• The Vegan Experience Days 22 and 23: Charting My Cravings
  As a quick exercise to chart out my cravings, I decided to plot various foods on an arbitrary “meatiness” to “crave factor” scale. Take a look at that chart and you’ll see that outside of a few major outliers (I will always love April Bloomfield’s Spotted Pig Burger, and I’ve never been much of a cookie or ice cream eater), for the most part there is a solid diagonal line that runs from most-meaty-least-craved to least-meaty-most-craved. Seeing it all laid out like this is pretty interesting to me. What does it mean?
• In Food Policy This Week: 5 News Bites
  Here are the food policy stories we’re reading: a piece in Nature magazine recommends that sugar be regulated like tobacco or alcohol, the Obama administration appointed food systems advocate Deborah Kane as its new “Farm-to-School” director, the severe drought in Texas has resulted in a large algae bloom along the state’s coastline harming the oyster population, and more.
• Video: Dave Arnold Mixes a Cocktail With A Lightsaber at Booker & Dax, NYC
  I’ve always been a big fan of Dave Arnold, the French Culinary Institute instructor/cook/mad scientist/artist who’s been a major player in the modern technology-driven food movement for at least a decade or so. His writings in his Cooking Issues blog on cocktails have been especially intriguing, tackling the science of ice, dilution, chilling, flavor concentration, and shaking like no other mixologist on the planet.
• Book Giveaway: Pat the Foodie
  You must already be familiar with Pat the Bunny, the touch and feel children’s book. Well, in this spoof of the classic, Pat the Foodie, the same Pat and Judy now have smart phones and only eat free-range chicken. “Do YOU want to pet the chicken?” Enter to win one of five copies we’re giving away!
• Dinner Tonight: Kumquat-Rosemary Marmalade with Goat Cheese
  I’m not much of a marmalade man, and I don’t eat a lot of toast. So why are you looking at some kumquat-rosemary marmalade and goat cheese on toast? In my defense, the recipe came from Tom Colicchio’s ‘wichcraft, and every other recipe I’ve made from that cookbook has been exceptional. Plus, you don’t just buy the marmalade, you actually make it from scratch.
• St. Louis Beer History: Underground Beginnings
  While brewing history in St. Louis is inextricably linked with Anheuser-Busch and lager, that’s not how things started off. One of the city’s founders, Auguste Chouteau, was making whiskey there by the 1790s, and John Coons was brewing and selling beer on a small scale by 1809.
• How to Make Turkish Borek
  Boreks can be stuffed with potato, cheese, eggplant, meat, spinach—really whatever you like that isn’t too moist. I’m especially partial to Turkish sigara borek, little “cigars” of filling wrapped in flatbread. Once you get the hang of the basics in this step-by-step procedure, it’s easy to get addicted to borek.
• Hingham, MA: Wahlburgers
  A burger place run by Wahlbergs called Wahlburgers? I feared that the quasi-pun, borderline narcissist name was a bad sign, but they have the quality burgers to back up their branding.
• Thai Cooking: Creamy Tom Yam Kung
  I’m convinced that Tom Yam should be one of the first, if not the first, recipes you start with when learning to cook Thai. In addition to being ridiculously easy to make, it’s a dish that captures the essence of Thai flavors.
• 3 American Rye Whiskeys You Should Try
  If you’re not a whiskey-obsessive like myself, odds are your interaction with rye whiskey is limited to classic cocktails such as the Manhattan or the Sazerac. While those time-tested concotions certainly deserve their success, the world of rye has come a long way from the spirits that inspired them. So what exactly is a rye?
• Snapshots from Japan: Street Fair Food in Kyoto
  The Japanese aren’t big snackers. Indeed, it’s frowned upon to eat while walking. Which is not to say that the street food isn’t delicious. It is, and just like at a midwestern state fair, foods tend to rely heavily on easy-to-do-outdoors cooking techniques like deep-frying and grilling. Sweet, tangy Kewpie mayonnaise is nearly ubiquitous, as are the many minor variations of Worcestershire-based Japanese-style barbecue sauce. Peep through the slideshow for a full look at what you can get in a typical street fair.
