food for thought #1 (and a giveaway!)

As my blog approaches its first birthday, here are some food and food blogging related thoughts that I've gathered this past year (in no particular order):

1. Food Blogs - More Than Foodporn

People write stuff on their blogs for a reason (unless you're this guy, then you probably don't want to read any of his stuff. Jokes. <3 FB). Although it's flattering and much appreciated to receive compliments about how awesome the food looks, try to read what bloggers have to say too! Food blogging is hard work and I think people really appreciate it if you take the time to read their content. If food porn is your main objective, there are websites like Tastespotting, Foodgawker, and FoodPorndaily that are available for your daily, drooling needs.

2. Lost in Translation? A Guide to Sushi

Here's a site I came across while reading FB's blog. It's a general guide to sushi do's and don'ts that you may not be aware of. Sushi can be pretty daunting to eat at first and this link does a great job in explaining some basics.

 (we're not at a funeral folks)

3. So...Where's the Burger From?

This October's NY Times article about E. coli and flaws in beef inspection should make you question the origins of your burgers more than ever. The burger that Ms. Smith ate were from "a mix of slaughterhouse trimmings and a mash-like product derived from scraps that were ground together". These low-cut areas are more prone to E. coli and the likelihood that you'll be hit by the deadly shiga toxin is increased.

Popular Atlanta food critic John Kessler wrote a funny article about his adventure at McDonalds when he asked where their meat comes from.

Simply put, try to understand the origins of the meat you're about to consume, grind your own meats if you can and buy the best quality of beef you're able to purchase. It's not for snobbery - it's for your health.

4. Yelp/Urbanspoon - Ignorance is NOT Bliss
Yelp and Urbanspoon...when used correctly, it can be a useful tool in steering you to good food but many of the reviews are inflammatory, ignorant and/or of no substance. Reviews like: "WORST PLACE EVER!!!" or "THE DUCK CONFIT WAS SOOOO GREASY" just irritate me to no end. Why was the restaurant so bad? Do you even know what duck confit is when you're making that review? Conversely, why is that place the best restaurant in (enter city here)?

My main problem with those two sites comes from the former and I think people need to understand that Yelp and Urbanspoon do make an impact on businesses. Write constructive criticisms, don't write a mobile review and think about what you're posting. Ignorance is not bliss (...in this case anyways)

5. Foodie......

I'll be honest - I cringe when people call me a foodie. I don't have a major problem with the term or foodies in general but I don't like how it makes me sound like some 12 year old girl getting excited about a NSYNC concert (I guess it's Jonas Brothers now? Man, I'm getting old...)

Ruhlman, David Lebovitz, and Sarah Gim have all written articles about this popular term so I won't go any further than what I've already stated. I'll take it as a compliment (I guess?) when people call me a foodie but I can't help but admit that a part of me dies inside whenever I'm called that F word.

(photo by Sarah Gim @ The Delicious Life)

6. Looks and Smells Can be Deceiving

Oysters, durian and brussels sprouts. These may not be the most appealing or fragrant foods out there and depending on what you've heard from others, you may not even give these a try. However, I think you should try everything at least once (unless you have allergies...). You may be pleasantly surprised how awesome some of these taste, like say, durian for example. Sure it smells like sulfuric, petroleum gas and gym socks stuffed with rotten onions but it tastes phenomenal. Brussels sprouts? It's delicious but it may have left a bad impression on you from your childhood. Give it another try in a different preparation. You may be pleasantly surprised!

7. Challenge the Long, "Hard" Recipes

...because chances are they really aren't that difficult. People (including me) get scared a lot of times when they see a long list of ingredients or foods that take more than one day to make. Take a deep breath, and read through the ingredients and recipe before turning that page. It may just be that you need to soak something overnight or just leave it braising or in the oven for awhile. The ingredients may be filled with stuff you already have lying around the house. The point is: give these seemingly hard recipes a try.

From time to time, you'll actually find hard recipes that may be out of your league. As daunting as it is, why not try to make it? You may do everything right and get an awesome dish or worst case scenario, you learn from your mistakes and become better at cooking...or burn your house down. Try to stick to the former.

8. The Past, Present and Future

I think this blog's come a long way since it started last December. I can't say I'm completely satisfied with where it is right now and I'm always trying to improve myself and the blog's contents - there's always room for improvement.

When it first started out, it was mainly to keep track of my culinary adventure, hopefully increase my cooking skills/knowledge and to interact with other people passionate about food. The blog's focus is still (and always will be) on food but I've added restaurant reviews in Athens/Atlanta as well. There really isn't a big blog community for restaurant reviews in Athens, GA so I wanted to take advantage of my time here and write about the foods this town offers. After all, there are some fantastic restaurants in this college town and I want people to know about these great finds.

