Many thanks to the 2 of you that submitted the recipes: Baked Tuna & Noodles and Green Onion Salad......We enjoyed them both!!

Mélusine: Well I have just arrived home and of course the first thing I did was to unscrew the bottle HAHAHAHAHA.....I had a taste...I will admit it is very nice but I do like them a bit sweeter.....BUT...I will drink it and really enjoy it :)

thank you so much and because I also bought 6 other bottles I got it $1.20 cheaper :)

as we say in Australia....."Cheers" as we click glasses :)

Bernice: Oh great !
I think you won't be disappointed. My mother likes red and rosé wines and doesn't drink white wine, except this one she likes. My companion never drinks white wine, except wines from Alsace and he likes this one, and it's the same for me, so...
And now, I feel like buying some....

Mélusine: I have rang our supplier and they have it in stock, so I am going tomorrow (Friday) to buy a bottle and will try it....will let you know :)

http://danmurphys.com.au/product/DM_901745/dopff-au-moulin-gewurztraminer

Bernice: Certainly. I don't see another explanation.

Mélusine: popularity? if we like them we put the priceup? **shrugs**

Bernice: In fact, it's odd : with some wines, the price is rather similar, on others, there's a big difference. I don't know why. This intrigues me.

Mélusine: and the prices LOL.....

Bernice: You're welcome.
It was interesting for me to see what you could buy in your country.

Mélusine: oh WOW....you certainly have gone to a lot of trouble...I most certainly will buy one or two of them and let you know what I think :)

They are real big shop for buying wines and spirits and beer...they are all over Australia I think.

Again thank you so much for taking the trouble to check all that out and I WILL let you know :)

Bernice: No, you can drink french wines with a correct price. You know, me, in France, I don't drink too much expensive wines and they are very good.

I promised you to give you my selection. That's done.
I've looked at all the french wines and I've choosen good wines with correct prices (the prices I ususally pay), so I've eliminated the prices over 100 $.
Anyway, when you pay these prices, you always drink a good wine !

RED : 6,65 $ http://danmurphys.com.au/product/DM_916014/paul-mas-cabernet-sauvignon
Wine from the South West of France, not very well known, because it's not an AOC but I've already drunk it and it's good.
You can be sure about the origin France because the area of the production is mentioned, see on the label : it's written : " indication géographique protégée " " pays d'oc " (it's the old french name).
The taste : aroma with soft fruits (strawberry, cherry), rather sweet (like the wines from the South of France).
Very good quality with regard to the price.

WHITE : 9,49 $ http://danmurphys.com.au/product/DM_915183/pavillon-le-brie-monbazillac
Wine from the South West of France. I've already drunk it. Very good but too much sweet for me ! It's an AOC. Very good quality with regard to the price.
The taste : aroma with honey, peach.

WHITE : 16,95 $ http://danmurphys.com.au/product/DM_901745/dopff-au-moulin-gewurztraminer
Wine from Alsace, in the North East of France. It's an AOC.
Wine very very sweet (because the grape harvest is very late, so the fruit gets more sugar) and mellow.
You drink it very easily (too easily ! ) and it's very alcoholic, so ..... pay attention ! -->
The taste : the rose, the litchi.
I'm not fond of white wines but I must admit that this one is absolutely delicious. It's my favourite.

WHITE : 28,50 $ http://danmurphys.com.au/product/DM_917007/ch-teau-bastor-lamontagne-sauternes-2005
Wine from the South West of France. It's an AOC, it's written on the label : " appellation sauternes controlée ".
This wine is sweet but more dry than the 2 previous ones.
The taste : boxwood, blackcurrant, citrus fruits.
You'll drink a Gewurztraminer with a dessert but this one with a starter.

WHITE SPARKLING : 16,15 $ http://danmurphys.com.au/product/DM_904451/dopff-au-moulin-cuv-e-julien-cremant-d-alsace
The taste is close to the taste of Champagne.
No comment : I prefer to pay more and drink Champagne. I hate these wines (sorry !).

