Weekend Reads

As a lead-in to the 4^th of July, the Daily Meal has posted “The Great American Fried Chicken Road Map” with coast-to-coast selections ranging from Seattle down to Miami and Los Angeles up to Boston.

http://www.thedailymeal.com/great-american-fried-chicken-roadmap-2013

Tom Philpott at Mother Jones critiques David H. Freeman’s recent Atlantic cover story “How Junk Food Can End Obesity.” Read them both and then decide for yourself:

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/07/how-junk-food-can-end-obesity/309396/?single_page=true

http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2013/06/fat-chance-why-atlantics-defense-junk-food-fails

Marion Nestle celebrates receiving her advance copy of her new book Eat, Drink, Vote: an Illustrated Guide to Food Politics, slated for release September 3rd.

http://www.foodpolitics.com/2013/06/eat-drink-vote-my-single-advance-copy/

With temperatures ranging from the low 80s into the 100s across the nation this past week, Saveur is your savior with their list of high rated, reader reviewed cold soups:

http://www.saveur.com/article/-/Cool-Soups

If anyone else panicked earlier this week after reading Buzzfeed’s article “8 Food’s We Eat In the U.S. That Are Banned In Other Countries,“ take a deep breath. NPR sent in investigators, and here is what they had to say:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/ashleyperez/8-foods-we-eat-in-the-us-that-are-banned-in-other-countries

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/06/24/195204951/our-beef-with-buzzfeeds-viral-article-on-8-dangerous-foods

10 towns in Maine revolt; declaring independence from state and federal regulations on locally produced food, also from NPR:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/05/28/186955163/farm-free-or-die-maine-towns-rebel-against-food-rules

Would you dare to eat guinea pig? Is Peru the next culinary trend, or is it just “having a moment” as CNN says? Read on to go deeper than rotisserie chicken and ceviche, with a video featuring the country’s leading chef, Gaston Acurio:

http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2013/06/26/gaston-acurio-perus-culinary-god/ 

http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2013/03/27/peruvian-food/

Nathanael Johnson, author of All Natural and Grist’s new food writer, comes out from behind the curtain to introduce himself with his manifesto for clean eating and clear thinking:

http://grist.org/food/beyond-gut-instinct-a-manifesto-for-clean-eating-and-clear-thinking/

(End of the) Weekend Reads

The New York Times reports that the USDA has approved a non-G.M.O. label for meat and liquid egg products. The label will attest that meat certified by the Non-GMO Project came from animals that never ate feed containing genetically engineered ingredients like corn, soy and alfalfa.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/21/business/us-approves-a-label-for-meat-from-animals-fed-a-diet-free-of-gene-modified-products.html

 

Barbeque is all about competition—between methods, pitmasters, or regional rubs and mops—and while most BBQ experts favor wood smoke in the fuel debate, Texas Monthly roots for the underdog in their article “In Defense of Gassers.”

http://www.texasmonthly.com/story/defense-gassers

 

Take a food history lesson from NPR and listen to their 7-minute broadcast: “Gourmands Through the Ages: ‘A History of Food in 100 Recipes’”

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/06/20/193583621/gourmands-through-the-ages-a-history-of-food-in-100-recipes

 

Adam Platt all but slams Jean-Georges latest NYC project, ABC Cocina—a Nuevo Latino hotspot capitalizing on the taco craze, calling the $6 (each) tacos overwrought and underwhelming. Perhaps future taco cravings should be fixed with a 40+ minute ride to Jackson Heights.

http://www.grubstreet.com/2013/06/platt-on-abc-cocina.html

  

Take a minute—or five, depending on your bandwith—to download the deliciously stylish vegan/DIY food mag Chickpea’s summer issue for free (usually $4 for the digital version) here.

http://sewindie.fetchapp.com/get/gmobae

 

Tom Philpot at Mother Jones asks: “Did a Slave Process the Shrimp in Your Scampi?”

http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2013/06/did-slave-process-shrimp-your-scampi

 

And just to be sure that we don’t take ourselves too seriously: The Daily Meal gives us their picks for top viral food stories from the first half of 2013

http://www.thedailymeal.com/top-viral-food-stories-you-may-have-missed-slideshow

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/

Weekend Reads

Not to be Missed: Adam Johnson of GQ manages to fine Kim Jong-Il’s escaped former personal sushi chef-turned sidekick, writes about the mystery surrounding North Korea’s dictator in grave detail, and manages to live to tell the tail in “Dear Leader Dreams of Sushi”.

http://www.gq.com/news-politics/newsmakers/201306/kim-jong-il-sushi-chef-kenji-fujimoto-adam-johnson-2013

America’s largest pork producer is reportedly being sold for $4.7 billion to China’s biggest meat processing company. Check out The New York Times coverage on Smithfield Inc, complete with dramatic video clips and photos. 

