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September 2007 Newsletter
PLEASE VISIT OUR NEW WEB SITE @giosmunster.com
The History of Labor Day
Labor Day: How it Came About; What it Means
"Labor Day differs in every essential way from the other holidays of the year in any country," said Samuel Gompers, founder and longtime president of the American Federation of Labor. "All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of man's prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another. Labor Day...is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation."
Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
Founder of Labor Day
More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers.
Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."
But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.
The First Labor Day
The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.
In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.
Martini Specials
Did you know that the martini is named after Martini and Rossi the importers of vermouth.
Specialty Martinis
Chocolate Martini, vodka with Godiva chocolate liqueur
French Martini, vodka and Chambord liqueur
Giovanni’s Cosmopolitan, vodka, Triple Sec, cranberry juice and a lemon twist
Lemon Drop, vodka, Lemoncello liqueur, Triple Sec and a fresh lemon slice
Grey Goose Pear Martini, Grey Goose Pear Vodka, pear nectar and Triple Sec
Van Gogh Vodka Signature Martinis
Apple Martini, Van Gogh Apple Vodka and Sour Apple Pucker
Blueberry Martini, Van Gogh Blueberry Vodka, Chambord, Triple Sec, cranberry juice
Pineapple Martini, Van Gogh Pineapple Vodka with creme de banana
Pomatini Martini, Van Gogh Pomegranate Vodka with pomengrante juice
Mango Martini, Van Gogh Mango Vodka with fresh Mango puree
Planning a Special Event
We can help you plan a wonderful event and work with your special needs and budget. Our main dining room is available for private parties and requires a reservation of 45 people and can accommodate up to 60 guests.
It is available during lunch hours Monday through Friday, and dinner hours Monday through Thursday. Saturday afternoons are available from 11 am to 4 pm. This reservation requires 30 people and can accommodate up to 60 guests. Advance reservations are required and a special menu applies. Please contact our management staff for specific private party policies, reservations and further information.
Good Food • Good Wine • Good Friends
Wine Temperature
by Jim Gordon
I like the advice of Ursula Hermacinski, the former Christie’s wine auctioneer, when it comes to knowing what temperature at which to serve a wine: “Twenty minutes before dinner, you take the white wine out of the fridge, and put the red wine in.”
This rule is intended to fix the two most common mistakes in wine service: People tend to serve white wines too cold and red wines too warm. Now, this is not something to wake up at 3 a.m. and worry about, but the fact is that properly chilled wines do taste better.
White wines too warm will taste alcoholic and flabby, while white wines too cold will be refreshing but nearly tasteless. As for reds, keep them too warm and they will taste soft, alcoholic and even vinegary. Too cold and they will have an overly tannic bite and much less flavor.
I am sure it has something to do with the orbit apogee of the volatile wine molecules around the olfactory nerve receptors, but we don’t need to go there. Here’s how to be confident the wine you serve will be on its best behavior:
Champagne and other sparkling wines should start out totally chilled. Put them in the refrigerator an hour and half before serving or in an ice bucket with an ice-water mixture at least 20 minutes before serving. For vintage-dated Champagne and other high-quality bubbly, however, you should let the bottle then warm up a bit if you don’t want to miss out on the mature character for which you’re probably paying extra.
Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, white Zinfandel and other refreshing white wines should also be chilled to refrigerator temperature (usually 35 to 40 degrees) for an hour and a half before serving. But the better examples, such as barrel-aged wines like Fume Blanc (made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes) will improve if brought out 20 minutes early or allowed to warm up slightly during hors d’ouevres or dinner.
Chardonnay, white Burgundy and other rich, full-bodied and barrel-fermented white wines of high quality taste their best at classic “cellar temperature,” or 55 degrees. Winemakers in France’s Burgundy region know what they’re doing when they offer tastes to visiting journalists and wine buyers directly from the barrels of Chardonnay in their cool, humid underground cellars. So put these into the fridge an hour and half before serving, but bring them out 20 minutes early to warm a bit.
Sweet dessert wines need the same treatment as Sauvignon Blanc, above, with the exception of fortified dessert wines like Port and sweet Sherry, which are better at cellar temperature or warmer. Treat dry Sherry like Sauvignon Blanc, too.
