St. Louis Specific Updates to Food-Related Wikipedia Entries #1: Barista
Jan 27, 2010 MO, St. Louis, St. Louis Specific Updates to Food-Related Wikipedia Entries, Television, general food, missouri
While reading up on the scully cap I noticed, like many Wikipedia entries, not only was the included picture of poor quality, it was just some random dude with a stupid look on his face. Figuring he probably uploaded it himself, I’m embracing the power of the internet and am making accurate, St. Louis specific updates to food-related Wikipedia entries.
I begin with Barista for three reasons…
- There wasn’t a current barista photo.
- I love coffee and was trying to find an entry that was currently without a picture for sticking power.
- Although the barista in the photo, Alex Brooks, is no longer a barista in St. Louis, he is a friend of mine and often wears a scully cap–which I now know is more accurately called a flat cap.
Tags: Alex Brooks, barista, coffee, wikipedia
Some
Jul 25, 2008 St. Louis, Television, missouri
I’m assuming three women* run the blog Blogging Top Chef, and they’ve got some posts about the Top Chef tour that rolled into Whole Foods the other day. If that’s the kind of thing you’re interested in, you can read about it.
* I’m assuming it’s three women because their profile lists three people: Chef Biatch, Chef Back Burner and Sous Chef Humor. Plus they have the following About Me on their profile: In our kitchen breasts, buns, and brains aren’t just ingredients! So stop staring at our boobs and go read the blog.
Tags: Top Chef, Whole Foods
Top Chef Finale
Jun 13, 2008 Television, general food
You know when you’re watching the Final Four and you feel like you’re going to vomit? With fifteen seconds to go your team–the one you’ve been rooting for all season–is up two points but the opponent has control of the ball, and they’re driving slowly down court hoping to hit a three at the precise moment that leaves your team unable to respond.
For five minutes Wednesday night that’s how I felt.
I thought I was going to puke. My stomach was in a knot and those wily bastards at Bravo had edited their silly show in a way that left me concerned for the fate of my television. Ellie and I were on edge. We were ready to throw things.
Lisa was looking good
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Tags: Richard Blais, stephanie izzard, Top Chef
A Bit on Blais
May 1, 2008 Television, chefs, general food
Tofu Steak Marinated in Beef Fat with Green Curry
I didn’t get a chance to comment on last week’s episode and I wanted to because I’m sorry but that tofu thing actually sounded really good.
Of everything I’ve ever seen made on Top Chef that was the one dish that for me was the most intriguing. Whether or not you get off on the whole weird food world or not, Richard, visually, is putting up some interesting food, and where some people make wacky dishes that come off forced or senseless, his seem to be derived from some Wonka-world he’s built a house in and thrived in a way that somehow does make sense.
As Dan once said though, he’s totally a ringer and was even on starchefs.com three years ago.
Here also is a blog with a tasting menu from his time at the now shuttered Element in Atlanta proving he’s a little more advanced than some of the other cheftestants.
Tags: Richard Blais, Top Chef
Top Chef
May 1, 2008 Television, chefs
Next week it looks like we get some more uptight-bitch vs Filipino smack-downs, and while that should be pretty entertaining, this week we got another relatively stupid episode of Top Chef.
Not being an Oprah supporter I didn’t know who Art Smith was prior to tonight, but I have to say he was a great judge and the high point of the episode. He actually gave a lot of constructive criticism instead of grunting or oooing over the things he liked and disliked.
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Alton Brown
Apr 29, 2008 St. Louis, Television, general food, missouri
I don’t like Good Eats. It annoys me. I don’t like when people take classic recipes and re-engineer them no matter how similar the end results and Alton Brown’s on screen personality–which grates on me in a way few can-leaves me feeling almost physically uncomfortable.
Still, I’d heard he could be sort of crude off-air and that the humor of Good Eats I find so obnoxious has a tendency for swiftly turning colorful in person. And so, against what I was hoping would not turn out to be my better judgment, Ellie and I went to see Alton Brown speak at The Ethical Society Sunday.
