VittlesVamp

North Fork Vines

Had a great conversation with Richard Olsen-Harbich, the winemaker at Bedell Cellars. The chat was recorded for posterity on New Books Network, where I invited Olsen-Harbich to talk about his book Sun, Sea, Soil, Wine: Winemaking on the North Fork of Long Island and delve into the environmental elements that make the North Fork an idyllic location for great winemaking. He also provided expert insights into the impact of climate change, the natural wine trend, and the genetically modified plant debate. I also asked him for his views on restaurant wine programs, books for aspiring winemakers, and the best wineries to visit in the region.

Take a listen here.

Now, admittedly I have yet to be fully enamored by North Fork wines, but now I am tempted to break out a bottle or two and see if I can fall in love with local vines. I am up for the tasting!

Eat Your Vegetables

I was shocked. This dessert before you? Celery Root Ice Cream. Yes. Celery root. Served with celery glacé, coffee oil and preserved cherries.

A gorgeous finale to a dinner by Chef Nick Tamburo, which I had a while back at Fulgurances in Brooklyn. I am still thinking about it. Not only because it was so delicious, but because it made me question myself.

Have I been sleeping on vegetables for dessert?

Yes, there is Carrot Cake. I have had the Indian pudding known as Carrot Halwa and a Carrot Halwa Ice Cream as well. Rhubarb is also categorized as a vegetable. Goodness knows it gets strong play in many a sweet.

And, now that I think about it, there was Otto, the Berlin restaurant where I had the most glorious, sweet beets -- prepared in such a way that I thought they could pass for dessert. I am happy to say that I will have the chance to enjoy them again on this side of the Atlantic. Heading shortly to Ft. Greene, where they are having a pop-up residency. Let me see if those beets still give me a dessert vibe.

Any which way, clearly I need to stop discriminating down the produce aisle. Why should a red bell pepper be relegated to a savory dish? Could a Sweet Red Pepper Sorbet be in my future?

Not so sure about spinach, asparagus or eggplants, but I am game to be proven wrong.