No "artsy" post today - I'm skipping the last of the year! We're off to Chicago in a couple of hours, to visit with friends and watch our friend/former roommate, Sam, get married. Lots of excitement all around, and I haven't even started packing (though I do, of course, have a list).
I'll be posting from Chicago (the hotel has free wi-fi) but maybe not a whole lot.
Hope everyone has a happy new year!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Quotable Tuesday: Alinea
It wasn't until I got to The French Laundry that I recognized food as it could be in an artistic way, in an individual expressionist way, and then it really caught fire. Once I got a taste of that, and what it did to me personally, how satisfying it was to come up with a new dish, that became my style, that became what was most important to me, constant creating. - Grant Achatz
If there's one thing I've learned from writing this blog it's that I believe food - and everything else, really - is at it's best when it exists somewhere in that vague space between art and science. It's there naturally, really, since the process of cooking is chemistry but the act of cooking is creative. But some chefs (both home and professional) seem to search harder than others for the discipline's golden mean.
Grant Achatz is, obviously, one of those chefs.
My brother got me the Alinea cookbook for Christmas. It's so intense. The photography is beautiful and the recipes are challenging. Maybe not in their individual steps, but in that they have so many steps, and that most of them require some sort of ingredient that you can't readily pick up at the Giant (not my Giant anyway).
But in it's intensity, the book inspires and, if nothing else, I love the essays at it's start.
Overall, it's a breathtaking read and one I'd recommend for anybody who loves to cook, or who simply likes to think about cooking.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Dixon's Kitchen
I've got a lot going on this morning, so in lieu of an early-morning "trendy Monday" post, here's a picture of Dixon on Christmas morning:
It's an awfully nice kitchen, if I do say so myself.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Old School Thursday: Friday Edition
Merry Christmas, just one day late. Since yesterday was a holiday, I completely forgot to write my usual “Old School Thursday” post. I don’t want to let it go, though, because it’s my last Thursday for the year! So please pretend it’s yesterday as you read the following:
In addition to being Christmas, today’s also National Pumpkin Pie Day. Does it seem like the lobbyists picked the wrong month for that one, or is it just me?
In historical news, today’s full of birthdays (and not just the obvious one). On December 25, 1642, Sir Isaac Newton, of apples and gravity fame (among other things), was born. Two hundred-odd years later, in 1887, famous hotelier and ancestor of annoying heiresses, Conrad Hilton was born. Plus, today is Jimmy Buffet’s 62nd birthday. Not only is he a restaurateur and purveyor of (I’m sure) fine frozen foods, he also, of course, wrote such food-related songs as Cheeseburger in Paradise and Margaritaville.
So…happy birthday, everyone!
In addition to being Christmas, today’s also National Pumpkin Pie Day. Does it seem like the lobbyists picked the wrong month for that one, or is it just me?
In historical news, today’s full of birthdays (and not just the obvious one). On December 25, 1642, Sir Isaac Newton, of apples and gravity fame (among other things), was born. Two hundred-odd years later, in 1887, famous hotelier and ancestor of annoying heiresses, Conrad Hilton was born. Plus, today is Jimmy Buffet’s 62nd birthday. Not only is he a restaurateur and purveyor of (I’m sure) fine frozen foods, he also, of course, wrote such food-related songs as Cheeseburger in Paradise and Margaritaville.
So…happy birthday, everyone!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
The Foodie Baby Likes Mustard
Last night, while I was cooking dinner, Dixon ate the last third of a jar of Grey Poupon country style Dijon mustard. With a spoon.
I mean, why wouldn't he?
Artsy Wednesday: The Champagne Chair Contest
It's that time again...time for the annual Design Within Reach Champagne Chair contest.
The concept is simple: using no more than the cork, foil, label and cage of two champagne bottles, create a really cool little chair. This year, all chairs are to be submitted digitally only, and the deadline is 5 p.m. on Friday, January 9th.
I, unfortunately, don't have the skills to participate in this contest - only to appreciate. But I know, for a fact, that some of my readers out there could do this. So I beg of you - will somebody (Erin? Sarah?) please enter? I'd really appreciate it!
