" of ground bread and nuts (for eating with cheese or fruit). Recipes for sandwiches and desserts fill out the rest of the book.

Kayser is a man who takes bread extremely seriously. After all, there's even a section on food and wine pairings for various types of bread (e.g., choose champagne and chocolate to pair with brioche). Luckily, for those intimidated by baking, nearly all of the recipes require bread that has already been baked (phew!). The only downside is that they invariably call for breads from Kayser's bakeries. While he suggests substitutions you might find locally, residents of Los Angeles, home to Kayser's BREADBAR, will certainly have a leg up. $23.07 at amazon.com.

The Spanish Spoon

Will Phaidon have as big a hit on its hands this year with 1080 Recipes as it did in 2005 with its English translation of The Silver Spoon, the so-called Italian The Joy of Cooking? First published more than 30 years ago by Simone and Ines Ortega, this enormous, best-selling collection of recipes (900 pages plus) is being billed as the "bible" of Spanish cuisine. I found copies of 1080 Recipes for sale at Anthropologie, but the book is also available for pre-order ($26.37) at amazon.com.

2007 James Beard Awards

The James Beard Foundation's book, restaurant, and chef awards were presented last night in a ceremony at Lincoln Center (the media awards event took place Sunday). The award for Cookbook of the Year went to Matt Lee and Ted Lee for The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook, Michel Richard received the Outstanding Chef Award, Chicago’s Frontera Grill was named Outstanding Restaurant of the Year, David Chang of New York's Momofuku Ssam Bar and Momofuku Noodle Bar was named Rising Star Chef of the Year, and Chanterelle's David Waltuck took the prize for the New York City category of the Best Chefs in America.

Below is a complete list of all the book, restaurant, and chef awards.

BOOK AWARDS

Cookbook of the Year
The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook
Matt Lee and Ted Lee

Cookbook Hall of Fame
Moosewood Cookbook
Mollie Katzen

Asian Cooking
Cradle of Flavor
James Oseland

Baking and Desserts
Baking: From My Home to Yours
Dorie Greenspan

Cooking from a Professional Point of View
Grand Livre de Cuisine: Alain Ducasse’s Desserts and Pastries
Alain Ducasse and Frédéric Robert

Entertaining and Special Occasions
The Big Book of Outdoor Cooking
and Entertaining
Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison

Food of the Americas
The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook
Matt Lee and Ted Lee

General
Tasty: Get Great Food on the Table Every Day
Roy Finamore

Healthy Focus
Whole Grains Every Day, Every Way
Lorna Sass

International
The Soul of a New Cuisine
Marcus Samuelsson

Reference
What to Eat
Marion Nestle

Single Subject
The Essence of Chocolate
John Scharffenberger and
Robert Steinberg

Wine and Spirits
Romancing the Vine
Alan Tardi

Writing on Food
The Omnivore’s Dilemma
Michael Pollan

Photography
Michael Mina
Photographer: Karl Petzke

RESTAURANT AND CHEF AWARDS

OUTSTANDING RESTAURATEUR AWARD
Thomas Keller
The French Laundry

OUTSTANDING CHEF AWARD
Michel Richard
Michel Richard Citronelle

OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT AWARD
Frontera Grill
Chef/Owners: Rick and Deann Bayless

BEST NEW RESTAURANT
L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon

RISING STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR
David Chang
Momofuku Noodle Bar

OUTSTANDING PASTRY CHEF AWARD
Michael Laskonis
Le Bernardin

OUTSTANDING WINE SERVICE AWARD
Michel Richard Citronelle
Wine Director: Mark Slater

OUTSTANDING WINE AND SPIRITS PROFESSIONAL AWARD
Paul Draper
Ridge Vineyards

OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD
Tru
Owners: Rick Tramonto, Gale Gand, and Richard Melman

BEST CHEFS IN AMERICA

BEST CHEF: GREAT LAKES
Grant Achatz
Alinea

BEST CHEF: MID-ATLANTIC
R. J. Cooper III                                     
Vidalia                                                   