CHAMPAGNE : 36,90 $ http://danmurphys.com.au/product/DM_383979/champagne-duperrey-brut-ros
This Champagne is rather sweet but too expensive for me, if we look at the quality.
It's a " brut " which means " dry ".
I think that the price is high because it's a rosé.
French people don't drink many rosés (they prefer white Champagne) so it's more expensive.

CHAMPAGNE : 21,90 $ http://danmurphys.com.au/product/DM_70561/mo-t-chandon-brut-imp-rial-200ml
Even if the price of this Champagne is lower than the other one, you're sure not to make a mistake with a Moët & Chandon. Always good !

CHAMPAGNE : 37,99 $ http://danmurphys.com.au/product/DM_3100/mo-t-chandon-brut-imp-rial-375ml
No comment except one : the best of the best, with this last one :

CHAMPAGNE : 41,79 $ http://danmurphys.com.au/product/DM_907473/veuve-clicquot-yellow-label-brut-375ml
Here's my favorite but " brut " on the label means dry, less sweet. I drink it medium dry but I've not seen it like that in the shop.

About the ROSES : On the shop, there are good ones, but they aren't sweet, and you said that you prefer sweet, so I chose none in my selection.
This shop is interesting, I think that there's a large variety.
Only one bad thing : they sell Champagne on only 1 category : " brut " (dry) ; we don't find medium dry and soft ones. What a pity.

I hope that you'll drink one of these wines. Tell me if you do and give me your advice.

Y I K E S..........I think I will be like Butch and just dream of having a real french wine LOL....thanks anyway for the offer.

Bwild: I think it could be something that we rarely eat, as wild boar or pheasant. Many owners of wine castles, in my region, do hunting and they show their products during these days when they go hunting (hunting some wild boar essentially).

Mélusine: my thoughts exactly when I saw the 1200.00 price tag at Bernices spirit shoppe!
it'd be spagettios! lol

what meal would contend with a wine of that caliber?

Bwild: Oh yes, me also ! After buying this wine, you don't have money anymore so as to buy the food which goes with the wine.

Mélusine: lol...cheapest I found was 390.00 usd in chicago. a bit extravagant for my budget! lol

Bwild: Very good choice ! If you buy one, think to invite me for the meal !

Bernice: I've looked at it. There's a large choice of wines, but the prices are ..... (too much high for me !).
Example with the bottle that Bwild suggested : Château Cheval Blanc Saint-Émilion 1985
Here's your price : 349,99 $ see
and here's the price in France : about 105 Euros (= 136 $) see and it's on the net (less expensive in a wine cellar).
I look at them more and I give you my selection.
Here, I drink fine wines but I go to buy it in little castles and there are very good wines, less known, so the prices are lower.

Bernice: well...you can send me a couple bottles of Château Cheval Blanc Saint-Émilion 1985 !!

Mélusine: I like white, rose and very sweet.

:)here is the largest grog shops in my area...they sell everything....have a look at the wines.

http://danmurphys.com.au/dm/home.jsp

Bernice: Oh, I didn't think that foreign people would be interested in drinking french wine !
Well, I hadn't thought to the taxs. I've looked at the conditions : it seems that if I give a invoice justifying that I've paid the TVA (a french tax that we have in our country), the addressee pays nothing else, but it's different depending on the country, and in some countries, it's forbidden to send wine. The problem is that, since a long time, I've very old and very good bottles in my cellar and I've no more bills for them. Anyway, if I buy wine here, the price will always cheaper than if you buy the same in your country. In the next days, I'm going to get more information at the post office.
It's difficult to give you names of wine : l'INAO (Institut National des Appellations d'Origine - is the French organization charged with regulating French agricultural products with Protected Designations of Origin, controlled by the Ministry of Agriculture) lists 3420 different wines in France.
Tell me before what kind of wine you like to drink : white, rosé, red ? and : do you like it : wooded, fruity, dry, strong ? Or else, do you want a list about the well knowned french wines ?

Bwild: and Melusine: me too....would love to pay postage and get the real stuff LOL...Give me names of Vino so I can check I can't buy it here and if I have to pay excise duty>

Bernice: that sounds good.
I cheat...try using bread and butter pickle brine mix.
I use that when canning hot hungarian wax peppers. stuffing sterilized pint jars 4/5 full with peppers cut to 3/4 inch chunks..then pouring boiling hot brine to the top. top quickly with cap and ring,then flip them upsidedown on a clean towel for 30 minutes. then flip back over, and as they cool,you'll hear the caps pop as they seal.
refrigerate before eating ...crisp...sweet...then hot. killer. lol

Mélusine: sounds great! I'll be in touch.

