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.

More Culture Stuff

Culture | Magazines

Dinette Magazine

Recipes, stories and design are cross bred into each issue of this extremely beautiful indie food magazine. Dinette is the Québécois version of Kinfolk and we love it. Reading a little french helps to really dig in but browsing the beautiful photography and perfectly aired page layouts makes it as much a look book than a deep dive into tasty dishes and food maker stories. Issue three is out now.

Culture | Books

You don’t have to be Ryan Seacrest to Close 2020 with the Perfect Classy AF Cocktails.

Tonight most celebrate the beginning of a new year. Oddly, I always thought we were celebrating the closing of the previous year. To that end, the close of the notorious 2020 seems like an appropriate moment for my type of celebration. For such a monumental celebration you need to summon the classy AF in all aspects of your evening. That walk from your bedroom to your living room party will be your own personal red carpet tonight. Make sure those sweatpants are bedazzled AF. Hell maybe even throw on that tiara. In addition prepare your imbibe plan appropriately with a Kindle download of the Classy AF Cocktails book. Special attention to the author Calligraphuck. Great name and secret designer/comedian persona. Inside you will find the classics done classy (as the name implies) but the real win is the snarky setups to each drink. Said to celebrate the fine arts of drinking and swearing, the intro paragraphs to each cocktail set the mood with phrases like “When the day hands you your ass” OR “Sure the Cosmo may have fallen out of fashion but it definitely doesn’t have a stick up it’s ass.” This is language we can get behind especially as we bid ado to our the evils of 2020. This falls in line with my 2020 daily rituals of foul mouthed mundane moments like my use of the equally abrasive Carrot weather app. We’re starting with the classiest take out pizza and a Sbagliato, quickly moving on to Negronis and will most likely wake up still holding the remnants of an old fashioned. We hope you have as much revelry as possible shutting down the year that shut us ALL down. See you in 2021 hopefully in a effectively vaccinated, eradicate COVID world.

Culture | Books

Italian Street Food

Today’s post comes on the heels of two commingled happenings. First, My Head of Culinary is trouncing about in Parma checking out brown cows and pig legs. Second, The Food Book Fair kicks off it’s 2017 edition. So, a book on Italian Street Food is more than appropriate. If any of you have spent any time in Italy, as Paola, the author of this guide to goodness, has, you know getting a bad meal is tough anywhere on the boot. But, the culinary road less traveled lies in the nooks and crannies that are street food. A rice ball, a porchetta sandwich or a panini from a stand or off the beaten path vendor with a tiny hole in the wall (literally sometimes) shop are the true diamonds in the rough of this food gem country. Paola Bacchia was born Australian but has always looked to Italy as her Italian migrant parents made it impossible not to. Her book chronicles the recipes of these undiscovered street classics in a way that only an enamored 1st generation non-Italain can. If this book redlines your drool factor, Paola hosts a cooking school in Melbourne, Australia and annual workshops at the Anna Tasca Lanza Cooking School in Sicily where you can taste some of the beauty this book reveals.

Culture | Books

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.

More Culture Stuff