dutchgrub, Author at dutchgrub

Vino di Pino Amsterdam

The other day I wrote about different kinds of Ripasso wines that I had found throughout Amsterdam.

I had found one of the better Ripasso at Vino di Pino on Haarlemmermeerstraat near Hoofddorpplein. It was a Monteré Ripasso. Full bodied, balanced and very good overall. But not cheap at € 23,- per bottle. It worked out because Vino di Pino had a special 3 for 2 opening deal in December.

I saw that readers of dutchgrub were particularly interested in Vino di Pino. So I stopped by them again.

Turns out that there will be a similar sale throughout January. Vino di Pino is offering 50% off every second bottle for the entire month.

They are specializing in Italian wines and have a good selection of it. They know their wines and are happy to explain and make recommendations. I also like that they are open until 20:00 from Monday to Saturday – rather unusual for Amsterdam.

I got a bottle of La Guardiense Aglianico and a bottle of Primitivo by Tenuta Viglione that I cannot wait to try.

And Ton Overmars, the best store in Amsterdam for wine, whisky and other liquor is just across the street on Hoofddorpplein. Ton has a great selection of wines and whiskys, top quality and offers great value for your money!

La Oliva Jordaan – Don’t Bother

I am often disappointed after visits to what has been described as a ‘leuk restaurantje’ – a nice little restaurant – that people found ‘gezellig’ – a cozy sort of fun. ‘Leuk’ and ‘gezellig’ are superficial and indiscriminate words – and often the restaurants are likewise, not worth a foodie’s time.

La Oliva, a new Pintxos y Vinos bar on Egelantiersstraat is like that. It’s beautifully designed and heavily frequented. The food is average and high priced and the service unfriendly, inattentive and ignorant.

La Oliva is located in the heart of the Jordaan in the space formerly occupied by organic food cafe De Vrije Vork. It’s one of those locations where no restaurant ever seems to survive for a long time…

We were out and about the Jordaan, checking out the contemporary galleries, having a great time deciphering the works of the Sauerkids at gallery KOCHXBOS. We wanted a glass of wine to warm up and relive the experience, remembered the new wine bar and decided to try it out.

It looks beautiful – a dark colored but fresh design very much centered around Mediterranean food. There are large shelves stocked with wine bottles, hams hanging from the ceiling, a glass counter top full of cheese and an enormous buffet of pintxos, Basque style tapas.

It was all downhill from there.

Upon entering, the waiter gestured us to sit at the bar next to the pintxos where there were was space for one and a half guests at best. We did manage to sit elsewhere but then it took forever and two unanswered requests to be handed a wine list. The wine list is limited, about 10 Spanish wines, half of them available by the glass. I quite like red wines from Priorat and saw one was available only by the bottle. When asking if they might be able to serve a glass I was silenced by a stern note that the menu clearly stated that it was by the glass only. We ordered two other red wines, which the waiter mixed up. When we pointed this out it turned out that he had no idea about wine at all.

The wines, a 2006 Bodegas Olivares Jumilla Panarroz and a Valdepeñas house wine were ok. We were quite enjoying ourselves until a large group entered La Oliva. They were regulars and personally greeted. And within minutes they claimed the table we and another couple were sitting at entirely, pushing us to the end with the help of the waiting staff who didn’t even bother asking if we minded moving.

La Oliva is ok for a drink and some people watching when you’re hanging out in the Jordaan. But don’t go out of your way for a visit and be prepared to look after yourself when ordering wine and food and to protect your space…

Pacherenc + Ripasso + Celeste = Gall & Gall Card

If there are two things I hate about food shopping in Amsterdam, it’s (a) Dutch super markets and (b) bonus cards.

For the non-locals: Dutch food shops are generally small, focused on low cost and much more concerned about the expiration date than the quality of food. And all of them offer some sort of bonus scheme that provides discounts in return for loyalty. ‘Spaart u zegels’, anyone?

I generally prefer the Turkish corner shop over Dutch darling supermarket Albert Heijn and my local liquor store over AH’s cousin Gall & Gall. I might pay a little more but the quality is much better and the service much friendlier and more knowledgeable.

Today, however, I bought seven bottles of wine at Gall & Gall and subscribed to their bonus card scheme! How did this happen?

Well. I went to the large Gall & Gall near the Dam to pick up a bottle of Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh. The same ‘Torus’ I bought a few months ago and enjoyed a lot. I did enjoy it enough to pick up three bottles instead of the intended one. On the way to check-out, a bottle of Masi Campofiorin caught my eye. Only two days ago I had posted about how much I love Ripasso wine and that I never had tried one from Masi, the vineyard that invented the Ripasso technique. So I definitely had to get two of those. And right next to it, perfectly placed, I spotted a Torus Madiran. A red wine made by Brumont who also produces the Pacherenc. So I also had to get two of those bottles.

Über-happy with my unexpected stash of seven bottles I finally made it to check-out. Fully prepared to decline the usual offer for a bonus card. The friendly customer service representative, however, explained to me that it would be rather foolish to decline. A Gall & Gall card, he continued, costs € 10,- and entitles me to a 10% discount on each purchase for the next 12 months. And with my current shopping basket, I would be almost even immediately.

