Here at FT HQ, we’re used to chicken of the fried, roasted, baked, and, well, eaten variety. But that doesn’t mean we can’t talk up the alternatives, like David Ezra Stein’s “Interrupting Chicken”, an illustrated story-within-a-story book geared towards the sleepy little chicks in your life. Let’s hope this funny, not-so-cautionary tale about a young chicken named “Chicken” who can’t stop interrupting his bedtime story succeeds in easing your clutch into quick and uninterrupted slumber instead of, well, the opposite. If, on the other hand, you’re reading this to your brood in Bushwick after a drink and draw, all bets on sleep are off. You know as well as we do you’ll finish the story at Roberta’s.
More Culture Stuff
A Confederacy of Dunces Cookbook
We left New Orleans with a copy of John Kennedy Toole’s a Confederacy of Dunces in our digital back pocket. We were inspired to read the comedic, novel depicting Ignatius J. Reilly’s exploits because of Cynthia LeJeune Nobles’ cookbook of the same name. The Confederacy of Dunces Cookbook is a series of dishes inspired by 1960’s New Orleans and Ignatius’ favorite foods. The research that went into this book is incredible. I’m not sure which one I suggest you read first. Maybe read them both and cook simultaneously for a real immersive trip.
Eat Dat New Orleans: A Guide to the Unique Food Culture of the Crescent City
If there’s one book you load up on your kindle before landing in the Crescent City make it Eat Dat. It’s been a long, long time since we saw a food guide as comprehensive as this. It makes sure all the famous restaurants are included while rounding out the 250 spot hit list with places locals might haven’t even heard of. Things are changing quickly in New Orleans. Hopefully Michael Murphy will keep the book as updated as possible. For now, be sure to pick up a copy when you’re prepping your JazzFest bag.
Something to Food About by Questlove
Questlove has lots of jobs as he self confesses in an article I was recently reading about the musician turned, Tonight Show band leader turned writer (amongst 15 other jobs). His long running, highly acclaimed, Food Salons have always been on our radar as grandfathers of the underground supperclub movement. Appearances on Bourdain’s show and a journey into a fried chicken joint restaurant proves that of his 15+ jobs food sits close to the center. With Something to Food About, Questlove explores the very thing that drove us to use the kitchen for our art, creativity. Through the interviews of 10 chefs he explores how cooking fuels creativity and relates to their world vision. In his own words. ” Food is fuel. Food is culture. Food is history. And food is food for thought.” On the heals of the incredible Netflix series a Chef’s Table, this exploration of food as a vehicle to express creativity gets even more love. This time ?uestlove.
Top 10 Pizza themed things
It’s pizza week! To celebrate we rounded up our Top 10 Pizza themed things we’ve discovered over the last few years. We’re always on the lookout for items that nod to our favorite on the go snack. Hell, Our favorite meal really. THe is nothing better than the slice but wearing, sending or sharing a pizza based product or event is a second best in our books. With that we’ll jump right in to the list.
10. Pizza Card – A puntastic card that also has my favorite food front and center. Giving this to my wife is like saying I love you more than anything in the know universe being that pizza ranks #2 just after her.
9. Roccbox Portable Pizza Oven – When we saw this we had to have it. We validated this spend by calling it a right of passage for our Italian-American heritage. Truth is this might be the best solution to the age old Italian dilemma, “How can I make authentic Neapolitan pizza in my back yard if I can’t get any of my baking devices over 600 degrees unless I spend $2000.”
8. Pizza Pin – Not only do we love to eat that crispy crust, bubbling cheese and aromatic triple meat topping BUT, we’ll wear it on our lapel. Jen Adrion and Omar Noory make lots of perfect little, delicious items.
7. Pizza Battle T-Shirt – This Pizza Battle T-Shirt will do the trick the next time we have to fly to Chicago. Although, you wouldn’t catch me wearing this in Naples. Those guys will take a life for an offense of this magnitude.
6. Pocket Pizza Notebook – Gold Teeth Brooklyn decided to smash the foodie and the Brooklynite together by borrowing the big players form factor and creating a food focused series of pocket notebooks.
5. Pizza Love Party Napkins – The genius behind these paper proclamators is a company called, Creative Converting. They make eating extra fun and take parties to a level your five year old, and maybe your 35 year old, will love.
4. Pizza Wrist Watch – This line of craveable Food Wrist Watches calls for a time out. We, of course, would opt for the center image so that it’s always pizza time o’clock in our dough filled, tomato sauce world.
3. Gozney Dome Pizza Oven – The Gozney Dome brings pro level operations and modernized old school aesthetics to your back yard. Spring is around the corner. Vaccination availability seems to be picking up pace. There will be a group of backyard revelers stopping over sooner than you may think.
2. Extra Large Pizza Pie T-Shirt – You love 🍕. Your family loves 🍕. Your best friend loves 🍕. Yet none of you have an Extra Large Pizza Pie T-Shirt yet. Makes a great gift for the slice junky in your circle and, if that’s you, well treat yourself. Think of it like a couple extra toppings on that next corner shop slice.
1. Vans Pizza Slip-ons – Marry the classic slip on to a classic slice. If they say you can’t have your pie and wear it too, this just changed the rules.