"guide" news and stories

Keeping track of what foods are in season at different times of the year can be difficult. For those who live in the San Francisco Bay Area, finding in-season, locally grown foods just god a little bit easier. The Local Foods Wheel is a bright, 12-inch wheel that rotates, revealing all the foods that are seasonally available. The front of the wheel indicates the produce that is available year round. The back of the wheel has a full seasonality reference, including a listing of the precise seasons a given product is available and a list of some of the more obscure foods that don't have icons on the wheel itself. Take the wheel shopping with you, or just use it as a reference when you're making your grocery list at home.

The wheel is $11.95 and can be purchased online, as well as at the Berkeley farmer's market and several other Bay Area locations.

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The August 7 edition of New York magazine features a guide to 101 of Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld's favorite cheap eats destinations in NYC. Unlike most cheap eats guides, all of the restaurants in the list are ranked on a scale of one to five stars. The authors are also careful to note that the term "cheap" is used in a New York context. Don't be surprised then, when you see things like Lupa, Room for Dessert and Bouchon Bakery. It looks to be a great, if a little overwhelming, list. There also listings for top pizza places and prix fixe menus, although I'm still not sure if a two-hot-dog-and-drink combo qualifies as prix fixe.

I recently came across a review of The Essential Reference of Domestic Brewers and Their Bottled Brands, 2nd Edition (right), a nearly 350-page guide to American breweries and the beers they produce. Conveniently known as the DBBB, the book offers an alphabetical list, a guide to beer styles, state-by-state availability, brewer profiles and product lists. There's also an online companion, provided via the DBBB's publisher, MC Basset. A .pdf sample of the book is also available on the site. The DBBB doesn't rate the beers, and actually, much of the individual brewery information is provided by the brewers themselves. According to the aforementioned review, the DBBB isn't widely available in stores. It sells for around $50 on its website.

I recently set up my home espresso machine. I am not an espresso novice, but this is the first machine I’ve had in my own kitchen. Based upon careful research, I selected the best machine I could find. And by “careful research”, I mean to say that I got a good deal on a good-looking machine. Fortunately for me, it is also an excellent machine that offers great performance, especially for a countertop model. It has a 15-BAR pressure pump and high quality brass hadware inside. The sleek, retro styling and small size are nice bonuses, in my opinon.  I have a Francis!Francis! X3.

I'll start by saying that I've never eaten or vacationed on a cruise ship. I've never even had the urge. However, a pair of articles, both by Eric Noland, on InsideBayArea.com make the food sound slightly more appealing than I'd imagined. I guess if you're paying top dollar to be pent up on a ship, the food had better be good.

The main article is a narrative review of Noland's experiences dining on Princess Cruises' trip to Alaska. Apparently one of the new trends is being able to get meals in the ships restaurants whenever you want, and not just at appointed meal times. Other new additions to some lines include interactive cooking classes and kitchens with chefs that have been head-hunted from well-known restaurants.

The accompanying article gives a rundown of about a dozen cruise lines and what each has to offer in the way of dining.