• Bi-Rite Market’s Lemony Kale Caesar Salad
  Kale is one of those winter stalwarts—we love its hearty, green flavors and reliable presence in the produce section, but sometimes we run out of creative kale ideas. To counter any kale ennui, here’s a Lemony Kale Caesar Salad from Bi-Rite Market’s Eat Good Food, a bright, unexpected take on our winter go-to green.
• Cook the Book: ‘Bi-Rite Market’s Eat Good Food’
  Good things happen when you take a chef and turn him into a grocer. That’s exactly how San Francisco’s Bi-Rite Market came to be the destination it is today. Taking over the family business wasn’t exactly Sam Mogannam’s first choice after years in the kitchen but when he eventually took over in 1997, the revamped market turned into a truly extraordinary shopping experience. The new book about Bi-Rite Market is a cookbook and guide to eating from a grocer’s point of view, walking readers through each department of the store, educating, and providing plenty of recipes for inspiration. Enter to win a copy here.
• Sandwiched: Crispy Caper Chicken and Homemade Mayonnaise
  Boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cutlets are surely close cousins of the rubber flip-flop. I’ve dined on many a chewy version in the name of healthful eating, but am always left wishing I had a do-over meal. When properly encased in a crisp coating of flavorful breadcrumbs, however, I will make an exception and pardon the aforementioned offense.

Check back tomorrow for more news in the food world.

2:00pm – Why businesses are failing?

• Serious Entertaining: Dinner and a Movie, ‘Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India’
  Academy Award nominee Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India is a fun and inspiring movie that would be great at a dinner party, especially if preceded by this easy, Indian-themed menu of raita, pickled onions, shrimp with ginger and peas, and a fruit plate for dessert.
• French in a Flash: Paris Mushroom Salad with Lemon, Parsley, and Parmesan
  This bright and clean salad is made of shaved mushroom, Parmesan, and parsley, and spiked with lemon, olive oil, and sea salt.
• Come on in ‘The Kitchn’
  Each week we round up our favorite posts and recipes from our friends at The Kitchn. This week they share a tip for getting the most out of your scallions, suggest foods to try in Australia, cook chickpeas from scratch to see if they’re worth it, and more.
• Dinner Tonight: Maple and Mustard-Glazed Salmon with Roasted Brussels Sprouts
  I’m always on the lookout for sauces to paint on salmon roasted over high heat—I love the way fish tastes with a caramelized exterior, and the process is one of the quickest, simplest dinners around. Soy sauce, sesame oil, and other Asian condiments are obvious choices, but I was drawn to this combination from Real Simple. Who knew maple syrup and mustard would work so well together?
• Drinking the Bottom Shelf: Emmets Irish Cream
  I recently told one of our friends that I’ve never been to Ikea, and she said, “You’re kidding me. In the past couple of years you and Emily have lived in three different apartments with a grand total of six rooms. She dresses very nicely and you…are engaged to someone who dresses very nicely. You two are the very embodiment of half-fashionable faux-poverty, and as such you have most certainly been to Ikea.”
• Daily Slice: Shorty’s Pizza, Tucker, GA
  A Modena wood-fired oven cranks out ultra-thin crust pies named after diverse musicians, with toppings combos you won’t find anywhere else.
• Portland, ME: Getting My Ramen Fix at Pai Men Miyake
  Ever since the charter issue of Lucky Peach hit newsstands, I’ve been making myself a promise: This is the weekend I’m going to make ramen. Unfortunately, I’ve been saying that for months now, but not because my noodle soup craving has subsided. Not in the least. It’s just that this place, Masa Miyake’s noodle shop called Pai Men Miyake, has been feeding me so well that procrastination has become a delicious habit.
