Weekend Reading: Edible Maps of the World, Why Bacon’s Called Bacon, and More
What we’re reading, cooking and clicking this week.
The artists responsible for incredible renditions of Rothko paintings made with rice just released intricate maps of countries and continents made with those places' most associated foods; Italy's boot is constructed from tomatoes, China's borders are filled with noodles, and the U.S. is shaped from—no, not burgers and fries—iterations of wheat and corn. —Zoe Schaeffer
A Massachusetts librarian has found a way to bring cooks and readers together by hosting a monthly food-focused book club open to all residents. With so many delicious books to discover, I can't think of a better way to discuss them than over a nibble of what I just imagined in print. —Michellina Jones
A century after the breakout of World War I, NPR asked listeners to imagine a world in which the war had never happened and how that would have impacted our lives today, from art and science to transportation and food. Can you imagine what life would be like without M&Ms? —Farideh Sadeghin
The New York Times' closer look at Nabisco's marketing campaign for the latest remix of their icon, the "Cookie Dough Oreo," has me promising myself I'll just bake real cookies—or at least mix up the dough (salmonella be damned). —Cory Baldwin
Despite initial skepticism, it turns out I'm a huge fan of potato-chip sugar cookies; I almost had a heart attack (the good kind) when I read blogger Love and Olive Oil's recipe for potato-chip macarons. Yes, you read that right. Nothing will ever be the same. —Helen Rosner
I'm not much of a sweets fan, but I am a huge Wes Anderson fan, so it's not surprising that I was totally mesmerized by BuzzFeed's step-by-step gif tutorial on how to make the Courtesan au Chocolat from Wes's latest film "The Grand Budapest Hotel". —Felicia Campbell
OK, so this study on the 5 second rule might not be peer reviewed, but it has finally proven there's something to that favorite refrain of people who hate wasting food—or who are maybe just too lazy to make a new sandwich. —Marshall Bright
This dude built a motorcycle out of cow bones; it's aptly named Cowasaki. —Zainab Shah
I need a sugary, effervescent beverage from time to time—like when I eat pizza—so I say let the fine Mexican people enjoy theirs too, and without a sin tax! —Kellie Evans
Well, I kind of knew that all those pols in D.C. were sort of perpetually soused, but who knew that the citizens of the good state of New Hampshire consumed so much of the fruit of the vine? This really cool map of wine consumption by state provides all the intel. —Betsy Andrews
In anticipation of the new muppet movie, Epicurious has gathered eight favorite Swedish Chef skits from the original Muppet Show, each a comic gem. Watch them. I dare you not to laugh. (Bork bork bork!) —Karen Shimizu
What do pizza and pita have in common, and what does it have to do with the word "solid"? Why is bacon called bacon? A bagel a bagel? The Daily Meal reveals all. —Zoe Schaeffer
Most food lovers these days are well-practiced at searching out local, sustainable, and responsibly-sourced ingredients, but I bet not many spend much time thinking about their local slaughterhouse. But as Nicolette Hahn Niman of Niman Ranch points out in an op-ed in the New York Times, the availability of good local slaughter facilities is just as important for responsible eating—and they're becoming endangered. —Laura Sant
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