Raw Food Pot Luck, Hudson Valley New York

Raw Food Night at Aroma Thyme Bistro in Ellenville NY

Marcus Guiliano opens up for Pot Luck Raw Food Event.

Aroma Thyme Bistro proprietor Marcus Guiliano announces a new concept in
the exploration of exciting and healthy food. Beginning, Wednesday, FEBRUARY 4th, at Aroma Thyme, there will be a pot-luck Raw Food event. Everyone is invited, but take note, only raw foods will be on hand. There will be no traditional cooking.

What does Raw mean in this context? It means nothing is cooked at more than 110º F so as not to destroy the natural enzymes and vitamins. That doesn’t mean it can’t be dried, or prepared in exciting and creative ways. There are literally thousands of raw recipes available, for everything from pates, pasta, tacos, burgers to the salads you’d expect.

So, get out a Raw Cookbook, try your hand at something new and different and come on down to Aroma Thyme Bistro on February 4th. This is a free event and all are welcome to attend from first timers to the experienced raw foodies.

Call Marcus for more info 845 647 3000

Hudson Valley Raw Foods at Aroma Thyme

"Something for everyone, done well" Zagat Guide.
That's what Zagat says about Aroma Thyme Bistro in Ellenville NY. Aroma Thyme Bistro has always focused on clean meats, sustainable seafood, vegan & gluten-free. So that covers the all the bases. So what category is left for Chef/Owner Marcus Guiliano to add ot offer patron.

"That's an easy answer, raw foods", says Marcus. "I have always been a fan of raw foods and prefer to eat that way when I go to New York for dinner. "I love places like Pure Food & Wine and Raw Soul. I just have never devoted any part of Aroma Thyme's menu to raw besides a few of the desserts, coconuts and wheatgrass juice. But 2009 is a new year for us, so now is the time to change that. We have noticed a gradual increase in patrons requesting raw".

Aroma Thyme Bistro now offers rotating raw specials daily. These raw foods like most are not heated past 115˚F . This keeps the enzymes live and active in the food. Look for items like Chili, Baba Ganoush, Asian No-Stir Frys as well as salads & soups.

So Aroma Thyme has added a new word to their tagline: Steaks, Seafood, Vegan, Gluten-Free & Raw!

Stevia and Coca Cola

Are the FDA and Coca-Cola at War Over Regulatory Power?

by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, December 23, 2008
Key concepts: FDA, Coca-Cola and Diet coke

Recently the FDA warned Coca-Cola over the use of the word "plus" in its Diet Coke Plus product, saying it was mislabeled. Just a few days ago, however, the FDA issued a letter of no objection to Coke's use of a new stevia sweetener (Truvia), even though the FDA apparently has no intention to actually GRAS approve the sweetener.

Although this is speculation, I believe there's a power play going on behind the scenes between Coca-Cola and the FDA. Here's the short timeline I've constructed in an attempt to explain the recent actions by the FDA and Coke:

Early December, 2008 - Coca-Cola announces it will begin selling beverages sweetened with stevia even without FDA approval. It simply announces it will "self-affirm" Truvia (the brand-name version of Cargill's stevia sweetener) as being a safe sweetener.

The FDA sees its authority threatened by Coca-Cola. If Coke can simply declare ingredients to be safe and start using them, then what's the point of having the FDA in the loop at all?

The FDA isn't happy about Coke threatening an end-run around the FDA's regulatory power, to it begins to look at ways to make life difficult for Coca-Cola.

December 10, 2008 - The FDA fires a shot over the bow of Coca-Cola by issuing a warning to the company, saying its Diet Coke Plus products are illegally labeled. Note that Diet Coke Plus has been on the market for over 18 months, but only now, after the Truvia threat, did the FDA decide to move against Coke.

Coke responds by saying its products are legally labeled and, essentially, that the FDA is full of bunk. The FDA does nothing.

December 17, 2008 - With Coke about ready to start selling stevia-sweetened products without FDA approval, the FDA realizes it must preempt Coke's launch of these products by quickly issuing a letter "authorizing" Coke to market stevia-sweetened beverages, or else it will lose face. The other option would be to halt the marketing of stevia products, but the FDA doesn't feel it has the political power to pull that off against Coca-Cola. With its hand forced by Coca-Cola, the FDA issues a "letter of no objection" that allows Coca-Cola to sell stevia-sweetened beverages and still maintains the appearance of FDA authority.

The truth, of course, is that Coca-Cola was about to market the products anyway, without FDA approval, and the FDA has become little more than a regulatory ragdoll that pretends to stand up against Big Business from time to time but is actually working so closely with other businesses (Big Pharma) that is has no remaining credibility to move against Coca-Cola.

In the battle of Coke vs. the FDA, the FDA just got trampled. (Or "pwned," if you're a gamer.) Sure, the FDA can threaten small companies with some degree of credibility, but not Coca-Cola. And not Big Pharma, either. The upshot for all of us is the observation that the corporations are in charge around here, not the FDA.

We are well into the era of corporations running the food supply while the regulators can only pretend to exert anything resembling real authority.

Does that mean we should "strengthen" the FDA? Nope; we should radically reform it and split it into two agencies: The FOOD Safety Administration and the DRUG Safety Administration. And finally, we need a third agency called the Topical Product Safety Administration that would ban all the toxic skin care and body care products made with cancer-causing chemicals. All three agencies should be led by consumer health advocates who have no ties to industry whatsoever.

Hudson Valley Restaurant week is Back!!!!

