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: Mangia Betta

Posted on April 21, 2024 by Burnt My Fingers

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

Posted on March 19, 2024 by Burnt My Fingers

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

Posted on October 31, 2023 by Burnt My Fingers

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

Posted on August 29, 2023 by Burnt My Fingers

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

Posted on July 25, 2023 by Burnt My Fingers

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

Posted on June 22, 2023 by Burnt My Fingers

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

Posted on May 23, 2023 by Burnt My Fingers

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

Posted on April 25, 2023 by Burnt My Fingers

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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Food for Thought: Hebbar’s Kitchen

Posted on February 27, 2023 by Burnt My Fingers

My friend Minita is quite the polymath. She’s a tenured college professor, member of my local city council, author of best-selling lesbian romances, and an excellent Indian vegetarian cook. When she told me Hebbar’s Kitchen was her favorites source of … Continue reading →

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Food for Thought: Onolicious Hawai’i

Posted on February 3, 2023 by Burnt My Fingers

During my advertising career, I had a dream assignment for a rental car agency based in Hawaii. Each year they’d run a sweepstakes for travel agents and it was my job to scout locations and attractions that might appeal to … Continue reading →

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