• A Sandwich a Day: Fried Chicken at Sunshine Tavern in Portland, OR
  Sunshine Tavern’s buttermilk fried chicken sandwich—one of the best things I’ve eaten in months—is my favorite sandwich on their menu, made with crispy, tender chicken breast and topped with blue cheese coleslaw and chili mayo.
• Spice Hunting: New Things To Do with Mint
  Leftover mint is a killer for me. Unless I’m making some kind of minty ice cream, in which case my technique is use ALL the mint!, I usually have some leftover leaves in the fridge. Mint expires especially quickly; here are some technique-based applications that you can whip up at a moment’s notice.
• The Best Beer Pairings for Super Bowl Snacks
  Super Bowl Sunday is just around the corner, and that means all-day parties with friends, food, and most importantly, beer. When picking your Super Bowl suds, remember that you’re likely to have a few and you don’t want to burn out too early. Session beers are the way to go. Save the high-test super-beers for another day, and choose brews with a high drinkability quotient. Beers that are too heavy or too hoppy will fill you up and fry your palate. Here are a few recommended beers to sip with your favorite Super Bowl snacks.
• Top This: Cherry Jones (à la Paulie Gee’s)
  Slightly tart Bing cherries and orange blossom honey are perfectly played against creamy, earthy gorgonzola cheese, milky fior de latte, and sweet and salty prosciutto in Paulie Gee’s Cherry Jones. The resulting pizza is rich, intense, and leaves you wanting more.
• Vegan: Crispy Potato, Onion, and Mushroom Rösti
  Crispy and golden brown on the outside, creamy and tender in the middle with some good garlicky mayo (aïoli, if you will) for dipping in, the key to a really great rösti is twofold.
• How to Make Almond Milk, How It Compares to Soy Milk
  It’s easy to make almond milk at home: just blend some raw, blanched almonds with water, add a little honey or maple syrup and a dash of cinnamon for extra flavor, and strain out the solids. Nutritionally speaking, almond milk is just a smidgen lower in calories and fat content than soy milk.
• The Art of Eating’s Carbonade à la Gueuze
  There are countless liquids to braise in, but never before have we come across one that uses sour beer. This Carbonade à la Gueuze from Edward Behr’s The Art of Eating Cookbook is a traditional Belgian beef dish that employs tart, bracing geuze or young lambic. If you’re familiar with sipping these tart, puckery brews you can probably imagine the complexity that they lend to a beef stew, an intriguing background of sourness that’s offset by the addition of a bit of sugar just before serving.

Check back tomorrow for more news in the food world.

• Los Angeles: More Tacos Next to a Car Wash at La Cañada Taqueria
  Barely visible behind Pico Car Wash, just west of the Pico / Western intersection in that nebulous neighborhood (Mid-City East? Koreatown South? Harvard Heights?), sits La Cañada Taqueria. Little more than a cinder block building with a sunny paint job, this hidden taco spot serves up some of the best late-night eats around, no matter what the turf is called.
• Barrel-Age Your Own Cocktails for $10
  Over the past year or so, it seems that every fancy bar or ambitious restaurant cocktail list has included a barrel-aged cocktail: a cocktail mixed and ready to drink, but instead poured into a mini (or real big) barrel to mellow and take on a little oak flavor. Jeffrey Morgenthaler’s method has spread to Chicago and San Francisco, Boston and New York, so of course the DIYers wanted to get in on the action.
• Bread Baking: Honey Biscuits
  These biscuits aren’t dessert-sweet but you can taste the richness of the honey. They’re not so sweet that you couldn’t eat them with dinner or breakfast, or slathered with peanut butter. But they would still make a great base for strawberry shortcake.
• We Try All the Spindrift Soda Flavors
  If you grew up in a strictly soda-free zone, your mom might actually allow Spindrift Sodas in the house. They call themselves the “anti-soda” since it’s really more in the fizzy juice genre with your Fizzy Lizzies and Izzes. Spindrift uses fresh-squeezed fruit—pulp and all, so don’t be alarmed if yours comes with floaty bits—mixed with triple-filtered carbonated water and cane sugar. We really liked these; here are tasting notes on all six flavors.