Aroma Thyme Bistro
Ellenville NY 12428
845-647-3000
www.AromaThymeBistro.com


SPAIN
December 22nd to December 30th 2008
$26 Pre Fixe Menu

First Course
Arugula Salad, Manchengo

Second Course
Grilled Margeuz Sausage

Catalan Fish Stew
Shrimp, Mussels & Calamari
Tomatoes & Saffron

Artichoke & Saffron Stuffed Red Pepper
Red Pepper Sauce

Dessert
Flan


Join us every week in December for a special tasting Menu
Week 1, December 1-7 Tour du France
Week 2, December 8-14 Journey of Italy
Week 3, December 15-21 Good Old American Fare
Week 4, December 22-30 Taste of Spain

Dining Around the World, It's Goof Ole American Fare this week

USA
December 15th to December 21st
$26 Pre Fixe Menu ($19 before before 5:30)

First Course
Colorado Yukon Potato & Corn Soup

Second Course
Texas Akaushi Meatloaf
Made with Rogue Juniper Ale

Blackened Catfish

Tempeh & Black Bean Chili

Dessert
Petite Apple Crisp


Join us every week in December for a special tasting Menu
Week 1, December 1-7 Tour du France
Week 2, December 8-14 Journey of Italy
Week 3, December 15-21 Good Ole American Fare
Week 4, December 22-30 Taste of Spain

Hudson Valley Gift Certificates, Free Restaurant Gift Certificates

Get your FREE gift certificates to Aroma Thyme Bistro in Ellenville NY. This Hudson Valley restaurant has worked a great deal with some of the valleys best stores. Imagine buying a new pair of sneaker and getting a gift certificate to Aroma Thyme Bistro. How about buying a bottle of wine and the same things happens, and how about an All Clad saute pan. Well all of that is possible. The following stores local merchants are showing their appreciation this holiday season by giving out Aroma Thyme Gift Certificates!!!!!!!

Get your FREE gift certifacte at the following Hudson Valley Merchants:

Frank's Custom Shoe Fitting, Middletown NY
Vineyards Wine & Spirits, Middletown NY
Pleasant Stone Farms, Middletown NY
Blue Cashew Kitchen Pharmacy, High Falls
Fox & Hound Wine & Spirits, New Paltz

These wonderful merchants are handing out no string attached gift certificates this holiday season!

Good Value Restaurant Wines

Here is great article from the NY Times. We all love the big bold pricey wines. But how often can we all afford those wines when we go out. I have always said the less known value choices on a wine list are the most impressive. I think of a restaurant value wine for less than $30. Aroma Thyme Bistro has lots of wine that fall into that category.
To find wines like this it takes work. We always go tastings to find the low production value wines. We never want to buy what the big wine vendors are pushing to everyone. There is no fun getting a wine at a restaurant and then seeing the same wine floor stacked at the wine shop.
At Aroma Thyme we feel you should never drink the same wine twice. Wine should be a new experience every time. That's why we out tons of passion into the Aroma Thyme wine list. Yes we have our standard wines that will never part with. But the fun is in all the new wines that we get to taste and share with our guests.
And don't get us wrong we have the expensive wines too, and we will never say no to you buying Barolo, Brunello, big Juicy California Cab or elegant Pinot Noir!!!!!

---

December 10, 2008

The Pour

Worthwhile Bottles at the Bottom of the List

By ERIC ASIMOV

FORGET about hard times. With so many sharp reminders all around, I know that isn’t easy, but what I want to say is true regardless of the state of the economy.

Far too often, restaurant wine lists are judged from the top down. Many wine lists that are widely considered to be great are practically keeling over with luxurious selections of the world’s great wines. The best are replete with copious older vintages as well. These bottles can cost thousands of dollars each and are no doubt wonderful treats for those who can afford them.

But what about the rest of us? Most people, even in the best of times, can no more afford these grand cru Burgundies, 20-year-old Barolos and first-growth Bordeaux than they can seats on a private jet. While wine lists like these can nourish a rich fantasy life, they mean little to the workaday reality that most wine lovers inhabit.

A wine list requires a reverse-angle analysis. It should be judged not from the top down but from the bottom up. It should offer thoughtful and possibly even exciting choices at every level. At the very least a good list needs to give bottom dwellers something to grab hold of and enjoy, that will make them feel welcomed, not just tolerated.

Lower-priced bottles signify the nature and identity of a restaurant as surely as the top of the list. No matter how good the food, budget-conscious wine lovers will take generic low-end choices as a sign of a mediocre restaurant. Conversely, while an imaginative list at all price ranges will not excuse culinary sinning, it may well earn the benefit of the doubt.

Good sommeliers understand this and will take as much if not more pride in their budget choices as in the higher end. They know that the more expensive precincts of the list must be filled dutifully, but the lower end is their opportunity for personal expression.

At Spigolo, for example, a good neighborhood trattoria on the Upper East Side, the whites are mostly about $30 to $60, and the reds $35 to $100, with a handful above that for the big spenders. This is about right for a restaurant that is not cheap, but is reasonably priced by current standards.

At a recent dinner I decided to order from the very bottom of the list. This is not always where the best values reside, but at Spigolo the choices were certainly decent. For a white, I ordered a Tuscan vermentino, a crisp and refreshing 2007 Casamatta from Bibi Graetz, a wine that if not exciting went perfectly with antipasti like baby octopus with preserved lemon and fennel. It would be hard to do better for $24.

For the red, I paid $21 for a 2007 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo from Pasqua, a lively wine with flavors of fruit and earth that was just right with the gutsy cuisine. It was not a wine for contemplation, but it was gratifying nonetheless.

Should I have expected more than gusto from the bottom end of the list? Well, on most wine lists you can expect to pay roughly two to two-and-a-half times the retail price of a wine. So for these prices I was buying bottles that cost about $10 in a wine shop. When I think of the oceans of dull, generic wine available at that price — and sold in restaurants for twice that or more — cherchez le gusto!

Like those wines, the ones on Spigolo’s list are satisfying, but not inspiring. I found more excitement in SoHo, at Blue Ribbon, the venerable chef’s hangout that seems packed at all hours. I could have had a decent but routine Rheingau riesling for $30 on this list, but for $10 or $15 more the values seemed better. A 2007 Kremser Freiheit grüner veltliner from Nigl, one of the better Austrian producers, was $42. It was served too cold, but as it warmed up its juicy, icy minerality began to shine through. For the red, a 2002 Chinon Picasses from Olga Raffault, overflowing with cherry and herbal flavors, was a great choice at $44.

Good low-end choices were easier among the whites than the reds, which had a heavy proportion of wines well above $100. This may reflect the usual SoHo clientele, but at least I found a comfortable refuge.

An eclectic menu like Blue Ribbon’s offers an opportunity for creative cherry-picking around the wine world in a way that is not available to typical French or Italian restaurants, which express their regionality through their wines. Blue Ribbon does not take full advantage of this freedom, but Fatty Crab in the West Village, with a menu inspired by southeast Asian street food, does an exceptional job with this.