The concept is simple: using no more than the cork, foil, label and cage of two champagne bottles, create a really cool little chair. This year, all chairs are to be submitted digitally only, and the deadline is 5 p.m. on Friday, January 9th.
I, unfortunately, don't have the skills to participate in this contest - only to appreciate. But I know, for a fact, that some of my readers out there could do this. So I beg of you - will somebody (Erin? Sarah?) please enter? I'd really appreciate it!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Quotable Tuesday: Christmas
Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childhood days, recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth, and transport the traveler back to his own fireside and quiet home! - Charles Dickens
Dickens' Christmas is much like Proust's madeleine, no? And with that, here's what Alicia spent yesterday doing, with the help of the Barefoot Contessa (these are her coconut madeleines):
Monday, December 22, 2008
Trendy Monday: Foodzie
I got an email this morning about a cool new food-related website, called Foodzie. Basically, it's a site where you can buy products from small, artisanal sources - the kinds of retailers that everybody loves but that can also be hard to find, unless you've got countless hours to peruse every farmers' market and specialty food shop within several hours.
It seems like a cool source. And I like how they personalize it to your location as soon as you log on...
(Via Thrillist.)
It seems like a cool source. And I like how they personalize it to your location as soon as you log on...
(Via Thrillist.)
Friday, December 19, 2008
Dictionary Friday: Cookies
cookie
A cookie can be any of various hand-held, flour-based sweet cakes — either crisp or soft. The word cookie comes from the Dutch koekje , meaning "little cake." The earliest cookie-style cakes are thought to date back to seventh-century Persia, one of the first countries to cultivate sugar. There are six basic cookie styles, any of which can range from tender-crisp to soft. A drop cookie is made by dropping spoonfuls of dough onto a baking sheet. Bar cookies are created when a batter or soft dough is spooned into a shallow pan, then baked, cooled and cut into bars. Hand-formed (or molded) cookies are made by shaping dough by hand into small balls, logs, crescents and other shapes. Pressed cookies are formed by pressing dough through a COOKIE PRESS (or PASTRY BAG) to form fancy shapes and designs. Refrigerator (or icebox) cookies are made by shaping the dough into a log, which is refrigerated until firm, then sliced and baked. Rolled cookies begin by using a rolling pin to roll the dough out flat; then it is cut into decorative shapes with COOKIE CUTTERS or a pointed knife. Other cookies, such as the German SPRINGERLE, are formed by imprinting designs on the dough, either by rolling a special decoratively carved rolling pin over it or by pressing the dough into a carved COOKIE MOLD. In England, cookies are called biscuits , in Spain they're galletas , Germans call them keks, in Italy they're biscotti and so on.
© Copyright Barron's Educational Services, Inc. 1995 based on THE FOOD LOVER'S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst.
I'm getting a late start today, huh? Busy time of year...work and home-wise. Fortunately, I'm about to wrap-up my work for this week, and I'm going to move on to a little cookie baking.
I'll be making some Barefoot Contessa-inspired jam thumbprint cookies, along with these homemade slice-and-bake sugar cookies.
Let's all just cross our fingers that today's baking goes better than the gingerbread house fiasco...
A cookie can be any of various hand-held, flour-based sweet cakes — either crisp or soft. The word cookie comes from the Dutch koekje , meaning "little cake." The earliest cookie-style cakes are thought to date back to seventh-century Persia, one of the first countries to cultivate sugar. There are six basic cookie styles, any of which can range from tender-crisp to soft. A drop cookie is made by dropping spoonfuls of dough onto a baking sheet. Bar cookies are created when a batter or soft dough is spooned into a shallow pan, then baked, cooled and cut into bars. Hand-formed (or molded) cookies are made by shaping dough by hand into small balls, logs, crescents and other shapes. Pressed cookies are formed by pressing dough through a COOKIE PRESS (or PASTRY BAG) to form fancy shapes and designs. Refrigerator (or icebox) cookies are made by shaping the dough into a log, which is refrigerated until firm, then sliced and baked. Rolled cookies begin by using a rolling pin to roll the dough out flat; then it is cut into decorative shapes with COOKIE CUTTERS or a pointed knife. Other cookies, such as the German SPRINGERLE, are formed by imprinting designs on the dough, either by rolling a special decoratively carved rolling pin over it or by pressing the dough into a carved COOKIE MOLD. In England, cookies are called biscuits , in Spain they're galletas , Germans call them keks, in Italy they're biscotti and so on.
