Nutrition
Mar 28 2009, 1:07 pmFixing the Food Safety System: New Ideas
Given that polls show that nearly 75% of Americans are more afraid of food than they are of terrorists, isn't it time to fix our food safety regulation? America's two-agency system -- the FDA and the USDA regulate different but connected fields -- is part of the problem.read more
Photo by MACSURAK/FlickrCC
Mixmaster
Mar 28 2009, 1:00 pmBavaria's World-Class Smoked Beer
Schlenkerla, one of the world's best beers, is made using a rare technique of drying malt over an open flame. The result is the deep and truly unique flavor of smoked sausage. Some U.S. breweries are starting to learn, trying out the style for themselves.read more
Photo by House of Sims/Flickr CC
Mixmaster
Mar 27 2009, 4:30 pmMargaritas to Martinis, the Magic Ingredient
Salt can vastly improve a cocktail, especially one with sweet flavors. Innovations like salt-air and salt mixed with citrus zest have made this crucial little spice more prevalent than ever. Done right, you won't even know it's there.read more
Photo by Sally Schneider
Home Cooking
Mar 27 2009, 12:45 pmSayulita, Haven of Coastal Mexican Food
In this fishing village 35 miles north of Puerto Vallarta, tourists mingle with jovial locals over boiled corn, homemade flan, and oysters cooked on makeshift grills. Everywhere there are soft tacos made with pork, marlin, shrimp, and, often, birria -- stewed goat in a rich, red chile-based sauceread more
Photo by stevelyon/Flickr CC
Home Cooking
Mar 27 2009, 12:43 pmRecipe: Corn With Crème Fraiche, Lime, and Chili
Inspired by a street food offering in Sayulita, Mexico, this revisionist version is a great use for less-than-perfect summer corn or leftover grilled or boiled corn on the cob. An intense version of creamed corn, it makes a terrific side dish.read more
Photo by mroach/FlickrCC
Home Cooking
Mar 27 2009, 12:38 pmRecipe: Soft Tacos With Roasted Meat
Shredded meats, slow-cooked or roasted, warmed in their juices, make perfect fillings for soft tacos. I usually eat these at the stove, one-by-one as they come out of the pan. This is less a recipe than a rough method, distilled from several trips to Mexico.read more
Photo by Pink Sherbet Photography/FlickrCC
Nutrition
Mar 27 2009, 9:49 amIs Mere Proximity to Fast Food Bad for Kids?
Kids who go to high schools located within 500 feet of a fast food outlet are fatter than kids whose schools are further away, according to a recent study. What are the implications for kids, for schools, for neighborhoods, and for concerned legislators?read more
Photo by Carol Ann Sayle
On the Farm
Mar 27 2009, 8:45 amAphids, Tiny Harlots On the Loose
Multiplying prolifically, they're the scourge of farms, flying in on gusty, dry north winds. Or they are placed on the vegetable plants by their pimps, the fire ants. We cannot abide the aphids, as they obviously don't possess morals, and are greedy to boot.read more
Photo by Martin Gray, Flickr CC
In the Vineyard
Mar 27 2009, 8:45 amIn Bordeaux, Big Wines and Big Jerks
From ascots to sports cars, what makes the Bordealais so uptight, so proper, so bothersome? And yet, they're such great vintners. History offers some possibly explanations. I know what some of you are saying: "They're French, what do you expect?"read more
Photo by NicolasMcComber/iStockphoto
Everybody's a Critic
Mar 27 2009, 8:44 amMerguez: Who Does it Better, NYC or D.C.?
The North African sausage of ground beef and lamb is hot right now, popping up on menus -- it might even be this year's passion fruit. But which culinary capital does it better, New York or Washington? In a by-no-means scientific taste-test, the two cities duke it out.read more
Photo by [puamelia]/FlickrCC
Nutrition
Mar 26 2009, 1:45 pmWhat, Exactly, Is a Healthful Food?
Food companies are always trying to convince you their products are healthful. But what does "healthy" really mean, beyond marketing hype? Finally, researchers offer a working definition that has nothing to do with symbols, scoring systems, or any other marketing gimmicks.read more
Photo by Daphne Zepos
Artisans
Mar 26 2009, 12:45 pmA Cheese of Romance and Transition
Named after a band of French Resistance guerrillas, Fleur de Maquis epitomizes the end of winter. It is rubbed with rosemary, juniper berries, fennel seeds, and tiny red chili peppers. A fresh, mild, moist sheep's milk cheese made on the island of Corsica in the Mediterranean.read more
Photo by Ryan Stiner
Behind the Counter
Mar 26 2009, 9:25 amThe Secret History of Bagels
Want to make the perfect bagel? It's all about understanding the heritage and tradition. Follow their centuries-old story across immigrant trails, ethnic strife, labor activism, and underground political movements. From 15th-century Poland to 21st-century New York, bagels have been through it all.read more
Photo by Faith Willinger
Abroad
Mar 26 2009, 8:25 amDiscoveries at a Florence Festival
Taste, a great gastronomic fair, is full of new and rare delights, like rice dishes producing with a special vacuum seal and imaginatively flavored with wasabi, ginger-lemon, licorice, saffron, red wine, and more. The result is like Rice Krispies from another planet.read more
Photo by Diego Cupolo, Flickr CC
Abroad
Mar 26 2009, 8:25 amThe Charm of Austrian Pumpkin Seed Oil
Hand-pressed in village centers, it's good on just about anything -- especially ice cream, yogurt, or a fresh salad. And as a dressing for salad or vegetables, the dark-green oil is sublime. Pumpkin seed oil isn't obscure, but it's more obscure than it deserves to be.read more
Photo by borderlys/Flickr CC
Nutrition
Mar 25 2009, 9:45 amWhat Do I Think of Açaí?
