Foodie blogs/sites

[Greg]

This NYT article titled 'Unhappy Meals' is making the rounds of several foodie blogs. It's been called a "must read" by a couple of people (kottke, megnut, the kitchen). I haven't finished the original article -- it's freaking long -- but I did read megnut's summary.

I love watching the food network, even though I don't cook myself. Looking at pretty pictures of food gives me a nice warm fuzzy feeling.

Anyway, browsing the links above, I started wondering:

What are your regular foodie reads?

I've enjoyed, Chocolate & Zuchinni (rockin' pictures), Hedonia (enjoy the writing, and I really like the "one year ago" feature of every post), all kinds of yum (by our very own Tannaz), la.foodblogging.

I admit, when I "read" foodie blogs, I'm really just looking at the mouth-watering pictures.

[Tannaz Sassooni]

i read about 5 bajillion food blogs. some highlights:
- chocolate and zucchini, as greg mentioned. she's such a star -- but also quite quirky. book coming out shortly...
- Orangette: amazing pictures, and her writing is so delicious and indulgent -- really very impressive
- delicious:days: gorgeous design, great photos. (in english, but from germany)
- cupcake bakeshop: crazy inventive flavors and gorgeous photography. she's like the Scoops of cupcakes
- News for Curious Cooks is the blog of Harold McGee, renowned food scientist, writer of behemoth tome On Food and Cooking. geeky goodness.
- and if you're just in it for the pretty pretty pictures, tastespotting is a new site where people post their favorite food porn images, which you can droolfully browse, then click through to the page they originated on.

[Greg]

Thanks for the links, Tannaz! I just wasted an hour looking at food porn, and now I'm satisfied. (Insert obvious joke.)

It's dinner time.

[Will]

I don't visit a ton of foodie blogs, but I do love reading about food I enjoy, like ramen.

I especially enjoyed this recent article titled: If MSG is so bad for you, why doesn't everyone in Asia have a headache?

It's not surprising that the MSG-makers are so busy on their product's image, because MSG-phobia still shows no signs of subsiding. This despite the fact that every concerned public body that ever investigated it has given it a clean bill of health, including the EU, the United Nations food agencies (which in 1988 put MSG on the list of 'safest food additives'), and the British, Japanese and Australian governments.


In fact, every government across the world that has a food licensing and testing system gives MSG - 'at normal levels in the diet' - the thumbs-up. The US Food and Drug Administration has three times, in 1958, 1991 and 1998, reviewed the evidence, tested the chemical and pronounced it 'genuinely recognised as safe.


However, there remains a body of respected nutritionists who are sure MSG causes problems - especially in children. And parents listen. Most doctors who offer guides to parents qualify their warnings about MSG - it may cause problems, it has been anecdotally linked with disorders. But public figures like the best-selling nutrition guru Patrick Holford are powerful advocates against MSG. He's sure the science shows that MSG causes migraines and he is convinced of the dangers of the substance to children, particularly in the child-grabber snacks like Monster Munch and Cheesy Wotsits .

My mom is sure that MSG causes cancer and kill brain cells. But I really love this stuff.

MSG is really a frugal eater's friend, because it can make so many crappy foods taste good!

[Tannaz Sassooni]

maybe msg is a red herring and the real culprit is all the other crap in monster munch and cheesy wotsits.

i recall learning long long ago that msg was bad only if you're allergic to it... i have no backup on that one other than my own feeble memory. but as far as i can tell i am decidedly *not* allergic. bring on the umami!

[Greg]

I saw tastespotting a couple of months back, and it sounded like a really cool idea. The problem back then was that they also had product pictures, which really took away from the food porn.

I'm glad it's all (or at least, mostly) food porn now.

I think I found Hedonia throught tastespotting.

Yay for Tannaz! Yay for new food porn! (My reading list feels more satisfied now, as if it had a big dallop of MSG.)

[Jessica Okon]

I visit chowhound.com daily since they revamped the forums. I got sick of the South forum in egullet after it was held hostage by a few members who all seemed to worship one particular poster.

I love reading food blogs from places I have never visited, or haven't visited in a long time. I often go to Kiplog and poke through recent food blog entries.


Hell, I read the NYTimes dining column every Wednesday & the Bruni blog.

[Greg]

Jessica, thanks for the lead to kiplog ! Cool blog and guy's a big fan of beer. Our kind of blogger.

[alex]

The Veg Blog* and The Post Punk Kitchen: Vegetarian cooking & vegan baking with no attitude are good.