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In humans, is the sense of taste much more sensitive than smell or is the sense of smell much more sensitive than taste? (This is from CredoReference.)

That little tidbit has nothing to do with this weeks post! I have some audible tidbits for you–podcasts you can download onto your computer or MP3 player and listen to at your leisure.

Food politics–check out NPR at http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_directory.php Here is Michael Pollan discussing the new movie Food, Inc. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105285829

Wine–I’m a big fan of Natalie McLean, author of Red, White, and drunk all over.  http://www.nataliemaclean.com/tv_radio.asp  The podcasts are either her bimonthly email recorded or interviews she does with media all over North America.

Food– This directory includes 20 podcasts related to food. Use the Podcast category tool on the right hand side of the page to view all 20. (Apologies that the Top Posts list above can’t be removed–seems most of the top ones are NOT food related).

And please,  feel free to send me your favorite hospitality related podcasts! I’ll start on a list on the “subject” pages of the Library homepage (http://library.neci.edu)

HAPPY LISTENING!

Some look at cooking as a science, while others view it as a way to a good meal.

For those who are mindful, check out The Mindful cook: finding awareness, simplicity and freedom in the Kitchen by Isaac Cronin (641.013 C947m),.

While those of you who are fascinated with the science aspect and molecular gastronomy; check out these titles:

• The Science of Cookingby Peter Barham (641.5 B251s)
• Cooking: the quintessential artby Hervé This and Pierre Gagnaire (641.013 T448C)
• Dimensions of the meal : the science, culture, business, and art of eatingby Herbert L. Meiselman (394.12 M515d)
• Why does popcorn pop? and 201 other fascinating facts about food by Don Voorhees (641.3 V951w)
• Elementary Food Science (641.3 N632e)
• The Inquisitive cook: discover how a pinch of curiosity can improve your cooking by Anne Gardiner and Sue Wilson (641.3 G221i)
• Molecular Gastronomy: exploring the Science of Flavor by Hervé This (664.072 T448m
• How to read a french fry and other stories of intriguing kitchen science by Russ Parsons (641.5 P269h)
• On Food and Cooking: the science and lore of the kitchen by Harold McGee (641.5 M145o)
• The curious cook: more kitchen science and lore by Harold McGee (641.5 M145c)
• Kitchen Chemistry by Ted Lister (641.5 K773l)

And stayed tuned for next weeks entry which will be published in NECI A lá carte and will cover some front of the house issues.  Some serious napkin folding and wine service!

“But I know what I’m needing
And I don’t want to waste more time
I’m in a New York state of mind” (Billy Joel)

I am beginning the month of May with a quick weekend trip  to NY.  Culinary capital of the US? Of the world?
Let’s explore the restaurants of NY via the books in the NECI library; although some of these institutions are no longer around.  I will be checking in at Cafe Boulud on Friday night. 

Daniel Boulud’s Cafe Boulud cookbook : French-American recipes for the home cook / Daniel Boulud and Dorie Greenspan;

The Arthur Avenue cookbook : recipes and memories from the real Little Italy / Anne Volkwein

The Babbo cookbook / Mario Batali

Dolce italiano : desserts from the Babbo kitchen / by Gina DePalma ; foreword by Mario Batali

The Union Square Cafe cookbook : 160 favorite recipes fron New York’s acclaimed restaurant / Danny Meyer and Michael Romano

When everybody ate at Schrafft’s : memories, pictures, and recipes from a very special restaurant empire / Joan Kanel Slomanson.

The Dean & Deluca cookbook / David Rosengarten with Joel Dean and Giorgio DeLuca

Alfred Portale’s Gotham Bar and Grill cookbook / Alfred Portale

Sylvia’s soul food : recipes from Harlem’s world-famous restaurant / Sylvia Woods and Christopher Styler

The Shun Lee cookbook : recipes from a Chinese restaurant dynasty / by Michael Tong and Elaine Louie

Life of a restaurant : tables and recipes from La Colombe d’Or / Helen Studley.

Lutece : a day in the life of America’s greatest restaurant / Irene Daria.

Geoffrey Zakarian’s town/country : 150 recipes for life around the table / Geoffrey Zakarian with David Gibbons

Service included : four-star secrets of an eavesdropping waiter / Phoebe Damrosch

The fourth star : dispatches from inside Daniel Boulud’s celebrated New York restaurant / Leslie Brenner.

