Chiles in Port Of Spain, Trinidad

•  Meat Monger/Farmer (and former Passable Podcast subject)  Chris deWaal was recently asked to write an op-ed for the site Rustik on what he calls “the real cost of food.” Check it out.

• A great read in the NYT about a woman in Portland who teaches people all about butchery: from slaughter to quartering to learning about cuts, and most of all, the value of the life taken.

• A writer at Slate writes about his experience with the scorpion pepper, the most current “hottest pepper in the world.” Why, oh why, do people do this to themselves…

• Although I tend not to post press releases, this one was worth noting. A group in British Columbia claims to have harvested black truffles in the Fraser Valley.

• I know I’m guilty of this one: the misuse of the word “unctuous”, as decried by the Huffington Post.

• Although you wouldn’t think of The Smithsonian’s website as a great place for food writing, in this case you would be wrong. The story of Kolaches and the wonders of Tex-Czech cuisine.

• As for us writers at Passable, while Melissa was away in Spain eating amazing meals (you should really read her series of Dinners with Albert) I had the opportunity to write about the humble yet potent Haskap berry, and its possible impact on Nova Scotia.

This week’s you’ll find stories about eating horse meat because you want to, the issues around languages that aren’t french in Quebec’s restaurants, Nova Scotian cheeses in competitions, and to finish it off, some deadly foodstuffs.

Fernet image via Wikipedia

• First, a lovely local story. Two cheeses from That Dutchman’s Cheese are competing against some of Canada’s best in the 2013 Canadian Cheese Grand Prix. Good luck!

• This one is for Melissa B, who I know to be a big fan of Fernet Branca. A story in the L.A. Times about the recent interest in amaros, that punchy and bitter italian booze.

• Speaking of tipples, the Globe and Mail throws back a few cocktails that use teas in the mix.

• I love that there is a story in Popular Mechanics about southern chef/seed saver/cookbook collector Sean Brock. Why? To talk about the best way to roast a whole pig.

• Although this op-ed was posted last week, I still wanted to include it here this week. CNN Travel’s Jason Sheehan asks and opines as to why we are always so touchy about food. The opening line: “In Denver, they threatened to kill me over soup.”

• The CBC did a hefty amount of reporting over the use of non-french words in restaurants in the province of Quebec. Apparently Quebec’s office of official languages took umbrage over the usage of the word “pasta” and a selection of other words, signage and other items in various restaurants.

• Clifford Wright is a James Beard winning author, known for his love of Mediterranean food. According to his latest piece in Zester Daily, apparently his latest love is Newfoundland’s culinary legacy.

• Also from CBC: In a weird twist, the recent interest in the media around the horse meat scandal has spurred an interest in the eating of the equine animal.

• And last but not least, a meal to raise funds for charities in the U.K. invites diners to feast on dishes that could send them to their graves.

Excuse me while I post up some stories for this week’s edition of Read Up On It.

Foie Gras Poutine from Au Pied de Cochon

• The Globe and Mail’s Adam Leith Gollner talks about how Montreal, land of foie gras poutine and platter-sized portions, is changing slowly but surely, so that collective waistlines don’t bulge too much.

• An amazing and lengthy article in The New York Times about how certain foods are addictive. Now I want cheezies.

• A magazine in Italy blasts the current Natural Wine movement. The movement, blasts back. (via Dobianchi.com)

• I’ve seen recipes for it, and heard it mentioned on cooking shows. But no one really ever explains what a crosne is. But Hank Shaw does. Thanks Hank.

• The other day I was at a sushi restaurant where a server talked about butterfish, or escolar. They never mentioned the fact that eating too much of it causes anal leakage. Ew. (via The Kitchn)

• And I can attest to this being true.  Jersualem artichokes, a.k.a. sunchokes, a.k.a. girasoles, a.k.a topinambours, are tasty, and can cause “a foul wind on the body”, or so says 17th century gardener John Goodyer. Bon Appetit looks into the why, the maybe, and the tastiness of this tuber.

• First a leftover link from last week. Apparently Halifax Recipes and Food has its own Pinterest page. Neat.

• Big? Yes. Tasty? Not so much. Slate offers a story about a drug that brings beef down, or up, depending on how you look at it.

