The Culinary Timeline is a side-project that I've been working on since October. I'm hoping to have most of it complete by the end of January, with any luck. Until then, updates around here will be weekly, rather than twice weekly. Do stay tuned.
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Bread may be one of the few foods where the importance of texture can actually trump the importance of flavor. I say this in reference to the bánh mì sandwich at Vietnam Restaurant in San Francisco, which easily ranks as one of the best Vietnamese sandwiches I’ve ever eaten. While it’s almost unfair to highlight the bread in lieu of the deliciously tender slices of grilled marinated pork within, the baguette itself is what truly sets this sandwich apart.
Grilled and slightly charred, the bánh mì crust is thin and delicately crispy, yet the [... read more ...]
I’ve always admired the famous “Hot Dog” painting by Roy Lichtenstein. Even though the hot dog itself resembles a logo more than anything edible, I can appreciate the fact that Lichtenstein makes the hot dog appear to glisten and shine. In that sense, the painting is very appealing from a “theoretical taste” standpoint, as if the hot dog was freshly prepared and incredibly succulent. As cartoonish as it looks, it does seem delicious.
The colors of the painting are striking: ketchup red and mustard yellow. I wonder if this was largely a coincidence, or if [... read more ...]
There are certain dishes that can speak to people, elevating food to something that transcends mere sustenance. These are the dishes that folks will sometimes crave at odd hours, inspiring them to drive to different area codes, or to wait in long lines just to satisfy a fix. More often than not, these items tend to be shining examples of comfort food, such as a hot dog at Pink’s in Los Angeles, pork ribs at Rendezvous in Memphis, or a charcoal-oven pizza from Lombardi’s in New York. For many people, these foods are almost like religion when the cravings kick [... read more ...]
For as many California wineries that claim to model their Chardonnays after “the classic Burgundian style,” very few actually produce wines with any sort of true “old world” character. While I’m not trying to criticize California’s efforts, I’m simply pointing out that most California Chardonnays skew towards the opulent “apple-pear” side of the spectrum, as opposed to the austere “flinty minerality” of something like a top-level Chablis. But while I admittedly enjoy many of California’s fruit-forward Chardonnays, the local product can sometimes taste homogenized. Fortunately, for those of us who enjoy variety, there are always exceptions to [... read more ...]
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