Locavore makes good

This is great news - we've enjoyed Dan Barber's two NYC-area restaurants immensely:

Dan Barber, a pioneer of the so-called farm-to-table restaurant movement, was named the nation's top chef Monday by the James Beard Foundation.

Dan Barber was lauded for using his New York restaurants — Blue Hill New York and Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills — to highlight the difference seasonal and sustainable agriculture can make on the plate.

Barber sees his cooking — which he calls American seasonal — as an effort to raise awareness about everyday food choices. At Stone Barns, which is set on a working farm, the menu is a simple list of fresh ingredients.

Dan Barber named top chef in US at "food Oscars" (AP via Yahoo! News)

Related: Blue Hill Farm

Oh my gravy!

Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej has been ordered to resign after being found guilty of violating the constitution over a TV cookery show.

[...]

Thailand has had its fair share of crises recently, says the BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok, but this is one that even the Thais are baffled by.

[...]

Mr Samak, a self-proclaimed foodie, hosted a popular television cooking show, Tasting and Grumbling, for seven years before becoming prime minister.

He continued to present the programme for two months after becoming prime minister, but said that any money he received was only used to cover his expenses.

Protesters accuse Mr Samak of being a proxy for former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in an army coup in 2006 amid accusations of corruption and abuse of power.

Court says Thai PM "must resign" (BBC News)

(1) "Tasting and Grumbling" is a terrific name for a TV cooking show.

(2) In addition to being a foodie, I have something else in common with the Thai Prime Minister: Any money that I receive from my employment goes to cover my expenses, as well.

That's right, friends, money means nothing to me; I tend to give it away in exchange for goods and services.

(3) I wonder if Rachael Ray has ever considered a political career? She has, famously, declared: "I have no formal [training in] anything... I'm completely unqualified for every job I've ever had."

Cuisiner avec les souris

Mister Gato has a strange new respect for authentic Vietnamese food:

There are some very interesting meats available for consumption in Southeast Asia. I’ve seen bugs, ostriches, dogs, snakes, bats, and even cats for sale. While I draw the line at domesticated animals and insects, I’ll pretty much eat everything else, just as long as it was prepared with love, looks appetizing, and smells good.

With the year of the rat in full swing, a group of friends and I recently ventured outside our comfort zones to try a Mekong Delta specialty—mouse.

Eating Mice Can Be Rather Nice (Serious Eats)

Not afraid to be service-y: 101 Simple Summer Meals

NYT: Summer Express: 101 Simple Summer Meals Ready in 10 Minutes or Less

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