I went for it.

Did I give in to the system?!?

Pacherenc + Ripasso + Celeste = Gall & Gall Card

If there are two things I hate about food shopping in Amsterdam, it’s (a) Dutch super markets and (b) bonus cards.

Today, however, I bought seven bottles of wine at Gall & Gall and subscribed to their bonus card scheme! How did this happen?

I went for it.

Did I give in to the system?!?

Complexities and Cost of Sous-Vide Cooking

Sous-Vide – or under vacuum – is the latest rage in cooking techniques. Sous-vide cooking involves sealing the ingredients in an airtight plastic bag and cooking them for extended amounts of time at temperatures well below boiling. The intention of sous-vide cooking is to preserve the flavors and aromas of the ingredients and to heat them up equally, e.g. to prepare meat that is perfectly medium-rare everywhere.

Michelin decorated chefs like Bocuse or Robichon have been using the technique for many years but it never entered private use because of complexity, high cost of equipment and safety concerns. Reading the excellent practical guide to sous vide cooking practically requires a science degree to successfully navigate the government pasteurization tables and decipher the mathematics of sous-vide. And in a recent Wired Magazine I read how former Microsoft CTO Nathan Myhrvold was spearheading efforts to make sous-vide accessible for hobby chefs.

Essentially sous-vide requires two pieces of equipment: a vacuum food sealer and some device for controlling temperature accurately over long periods of time. Vacuum food sealers are easy to find and have been used by private households for sealing and storing foods for a while. But finding a temperature regulator remains difficult.

Wired recommends an Auber temperature controller that looks more like laboratory equipment than cooking device. It has a thermometer to measure the temperature and switches electricity on and off to maintain constant temperature. You can use it with a rice cooker by plugging the cooker into the outlet of the controller. Alternatively, German control instrument manufacturer Julabo has a whole range of sous-vide equipment that might be usable in your kitchen but clearly looks aimed at the professional market. On kookforum.nl user Maurits on made a list of alternatives including slow-cookers and second hand lab equipment that leaves much to be desired.

It’s very tempting to try out sous-vide. But given the cost and complexity of the equipment, I will continue to rely on professionals to prepare sous-vide food for me for now!

Enjoying Ripasso in Amsterdam

Ripasso is one of my favorite wines and I have been enjoying plenty of it recently in Amsterdam.

Ripasso is an intense yet smooth red wine from Valpolicella, a well-known wine region in the Italian Veneto province.

Valpolicella wines are made from Corvina, Molinara, and Rondinella grapes. In general, the wines are considered light and fruity. The exception is the precious Amarone – Italian for ‘the big bitter’ – an expensive wine classic. Amarone can be found on many a wine list and is known for its extreme, almost raisiny dryness and big, often daunting body. Grapes are dried for several weeks before pressing to make Amarone wines. The drying process causes them to lose over 50% of their water, resulting in wines that are intense and rich in tannins.

Ripasso wines are made by an additional pressing – or re-passing – of fresh Valpolicella grapes over the pomace of dried grapes that were used to make Amarone. The re-passing causes an additional fermentation that gives Ripasso wines a lot more body and tannins than regular Valpolicellas without making them as dry or bitter as Amarone. If you’re like me and enjoy complex and flavorful wines that are not too dry, you will love Ripasso!

A good Ripasso will have a deep ruby color and a nose of raspberry and cherry that is incredibly persistent. Ripasso wine is full bodied with a warm, balanced, almost velvety taste. It’s great with red meat, poultry, cheese and, if you ask me, almost anything else.

Several shops in Amsterdam sell Ripasso and a number of restaurants have it on their wine list. My recent Ripasso cravings were quenched by the Montresor Capitel della Crosara, Tedeschi Capitel San Rocco, Tommasi, Tinnazi Ca de Rocchi Monteré and Salvalai Monile.

I found both the Tommasi and the Montresor at liquor store Ton Overmars on Hoofddorpplein. The Tommasi, the best of the selection in my opinion, goes for € 18. Well worth it for an incredibly smooth yet strong wine. And at € 9,- the Montresor is the best value Ripasso. Not quite as accomplished and balanced but still pleasant and harmonious. Ton also has a Tenuta Sant’ Antonio Ripasso Monti Garbi that he imports directly and sells for € 11.

Just around the corner on Haarlemmerstraat, newly opened Vino di Pino sold me a few bottles of Monteré Ripasso for € 23,- each. Expensive, since the Monteré does not have the quality of Tommasi. They did have a three-for-two deal for the opening of their shop, which made it good value after all. Mr Alaimo, the owner of Vino di Pino, also stocks the Masi Campofiorin Supervenetian, which claims to be the first Ripasso ever made when Amarone pomace was forgotten in a barrel…

The Salvalai is on the wine list of Vooges one of my favorite eetcafes, which is located on Utrechtsestraat. And finally Frenzi Cucina has the Tedeschi Ripasso in both their restaurant on Zwanenburgwal and for sale in their shop on Overtoom.