Project Wine.

Project Wine.

                                                                                           picture from inmagine

  

Writing is by comparison a small part of food writing. The greater and undoubtedly more important part is food knowledge, without which a brilliantly written article can only be superficial and mediocre.

Everybody knows how to eat and select foods to please temperamental palates, but the art of eating is another thing altogether. It is not enough to enjoy a dish and subsequently hammer out a 300-word review where more words are dedicated to the chef and decor than the food. It is equally, or if not more so, important to know the produce, the tools and the techniques the cook has harnessed to create that particular dish. Only then can the review be a fair critique.

And this is exactly where I'm lacking. While I grew up in a family where food is celebrated and the dining table never empty, it wasn't till my summer in France in 2008 that I truly embraced it. I have certainly learnt a lot more during and subsequently after my food writing internship last year, but what I know now is just the tip of a giant iceberg of food facts. It can be daunting but the challenge is exactly what drives my passion - knowing that there's still so much more to know, taste and learn out there that would aid me in becoming a better food writer, it will be a long time before I stagnate.

Wine is possibly my greatest pitfall in my quest to become a bona fide foodie. At a recent beer workshop, I was surprised that I could detect the different tasting notes the brewer mentioned. I have never been able to detect ANYTHING (apart from fermented grapes) in wines. That has thankfully been changing slowly but gradually - I detected my first undertone of apricots in a glass of Pinot Gris at dinner last Monday.

And while I'm guessing it'll be some time before wine will be my tipple of choice especially when in direct competition with beer or mojitos; training and educating my palate doesn't have to be a chore. In comes the perks of having foodie friends who are always up for a meal. Come Thursday, I'll be hosting the girls for our first Project Wine session where I'll cook dinner (chance to brush up on kitchen knowledge) and we'll taste a bottle or two of wines with tasting notes from P's wine book.

I'm thinking mushroom crostinis, roasted garlic pesto pasta with grilled shrimp, and a chilled sabayon I saw on Anna Olson's Fresh just this morning...