Burdened with a truly lousy cover, an exploding pumpkin (apparently other copies featured an equally ugly exploding ear of corn) -- quite an achievement in an age when every ha'penny (well, free) food blog boasts succulent photography - the October 12, 2008 Food Issue of The New York Times Magazine, titled "Food Fights!" offers a panoply of food for thought (yes, groan).
And if you don't subscribe, or missed picking one up on the stands, there's lots of stuff to chew over - virtually the entire magazine (pun intended) -- online.
There's Mark Bittman on taking food seriously, i.e. "as more than a necessary fuel...and looking for something more wholesome."
Deborah Solomon interviews Robert Kenner, director of the yet-unreleased documentary Food Inc.
William Safire deconstructs trendy food words including superfood, Frankenfoods, nutraceuticals, and locavorism.
(Image via Flickr)
Food porn is a well-documented phenomenon. Less so is its predecessor: Menu porn. (Predecessor, because one must consult the menu before they get to the food.)
In some cases, menu porn might be visual as well, with pictures. But the hottest menus to me are the ones with artfully written offerings, whether it's a good description or a clever name. Consider these sexy items:
Sweet Ending
Assorted truffles & house-made cookies
Medicine New-Shojin Eatstation
Clarity
A purifying cornucopia of seasonal vegetables steamed to perfection served with our house-made peanut sauce and germinated sweet brown rice.
I Am Effervescent
House gingerale [sic]
Fresh ginger, lemon, agave and naturally sparkling water on ice
If you have tips for juicily written local menus that make you salivate, leave 'em in the comments for me to check out. No other sort of porn, please. —Tamara Palmer
Put some more holes in your teeth for our future leaders—Bay Area youth—as local non-profit Spark hosts "Sugar Rush," a sweet tasting with artisan restaurants and companies A16, Boulevard, Coco-luxe Confections, Conduit, Cowgirl Creamery, Delfina, Kara's Cupcakes, Michael Mina, Michael Mischer Chocolates, Range, SPQR and XOX Truffles. It takes place on Tuesday, October 28 at 111 Minna Gallery from 7-9 p.m. Tickets are $50 advance and available through the Spark site. —Tamara Palmer
