The Feed: July 3, 2013

The Feed is my weekly round up of interesting food-related stories from newspapers, magazines, blogs and websites.

Washington Post: “Ice Cream: Here's the scoop,” by Bonnie S. Benwick, Becky Krystal and Laura Stanton.
It’s such a shame that if I lick this beautiful Washington Post infographic on homemade ice cream, it’s just going to taste like newsprint (or glass if I'm looking at it online). Benwick and team have assembled a fun and informative piece about frozen creamy desserts (not just ice cream) with recipes, tips and fun facts. This is the Food section at its summer best.

New York Times: “Sonkers, Grunts, Slumps and Crumbles: What You Call Your Pie Depends on Where You Live,” by Kim Severson.
And what should you eat with your ice cream? Pie, of course, and the New York Times has you covered, with this feature story and page of 20 recipes, including Pear Ginger Crumble, Rhubarb Raspberry Crumble with Cornmeal Biscuits and the simply sinful sounding Butter Pie.

Bunkycooks: “Mediterranean salad with spelt, eggplant, zucchini & marinated cheese for a summer solstice party,” by Gwen Patresi.
Summer isn’t just about sweet treats, as Bunkycooks reminds us this week with this beautiful (and versatile) Mediterranean salad. If you’re a regular reader of her site you know that Gwen and her husband (“Mr. B”) travel often. This dish came about during their recent trip to Boston, where they used to live.

Wall Street Journal: “Wish They All Could Be California Wines,” by Will Lyons.
Last week, the Washington Post treated us to a story about Napa winemakers embracing old styles of Cabernet Sauvignon. This week, the Wall Street Journal takes a loving look at my favorite wine region and varietal. Lyons’ story has lots of interesting facts about the valley, including how it compares to Bordeaux, the French region known for its Cabernet and like-minded big red blends.

Washington Post: “The case against small plates,” by Neil Irwin.
A day after I reviewed the city’s most famous tapas restaurant, I find myself writing about Neil Irwin’s rant against small plates. He makes some goods points, such as how serving small plates instead of entrees puts a greater burden on the diner to design a good experience. And yes, sharing everything can be rather annoying. But I disagree with his assertion that they are “cheap thrills.” I rather like the idea of eating a taste of something interesting and then moving on to something else. After about the third bite of anything, your taste buds get desensitized to it. If you’ve ever found yourself slogging through an entrée, even if you loved it at first, you know what this feels like. On the Post’s sister site, Slate, you can read Matthew Iglesias’ opposing view.

New York Times: “Inheriting the Restaurant Gene,” by Alex Witchel.
The Times profiles the restaurateurs behind popular D.C. salad chain Sweetgreen, which is opening its first Manhattan location this month (in the NoMad Hotel no less). Very exciting to see one of my favorite lunch places expand and prosper.