What should we think about Açaí, the latest miracle fruit that is supposed to cure whatever ails us? The research may look formidable at first, but its conclusions are simple: Açaí juice contains antioxidants. The bottom line: so do all juices.read more
Photo by ktylerconk/FlickrCC
On the Farm
Mar 25 2009, 8:40 amHow About a White House Chicken Flock?
The Obamas' new garden is great news -- just ask Alice Waters. But why stop there? Keeping a live chicken flock was once the norm for farmers as well as city-dwellers, and, more than just eco-friendly, live chickens are great exercise. read more
Photo courtesy of the New York Public Library
Mixmaster
Mar 25 2009, 8:40 amThe Story of the American Mixologist
It's more than just a bartender, but no one's quite sure how to define mixologist -- much less "bar chef" of "mixicologist." This question, far from new, has been around for 150 years. As long as there have been mixologists in America, there has been confusion about what makes one.read more
Photo by Lara Kastner
Back of the House
Mar 25 2009, 8:40 amInspired in the Dark on a Tatami Mat
A provocative chef experiences a provocative meal. Oddities? How about starting with the snowball? Presentation matters -- context changes the way you perceive, and thus taste, food. Sometimes it takes traveling to distant countries to remember this lesson.read more
Photo by Terrence Henry
Abroad
Mar 24 2009, 5:00 pmDirty Wars and Long Lunches
On Argentina's "Truth and Justice Memorial Day," reflections on a country's difficult history and the peace it now enjoys. Sharing a sumptuous meal with friends and family over a big, Argentinian steak and a bottle of Malbec is just as fine a way as any to say "never again."read moreNutrition
Mar 24 2009, 10:38 amIs Meat Bad for Your Health?
A new study from the Archives of Internal Medicine says yes. People who eat the most red meat have a 20 to 30 percent increased risk of premature mortality. In an accompanying editorial, Barry Popkin points out additional reasons to consider eating less meat: food prices, the environment, and climate change.read moreMy Transformation
Mar 24 2009, 8:45 amWhen Every Diet Fails, the Radical Solution
The story of a man's complicated relationship with food and the radical surgery he had to undergo. The bio-psycho-social model of obesity is something people who aren't obese don't spend much time thinking about. Here's a diary of the experience in near-real time -- with all of its emotional, psychological, and gastronomic effects. read more
Photo by Tim Gaylord
Everybody's a Critic
Mar 24 2009, 8:45 amFancy Ham Next to Zabar's? Oy!
Who, you might ask, had the brilliant idea of opening a food store and restaurant dedicated to selling salumi on the Upper West Side of New York in the midst of the second worst recession in a century? The Ambassador of Italian cuisine and a top Hollywood designer.read more
Photo by Jarrett Wrisley
Abroad
Mar 24 2009, 8:45 amSurviving One of Asia's Strangest Festivals
Every year, 1.5 million Tamil Hindus from across Malaysia descend on Kuala Lumpur for a raucous mix of religion, spectacle, and food. The festival honors the birth of the Lord Marugan, the Tamil god of war, and it is the largest celebration of its kind. It is also transportingly strange.read more
Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images
Corby's Fresh Feeds
Mar 23 2009, 1:00 pmAlice W, Michelle O, and Wall-E
I WONDERED how happy Alice Waters would be seeing Michelle Obama dig up the White House Lawn. So I called her up.read more
Photo by Maria Robledo
Home Cooking
Mar 23 2009, 1:00 pmMaking Your Own Flavored Oils
Flavors like tender herb, garlic, and citrus are easy to make, and vastly improve any dish that uses olive oil. All you need is olive oil, salt, an appropriate flavoring and a little imagination. Your reward is a wonderful addition to any dish that uses olive oil.read more
Photo by Carol Ann Sayle
On the Farm
Mar 23 2009, 9:30 amOnesy: The Little Hen That Could
A small red hen named Onesy survives the skunk attack that killed her sisters -- but barely, and she becomes an outcast among her competitive cousins. But a bit of help and nurturing puts her back in the pecking order.read moreCorby's Fresh Feeds
Mar 23 2009, 9:04 amWelcome, Nina and Tim!
UP NOW Wouldn't you like the Zagats telling you where they ate and their views of the restaurant business? read more
Photo by ZagatBuzz/Flickr CC
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