Just as we did in March, we wanted to highlight some great food magazine features that caught our eye in April that aren't necessarily recipe related.
Coffee That Will Change Your Life (And the World?)
We've had the great pleasure over the last two months of receiving some free samples of Storyville coffee. It's a subscription coffee service based out of Seattle with a fanatacism for freshness. They roast the beans and then immediately ship them out to subscribers, who receive their orders only days later. It's definitely the best damn cup of coffee we've ever had a home. You can read more about Storyville and the very detailed -- but extremely effective -- experience of brewing a cup over at The Kitchn.
But why are we telling you about Storyville?
Besides delivering a great cup of coffee, they're also trying to make a difference. In May, they're donating 100 percent of their revenue -- as in all revenue, not just profits, up to $1 million -- to International Justice Mission, a human rights organization, to combat slavery, human trafficking and other forms of violent oppression.
If you're a coffee fanatic or have one in your life, think about giving Storyville a try during May. Learn more about Storyville and their "Give It All Away in May" campaign at their website.
Gourmet (sort of)
We've raved about her books before, so it's no surprise that we're recommending Gourmet editor Ruth Reichl's latest book, "Not Becoming My Mother: And Other Things She Taught Me Along the Way." A departure from her previous books, which were focused on Reichl's life with food, "Not Becoming" is an examination and celebration of her mother's life, which whom she had a complicated relationship. It's a slender but sweet book that we definitely recommend to Reichl fans. If you haven't read any of her books, we recommend that you add all three books to your summer reading list.
Gourmet (for reals)
On the Good Food podcast this week (if you're not listening, subscribe immediately -- it's free), Evan Kleiman interviewed Barry Estabrook, author of Gourmet's recent article "Politics of the Plate: The Price of Tomatoes." The article, which shines light on instances of slavery in the Florida tomato industry (yes, that Florida), is a must-read for the conscious consumer.
Everyday Food
In the "Freeze It" column, Everyday Food features a handy set of tips about how to have cookies anytime you want (sign us up!). Make the cookie dough, dropping balls of it on parchment-lined baking sheets, and freeze. The frozen balls of cookie dough can then be kept in a plastic freezer bag for 3 months. Whenever you want a cookie, pop one (or one dozen) in the oven. We're making room in our freezer already!
Bon Appétit
We're not really certain we could eat off these plates, but we love interesting plates and we love floor plans. Floor Plan Plates: hot or not? We can't decide.
Food & Wine
Back to cookies: We're big cookie fans, which is why we're eager to try to the Compost Cookie from NYC's Momofuku Milk Bar. As the (unappetizing?) name implies, this cookie has a little bit of everything thrown in, from chocolate chips to oatmeal to coffee grounds. You can read some blog posts about the compost cookie here and here. We've been to Momofuku Noodle Bar and Momofuku Ssam Bar, but not yet Milk Bar. It's definitely on our list for our next trip to NYC.
Anything catch your eye this month that you think we should know about? Share it in the comments!
Now on to May!
(Images: Gourmet, Bon Appétit)