One of my favorite things about the internet is that it enables people to indulge their creative impulses in ways that would have been difficult or impossible just a couple of decades ago. Take, for instances, this short little internet show that Christopher Masto puts together on a semi-regular basis called, "Does it Go With Tea?" In it, he sits down with a variety of sweet pastries, takes a bite and then sips from a mug of tea in order to determine whether the baked good he just sampled goes with the tea. The episode you see above is the third one he produced, and in it, he tastes a Boston Creme cupcake in order to test it's tea worthiness. In episode four, he tries a buttered blueberry muffin with tea, but you'll just have to watch to find out how that one turns out.

A couple of weeks ago, I headed over to DiBruno Bros. to buy some fresh ricotta. I was making a cheesy egg casserole for a Saturday brunch and like to use ricotta to give it some heft and body. It was a Friday afternoon when I headed over and the line at the cheese counter was several people deep as people were shopping for the evening and weekend. The cheesemongers were working with people, helping them determine what cheeses would work best for them and giving them lots of opportunities to taste the cheeses before they purchased. I stood there, patiently waiting my turn, watching as one woman looked for just the right cheese to take with her to a dinner party.

The guy helping her saw me watching as she tasted cheeses and the next time he offered her a sample, held one out for me to try as well. As luck would have it, the sample he offered me was of Twig Farm Wheel. It's soft cheese with a pungent rind that has a powerfully delicious taste. I liked it so much that I kept thinking about it after over the weekend and on Monday headed back to the cheese counter for my own small wedge (which I stretched out over the course of two meals, so as to better relish it).

Fast forward to this afternoon, when I came across an audio interview done by the folks at Cheese by Hand with the cheese makers at Twig Farm. It makes the cheese seem all the more delicious, knowing the background behind Twig Farm and the time and energy they put into crafting quality cheeses. If you like knowing where your food comes from, this interview will appeal to you.

I'm not the most regular reader of Chow, so it took me some time to notice that they have been interviewing all of the contestants from this season of Top Chef as they get eliminated from the competition. So far, they have spoken to Chef Tom, who chats about the previous season's cast and Suyai, who was eliminated in the first episode; Otto, who was eliminated after an infamous lychee incident; Emily, whose food didn't wow the firemen in episode three; Marissa and Josie who were eliminated after their trio of palate cleansers failed to impress; and Carlos, the contestant who left after the most recent episode.

It is definitely interesting to hear the perspectives of the different competitors and to hear what their experiences were like. Some seem like genuinely nice people, while others seem to have a bit of resentment over the way their time on the show went. Type-A personalities working in cramped quarters in record-breaking Los Angeles heat is a recipe for conflict, to say the least. It is also interesting to get another perspective on the chefs and their personalities without Bravo's editing and to see if you still think that the judges made the right decisions.

So what's the excuse then? Too busy reading slashfood? Can't possibly miss the next episode of Lost? Got a bone in your leg?

If you have always wondered about the process of winemaking - I mean who hasn't? tiz the stuff of dreams afterall - but just can't make it to a vineyard then head on over to VOA News. Here you will find a download narrated by Elaine Lu who wanders through the 40-hectare Bouchaine Winery in Napa.

It covers all the good stuff - drip navigation (oooo), grape picking (wow!) and even mentions Bix measuring (steady at the back there) and moves on to such wonders as barrel aging and bottling. Go on you know you want to...

It looks like Jamie Oliver isn't the only chef to be launching his own podcast. Chef Ming Tsai, who has starred in a number of televised cooking shows, has just recently launched one titled Simply Ming. As you might guess if you watch his shows on public television, the podcast is essentially a rebroadcast of the existing shows, though in a form that is much more convenient for some people to view. This does mean that, unlike Jamie's show, the content of the program is not exactly original.

In the podcast, which is being released via the Culinary Podcast Network, Tsai will be tackling basic cooking problems - such as hot to prepare fresh ginger - and demonstrating more advanced techniques - like how to execute a perfect pan toss without loosing the contents of the pan. It still sounds like it's worth checking out, as Tsai is highly skilled and fun to watch. And repeats or not, the show is definitely a step above some of the content that is currently on the Food Network.

iTunes users can download the show here.

[Thanks, Dave!]

Popular British chef Jamie Oliver is starting a new series, but he won’t be seen on your TV. Jamie will be doing podcasts that deal with advice and cooking how-tos. Every topic tackled during the podcast will be in response to a query from a real cook who needs help in their kitchen. To get your question to Jamie, all you have to do is dial the dedicated phone line that takes podcast messages: 44 (0)207 043 8223. There is a 30 second time limit for messages and, as it is a standard London number, standard rates apply from wherever in the world you are calling. The best and funniest questions will make it on the air when the podcast launches later this year.

At last I have a spare moment to catch up on the best wine writing on the internet via my RSS reader...

 

Derrick (Obsession with Food) is looking at Zinfandel and worries over the high alchol levels found in this Californian classic. To me, if the wine has enough weight - and most are very big and chunky, then high alcohol doesn't bother me. Derrick seems to think otherwise...

Staying in the single varietal vein Beau, with little forethought, plonks a bottle of Merlot in his shopping basket. Can't see why there is such an anti-Merlot movement myself. I couldn't do without a decent St.Emilion once in a while, although of course Merlot here is generally blended with other varieties. Beau goes Italian with his selection.

Apart from the odd rum I generally don't experiment with spirits. But that doesn't stop me following the Scotch Blog. Plenty of news and notes from the American angle; he has just set-up a whisky forum Whisky 101. I have even less time at the moment to look in on forums but for the whisky lover this might be of interest.

Another thing I am hopeless at is regularly following the wine podcasts pumped out by GrapeVine (the latest covers Pinot Noir) and Tim at WineCast. The latest cast is co-hosted with Alan Baker of the RatCast Podcast. A new one to me and another to add to the list of stuff I really would like to do/listen to but never seem to have the chance...

Podcast Alley - a website with detailed listings of all podcasts - lists a staggering 57 different casts in the food and drink section. Mind you they list 494 under religion/inspiration and 930 for technology! But still, 57 different casts to feed into your iPod or listen to on your computer. I admit to only having sampled a few; but of those I have, the following, in no particular order, are the best.

• Grape Radio
• Eat Feed
• PodChef
• WineCast

There is a great network developing of indie podcasters that should be of interest to the /food audience. Dip into them occasionally, they become very addicitive.

Slashfoodie Judith (she of the great grilled cheese and asparagus) pointed me in the direction of an interview with Liz Smith on her book Dishing. The book is the famed gossip columnist's look at dining with celebrities and is part memoir, part cookbook, including recipes for iconic treats like the Elvis Fried Potato Sandwich. The interview on the Leonard Lopate show can be downloaded from the WYNC site.

With a collection of 800 lists, Grocerylists.org is always good for a laugh. Basically, this is just what it sounds like--an enormous collection of found grocery lists. For me, the real fun comes in imaging to whom these lists belong, what sort of events led up to the writing of the lists, and what happened afterwards. Some are fairly wholesome, while others start out that way and then go awry.

The site also promises to have weekly installments of grocery lists in podcast format sometime in the near future. If anyone has any ideas here, feel free to share.