From TLS, how to estimate the weight of a bullock, and other Classics conundrums: A review of Of Farming & Classics: A memoir by David Grene. A review of Food in medieval England: Diet and Nutrition. An excerpt from Moveable Feasts: The History, Science, and Lore of Food by Gregory McNamee.
From Christianity Today, famine again? A look at why some places suffer food shortages decade after decade. From New Statesman, a review of Our Farm: a year in the life of a smallholding by Rosie Boycott. From The American Prospect, Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, a book about the virtues of homegrown and local food, is a tasty and nourishing read (and more and more and more).
From Jewcy, ever since the publication of Michael Pollan’s landmark book The Omnivore’s Dilemma, “compassionate carnivores” are increasingly thick on the ground, startling vegetarians by defending meat-eating in the language of empathy and environmentalism, ethics and compassion. From Politixxx, if Wolfowitz were a deli sandwich: Indigestion, yes, but it's the kind of sandwich that starving peoples would die for. From Nextbook, Junk Shop: Joshua M. Bernstein navigates the salty world of crappy kosher snacks: "Are Oreos and Fritos so entrenched in American culture that the market demands kosher knock-offs? Why replicate crap?"
The strategic advantage of being able to drink milk: Lactose intolerance is normal. So what happened? From Science, an article on The Secret History of the Potato. From Salon, what happened to plain old vanilla? Coldstone Creamery and other "mix-in" ice cream chains that lard their cones with cakes and candies make me long for a simple soft-serve swirl.
From Reason, true to his tongue: A review of The Gospel of Food by Barry Glassner. Out of the garden with just the right touch: A review of Vegetable Harvest by Patricia Wells. (Raw) Food for Thought: A look at how uncooked diets are going mainstream. From Grist, an interview with underground foodie hero Sandor Katz. Joanne Harris has a serious attitude towards food in The Lollipop Shoes, making this book a mouth-watering experience. A review of American Food Writing: An Anthology with Classic Recipes (and more). A review of Alice Waters and Chez Panisse: The Romantic, Impractical, Often Eccentric, Ultimately Brilliant Making of a Food Revolution by Thomas McNamee.
Reflections of a bad boy chef: An interview with Marco Pierre White, author of The Devil In The Kitchen: Sex, Pain, Madness, and the Making of a Great Chef. Hocus-Pocus, and a Beaker of Truffles: In many restaurants across the country, the truffle flavor advertised on the menu comes not from the actual product but from a laboratory-made ingredient. The fatness formula: An article on a food technology with bittersweet effects. And from The Tyee, a review of Apartment Therapy: The Eight Step Home Cure; Home Therapy; and The Itty Bitty Kitchen