I’ve mentioned Fatty Crab’s wine list before, and it continues to be a shining example of an imaginative list of wines that pair beautifully with a cuisine assumed to be unfriendly toward wine, with great choices in the $30 to $60 range.

Fatty Crab is a casual place. What about some fancier, more expensive restaurants? Thalassa in TriBeCa, a Greek restaurant where ultrafresh fish sold by the pound can get diabolically expensive, has a wine list to match. You can spend hundreds on white Burgundies, which is fine if your limo is idling outside, and yes, you can order a vertical of first-growth Bordeaux if so inclined.

But on a recent visit, with oysters and a grilled dorade royale, I had a 2006 Santorini assyrtiko, from Spyros Hatziyiannis, for $44, and I could not have been happier. The assyrtiko grape can produce wines with intense mineral flavors, and this wine, with a slight touch of sweetness, was delicious. (By the way, the fish cost more than the wine.)

Danny Meyer’s restaurants have always done a good job at all ends of the wine list. Recently at Union Square Cafe I had a 2007 Soave Classico from Prà for $40, not the cheapest white on the menu but rewardingly Chablis-like in its austerity. We splurged on a $55 bottle of Chianti Classico riserva from Castello di Cacchiano. Like the Soave, it wasn’t the cheapest choice, but with its classic dusty dried cherry flavors it might have been the best deal.

Even the budget-oriented get ambitious. Wine lovers of every income would love a pilgrimage to a restaurant like Cru, which offers one of the world’s great wine lists, or should I say two, since upon sitting down you are presented with one leather-bound volume for whites and another for reds.

Predictably, one can spend hundreds — no, thousands — of dollars on legendary bottles. If you’ve always wanted to experience Henri Jayer’s 1985 Cros Parantoux, Cru offers it for $5,500. In a just universe, we all would have our chance, but what can one have when reality sets in?

At Cru, one can still have a memorable wine experience. At a recent dinner there I set a limit of $95 a bottle. By any reckoning that is expensive. But there are times when one can’t stint, particularly when an experience is available that can be duplicated in very few other places.

I could have spent a lot less. Cru has a 2004 Bourgogne blanc from Roulot, a terrific producer, for $50. It’s a lovely wine, but I don’t need to go to Cru for that. For $95, though, I got a 2001 smaragd Wachstum Bodenstein from Prager, an Austrian riesling that is as brilliant to drink as it is difficult to say. It was richly textured yet taut and spring-coiled, with generous honeysuckle aromas yet as minerally as a mouthful of rocks. Did I say brilliant?

For the red, I could have spent $50 on a 2005 Oregon pinot noir from Patricia Green. A good wine, but again, not the stuff of which a pilgrimage is made. For $45 I could have had a 2000 Houillon Pupillin from the Arbois, a wine that I adore. But frankly, I have this bottle at home. No, I spent $85 for a bottle I had never seen before, a 2000 red Bourgogne from Jean-François Coche-Dury, a producer known worldwide for magnificent white Burgundies, but whose reds are little-known. I’d had his 2004 Volnay premier cru, though, and knew how good his reds could be.

This wine was ethereal, wonderfully floral, delicate and pure. For good measure we added a 2000 Volnay from Michel Lafarge for $90, one of my favorite Volnay producers, and it was a gorgeous contrast, earthy and sensuous.

Not cheap wines by any means. But unmatchable values, unforgettable at any price.

Beer Club, Hudson Valley

Congratulations to Bill Helms
Bill is the leader in the Aroma Thyme Beer Club. Bill just drank his 50th different beer at Aroma Thyme. And for during such he earned an Aroma Thyme Bistro T-shirt.

We give cool prizes every time you reach a milestone on our beer list. Prizes like beer mugs, T-shirts & gift certificates.

Our Beer Menu:
BEER MENU
Earn rewards for you and your friends by drinking our beers. Earn prizes and gift certificates at each level of our beer club.

CIDER
(1) Doc’s Draft Hard Apple Cider (Gluten-Free) 12 oz. $6 Warwick, NY

PILSNERS
(5) Victory Prima Pils 12 oz. $5 Pennsylvania
(5) Pinkus Organic Pilsner 17 oz. $9 Germany
(5) Stoudt’s Pils 12 oz. $5 Pennsylvania
(1) Bitburger 12 oz. $5 Germany
(5) Rogue Mori Moto Imperial Pilsner 22 oz. $24 Oregon

LAGERS
(1) Lake Front New Grist (Gluten-Free) 12 oz. $5 Wisconsin
(1) Corona 12 oz. $5 Mexico
(5) Boston Beer Co. Sam Adams Light 12 oz. $5 Boston
(1) Boston Beer Co. Sam Adams 12 oz. $5 Boston
(1) Thomas Brau Non-Alcoholic 12 oz. $5 Germany

BOCK
(500) Wagner Valley Dog Sled Triple Bock 25.4 oz. $20 New York
(5) Celebrator Dopplebock 11.2 oz. $12 Germany
(5) Castle Eggenberg Urbock 23 11.2 oz. $9 Austria
(6) Castle Eggenberg Samiclaus 2005 11.2 oz. $14 Austria
(6) Castle Eggenberg Samiclaus 2006 11.2 oz. $12 Austria
(6) Castle Eggenberg Samiclaus 2007 Helles 11.2 oz. $12 Austria
(5) Aventinus Weizen Eisbock 11.2 oz $9 Germany
(800) Avery Thirteen Weizen Doppelbock 22 oz. $14 Colorado
(900) Flying Dog Dopel Bock 25.4 oz. $30 Colorado