© Copyright Barron's Educational Services, Inc. 1995 based on THE FOOD LOVER'S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst.
I'm getting a late start today, huh? Busy time of year...work and home-wise. Fortunately, I'm about to wrap-up my work for this week, and I'm going to move on to a little cookie baking.
I'll be making some Barefoot Contessa-inspired jam thumbprint cookies, along with these homemade slice-and-bake sugar cookies.
Let's all just cross our fingers that today's baking goes better than the gingerbread house fiasco...
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Old School Thursday: Pig! Edition
We’re reaching a new low today with absolutely nothing of historical foodie significance to note. However, today is National Roast Suckling Pig Day, and that’s a day I can get behind. I love roast suckling pig.
Cooper’s ordered it more than once, with great results, at Tio Pepe, and my parents have had the experience of ordering a whole roast suckling pig for a group (after calling ahead) at Jalapeno’s in Annapolis (possibly the best ever restaurant to share strip mall space with Home Depot).
So I guess even if nothing that exciting happened on December 18th of any year, at least we’ve got the pig.
Cooper’s ordered it more than once, with great results, at Tio Pepe, and my parents have had the experience of ordering a whole roast suckling pig for a group (after calling ahead) at Jalapeno’s in Annapolis (possibly the best ever restaurant to share strip mall space with Home Depot).
So I guess even if nothing that exciting happened on December 18th of any year, at least we’ve got the pig.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Is Drunkeness Passe?
Short answer: no.
A couple of the blogs I read made a point of linking to this NYT Opinion blog post by Susan Cheever, who suggests that "no one gets drunk anymore" because addiction=powerlessness and we're all about power. Plus, apparently people like vacations better than drinking. Or her hypothesis goes something like that.
Here's what the bloggers think about that:
Paige at Deep Glamour, who's about my age, says:
And over at Apartment Therapy, Janel in Chicago asks:
To which her commenters have a variety of answers, obviously influenced by their ages and stages in life. But this is my favorite one, courtesy of commenter K T G:
And to that I say, agreed. Just because Cheever's not drinking doesn't mean that nobody drinks anymore. Her circle isn't the only one out there. This is often my frustration with these softer sort of NYT pieces: the authors are under the impression that whatever's going on in their lives is what's going on in the world.
(As an aside, I'm certainly not saying it's a bad thing that Cheever doesn't drink, or that she's less fun for it. I have some non-drinking friends who are very fun, to say the least. Then again, Cheever doesn't actually sound that fun. But I doubt that's because of her not drinking.)
A couple of the blogs I read made a point of linking to this NYT Opinion blog post by Susan Cheever, who suggests that "no one gets drunk anymore" because addiction=powerlessness and we're all about power. Plus, apparently people like vacations better than drinking. Or her hypothesis goes something like that.
Here's what the bloggers think about that:
Paige at Deep Glamour, who's about my age, says:
Maybe it's a generational thing (I'm in my 30s), but I see plenty of drunken behavior... So Ms. Cheever can wax nostalgic all she wants about the days of drunken antics but I say, Look out your window girl. It's the holiday in New York. Three-fourths of those people out there are already drunk.
And over at Apartment Therapy, Janel in Chicago asks:
Have times changed?
To which her commenters have a variety of answers, obviously influenced by their ages and stages in life. But this is my favorite one, courtesy of commenter K T G:
It's funny how things are out of fashion when you get too old for them.
And to that I say, agreed. Just because Cheever's not drinking doesn't mean that nobody drinks anymore. Her circle isn't the only one out there. This is often my frustration with these softer sort of NYT pieces: the authors are under the impression that whatever's going on in their lives is what's going on in the world.
