From Food Republic | Chef Tony Maws, the powerhouse owner of the Cambridge, MA, award-winning restaurant Craigie on Main, has a bone to pick with the food world. And that bone, full of marrow and served alongside oxtail pastrami, is that there is no way to qualify "best" when it comes to restaurants and cooking. He takes issue mainly with the idea that in order to be "the best," chefs must follow trends and try to one-up each other in terms of how avant garde their offerings are. Maws bucks the trend of following trends: "Because while aesthetics may change and 'Best' lists are revised," he says, "great flavors remain great. And food cooked with heart and soul doesn’t need to be gussied up to look the part of what’s labeled as 'hot.'”
From MRobin Cakes | Beautiful, intricate cakes are puzzling: Unless you watch someone make them, you often can't even begin to imagine how they were created. Which is why we're crazy about this video featuring baker Marcella Robin, of Portland, Oregon, making her sculpturesque confections (it should come as no surprise that she has an art degree). Our favorite part about her cakes is how edible they are: She uses no fondants, only sponge cake layered with a variety of creams, custards, and mousses, so they'll taste as good as they look.
From The Kitchn | Dog: Man and woman's best friend. Beer: Man and woman's other best friend. If you identify with these two statements, try combining them and check out Bowser Beer: It's a cold brew for your furry friend made from meat-broth, malt barley, and glucosamine, a compound added for joint health. And don't worry, there's no alcohol in it, so Fido will still be fine to drive you home from the barbecue if you have one too many beers yourself.
From Boston.com | Boston Marathon bombing victims and first responders joined hundreds of well-wishers at Fenway Park while dozens of top chefs served food and drinks from concession stands last night. The event was to raise money in memory of and for those wounded in the attacks on April 15 on Boylston Street. Emergency workers, victims, and government officials were among those who feasted on over 60,000 hors d'oeuvres, which included ceviche shots, seared duck breast, oysters, foie gras, and many other delicacies. The famous Boston chef Ken Oringer said of the victims: ‘‘A lot of them lost limbs, a lot of them are not gonna be able to work again, a lot of them have families...We just want to do what we can as a community ... to help them out.’’
From Pop Chart Lab | Pop Chart Lab has designed an infographic cataloguing famous literary, film, and television characters' favorite drinks. Can you name the favorite libation of Don Draper from Mad Men, The Dude from The Big Lebowski, and Jack Barnes from The Sun Also Rises? If you can't think of the answers off the top of your head (for shame!) this print will help you out.
From NPR | We've written about the awesome space chef (well, astronaut, officially) Chris Hadfield here, here, and here in the past few months. His videos about space food are always informative and funny, but unfortunately it looks like we'll have to wait a little longer for more floating culinary adventures: The Canadian astronaut came back down to earth on Monday. Here's hoping he flies high again soon.
From Slate | If you think maple syrup just tastes like maple syrup, you're letting down some folks in Vermont. The anthropologist Amy Trubek won a $45,000 grant from the U.S. Agriculture Department and convened a group of wine and cheese experts, a sensory scientist, maple producers, the state government's Maple Specialist, and a Middlebury College chemist to pin down the flavors of maple syrup in terms of how they connect to the Vermont landscape. The group put together a guide that the state gives for free to sugar-makers, encouraging them to think about maple syrup more in terms of a fine wine than a pancake topper.
From Fox News | Reservations seem to be going the way of aspics: out of style. But is getting rid of them (reservations, not aspics) fair to patrons? Some restaurateurs argue that it creates more equality for diners, because "first come first serve" is as egalitarian as it gets. Those who would like to see reservations die out completely also contend that that no-shows are unfair to businesses. However, some believe that in order for establishments to truly service their customers as best they can, diners must be able to hold a table. What's your take?
From Eatocracy | People who consider themselves foodies can be tricky to talk to about culinary topics. You never know when you might offend them by doing something wrong. Details.com editor James Oliver Cury kindly wrote a post for Eatocracyabout common topics that can really set off a gourmand so that you can avoid an altercation (or start one). For example: If you're looking to avoid a stern telling off, don't put ketchup on your steak.
University of Toronto researchers have found that among 19 sit-down restaurant chains, the average meal contained 1,128 calories, which is 56% of the average daily 2,000-calories intake that the Food and Drug Administration recommends for a healthy adult (interestingly enough, the average fast food meal contains 881 calories). The high calorie counts weren't just found in dinner portions, either: Lunches packed more than 1,000 calories on average, and breakfasts weighed in around 1,226. So if you're trying to cut calories and still eat out, ask for a doggie bag.