Almost all red wines show their best stuff when served at about 65 degrees—cool, but warmer than cellar temperature. This is not room temperature, unless you happen to live in a Scottish castle or in San Francisco during July. So if you don’t keep your red wine in a cool cellar or cooled storage unit, you will enjoy it more if you chill it for 20 minutes in the refrigerator before serving.
August 2007 Drawing Winner
John Habas
is our August 2007 winner of a $50 Giovanni’s gift certificate. To enter simply fill out a comment card in the restaurant of go to our online registrations at Our Website. HERE
Wines by the Glass:
Mirassou Pinot Noir
Balancing intense fruit flavors with delicate aromas and subtle hints of oak, Mirassou wines embody the optimism and pioneering spirit passed down through six generations of the Mirassou family. Featuring a bright, approachable style, this wine honors the Mirassou family's heritage as the pioneer of California Pinot Noir while appealing to a new generation of wine enthusiasts.
Vintage: 2006
Winemaker Notes: The 2006 Mirassou California Pinot Noir is made with carefully selected California fruit. The California appellation allowed the winemaker to choose the best fruit from each region, which acts as the foundation of this fruit forward style of Pinot Noir. Our winemaker, working in close partnership with the viticulturists, created an intensely flavorful Pinot Noir that reflects the terrior of the regions.
To protect the flavors of the fruit, the grapes were harvested in the cool of the morning and cold soaked for five to seven days prior to fermentation. Fermentation occurred at about 80 degrees Fahrenheit, with special attention given to the balance between fruit, weight, and texture. During the latter stages of fermentation, the tannin and flavor profile were closely guided to avoid harsh tannins from the seeds and skins.
The winemaker's aim with the 2006 Mirassou California Pinot Noir was to gently guide the flavors and components along their journey from vineyard to the bottle, resulting in a wine that is approachable while retaining the hallmark fruit-forward characteristics of Mirassou wines.
Taste Profile: Our 2006 Mirassou California Pinot Noir displays intense flavors of strawberries, pomegranates, and cherries. These primary flavors are enhanced by secondary flavors of floral and spice characters. This wine is at its best if enjoyed within a year of release, but should be able to age in the bottle for up to three years.
Finished Wine: Displaying intense fruit flavors of strawberries, pomegranates, and cherries, balanced with delicate floral notes, Mirassou California Pinot Noir is a bright reflection of our heritage as the pioneer of California Pinot Noir.
Mirassou Chardonnay
Balancing intense fruit flavors with delicate aromas and subtle hints of oak, Mirassou wines embody the optimism and pioneering spirit passed down through six generations of the Mirassou family. Featuring a uniquely approachable style, this wine honors the Mirassou family's heritage while appealing to a new generation of wine enthusiasts.
Vintage: 2005
Winemaker Notes: The grapes used to create the 2005 Mirassou Monterey County Chardonnay were primarily sourced from Monterey County. The cooler temperature on the coast yields a longer growing season, allowing the grapes to develop deep flavors which results in intensely flavorful wines. The goal was to achieve a range of ripeness levels to ensure our Chardonnay reflects the best varietal characters of Monterey County. This was accomplished by combining the cool climate characters and crisp acidity from our northern vineyards with the ripe and rich characters obtained from the warmer southern vineyards.
The grapes received some skin contact, which provided a layer of complexity and enhanced the flavor of the Chardonnay fruit. The grapes were partially fermented in stainless steel tanks to maintain a clean, crisp and delicate structure.
Some of the wine underwent malolactic fermentation to round the natural acid, offering a degree of creaminess yet focusing to retain the natural crispness of the fruit. The wines were blended with a small percentage of Viognier to add a subtle layer of floral character to the wine.
Taste Profile: The 2005 Mirassou Monterey County Chardonnay displays intense fruit flavors of citrus, tropical fruit, and green apple. These primary flavors are complimented by secondary flavors of pear, melon, citrus, and floral characters. Subtle oak influences contribute a subtle creamy and vanilla character, resulting in a well-balanced, medium-bodied wine.
