On the Table - the curious home of Gary Allen, Food Writer & Dillettante

We're on the cusp of September and October, when the bright flavors of summer produce are still available and the deeper ones of Autumn are just beginning to appear -- it's a great time to be visiting farmer's markets and roadside fruit stands.

Regular subscribers to our updates newsletter receive these updates from our blog, Just Served, directly -- but there is much more at the blog that isn’t sent automatically. We understand that many (OK, most) folks have better things to do with their time than wade through countless unwanted e-missives, so we don't add ours to that pile. One of these uncalled-for tales, "Chili Cook-off Judge," appeared last month. We really like chili… but it is possible to overdo it. We also entered an essay, "On the Cheap," in a contest over at Snooth, and actually won a prize -- despite knowing very little about wine. However... should you feel an inexplicable craving for exactly the sort of self-indulgent claptrap we periodically post, you can satisfy that urge at Just Served. If you don't want to wait for this newsletter to hear about such postings, you can follow us on Facebook, or Twitter.

In other news, the edited text, illustrations, and captions for Herbs: A Global History are done, and staff at Reaktion (the publisher) is hard at work laying out the book. The galleys should arrive shortly -- then all there is for us to do is wait for publication in the Spring (well, almost all... we are at work on another book for Reaktion's Edible Series, this time on sausage).

"A Quiet Little Table in the Corner" is now part of the On The Table site. At the moment, it's an annotated ("annotated" being used, naturally, in its least academic sense) directory of our writings -- mostly on other people's sites.

Leitesculinaria is still in the process of reposting, sometimes -- with shiny new updates and edits -- some of our older articles. The entire list of our currently-posted LeitesCulinaria articles is available here, along with several other articles on food history & science.

We must be feeling strangely spiritual -- or so it would seem from these selections that are soon to be added to On the Table's culinary quote pages.

"Gluttony is ranked with the deadly sins; it should be honored among the cardinal virtues." Elizabeth Robins Pennell

"God doesn't care what you eat." Martin Luther

"God, yeah. If you had your beloved pet murdered, the least you can do is eat it." Johnny, Lord Acton (when asked if he ate the pigs he raised)

PS: If you encounter broken links, changed URLs -- or know of wonderful sites we've missed -- please drop us a line. It helps to keep this resource as useful as possible for all of us. To those of you who have suggested sites -- thanks, and keep them coming!

PPS: If you wish to change the e-mail address at which you receive these newsletters, or otherwise modify the way you receive our postings, go here.

PPPS: If you've received this newsletter by mistake, and/or don't wish to receive future issues, you have our sincere apology and can have your e-mail address deleted from the list immediately. We're happy (and, frankly, incredulous) that so few people have decided to leave the list -- but, should you choose to be one of them, let us know and we'll see that your in-box is never afflicted by these updates again. You can unsubscribe here.



American Cookery by Amelia Simmons
(full text of the first US cookbook)

Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
(all sorts of nutritional information, including demographics and economics)

Chefs Move to Schools
(USDA program to "...help chefs partner with interested schools in their communities")

Choose My Plate
(the replacement for the old food pyramid)

Ein Buch von Guter Spise
(Alia Atlas's translation of the fourteenth-century German cookbook)

Food Rules
("Once the province of how-to cooking shows, food media has extended its reach -- but has it become too big?" Lorraine Ali's article in Adweek)

Future of World Food and Nutrition Security, The
(from the International Fund for Agricultural Development, IFAD)

Guide to Federal Records
(how to search US government archives)

Six recipes from The Medieval Kitchen
(Edward Schneider's translation of a book by Odile Redon, Françoise Sabban, & Silvano Serventi)



Basil


Chocolate Traveller Magazine, The


Eye on Nutrition

Food Security Learning Center

International Food Information Council Foundation, The (IFIC)

Organic Nutritional Advantages Questioned Again

Ravensgard Food and Culinary Arts

Research Resources

Short History of Spice Trading, A

Sweet Oranges: The Biogeography of Citrus sinensis

Wheat People: Celebrating Kansas Harvest




Blog posts about blogging -- and writing, design, photography, promotion, and ethics -- can help us become better, and possibly more successful, writers (i.e., having more people read our stuff). Here're a recent favorite:

What’s Behind the Food Photography Trend?



Meera's Blog



Except, of course, for the usual legalistic mumbo-jumbo and commercial flim-flam:

Your privacy is important to us. We will not give, sell or share your e-mail address with anyone, for any purpose -- ever. Nonetheless, we will expose you to the following irredeemably brazen plugs:

Our books, The Resource Guide for Food Writers, The Herbalist in the Kitchen, The Business of Food: Encyclopedia of the Food And Drink Industries, and Human Cuisine can be ordered through the Libro-Emporium.

Here endeth the sales pitch(es)...

...for the moment, anyway.