• A great little interview with Ruth Reichl, posted in Fashion Week Daily. She reminisces about her days at Conde Nast (“You paid for nothing!”), her feelings on Yelp (“Anybody who believes Yelp is an idiot”) and her love of Twitter (“I found I had another voice on Twitter. I love the discipline of 140 characters.”)

• Bad news for Bourbon lovers? The makers of Makers Mark are reducing the alcohol percentage in their brew due to not being able to produce enough for their customers. And of course, people are talking about it. (via Bourbon Blog and First We Feast).

• Speaking of hooch, the Globe and Mail talks about the recent surge of interest in all things bitters.

• As for other things acrid – or in this case acrimonious – a previously anonymous blogger who went by the name The Bitter Barista was found out, and subsequently let go from his job. (Via Gawker)

• And finally from the bitter to the sweet, The Atlantic interviews a researcher who specialises in the health benefits of chocolate.

• Remember when you were a kid and someone told you how Coke used to have cocaine in it? The Atlantic tells the backstory. A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, indeed.

• The Community Carrot Co-Op, the organisation that wanted to place a grocery in North End Halifax is getting its funding.. Check out The Coast’s blurb about it, as well as the CBC‘s.

• The Chicago Tribune visits Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley.

• Eater has some fun with listing some of the most expensive tasting menus in America, as well as the most expensive menu items in the world.

• New York Magazine’s Grub Street talks about the recent love for the cruciferous cauliflower. Bistecca cavolfiore, anyone?

• Speaking of all things plant-based, Details looks into the whole “nothing but fruit” diet.

• As a former server, this got my goat. A server posts a receipt on Reddit she got from a customer at Applebee’s. The customer nixed out the 18% autograt that parties are given on groups of six or more. Turns out that the customer, who is a pastor, got the server fired from Applebee’s.

• A great interview with Danny Bowien, talking about his “sichuan secrets” on ACQTaste.

• And finally, a great little mini-documentary about coffee culture, and the desire for the perfect cup, from The Thrash Lab

• I have a confession to make. When I first started drinking in bars, I would always order something ridiculously fruity to drink. Like a Purple Nurple. So I have to say, I quite enjoyed this story from Slate about the history of girly drinks, and that most (in)famous one of them all, the Cosmopolitan, who turns 25.

• For those of us who eat alone: a ramen bowl with a rest for your phone, via Eater.

• The New York Times talks about how so many people are taking photos of their food in restaurants. Those who do it, love it. Those who don’t, hate it. And so PopPhoto put out a guide on how to do such a thing discreetly. Where do you stand?

• A short but interesting read that talks about how southern barbecue softened racial lines in the south, via Entrepreneur.

Ever hear of Brunost, a lovely Norweigian cheese? Well, apparently in the right circumstances, it can burn for a very long time, and release toxic gases. Tasty, tasty asphyxiation. (Via Gawker)

• The Globe and Mail reminds you that you may think you know pop up restaurants, but baby you don’t know pop ups.

• Another strike on farmed salmon. CBC reports that a virus in the population is causing consumers, namely restaurant owners, to be leery about ordering salmon for the kitchens.

• And finally, via Buzz Feed, a young adventuresome eater named Rino. Quote: “So many American parents struggle to get their kids to eat anything but chicken finger and mac and cheese. Vegetables and seafood are out of the question. Here is a little Japanese girl devouring tail-on shrimp without blinking an eye.” Kawaii!

A still from David Chang’s “The Mind Of A Chef”

• There is nothing worse than an overdone burger. Here in Nova Scotia, burgers can only be served in restaurants once they have reached an internal temperature of 160F. Well, looks like the same thing is happening in the U.K. according to The Telegraph.

• Tokyo’s Tsukiji Market, arguably the most famous fish market in the world, is moving. (via CNN)

• I kinda like grapefruit. I like that it’s a little bracing. But this author over at Slate, has a hate-on for the stuff unlike anything I have ever heard of.

• For the imbibers amongst us: the resurgence of the Tom & Jerry, a winter cocktail. (via NYT)

• The Globe and Mail looks into making cheese at home. The verdict: fresh cheeses are okay, but leave the Manchego to the experts.

• Pepsi and roast chicken? In a potato chip? Only in China. (Via Gawker)

• Michael Ruhlman releases a new book, only for the iPad. The subject: schmaltz.