ALE
(1000) Oskar, Dale’s Pale Ale 12 oz. $6 Colorado
(1000) Old Speckled Hen Pub Ale 16 oz $6 England
(800) Brooklyn Local 1 25.4 $16 Brooklyn, NY
(1) Magic Hat #9 12 oz. $4 Vermont
(500) Avery Fourteen Dry Hopped Ale 22 oz. $19 Colorado
(6) Dog Fish Head India Brown Ale 12 oz. $6 Maryland
(6) Rogue Red 12 oz. $6 Oregon
(5) Rogue Mori Moto Soba Ale 22 oz. $12 Oregon
(5) Otter Creek Otteroo World Tour 22 oz. $12 Vermont
(5) O’ Hanlon’s Thomas Hardy’s Ale 2004 8.5 oz. $16 England
(1000) Fuller’s Ale 2004 16.9 oz. $20 England
(1000) Fuller’s Ale 2005 16.9 oz. $18 England
(1000) Fuller’s Ale 2006 16.9 oz. $16 England
(1) Groset Gooseberry 16.9 oz. $8 Scotland
(1000) Unibroue Don de Dieu 25.4 oz. $18 Quebec, Canada
(1000)Unibroue Ephemere (brewed with apple) 25.4 oz. $18 Quebec, Canada
(1000) Unibroue Edition 2005 25.4 oz. $18 Quebec, Canada
(500) Ithaca TEN 25.4 oz. $25 New York
(5) Middle Ages Wailing Wench 22 oz. $10 New York
(5) Stone Vertical Epic 2008 22 oz. 12 California

ALE
(6) J.W. Lees Harvest Ale Matured in Calvados Casks 2005 9.3 oz. $16 UK
(6) J.W. Lees Harvest Ale Matured in Lagavulin Casks 2006 9.3 oz. $16 UK
(6) J.W. Lees Harvest Ale Matured in Port Casks 2007 9.3 oz. $16 UK
(6) J.W. Lees Harvest Ale Matured in Sherry Casks 2006 9.3 oz. $16 UK

WHEAT-WEISSE ALES
(5) Pinkus Organic Hefe-Weizen 17 oz. $9 Germany
(5) Schneider Wiesen Edelweiss Organic 17 oz. $9 Germany
(5) Paulaner Hefe-Weizen 17 oz. $7 Germany
(5) Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dark 17 oz. $7 Germany
(5) Franziskaner Dunkel Dark 17 oz. $7 Germany
(1000) Unibroue Blanc de Chambly 25.4 oz. $18 Quebec, Canada
(800) Ithaca White Gold 25.4 oz. $25 New York

ALT (Aged Ale)
(1) Southampton Secret Ale 12 oz. $6 New York
(5) Pinkus Original Munster Alt 17 oz. $9 Germany

BELGIAN ALES
(7) Corsendonk Abbey Brown 25.4 oz. $19
(6) Foret Saison Organic 12 oz. $9
(6) Foret Saison Organic 25.4 oz. $18
(1) Petrus Dubbel Bruin 12 oz $9
(1) Huyghe Delirium Nocturnum 11.2 oz. $11
(6) Huyghe Delirium Tremens 11.2 oz. $11
(900) Van Steenberge Bornem Triple 25.4 oz. $24
(6) Brasserie Dupont Saison 25.4 oz. $24
(600) Brasserie Dubuisson’s Scaldi’s Special 33.8 oz. $65
(5) Duvel Golden Ale 12 oz. $12
(1000) Duvel Golden Ale 50.08 oz. $44
BELGIAN STYLE ALES
(6) Castelain Blond Biere de Garde 25.4 oz. $25 France
(6) Castelain St. Amand 25.4 oz $25 France
(1000) La Choulette Framboise 25.4 oz. $25 France
(6) Allagash Triple Reserve 25.4 oz. $14 Maine
(700) Ommegang Hennepin Saison 25.4 oz. $13 New York
(800) Ommegang Abbey Ale 25.4 oz. $13 New York
(WC) Ommegang Abbey Ale 3 liters $65 New York
(1) Ommegang Rare Vos 12 oz. $6 New York
(1) Ommegang Three Philosophers 2008 12 oz. $6 New York
(700) Ommegang Ommegeddon 25.4 oz. $24 New York
(1) Southampton Double White 12 oz. $6 New York
(800) Captain Lawrence, St. Vincent’s Dubbel 25.4 oz. $25 New York
(1000) Unibroue Chambly Noire 25.4 oz. $18 Quebec, Canada
(1000) Unibroue La Fin du Monde Triple 25.4 oz. $18 Quebec, Canada
(1000) Unibroue Maudite Dark Ale 25.4 oz. $18 Quebec, Canada
(1000) Unibroue Seigneuriale Strong Pale Ale 25.4 oz. $18 Quebec, Canada
(1000) Unibroue Trois Pistoles Strong Dark Ale 25.4 oz. $18 Quebec, Canada

IPA (India Pale Ale)
(1) Wolavers Organic 12 oz. $5 Vermont
(1) Orlio Organic from Magic Hat 12 oz. $5 Vermont
(1) Dogfish Head 90 Minute 12 oz. $7 Maryland
(1) Dogfish Head 120 Minute 12 oz. $17 Maryland
(700) Left Hand Brewing Warrior IPA 22 oz. $10 Colorado
(6) Weyerbacher Double Simcoe 12 oz. $6 Pennsylvania
(6) Lagunitas Maximus IPA 12 oz. $6 California

BARLEY WINE ALES
(4) Brooklyn Monster Ale 2004 12 oz. $12 New York
(4) Brooklyn Monster Ale 2005 12 oz. $10 New York
(4) Brooklyn Monster Ale 2006 12 oz. $8 New York
(4) Brooklyn Monster Ale 2007 12 oz. $6 New York
(1) Flying Dog Horn Dog 12 oz. $6 Colorado
(5) Greenflash Brewing 22 oz. $10 California
(1000) Keegan Ales Super Kitty 2006 34 oz. $35 Kingston, NY
(1000) Keegan Ales Super Kitty 2007 34 oz. $30 Kingston, NY
(5) Rogue Old Crustacean 2006 25.4 oz. $25 Oregon
(900) Stadsbrouwerij De Hemel Nieuw Ligt Grand Cru 2005
11.2 oz $40 Netherlands

CERTIFIED TRAPPIST
(5) Achel Brune 11.2 oz. $12 Belgium
(6) Chimay Premiere Red 12 oz. $12 Belgium
(6) Chimay Grande Reserve 12 oz. $12 Belgium
(6) Chimay Cinq Cents Triple 12 oz. $12 Belgium
(6) Koningshoven Dubbel 11.2 oz. $12 Netherlands
(6) Koningshoven Tripel 11.2 oz. $12 Netherlands
(6) Koningshoven Quadrupel 11.2 oz $12 Netherlands
(1) Orval Trappist Ale 11.2 oz. $10 Belgium
(1) Rochefort Six 11.2 oz. $10 Belgium
(1) Rochefort Eight 11.2 oz. $12 Belgium
(1) Rochefort Ten 11.2 oz. $14 Belgium
(6) Westmalle Tripel 11.2 oz. $12 Belgium
(5) Westmalle Dubbel 11.2 oz. $12 Belgium

