Ann Lemons Pollack

  • Valley of the Moon Cuvee de la Luna

    Blind wine tastings can be a lot of fun, though if they are taken too seriously, they can be a very humbling experience. Mostly, they are fun and an opportunity to try to judge both familiar and unfamiliar wines. Oh, I know there are wine-tasters who can tell you what side of the hill was

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  • Acero

    Is Acero the best new restaurant St. Louis has seen in several years? Jim Fiala’s different approach to Italian food moves beyond veal marsala and cannoli. It allows for the little-of-this-little-of-that approach that modern diners prefer, giving happiness to both those who need to control the calories (our hands waving wildly in the air here)

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  • Puff Pastry

    In the last 20 years, things have gotten miles better for people trying to cook from a modern cookbook. Back then, one couldn’t pick up a best-selling cookbook (not that they kept separate statistics back then) and make half the recipes in it without having to substitute an ingredient or a piece of kitchen equipment

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  • Thai Kitchen

    We mutter about the far reaches of the area and Joe frets about fire-breathing dragons out there at the ends of the earth, living, perhaps, in the Missouri River. But sometimes you find something that’s worth the trip and braving the dragons, especially if it’s a little spot that hasn’t had the fanfare and reviews

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  • This Week’s Wine: April 25, 2007

    The rise of proprietary wine labels, which sell the product without using the name of either the grape or the winery as the predominant feature, has brought some interesting use of words, phrases and designs to the wine industry. Talented marketers are everywhere these days, glutting the market in the same way as the heavy

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  • Baby Artichokes

    We found baby artichokes at Schnucks this week. I’d never cooked them before but, having a vague memory of recipes that involved them, bought a pound, which came to about 8 or 10. I chose ones whose tips were tightly closed, the way I do with regular ‘chokes, and came home to investigate. Instructions on

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  • Meskerem Ethiopian cuisine

    The ancient cuisine of Ethiopia, with its complex flavors and different eating style, has had trouble establishing itself as part of the American dining routine. It’s popular in Washington, DC, and New York City has an increasing number of Ethiopian spots, but it’s generally been slow going hereabouts. Now it’s come to the busy international

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  • Songkran Festival 2007

    The Thai New Year has begun, and in St. Louis, the occasion is marked by festivities at Wat Phrasriratanaram, the Thai temple in Florissant. They’re open to the public, and for the first time, we had a chance to drop by. While the food and entertainment are strictly Thai (except for the Coca-Cola products for

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