Category: Gnews

Doug sent me this little teaser about a food blog panel on June 16 at the 92nd St. Y:

For the Main Course, A Blog

Thu, Jun 16, 2005 7:30pm

The next best thing to eating well is reading about good food. Hear a panel of the most up-to-date culinary connoisseurs, food bloggers, talk about the web of virtual foodies and how they stay cutting-edge (pun-intended!).  Panelists include Adam Kuban of SliceNY, Alaina Browne of A Full Belly and Josh Friedland of The Food Section. Andrea Strong of The Strong Buzz moderates.

Hmmm....do you see anything interesting?  Or rather, do you NOT see anything interesting?  That's it, put my publicist on the speakerphone, that bitch is FIRED!

West coast and East coast Times ran stories yesterday about the culinary Willy Wonkas aping Ferran Adria's wacky laboratory cuisine.  I don't have a problem with dehydrators and liquid nitrogen being used to cook dinner.  But I'm completely uninterested in the science of shrimp flavored air and inkjet printed soybean paper.  Give me the incredible chemistry of a grilled dry-aged steak over these poncy novelties anyday.

As if drive-thrus and the microwave weren't lazy fat ass-friendly enough, now "Iron Chef" Wolfgang Puck has lent his bedraggled name to a line of self-heating cans of "gourmet" latte.  The heating agent is quicklime -- that's right, the shit murderers use to quickly eat away the flesh of dead bodies. 

We don't need a new food pyramid, we just need to stop eating food that has a longer shelf life than we do.

The first of a three part series on the James Beard House debacle!  This is some hot goss!

*Link from Saute Wednesday

I'm a little behind, but I just started poking around the T Style Food Issue.  I told my friend Mike I was going to watch what I say, but come on, what the fuck is going on over there?  A story written by a self-proclaimed picky eater in L.A. who doesn't eat bananas, avocados, lamb, or dill?  Cod cheeks as the "new staple"?  A $950 basket backpack as a "dining must-have"?  A writer who has to call the Cherry Marketing Institute in Michigan to figure out that you can buy frozen cherries at the supermarket? 

Reading the Times' Dining section these days is like watching Rosie O'Donnell spilling out of her orange t-shirt and long shorts while playing Andie McDowell's candy-snorting retarded sister in a Hallmark movie.  It's horrifying on so many levels, but I'm compelled by its Medusa-like spell to watch and wither away. 

A great salt taste test over at Salon (link via Liao Yusheng).  I am a big fan of the Maldon, Fleur de Sel and Japanese/Korean moist sea salts.  And Diamond Kosher, which I first learned to use while living with my dear friend Julie.  Of course, Jeffrey Steingarten's salt taste test (which I think is in It Must've Been Something I Ate) predates this one, but both are great reads. 

Interesting note: Jeffrey Steingarten has talked about the lawyer-gourmand, placing himself in the company of the revered Brillat-Savarin among others.  But here are some fun facts for you: the byline says that Dan Crane, the author of this salt article, is a "musician and writer."  Jim Leff, Chowhound founder, is a former downtown trombonist.   Robert Sietsema, restaurant critic for the Village Voice,  was bassist in a band called Mofungo when he started his food zine, Down the Hatch.  I was once backing vocalist for the two lovely and talented gourmets of Cibo Matto (Italian for "food crazy"), whose first album consisted entirely of food metaphor songs.  I posit that musicians also make great gourmands, but I'm too sleepy to theorize about the reasons.  Can you tell me why the fat lady sings?

The Center for Consumer Freedom (and freedom fries for all!), a group backed by anonymous fast food bigwigs, takes out $600,000 in newspaper ads dismissing concerns over obesity.  Possible slogan:  Obesity -- It's No Big Thing! 

The Center for Consumer Freedom's next ad campaign, with backing from nuclear waste management bigwigs, dismisses concerns over groundwater contamination.  Possible slogan:  Hey, As Long As It's Not Your Baby, What Do You Care?

In case you didn't come here via Bazima, super hot Blaise K (she of the sharp cheekbones and sharper wit) has interviewed me for her "7 minutes in heaven" series.  I kind of look like a serial killer in the picture because I have not yet mastered the art of the self-portrait.  Or maybe I just look like a serial killer.  Anyway, I'm a huge Bazima fan.  You should love your Bazima too. 

P.S.  Just to clarify, I was a live performance backing vocalist for Miho and Yuka, the dynamic duo that is Cibo Matto.  I'm not Miho or Yuka, both of whom are friends and great fun to eat with. 

Conversation between Miami County health investigator and the Arby's manager who misplaced his 3/4" strip of fingerprint in the shredded lettuce:

HEALTH INVESTIGATOR: Sir, we have a report that a man bit into his Arby's sandwich and found a piece of flesh.

RESTAURANT MANAGER:  I can guarantee you that there was no flesh in that Arby's sandwich.

HI:  Then why are you hiding your hand behind your back?

RM:  Oh, it's nothing, really, just a little cut--

HI:  And why have you got a bandage on your finger?

RM:  Just a little nick, it's nothing, really--

HI:  And why do you have a latex glove on?!

RM:  You know, cleanliness is next to godliness I always say--

HI:  A-HA!  You DID cut your finger!

RM:  Yes sir, but I sanitized the area!  And I immediately threw away the product in and around the slicer!

HI:  Then how did your skin wind up in that guy's chicken sandwich?

RM:  Um--

HI:  Are you going to try to tell me that that's not your real hand?
Fess up, buster!

RM:  I'm not saying anything else!  I know my rights!  I'm not talking til I have a vice president of marketing and communications present!

This is a completely fascinating breakdown of the strawberry industry from California Mariquita Farmer Andy Griffin.  Check out his articles on everything from wild boars to watermelon radishes to John Steinbeck.  My new favorite read. 

**via Saute Wednesday.