Weekend Reads

After we linked to last week’s tips from Food52, it’s only fair to give our readers another angle on grilling steak. The Food Lab at Serious Eats fiercely tests “7 Old Wives’ Tales About Cooking Steak That Need To Go Away” 

http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/06/the-food-lab-7-old-wives-tales-about-cooking-steak.html

Quick read: Chef and restaurateur Barbara Lynch, the brain and brawn behind some of Boston’s highest rated restaurants—including No. 9 Park, B&G Oysters, Sportello, The Butcher Shop, and Drink—is writing a memoir about how she moved up the ladder from a girl in working class Southie to a two-time James Beard Award-winner; via Eater

http://boston.eater.com/archives/2013/06/12/barbara-lynch-is-writing-a-memoir.php

GQ puts forth what they are calling “The 3 Best Sparkling Wines for Summer” and there is a special prize for anybody who can pronounce Txakolina (not really) — bonus: they’re all priced under $22.

http://www.gq.com/blogs/the-feed/2013/06/the-3-best-sparkling-wines-for-summer.html?mbid=nl_weekly4a

Are you serious about self-documenting your dinners? The Kitchn gives protips for taking better photos of your dinner that are helpful to professionals and enthusiasts alike.

http://www.thekitchn.com/5-tips-for-taking-better-food-photos-when-you-travel-guest-post-from-dylan-jeni-190758

Anthony Bourdain blogs about his long-dreamed of journey to travel up the Congo River for his TV series “Parts Unknown”—complete with requisite Heart of Darkness references.

http://anthonybourdain.tumblr.com/post/52241870489/whispering-come-find-out

What is “grain salad” and can Mark Bittman convince you to toss one of your own? If his writing doesn’t, the accompanying graphic might. 

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/06/12/magazine/bittman-grain-salad.html

No surprise here: Big Ag well, wins big, and you as an American taxpayer are the victim according to Barry Estabrook’s coverage of the farm bill passed by the Senate this week. 

http://politicsoftheplate.com/?p=1415

A sign of relief: Eat real food and you don’t have to worry about your salt intake writes Marion Nestle for her blog Food Politics

http://www.foodpolitics.com/2013/06/the-endless-debates-about-salt-dont-worry-eat-real-food/

At least this solves the “Which came first?” debate, in part: chickenless eggs thanks to Hampton Creek Foods and funding by Bill Gates. Via NPR (Photo by Meredith Paige)

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/06/13/191029875/why-bill-gates-is-investing-in-chicken-less-eggs

A new study demonstrates the harmful affects to animals raised on GMO feed, and debates about GMOs get even more complicated. Via Civil Eats

http://civileats.com/2013/06/12/damning-new-study-demonstrates-harm-to-animals-raised-on-gmo-feed/