I'll continue to cook, post restaurant reviews and modify the blog in the future. Hopefully my writing, the blog's aesthetics and any other changes will be an improvement from the past and any suggestions/comments are appreciated.

If you're a reader who's always wanted to write a food blog - go for it! It's a great way to improve your culinary skills (ie. it doesn't take me 5 minutes to dice a green pepper anymore) and to meet passionate, extraordinary people in the food community.

9. Farmers Markets - Your New Best Friend

If you're in Atlanta, there's a Korean lady that sells various vegetables from her van in International Plaza on BuHi (the same plaza with Red & Green). Look for a big tent on the right side. She has some cool stuff that you won't find at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's. The two things that come to mind are the Korean sweet potatoes. She sells 2 varieties but the one with the red skin is awesome. Bake it in the oven for about an hour until it's soft and eat it at room temperature - it's like liquid honey.

(until next year Athens Farmers' Market...)

If you aren't in Atlanta, look up your nearest farmers market and give them a visit. It's a great way to support your local farmers, buy quality produce and to have some fun. There's nothing better than drinking some freshly ground coffee, eating a tasty pastry and shopping around for some food on a Saturday morning.

10. Once is Not Enough...for Most

Cooking a new recipe once and expecting to master it is preposterous for most home cooks. Sure it may have turned out well but can you guarantee that it'll be the same next time around? Do you know for sure that your well-risen soufflé will rise beautifully next time? Once you find a recipe that you really like, keep making it until the dish is consistent and you feel comfortable cooking it.

(one of the trickiest desserts to master...practice makes perfect!)

I highly recommend that you don't cook something you've made once at a dinner party (especially those soufflés). The last thing you want happening during a dinner party is a screwed up dish and more stress.

11. Important ad hoc Notes

ad hoc at home by Thomas Keller was released just recently and I can't say enough good things about this book. The recipes are very doable (for Chef Keller standards) but what really caught my attention were the cooking pointers.

An example would be seasoning your food. It's probably the most important step in cooking but knowing if your food's seasoned enough can be challenging if you don't know what "seasoned" is. Keller describes salt as a flavor enhancer - if you can taste salt in the dish, it's too salty. Pepper on the other hand is used to introduce a new flavor. Also, it's important to season from high above the food to ensure an even distribution. If the food is seasoned right over the food, the seasoning becomes concentrated in one small area.

(ad hoc is a phenomenal book, highly recommended)

I could go through the entire ad hoc book and point out all the cooking tips but you're better off reading it for yourself (not to mention that it'd take like 10 days to transcribe...)

12. The Guilty Pleasures

Everyone has a guilty pleasure food. You know, the ones that you hate to admit that you like (when you're not drunk). TV dinners, synthetic cake mix, McDonald's chicken nuggets, Taco Bell - you know, stuff like that.

(my guilty pleasure)

Mine is spicy fried chicken from Popeye's closely followed by Church's. I'm ashamed to say that I like most of the sides too. It's magical stuff man.

*Edit - Oh man how did I forget about poutine fries?! The ones from New York Fries (which are ironically, based in Canada) are right up there with Popeye's spicy chicken. If you aren't familiar with poutines, they're fries dotted with fresh cheese curds then smothered with gravy. Absolutely, f-ing delicious.

(my favorite poutines growing up)

So finally, this topic leads me into a...

13. Giveaway

...because everyone likes giveaways (or is that just me?)! What's the prize? A reusable Earth Fare bag with random, non-perishable items inside. It'll be fun - just like opening presents on Christmas day. You won't be surprised by candied crickets, Maruchan ramen or Kraft Mac&Cheese. I promise!

The Fineprint:

• To enter, leave a comment about what food your guilty pleasure is. Don't be shy - it's okay to have more than one!
• Contest will close 12:00am December 14th (12/14/09) on the blog's first birthday
  
• Winner will be chosen randomly and announced later that day
  
• This giveaway is open to everyone - even those without blogs. Just leave me with your full name and an e-mail address if you don't run a blog
• For non-bloggers, select the Name/URL option when commenting
  
• This contest is open to US and Canadian residents only
  
• If you really want an extra entry...you can retweet about the contest on Twitter and I'll give you an extra entry (make sure you include @takethouFood so I can see it)
• 5 extra entries to the first person that comments about her/his guilty pleasure and answers what the first picture is from. Man, I'm a nerd. (hint: it's popular in South Korea) Kevin 1+5. Grats!