Out of the gate he lambasted the audience about it being our fault for making it possible for food celebrities to have obnoxious catch phrases like “bamm” and “yummo.” And the Rachel Ray digs didn’t stop there as he told us, with such a snide tone that it would be surprising to find out he was joking, that every box of Triscuits we buy supports Ray. He wanted to make sure we knew.
Mostly though, apart from some brief words about his new book, he gave the people what they wanted and fielded questions from the audience.
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Tags: Alton-Brown, Good Eats, Michael Pollan
More Modern Marvels
Apr 26, 2008 Television, offal watch
Last night the episode of Modern Marvels was titled “The Pig.”
Although I braced myself for a biased portrayal of the pork industry as it shifted from the lard type breeds of old to the lean “white” meat of the 80’s and 90’s; and they were a bit generous with their praise regarding the genetic engineering of hogs and made it sound almost like a good thing that you need to take showers before going into a CAFO operation; they did swing it around at the end showing an organic farm that raises Berkshire hogs and even fattens some of them on acorns in their final days.
Still, it was after showing some medcal uses for pig genetics like insulin and tissue repair that the episode steered into a direction I didn’t see coming: Chris Cosentino was on cooking offal at Incanto.
He cracked open a pigs head, poached the brain, and then sautéed it with mushrooms and capers.
The listing on The History Channel’s website also shows that Missouri’s Burger’s Smokehouse was also in the episode, but I missed the first ten minutes and it must have been in that segment as I didn’t see it.
It will air again May 7, and here’s the rundown on upcoming episodes of food-related interest:
- Whiskey – April 26
- Corn – May 5
- Farming Technology – May 6
- The Pig – May 7
Tags: Berkshire, Burger's Smokehouse, Chris Cosentino, hogs, modern marvels, offal, pigs, pork
Food Network Book Tours in the Lou
Apr 24, 2008 St. Louis, Television, chefs, missouri
Lest you forget, everyone’s favorite spastic Food Network celebrity will be at Left Bank Books this Saturday. More importantly, Bobby Flay will be in town next week as well.
If only he’d bring his wife.
Alton Brown w/ Left Bank Books
Promoting: Feasting on Asphalt
When: Sunday, April 27, 2008 4:00 P.M.
Where: The Ethical Society of St. Louis, 9001 Clayton, St. Louis, MO 63117
Promoting: Grill It!
When: Thursday, May 8, 2008 2:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M.
Where: Plaza Frontenac, 295 Plaza Frontenac, St. Louis, MO
Promoting: Grill It!
When: Thursday, May 8, 2008 7:00 P.M.
Where: 399 N. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63108
Tags: Alton-Brown, Bobby Flay, Left Bank Books, Sur La Table
Top Chef Spoilers
Apr 17, 2008 Television, general food
This season of Top Chef seems to be filled with more Real Worldesque drama than ever before. It’s annoying and it detracts from what made the previous seasons so enjoyable to watch even when the challenges were ridiculous like that airplane one.
And speaking of challenges we’ve had two now that were aimed at lower brow food the chefs would most likely never serve in their restaurants. I didn’t get the impression that the Sandra Lee crowd was the mainstay of Top Chef viewership but perhaps I’m wrong.
Really though this show should be called Top Cook and not Top Chef because they’re judging cooking more than any of these people’s ability to lead. How could they have time to lead with all the constant posturing? It’s like stags fighting it out for a mate.
Never-the-less, spoilers…
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Tags: avec, blackbird, Joshua Galliano, Koren Grieveson, rick bayless, Top Chef
Thomas Keller on Charlie Rose
Mar 31, 2008 Television, chefs
Does my dad surf the internet too much? Probably, but he did email me this Thomas Keller interview on Charlie Rose last week and I’ll just sum it up with his words “23 minutes…but you’ll want to listen!”
And don’t forget you can stream other food related interviews from the Charlie Rose back catalog as well like
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Tags: charlie rose, thomas keller
From the mountains of Panama and Ethiopia, to the urban-jungles of Portland and Chicago, journalist Michaele Weissman takes us behind the scenes for a look at the world of third-wave specialty coffee. How did we get to Starbucks, and where we go from here?