• Eater publishes its list of the 21 best cookbooks of the year. In that list is Passable interviewee Naomi Duguid‘s new book, Burma.

• I used to think I was adventurous to try lutefisk, that scandinavian holiday treat. Now, not so much. (Via Chow)

• Esquire looks into the Worst Food Moments of 2012.

• As for the most bizarre food moment of the year, I think this video is right up there. From the PBS series, “The Mind Of A Chef”, a strange primer on making kimchi. Also, pineapple in kimchi?

Image via Encyclopedia Britannica

• How does one maintain ownership of an culinary technique or idea? Can you? Eater’s Gabe Ulla posts a great piece on the culture of kitchens, and the difficulty in maintaining “ownership” over one’s own ideas.

• I remember I once bought some frozen durian. They were sealed in a vacuum-packed package, as well as wrapped in more plastic. Even frozen, the smell of the stuff was so potent that by the end of the day, even my fridge smelled like durian. Oh, and my breath smelled like I’d been sucking on a sewer pipe. So why does it stink so bad? The Smithsonian looks into it.

• Ever wonder why traditional japanese foods are always so well balanced? Hiroko Shimbo explains why.

• If you were to imbibe at a select few places in this city, you’d receive your cocktail in a smaller, more traditional glass. Perhaps a coupe. Why is that? Because it makes sense: you want your drink cold, not watered down with ice. The Wall Street Journal looks into the return to the classic and small.

• Speaking of drinking, Wine Spectator looks at certains myths around drinking and buying wine.

• The CBC posted a couple of interesting food-related stories this week. Lobsters prices are low due to a glut of supply, while meat prices are expected to go up.

• Speaking of food and the laws of supply and demand, The Economist looks into the recent surge of demand and fishing of elvers -tiny baby eels – and how they are being sent to Asia.

• Finally, Gourmet Traveller goes to Hong Kong, looking for forgotten – or nearly forgotten – dishes. Take the Golden Coin Sandwhich: “Some dub it the “cholesterol sandwich”: individual sliders made up of pork-belly fat, char siu, and chicken liver, all squished together in a steamed bun.”

Let’s get to it.

• A couple weeks back, I posted about the review Pete Wells did of Guy Fieri’s restaurant. A blog by Jim Romensko asks various critics about their worst reviews, including my fave, Jonathan Gold.

• Speaking of Gold, he goes out dining in Hawaii with Roy Choi. It’s an enviable read.

• Sarah Elton, author of Locavore, posted on her blog of the same name about the idea of  the safety of grass fed beef.

• The CBC interviews the creator/author of the Smitten Kitten website/cookbook.

• Newsweek’s The Daily Beast talks about bone marrow. Why? Because it’s tasty. Sooo tasty.

• On the other hand, I don’t know how I feel about eating this morsel: sea cucumbers. (Via Chicago Reader)

• Chive’s Craig Flinn talks about his recent honour from Taste of Nova Scotia: the 2012 Gary MacDonald Culinary Ambassador of the Year. (Via The Chronicle Herald)

• Speaking of Taste of Nova Scotia, they recently created a series of videos detailing the lives and stories of this year’s Prestige Award winners. Here’s one on Chef Flinn.

• First, a recipe on one of my favorite fruit, quinces, via Grub Street.

• AdAge recently published an article entitled “How America Eats Today”. Guess what: it’s all about pre-made food. The easier, the better. Canned soup? Too much work. Surprised? Nope.

• This one is for coffe snobs: Latte art from Japan. Check out the Cat Bus from “Totoro”! (via Dvice)

• The Mail in the U.K. looks into laver, also known as seaweed, also known as big bucks in food.

• The story behind what is arguably the first book on chinese cookery published in America. It is supposedly the first place where the term “stir fry” was coined.  (via Asian American Writer’s Workshop)

• When people think of Escoffier, they often think of France. But in Britain, he is revered as the man who changed how the Brits look at food. (via BBC)

• “Piping Hot?” “Rolling In Dough?” Find out where all of these expressions come from, via The Village Voice.

• Last but not least,  the CBC interviews documentary filmmaker Yung Chang on his new film, “The Fruit Hunters.”  Check out the trailer, here: