Musings from Cafe Drake

Much is written on this site about wine, reflecting our oenophilia and amateur practice thereof, but the current rise of snobbery surrounding the subject matter is distressing. This haughty attitude is best exemplified by the increasing number of restaurant wine lists geared almost exclusively to pricey bottles. Exacerbating the dilemma are untrained servers with recommendations exclusive of the $15-$30 price range. Good to great wine can be had for reasonable sums; Wine Spectator proves this week after week with their email subscription service, choosing to highlight inexpensive selections. Visit their website (link in right-hand column of this page) for many useful tips.

Antioxidant properties aside, pomegranate are just plain tasty and festive when incorporated into meals or cocktails. Now that the juice is available virtually everywhere, try making a pomegranate syrup by boiling 4 cups of unsweetened juice down to roughly 2 1/3 cups. Let it sit till cool, bottle and keep in the refrigerator indefinitely. Swirl atop spinach or broccoli soup, drizzle over slices of meatloaf or add to chicken or fish poaching liquid for great flair and flavor. It goes without saying we like it shaken with Bombay Sapphire, lime juice and a tablespoon of confectioners sugar.

We continue to draw endless visual inspiration from the glamour-rich era of the 1950s through early '60s - the incredible couture of Charles James and Balenciaga, the sophisticated interiors of the Hollywood Regency period (James Mont, Parzinger, the set dressers of romantic comedies like Pillow Talk and Blue Hawaii), the historical menus of the social swans of the times (Babe Paley's famous luncheons of turtle soup, cheese souffle, green salad and homemade ice cream and butter cookies) and another legacy left to us - the cookbooks. Among the very best are Gertrude Bosworth Crum's A World of Menus and Recipes and Suppers and Midnight Snacks by George Bradshaw. A legitimate treasure is Tiffany Table Settings from 1960. Sadly all are out-of-print but available through a good deal of searching at some better vintage bookstores and websites. Surviving a bit better, thanks to a reprinting in the late '80s is Helen Brown's West Coast Cookbook, staffed with many great and unusual recipes (most fairly simple) and original illustrations.

A cigarette is the perfect type of a perfect pleasure. It is exquisite, and it leaves one unsatisfied. What more can one want?
~Oscar Wilde

In these restrictive and judgmental times, when lawmakers and Average Joes alike feel compelled to ostracize those who smoke, the cigarette holder on the dining table feels like chic rebellion. Historical photos of all diningscapes from yesteryear (including a book of White House table settings through the Carter administration) boast the on-table cigarette holder and individual ashtrays, and it's a look that reveals high style and personal luxury. We know smoking is unhealthy - and hope to soon quite ourselves - but even after we're down to two a day we still plan on accommodating these to choose to puff . . . and know we'll have a smarter table for it.