I have an article “What Is Fresh?” in this fall’s issue of Vermont’s Local Banquet. It’s a short overview of different ways to think about the definition of “fresh” – and particularly interesting to me because “fresh” is so often used as the primary descriptor for local food, as in the sentence “local food tastes better because it is fresh.” This claim that local food tastes better because it is fresh is so common as to be considered self evident by this point. […]

Categories: Articles

I review (or, more like, read and then write something loosely based upon) Rowan Jacobsen’s new book Apples of Uncommon Character in the fall issue of Vermont’s Local Banquet. This book profiles 123 different varieties of apples; the article looks at the idea that holds all the profiles together – that apples are entering a second Golden Age. Not surprisingly, the article is called “Apples’ Second Golden Age” (I go for straightforward, pun-free titles when I’m allowed to come up […]

Categories: Articles

The spring issue of Local Banquet is out with an article I wrote on dandelion greens – the cultivated variety. Have you ever wondered the difference between dandelion greens you buy in the store and the ones on the lawn? Or why people pay money for what’s growing all over in summer? There are reasons. Good reasons. Read the article to find out: Set the Table With. . . Dandelion Greens Local Banquet, Spring, 2014 Also, for space constraints they […]

Categories: Articles

The Winter 2013 issue of Vermont’s Local Banquet is now posted (and either in a store near you or making its way there) with my article on flavor. This article looks at flavor in the context of how it’s used in local food production – since Local Banquet is a magazine about farming, not about cooking. As the editor reminded me. Frequently. So, check out the article and if you want a bit more background information also check out this […]

Categories: Articles

Here, after much anticipation on my side, is my essay “Clam Digging“, which appears in the Summer 2013 issue of Gastronomica from the UC Press. Both this essay and my last published essay (Hakarl) began with the goal of describing an unusual flavor. They diverge considerably after that. Gastronomica is a much more formal journal than I normally read, much less try to write for. However, I’ve always admired the range of creative topics in their articles, really a lot […]

Categories: Articles

A review of the traditional rotted shark of Iceland in the online humor site McSweeney’s Internet Tendency. How did Iceland’s most traditional dish end up in the New Food Review section? You’ll have to read it here. Yes, that picture is a beautiful summer day in Iceland.

Categories: Articles

This post originally appeared in the Champlain College Publishing Initiative blog – check them out for thoughts about the future of the publishing industry. Searching for recipes online has become popular in one very surprising way: It’s a great tool for teaching digital literacy. It makes sense. For adult learners who haven’t used the Internet much, and who aren’t too sure if they want to start now, these searches are the hooks to get them engaged. The lesson that the […]

Categories: Articles