• A Sandwich a Day: The Goat Cheese and Bacon from Uncle Uber’s Sammich Shop
  Uncle Uber’s Sammich Shop in Dallas’s Deep Ellum neighborhood hasn’t been open very long, but over the last few months they’ve managed to make some serious, er, sammiches. Nomenclature aside, you should order Uncle Uber’s Goat Cheese and Bacon ($6.29). The applewood smoked bacon and slices of cucumber and avocado give it a fresh taste, almost reminiscent of a BLT, but then you have that thick, rich layer of goat cheese that makes it far more substantial than its BLT cousin.
• Dinner Tonight: Kale and Onion Pie
  This time of year, I get home from the market every week with epic amounts of kale. I stew it with garlic, roast it into kale chips, toss it with pasta and cauliflower. But until now, I’ve never made it into a pie, mostly because the idea of pie-making on a weeknight seems like way too much effort. But this recipe from Mark Bittman is strangely easy.
• Taste Test: Frank’s RedHot vs. Buffalo Style Tabasco Pepper Sauce
  For the first time, Tabasco has expanded their lineup to include a Buffalo Style Hot Sauce, that is, a thicker, milder version of their flagship hot sauce specifically aimed to compete with Frank’s (the winner of our tasting). Which hot sauce will reign supreme this Super Bowl weekend?
• The Nasty Bits: Fish Head Soup
  For a deboned fish head’s soup, I like salmon heads. You can use any fish head you like, so long as it’s large and meaty enough to be worth your time, but if you use salmon heads, consider dill and cream. The procedure is easy enough—sauté some onions or leeks, add the salmon heads and dill and some potatoes or other vegetables, if you like. Simmer, then separate the fish meat from the bones and reintroduce the morsels of tender salmon to the soup, along with more dill and cream. The taste of the stock is fishy without being too overwhelming, especially since it’s enriched with cream.
• Bottom Shelf Beer: Blue Moon Winter Abbey Ale
  Somewhere on this site I’ve told the story of how I courageously saved a full-grown television from certain destruction after its previous owners had abandoned it on the sidewalk. It wasn’t tied to a lamppost, so it was free to run off to its own uncertain destiny, but it instinctively knew to just wait patiently until the right savior happened by.
• Gluten-Free Tuesday: Chili Cornbread Bake
  After making a pot of chili, the leftovers turn into this simple cornbread-topped chili bake. For the recipe, use your favorite chili recipe as the base. Then spoon cornbread batter over the chili and bake.
• The Art of Eating’s Sautéed Chicken with Tomatoes and Olives 
  For this Sautéed Chicken with Tomatoes and Olives, the chicken is browned then left to simmer with a sauce of white wine, onions, and tomatoes that cooks down to a remarkably complex gravy. Rendered lardons and olives are thrown in at the last minute for bursts of big, salty flavor.
• The Food Lab: For The Best Buffalo Wings, Fry, Fry Again
  Buffalo wings are pure, unadulterated, crispy, greasy, hot & vinegary nuggets of awesome. So given that we’re going to be eating so many of the suckers, isn’t it our national duty—our duty to the birds, even—to make each and every one the best it can possible be? To not—pardon the terrible pun (and all the terrible puns to follow)—simply wing it? I’ve had my share of greasy, dry, flaccid, burnt, tough, gristly chicken wings. My only goal today is to figure out how to get the best out of each and every drumette and flat, to create a Super Bowl snack worthy of its American heritage. A bird we could really flip for.
• How Mr. Potato Head Can Help You Make Better Cocktails
  In the first three seminars I attended at the San Antonio Cocktail Conference this past weekend, three different industry leaders suggested the same method for curing cocktail boredom and for discovering delicious drinks you may never have tried before. The trick: tiki expert Brian Miller (you can catch him on Mondays at Lani Kai in NYC) called it The Mr. Potato Head System. (He credited Phil Ward of New York’s Mayahuel for the term.) What does Mr. Potato Head have to do with cocktails?
