2011 Holiday Gift Guide for Foodies
Santa’s making a list, he’s checking it twice—but does he know what to bring the good little foodie? Just as hardcore gamers eagerly await the release of a new video game and tech geeks clamor for the latest gadget, food lovers salivate over expensive enamelware, swoon over kitchen tools and wish for editorial-worthy dream kitchens. This year, you don’t have to look any further than your local specialty stores, farmers markets and gourmet shops for amazing finds for the foodie in your life (or yourself). While this guide is by no means exhaustive, it provides a great sampling of...
Read MoreOh No You Didn’t! 5 Edible No-No’s That I Love
They’re taboo and to eat them is to suffer unabashed ridicule or–worse yet–banishment from the culinary inner circle. They are my guilty pleasure foods and have earned their place on the list of banned foods by foodies and food purists alike. Normally, I’m one of these food snobs but every now and then I can be found noshing on: Jarred artichoke hearts – Look, food snob, I’ve peeled quite a few artichokes in my day and, let me tell you, nothing makes me angrier than working tirelessly to discard all those tough outer leaves to get to the tiny little...
Read MoreBourdain vs. The Butter Queen
America’s favorite razor-tongued junkie-turned-chef strikes again. It’s no secret that Anthony Bourdain loathes anything (and anyone) remotely related to Food Network, so when he set his sights on TV celebrity chefs (yet again), no one was surprised. In fact, this kind of solicited rant and rave has become his schtick. Journalists get a kick out of his scathing sound bites and acid-laden diatribes and try their damnedest to elicit enough vitriol to satisfy readers’ need for mean, but is it getting old? Bourdain’s status as rock star chef, travel junkie, and...
Read MoreWho is The Palate Princess?
Iris McCarthy is a food writer and author of the popular book Food Lovers' Guide to Philadelphia. This website is where she gets to sound off on all things culinary.