Copyright 2008 The New York Sun Wed, 03 Sep 2008 07:39:18 -0400 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Julie Wiener :: Stories from The New York Sun http://www.nysun.com/authors/Julie+Wiener istoll@nysun.com (Ira Stoll) webmaster@nysun.com en-us JULIE WIENER http://www.nysun.com/food-drink/locavorism-from-across-the-pond/85056/ Wed, 3 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Some people might think that the local-foods revolution and obsession with ethical eating are a local (or at least domestic) phenomenon, one spearheaded by American personalities such as the former director of New York's Greenmarket, Nina Planck, author Michael Pollan, or restaurateur Alice Waters, and embraced by such big-name stores as Whole Foods Market. Meet Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, the face of British local eating, or locavorism, as it's currently known. Popular in Britain, Mr... JULIE WIENER http://www.nysun.com/food-drink/indulgent-incantations/79710/ Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST When I began reviewing cookbooks, my mother, an ardent home cook, shared her personal approach to judging culinary literature. A twist on "don't judge a book by its cover," it is this: If the photos are glossy and beautifully staged, the recipes are worthless. Like any self-respecting daughter, I try to ignore maternal pronouncements as much as possible. But as I pored through "Mantra: The Rules of Indulgence" (Ecco, 214 pages, $34.95) by Jehangir Mehta, I couldn't help but wonder if Mom had a... JULIE WIENER http://www.nysun.com/food-drink/baking-made-natural/76418/ Wed, 14 May 2008 00:00:00 EST While a sophomore at Oberlin College, I found myself briefly eating in a student co-operative where a vocal and intimidating faction of vegans had managed to ban white flour, refined sugar and, of course, meat. Since that semester of brick-like bread, undercooked lentils and mushy brown rice, I have harbored a healthy skepticism of "natural foods," particularly those wholesome baked goods devoid of sugar and white flour. So I was pleasantly surprised by Ania Catalano's "Baking With Agave... JULIE WIENER http://www.nysun.com/food-drink/passover-pages/73992/ Wed, 2 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST At the first signs of spring, as the buds begin to poke out on the branches and my frighteningly grubby winter parka finally feels unnecessary, I start craving Passover fare — that is, matzo ball soup, gefilte fish and charoset, a chopped fruit paste eaten during festive meals. I generally find Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine too bland, too salty, and too starchy, but as Passover (beginning Saturday, April 19 at sundown) looms on the horizon, both the holiday-specific and year-round standbys — noodle... JULIE WIENER http://www.nysun.com/food-drink/pressure-cooker-poised-for-a-comeback/72366/ Wed, 5 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST In a city where admission to preschool is hypercompetitive, and busy executives are all but shackled to their BlackBerrys, I had nearly forgotten that a pressure cooker is not just a colorful way to describe a high-stress situation, but an actual appliance. Like the terms "half-baked" and "back burner," the clichéd use of "pressure cooker" has become far more prevalent than the literal, culinary meaning: a big pot that uses steam pressure to rapidly cook food. And the author of "Miss Vickie's... JULIE WIENER http://www.nysun.com/parenting/kindergartener-takes-the-gifted-test/71153/ Tue, 12 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST Today, my 4-year-old daughter will be put to the test. Along with thousands of other pre-kindergarten children in schools all over the city, she'll take the Bracken School Readiness Assessment and Otis-Lennon School Ability Test. These tests, administered one-on-one between January 22 and February 15, are the new criteria for admission into the gifted and talented programs of New York public schools. The whole process has been revamped this year — ostensibly to make it fairer and simpler — as... JULIE WIENER http://www.nysun.com/food-drink/around-the-world-in-130-recipes/70808/ Wed, 6 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST If only our politicians were foodies, and not just folks who stuff themselves at county fairs in the name of photo-ops, our heated national debate about immigration might play out considerably differently. No longer would we hear dueling statistics as to whether immigrants drain or boost our tax coffers. Instead, the central question would be, what tasty and exotic snacks can these foreigners bring to our fair nation? Are they prepared to open restaurants, bakeries, and street kiosks? Will they... JULIE WIENER http://www.nysun.com/food-drink/chickpea-chic/70415/ Wed, 30 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST Kibbutz-born entrepreneur Zwika Pres recently made a dramatic career change: to selling hummus from trading diamonds. Although he switched from working with one of the world's most valuable raw materials to a humble, pennies-a-pound legume, the move may prove lucrative nonetheless. Mr. Pres's Nanoosh Mediterranean Hummus Bar, a stylish yet inexpensive organic restaurant that opened recently near Lincoln Center, has tapped into one of Manhattan's latest culinary trends: hip hummus hangouts... JULIE WIENER http://www.nysun.com/food-drink/parsnip-in-every-pot/68800/ Wed, 2 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST It's January, that austere window between the winter holidays and Valentine's Day when we've overdosed on decadent food and haven't yet crafted any excuses for cheating on our New Year's resolutions. If your self-improvement list includes giving up meat, losing weight, or simply eating more healthfully, three excellent new vegetarian cookbooks can help. Useful for meat-loving "flexitarians" and ardent vegans alike, all three make veggies pleasurable rather than simply virtuous. Not surprisingly... JULIE WIENER http://www.nysun.com/food-drink/christmas-comfort-food/67519/ Wed, 5 Dec 2007 00:00:00 EST "The Pastry Queen Christmas: Big-Hearted Holiday Entertaining, Texas Style," by Rebecca Rather, opens with a description of the annual Christmas Parade in the author's central Texas hometown of Fredericksburg, where she runs a bakery and café. Replete with "beefy pick-up" trucks, floats re-enacting biblical scenes, legions of gals decked out in miniskirts and cowboy boots, and an enormous "Texas longhorn range steer with Christmas lights twisted through its extraordinarily large rack" — this is... JULIE WIENER http://www.nysun.com/food-drink/preschool-gourmet/64273/ Wed, 10 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST Some of my fondest childhood memories are of cooking with my mother. When she suggested we make chocolate-chip cookies after dinner, I would feel a surge of excitement similar to my delight upon learning that "The Wizard of Oz" would air on TV that night. For years before I had children, I frequently daydreamed about this particular aspect of parenting. While chopping vegetables or mixing cookie batter, I'd imagine a young son or daughter watching adoringly. In my fantasy, I would be the...