"food books" news and stories

Philly cheesesteak. Photo: SauceSupreme, Flickr

• Haute chef Georges Perrier and his eatery Le Bec-Fin are put to the cheesesteak test by author/ expert Carolyn Wyman.
• The delicious discovery of "Freakies" -- misshapen donut rejects stuffed in a paper bag.
• Four cities to hit for brewskis -- Cooperstown, N.Y., San Diego, Calif., Milwaukee, Wis., and Rehoboth Beach, Del.
• The Inquirer offers a whole slew of culinary-themed reads for hitting the beach.
• Restaurants band together to fight a new Liquor Control Board plan to start opening wine boutiques in gourmet grocery stores.
• South Philly is getting a pizza SliCE come mid-August.
• Côtes du Rhone is the generic red for the vin on a budget.
  
• People might love cheap food when times are tight, but food carts are feeling the sting of the economy too.
• M Restaurant, part of the Morris House Hotel, offers a menu prime for post-work snacking, plus other restaurant spots from Sycamore to Cafe Fresko.
• Recipes: Lemon Yogurt Poppy Seed Loaf, Grilled Zucchini and Halloumi Salad

While I would never want to encourage you to take a step away from the kitchen, it is summer after all, Slashfoodies, and summer is all about being outside and enjoying the sunshine! Okay, so maybe you won't be slipping your svelte self into a swimsuit and hitting the beach for a little volleyball, but you may want to sit under the shade of your umbrella in the midst of your vegetable garden bursting with tomatoes...to read. At least, that's what I'd do. Oh heck. I'd probably still stay inside in the comfort of my air conditioning!

What better person to get reading recommendations from than a fantastic food writer herself, Ruth Reichl? Reichl has listed her favorite reads over on NPR's website, both hotfreshnow, and classics.

Click through on the images above to see more details about each of the books on ThisNext.com.

Today is Black Friday. It's the biggest shopping day of the year, and if you're smart, you'll stay home to avoid the traffic, the crowds, and the high levels of effort for marginal gains on your shopping list. Perhaps the best thing to do is to stay home, turn on the tv, and get your shopping done online.

Perhaps one of the easiest gifts to give is a book, and for your favorite food-obsessed friend or family member, a book about food, rather than a cookbook, is a welcome change. Sean Timberlake (of Hedonia, and whom we love here at Slashfood) has put together a short list of books that would be a fabulous place to star for your holiday shopping. Most of them we've seen before here, but it's nice to have them all in one neat little list.

A few days ago in Kuala Lumpur the book 'Food Design' by Sonja Stummerer and Martin Hablesreter received a special judges award at The Gourmand Awards.

I have not seen the book myself but it is described as a 'must' for food stylists, designers and marketing bods as well as being a 'breath of fresh air for cooks'. It takes food and reduces it to shapes, colours, packing with reference to the historical, sociological and artistic background (what ever that means).

As a budding food photographer what I do understand is the concept that food images and design must impart aesthetic pleasure and emotional fulfilment, to feed the senses. The design of food products has to consider among others such diverse components as taste, texture, odour, consistence, colour and shape. Which is what this book apparently does.

Amazon.com has the book listed 'from $33.01' Amazon.co.uk is out of stock but has £16.11 as the price.

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