Frank Ruta
Palena

BEST CHEF: MIDWEST
Celina Tio
The American Restaurant

BEST CHEF: NEW YORK CITY (FIVE BOROUGHS)
David Waltuck
Chanterelle

BEST CHEF: NORTHEAST
Frank McClelland
L’Espalier

BEST CHEF: NORTHWEST
John Sundstrom
Lark

BEST CHEF: PACIFIC
Traci Des Jardins
Jardinière

BEST CHEF: SOUTHEAST
Scott Peacock
Watershed

BEST CHEF: SOUTHWEST
Nobuo Fukuda
Sea Saw

CATEGORY: BEST CHEF: SOUTH
Donald Link
Herbsaint

AMERICA’S CLASSICS

Aunt Carrie’s
Owner: Elsie Foy

Brookville Hotel
Owners: Mark and Connie Martin

Doe’s Eat Place
Owners: The Signa Family

The Pickwick
Owner: Christopher Wisocki

Primanti Brothers
President: Demetrios Patrinos

Weaver D’s
Owner: Dexter Weaver

HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR
Art Smith

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Barbara Kafka

WHO’S WHO OF FOOD & BEVERAGE IN AMERICA
José Andrés
Jim Clendenen
Bobby Flay
Dorie Greenspan
Michael Pollan

Cuisine from a Can

A Twist of the Wrist, the latest book from master baker and chef Nancy Silverton, gets into Rachael Ray territory, promising 30-minute meals made with jarred, canned, boxed, and bagged ingredients. The book "green-lights prewashed salad, canned peas, jarred mayonnaise, boneless chicken breasts and more," says the New York Times. $17.97 at amazon.com.

Paris by Market

The Markets of Paris, a chunky pocket guide to Paris markets by Dixon and Ruthanne Long, authors of the Markets of Provence, contains details on more than 70 food markets, along with antique, craft, and flea market finds throughout the city. $11.53 at amazon.com.

Cochon Cookbook

Forget what we said earlier. Assuming you have savored the hearty menu at Montréal brasserie Au Pied de Cochon (as we have), this is the cookbook release of the season: chef Martin Picard has just published a brand new book entitled Au Pied de Cochon: The Album, a collection of 55 recipes, 50 illustrations, and more than 600 photos, plus a two-hour DVD. We haven't seen the real thing yet (just discovered it on eGullet, in fact), but we're told the cookbook has been printed in French and English versions and is available for $59.95 CAD by phone order at Bon Appetit Cookbooks, 388 Victoria Avenue, Westmount, QC H3Z 2N4 (514.369.2002).

Cochon Cookbook

Forget what we said earlier. Assuming you have savored the hearty menu at Montréal brasserie Au Pied de Cochon (as we have), this is the cookbook release of the season: chef Martin Picard has just published a brand new book entitled Au Pied de Cochon: The Album, a collection of 55 recipes, 50 illustrations, and more than 600 photos, plus a two-hour DVD. We haven't seen the real thing yet (just discovered it on eGullet, in fact), but we're told the cookbook has been printed in French and English versions and is available for $59.95 CAD by phone order at Bon Appetit Cookbooks, 388 Victoria Avenue, Westmount, QC H3Z 2N4 (514.369.2002).

2007 Michelin Ratings: Del Posto In, Nobu Out

The 2007 Michelin Guide ratings for New York City restaurants have been released (complete press release here).

Notably, Alain Ducasse and Nobu, among others, lost their stars, Danube dropped from two stars to one, and newcomer Del Posto received a pair of étoiles.

The list of all the starred restaurants, with annotations, after the jump.