• Scott’s Pizza Chronicles: Fried Pizza
  Fried pizza is real and New York is currently experiencing its first real dose in the deep fryer. It’s soft with a thin crisp on the outside, deceivingly light and airy, and unbelievably addictive, but what exactly is it and where does it come from?

Check back tomorrow for more news in the food world.

• In Food Policy This Week: 5 News Bites
  What we’re reading in food policy right now: the Obama administration’s new reforms to the National School Lunch Program, New York City’s food safety grading system, and more.
• Video: The Craigie On Main Burger
  This, folks, is the Craigie on Main burger served at Tony Maws’ restaurant in Central Square, Cambridge. It’s one of the finest versions of chopped-beef-on-bun you will find anywhere, and it’s no accident that it is.
• Super Bowl Beer Showdown: Baltimore vs. San Francisco
  All four of the final teams this year hail from hallowed beer ground, so in the spirit of sport, we’ve pitted the Super Bowl cities in a brawl of the brews to see who would come out on top if the best beer town took home the trophy. We’ll compare New York and New England later this week, but in the meantime let’s take a look at the also-rans from the conference championships: Baltimore, home of the Ravens, and the 49ers’ San Francisco.
• Snapshots from Bocuse d’Or USA Finals
  Richard Rosendale, executive chef of The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, didn’t know he would win the Bocuse d’Or USA finals on Sunday, but he imagined it. The night before the competition, his mother gave him a magnet with a quote from Pablo Picasso. “Everything you can imagine is real,” the magnet said. Rosendale put the magnet on his stove, glancing at it as he cooked his chicken and fish dishes for the judges. Rosendale and his commis assistant Corey Siegel will represent the United States in the prestigious Bocuse d’Or World Competition in Lyon, France in 2013.
• Fresh Food on TV: Weekday Edition
  With all the channels on broadcast TV and cable and the inevitable episode repeats, it’s hard to sort out what’s new or worthwhile. Let us sort it out for you so you don’t miss anything worth watching. Times may vary with region; check your local listings for exact hour and channels.
• Last Week’s Contest Winners
  Cook the Book: ‘Poulet’: docneuman, mrzon, cellosubmarine, weasel8, and cosmicmojo.
  Cook the Book: ‘Cooking Light The Complete Quick Cook’: bajjmayer, Bermudianna, Matt S, capricornpig, and KLETCO.
  Bake the Book: ‘Neue Cuisine’: strmywthr3, Paradoxigirl, Zebbie, AnnieNT, and Lavina.H.
  Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to all who entered!
• Dinner Tonight: Butternut Squash and Pasta Soup
  The hardest part about this one-pot dinner is probably peeling the butternut squash (unless I’m the only one that finds this a pain). Otherwise, the rest of the time is spent chucking things in a pot and waiting. Yet the end result is a legitimate meal, which is warming and satisfying.
• 5 Whiskey Cocktail Recipes from Haddingtons in Austin, Texas
  The menu showcases a pretty wide range of classic and modern cocktails, but their collection of creative whiskey libations is particularly impressive. On chillier evenings (by Texas standards), you’ll want to unwind with a Duck Fat Sazerac (and an order of the velvety truffle egg custard on crusty bread.) Not in Texas? You can still enjoy Brandon Burkart’s drinks, since he was kind enough to share the recipes with us.
• Milwaukee: Come for the Atmosphere, Stay for the Burgers at Swingin’ Door Exchange
  Get great burgers, patty melts, and daily specials at this restaurant that’s been a bar since 1933.