Try this....I have never done them but it is out of a very old recipe book...

Sweet-Pickled Green Beans
1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium red bell (sweet) pepper, seeded and chopped
3 teaspoons pickling spice
3 teaspoons black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove, crushed
4 cups white wine vinegar
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 sprigs of dill
Wash and cut green beans to 3-inch lengths.
Place green beans in a steamer over boiling water, cover, and cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately plunge beans into a large bowl or pan of ice water. Drain well.
Create a bouquet garni* with the pickling spice, peppercorns, sugar, bay leaf and garlic. Place in a large saucepan along with the vinegar and sugar. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat, reduce to low heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow seasoned vinegar to cool to room temperature. Remove bouquet garni.
Pack the beans upright into four hot, sterilized pint jars. Combine the chopped onion and bell pepper together and spoon atop the green beans. Add 2 sprigs of dill to each jar, and pour over the seasoned vinegar mixture over the vegetables to cover.
Seal jars with sterilized lids and rings and store in a cool dark place for at least 2 weeks, to allow flavors to develop.
Makes 4 pints.

Does anyone have a recipe for Sweet Pickled Green Beans ?

puupia: Yes, you're totally right. I spoke about Champagne because it was in the text UE had posted. But, in my post, I also spoke about " AOC " which is the term (in France) for the protected goods and my map shows all the names of wines from France with AOC : you speak about " Cognac " and you will see that this brandy is on the map, on the South West, in color green " Eaux de vie " (brandy).
In France, there are many protected goods, specially for food : cheese, meat, chicken, beef, culinary specialities, drinks, cakes, ham, etc....
I had already heard that Kobe beef was a very protected label. I've read this interesting text.

Bwild: For me, with chicken, we rather drink a rosé : my favorite is " Côtes de Provence " (in the South East - see on the map : http://www.mywineandcellar.com/Carte_vins_France.html) but a wine from Anjou (in the middle West) is the best choice.
With chicken, we drink a rosé or else a very light red wine. This is a classic answer.

But, in reality, it's not so easy to choose a wine.
You have, first, to consider what different wines will be drunk during the meal and you have to respect a logical order : the light wines first ; more you go forward in the meal, more the wines will be strong. It's inconceivable, for example, to drink 1st a thick red wine and 2nd a light rosé !! (we do like that in France but perhaps it's different in other countries ; I only speak about MY experience).
Then, I would allude to what Bernice said " it doesn't really matter what color wine...it is the taste that compliments the meal " . I mean that in a meal, there's not only one element - the wine - but it's a whole. We have to consider what we will eat. I give you an example with only one meat : chicken.
If you eat some chicken grilled, it's obvious that a red wine is better. But if you cook your chicken with crawfishes and lemon, inevitably, you'll drink a bottle of white wine (white wine with fishes and shellfishs).
Last, as it is a question of taste, you'll choose (of course) a wine that you like. For example, me, I rarely drink white wines because they aren't my favourite and I prefer wines more dried, less sweet. In the same way of doing, someone who lives in a region with wines, as me, will often choose a wine from this region if he eats a culinary speciality from this region : example : in the South West of France, we eat a speciality : " poulet basquaise " (chicken with tomatoes, sweet peppers, oil of olive, ....) , so we naturally drink with a wine from the region South West as a " Bergerac " rosé, or a " Côte de Duras " red.

To finish : ..... it doesn't matter at all !!!! specially for a wine lover as me !!!

ps : if you're ready to pay the postage and the packaging, I offer you and send you a bottle of french wine (white or rosé or red or Champagne). (and because you are a friend).

Mélusine: It not just about Champagne, there are lots of other protected goods like Cognac, Kalamata olives or Gorgonzola cheese to name a few. European Union does a pretty good job on protecting the rights of these labels. But i would guess that in the US very small percentage of "Parmegiano" sold is actually real Parmegiano cheese.