LAMBIC
(5) Lindemans Framboise 12 oz. $9 Belgium
(900) Lindemans Kriek 25.4 oz. $18 Belgium
(900) Lindemans Cassis 25.4 oz. $18 Belgium
(900) Lindemans Pomme 25.4 oz. $18 Belgium
(900) Lindemans Gueuze 25.4 oz. $18 Belgium

PORTER
(1) Southern Tier 12 oz. $5 New York
(900) Victory Baltic Thunder 22 oz. $12 Pennsylvania

STOUT
(500) Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti 22 oz. $15 Colorado
(5) St. Peters Cream Stout 16 oz. $8 England
(5) Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout 12 oz. $7 England
(5) Dogfish Head World Wide Stout 12 oz. $18 Maryland
(500) Left Hand Oak Aged Imperial Stout 2007 25.4 oz $22 Colorado
(5) Rogue Chocolate Stout 22 oz. $10 Oregon
(700) Ommegang Chocolate Stout 25.4 oz. $20 New York
(4) Brooklyn Chocolate Stout Winter 2005/06 12 oz. $10 Brooklyn, NY
(4) Brooklyn Chocolate Stout Winter 2006/07 12 oz. $8 Brooklyn, NY
(4) Brooklyn Chocolate Stout Winter 2007/08 12 oz. $6 Brooklyn, NY

Drink Trump Vodka for a Good Cause

Aroma Thyme Bistro is proud to announce our new partnership with Trump Vodka. Aroma Thyme now serves Trump Ultra Premium Vodka as our house pour. To kick off our Trump Vodka campaign we have decided to donate $1 to the Walter Reed Veterans Society. And to further to promote Trump Vodka, yes Donald Trump, has agreed to donate as well.

Behind the vodka:
Third generation master distiller, Jacques de Lat, at the Wanders Distillery in Holland, distills Trump Vodka. Unlike most vodkas, which use neutral grains as a base, Trump is distilled five times from select European wheat and stored in stainless steel tanks for 6 months. The distillate is then filtered through a carbon filtration process twice, run through a 9-column filtration process and carbon filtered twice more before resting in stainless steel tanks prior to bottling.

The bottle itself is spectacular and it's evident that all of the Trump marketing was put to good use in its design. The golden bottle is a reminder of the power behind the Trump name and is reminiscent of the skyscrapers the real estate mogul is famous for constructing. Luxury is defined in the bottle by clean lines, two sides with a gold facade and a capital "T" on each side, ensuring one does not forget whose vodka they are drinking.

Journey of Italy Tasting Menu, Hudson Valley Restaurant Week Pricing

Hudson Valley Restaurant Week pricing is back Aroma Thyme for the holidays

Dining Around the World in December at Aroma Thyme
Dining Passport
Your Ticket From Here to Europe this Holiday Season
The best dining deal we have ever offered
Three Courses $19 or $26

Week 1, December 1-7
Tour du France

Week 2, December 8-14
Journey of Italy

Week 3, December 15-21
Good Old American Fare

Week 4, December 22-30
Taste of Spain

Get your Passport Stamped each week!
Join us all four weeks and we will buy you a bottle Dibon Spanish Cava (bubbly wine) for the
Taste of Spain

$26 per person
$19 before 5:30

Italy
December 8th to December 14th

First Course
White Bean & Escarole Soup

Second Course
Pan-Seared Chicken Breast
Roasted Peppers, Potatoes & Pinenuts

Grilled Albacore Tuna Steak
Olives, Capers, Garlic & EVOO

Grilled Rosemary Polenta & Portobello Steak
Pepper Vincotto
Dessert
Petite Lemon Tart

Organic Wine & Sulfites

Organic wines and sulfites

December 7, 10:09 PM

by Julia Timakhovich, Boston Wine Examiner

There's been a lot of calamity lately with the organic movement and how it translates into wine, and the proliferation of organic wines in the marketplace.

The definition of organic in the wine industry, however, has become confusing for consumers--because of a tricky restriction that is now required for proper labeling.

Here is the definition of organic wine: a wine made from organically grown grapes without any sulfites added.

A wine that has added sulfites can only be referred to as a wine made from organically grown grapes.

Why is that such a pain? Because thanks to sulfites, the wine industry is essentially being excluded from the "organic" market niche and penalized for something without which it cannot make a stable, long-lasting product.

Sulfites are a naturally occuring by-product of fermentation, and they are also added to wine after fermentation to prevent the growth of bacteria and make the wine "stable", i.e. the taste will not change during transportation and storage, and the wine will be ageable. Pretty much all wine produced is made with added sulfites.

According to the Organic Wine Company, "In the U.S., wines can contain up to 350ppm of sulfites. Organic winemaking standards, as adopted recently (12/00) by the USDA, limit the use of sulfites to 100ppm in all finished products. However, most organically grown wines contain less than 40ppm of sulfites."

So in and of itself, adding sulfites is not bad. They have been used as a preservative for quite a long time. But because of stricter regulations, a wine made from organically grown grapes but with added sulfites can not be classified as truly organic, giving winemakers a headache and consumers confusion about what to make of this mess.

The idea behind organic winemaking is not to use chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides, which, like other organic agricultural methods, are better for the earth and the environment. I agree with that concept and look forward to more wines on the market that were grown using these methods. But adding sulfites, just like adding acid or sugar (where allowed) to make the wine stable, transportable, ageable and consistent-tasting is not something that the industry should be getting penalized for.

The good news is that organically grown wines do not yet carry as high of a premium as other organic produce does. Check them out in your local wine store, and see if anything tastes different to you.

First Wine DInner of 2009, Hudson Valley Restaurant

First Wine Dinner of 2009, Hudson Valley Restaurant

First Wine Dinner of 2009
Jamie & Marcus’s favorite wines Wine Dinner

$75 per person
845-647-3000 reservations

Aroma Thyme is kicking of the years first wine dinner with some of our favorites. “There are lot of wines that we love that we never showcase at our wine dinners”, says Jamie Guiliano. “So the favorite format allows Marcus & I to use these wines without having a certain theme. Or in this case the theme is our favorite wines.”

