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Do You Like Green Bell Peppers?

YumSugar — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 09:00:32 -0700

In an article last week, the New York Times takes a good look at green peppers and why they've fallen out of favor compared to other bell varieties. Though its opponents often describe the pepper as overly aggressive, vegetal, and bitter, it has its longtime fans, too, who believe the green ones have a grassy, versatile taste.

Northeastern Tomato Blight Caused by Home Gardening

YumSugar — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 11:50:39 -0700

A fast-spreading fungus has ravaged tomato crops across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, wiping out this year's crop and causing the price of heirloom tomatoes to skyrocket by 20 percent. But the cause of the pandemic is something that's much more innocent than you might think.

In a recent New York Times column, renowned farm-to-table chef Dan Barber discusses the aggressive disease, known as late blight, that has wiped out 70 percent of this year's heirloom tomato crop. He argues that there are three contributing factors that caused the intense blight. First, a rainy Summer, moderate temperatures, and lots of humidity; second, infected tomato starter plants sold to home growers; and third, the explosion of home gardeners.Ironically, the very community that's engaged in eating locally has set the stage for one of the worst heirloom tomato harvests in history. Barber argues that, despite what Slow Food believers might advocate, future farming must involve nonheirloom plant varieties bred to resist diseases.

The blight isn't limited to new home gardeners; even seasoned pro Martha Stewart has lamented that she lost 70 percent of the 50 different tomato varieties in her garden this year. Have you fallen victim to this year's tomato travesty? What do you think of Barber's argument?

Sam Sifton Is New York Times's Next Food Critic

YumSugar — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:00:22 -0700

When Frank Bruni announced he'd be stepping down as the New York Times's restaurant critic, readers were left with a pressing question: Who will step up to the dinner plate? The food world waited collectively with bated breath until the answer was announced today: Sam Sifton, the paper's current Culture editor, will begin reviewing in October.

The blogosphere wasted no time compiling critical stats on Sifton, and Gawker has already come up with a slew of potential dining guises for him. One thing's for sure: The role of restaurant critic is evolving. Even execs at the Times admit critics don't wield the power that they used to, and with photos of him already abundant on the web, dining incognito will be virtually impossible.

Sifton may be new to the position, but he's no novice - in fact, he was rumored to have turned down the job once before. In addition to being the culture editor at the Times, he's contributed to the $25 and Under column, reviewed restaurants before Bruni's arrival, and even served as Dining editor. In last month's New York Times Magazine, he detailed making meatloaf for Nora Ephron. What do you think of the news? At a time when media is evolving so rapidly, does the role of restaurant critic still have a place in the food world?

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First Couple Faces Criticism For Dining Decisions

YumSugar — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:00:33 -0700

The first couple have continued to convey political messages about food with their recent dining choices. The Obamas spent Saturday evening in Manhattan, where they dined at James Beard Award-winning chef Dan Barber's restaurant Blue Hill before catching a Broadway show.

Within hours, news sites were awash with commentary on the first couple's romantic dinner. "Is it possible to be too political at mealtime?" the Washington Post posited, noting the couple has adopted a pattern of choosing eateries with strong local ties and sustainable food agendas. The Times' Frank Bruni called the decision "too pat and controlled," portraying the president as overly somber and self-restrained when it comes to enjoying food.

Ironically, the same day the Obamas were chided for overthinking dinner, the Times also criticized the First Lady for not going far enough in her message about food. Writer Amanda Hesser lauded Michelle Obama for bringing attention to the local foods movement, then criticized her for stopping short of promoting cooking. Wrote Hesser: "Terrific local ingredients aren't of much use if people aren't cooking them . . . Just as she highlighted American fashion by wearing the clothes of young designers, she could call attention to cooking by bringing America's talented young chefs to the White House for a food summit meeting."

Shouldn't the Obamas be commended for making educated dining choices? Is the media coming down too hard on the presidential couple? How do you feel about the food selections the Obamas have made thus far?

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Is Cooking Real Food Cheaper Than Eating Junk Food?

YumSugar — Fri, 29 May 2009 13:00:29 -0700

It's a widely accepted notion that healthy, fresh food costs more than prepackaged, processed junk food, and not without reason. After all, vine-ripened tomatoes at the supermarket will set you back a few bucks more than frozen taquitos.

But in the Times "Bitten" column today, Mark Bittman attempts to dispel this notion altogether. "You can cook less expensively than you can buy fast food, junk food, processed, packaged, and prepared food - and you can get enough sound calories to live better," he argues.

While dissenters maintain that food stamp recipients may not have the resources for future meals, the time to cook at home, and transportation to get to adequate grocery stores, Bittman believes that a mere $10 for basic cooking equipment, some dried rice and beans, and a bit of time spent while cleaning the house is all you need.

Although Bittman makes several valid points about the cost effectiveness of cooking at home, some of his arguments (like the part about cooking equipment costing $10) seem less feasible. Still, I appreciate his noble cause - and agree that we need to focus our attention on issues such as remedying urban food deserts. What's your take on healthy home cooking on a budget?

