The heat of the summer seems to be moderating, but the drought continues throughout most of the Midwest. It seems likely that in spite of more land being planted in corn this year, the harvest in this grain is likely to be less (in fact the Department of Agriculture has told us so). Corn prices have gone up significantly in the last few years, so farmers seem well-protected by a combination of these higher prices and government programs in place.
Corn however is food, and less of it means less to eat for people around the world, since the US is a principle exporter of this grain. There will be even less of it to eat however, with EPA regulations on bio-fuel seeing a fair amount of the harvest being turned into ethanol. Putting two and two together, it was not a great leap of math to determine that "The EPA is Starving People". The numbers in this effort all come from reliable sources (none of them owned by NBC), so it might be worth the effort of a few minutes.
We are early in the week however, so there's likely to a lot more to see (maybe even from me); both in the mid-week Star edition and in this week's edition of Toledo's largest Sunday circulation and Ohio's best weekly newspaper for the last three years in a row, the Toledo Free Press.
I have been whining for a couple of months now since my favorite local wine restaurant closed down, well no more.
Now I do not normally use this blog site for promotion (except self-promotion of course), but such rules are defined by their exceptions, or in this case the exceptional.
I was lucky enough the other night to enjoy the exceptional in a meal at a new dining establishment in Toledo, Encore by J. D. Wesley.
Located at 5333 Monroe Street where Poco Piatti once was, Encore offers an outstanding lunch and dinner menu, but I would have expected that considering the chef involved. As a wine geek however, I was very impressed with the wine list. Not have they put a great start on an excellent cellar, but they are not afraid to put some outstanding wines out front by the glass (my personal favorite is the Cain Cuvee).
There are a number of good restaurants in Toledo, but few understand what the pairing of wine and food can do to the overall enjoyment of a meal, Encore does it well.
Now revealing this secret will probably further hinder my chances of getting into what has quickly become my favorite local dining establishment when I want to, but I am willing to take the risk of even this in order to share my passion for great food and great wine with you.
Enjoy ...