The menu with wines:

Indaba Chenin Blanc

Artichoke Bruschetta
Beaujolais Blanc, Jean Paul Brun

Lobster, Shrimp & Crab Cake
Petite Greens, Boursin Cheese Dressing
Bridesmaid White, Sauvignon Blanc & Semillon

Pork Tenderloin au Poivre
Mushroom Medley
Mayol, Malbec
Huntington, Petite Sirah

Lamb Curry
Davis Family, Zinfandel
Mt Eden Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon Saratoga’s Cuvee

Mousse Pie
Quinta do Infantado Tawny Porto

The menu may change because we are not organized or items may not be available.

Unibroue Beer Dinner, Hudson Valley Restaurant

Our First Beer Dinner of 2009

January 23rd , 7pm

$49 per person

Unibroue Beer Dinner

Five course dinner paired with Unibroue Beer





Blanche de Chambly

Paired with:

Grilled Asparagus,

Brovetto Farm Tilsit Gratin



Ephmere

Paired with:

Petite Arugula Salad

Organic Apples & Pumpkin Seeds

Sherry Vinaigrette



La Fin du Monde

Paired with:

Baba Ganoush



Maudite

Paired with:

Herb Roasted Roast Tenderloin

Garlic Mashed Yukon Potatoes



Tres Pistoles

Paired with:

Chocolate Mousse Torte



Unibroue beers are different. Brewed using an age-old process of in-bottle refermentation (with the exception of the U, U2, and La Bolduc), they are only partially filtered rather than totally filtered (which is the norm in today¹s beer industry). This means Unibroue beers keep all their protein and part of the yeast, producing a genuine upscale beer. These beers are on fresh lees. The lees deposit themselves at the bottom of the bottle as result of refermentation and natural carbonation. The process is the same as with champagne; except with champagne, the yeast is removed, while with Unibroue beers the lees are left in the bottle. This method gives a very particular taste to the beer and provides a natural source of vitamin B. Every single beer is brewed in one batch and is not water-softened.



Unibroue¹s brewing methods were inspired by the great European brewing traditions and, in this respect, are one of a kind in North America. Our brewing methods are time consuming and costly. Given that the beers contain no chemical additives or preservatives, they require strict quality control. This all-natural brewing process is also why our beers are higher in alcohol content and can provide a rich flavour without the bitter aftertaste of conventional beers. Moreover, they have a longer shelf life and adapt very well to the room temperatures, unlike conventional beers. This competitive edge makes Unibroue products attractive to foreign distributors.

reservations: 845 647-3000
Aroma Thyme Bistro
165 Canal St
Ellenville NY 12428

Calcium and Alkaline Foods

Acidic Diets Cause Bone Loss; Alkaline Diet Protect Calcium in Bones

by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, December 4, 2008
Key concepts: Alkaline diet, Bone loss and Calcium

New research published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism reveals that an acidic diet based on proteins, cereals and phosphoric acid (in sodas) directly results in the loss of bone mineralization. At the same time, a diet high in alkalize substances (vegetables, fruits, minerals, etc.) protects bones from calcium loss.

The study used bicarbonate, a simple alkaline mineral, to test the theory of whether the dietary intake of alkaline substances would reduce bone loss of calcium. The verdict? Absolutely, it does. As the study author explained, "Our study found that bicarbonate had a favorable effect on bone resorption and calcium excretion. This suggests that increasing the alkali content of the diet may attenuate bone loss in healthy older adults."

In plain language, it means that eating a more alkaline diet reduces the risk of bone loss, and it almost certainly also decreases the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures at the same time (since "osteoporosis" is just a fancy name for "fragile bones").

Interestingly what the study did NOT speculate on was the rate of bone loss caused by highly acidic dietary substances such as phosphoric acid (found in sodas).

It would be fascinating to see this study repeated with alkaline water, as consumers can make their own alkaline water at home, right now, using various water alkalizing machines.

One company I know of that makes an outstanding Chanson water alkalizer is: www.HealingWaterMachines.com

There are others available across the 'net, and in the future, I plan to do a review on one or more of these machines.

NaturalNews has no financial relationship with HealingWaterMachines (or any water alkalizer company).

Aroma Thyme Bistro Comments:
I have been touting the massive benefits of alkaline foods. Alkaline and Calcium have a great connection. You do not need dairy to get of preserve your calcium. Just look at my son, Justin, he is a 6 year who runs half marathons. Justin has never had a glass of milk in his life or cows milk cheeses. Instead he eats healthy salads and other alkaline foods.

This article also mentions a water machine. Aroma Thyme has one of these alkaline water machines. This is the only water you should be drinking. The benefits are incredible of alkaline water. In fact we can recommend a place to buy this machine. Stop by and we will give a demo of this great machine.

Take your own water to Toronto

If you are traveling to Toronto, then I suggest that you take your own high quality water with you. You have to read this article that I found on Natural News website.

Toronto Bans Bottled Water Sales, but Junk Sodas Remain Legal

FREE Natural Health Newsletter Receive natural health product reviews, recommendations and alerts. Instant download of 20+ free health reports and exclusive interviews. Join over 1.2 million monthly readers. Unsubscribe anytime, email privacy guaranteed

by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, December 3, 2008
Key concepts: Toronto, Bottled water and Plastic

The road to Hell is paved with good intentions, they say. And to prove it, the city of Toronto has decided to outlaw the sale of bottled water in all municipal buildings, including local arenas.

But rather than being an example of smart, progressive action to protect the environment, this decision is actually just a timely example of the tyranny of good intentions. Here's why:

For starters, the decision was made by city leaders who say their TAP WATER is what people should be drinking, not bottled water. Oh really? Did these people bother to educate themselves about chlorine or fluoride chemicals? Without question, the tap water in Toronto has far greater toxicity than bottled water, even considering the Bisphenol-A effect.


But that's a debatable issue. Here's something that's not debatable: While banning bottled water, the city of Toronto did NOT ban diet soda and soft drink beverages.

Huh? So now selling water is illegal, but selling carbonated SUGAR water is perfectly legal?

