Blogs

A look at what’s happening at our favorite St. Louis food blogs…

Iron Stef is making tofu...tushies.

Show Me Vegan discusses the classic gin martini.

At STL Bites, Bill discusses how others react to his eating offal.

More after the jump...

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Tomorrow is the first day for both the Tower Grove Farmers' Market and the Land of Goshen Community Market in Edwardsville, Illinois. The Tower Grove market opens at 8:30 a.m., the Goshen Market at 8 a.m.

Remember: The earlier you go, the more likely you are to get the good stuff!

-Ian Froeb

Myanmar's government seizes food aid from the United Nations. (CNN)

The costs of commodity foods may have reached a plateau, but cheap food isn't returning any time soon. (New York Times)

Because Gut Check really doesn't mention Gordon Ramsay enough: Ramsay thinks chefs who use out-of-season produce should be fined. (Evening Standard)

The psychology of enjoying wine: Is Two Buck Chuck really better than a $50 cabernet? (New York Times)

-Ian Froeb

Survivors of Myanmar's devastating cyclone face severe food shortages. (CNN)

Restaurants are feeling the pinch of the higher cost of rice. (AsianWeek)

Irvine Robbins, co-founder of Baskin-Robbins ice cream, has died. (New York Times)

Häagen-Dazs is trying to educate the public about collapsing honeybee populations. (Guardian)

-Ian Froeb

Jeanette Kozlowski returns to review the new season of Hell's Kitchen, starring her favorite bad-boy chef, Gordon Ramsay.

8:03 p.m. The big question this week: Can the guys finally get it together? Their mounting issues have become almost as painful as Vanessa's injury and unexpected departure last week.

8:06 p.m. Corey and Christina are still feuding; Bobby and Ben are getting closer and closer. Ho hum. Where’s the real drama? Known for its over-the-top editing and redonkulous production music, FOX hasn’t really thrown us anything new with season four of Hell’s Kitchen.

8:08 p.m. "Finicky and mommy's little girl." That's how Gordon Ramsay describes the restaurant’s newest customer: 15-year-old Melissa. Her sweet-sixteen soirée will be Hell’s Kitchen’s first. Ramsay gives each team 45 minutes to cook up one appetizer and two entrées for her to sample.

After the jump: It's Gordon Ramsay's party, and you'll cry if he wants you to.

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My review of Basil Spice is now available online. Click here to read. Also in this week's issue: Malcolm wonders whether pork pattie loaf is a pattie or a loaf, while Kristie chases the hair of the dog with SmartWater.

-Ian Froeb

Photo: Jennifer Silverberg

The Maplewood Farmers' Market opens for the season at 4 p.m. today. The market is open every Wednesday from 4-7 p.m. at the Schlafly Bottleworks (7260 Southwest Avenue).

-Ian Froeb

Another article on how restaurants are dealing with rising food costs. (AP)

New York City begins enforcing its new law requiring chain restaurants to post calorie counts. (International Herald Tribune)

Actual medical studies of competitive eaters: nature, nurture or nausea? (Los Angeles Times)

Robert Parker doesn't much like the 2007 Bordeaux vintage. (AFP)

-Ian Froeb

The aforementioned June 2008 issue of Food & Wine, featuring a recipe from Mathew Rice of Niche and Veruca.

-Ian Froeb

The devastating cyclone that hit Myanmar (Burma) -- current death toll: 22,000 and rising -- will likely worsen the food crisis in nearby countries. (AFP)

Is sustainable seafood catching on in America? A new study suggests so, but me thinks this is the key note from the article: "...there seems to be no widely-accepted definition of what 'sustainable' means..." (GreenBiz.com)

The controversy over poison-free fugu in Japan. (New York Times)

This is why you hire a sommelier. (AP)

-Ian Froeb

The June issue of Food & Wine magazine hasn't arrived in my mailbox yet, but it's now online, and that's big news for Mathew Rice, pastry chef at Niche and its bakeshop, Veruca: His recipe for semifreddo s'mores is featured in the issue.

-Ian Froeb

As if Somalia didn't have enough problems: Now there are food riots. (AFP)

Meanwhile, confusion in Congress over how to pass emergency food aid. (Chicago Tribune)

Another meat recall: 286,000 pounds from a company called Gourmet Boutique. (AP)

This guy has designed his coffin to look like a Pabst Blue Ribbon can. (USA Today)

-Ian Froeb

Gut Check recommends three ways you won't go hungry this weekend.

1. Cinco de Mayo is Monday, but the big party takes place tomorrow on one of Gut Check's favorite streets, Cherokee: food, music, arts and crafts and maybe -- just maybe -- a drink or two. Visit the party's official Web site for all the details.

Even more Cinco de Mayo-related fun after the jump...

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A look at what’s happening at our favorite St. Louis food blogs…

The Cheesemonger's Wife reports on the opening night at the Shaved Duck.

At STL Hops, Mike visits Three Floyds Brewery in Indiana for Dark Lord Day.

The Cupcake Project is all about ice cream cupcakes this week.

Oodles more after the jump.

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Will the U.S. government alter its farm policies to combat rising food costs? (Los Angeles Times)

OK. Enough about the food crisis for this week.

Inside the world of Bordeaux futures. (Fortune)

A look at the healthiest dishes from chain restaurants. (CNN)

And if you haven't seen it yet, the feature story of this week's RFT looks at bisphenol A, the plastic from most water bottles (among other things) are made.

-Ian Froeb