Here is a great article (or actually series of articles) about Kobe beef (and little bit about other protected labels also): http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2012/04/12/foods-biggest-scam-the-great-kobe-beef-lie/

According to that article it is not even possible to import Kobe beef to US legally. And still restaurants all around US have Kobe on their menus. I say its outragous!

Universal Eyes: wouldn't it have been easier to just post the link...
http://www.chefsworld.net/news_details.asp?NewsID=fllV

Bwild: they say that these days it doesn't really matter what color wine...it is the taste that compliments the meal not the color :)

Mélusine: I'm not a big champagne (as its marketed in the USA) drinker. I'm more of a California Merlot drinker,though I am always on the lookout for a French bottle from near you,to try!

Just curious..red with beef
..white with chicken?
or (like me) it doesnt matter?

Bwild: I'm totally sure about what I said. Here, in France, there's a little " war " between winegrowers, specially in some regions as Champagne, Beaujolais, and Bordelais (region around Bordeaux where I live). You must know that the AOC covers a specific area, and, in some regions as mine, some winegrowers can't get the AOC although their vineyard is just beside (only 2 or 3 feet !!) another one with the AOC. The difference of taste is obvious for a expert, but not for a beginner. Even me, sometimes, I've difficulties to recognize the exact origin of a wine in a same area.
In France, your wine is named : " Vin de Californie " (Wine of California). I've already drinked some, and I really appreciated it and you must know that I'm very demanding with wine (I've a cellar with about between 50 and 100 different wines). Your wine from Californie is more sweet than our Champagne, but it's very nice. I'd say that this wine is more light in the taste.
You also must know that our Champagne is classified in 3 categories : " brut ", " sec " and " demi-sec " and your wine is so different that it can't be in none of these categories. In France, we would say that your wine is a " mousseux " (I could translate by : " sparkling wine ").
Many people speak about Champagne but, in reality, a lot of them have never drunk a real Champagne from this region. I'm sure that if I did a test with you : to drink some Champagne and another wine in 2 different glasses without name on the glasses, you would see a big difference.
Many people, too, don't know that a Champagne must be drunk in the 2 years following the bottling. After this period, the wine isn't " perfect ", the taste is different and the color of the wine becomes a little rose (difficult to see it with the eye) ; I did the test and I've kept a bottle of Champagne since 10 years and the wine is dark rose. It's funny : when I show the bottle to someone (and hide the name) everybody wonders what it is.
And about what was said before, I've a doubt about a Moët & Chandon and a Veuve Clicquot to 40 $ !!! Here, I don't often drink these ones : these are luxury champagnes, always sold in a casket so the prize is at least the double !
There's something shocking : here, in my region (Bordeaux) some people sell some french wine without AOC to foreign countries, and they say to foreigners that their wine is a very great wine from Bordeaux. They use the name of Bordeaux to as to raise the prize. I give you an example : where I live, a wine with AOC costs about between 20 to 25 Euros the bottle the 2nd year (then the prize raises very rapidly so here, we always buy it the 2nd year) and a wine without AOC is about 5 Euros the bottle. Well, you see people selling the bottles without AOC in other countries to around 30 to 40 Euros the bottle !!!! For me, It's shocking !!!

isnt that "Accent" or maybe "mrs.Dash"
the packaged brown gravy mix,like McKormick has a lot of msg. its an excellent meat tenderizer.

Mélusine: That is interesting very interesting

Mélusine: not sure if your aware..but non means not.

Mélusine: so California has no real champagne?

Universal Eyes: About what you said, there's something I'd like clarify :
You wrote : " in Alsace, Lucien Albrecht makes a rosé bubbly for about $19 that's the best non-Champagne pink sparkler we've had in some time ".
This is a nonsense.
Why ? Because, in France , fine wines have (it's an obligation) an " AOC " (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) which I could translate (I think) as : Controlled Origin Label. This AOC has the name of the region from where the wine is native, it's a guarantee. This AOC corresponds with very specific criterions : place, taste, color, thickness....etc of the wine.
So, when you say : " a non-champagne ", it's impossible : or else the wine is from the region Champagne, and the name of the wine is Champagne, or else it's not and, in this case, we can't use the name " Champagne " (forbidden with the law) ; there's no " non-champagne " ! It's Champagne or not.
Besides, a wine from Alsace can't absolutely be a Champagne, because these 2 regions aren't in the same place so the criterions of these wines are totally different !!!! See, this map from France which shows the location of the different french wines, and you'll see that the region Champagne is far from the region Alsace (on the top, on the right) : http://www.mywineandcellar.com/Carte_vins_France.html

