Great chefs possess creativity and inventiveness. It is a rare combination. According to an article in the New York Times (sign in may be required) features the innovative sushi at Chicago's Moto where "at least two or three food items made of paper are likely to be included in a meal at Moto...Even the menu is edible; diners crunch it up into a bowl of gazpacho, creating Mr. Cantu's version of alphabet soup." Chef Cantu, whom I might add is only 28, uses organic, food-based inks to concoct a champagne, caviar and oyster dish, sushi rolls on to flavored and edible papers made of soybeans and cornstarch. He's no stiff in the kitchen either. Before arriving where he is today; he was the sous-chef at Charlie Trotters. The article details more of his food-related inventions. Someone to watch.
On the return flight from Chicago my plane reading was the latest issue of New York Magazine. Martha Stewart donned the cover with the headline, ""The Return of Martha Stewart" It's a bit of an odd premise for an article--a woman who looks like Martha saves the company while the queen is at Camp Cupcake. What's more fascinating are the people who have surrounded Martha in order to build the business and today are reshaping it for post-slammer release. A bit gossipy but don't we all need balance.
Why weren't there classes like this when I was in college? Professor Fields, whom students call "Doc Choc" teaches a course about the "mystery, history and allure of chocolate" at Olivet College. He wears a chocolate covered lab coat, too. Sweet.
Morgan Shylock of Super Size Me fame has re-edited his documentary for educational use. The film will be distributed for use in the classroom to instruct on childhood obesity. Shylock thinks schools are the best places to teach nutrition. The DVD format will be geared for grades 6-12 and contains lesson plans and special interviews with nutritionists and doctors. In the past he has been critical of of schools distributing junk food while cutting back on recess time.
Not really food related but one of my favorite tech dailies Good Morning Silicon Valley pointed me in the direction of 43 Things, a social networking site (ostensibly). Essentially you post your wants and desires to the site and find other like-minded souls to connect with. Well, Salon.com has pieced it all together. What's behind this independent site? The largest on line retailer, Amazon. Now I'm a marketing person by day and I'm going to have to agree with GMSV, "leading folks to believe they're sharing their souls with kindred spirits, when in fact they are entering their innermost thoughts into the database of the Web's biggest retailer (which undoubtedly has some goal-fulfilling products to sell them), is one of the lowest things I've run across in a looong time."
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