Crisp and delicately structured, as a result of the cooler but sunny growing conditions that provide naturally firm acid levels, this wine is extremely food friendly. It is at its best if enjoyed within a year of release, but should be able to age in the bottle for up to three years.
Finished Wine: Balancing crisp fruit flavors of peach and nectarine with hints of tropical fruit and vanilla, Mirassou Monterey County Chardonnay is a unique expression of California's cool-climate coast and a bright expression of California's most celebrated growing regions.
Martin Codax Albarino
The Albarino grape is reputed to be a relative of German riesling and may have been brought to Spain by monks as far back as the 12th century. It is grown in the Rias Baixas region of Galicia, which is snuggled in between Portugal and the Basque country on the rugged and beautiful Atlantic shores.
Martin Codax is a name given to this white wine by the group of small producers who have banded together to make wine in the Bodegas de Vilarino-Cambados.
This wine has floral overtones and is typified by the peach or melon aromas that are always present. A flinty, dry white, it is suitable for summer drinking and goes well with summer dishes such as salads or seafood.
Our prediction is that Albarino wines will become excessively trendy as more people come to realise what amazing value for money they represent.
Premium Wine of the Month
Merryvale Starmont 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
BLEND
86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot
VINEYARDS
Napa Valley vineyards including Merryvale Estate, Beckstoffer-Vineyard X, Georges III and ToKalon.
APPELLATION
Napa Valley
WINEMAKING
* Extended maceration on the skins
* Extensive use of native yeast fermentation
* Bottled unfiltered
BARREL AGING
Up to 16 months in French oak barrels (30% new)
ALCOHOL
14.5% by volume
RELEASE DATE
January, 2007
BOTTLING DATE
March, 2006
CELLARING
Three to five years for the wine to develop some bottle complexity. Should hold for at least five years after that.
WINEMAKER'S NOTES
This wine is made from lots selected for their complexity of flavors and supple tannins. The blend includes Merlot to help tame tannins, Petit Verdot for fruity depth and Cabernet Franc for additional aromatic complexity. The wine was lightly fined then carefully racked and bottled unfiltered. Round and harmonious in its youth, this wine will reward a few years of cellaring with nuances of aroma that only time in the bottle provides.
Welcome and Thank You
We know that you have a choice when dining out, so I would like to personally thank you for choosing Giovanni’s.
We strive to exceed your expectations, so if there is anything we can do to enhance your dining experience please let us know.
Mary LoDuca
Piselli al Prosciutto
Peas with Parma Ham
Piselli al Prosciutto
Peas with Parma Ham
* 3 1/2 pounds fresh peas
* 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 1 small onion finely chopped
* salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 2/3 cup hot stock or water
* pinch of sugar (optional)
* 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 ounces prosciutto, cut into strips
* triangles of bread fried in butter to serve (optional)
Shell the peas. Melt the butter and saute the onion over low heat until it begins to change color. Add the peas, season with salt and pepper, and moisten with stock. Cook over brisk heat for 10 minutes if cooking fresh young peas, or until tender with older ones. No sugar is required with Roman peas, but some peas may require a little sugar to sweeten them Two minutes before the peas are ready, add the prosciutto and stir gently.
The dish can be served accompanied with triangles of crisply fried bread, if desired.
Meet Your Servers
Carol Ann
I have been working at Giovanni's for about 18 months. Waitressing has been my life for a long time. Meeting new people on an everyday basis makes life interesting. I enjoy making the customers feel like they are at home in their own dining room, instead of at a restaurant.
Giovanni's is a wonderful place to be employed. The make me feel like a family member, not just one of the employees. It is a well rounded and fit ship where cleanliness is a must. We all pitch in to help one another.
The chefs are very different from what I have experienced before. They believe in servicing the customer, and as a waitress they will help to solve any problem, or prepare specific food for the customer. They will always oblige a customer with changes or create new menu items to meet their requests. That is what Giovanni's is about, the customers come first. We are here to serve and satisfy.