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Frank Bruni Stepping Down as Times's Restaurant Critic

YumSugar — Thu, 14 May 2009 15:00:58 -0700

After five years as the lead restaurant reviewer of the New York Times, Frank Bruni is hanging up his napkin, the newspaper announced today.

As the restaurant critic at one of the nation's preeminent publications, in the last five years, Bruni has been arguably the most influential food writer in America, catapulting restaurants like Napa's Ubuntu to fame while sending others, like Jeffrey Chodorow's Kobe Club, to a controversial early grave. But come August - around the same time that his new food memoir gets published - he will step down from his position.

Despite the fact that his reviews have ignited as many haters as supporters, I'll miss Bruni's poignant and often hilarious reviews - although I am looking forward to learning more about him in Born Round: The Secret History of a Full-Time Eater. Are you disappointed to see Bruni join the likes of former critics Craig Claiborne, Mimi Sheraton, Bryan Miller, and Ruth Reichl? Who do you think should be his successor?

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Guy Fieri, Other Food Personalities Face Identity Theft

YumSugar — Wed, 06 May 2009 15:00:24 -0700

The fashion world may claim that fakes are never in style, but lately, the food world sure has seen a lot of them. Take Food Network star Guy Fieri, who's living the good life - in three short years, he went from unassuming restaurateur to TV star and TGI Friday's spokesperson. But apparently, his life is looking so good that somebody actually wants to be him. "So check this out," Fieri recently twittered. "Some cat is playin me in KC. Crazy, just for da record. I am home."

Indeed, a Fieri fake was passing himself off as the real Guy at a Kansas City Royals game on Monday night. Sporting the trademark spiky platinum hairdo and Ray-Ban sunglasses, the faux Fieri even managed to get interviewed by a Fox Sports Net reporter. Check out the footage when you read more.

Fieri's identity is not the only one to be highly sought-after. The online food world has seen several cases of stolen Twitter accounts - or what food blog Eater has dubbed "twidentity theft." New York Times food critic Frank Bruni (@frankbruni) and New York Daily News reviewer Danyelle Freeman (@restaurantgirl) have both fallen victim to twidentity theft. Freeman is taking legal measures claiming trademark infringement.

Do you find this new wave of identity theft to be as bizarre as I do? What are your thoughts on this issue?

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Are We in the Midst of a Food Revolution?

partysugar — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 10:15:23 -0700

With the slow food movement gaining momentum and the Obamas planting a vegetable garden at the White House, people are focusing on food now more than ever. So much so that the New York Times asks if we are witnessing a food revolution. Considering that all I think about every day is food and that I live in San Francisco - the epicenter of the farm-to-table movement - it's hard for me to tell. That's why I'm asking you: do you think we're in the middle of a food revolution?

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Michelle Obama's Agenda to Focus on Food

partysugar — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 11:30:25 -0700

After the election, many prominent foodies had high hopes of President Obama taking on the country's food system. However, they were disappointed when it became clear that the president has more important things to worry about than the nation's obesity crisis. His wife's agenda, on the other hand, will focus on fresh, local, and healthful eating.

Since moving into the White House, Michelle Obama has opened the kitchen up for a press tour while publicly discussing her family's diet. Last week she served lunch at a neighborhood soup kitchen, Miriam's Kitchen, an organization that offers 100 percent homemade dishes to the homeless. Of the experience, Mrs. Obama said:

You know, we want to make sure our guests here and across the nation are eating nutritious items. Collect some fruits and vegetables; bring by some good healthy food. We can provide this kind of healthy food for communities across the country, and we can do it by each of us lending a hand.

I'm happy to see that the first lady is being a role model and encouraging the country to understand the importance of nutritious, fresh, and delicious foods. Only time will tell if her efforts make a significant impact on the way we eat. What do you think of her foodie agenda?

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Are Inspectors to Blame For the Peanut Salmonella Outbreak?

partysugar — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 08:00:38 -0800

While the company behind the peanut salmonella scare has been shut down, many people are still wondering who's really to blame for the ordeal. Was it the president of the Peanut Corporation of America, who knowingly sent contaminated goods to the stores? Or was it the government, who failed to detect that the production plants were in disgusting conditions?

According to a recent article by The New York Times, the guilty party could actually be the private inspectors who check and rate a plant's food safety level. An audit conducted by an inspector last March declared that the gross facility in Georgia had a food safety level of "superior." According to the FDA, however, the same plant had been plagued by salmonella for at least the past nine months. This isn't the first known case where a private inspector failed to properly monitor a food plant, the Times reports:

An examination of the largest food poisoning outbreaks in recent years - in products as varied as spinach, pet food, and a children’s snack, Veggie Booty - show that auditors failed to detect problems at plants whose contaminated products later sickened consumers.

Although I understand that food safety is an incredibly hard thing to oversee, I can't help but feel a little queasy about this news. I hope that after such a widespread contamination, changes are made to correct the system. How do you feel about the ordeal? Who do you blame for the outbreak?

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