Reading Material - Part I

In my last post I mentioned the local chefs still in contention for one of the James Beard awards. In addition to the chef and restaurant awards, there's a whole panoply of various media and journalism award nominations. I started rooting around to see how many of the nominated pieces are available online and thought I'd share the links for this extended reading list. I doubt I'll ever plow through all of them, but some that I'd already come across - like the piece on Schwa chef Michael Carlson - are excellent.

Some I can not turn up at all, some may be limited access, and I'll be doing this in at least two installments. Again, the whole list of nominees is here.

VIDEO WEBCAST
Obsessives: School Lunch Revolutionary - chow.com
The Art of Blending - graperadio.com
Savoring the Best of World Flavors, Volume III: Vietnam and the Island of Sicily - ciaprochef.com

NEWSPAPER FEATURE WRITING ABOUT RESTAURANTS AND/OR CHEFS
Big Night. Big Mystery: Why Did Michael Carlson Vanish the Day After Serving Dinner to the Greatest Chefs in the World? - Monica Eng, Phil Vettel, Chicago Tribune
Sushi Bullies - Katy McLaughlin, Wall Street Journal
Sound Check - Tom Sietsema, Washington Post

NEWSPAPER FEATURE WRITING W/O RECIPES
Morality Bites: Mustering Some Sympathy for the Bedeviled Ham and Beef - Monica Eng, Chicago Tribune
The Pope of Pork - Kristen Hinman, Riverfront Times
The Tender and the Tough - Craig LaBan, Philadelphia Inquirer

NEWSPAPER FEATURE WRITING W/ RECIPES
High on the Hairy Hogs: Super-Succulent Imports are Everything U.S. Pork Isn't - Rebekah Denn, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Perfection? Hint: It's Warm and Has a Secret - David Leite, New York Times

NEWSPAPER FOOD SECTION
Chicago Tribune - Carol Mighton Haddix
San Francisco Chronicle - Jon Bonné and Mirlam Morgan
Washington Post - Joe Yonan

MAGAZINE FEATURE WRITING ABOUT RESTAURANTS AND/OR CHEFS
Eating Small in New York - Alan Richman, Departures
The Grilling Genius of Spain - Anya von Bremzen, Food & Wine

MAGAZINE FEATURE WRITING W/ RECIPES
What is Southern? - Edna Lewis, Gourmet
The Wild Salmon Debate: A Fresh Look at Whether Eating Farmed Salmon is ... Well ... OK - David Dobbs, EatingWell

More to follow.

"Modern Gastronomy"

I know I promised Spain posts. It's coming, really. In the meantime, though, some thoughts on the latest entry into the blogosphere, Grant Achatz, chef of Alinea, doing a column in a new Food Section in the Atlantic Online. I note it not just because it's always enlightening to know what Achatz is thinking, but also because in his first entry he describes what he's doing (cooking-wise and such) as "modern gastronomy." I somehow like that so much better than "molecular gastronomy," which still sounds to me like dropping acid and eating a twinkie.

I had notions of doing a lengthier discussion here of "molecular gastronomy" and the alternatives, yet was phumphering around for an elegant solution. I think people (and by "people," I may mean "journalists") like to use "molecular gastronomy" not because it's particularly descriptive or accurate, but because it sounds cool. But - even aside from the misuse of the term, as noted by Ferran Adria, Heston Blumenthal, Thomas Keller, and Harold McGee a couple years ago, all of whom disclaimed that they were doing "molecular gastronomy" (though as far as holding back the use of the term, it seems they were fighting a losing battle), "molecular gastronomy" carries with it some implicit baggage. The "molecular" in particular seems to bring the (often inaccurate or at least overplayed) connotation that it's all about eating food from a chemistry set, as well as the (also often inaccurate) assumption that using contemporary techniques, concepts or ingredients is somehow antithetical to caring about the quality of the ingredients or their expression in a finished dish.

"Modern gastronomy" doesn't have the high-tech effect of "molecular," but, hey, it's still "modern". I'll take that trade-off. Plus, it still keeps the brainy-sounding multisyllabic "gastronomy." And for those who have taken to acronymizing "molecular gastronomy" into "M.G." - no further thought needed.

So - "modern gastronomy"?

Spain ... On the Road

Yup, just me, Batali, Bittman, Gwyneth, and Claudia Bassols (ahh...), driving around in fancy cars, blathering on endlessly and mindlessly, and occasionally having some tapas or something. OK, it's actually just me and Mrs. F, no fancy cars, and we'll spare you our mindless blather. But we will be doing some good eating in Spain and I will report back, though it may not be until our return. If I get the chance, I'll apologize to the King and Queen for Mario's linguistic foibles. When I return, I promise, in addition to reports from España, lots more Miami restaurant discussion, and less cursing and porn references. Adios amigos.

South Beach Wine & Food Festival Recap

Other than taking my kids to a very silly "Kidz Cooking" demonstration with Giada DeLaurentiis a couple years ago (where they learned how to not complete a single dish in 45 minutes), I have generally steered clear of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. Too many yahoos, too much bad wine, too expensive. Just for the price of one of the "Grand Tasting" events ($200+ a head), for instance, I can do some quite fine eating on my own, thank you, usually without being elbowed by a bunch of inebriated chuckleheads.

But it's still always fun to hear reports from the front. Here were some of my favorites: Mario Batali shouting down the noisy "weasel f---wads" at the Viva Espana dinner (and apparently playing some grab-ass with Jose Andres too), lots of coverage from Eater, lots of pix from New Times, Feedbag's weird crush on Rachael Ray (though his obsession is probably healtheir than this guy's), plus this nice little bit of gossip:

Item! Mr. Snitch tells me that a certain chef had quite a wake-up call when, after a night of carousing out on the town, he picked up a floozy and headed back to his hotel. The next morning, the befuddled toque, one of New York’s most lauded talents, found himself hungover, alone, naked, and without his phone or
any of his cash. It’s a jungle out there, chef! Watch out!

(sounds like any meal at Barton G).

Things I can happily live without: Paula Deen losing her pants (Stop Crack!), Sandra Lee's semi-homemade cocktails (replete with goofy silver-painted dudes standing like statues).

A Foodie By Any Other Name

I don't know that I'm quite ready to take on "molecular gastronomy" yet, but how about smaller prey - "foodie"? A Dallas writer sneers at the term, "except perhaps in mocking form." Why? Well, with all those amateur, non-elitist connotations, it just seems so Palin-esque. So what does he suggest instead? How about "gourmand"? I know it sounds a little snooty, but we should be assured that it's not pretentious because "Gourmands may know foie gras, but they may also deeply appreciate peasant fare." Ahh, yes, peasant fare. That's what these folks eat, right?

But then we really get to the heart of the matter: "Ultimately, I shy from 'foodie' because some of this self-styled set in this town rave eloquently about mediocre dishes and drinks." So a "gourmand" is a "foodie" whose tastes agree with mine. Glad to have that cleared up.