Food consumes us more than ever: To the delight of CSA advocates, wholesome, organic food is a priority of both the Obama administration and the Obama family. We're more aware than ever of what we put into our bodies. Lawmakers have banned dreaded trans fats from restaurant food in New York City and elsewhere, and chain restaurants in some cities are now required to post nutritional information openly
in the hope that you'll get turned off by that 670-calorie Whopper. And
with the ability to purchase specialty and ethnic ingredients online,
someone in Alabama can just as easily learn to make Chinese food as
someone living in Chinatown.
For
more and more Americans, food has become far more than just fuel.
Learning about it, growing it, preparing it, and enjoying it have
become obsessions. To feed this gnawing hunger for knowledge, Slate
has put together a special issue examining food from a range of
perspectives. Jennifer Reese tests the theory that you can throw away
recipes and learn to cook using only ratios. Sara Dickerman highlights
the best recipe detectives, who bring foreign food cultures to life.
Regina Schrambling explains why lard is finally having its moment. And
that's just for starters. Bon appétit! FULL STORY