My husband and I just celebrated our 46th wedding anniversary. Forty six years with the same man, he must have a halo on his head by now. We have three daughters, Debbie, Pam and Michelle. God has blessed us with fine grand-children ranging in ages from 4 years to a 25 year old. There are 2 grandsons and 3 grand-daughters.
We would like to thank Carol Ann for making Giovanni's a wonderful experience for our employees and customers. We hope that you will do the same.
Our Menu is Available To Go
Call ahead for quick service
All of the items on our menu are available to go. If you are in a hurry or simply would like to eat at home or work, call ahead and we will have your order ready for you to pick up. Please allow appropriate time for preparation. If needed we can fax you a menu anytime.
American Culinary Federation
Indiana Chapter Chef of the Year Tim Merkel
In 1963 the ACF developed the Chef of the Year Award to acknowledge Walter Roth, AAC for his tireless efforts to promote and elevate the profession.
The ACF Chef of the Year award recognizes an outstanding culinarian who works and cooks in a full-service dining facility. This person has demonstrated the highest standards of culinary skills, advance the cuisine of America and given back to the profession through the development of students and apprentices.
To be considered for the award, candidates must hold a sous chef title or higher, work in a full-service facility and be nominated by any ACF member or chapter in good standing. Regional winners compete in a culinary competition at the national convention, where a panel of distinguished judges will select the national winner. Congratulations to Tim and best of luck in the national competition.
Munster Park and Recreation
Events for September
Saturday September 15th
Big Wheel 500
Frank H. Hammond Track
1101 Fran Lin Parkway
ages: 3 to 6
12:45 to 3:00pm
$15 resident, $20 non-resident, $25 on site
Sunday October 7th
Portraits in the Park
Centennial Park
9701 Calumet
11am to 2 pm
$15 resident, $25 non-resident
Theater at the Center
Hello Dolly September 13th - October 21st

Performance Times:
Wednesdays & Thursdays - 2:00 PM
Fridays - 8:00 PM
Saturdays - 8:00 PM
Sundays - 2:30 PM
Performances on select Thursday evenings and
Friday and Saturday matinees.
Lunch at Noon, a Show at 2,
or Dinner at 6, a Show at 8.
Only Minutes Apart.
Giovanni’s and the Theater
What a Lovely Way to Spend a Day
Know Your Olive Oil
Types of olive oil
Generally, olive oil is extracted by pressing or crushing olives. Olive oil comes in different varieties, depending on the amount of processing involved. Varieties include:
Extra virgin - considered the best, least processed, comprising the oil from the first pressing of the olives.
Virgin - from the second pressing.
Pure - undergoes some processing, such as filtering and refining.
Extra light - undergoes considerable processing and only retains a very mild olive flavour.
When buying olive oil you will want to obtain a high quality EXTRA VIRGIN oil. The oil that comes from the first "pressing" of the olive, is extracted without using heat (a cold press) or chemicals, and has no "off" flavors is awarded "extra virgin" status. The less the olive oil is handled, the closer to its natural state, the better the oil. If the olive oil meets all the criteria, it can be designated as "extra virgin".
What is pure and light olive oil? "Pure" olive oil is made by adding a little extra virgin olive oil to refined olive oil. It is a lesser grade oil that is also labeled as just "olive oil" in the U.S.
"Light" olive oil is a marketing concept and not a classification of olive oil grades. It is completely unregulated by any certification organizations and therefore has no real precedent to what its content should be. Sometimes, the olive oil is cut with other vegetable oils.
How to care for your olive oil
Resist the temptation to place your beautiful bottle of olive oil on the windowsill. Light and heat are the #1 enemy of oil. Keep olive oil in a cool and dark place, tightly sealed. Oxygen promotes rancidity. Olive oil is like other oils and can easily go rancid when exposed to air, light or high temperatures.
You can of course buy extra virgin olive oil in any grocery store. A good source on the internet for extra virgin olive oil is here.
Smoking Policy Changes
Please be advised that both of our main dining rooms are now non-smoking. Smoking is still permitted in the Lounge area. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
American Culinary Federation
Chef Tim Merkel is a member of the American Culinary Federation
Webmaster/Publisher - PATM Web Services - (708) 251-2616
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