A blog about food, history, data visualization, and more
Update, August 2016: Fixed broken links and updated Microplace’s status “If you eat, you’re an investor” is the motto of Slow Money’s entry into the crowd-funding marketplace. Called Credibles – a word derived from “edible credits” – it joins Kickstarter, Kiva * , the now closed Microplace ** and others as alternative sources of capital […]
(Updated 12/14/16: fixed broken links) The word “natural” takes a lot of abuse in the food business. It’s slapped on just about any product to as a lure to buyers, and yet, it doesn’t have much meaning, except in narrow circumstances. Recently, I ran across a somewhat unconventional usage on the “Pita Bite Crackers” from […]
(Updated, June 4, 2016) Buying a Thermapen to handle temperature measurement in the kitchen was a bit of an extravagance, but since I’ve spent much of my professional career concerned with accurate temperature measurement (e.g., combustion products above a glowing ceramic tile, diesel engine exhaust), I’m very picky about temperature measurement. Particularly, I like to […]
Summer is bulgur salad season for me. Although the most popular bulgur salad is probably tabouli — a salad made with something like two parts of parsley per part of wheat in classic versions — but since I’m not much of a parsley fan, I look for other ways of using the grain. One of […]
Clean cookstoves displayed at an international meeting (Updated 10/24/16: fixed broken links, changed photo) If you were to list the top causes of death and sickness in the developing world, cooking would probably be in the top tier (I’d guess that lack of clean water is at the top). In villages and cities across the […]
Continuing post-Japan-trip blogging, a few photos and comments about seasonality and urban farming in Japan. Seasonality Although the Japanese can get any food at any time, seasonality still plays an important part in their food culture. I was there in October, which is apparently chestnut season, as advertisements for chestnut ice cream and other chestnut […]
(Updated, 12/24/16: fixed broken links) Real ramen — not the factory-produced product with instant noodles and a powdered flavoring packet, but fresh noodles and painstakingly prepared, flavorful broth — inspires strong feelings. It’s inspired two movies, the cult favorite Tampopo (which I found nearly unwatchable when I last viewed it) and the poorly written and overacted […]
Here’s something from the marketing time capsule. An old, empty bag of sugar appeared in the workshop at my office, on a workbench between bolts, wrenches and various pieces of metal tubing. I asked around, and found out that the bag came from a nearby parts supply store that uses surplus bags to package the […]
Air and Fire After a few years with barely any flying, I greatly expanded my carbon ‘fly print’ this year with a big trip to Southeast Asia. And so I’ve been thinking about my impact. When it comes to greening your travel, most lists (like this one at Gadling) suggest buying carbon offsets. I thought […]
If you’ve been thinking about using your bicycle to go shopping or to commute to work, but wondered how how you’ll carry everything, here’s something that works for me: the “grocery bag pannier.” These carrying devices, which attach to a standard rear rack, are the size of a standard paper grocery bag and have a […]