"blog" news and stories

You know how as a kid you used to stand peering out the door wondering whether or not to wear a coat, and then your mom would shout that yes, you definitely need to wear a coat, because it's brisk out there. But then you'd get outside and it was too hot, so you wrapped the coat around your waist where it was this hateful bulky thing and you wished you could have had some correct source of information that was not your mother.

Well, now we have the Internet, which is always right. Case in point: Is It Iced Coffee Weather? Demanding and capricious at once, it's an ether-mom for coffee-addicted adults. Yesterday we typed in our ZIP code and were relieved to see that yes, yes it is iced coffee weather! No more standing in the Dunkin' Donuts line like a fool, trying to figure it out! Today, however, the Web Site of Power says "no." But we want iced coffee! Who is in charge of this thing? There is no "about" button, and no contact info. Who are you, iced coffee diva?!

Is it iced coffee weather in Alaska? Chicago? Florida? Why not in 90210, whose Starbucks-slurping residents are surely enraged by that fact? We want an authoritative chart, but it's not like we're, uh, bloggers -- we can't sit around all day typing numbers into a Web site. So report back: Visit the site and for the love of all that is holy please take our poll and hit the comments to tell us the answer to this burning question.

Sister site Green Daily has a great new feature: the Sustainability Series is composed of several videos about production and consumption of organic food in America. GD contributor Alexia Prichard interviews several people in the environmental and sustainable food sectors in order to uncover some oft-unknown details about organic and "natural" foods. They're full of depressing facts, like that most food travels, on average, 2500 miles before we get to eat it.

Prichard acknowledges that the USDA organic regulation system is a confusing one, and that most consumers - even otherwise environmentally-conscious ones - are frustrated and baffled by the labels emblazoned on their food. "Organic," "free range," and "natural" are terms that we once thought we understood, but that now take on entirely different meanings within the confines of the USDA's rules.

Learn about "re-localizing" your diet and how to overcome challenges that keep you from getting the healthiest, most local food you can.

A couple of days ago, a friend sent me a direct message on Twitter that said, "My God. You should blog about this recipe. I'm drooling down to my socks." He included a link that took me to the picture you see above. It turned out to be a post on the King Arthur Flour blog from March with a pictorial recipe for Hot Cheese Bread that is so wonderful and gooey with cheese that it just begs to be ripped into.

I'm not much of a yeast baker, quick breads are more my style. I'm thinking though that I might need dip my toe into the bread baking world again in order to try out this bread (I'm already dreaming of the cheese I'd use in the middle).

Has anyone tried this recipe? Was it as delicious as it looks?

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The LA Times ran a piece yesterday on blogs becoming a new tool in many chefs' arsenals, and how they're entering a blogosphere that used to be reserved for us commonfolk. The difference, according to the author? Primarily, style and choice of content: commonfolk tend to "natter about what they fed their boyfriends last night, and fuzzily photograph their latest batch of heart-shaped cookies" while REAL chefs tell the stories behind the food, taking more time to detail the food's inspiration and its history.

I beg to differ. I'm biased, yes, but I think our Slashfood Flickr group is a perfect example of primarily amateur photographers and chefs taking outstanding photos of food, ones just as good as any in a cookbook. And I think people read food blogs to take in the "nattering" about day-to-day life and how it fits in with what fix and eat. And chef's blogs can be personal, too - they don't all fit neatly into one (bread) box, as this author seems to imply.

The article details several chef blogs that have been making waves, and how the chefs are using their platforms to make a statement. For some chefs, like Alison Barshak, a blog is a way to show off and advertise your new restaurant under the guise of giving viewers a tutorial on opening up an eatery. For others, like Michael Laiskonis, blogs are a chance to describe eloquently, albeit verbosely, how they got the inspiration and found the ingredients for their extravagant meals.

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Here's a synopsis of the latest food products and politics news being covered by our fellow bloggers over at Slashfood sister site, GreenDaily:

• Top British scientist predicts a severe food crisis if we continue to have babies, burn fossil fuels, and eat meat
• Headed to SXSW this year? Here's where to eat and drink
  
• Cadbury's commitment to using less plastic will make those chocolate eggs taste even sweeter
• Wish you could cook your hamburger while you drive? Your dreams have come true...
• Prepare yourself for Armageddon with Cheeseburger in a Can
• If you must buy your food from a big box store, at least go to one of these
• The green restaurant movement is picking up steam

Check out GD for tons of food-related info...it's amazing how often the topics of environment and food overlap, especially as farmers explore greener methods and more food goes organic.