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October 24, 2005

The Best Recipes in the World

WorldbittmanMark Bittman, author of the NYTimes column, The Minimalist, and the indispensable How to Cook Everything.

The Best Recipes in the World is just you'd expect from Bittman--a collection of recipes from around the world, presented in a familar "Minimalist" format including ingredients that can be easily found at your neighborhood grocery store, suggested variations, and each coded to indicate whether it is "make ahead," "serve at room temp./cold," or "30 minutes or less."

The cookbook is organized in the traditional cookbook format--by course. I think this makes sense because it's familar to most of us, but I've already bookmarked the "Recipes by Cuisine" index in the back of the cookbook. Browsing by cuisine is how this belly works.

Masala Winter Squash was the first recipe I tried. I don't cook winter squash that often, but it came in our bi-weekly fruit and veggie box delivery, so I was happy to experiment.The recipe was easy to follow and the end result belly satisfying.

What other people are saying:

Pinoy Cook: "The idea of grilling adobo was something I picked up from Mark Bittman’s The Best Recipes in the World. When I read it, my first reaction was to raise my eyebrows. Like, here’s another foreigner bastarizing my country’s beloved adobo. But then I considered if his innovations detracted from the adoboness of adobo to justify judging it as a bastarized recipe. Truth is, despite sounding different, it was adobo through and through. . ."

Snack Blog: ". . . The international pantry section is particularly helpful and it seems the key to global cooking, as Bittman points out, most techniques are universal, it’s the ingredients that make the difference."

Related: Bittman answers questions on cooking global cuisine.


October 21, 2005

Airport Dining

WSJ rounds up your dining options at airports around the country.

October 20, 2005

The Waning of Zagat

M.U.G. takes the words right out of my mouth re: "the waning of Zagat":

. . . That's in part due to the company's feeble use of the web. There are alternatives available online that are free, more up-to-date, and more edifyingly free-wheeling than the ludicrous Zagat formula of one sentence per restaurant. Much more useful information is available from sites such as eGullet, Eater, Epicurious, Chowhound, Menu Pages, and bloggers like Andrea Strong. Zagat's time as a central culinary touchstone has passed.

Food porn: Alinea's new menu

Wow. Photos of the new menu at Chicago's Alinea. This is no ordinary menu. Don't miss the Idiazabal cheese.

Steve the Pumpkin becomes cheesecake

PumpkinVisualrecipes.com: "Steve the Pumpkin" becomes pumpkin cheesecake.

When to avoid ordering fish

Ask Metafilter: Fact or fiction : All (or most) NYC restaurants get their fish deliveries on the same day every week.

October 19, 2005

Cilantro Storage Test


Cilantro Storage Test
Originally uploaded by bexn.

Read the rest of the details of beXn's nearly scientific cilantro storage test.

October 18, 2005

Zagat.com free Nov. 1-7

If you enjoy Zagat Survey and wish you could browse their online reviews for free, your wish will be granted November 1st-7th when you'll be able to sign up for free access.

Reviews of New Foods

McSweeney's Reviews of New Foods. You will laugh, at least once. Reminds me of my experience with Reed's Ginger Ice Cream this weekend. Somehow, they've managed to capture the worst kind of ginger beer flavor (and I like ginger!), and stick it in ice cream. Not recommended.

October 15, 2005

Monday breakfast


Monday breakfast
Originally uploaded by satanslaundromat.

Mike's Japan food diary as documented on Flickr.

October 13, 2005

sustainable food movement paradox

The sustainable food movement paradox:

.... Demand for locally and sustainably grown food is concentrated in cities; but prices for farmland near cities are severely inflated by development pressure. Where farmland is cheap, people are poor and accustomed to industrial food. Where people are wealthy and attracted to healthy food, farmland is dear.

ancient noodles

Chinese researchers have unearthed a 4,000 year-old container of noodles in Northwestern China, perhaps settling the debate over who invented this most perfect of foods. The noodles are the oldest prepared food found intact.

Carlo Petrini

I was out of town this weekend, so I missed Slow Food founder Carlo Petrini's visit to the Bay area. Thankfully, Amy recaps.

October 04, 2005

Shake it to December

NYC This week is Shacktoberfest '05 at the Shake Shack. This means lots of bellies full of beer, sausuage, and bloats (beer + frozen custard). And I'm guessing a bellyache or two. Burger season has been extended until December 23rd, when the Shack will close for the winter.

October 03, 2005

Julie and Julia

Julie and Julia the book is now out, which means Julie is blogging again. Sort of.

Aumtumn Omakase

CoverautumnomakaseAutumn Omakase A Tasting Menu from Tatsu Nishino of Nishino is the second electronic cookbook from our friends at Tastingmenu.com. I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with this beautiful cookbook.