Many people often name bubbly wines as " Champagne ". It's totally incorrect. The Champagne has a special taste and the process for the manufacture is totally different from the other wines (rosés, for example) : the barrels aren't made with oak, they ferment during a different length, the grape harvests aren't at the same period, etc....
Sorry to contradict you, but it's just as to clarify. I live in a region with wine (Bordelais) so I'm very sensitive about this subject. I think it can be interesting for people to learn more about this.

Universal Eyes: I've always used a bit of rubbed sage in my homemade chicken noodle soup...and considered it a "savory" flavor.

I always thought that was cajun for "your mother" lol

Americans are taught from an early age that there are four basic tastes -- sweet, salty, sour and bitter. But what describes the taste of chicken soup?

To an increasing number of chefs and food-industry insiders, the answer is "umami," dubbed "the fifth taste." First identified by a Japanese scientist a century ago, umami has long been an obscure culinary concept. Hard to describe, it is usually defined as a meaty, savory, satisfying taste.

But now, in the wake of breakthroughs in food science -- and amid a burst of competition between ingredient makers to create new food flavorings -- umami is going mainstream. Chefs including Jean-Georges Vongerichten are offering what they call "umami bombs," dishes that pile on ingredients naturally rich in umami for an explosive taste. Packaged-food companies such as Nestlé, Frito-Lay and Campbell's Soup are trying to ramp up the umami taste in foods like low-sodium soup to make them taste better, while the nation's mushroom farmers are advertising their produce to chefs as an ideal way to get the umami taste.

The food industry is embracing umami as part of an effort to deliver highly flavored foods to consumers while also cutting back on fat, salt, sugar and artificial ingredients. At the same time, more consumers are scrutinizing food labels for chemical-sounding words and unhealthy ingredients.

To understand the taste of umami, imagine a perfectly dressed Caesar salad, redolent of Parmesan cheese, minced anchovies and Worcestershire sauce; or slurping chicken soup; or biting into a slice of pepperoni-and-mushroom pizza. The savory taste of these foods, and the full, tongue-coating sensation they provide, is umami.

While umami is a relatively new concept in this country, it has been well known in parts of Asia for nearly 100 years. It was identified in the early 20th century by Kikunae Ikeda, a Japanese scientist who coined the name umami (pronounced "oo-MA-mee") using the Japanese term for "deliciousness." He found that foods with the umami taste have a high level of glutamate, an amino acid and a building block of protein. Mr. Ikeda developed and patented a method of making monosodium glutamate, or MSG, a processed additive that adds umami taste to food, much as sugar makes things taste sweet.

MSG, which was first manufactured by the company Ajinomoto in 1909, is made through a complex process that involves fermenting corn glucose and other raw materials. Today, an estimated 95,000 metric tons of MSG are sold in North America each year, according to Ajinomoto. It appears in everything from some McDonald's sausage and chicken meals to supermarket items like Campbell's soup, Doritos chips and Kraft macaroni and cheese.
Umami Boosters

See 10 ingredients chefs are turning to to ramp up the umami taste.

Plus, listen to tips on trying umami at home.

What MSG has going for it is that it is a readily available, inexpensive, intensely umami ingredient with no off-flavors -- just as sugar is a classic expression of sweet and salt is perfectly salty. (Other ingredients also add umami, including yeast extracts, but these can add flavors some product developers don't want.) In many parts of Asia, it is as common to add a dash of MSG to dishes as it is for cooks here to toss in a little salt or sugar. But in the U.S., MSG has developed a bad reputation as a suspicious additive that many consumers believe gives them allergies or headaches.

In fact, many studies have found that MSG doesn't cause ill effects. "I don't see normal amounts of MSG as posing a risk to the vast majority of people," says Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a Washington food-safety advocacy group.

