La Bullipedia: I can't help wondering whether America's Test Kitchen is kicking itself for not thinking of this first, but I for one will be excited to check out this incarnation of Wikipedia for cooks. The mastermind behind La Bullipedia is none other than Ferran Adria, the iconic and decorated chef/owner of the now-closed but still revered elBulli restaurant in Spain, and whose name is synonymous with the apex of food and fine dining. No release date has yet been announced for La Bullipedia, but look for Adria to launch other labors of love, including an elBulli foundation and a culinary museum, in 2014 and 2016, respectively.
Bloomberg's Ban: NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg has instituted a controversial rule banning all food donations to homeless shelters. In a city where both the need and the capacity to meet that need are great, it seems nonsensical to turn away food (much of which has been regularly donated for years by restaurants, cafes, and bakeries) due to questions about the nutritional content of the food, which Bloomberg administration officials have conveniently--and perhaps misleadingly--characterized as food 'safety concerns.' I personally find it ironic that on a national level we can accept significant failures by the FDA to protect our food supply on the most fundamental levels (feces-tainted burgers or pink slime, anyone?), while on a local level we can take perfectly good food--food that hours before had been sold commercially at licensed establishments--out of the mouths of those who need it most (and who may have no alternative way to feed themselves), simply because we can't ensure that the food meets optimal nutrition standards (whatever that even means nowadays). I'm of course not advocating the absence of any standards governing donated food. But if food has been properly handled and is still fit for consumption, why not allow it to be donated to shelters? When so many shelters are struggling to keep their pantries filled, why not give them the option of accepting a helping hand? The shelters don't have to use anything they feel is sub-par, nor does a homeless patron have to eat anything they don't feel is sufficiently nutritious. I've fortunately never been homeless, but if I was, I'd much rather take my chances at a food shelter than I would in a dumpster, which is where all this banned food is going. It's entirely possible I'm missing something here or not informed enough on this issue, so if you've got some alternative thoughts to share, please feel free to post them here.
A (Non)-Moveable Feast: And now for a delightful story on the opposite end of the Bloomberg spectrum, thanks to a friend of mine in Seattle: It seems our hip West Coast compatriots have taken their love for nature, being green, and all things communal to the next level by announcing plans to plant a community food forest. What will begin as a two acre park will expand to seven glorious acres of fruit trees, from which anyone can pick their small share. Seattle joins Portland and Syracuse in the innovative club of urban agriculture, and I'm crossing my fingers that DC and NYC will be next. Mayor Bloomberg can't make it illegal to pick an apple from a tree in Central Park, can he?? (Don't answer that.)
Product Review: Raleigh Bar by Xocolatl de David
For months and months, I obsessed about getting my greedy little hands on these Raleigh Bars, which I came upon in an issue of Bon Appetit magazine. The ingredients and flavors sounded right up my alley, and despite the fact that they cost 300 pretty pennies for each two inch bar, I couldn't wait to have a taste. Well, wait I did, as shipping errors delayed their arrival for nearly three months. And then, the big moment:
"Hmmm. Not really what I expected..."
Which was quickly followed by:
"Hmmm...not really what I had hoped for."
Without question, the chocolate used for these bars is first-rate, as are all the ingredients. The packaging is cute, and the flavors are distinct. But in this case 'distinct' turned out not to be a good thing, at least not for me. In in the interest of full disclosure, I'll be upfront about the fact that I despise salted caramel (gasp!). Despise it. But even those who like salted caramel agreed that the caramel in these bars had such an overpowering smoky, salty intensity that it was nearly impossible to enjoy what were otherwise great accompanying ingredients (stellar dark chocolate, perfect nougat, and crunchy pecans). This flavor profile was so strong that two out of the three of us that tried it could not eat more than the initial bite we took. And this is before we even got to the Bacon Caramel bar, which was, as you might expect, even more savory.
If you're undeterred and want to try this otherwise-hyped bar, you can order them here. http://www.ourfoodshed.com/producers/13-xocolatl-de-david/products/50-the-raleigh-bar
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