Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Fast 'Times'

Posted by Adam Kuban, June 6, 2007 at 1:15 AM

A quick take on what the New York Times is dishing out in its food section today.

Meatballs, Part II
In a story that Pete Schwetty, wherever he may be, is surely going nuts over, brothers Matt Lee and Ted Lee take a look at the "expanding universe of meatballs." They note that meatballs seem to be the latest dish to ride the haute-comfort-food wave, from a new focus on global versions to decadent takes on familiar favorites to tweaks that use unexpected meats such as tuna.

Gravy: The crazy graphic that accompanies this article—it's so goofy as to be brilliant.

Our man Ed noticed this trend a couple weeks ago, citing a couple of the same places that appear in the Times story (Esca and A Voce).

Easy Cheese on Ritz Just Ain't Gonna Cut It
Stretch your peepers before reading this story about keeping up with the foodie Joneses, 'cause you've got a whole lot of eye-rolling to do:

"There is a specific cachet that only a fiddlehead fern can convey. Saying, 'I got this olive oil from this specific region in Greece,' is like talking about what kind of car you have. And people don’t want to be associated with the wrong kind of olive oil. It becomes less about having people over and more about showing off your foodie credentials."

Fiddlehead Ferns? Please. So 2005.

Take Two Tablespoons of Olive Oil and Call Me in the Morning
Scientists discover a possible anti-inflammatory compound in olive oil similar to ibuprofen called oleocanthal: "In their 2005 report to the journal Nature, the team noted that anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen appear to have long-term health benefits, including reduction in the risk of some forms of heart disease and cancer. They suggested that the oleocanthal in pungent olive oils might be one of the things that make traditional Mediterranean diets so healthful."

Oh, Wells
Mark "The Minimalist" Bittman visits Paris and writes a mini paean to and bio of Patricia Wells. The piece is pegged to the recent release of Wells's book Vegetable Harvest. Takeaway: Paris has impossibly magnifique markets and Wells is equally magnificent at blending French, Mediterranean, and American influences into dishes that are "light, smart, and flavorful." With recipes for Almond and Buttermilk Sorbet, Creamy Lemon-Chive Dressing, Couscous Salad with Spinach, and Zucchini Carpaccio with Avocado. Related: patriciawells.com, Serious Eats on Paris

A Cheesy Book
In a book review, Marian Burros calls The Atlas of American Artisan Cheese "an exciting new kind of travel guide" and suggests using it as a "perfect companion volume to books about winery visits, especially for California, Oregon, and Washington." But with entries for artisan cheesemakers in 43 states, you needn't travel far for great cheese.

Internet Helps Wine Geeks Shoot Themselves in Foot
From the days of alt.food.wine to the vinoblogs of today, the Internet has enabled the avant garde of wine geeks to find and discuss obscure varieties like never before. But, oh, ain't it a double-edge sword: " 'In some ways it's sort of bad for us old wine geeks,' said Michael Wheeler, a partner in Polaner Selections, a distributor, who has been in the business for 30 years. 'We used to be able to get the Raveneau Chablis, Roumier and the Cotat Sancerre. Now, with the Internet and people talking about them, they became much harder to get.' "

Gramercy Tavern: It's Got What It Takes
Food critic Frank Bruni three-stars New York's favorite standby, Gramercy Tavern (and the Eaters are on the money with their handicapping).

This re-review comes after the installment of chef Michael Anthony (no, not that Michael Anthony) after the departure of Top Chefster Tom Colicchio last August.

After some initial missteps on Anthony's part, Bruni gives him the benefit of the doubt, and an extended grace period, before going to print with this review.

Sweet and Sour, for Dessert
Cloying sweetness of crumb cake, meet the overwhelming sourness of rhubarb. Now play nicely. Recipe: Rhubarb 'Big Crumb' Coffeecake

Quick Takes
In "Dining Briefs," Bruni revisits the Brasserie at Café Gray, Marian Burros hits Thai Market, and Pete Wells knocks a few back at speakeasy-of-the-moment PDT.

AbFabricant
In this week's "Food Stuff" column, Florence Fabricant visits fresh-pasta purveyor Casa Tua; tells us about some high-end junk food from England (5.3-ounce bags of potato chips for $3.99); downs a "sophisticated nonalcoholic quaff"; and alerts us to the fact that the Pudlo Paris guide, published for the first time in English, will grace bookshelves next week ($19.95).

2 Comments

Tags: New York Times