Filling bites

1) I have to lead with the big news that I alluded to in my last post. I'm running the 2009 Philadelphia Marathon! Wait! I'm serious! Don't navigate away! OK so this may not be as big of an announcement as some events in life (e.g. getting married, having kids, buying a house, etc) - no way, this isn't even close - but for those of you who know me, know that I've often uttered the words "I hate running" ... and that would come after running to the car in pouring rain. But I have to thank my sister who has really inspired, encouraged and pushed me to escape that comfort zone and try something new. I'm excited already. I know this isn't food related but it does explain why the postings have been infrequent lately. Training is going very well but takes up a lot of my time. And for some reason, cooking a meal after a 15 mile run isn't THAT appealing ...

2) however, eating a burger is!!!! Epicurious put together a nice preview of the "best" burgers in 12 major metro areas. I really wouldn't mind working my way down this list - ambition is key in life. Most venues serve your standard burger combination, but a few provide ideas for future BBQs - for example Zuni Cafe in San Fran serves theirs on grilled rosemary focaccia with raw aged cow milk cheese. As for my hometown "best" burger, they selected the Schlow Burger from Radius. Now I've never been BUT you are going to have a huge problem telling me that it beats the burgers at RF O'Sullivans. Go ahead and try. But be warned, I might slap you in the face with a patty.

3) Insight into the life of a food critic makes for fascinating reading. Haven't you always wondered about these people? I mean they get paid to eat. Paid to eat!!! Are you eating right now? You could be getting paid for that bite of pizza. Now who looks like the chump for becoming an engineer? But there is a down side as Frank Bruni explains in his unintentionally funny piece. I guess explaining to people you have a job to do at the restaurant table isn't so easy.

4) OK if you've at all been reading my blog, then you know I have a fascination with Sonic. I along with hundreds of other New Englanders thought they didn't even exist. Then I found out they do exist - in Oklahoma. Then I bashed them for advertising so much in New England without having an establishment within 500 miles. Well, turns out I know NOTHING about marketing. I guess they spent 5 years and thousands of commercials building anticipation for the FIRST SONIC IN NEW ENGLAND! Yeah! Major news! You could almost hear the people driving down Rt. 1, heads hanging out their pick-up trucks, yelling "The Sonic is coming! The Sonic is coming!" for all to hear. Oh and please note the servers are wearing rollerskates. Not too sure how those are going to hold up come winter ... do they come with ski attachments?

5) As a person who loves both cooking and technology, the idea of crowd sourcing recipes is a fascinating concept. But I'm skeptical. If we let everyone stand in the internet's kitchen, I don't see how we get the ultimate recipe for anything. I like things simple. You like things salty. He likes things spicy. She likes things sweet. That's four directions that you can take a dish. Who gets the final word here? Too subjective. Wikipedia and similar sites work because they eventually lead to facts, not opinion. Don't you wag your finger at me ... everybody knows that everything on the internet is true.

6) R.I.P. Gourmet Magazine. I hardly knew thee but I know you were a powerhouse in the food literary world. You were always one of those magazines I thought I would be subscribing to when I was much older ... and had much more time to devote to the editorials on the proper method to filet a fish.