Food (Section) Fight! is my weekly look at The Washington Post's Food section and The New York Times' Dining section with my verdict on which section had the better content for the week.
Washington Post
Last week, The New York Times ran a piece on odd kitchen gadgets that collect dust in the kitchen. Today, The Washington Post ran a similarly themed piece on doing spring cleaning in the kitchen: clearing out both those unused impulse purchases as well as those well-loved and worn items that need retirement or replacement. It's interesting to see what people find they don't use. I'm in total agreement with Tim Carman about the uselessness of the garlic press, but I think Stephanie Witt Sedgwick should really give her salad spinner another chance (she says its difficult to store; I store mine quite easily--inside the salad bowl). The article made excellent fodder for today's Free Range on Food chat (which I was really into today, firing off no fewer than eight comments).
Joe Yonan emerged from his sabbatical to contribute a piece on veggie burgers. I have to say, I've never had a veggie burger, but I'm interested in trying one now--perhaps the one at BGR - The Burger Joint, for which Joe reprints a recipe, since their hamburgers are so good (best chain burger in my Burger Madness contest).
Speaking of March Madness, Beer Madness is down to its final four, which includes a local pale ale: DC Brau's Public, which I got to sample last weekend during lunch at Sixth Engine. It's the top beer in the hop category. Nice. Recipe-wise, I wasn't really into anything this week.
New York Times
Jeff Gordiner turned in an interesting cover story on how Maloney & Porcelli, which became big in the mid '90s for its pork shank, is trying to reinvent itself for 2012. It's an interesting story about how a restaurant with once hot buzz tries to generate new interest after that buzz has died down. Melissa Clark's recipe for Polenta and Broccoli Rabe Lasagna looks really good. I've never heard of putting polenta in lasagna, which is an interesting idea for a vegetarian take on the dish. Apart from that, the section was pretty thin today. I was only mildly interested in the articles on porters and a new less-sweet orange liqueur.
Verdict
The Washington Post. Not a really hot week for either pub, but I loved both of the Post's cover stories today, especially the one of kitchen gadgets.
Score
The New York Times: 6
The Washington Post: 6
The Post and the Times are now neck and neck! I'm rooting for our hometown paper to win more of these this year, although I'm always impressed with the photography and presentation in the Times' section.
ReplyDeleteI'm rooting for them too! However, taking the time to consistently read The New York Times' Dining section has made me appreciate it more. The two sections have distinctly different personalities, which is interesting. This may be colored by the fact that they do a weekly chat, but I find The Washington Post's section to be more personable. It also feels like it's written in a way that acknowledges its for the readers, whereas The New York Times' sometimes feels more like its written for the writers. If that makes any sense.
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