This week, we’re back in Austin—this time, for BlogHer Food 2013. At last year’s event in Seattle, I attended all by my lonesome (remember?) while the boys hit the town, but this year, I dragged my hubby along ‘cause I’m speaking today on the Mobile Development for Food Blogs panel.
Right now, I just finished watching the always-awesome Hank Shaw of Hunter Angler Gardener Cook teach a group of us about knife skills (did you know that the money zone of your chef’s knife is the back 2 to 3 inches?) while impersonating Napoleon Dynamite.
I could certainly use some better knife skillz.
So anyway, life’s been pretty hectic lately, especially with parenting, cookbook editing, and tons of travel. Oh, and don’t forget the zombie drug dealing, too. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have time to put together a Forky Friday for my loyal readers. See how much I love you?
On tap this week: a bunch of articles on fake food, sustainable farming, and as always, tasty recipes.
Look closely:
(image: Etsy)
- Did you think this was a photo of real, edible food? I was reminded of how much I adore miniature toy food after watching this soothing video. Then, I spotted these 30 Itty-Bitty Foods That Look Good Enough To Eat. This one-two punch resurrected my old eBay addiction. And before the Paleo police come to arrest me: Yes, I know they’re not Paleo—but it’s okay ’cause THEY’RE NOT REAL. I’m not going to eat them—I’m just going to break out some old dolls and pretend to cook for them. Don’t judge.
- I know many of you are tired of cooking and would rather just throw in the towel and grab a box of something-or-other off the supermarket shelves. I’ve been there, and battle this temptation, too—especially after working a bunch of night shifts in a row. My motivating force is to feed my family right, and when I need to summon my mental cavalry, I look at this Buzzfeed listicle of 14 Things You Really Don’t Want to Know About Your Groceries. It’s squirm-inducing, I tell ya.
- Speaking of fake food, maybe SPAM ain’t so bad after all. Yes, I said SPAM. Don’t scoff until you’ve read this article in Slate. I’m not saying it should be part of your everyday diet, but it turns out that SPAM isn’t nearly as awful for you as, say, SPAM-flavored macadamia nuts.
- And in more good news, maybe my coffee habit is actually a good thing. Besides, coffee binds us together, my friends.
Now, let’s get to the “real” food portion of this post…
- It’s super-important to know where your food comes. Transparency matters and it can change habits, both in consumers and producers. Luckily, there are farmers who are doing things the right way, like my buddies Diana and Andrew Rodgers. Wanna hear more from the farmers’ perspective? Check out this guest post from seventh-generation farmer Forrest Pritchard and What You Should Know About Poultry Production Claims from farmer David Maren. And go support BuyingPoultry’s Kickstarter campaign before the June 29 deadline.
- Many folks think that fish might be the Perfect Protein. Can aquaculture (a.k.a. fish farming) be done responsibly? Click here for the story of how Dr. Thierry Chopin is doing things in Canada.
- Want something beautiful and inspiring to hang on your wall? Check out all the cool food posters over at Chasing Delicious. If you’re like me, the one below will make you wanna cook up a rainbow of veggies for your next meal.
(image: Chasing Delicious)
Ready to start cooking?
- I’m guessing a lot of you like P.F. Chang’s. Now you can make a bunch of their dishes at home, thanks to this Paleo P.F. Chang’s Recipe Recreation round-up over at Paleo Parents! Confession: I’ve actually never eaten there—but my Asian Cauliflower Fried Rice is legit, I promise!
- In the mood for chicken? I can’t wait to make this easy, yet flavor-packed Chipotle Salsa Baked Chicken from the wonderful Elise Bauer at Simply Recipes. If cheese ain’t your thing, leave it out and top the finished dish with a big dollop of guacamole.
- Have you tried grilling on a slab of salt before? Here’s a step-by-step tutorial from The Meadow. Once I get one, the first dishes I’m gonna make is Michael Mina’s Salt-Grilled Shrimp Recipe.
Okay, gang—I gotta run. We need to go prep for our panel! Wish us luck, and ciao for now!
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