"food" news and stories

Death, like taxes, is inevitable, but it's always sad when you hear of the passing of an old friend. The food world has been dealt a handful of blows in recent weeks with the deaths of some folks who helped to make the nation a tastier place.

At AOL Food we wrote today of the death of Milton Parker, the owner of New York's landmark Carnegie Deli. He was not alone.

New Yorkers who make their way to the Union Square Greenmarket often saw Joe Ades peeling carrots on the northwest corner of the square with the $5 peeler he peddled for years. Ades died on Sunday at age 75. "He was very excited about carrots," a woman who works on the square told the New York Times.

In California, Ozzie Osborne was passionate about soda, shakes and sandwiches. The longtime soda jerk who ran Ozzie's Soda Fountain in Berkeley passed away on Jan. 29. "He loved to tease people in a way that made them feel good about themselves," a patron told the San Francisco Chronicle.

In Robert Kolb's case, it was the product that made you feel good. The last of four generations of a Bay City, Mich., brewing family died on Jan. 28. Though Kolb Bros. Brewing Co. closed in 1936, Kolb started a beer distributor company that was renowned for delivering Buckeye beer until Miller bought the brand in 1972, putting the Kolb company out of business.

"From then on," Kolb's son-in-law told the Bay City Times, "he was a Budweiser man."

NSFW: This is standup, therefore, beware of foul language.

Here's a laugh to get us through the hump day.

As much as we can all rant, there's nothing quite like the fuming fury of a funny man. Above, you can check out a 10-minute sketch of Lewis Black ranting about the world of milk and the commodification of water, from Black on Broadway. It may be long, but its got enough laughs to make it feel like just a moment.

We're talking the kind of rant where the subject drives you crazy with aggravation, until it boils up into your eyes and makes you suffer short convulsive fits (as Black does while mentioning acidophilus, and sending me to tears). It's wickedly funny, both for Black's treatment of the matter, and its common sense.

[via Ruhlman.com]

Do me a favor and skip the annual "I will work out more this year" resolution that's practically designed to make you feel like a failure, and make a resolution that you can really get into this year. Of course I'm speaking of wine resolutions, the kind that are easy to make and hard to break. Here are mine:

1. Travel the world through wine. I actually get to travel quite a bit, considering that I have two young kids at home. Last year I went to California twice, to Washington, to Texas, to South Dakota, and to New York. Everywhere I go, I try to taste and experience as many new wines as possible. But you can taste the whole world through wine right at home by branching out beyond the same old bottle of California Chardonnay that you pop open twice a week for dinner. Try a Tempranillo from Spain, a Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile, a Riesling from Germany, a Vouvray from France, a Malbec or Torrontes from Argentina, a Barbara from Italy. I want to taste more around the world, and learn about the cuisines to match.

2. Get certified. I've been writing about wine for several years now, and it's time to take some classes beyond my own self-study. Many wine writers don't, and it's certainly not a requirement, but one of the reasons I love the world of wine is its infinite possibility for education (as well as entertainment!). I'm looking into certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2009.

Read more after the jump.

When I went out for sushi tonight, a few insidiously persistent fruit flies were driving me nuts. I clapped the first one out of the air, but didn't dare try for the next over my delicious selection of dragon rolls, sashimi, spicy tuna, and the rest. Why, oh why, couldn't the visitors have been lizards like the one above? Then I would've shared.

The above image is one of the Top Shots over at National Geographic. It seems that Bonnie Marsh was in Hawaii for a vacation when this cutie ran down the wall of the restaurant, licked her plate, and scooted. Talk about capturing the perfect moment!

If this happened to me, I'd gladly let the little thing get some nibbles, but what about you? Are there any animals that you'd share your tasty treats with?

[via Serious Eats]

I realize this topic may be a little more suited to Valentine's Day, but I think we should treat every day as Valentine's Day. Besides, I am a firm believer in the saying that food is love.

Eric over at the Jew and the Carrot was reminiscing with his parents about the home made latkes his mother used to make for his father. This led to the question, posed to readers, of how you might show your love with food. I personally like to make my special chocolate cookies for new boyfriends, and birthday cakes for family and friends. Also, every Christmas I like to make special goody packages for close relatives that live far away.

So, if food is love, how do you show your love?