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/05/29/smithfield-to-be-sold-to-shuanghui-group-of-china/?hp

Turn on the AC, or find cool breeze: If you haven’t already seen it, The Braiser covers common chef-crush Eric Ripert as he live tweets eating a Cronut earlier this week and critics agree, it may be too hot to handle.

http://www.thebraiser.com/eric-ripert-live-tweeted-himself-eating-a-cronut-in-other-news-life-is-not-fair/

Bad news for Chipotle owner Steve Ells: Eater reports that Ells is being sued for retaliation over a dispute involving an alleged stolen Momofuku concept.

http://eater.com/archives/2013/06/04/chipotles-steve-ells-sued-over-stolen-momofuku-concepts.php

“The FDA Could Approve GMO Frankenfish”? Barry Estabrook’s blog Politics of the Plate has caught our attention.

http://politicsoftheplate.com/?p=1407

Keep reading

Weekend Reads

 

The New York Times writes that Élysée Palace (above), the official residence of the French President, has auctioned off 1,200 bottles of its finest wines in an effort of austerity that will renew the cellar with “more modest” vintages and return surplus revenues to the state budget.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/01/world/europe/austerity-reaches-frances-presidential-wine-cellar.html

NPR reports that a farmer in Oregon has found some genetically engineered wheat growing on his land. It’s an unwelcome surprise, because this type of wheat has never been approved for commercial planting.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/05/30/187103955/gmo-wheat-found-in-oregon-field-howd-it-get-there

This is one of those useful tricks you only learn in culinary school or professional kitchens: How to Peel Garlic Faster, via The Daily Meal.

http://www.thedailymeal.com/how-peel-garlic-faster

Since the “Eat More Kale” campaign started out of Vermont, more people have been turning to the hearty leaves for B Vitamins, Folate, and Magnesium. To keep it fresh, Food 52 has come up with 5 quick and easy dinners featuring Vermont’s favorite green.

http://food52.com/blog/6661-a-few-bunches-of-kale-5-dinners

Using leftovers is a cost-efficient way to enhance the flavor of your dinner. Unless it’s weeks old and oxidized beyond all hope, Bon Appetit has “10 Unexpected Ways to Use Leftover Wine.”

http://www.bonappetit.com/blogsandforums/blogs/badaily/2013/01/how-to-use-leftover-wine.html

Saveur just posted a recipe for Escabeche de Cebolla (Yucatecan Pickled Red Onions) that is often served with fresh seafood on the Yucatán peninsula in Mexico. Protip: Use this recipe, but leave out the cumin and oregano and replace red wine vinegar with balsamic for a beautiful accompaniment to pâté and strong blue cheeses.

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Escabeche-De-Cebolla–Yucatecan-Pickled-Red-Onions

Upcoming event: The Cheesemonger Invitational is kicking off it’s fourth annual cheese tasting competition + cheese-focused seminars on Saturday June 29^th. Tickets are $60 to $100, for details check out:

http://www.cheesemongerinvitational.com/

Photo of Elysée Palace by Eric Pouhier

Weekend Reads

For all things Derby Day, including current rack conditions, odds, and updates, we turn to the Daily Racing Form.

http://www.drf.com/news/kentucky-derby

This week Lucky Peach is posting four James Beard award-winning articles that were originally published in the magazine on their tumblr page. Here’s the first:

http://lky.ph/post/49261745544/fuchsia-dunlop-londons-chinatown

From Grub Street: “Anthony Bourdain on His Teaching Dreams, Vilifying Ronald McDonald, and The Terror of Child ‘Foodies’”

http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2013/04/bourdain-children-health.html

Stephanie Powell for Thought Catalog: “Being a Vegetarian Ruins Every Holiday”

http://thoughtcatalog.com/2013/being-a-vegetarian-ruins-every-holiday/

When you need some magic: Za’atar. Via Edible Vineyard

http://www.ediblevineyard.com/index.php/stories/article/zaatar

Southern Living brings you a crawfish boil with a Texas twist:

http://www.southernliving.com/food/entertaining/crawfish-boil-with-texas-twist-00417000081989/

Meet the 2013 Best Food Blog Award Winners, thanks to Saveur:

http://www.saveur.com/article/blog/2013-Best-Food-Blog-Award-Winner-Good-Beer-Hunting