(As an aside, I'm certainly not saying it's a bad thing that Cheever doesn't drink, or that she's less fun for it. I have some non-drinking friends who are very fun, to say the least. Then again, Cheever doesn't actually sound that fun. But I doubt that's because of her not drinking.)
Artsy Wednesday: Picasso the Art Historian
Guess what? This is my 700th post! It's the first time I've noticed when I was writing a "milestone" post. Seven hundred. Wow that's a lot of hours, huh?
So I suppose, since this is my 700th post, that it's only fitting that it's the first "and how, exactly, is this about food?" post that I've written in a while. Don't worry, if you just hang in there, it'll be about food.
In yesterday's Washington Post, Blake Gopnik reviewed a Picasso exhibit that was surely designed to personally torment me. Spread across Paris, at the Musee d'Orsay, the Louvre and the Grand Palais, the exhibit is called "Picasso and the Masters" and it is, in Gopnik's words, "not so much about Picasso the artist as Picasso the art historian."
At this point in the article, Gopnik begs his readers not to ditch him - but how could they? (Oh, not everybody's an art history geek, you say? OK then.) The exhibit places recognized masterpieces alongside Picasso's works - sometimes studies of the original painting itself (Picasso, late in his career, painted 41 versions of Manet's Dejeuner sur l'herbe) and sometimes with works in which the influence is less explicitly obvious.
I emailed the article to Erin and Libby - Erin replied with an immediate suggestion that we go to Paris (alas, not very practical, especially since she's going to Egypt in a few weeks). It's not really an exhibit that could travel, but wow. Wouldn't it be amazing to see? I'd even love to read the catalog.
OK, so how is this about food? Well, there's the obvious: half the article is dedicated to Dejeuner sur l'herbe, which is all about a picnic.
But here's the less obvious answer: Chefs, like painters, are influenced by their predecessors and studying that influence is a pretty fascinating subject. The article also dedicates some column inches to reminding the reader that Picasso, even in old age, was relentlessly competitive and full of ego. Sounds chef-like, huh?
As Gopnik notes, Picasso is also a painter who, by embracing cubism, broke with thousands of years of painterly tradition. As I've mentioned here before, I see a parallel between cubism and molecular gastronomy. Ferran Adria as Picasso?
Just like last week, when I wrote about modern art and molecular gastronomy, I'm having a sort of "too. many. ideas." problem - it's difficult for me to be articulate when I'm just so excited.
So I suppose, since this is my 700th post, that it's only fitting that it's the first "and how, exactly, is this about food?" post that I've written in a while. Don't worry, if you just hang in there, it'll be about food.
In yesterday's Washington Post, Blake Gopnik reviewed a Picasso exhibit that was surely designed to personally torment me. Spread across Paris, at the Musee d'Orsay, the Louvre and the Grand Palais, the exhibit is called "Picasso and the Masters" and it is, in Gopnik's words, "not so much about Picasso the artist as Picasso the art historian."
At this point in the article, Gopnik begs his readers not to ditch him - but how could they? (Oh, not everybody's an art history geek, you say? OK then.) The exhibit places recognized masterpieces alongside Picasso's works - sometimes studies of the original painting itself (Picasso, late in his career, painted 41 versions of Manet's Dejeuner sur l'herbe) and sometimes with works in which the influence is less explicitly obvious.
I emailed the article to Erin and Libby - Erin replied with an immediate suggestion that we go to Paris (alas, not very practical, especially since she's going to Egypt in a few weeks). It's not really an exhibit that could travel, but wow. Wouldn't it be amazing to see? I'd even love to read the catalog.
OK, so how is this about food? Well, there's the obvious: half the article is dedicated to Dejeuner sur l'herbe, which is all about a picnic.
But here's the less obvious answer: Chefs, like painters, are influenced by their predecessors and studying that influence is a pretty fascinating subject. The article also dedicates some column inches to reminding the reader that Picasso, even in old age, was relentlessly competitive and full of ego. Sounds chef-like, huh?