• Sandwiched: Crisp Grilled Cheese
  If it were socially acceptable, rather than a qualifying attribute to be a guest on Freaky Eaters, I’d eat grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner every night. And for breakfast each morning—although in that instance I’d to sneak a fried egg in the middle. Here’s one I make when I have more time to enjoy the slowly crisping buttery bread and the quiet melt of a mound of curled-up orange cheese shavings.
• The Art of Eating’s Beet Salad with Anchovies
  This recipe for Beet Salad with Anchovies from The Art of Eating Cookbook comes from a book of traditional Provençal dishes, and is one that’s certainly stood the test of time. Sweetly roasted beets with pungent bits of anchovy dressed with a bright vinaigrette, this is a dish that’s simple to prepare but complex and truly delicious on the plate.
• Cook the Book: ‘The Art of Eating Cookbook’
  To celebrate The Art of Eating magazine’s twenty-fifth year, Edward Behr has curated a cookbook of his most beloved recipes. The Art of Eating Cookbook is a book of traditional recipes, both French and Italian, each dish complete with well-researched notes from Behr about technique, place, and significance. We’ll be cooking from it all week! Enter to win a copy here.
• Serious Entertaining: Guide to a Stress-Free Superbowl Party
  Sure, you could just order in wings and call it a day, but why would you when there are so many delicious, easy, and football-friendly dishes. How to tackle the menu? Like the game itself, it’s all about a little strategy and coordination. Listen up team, here’s the game plan.
• How to Make Your Own Ginger Beer
  When I’m not making homebrew and writing about it, my other life is training to become a pediatrician. One of the hazards of this career is exposure to tons of infectious viruses and bacteria. Good hand hygiene, diet, and exercise can ward off most infections, but last week one got through—and it was a nasty gastroenteritis. As I lay in bed contemplating my impending death I dreamed of an elixir that could ease the pain and wet my lips without causing a crisis. I dreamed of ginger beer.

Check back tomorrow for more news in the food world.

• This Week in Recipes
  The Pizza Lab: How to Make Pizza Bianca at Home: Pizza without sauce and cheese? Here’s how to make the chewy, olive oil-based pizza.
  Vegan Kimchi As Good As The Real Thing: You won’t miss the briny, fermented fish flavor of this fresher vegan condiment.
  Dinner Tonight: Steak with Red Wine Mushrooms: A French-inspired dish with the classic pairing of steak, mushrooms, and red wine that cooks up in no time.
  11 Brownie Recipes We Love: Valentines Day and chocolate go hand in hand; here’s 11 ways to spice up your standard brownie recipe for the upcoming holiday.
  Poulet’s Preserved Lemon Chicken With Olives With Almond Couscous: This take on chicken in Poulet elevates chicken to an incredibly moist, bright dinner that’s even better as leftovers the next day.
  Dinner Tonight: Tacos de Camarones al Mojo de Ajo (Sautéed Shrimp Tacos): Shrimp sauteed in this spicy, creamy sauce laced with subtle garlic flavor makes this quick-cooking taco recipe a keeper.
• The Secret Ingredient (Avocado): Avocado Panini with Brie, Mozzarella, Sun Dried Tomatoes, and Basil
  The panini to end all paninis: buttery avocado, oozing melted brie and fresh mozzarella, all punctuated with chewy-sweet sun dried tomatoes and fresh whole basil leaves. Crispy, gooey, and delicious.
• Look Who’s Talkin’: Comments, Quips, and Tips We Have Known and Loved
  There’s so much going on in Talk and the comments week to week that we almost can’t keep up. If you’re in the same boat, here’s a small selection of topics and responses that have piqued our interest this week.
• Serious Reads: Neurogastronomy, by Gordon M. Shepard
  The phenomenons of smell and taste are still subjects of much research by scientists around the world. Neurobiologist Gordon M. Shepard has attempted to make this field accessible to the food-lovers set in his new book, Neurogastronomy: How the Brain Creates Flavor and Why It Matters. His takeaway messages are clear, but in between it’s easy to get lost in the terminology of this scientific book.

Check back tomorrow for more news in the food world.