I am stitching together a…

I am stitching together a working micro farm, (total size yet to be determined) for one growing season, from parcels of donated land or growing spaces, located in assorted environments in each of the five boroughs around the city. Leah Gauthier looks to grow organic heirloom vegetables and herbs in New York City during the summer of 2009. Sounds like a neat project. [Thanks Jason.]

Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten has a…

Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten has a blog. And while a chef having a blog to promote his new book isn't something I'd necessarily blog about, there's something really cool about seeing it on Blog*Spot. Even after all these years, it makes me proud.

You can't single out one…

You can't single out one part [of the food system] and say something that's come from thousands of miles away is automatically less sustainable – it's much more complicated than that. The Financial Times looks at food miles and shows just how complicated the issue of sustainable food production really is.

Dine somewhere else to-day and…

Dine somewhere else to-day and somewhere else to-morrow. I wish you to dine everywhere, said the editor to the writer at the New York Times in 1859. And thus began the tradition at that paper that continues with Frank Bruni today. A fascinating look not only at the way people used to dine, but also how they used to write. I'm glad the New York Times finally opened up their archives.

In New York Local: Eating…

In New York Local: Eating the fruits of the five boroughs, New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik goes hyperlocal and lives to tell us about it:

You go local in Berkeley, you’re gonna eat. I had been curious to see what might happen if you tried to squeeze food out of what looked mostly like bricks and steel girders and shoes in trees. I wanted to do it partly to see if it could be done (as an episode of what would be called on ESPN “X-treme Localism”), partly as a way of exploring the economics and aesthetics of localism more generally, and partly to see if perhaps the implicit anti-urban prejudices lurking in the localist movement could be leached away by some city-bred purposefulness. If you could eat that way here, you could do it anywhere.

Each day I get less and less interested in localism, perhaps in direct correlation to its rise in popularity and its growing army of fanatics.

In 1997 and 1998, olive…

In 1997 and 1998, olive oil was the most adulterated agricultural product in the European Union. Is it possible all the EVOO we're using is really soy oil and canola oil with industrial chlorophyll? The New Yorker takes a fascinating look at the issue.

Two ears long

Ollie has been growing at a tremendous rate, and he's now as long as two ears of late summer sweet corn. Will he be as round as a pumpkin by Halloween? Only time will tell.

Chain consistency at the local Starbucks

There is only one Starbucks that I visit with any frequency, and it's one near my old apartment and around the corner from my gym. Over the years, I've thought about why I don't mind this Starbucks and I chalked it up to a familiarity with the staff. Last week I stopped in after my first visit to the gym in two months (yay!) to discover that it had been closed for a remodeling. And what I found was a completely changed store. Apparently the renovations entailed an update to the latest Starbucks concept in interior design.

As I stood there in line, taking in the rug, gold gilt mirror, and plush armchairs in one corner, and the mid-range restaurant upholstered booth in the other, I realized what had made this Starbucks different: It had developed the worn familiarity of a local coffeehouse. The few armchairs were shabby, the tables were always haphazardly arranged. The counter was banged up and the doors were chipped wood in need of attention. It was great.

But now it's got that circular Starbucks lighted sign in its window. They've redone the whole counter, changed where you pick up your drink, and installed a microwave so they can sell those wretched breakfast sandwiches. It's now just another Manhattan Starbucks. Everything that gave it its own identity and authenticity is now gone, and I haven't been back.

Ever since I've been thinking about if it's even possible to have an authentic experience at a chain. In order for the chain to succeed, it needs consistency both in product and in branding. This one, until recently, offered the consistent chain product. But the branding, at least in terms of store interior, was missing. Now that it's been restored, the spirit of the place is gone. I know consistency trumps authenticity when it comes to chains. It was foolish of me to develop feelings for that Starbucks because it seemed different than the others. Different can't survive when global sameness is the goal.

From August 31 comes this…

From August 31 comes this update on Alinea chef Grant Achatz from the Wall Street Journal. A team of doctors at the University of Chicago are trying to "cure the cancer using an atypical method of treatment" rather than the standard approach that could cause Grant to lose his sense of taste. Continuing wishes for a speedy recovery, Chef.

Alinea chef Grant Achatz has…

Alinea chef Grant Achatz has been diagnosed with an advanced stage of squamous cell carcinoma of the mouth. There's some additional information from the Chicago Tribune. This is very upsetting news, and my thoughts and hopes go out to chef Achatz and his family.