As Gopnik notes, Picasso is also a painter who, by embracing cubism, broke with thousands of years of painterly tradition. As I've mentioned here before, I see a parallel between cubism and molecular gastronomy. Ferran Adria as Picasso?
Just like last week, when I wrote about modern art and molecular gastronomy, I'm having a sort of "too. many. ideas." problem - it's difficult for me to be articulate when I'm just so excited.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Quotable Tuesday: Lists
Pick up any national magazine, flip through the pages, and count the number of short articles you see. They can include those little 3-inch fillers, short quizzes, 400-word “how-to” articles or resource boxes. Editors love them. - Joan Stewart, writing a list of ways to get published
A lot of writers complain a lot about how lame lists are. They're all over national pubs and, OK, some of them are really pretty pathetic.
But, you know, the more I write, the more I kind of like a list. Maybe I'm a hack, but I find lists really satisfying. Easy, yes, but who says writing has to be total hell? Also, don't tell anyone for fear of me ruining my literati cred, but I love reading lists.
This is probably why four of the last five Examiner articles I've written have been lists. They're not bad, though - all holiday party and gift ideas. Possibly even helpful, if you're looking for something to buy me, at least.
Are lists really that bad?
Monday, December 15, 2008
Trendy Monday: 2008 in M&G Food Trends
What a big weekend, food-wise. But I'll get to that later, in subsequent posts. Right now, I want to focus on the "trendy." I just took a quick run through all the "trendy" posts I've written this year, just to get an idea if there are any patterns, anything interesting, anything shockingly prescient. On the last, well, maybe not so much, though I'm certainly not wrong about things (I don't think).
Ignoring general posts, like ones linking to Epicurious' list of trends or awkward attempts to connect what I did over the weekend to a "trend", here's a complete list of what I found "trendy" this year, grouped into neat little categories:
Places - Broad
St. Petersburg
Baltimore (and this) (possibly cheating?)
Peru
Medellin
South America (in general)
Ireland
Places - Specific
Old school Italian delis
Obika Mozzarella Bar
Covered markets (and more)
Buffets (and their demise)
Lunch trucks
Ingredients/Foods
Peanut butter
Salty chocolate
Ginger
Sriracha
Pistachios
Pig
Crazy new products like eggos with syrup and anything made in Japan
Savory desserts
Vegetables at the center of the plate
Disease-fighting food
Yuzu
Brussels sprouts
Eras
70's (especially the drinks)
Early 60's (Mad Men)
Wine
Fakery and wine counterfeiting
Plastic wine bottles
Chinese wine drinking
The Zork
Sake2Me
Wine label info
Research
Global spending trends
Ethnography and food product design
Concepts
Richard Blais and his "whiteboard"
Supermom glamour
Zombies & vampires (to be fair, this one had nothing to do with food)
The homegrown/locovore movement, its detractors and its rabid fans
Urban agriculture
Foodie as a lifestyle choice
Mainstreaming "green"
Handmade everything
Food acoustics
It's a little overwhelming, isn't it?
Ignoring general posts, like ones linking to Epicurious' list of trends or awkward attempts to connect what I did over the weekend to a "trend", here's a complete list of what I found "trendy" this year, grouped into neat little categories:
Places - Broad
St. Petersburg
Baltimore (and this) (possibly cheating?)
Peru
Medellin
South America (in general)
Ireland
Places - Specific
Old school Italian delis
Obika Mozzarella Bar
Covered markets (and more)
Buffets (and their demise)
Lunch trucks
Ingredients/Foods
Peanut butter
Salty chocolate
Ginger
Sriracha
Pistachios
Pig
Crazy new products like eggos with syrup and anything made in Japan
Savory desserts
Vegetables at the center of the plate
Disease-fighting food
Yuzu
Brussels sprouts
Eras
70's (especially the drinks)
Early 60's (Mad Men)
Wine
Fakery and wine counterfeiting
Plastic wine bottles
Chinese wine drinking
The Zork
Sake2Me
Wine label info
Research
Global spending trends
Ethnography and food product design
Concepts
Richard Blais and his "whiteboard"
Supermom glamour
Zombies & vampires (to be fair, this one had nothing to do with food)
The homegrown/locovore movement, its detractors and its rabid fans
Urban agriculture
Foodie as a lifestyle choice
Mainstreaming "green"
Handmade everything
Food acoustics
It's a little overwhelming, isn't it?