I wasn’t sure what I was going to write about today. It’s a strange/exciting  day in NECI land, but I just finished reading the New York Times online (see the RSS feed above this if you are reading on the library website). And I’ve been doing that while looking out the large windows of the Essex Library at the (shhh) spring like weather..and given the weekend forecast; I think it’s time to think about BARBECUE! And there can be a very sweet connection between maple syrup and barbecue, but we’ve already covered syrup in an earlier post.

The New York Times has an article today about Vermont Maple Syrup at the new IHOP in South Burlington: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/dining/21ihop.html (email me if you need the password to read the full text after this week).

Onto barbecue! Let’s start with books:
Barbecue with Beard (641.5784 B368b) by James Beard
Thrill of the Grill (641.5874 S342t) by Chris Schlesinger & John Willoughby
Barbecue Bible: Sauces, Rubs, & Marinades (641.5874 R149s) by Steven Raichlen
Issues of Art Culinaire #28 & 69 (641.3 Ar784)

DVD’s include:
Boy Meets Grill with Bobby Flay Sizzlin’ Menus
Alton Brown (both Feasting on Asphalt and Good Eats)

Magazines include:
Gourmet June 2008 (and hopefully June 2009)
Food & Wine June 2008 (” “)
For Cooks Ilustrated articles on barbecue, use the search engine–http://www.cooksillustrated.com/default.asp Then check with the NECI library for the actual magazine if the article you need is not fulltext w/o paying $.

And online; check out the website Barbecue’n On the Internet 
http://www.barbecuen.com/begin.htm

Do not forget food safety: Check out the USDA website: 
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Barbecue_Food_Safety/

Happy Grilling!

And I just returned from a week in the Riveria Maya, south of Cancun and North of Tulum. And how timely that Cinco de Mayo is fast approaching. This date is not actually the correct date: Muchos creen que el cinco de mayo es el aniversario de la independencia mexicana. Pero no tienen razón — el día de independencia es el 16 de septiembre/Many people believe that May 5 is the anniversary of the Mexican independence. But they’re mistaken, for the Mexican Independence Day is September 16. More can be found in both Spanish and English at http://spanish.about.com/cs/culture/a/cinco_de_mayo_2.htm. Mario’s estudiantes deben leer la versión en español.

Let’s dig into some wonderful material on Mexican cooking and get busy before May 5th arrives, since that is when we tend to celebrate.

Books by Diana Kennedy (located on the library shelves at 641.5972 K35) and Rick Bayless (641.5972 B358) are a great place to start. Both have written numerous books on Mexican regional cooking.

Get on your laptop and switch the channel to YouTube and catch Anthony Bourdain in Mexico: 

  and

  (the first in a series of 5).

A simple online intro to Mexico and it’s food and customs:

http://www.foodbycountry.com/Kazakhstan-to-South-Africa/Mexico.html

Search Saveur Magazine online http://www.saveur.com for Mexican recipes. Search Mexican for recipes but also try Mexico for other information.

From some of the recently received magazines in both NECI Libraries. Stop by an read a quickie.

Food & Wine, April 2009: pg 172 Credit the DIY trend: Now some of America’s top sommeliers are both making their own wines and creating fabulous recipes to match. Here, some great pairings. By Kristin Donnelly.

Food Arts, March 2009: pg 66 Plaza Sweets: Vienna’s Demel waltzes into NYC.

Pg 63 129 Cardinal Sins from Eric Riperts new book On the Line

Restaurant News, March 2, 2009: pg 9 Finance: Starbucks’ instant coffee launch invites skepticism from analysts.

Chef, March 2009: pg 14 Poultry stars on the plate: Is the poultry on your menu in need of a little pizzazz? Chef Magazine brings you chicken, turkey and duck recipes that aren’t run of the mill.

Seleciciones Reader’s Digest, Abril 2009: pg 42 Conserve su energia: No necisita sufrir para ayudar al planeta. Use esta guía para ser un ecologista relajado.

Seafood Business, March 2009: pg 28 Top Species: Catfish industry steps up its culinary game.

This blog hasn’t been updated with a new interview since sometime in the Fall. Unfortunately, there won’t be any upcoming interviews. Instead I’ll be posting my weekly Library emails here and other interesting items.