Flavor Buffet: Edition 20

Happy Friday, everyone! I hope you had a great week and, despite the heat, got to enjoy some time outside (aside from your commute, of course).

Here’s this week’s roundup of readings from the always-vast World Wide Web of food! Each article is available via the clickable button below its description. Enjoy! 

Heading to the beach this weekend? Lucky you! 

1. While I would rarely consider starting these suggestions with a recipe, I had to do so this time around. Given my over-sharing of the corn-love this week, I couldn't resist sharing this corn pudding recipe.

I'm always impressed with both the concept and existence of corn pudding (is this sad?). Seriously: when and where is the best time to eat it? During lunch or dinner? As a meal or a side dish? And while a lot of recipes I’ve seen for it are a bit dated, and not exactly mouth-watering, this version looks to be a yummy success.

Let’s bring corn pudding back to the table, jazz it up a bit, and make it cool. Seems like the perfect season to do so, don’t you think? 

2. Now, I won’t go into a billion details, but I’ve been traveling to Maine for the majority of my life. I love it. And I’ve always been a fan of Portland, the fun city up there that’s only a couple hours north of Boston. So close!

I was so happy to see that Bon Appétit recently declared it the “2018 Restaurant City of the Year,” because the restaurant scene has truly exploded (in a positive sense) since I was first going there as a much younger version of myself (think: buying popcorn was the biggest thrill of my day).

Check out this article and take a peek at all of the restaurants making Portland way more than just a cool city to see along the Maine coast. 

3. The amount of television available that focuses on food, the cooking of it, and turning that cooking into competition, is far greater than I bet anyone in that industry anticipated. But how is that affecting the quality of the programming on the networks?  

Netflix is offering an incredible assortment of food-focused programming and it’s all fun to watch and well done from an aesthetic viewpoint (such pretty food!). Food Network has countless cooking competitions that all seem fairly similar, but they keep coming back, season after season, with a few minor tweaks. 

Where do you draw the line? Is it more important to produce a bigger variety, that could attract a wider variety of viewers, or just many iterations of one style of show? Check out this article to read what each respective network had to say. 

4. My affection for reading about food, and what to make, and how to make it, runs deep. And I’m reminded about that every time I click over to any of the numerous options for such reading in the New York Times Food section. Sam Sifton’s column, What to Cook Right Now, has great ideas for dinners and a handful of quick comments/notes about the week’s news.

I like my news these days with a little milk (I think Carrie Bradshaw said something like that once.); reality with a splash of something delicious - such as any one of these awesome recipe suggestions. 

5. Let’s jump back to corn for a quick second: cornmeal, grits, polenta, and masa. All are iterations of corn, but how do they differ? They are all also great for a number of meals and recipes, but now we can settle the debate of grits versus polenta: Same? Or mildly different? Check out this informative, quick piece for the rundown and form your own, informed, decision! 

I’d like to write a follow up to this piece called, “finding the most delicious meal that uses each one.” What a delicious endeavor that would be! 😉🌽

   

Bonus! 

What’s the zaniest food you’ve come across at a state fair? I don’t care if you’ve actually eaten it, but I’m sure you have noticed some pretty out-there creations. This article lists the “craziest” food, in each state, available at the local state fair. Some of these seem a little gross, but you know what? They are all very unique!

I'm pretty sure I would taste at least five of the options on this list. Would you? The promise of "carnival cuisine" is basically what got me to click. 😂

If the phrase "cookie dough spaghetti" doesn't whet your appetite, or at least peak your interest, I don't know what will! 🍪🍝 

If the below link doesn’t work, then click here!

Have a wonderful weekend!  

Mollie  

GFMD | Eat, well.