Results tagged “edbehr”

While the San Francisco Public Library site is up, their search is not! Far be it from us to criticize anyone for the occasional technical bobble. Get well soon, SFPL search!

We first learned about sorrel from our food writing idol Ed Behr, who devotes a chapter of to the distinctive herb and its history. Behr takes his cue from French cuisine and uses it in salads, soups, and sauces.We've kept that essay in mind, and pounced on the vibrant vegetable when we saw it at the Berkeley farmers' market.

We're drooling after seeing what our fellow 'Fisters are reading this week. We have to admit that food-related are the only books we prefer to buy as opposed to borrow, maybe because we promise ourselves that we will get around to making the mentioned dishes. Not that we ever do.

The Artful Eater. You knew this post was coming. You've seen tomatoes piled up at the farmer's markets, a gumball machine of green, yellow, orange, and red spheres, and you've wondered when we're going to talk about them. Never fear, we intend to take full advantage of this mouthwatering selection. Though supermarket versions have gotten better over the years, they still suffer from being picked too early or refrigerated, both of which can stunt the flavor. Good farmers, on the other hand, pick the tomatoes at their peak of ripeness and don't refrigerate the fragile fruit. And while we don't believe that the word "heirloom" necessarily makes tomatoes taste better, we do enjoy the wider range of flavors and colors. We're actually thinking of doing a tomato post in a few weeks, comparing the different heirloom varieties. What do you think?
Most of you know that the tomato is botanically a fruit, but why does everyone treat it like a vegetable? Harold McGee's argues that it's because of the high amounts of glutamic acid and sulfur aromas, which give it a savory quality that pairs well with meats. If you think you're sensitive to MSG, avoid tomatoes (and Parmiggiano-Reggiano. Ouch).