"articles" news and stories

Time Magazine's website currently features more than a dozen food- and nutrition-related stories, all of which look to have been posted within the last few days. I'm unsure as to whether these articles are set to run in the June 12 edition, as the page's heading would imply, or if they're older pieces that are just now being posted online. At any rate, the articles range from "Six Rules for Eating Wisely," by Michael Pollan to a detailed narrative of how a dish makes its way to the Cheesecake Factory's menu. Other pieces focus on grass-fed beef, school lunches, the 100-mile diet and a list of some of the top food sites on the web. It's definitely worth a look.

All you aspiring food photographers (and some of you professionals) should have a look at photographer Michael Ray's Food Photography Blog. Organized more as collection of Ray's articles than as a blog, the site has tons of interesting tips and techniques that pros and amateurs will find useful. Granted, those of us that take pictures for our blogs probably aren't going to hack up our barbecue grills and install lights and gels underneath them when we photograph our tuna steaks. Nevertheless, plenty of Ray's insights about lighting and composition are good to keep in mind for when we're in our own studios, er, kitchens. This step-by-step photo walk-through of setting up a shoot is especially cool.

[Photo: Michael Ray]

The other day, as I was writing a post about making your own coffee pods, it occured to me that I've come across quite a few websites and forums for coffee lovers. Here are eight of them. As with any list, I'm sure someone will get left out. By all means, let me know of any other great coffee resources online.

• CoffeeGeek.com - Just what it sounds like. Plenty of consumer reviews, articles and a bustling coffee forum with nearly 20,000 users.
• Coffee Review - Articulate reviews of coffees from around the world as well as a huge reference section.
• CoffeeFAQ.com - Got coffee questions? Here are some answers.
• National Coffee Association of the U.S.A. - Plenty of industry info, stats and trends.
• International Coffee Organization - Wouldn't want to leave anyone out. Plenty of info about global coffee trade.
• Latte Art on Flickr - Plenty of frothy swirls to ooh and ahh at.
• LatteArt.org - An Italian guide to creating your own latte art.
• INeedCoffee.com - Another treasure trove of tips, news and other info.