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
I knew I was doomed when I fished out the Washington Post Food section this morning and was greeted with front-page stories about oysters and DIY juicing, neither of which are particularly interesting subjects for me. I love a lot of fruits and vegetables, but I like them whole or cut up, not whirled into some mysterious sludge. It reminds me of Rene Russo's character in The Thomas Crown Affair.
1) "No sex, please. We're triploids," feature story by Tim Carman. Despite my aversion to eating raw oysters, I nonetheless enjoyed Tim Carman's story about them, which focuses on Maryland couple Andy and Jill Buck's efforts to raise Triploid oysters, a fast-growing oyster variety that can be harvested during the summer (apparently the off-season for oysters). They're also sterile, hence the headline.
2) "Smoked Turkey and Grilled Corn Salad," Nourish column and recipe by Stephanie Witt Sedgwick. Sedgwick starts today's column by stating "smoky flavors and corn are a great mix," a great way to get my attention. Along with raisins, carrots and scallions, this sounds like a delightful summer salad (I bet some diced apple would be good in it too!).
3) "Chicken Sausage with Squash and Fresh Herbs," Dinner in Minutes recipe by Bonnie S. Benwick. I'm a great believer in good quality chicken sausage, like the kind this recipe calls for. Not the cardboard-ish kind that claim to taste like sundried tomatoes, but the kind that actually come in real sausage casings you can get at Whole Foods. That would be perfect in this dish. Bonnie says it is "Paleo diet-friendly," if you're into that (although frankly, I'm not sure what that means).
Despite my not being overly impressed with the Food section today, they did host a very lively chat this afternoon, during which I got some excellent advice from Jane Touzalin regarding a dish I want to try soon: marrying macaroni and cheese with corn pudding. Stay tuned!
New York Times
1) "Cooking Like a Viking," feature story by Julia Moskin. I've been reading more and more about how Minnepolis is increasingly an interesting food city. Moskin's article is perfectly timed then, covering specifically how some of the city's most exciting restaurants are incorporating Scandinavian influences. Great read.
2) "Steak Marinades: Don't Leave Your Flank Uncovered," A Good Appetite column and recipe by Melissa Clark. Clark makes a good argument for flank steak, stressing the importance of marinating the cut while describing the different ingredients to experiment with in making a good steak marinade.
3) "Lost, Then Found: New York Classics," article by Mimi Sheraton. Writing like a longtime New Yorker, Ms. Sheraton tells us where to find the best examples of many quintessential New York culinary treats, including hot dogs, bagels and Manhattan clam chowder.
4) "Not Just Spices On His Shelves," article by Marian Burros. What is a D.C. chef doing in the Times' Dining section? Apparently being lovingly profiled as a major cookbook aficionado. Besides, soon José Andrés will be a New York chef too.
Verdict
The New York Times. The Post was kind of weak today, at least for my interests, while I particularly enjoyed the Times' Minneapolis piece.
Score
The New York Times: 15
The Washington Post: 14
So "smoky flavors and corn are a great mix" get your attention, eh? I'll have to keep that in mind.
ReplyDeleteThe New York classics article sounds like fun. That's probably something the Times does every few years.