For years, Western chefs and food scientists debated whether umami was a true taste, as fundamental to the sensory system as sweet or sour. That changed in 2000 when scientists at the University of Miami published a study -- partly funded by Ajinomoto -- identifying receptors on the tongue with no purpose other than to recognize the presence of glutamate. Subsequent studies, some funded by the ingredient industry and others without industry funding, identified other umami receptors.

While there is debate about which study is correct, scientists now widely believe that the body was designed to recognize glutamate, says Gary Beauchamp, director of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, a sensory research institute that also receives some Ajinomoto funding. Just as we crave sweets as a spur to seek out carbohydrates, we are also geared to enjoy glutamate so that we will eat proteins, he says.
[Umami photo]

Jean-Georges Vongerichten's 'umami bomb' of Parmesan custard and white truffles.

A Monell study found that babies will eat more soup if it has small doses of glutamate. (When my 17-month-old son had a recent bout of pneumonia and lost his appetite, a grating of Parmesan, one of the foods highest in glutamate in the Western diet, helped entice him to eat noodles, rice and lentils.)

Umami's acceptance as the fifth taste has spurred everyone from high-end chefs to packaged-food makers to find ways of delivering the taste to foods. Because MSG's negative connotation has persisted in the West, that often means finding MSG substitutes. Mr. Vongerichten creates intense umami-tasting dishes, which he dubs umami "bombs," at his various restaurants. "The ultimate umami dish is expensive," he says, citing a $185 Parmesan custard with white truffles at his New York restaurant Jean Georges. His less pricey umami bombs include a $12 lunch dish of black bread with sea urchin.

Hiro Sone, chef and co-owner of Ame, a new-American restaurant in San Francisco, touts his "umami soy sauce," enhanced with kombu, a type of seaweed, and bonito flakes, which are pieces of dried fish. When added to cuttlefish and sea urchin, the umami sauce is "like an MSG bomb," Mr. Sone says, but without any MSG.

Interest in umami is driving new research and development among companies that create and manufacture flavorings for the processed-food industry. These can range from natural ingredients to artificial flavors that essentially are to MSG what saccharine and aspartame are to sugar. Senomyx, an ingredient-making company in San Diego that went public in 2004, has developed an artificial taste bud, complete with umami receptors, in its lab. The company uses it to test reactions to thousands of ingredients.

So far, Senomyx has identified four new umami ingredients that can often be used in small enough amounts to be listed on a food label simply as "artificial flavors." This is a boon to food companies because it eliminates the need to add an unfamiliar, chemical-sounding word to an ingredient list.

Nestlé is using one of the Senomyx umami ingredients in bouillon cubes in the Caribbean, instant noodle dishes in Brazil and powdered seasoning in parts of Central America, all under the company's Maggi brand.

When Campbell's recently reformulated its soups to lower the sodium content, part of the focus was on "including ingredients that would provide umami-type characteristics," says George Dowdie, Campbell's senior vice president of global research and development and quality. Mr. Dowdie wouldn't reveal which ingredients did the trick but says it was a combination of natural foods -- things like cheese, mushrooms and tomatoes -- and proprietary flavorings from flavor companies. He adds that the company is hoping to learn more about umami through a research deal it has made with Senomyx.

In mid-July, Frito-Lay, a unit of PepsiCo, hired its first executive chef, Stephen Kalil. Mr. Kalil says he is experimenting with umami ingredients from Latin and Asian cultures -- like cheese powder, anchovy powder, fermented soybean products and mushroom powder -- to create new flavors for brands including Lay's and Flat Earth vegetable and fruit crisps. The company has no plans to replace the MSG in certain products, however. "If we were to change the flavor of Doritos, for our 18-to-24-year-old male consumer there would probably be a riot," says Mike Zbuchalski, vice president of culinary innovation for Frito-Lay North America.

Dairy Management Inc., a trade group for the dairy industry, recently funded research into what compounds cause the umami taste in Swiss and cheddar cheese, in the hope of learning how to give cheese umami taste more consistently and quickly.

