Thursday Tidbits: The Humble Bean

Photo: The Ewan/Flickr

LOCAL BITES

The Unsung Bean
On Point tackled the topic of protein in its second hour of broadcast today. Protein for a crowded planet, that is. Enter, legumes, in all their glory! Host Tom Ashbrook spoke with Crescent Dragonwagon, blogger at www.deepfeast.com and James Beard award-winning author of Bean By Bean. Listen online or download the podcast.

Reminder: Raw Milk TONIGHT
Harvard Law School is holding a debate about raw milk tonight, 7:15-8:45 in Langdell South. The public is welcome; admission is free. The event will also be live- streamed. More info at HLS Food Law Society.

Fun(d) Party at OM
On Monday evening, Feb. 20, Chef Patricia Yeo and Louisa Kasdon of Let’s Talk About Food (LTAF) invite you to a fund party at OM to raise funds for LTAF’s first full year of programming as an independent organization. Great food, signature drinks, Chef’s demo and great buzz. Tickets available online.

And the Fastest Burrito Roller this side of 495 Is….
On Wed., Feb. 29, Anna’s Taqueria will host a competition at its Harvard Street, Brookline, location. Which employee and which fan can roll the best burrito? Winners will receive the Golden Spoon trophy and eternal glory (amen). All participants walk with a free burrito, while all voyeurs get a crash course in expert burrito-rolling technique. Henry Santoro of WFNX will emcee. You’ll need to register.

Your Local Cocktail’s Ancestry
Boston’s Cocktail Scene took root in 1998. So claims this report from boston.com about the the fertile cluster of talented bartenders who teamed up way back when at the long-lost B-side Lounge in Cambridge.

Food Advocates Nestle and Pingree on YouTube
The Museum of Science has posted edited videos of all three Farm Bill Teach-In sessions held last month in Cahners Theatre. (The keynote session is super informative.) Session I: Keynote speakers Marion Nestle, Chellie Pingree. Session II: Ellen Parker of Project Bread, Annette Higby of the New England Farmers Union, and Tim Griffin of Tufts. Session III: Wrap-Up.

NATIONAL TREATS

Down with the King
Like to ‘get decadent’ every now and again with a king-size Snickers bar? Well, that royal version is about to be no-more. Chocolate-maker Mars is announcing an 11% decrease in the size of all its candy bars, though the company is undecided as of yet how the dimensions will be change (shorter? skinnier? etc.). The goal here is for a 250-calorie bar, to promote ‘responsible snacking.’ From NPR’s The Salt.

Windows onto Worlds
This week’s Dining section of the NY Times featured two especially inspiring ‘windows’ on worlds most of us do not know. One world is that of war correspondent Alissa J. Rubin, assigned to Afghanistan. She writes of the signal importance of food as an emotive vehicle in one particularly hard place to live. The second ‘window’ is onto the world of tête de veau (calf’s head). Not that you should seek it out, per se, but what this quintessentially French dish meant to Michelin-star chef Yannick Alléno when he was growing up, and how it was cooked.

Gary Hirshberg Labels It
Boston Globe Magazine ran an interview this past weekend with Gary Hirshberg, former CEO of Stonyfield Farm. Hirshberg speaks of why he’s moved on to political advocacy within the world of food.

None for Me Today
If you were to belly up to the Heart Attack Grill in Las Vegas, I’m guessing you’d take a ‘pass’ on cardiac arrest. One poor customer didn’t. Or, couldn’t. The restaurant has lived up to its name.

GLOBAL TASTINGS

Bracing for Drought
…but not in Eastern Africa. Instead, Britain is “bracing” for its worst drought since 1976. Farmers, and fish stock, will be impacted.