Category Archives: Food for Thought

Food for Thought is useful reading, and occasionally viewing, about food and related matters: mostly blogs, but also a few books and magazines with Amazon links when available for purchase.

Food for Thought: Food in Jars blog

We used to have a regular food swap in my town. I’d bring baguettes or jars of fresh sourdough starter and trade them for jams, baked goods and what have you. One session we had a guest: Marisa McClellan, author … Continue reading

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Food for thought: The Food Scene

I love the New Yorker, but I don’t read it for restaurant suggestions or recipes. Same with their Food Scene newsletter. And while a New Yorker subscription is quite expensive (though deals are to be had if you really work … Continue reading

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Food for Thought: Mangia Betta

You can get food inspiration for free by reading up on the dishes prepared by favorite chefs and hole-in-the-wall ethnic restaurants. Such was the case with a recent FB post by Ric Orlando, an inventive local chef. He’s been leading … Continue reading

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Food for Thought: searching for culinary origins

Elizabeth Weil wrote an arresting culinary origins story a few years ago which was published in Saveur. It seems that Weil’s grandfather invented the Reuben Sandwich in the 1920s when he oversaw the kitchen at the Blackstone Hotel in Omaha, … Continue reading

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Food for thought: Today’s Gourmet with Jacques Pepin

I recently reconnected with the Today’s Gourmet series of videos which were produced by KQED, the public television station in San Francisco, featuring Jacques Pepin. The series ran from 1991-93 and all or many episodes are available on the KQED … Continue reading

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Food for thought: Lebanese food blogs

A search for the best way to cook dried chickpeas led us to the Forks and Foliage Lebanese food blog. It’s a fairly new blog with just a few recipes but its author obviously has big plans judging from the … Continue reading

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Food for Thought: What’s Annie Cooking

What’s Annie Cooking is a hobbyist food blog written by Annie Slocum, a home cook in Denver who says she was heavily influenced by time living in San Francisco. She loves to read and collect cookbooks, and the typical recipe … Continue reading

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Food for thought: Chinese Food & History blog

After the Chinese culinary history class I reported on at my college reunion, Professor Maddalena Poli referred me to Miranda Brown’s Chinese Food & History blog which I suspect may have been an inspiration for her own course. The blog … Continue reading

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Food for thought: The Gourmet by Lu Wenfu

A few weeks ago I attended my college reunion and sat in on a class called “A Chinese Culinary History” taught by Professor Maddalena Poli. To quote from the syllabus, “This course introduces social and historical developments using culinary history … Continue reading

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Food for Thought: Prunes for Epicures

1933 was a big year for the United Prune Growers of California. After exhaustive scientific study, it was revealed that prunes are a natural laxative! In celebration, the Prune Growers published Prunes for Epicures: 20 Intriguing Recipes and then, in … Continue reading

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