Friday, December 12, 2008
Dictionary Friday: Gift
gift
1. something given voluntarily without payment in return, as to show favor toward someone, honor an occasion, or make a gesture of assistance; present.
2. the act of giving.
3. something bestowed or acquired without any particular effort by the recipient or without its being earned: Those extra points he got in the game were a total gift.
4. a special ability or capacity; natural endowment; talent: the gift of saying the right thing at the right time. –verb (used with object)
5. to present with as a gift; bestow gifts upon; endow with.
6. to present (someone) with a gift: just the thing to gift the newlyweds.
I've got gifts on my mind lately. For one thing, yesterday, Cooper's mom watched Dixon for the day and I did nearly all of my Christmas shopping - which was a huge relief. It's different to shop when you've got a two year old in the house (Dixon's letter to Santa was pretty hilarious, but he did make Mommy proud by asking for a kitchen and a toolbench.)
On top of that, today's Cooper's birthday. Really, we'll be celebrating all weekend, but we kick off tonight with dinner at Mama's on the Half Shell. We haven't been there in a while, and I've been ready to eat there ever since October, when we used dinner at Mama's as a cover for Bill's surprise 35th birthday party (related: apparently I never wrote about that party? Well, it was fun.)
And finally, I've been busy over at Examiner.com writing a short series about great gifts for foodies. I've got one more to write next week (the "over $100" category) but if you're looking for gifts for...I don't know...me, you could do worse than something on this list or this one.
Also, if you're looking for some cool places to shop, try one of these:
1. something given voluntarily without payment in return, as to show favor toward someone, honor an occasion, or make a gesture of assistance; present.
2. the act of giving.
3. something bestowed or acquired without any particular effort by the recipient or without its being earned: Those extra points he got in the game were a total gift.
4. a special ability or capacity; natural endowment; talent: the gift of saying the right thing at the right time. –verb (used with object)
5. to present with as a gift; bestow gifts upon; endow with.
6. to present (someone) with a gift: just the thing to gift the newlyweds.
I've got gifts on my mind lately. For one thing, yesterday, Cooper's mom watched Dixon for the day and I did nearly all of my Christmas shopping - which was a huge relief. It's different to shop when you've got a two year old in the house (Dixon's letter to Santa was pretty hilarious, but he did make Mommy proud by asking for a kitchen and a toolbench.)
On top of that, today's Cooper's birthday. Really, we'll be celebrating all weekend, but we kick off tonight with dinner at Mama's on the Half Shell. We haven't been there in a while, and I've been ready to eat there ever since October, when we used dinner at Mama's as a cover for Bill's surprise 35th birthday party (related: apparently I never wrote about that party? Well, it was fun.)
And finally, I've been busy over at Examiner.com writing a short series about great gifts for foodies. I've got one more to write next week (the "over $100" category) but if you're looking for gifts for...I don't know...me, you could do worse than something on this list or this one.
Also, if you're looking for some cool places to shop, try one of these:
- The MICA Art Market. In the Brown Building - that newish, cool, modern building on Mount Royal. I went to the art market yesterday and bought two gifts for other people and one for me. There's a ton of cool stuff there.
- Gore Dean Antiques. This newish location in the old Smith & Hawken building in Mt. Washington is full of tons of cool stuff. Especially if you have an unlimited budget.
- A Carroll Colonial Christmas at the Mount Clare Mansion. This is this afternoon (2-4) and all day tomorrow (10-4) and kickass local food and design blogger Pigtown Pigout (aka Meg) will be there, selling her wares.
- Also, think about buying some jewelry from theminx. Support your local bloggers!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Idea
I woke up in the middle of the night last night with an idea for a new blog. I'm not going to start it - I've got enough going on - but I still think it's a good idea.
It would be a celebrity chef gossip blog (between Rachael, Rocco and Mario alone I think it would be easy to post at least once a day). And the name? Crème Mêlée .
