You Are What You Eat by Mark Menjivar

Photography Series of the interiors of people's refrigerators.

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Foi Gras

Speaking of Dan Barber. . .

This is the video (yet another TED talk, from the TASTE conference I believe) that turned me on to him. He and I hardly have allied beliefs on many things food-related, but I respect his beliefs and the thoughtfulness he puts behind every bite. And he is a big proponent of supporting local agriculture. Even if he does pull the horrendous "but it tastes so good" joke, I'm willing to hear what he has to say.

The Ketchup Conundrum by Malcolm Gladwell

Last week while meandering through Target I was seduced by Malcolm Gladwell's book "What the Dog Saw" - a collection of his articles written for the New Yorker. So far its an absorbing read. One of the articles included in the book is "The Ketchup Conundrum" and its a marvelous examination on marketing, food science, and how food tastes. It tackles the very interesting question of why there exists dozens of varieties of mustard, but when it comes to ketchup - only one "flavor" is king.

Underdogs such as Jim Wigon have attempted to rival the likes of Heinz ketchup by developing fascinating hand crafted varieties - with maple syrup substituted for corn syrup, and hand chopped basil, red peppers, Spanish onions, garlic and a high-quality tomato paste - but to no avail.

The article gives a little dose of ketchup history too, as well as bringing to life some fascinating and quirky characters.

Published in Sept. 2004, I'm a little late in the game. But if you have not read it - read it now!

Oysters And Vegans?

In his article, Consider the Oyster, Christopher Cox makes an argument that Vegan's should and could eat oysters while still adhering to the moral code that prompted them to become vegan initially. This is because oysters can be grown sustainably, and in a way that is arguably pain free from growth to harvest.

Eating ethically is not a purity pissing contest, and the more vegans or vegetarians pretend that it is, the more their diets start to resemble mere fashion—and thus risk being dismissed as such. Emerson wrote, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds."

Jack In The Box Add Airs During and "Food Revolution"

Since I do not have a functioning television, I watch most tv shows online, and both in last week's episode of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and in the premiere the week before, the below ad aired during the short sponsorship breaks - wedged in between Oliver's preachings on poor eating habits and his rants on over-processed food. I was completely appalled by the irony the first go around when the commercial first popped up on my screen. The irony seemed too blatant, I half expected it to be a joke or at the least a careless mistake. I was completely shocked to see the exact same ad air again next week when viewing the second episode online. Apparently, this was not mistake.