Ham Sandwich Indicted!

Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food One of the blogs that I follow on Google Reader is The Ethicuran , a blog devoted to food news, policy, safety, and a general mission to "chew the right thing." It's insightful, critical, and well-balanced, offering thought-provoking articles and managing (for the most part) to avoid preachiness. A post from this weekend highlights the fact that scientists in Canada have declared the bluefin tuna to be endangered, meaning it faces "imminent extirpation or extinction." Bluefin is the delicious, ruby red tuna ( toro ) that we eat at sushi restaurants in rolls and nigiri, or sear in large steaks, crusted in sesame seeds. It's delicious: fatty, tender, and rich. Unfortunately, this deliciousness has resulted in a drastic decimation of the tuna population, gigantic fish that can live up to 30 years, grow up to 10 feet long and weigh over a thousand pounds. Bluefin we...

It seems that, especially with summer approaching, Columbus is in full blown, can't-get-enough, want-to-see-you-every-night love with ice cream: Mozart's Cafe & Bakery is expanding into the frozen delights biz , Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream has a cookbook coming out in June and her stores are popping up like post-rain mushrooms (a walk up in German Village! an outpost in Chagrin Falls!), and even local criminals want a piece of the action. So of course, the Ham Sandwich had to try her hand at crafting her own delicious treats. Thanks to my sister and brother-in-law, who got me the ice cream maker attachment for the KitchenAid for Christmas this past year, I've been able to try my hand at a few flavors. And just for the record, while Jeni's is phenominal , and those giant chocolate shards in Graeter's are divine, there is something amazing and deeply satisfying about eating a bowl of your own handcrafted and hand-flavored ice cream. Having just finished batc...

One of the tough parts about my part-time "job" as food blogger is trying to keep up with the assorted dining events here in Columbus. ....Yes, you're right, it's exhausting, but I do what I can to keep you all informed. Last night (courtesy of Mama Ham Sandwich) I had the privilege of attending the Taste of Dine Originals event, proceeds from which went to the Buckeye Ranch . Fifty restaurants, multiple wine merchants, local breweries, and our two fantastic distilleries ( Watershed and MiddleWest ) supplied small bites and beverages to an enthusiastic and hungry crowd. Every restaurant had at least two, if not more offerings, both savory and sweet. Some of the stand-out dishes included a gussied-up "S#!t on a Shingle" from Alana's--shredded beef shoulder on a tender, buttery focaccia-type bread, and spicy shrimp and grits from G. Michael's. Basi Italia offered up mini serving spoons of a spring pea puree topped with Parmesan cheese, and the f...