Slice open a blood orange and its red flesh radiates. Generally available from winter to early spring, they bring color to salads, add zing to drinks and brighten meat, poultry and seafood dishes. Why are blood oranges such a sexy red? They have large amounts of anthocyanin pigments, which act as antioxidants and are responsible for red, purple, and blue colors in a lot of vegetables, fruits, and flowers. More
What do you mean you've never tried to stack citrus fruits on your cats' paws before? Look at how much fun these guys are having! More
A lot. Remember that next time you find your device with a flat battery while you're in the produce aisle. Video, after the jump.... More
Flick: Cobalt123 Last week during my evening L Train commute in New York City, I sat down next to an elderly woman bundled in battered winter garb. I started to read my book until out of the corner of my eye, I see the woman unsheeth a plastic knife from a white paper bag—followed by a large, shiny orange. Usually eating on the subway is not something I condone, however, as she made a perfectly angled first incision into the shiny orange rind, I watched with bated breath. Instantly, the cleansing floral scent of citrus swirled through the air purifying the stench of the underground train—pleasantly reminding me that, in some parts of the country, orange season is indeed... More
Photograph from tres.jolie on Flickr This lovely photo of bisected citrus by photograph and blogger Megan Fizell of Feasting on Art makes me wish I had an orange on me right now. Related Photo of the Day: Fruit Paradise Photo of the Day: Winter Tree in Tangerine Skin Photo of the Day: Customized Fruit... More
If Lisbon was the culinary equivalent of permanent press chinos, Seville is more like a pair of Zegna slacks, comfortable, exciting, and a little bit mysterious. I loved everything about Seville: the people, the incredible Moorish architecture, the sense of slightly decaying history lying around every corner, the narrow six-foot-wide streets that one particularly friendly local told us were nature's form of air-conditioning in Seville, the nonstop energy, and, of course, the food. The only thing I didn't like was the cab driver who ripped off me and my son, Will, because he didn't have to give us the proper change from the €50 bill I gave him (admittedly it was a short ride and subsequently a low fare). The... More
Slate's Daniel Engber wonders why we praise El Bulli's Ferran Adrià for using xanthan gum but recoil at the use of FD&C Red No. 40 in red velvet cake, and says our aversion to artificial coloring makes no sense: If the artificial colors are as safe as natural ingredients and they don't taste bad, then why should we avoid them? The gastronome might argue that the chemical dyes impart a color that's unappetizing on its own terms. The garish brilliance of red velvet cake has no referent in nature; it's disgusting because it's fake. Natural dyes, on the other hand, can make food look wholesome and real, by restoring our ingredients to their natural state. If a stalk of rhubarb... More
