Last week my half of TWR was celebrating our last autumn half term ever (youngestson’s last year at school) by taking a short holiday in New York. As well as eating ourselves two sizes fatter, I got the chance to hang out with my knitting friends Kay and Belinda. We went to Rhinebeck again, and admired the sheep, mohair goats and alpacas (I want one of these, I’m just working out where to keep it) and talked about many things, including how much they loved Food 52.
There are many food magazine sites out there, but this one is my new favourite. Not only are there great recipes and photos, but there’s a host of ‘how to’ projects -check out this simple-but-genius polka dot pumpkin for Halloween idea…SOO doing this instead of slicing my hand to bits carving shapes this year.
There’s a forum where you can discuss issues such as the rolling of pastry (‘to use rolling pin covers and pastry cloths or not to use?’, no me neither but I’ve read from top to bottom and now I know. The answer is ‘sometimes’). And a hotline to ask questions or view what everyone else has asked.
It’s also easy to get lost on the multitude of specialist columns too, want to know about craft cocktails? Or American food history, including the origins of the Lower East Side’s pickle wars? Or perhaps you just want to know the Best Way to Do Things, whatever, this blog is an interesting read. A suitably Halloween-y place to start is the exceptional Spirit Guides written by New York cocktail supremo Erik Lombardo, where he shows you how to do clever things with gin and rum that you could make at home for friends and pretend were your own idea.Not that I’d ever do that, obvs….Not at all.
However, what ever you do, DON’T go on the Provisions section, just don’t, don’t, don’t. It’s full of lovely things that would make your kitchen look pretty and bits of equipment you didn’t even know you needed, like a Gold Plated Cocktail Jigger.
But since it’s only sensible to buy if you are in the USA (and obvs it’s not SENSIBLE even if you do live in the US to buy a gold plated cocktail jigger, I get that), you’ll only spend the next hour trying to see if anywhere in the UK sells Handwoven Picnic Totes or Pumpkin, Maple and Cinnamon Spiced Sugar Cubes . The answer to that, btw is no.
Food 52, one to add to your food blog list for sure…