Kind of cute, right? If anyone would like to start it, feel free.
It would be a celebrity chef gossip blog (between Rachael, Rocco and Mario alone I think it would be easy to post at least once a day). And the name? Crème Mêlée .
Kind of cute, right? If anyone would like to start it, feel free.
Old School Thursday: Kraft Edition
National Noodle-Ring Day? I don’t even think I know what that means.
Today is also St. Gentian’s Day – he’s the patron saint of innkeepers. A lot of our understanding of early restaurant behavior comes from how people ate at inns, so I personally am thankful to St. Gentian and his ilk for providing me with some interesting history to read.
In actual historical news, today is James Lewis Kraft’s birthday (1874). Not only did he found Kraft Co., known to millions for their single slices and blue-box mac and cheese, he also patented pasteurized cheese. It would be easy to argue, of course, that in doing so, he did the food world a disservice, but the reality is that his invention has fed soldiers and the less fortunate (and Dixon) for years and years. Happy Birthday, Mr. Kraft!
Today is also St. Gentian’s Day – he’s the patron saint of innkeepers. A lot of our understanding of early restaurant behavior comes from how people ate at inns, so I personally am thankful to St. Gentian and his ilk for providing me with some interesting history to read.
In actual historical news, today is James Lewis Kraft’s birthday (1874). Not only did he found Kraft Co., known to millions for their single slices and blue-box mac and cheese, he also patented pasteurized cheese. It would be easy to argue, of course, that in doing so, he did the food world a disservice, but the reality is that his invention has fed soldiers and the less fortunate (and Dixon) for years and years. Happy Birthday, Mr. Kraft!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Artsy Wednesday: Molecular Gastronomy & Modern Art
Occasionally I'll run across something that feels so familiar to me, just so right, that it's almost hard to believe that I didn't write it myself. That's certainly the case with this article, written by Morgan Meis and Stefany Anne Goldberg for The Smart Set.
The article is called "Palate or Palette?" and it's subtitled "the like problems behind molecular gastronomy and modern artmaking." Sounds like something I'd write, doesn't it? And check this out, from the second half of the piece:
I love reading articles like this because it validates my way of thinking. At the same time, I sort of find it hard to comment on. I mean, yes, I agree. But I don't actually have that much to add - it's possible that I just agree too much to even think critically about the topic.
But still, cool to read.
The article is called "Palate or Palette?" and it's subtitled "the like problems behind molecular gastronomy and modern artmaking." Sounds like something I'd write, doesn't it? And check this out, from the second half of the piece:
A chef like Ferran Adrià is not unlike Andy Warhol. Warhol saw popular culture as fecund subject matter for aesthetic experimentation, not as something to be shunned in the name of "real art." He mashed traditional art forms like portraiture and painting with household commodities and industrial production techniques. Adrià sees the tools of modern food production — the same tools that give us freeze-dried vegetables and Top Ramen — in roughly the same way.In fact, the article's thesis fits neatly with this post of mine.
I love reading articles like this because it validates my way of thinking. At the same time, I sort of find it hard to comment on. I mean, yes, I agree. But I don't actually have that much to add - it's possible that I just agree too much to even think critically about the topic.
But still, cool to read.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Quotable Tuesday: Christmas Dinner
“In my experience, clever food is not appreciated at Christmas. It makes the little ones cry and the old ones nervous.”- Jane Grigson
While I know that British food writer Jane Grigson has it right, I sometimes think it's kind of too bad. In my mind, it would be fun to cook a crazy, fancy Christmas dinner.
Of course, then I remember that by the time Christmas rolls around, I'm a big ball of stress, thanks to all the parties and the shopping and the birthdays (mine, Cooper's, my brother's) that fall in the days right around the holiday. There are too many people to see and too many things to wrap for me to really worry about cooking some sort of fancy meal.
Speaking of which, I have done exactly zero shopping. This is the first year that Dixon's really grasped the concept of Christmas, too, so expectations are running high.
I guess it's a good thing we got our abomination of a gingerbread house out of the way last week. That's one less thing for me to worry about right now.
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