Gee, the soda companies must be laughing their heads off on this one. They were trying to muscle out bottled water for years (before they came up with their own water brands), and now it turns out the goofs at City Hall are doing it for them!

Whatever happened to the idea of giving citizens healthy choices in beverages? Toronto, in all its short-sighted wisdom, has now granted the soda companies a virtual monopoly on beverages sold at the local arenas. With no bottled water available, what do they think people are going to drink instead? Soda, of course. Loaded with phosphoric acid (causes osteoporosis), high-fructose corn syrup (diabetes) and maybe even aspartame (neurological disorders).

Welcome to the Toronto municipal arena. Please enjoy the show if you haven't yet gone blind from drinking diet soda.

I know I'm going to get hate mail for this, but it deserves to be said: Some of the people serving on city councils are the dumbest human beings walking this earth. I know this because I've argued with these people over issues like fluoridation, and I can tell you that, at least in my experience, the kind of people who end up on many city council boards are so intellectually challenged that I've often wondered if they all take the short bus to the meetings. (No insult meant to those taking the short bus. It's less bumpy, anyway.) My apologies to the smart minority who reside on these boards, but you'll no doubt agree with me that the people sitting next to you need a little intellectual remediation, right?

I haven't met the Toronto council members, so I can't say if they're thoughtful but short-sighted, or just plain stupid. But I suspect a majority are just plain stupid, and they managed to overrule the thoughtful ones who were asking things like, "Well, gee, why are we denying people the ability to buy water at public events?"

If the BOTTLE is the problem, then they should have banned ALL bottles, not the water inside the bottles!

Water = Illegal; Sugar Water = Legal

Okay, okay, okay... so let me get this straight:

If I sell a bottle with water in it, I'm a criminal.

But if I add 16 teaspoons of sugar in the water, suddenly that's legal!

And if I add dangerous chemical sweeteners, phosphoric acid that rots away kids' teeth, and any number of chemical additives, then that's all perfectly fine with the Toronto city council!

Ok, so now I get it.

Water = bad

Sugar water = good

Thanks, Toronto, for clarifying that.

Maybe instead of banning plastic bottles, Toronto should ban stupidity from the city council!

Ban the soda cans, too, while you're at it, and save the world from excessive aluminum trash. I agree that throwaway beverage containers are a huge problem, and Toronto is usually an intelligent city that thinks ahead, but in this case they've demonstrated why liberal tyranny can be just as threatening to your freedoms as conservative tyranny.

Yes, my own government in America may be tapping my phone lines, reading my email and X-raying my UPS packages, but at least I can still buy a bottle of water here! Sure, it's probably contaminated with Bisphenol-A and made from nothing but filtered tap water, but at least it's filtered! Toronto citizens now have to drink from the tap, like house pets.

So the citizens of Toronto are now being offered the same quality of water that their dogs get when drinking from the toilet bowl.

How wonderful. Can I have a lemon with that, please?

Make Sure You Buy Your Honey Raw

I love raw honey. Especially local honey with all the propolis mixed in it!
At Aroma Thyme Bistro we use an estate grown raw honey from Wee Bee Honey.
Here is a great article to support consuming raw honey.


Make Sure You Buy Your Honey Raw

Tuesday, December 02, 2008 by: Sheryl Walters, citizen journalist
See all articles by this author
Email this author

Key concepts: Honey, Raw honey and Health
(NaturalNews) What if you could find a magic potion that would sweeten your tea, create mind blowing delicious cakes and dramatically improve your health? You may be surprised to find that bees create this amazing elixir in the form of honey. That's right, raw, unadulterated honey is nature's oldest sweetener and it also promotes true, radiant health. Thousands of years before the invention of white sugar, people used honey to enhance their food and support their bodies.

But don't be fooled by the sticky jar that is sitting in your cupboard. Most honey is highly processed, over heated and chemically refined, leaving it lifeless and free of any benefits. Excessive heating destroys the valuable enzymes, vitamins, and minerals, as well as the unique phytonutrients that make honey the super food that it is.

Raw Honey is Filled with Health Promoting Goodness

Raw honey is loaded with vitamins and is particularly high in minerals which are vital for maintaining health including calcium, iron, zinc, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, copper, chromium, manganese and selenium. Amino acids are contained in honey, which are nature's building blocks. Incredible plant compounds are found in honey that gives the immune system a giant boost. This magic potion is also highly alkalizing and helps the body maintain a balanced PH.

Raw honey is full of enzymes. Enzymes are essential for absorbing food, rebuilding the body, cellular health, and nearly all other biological processes.Once a food is heated, there are absolutely no enzymes left.

Honey is packed with Antioxidants

You may be surprised to discover that raw honey contains many of the same antioxidants as green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale and broccoli. This isn't to say that it is a replacement for veggies, but it is certainly worth adding to your diet as a way to fight aging and disease causing free radicals and live vibrantly.

Some of these antioxidant powers of raw honey are:

•Flavonoids which are powerful antioxidants that increase energy and boost overall wellbeing.
•Pinocembrin is a unique flavonoid that is unique to honey and has been shown to improve cognitive function among other benefits.
•Pinostrobin is another flavonoid that the enzyme activity in the body, which is essential for absorbing food and enjoying good health, especially as we age.

Raw Honey May Fights Cancer!

A study was conducted in order to find out if raw honey could health stop the growth of tumors. They injected mice with cancer cells and discovered that those mice who took honey orally before the injections were less likely to form the tumors and tumors appeared to shrink after being injected with bee venom and propolis. Researchers suggest they bee products may cause cell suicide, which helps the immune system fight the development of tumors.

Anti Bacterial
Honey has been shown to have an antimicrobial effect against bacteria and other unwanted invaders. Raw honey is being used by doctors in the UK to treat mouth and throat cancer patients to reduce their chances of contracting bacterial infections. It has also been used to speed up the healing of wounds caused by Caesarean sections as well as other types of wounds.

Other Incredible Benefits of Raw Honey Include:

A bounty of medical studies have found that honey can help heal ulcers, as well as offering relief from diarrhea, insomnia, sunburn, and sore throats. It also boosts energy levels and keeps you from getting colds, the flu and other illnesses. It promotes the growth of "good" bacteria in your intestinal tract.

It is food for the heart since it reduces homocysteine levels and promotes circulation. It can also help calm soothe, and promote a good night's sleep, not to mention it sweetens your tea and transforms your cakes!