***
Jean-Georges
Le Bernardin
Per Se

**
Bouley
Daniel
Del Posto new!
Masa

*
A Voce new!
Annisa
Aureole
Babbo
Cafe Boulud
Cafe Gray
Country Restaurant new!
Craft
Cru
Danube ↓ (** '06)
Dévi new!
Etats-Unis
Fiamma Osteria
Fleur de Sel
Gotham Bar and Grill
Gramercy Tavern
Jewel Bako
Kurumazushi new!
La Goulue
Lever House
Oceana
Perry Street new!
Peter Luger
Picholine
Saul
Spotted Pig
Sushi of Gari new!
The Modern
Veritas
Vong
Wallse
WD-50

Sans étoiles
Alain Ducasse ↓ (*** '06)
BLT Fish ↓ (* '06)
JoJo ↓ (* '06)
Lo Scalco ↓ (* '06)
March ↓ (* '06)
Nobu ↓ (* '06)
Scalini Fedeli ↓ (* '06)

Perfect Your Panini

Jason and Jennifer Denton, the founders of New York's 'ino and 'inoteca, have published what may just be the cookbook release of the year (well, at least for us paninologgers). Simple Italian Sandwiches contains instructions for making the couple's renowned bruschetti, panini, and tramezzini, along with recipes for aperitifs, antipasti, and salads. $14.93 at amazon.com.

Perfect Your Panini

Jason and Jennifer Denton, the founders of New York's 'ino and 'inoteca, have published what may just be the cookbook release of the year (well, at least for us paninologgers). Simple Italian Sandwiches contains instructions for making the couple's renowned bruschetti, panini, and tramezzini, along with recipes for aperitifs, antipasti, and salads. $14.93 at amazon.com.

Well Plated

If you’re the type of cook who’s overly generous with lending your personal library, consider inserting gastronomically-inspired bookplates into the front covers of your collection. These paper goods are attractive and theme-appropriate, and will give you a little piece of mind. Now your so-called friends won’t be able to easily abscond with your precious Marcella volume. $9.99 for a pack of 20 at Italian Papers & Gifts.

Well Plated

If you’re the type of cook who’s overly generous with lending your personal library, consider inserting gastronomically-inspired bookplates into the front covers of your collection. These paper goods are attractive and theme-appropriate, and will give you a little piece of mind. Now your so-called friends won’t be able to easily abscond with your precious Marcella volume. $9.99 for a pack of 20 at Italian Papers & Gifts.

Flipping for Food

Luckily for new parents, the field of board books written for foodies in-progress is becomming more crowded. One standout is Yum! (not to be confused with the also delightful Yummy Yucky). This entry in the Flip-a-Shape series teaches tots to recognize shapes while they build enthusiasm for fruits, veggies, and cheese. $8.95 at Amazon.

Flipping for Food

Luckily for new parents, the field of board books written for foodies in-progress is becomming more crowded. One standout is Yum! (not to be confused with the also delightful Yummy Yucky). This entry in the Flip-a-Shape series teaches tots to recognize shapes while they build enthusiasm for fruits, veggies, and cheese. $8.95 at Amazon.

Baby Be of Use

Food-inspired books for children abound, but Lisa Brown's "Baby Be of Use" series takes a subversive spin on the feel-good genre, typified by volumes like First Book of Sushi ("Ikura, squishy salmon roe like dabby dots of jelly, salty on my lips and yummy in my belly!"). With bright, bold artwork, Lisa Brown’s Baby, Make Me Breakfast and Baby, Make Me a Drink aren’t just collections of pretty pictures of food and clever rhymes. Instead, these books aspire -- with tongue firmly planted in cheek -- to teach the littlest gastronomes-in-training how to cook mommy breakfast and mix up a tray full of cocktails. Baby, Fix My Car and Baby, Do My Banking round out the series. $9.00 at The McSweeney's Store.

Baby Be of Use

Food-inspired books for children abound, but Lisa Brown's "Baby Be of Use" series takes a subversive spin on the feel-good genre, typified by volumes like First Book of Sushi ("Ikura, squishy salmon roe like dabby dots of jelly, salty on my lips and yummy in my belly!"). With bright, bold artwork, Lisa Brown’s Baby, Make Me Breakfast and Baby, Make Me a Drink aren’t just collections of pretty pictures of food and clever rhymes. Instead, these books aspire -- with tongue firmly planted in cheek -- to teach the littlest gastronomes-in-training how to cook mommy breakfast and mix up a tray full of cocktails. Baby, Fix My Car and Baby, Do My Banking round out the series. $9.00 at The McSweeney's Store.