The Mushroom Council, a trade group for the mushroom industry, has distributed a report to restaurants about how mushrooms contribute to umami. Titled "Umami: If You've Got It, Flaunt It," it offers instructions in "building the U-bomb," by sautéing mushrooms and adding them to grilled steak.

Some of the biggest promoters of the idea that there are umami-rich alternatives to MSG in many foods we eat are MSG makers themselves. A consortium of MSG manufacturers, led by Ajinomoto, sponsors the Tokyo-based Umami Manufacturers Association. The group hosts conferences about umami and publishes a Web site in English featuring MSG-free umami recipes.

"We are hoping that eventually people will become familiar with why this flavor enhancer is in our food -- well, because it's giving my food the taste that I like," says Kitty Broihier, a consultant for Ajinomoto Food Ingredients, a Chicago-based subsidiary of Ajinomoto. By emphasizing that the glutamate in food is the same as the glutamate in MSG, makers hope to make people think of MSG as a more natural ingredient.

For home cooks, umami can open up an entire pantry of ingredients. Just as a few shakes of salt can improve a dish, a correctly applied dash of cheese, wine or even ketchup can pump up the umami, without overwhelming the dish with the flavor of the added ingredient. Cooks skilled in umami can reduce the fat and salt content of foods without sacrificing flavor. There are several ways to boost the umami taste in a meal (see the accompanying graphic for umami tricks used by top chefs). One is to add ingredients rich in glutamate, such as Parmesan (even a rind tossed into the soup pot deepens flavor) or other types of aged cheese; soy sauce; tomato products such as juice, paste or ketchup; and fish-based sauces (like Worcestershire and Thai fish sauce). Another is to use foods high in certain nucleotides, another compound that contributes to the umami taste. These include many kinds of seafood, mushrooms and meat, especially veal and stocks made from bones.

For a more powerful effect, cooks can combine foods from those two categories. For reasons scientists don't entirely understand, when glutamate is combined with certain nucleotides, the umami effect is magnified.

Finally, cooks can build umami flavor through technique. In general, any process that breaks down protein, including drying, aging, curing and slow cooking, increases umami. This is because glutamate, normally bound up in proteins, is released into a form the tongue can perceive as umami when proteins are broken down, says Chris Loss, a senior culinary scientist at the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena, Calif.
Gary Danko's Tomato Soup

Roasting tomatoes increases their umami taste. In this recipe from Gary Danko, chef at San Francisco's Restaurant Gary Danko, the addition of tomato paste, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce (based partially on umami-rich anchovies), soy sauce and grated Parmesan pumps up the rich, savory taste. When using canned tomatoes, Mr. Danko prefers to use whole tomatoes in purée, imported from Italy. However, canned whole tomatoes in juice will work as well.
[Tomato soup photo]

Yield: Serves 6 (about 8 cups)
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 55 minutes total

2 pounds plum Roma tomatoes or 3 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes
6 garlic cloves smashed and peeled
3 small yellow onions (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
2 teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 stalk celery or ½ fennel bulb (about 4 ounces), cut into ¼-inch dice
¼ cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
¼ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2-3 cups chicken broth, vegetable stock or water
4-6 large fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 fresh mint leaves, chopped
¼ cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Pairings
[john and dottie]

Wall Street Journal wine columnists Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher suggest wine pairings for this meal.

With the tomato soup, Chef Danko suggests dry rosé Champagne and we're so pleased to hear someone recommending bubbly with meals. Too often, people think of sparkling wine simply as a celebratory beverage to drink on its own, but bubblies are often great with food. Chef Danko particularly likes Dom Ruinart rosé Champagne (about $68). We'd also suggest rosé Champagne from Louis Roederer, Moët & Chandon, Camille Savès, Gosset, Taittinger, Veuve Clicquot and Henriot. Those will all cost around $40 to $70. Fortunately, the world is awash in good rosé sparklers at thriftier prices. Cristalino, which is a Cava from Spain, makes a delightful rosé sparkler for around $8 and, in Alsace, Lucien Albrecht makes a rosé bubbly for about $19 that's the best non-Champagne pink sparkler we've had in some time. You can contact us at wine@wsj.com.

* Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
* If using fresh tomatoes, wash, dry and core them. If using canned tomatoes, drain tomatoes, reserving the purée or juice. Halve the tomatoes lengthwise.
* Divide tomatoes between 2 shallow baking pans, arranging them cut-side down in a single layer without crowding. Sprinkle the garlic, onions, salt and thyme over the tomatoes and drizzle with oil.
* Roast until tomatoes are slightly browned and tender, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly.
* Put the celery or fennel, tomato paste, ketchup, Worcestershire, Tabasco and soy sauce in a blender. Add some of the roasted tomato mixture and stock and blend until smooth. Strain through a medium strainer into a pot, pressing the solids with the bottom of a ladle or a rubber spatula to remove the seeds and small skin particles. Working in small batches, continue to purée and strain the remaining tomato mixture, the reserved purée or juices from the can and the remaining stock into the pot, using 2 cups of liquid total.
* Bring soup to a slow simmer over medium-high heat, stirring to combine, about 10 minutes. Thin with additional stock if necessary. Correct salt as needed.
* Serve in bowls with a sprinkle of basil, mint and cheese.

Jody Adams's Balsamic-Marinated Chicken Stuffed With Green Olives (a.k.a. Roxanne's Roast Chicken)

Chef Jody Adams has served a duck dish using the same marinade and technique at Rialto in Boston for about 20 years, she says. Five years ago, while attending a culinary lecture about umami, she realized why this dish is a customer favorite: The soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, olives and poultry are all rich in umami compounds. A long marinade and slow roasting magnifies those flavors.
[roast chicken]

Yield: Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes (plus the time to bring chicken to room temp.)
Cooking time: about 1 ½ hours (mostly inactive aside from turning the chicken)
Resting time: 10 minutes

½ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup Dijon mustard
1 ½ teaspoons mustard seeds
1 ½ teaspoons dried rosemary
1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
½ small white onion, chopped into ¼ inch dice
1 (4-pound) roasting chicken
12 large pitted Sicilian green olives

* Mix the vinegar, soy sauce, mustard, mustard seeds, rosemary, pepper and onion together in a bowl large enough to hold the chicken, and set aside.
* Remove the package from the cavity of the chicken; reserve for another use or discard it. Taking care to work directly over a sink, and not spray chicken juices around the kitchen, rinse the chicken inside and out and then dry thoroughly with paper towels. Roll the chicken all around in the marinade, making sure plenty of marinade flows inside the cavity. Cover and marinate 8 hours to overnight in the fridge. Alternatively, put the chicken into a large resealable plastic bag, pour the marinade over the chicken and into the cavity, seal, and refrigerate.
* Prior to cooking, bring the chicken to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
* Remove the chicken from the marinade, allowing any that clings to the chicken to remain. Save the marinade in the bowl. Put the olives in the cavity of the chicken. Set the chicken, breast side down, on a non-stick rack, or a rack sprayed with cooking oil, in a roasting pan. Add ½ inch water to the roasting pan to prevent the juices from burning. Roast for 50 minutes. Flip the bird, taking care not to lose the olives; pour the reserved marinade over the bird; tuck the wingtips underneath and continue roasting for 40 minutes or until the chicken is done. If the skin begins to get too brown, tent the breast with a piece of foil and continue roasting until the bird is done. The chicken is done when the leg bones have a little play in the socket when you try to wiggle them. A thermometer inserted into the thicket part of the thigh should read 170 degrees.
* Transfer the chicken to a cutting board or serving platter and let the chicken rest 10 minutes before carving.

Pkt Japanese noodles - cooked as per packet
into bowl grate rind from 2 lemons, add strained noodles, and juice of 2 lemons. Add 2 tablespoons rinsed capers, salt and grated black pepper. Scoop flesh from 2or 3 tomatoes and cut flesh into small dices - add to noodles, then add the flesh of crab. Fresh crab is best as I have made this with tinned and it really hasn't got the flavour. Last of all add 1/2 cup lemon juice with 1/4 cup virgin olive oil and stir well - serve and sprinkle parsley over......Y U M M Y

rod03801: thanks

Bwild:

Food fight!!!

rod03801:

Welcome to Bwild and NascarFan814 as new mods of this board!

satinjade:lol...ok

Bwild: Mix the Cherrt Pie filling in the batter.