Melamine Found Contaminating Soy Meal Fed to Organic Chickens

Melamine Found Contaminating Soy Meal Fed to Organic Chickens


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Instant download of 20+ free health reports and exclusive interviews.
Join over 1.2 million monthly readers.

by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, December 2, 2008
Key concepts: Melamine, Organic chickens and China

Want to know what organic chickens are fed? If it's soy meal from China -- a cheap source of protein -- it may also contain melamine.

That's what happened with 300 tons of soy meal being fed to organic chicken in western France. Authorities discovered the soy meal contained an astonishing 50 times the maximum limit of melamine: 116mg per kg of soy meal.

This cheap Chinese soy meal was delivered to 127 "organic" chicken farms in France. Nobody yet knows how many organic chicken farms in the U.S., Canada, U.K. or Australia might also be feeding their chickens toxic levels of melamine.

This is part of the dangerous widening of the melamine scandal I predicted earlier today: Melamine contamination is now reaching into the meat supply, and it could even include organic meats such as beef, pork and chicken.

The truth is, nobody knows if meats sold in the U.S. are free of melamine because nobody has tested the meat! But we do know one thing: Factory meat farms will feed just about anything to cows, including cheap protein sources from China. And melamine could very easily be found in toxic quantities in feed products right now being fed to dairy cows or other animals harvested for their meat.

It also means that organic meat may be contaminated with melamine due to the feed sources. Certainly, organic meat is usually safer than conventional meat, but if organic poultry farms can be caught up in the melamine scandal, then just about any animal farming operation could be hit next (except for 100% free-range animals eating nothing but live grasses in the fields -- and this is so rare that for all practical purposes it does not exist in the food supply).

I fully expect this scandal to widen even further, eventually encompassing conventional dairy farms. It all comes down to the FEED, and conventional farmers are notorious for buying the cheapest sources of feed, even if they come from China. Cattle farms, after all, feed their cows chicken poop. Really. It's a USDA-approved feed ingredient for cattle operations. What happens if those chickens are eating melamine in their soy meal? They have melamine-contaminated poop, and that gets eaten by the cows, which creates melamine-contaminated milk or cow meat. And that gets eaten by the humans.

Think about it.

Now, I've taken some criticism from a few Chinese readers who object to my criticism of China in all this. I just have one thing to say to those folks: Maybe you should go visit your homeland and take a look around to get a dose of reality for yourself!

I speak Mandarin, and I've been to China. I lived in Asia for years and know the culture first-hand. There's a lot to love about Eastern philosophy and Chinese culture. It's one of the cultures I admire the most in the world (they created Traditional Chinese Medicine, after all). But one thing the Chinese really suck at is food safety, and it's no exaggeration to say that mainland Chinese (the Communist Chinese, not the Taiwanese) will sell you a vat of poison and call it milk if it earns them an extra dollar for doing so.

I've done business with the mainland Chinese people, and far too many of them (but not all of them) are outright liars and cheaters. You order a palette of electronics and they ship you a palette of bricks (after you pay for the electronics, of course). They'll use bait-and-switch tactics on foods, food ingredients and herbs, and they'll cut everything with cheap fillers like grass, leaves and bark. There are virtually no honest suppliers of anything in China, and the only way Wal-Mart gets its own products made in China with any sort of decent quality is because they have American managers heading the factories there, kicking ass and keeping the workers honest.

Pharmaceuticals made in China contain toxic contaminants, too. You probably didn't know that U.S. drug companies get a lot of their drugs made in China because it's cheaper there. And the FDA has never inspected the factories there. So guess what? It's adulterated poison coming out of the Chinese factories. That's one reason why pharmaceuticals are so dangerous: Many are made in China! (http://www.naturalnews.com/023149.html)

China has a lot of things to admire. Food safety isn't one of them. Think about it: Chinese factories will put melamine in the baby formula to be fed to their own people! There are entire towns in China where the locals there won't dare touch the infant formula made by the factory that employs half the town. And why won't they touch it? Because they know what's in it! So they all go to work poisoning the infant formula, and they all know it's poison, but they don't care because it's shipped off to the next town to poison somebody else's baby.

That's China for you. 100% in yo face, raw, blunt, honest reality. Zero exaggeration. You don't believe me? Go there yourself. I already did.

And by God if you ever visit China, don't you dare be foolish enough to eat anything made by one of those street vendors. The last time I tried that, I ended up surrendering my vegetable dumplings to a giant rat that emerged from the sewer grate under the sidewalk and verbally threatened me if I didn't hand over two dumplings for him and one for his female friend. The rats there are downright aggressive, and they don't mind a little melamine in their food, either.

For the record, I should note that while China is one of the most dishonest suppliers of food and other products that you'll ever find, Taiwan is far different. Quality standards are much higher in Taiwan, and the people there are far more honest, too. I trust Taiwan-made products far more than I would trust something made in China.

Quality control is even better in Japan, where it even exceeds U.S. quality. If you want something made right, get it made in either Japan or Germany. So don't lump all the Asian countries together when you're thinking about quality or honesty, and don't lump Taiwan in with China. They're two separate countries, after all, even if the mainland Chinese foolishly still claim they own Taiwan.

Here are my rules of thumb regarding common nations (satire):

If you want it cheap and dirty, buy from China.

If you want it affordable and usable, buy from Taiwan.

If you want it precise and durable, buy from Japan.

If you want it overpriced and unhealthy, buy from America.

If you want it over-engineered and unjustifiably expensive, buy from Germany.

If you want it expensive but high quality, buy from Canada.

If you want it cheap and fast, and you don't really care if it actually works, buy from Mexico.

If you want it cool-looking but useless because it's broken, buy from Korea.

If you want it cheap and late, buy from India (and keep your fingers crossed).

If you want to pay triple taxes on it, buy from the UK.

If you want it to snub your friends and make them feel inferior, buy it from France.

If you'd rather just talk about buying it instead of actually buying it, then do it in Italy.

If you don't want it at all, send your money to the email scamming guy in Nigeria!

Hopefully, you have a sense of humor about all this. Most people find these lists funny, but if you feel offended by this list then feel free to send me a funnier list you write yourself. If it's sufficiently funny (and insightful), I'll publish it.