Masters of Social Gastronomy!

MSG at GoogaMooga - Saturday!

brooklynbrainery — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:17:18 -0400

If you’ve got Saturday GoogaMooga tickets, swing on by Cafe GoogaMooga at 2:30pm for a special Masters of Social Gastronomy talk.

Sarah and Soma will be showcasing the crazy world of the 1932 Futurists Cookbook: a manifesto intent on banning pasta in Italy, inventing pre-WW2 molecular gastronomy, and throwing high-concept dinner parties.

Join them as they abandon silverware, caress sandpaper, and craft meat skyscrapers, all in the name of recreating the cuisine of futures past.

Must-reads on High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sugar, and Artificial Sweeteners

brooklynbrainery — Sat, 11 May 2013 08:01:29 -0400

While Sarah will have you covered on NYC’s sugar history at April’s MSG, I thought I’d give you some further reading if your scientific curiosity was piqued. I’ll be making follow-up posts on HFCS vs sugar and the hilarious history of artificial sweeteners, but figured you all might want to get a jump on it!

Online Resources

Big Sugar’s Sweet Little Lies was an amazing piece on the evildoings of sugar companies, starting way back in the 40’s (at least). Put together for Mother Jones by Gary Taubes and Cristin Kearns Couzens, Gary also did an AMA on Reddit full of factoid and opinions.

“Is Sugar Toxic?” was an attention-grabbing NYT piece also by Gary Taubes, but not nearly as interesting as the Mother Jones article. It’s a take on Sugar: The Bitter Truth, a 90-minute lecture by pediatrician and anti-obesity advocate Robert Lustig.

Lustig argues that fructose - found in both sugar and HFCS - is a poison that’s slowly killing us, saying it’s basically “alcohol without the buzz.” It’s worth the watch.

Lustig’s argument has caught on in the past few years, but you can see some of the criticisms on Alan Aragon’s blog under The Bitter Truth about Fructose Alarmism. The best part is that in a later post Alan actually provides a recap the discussion in the comments, where even Dr. Lustig makes an appearance!

Mark Bittman joined the fray with “It’s the Sugar, Folks,” which along with the Mother Jones articles found a little healthy criticism.

If you’d like to skip straight to the summaries, Lifehacker has a decent roundup of the current thinking on sugar.

If you’d like to watch giants of the industry battle it out, The Sugar Association and “Big HFCS” also have sites.

Books

On Food and Cooking is of course the bible of food science, but it only has a very very small section on the artificial stuff. David E. Newton’s Food Chemistry might have a name that’d peg it as a textbook, but I found it to be a very very very easy read, and full of great information.

Empty Pleasures: The Story of Artificial Sweeteners from Saccharin to Splenda by Carolyn de la Pena is a great look at, obviously, the story behind the artficial sweeteners. I found it pretty late in the game, though, so I only managed to read it on Google Books.

[Brooklyn Brainery]

The Quick and Dirty Guide to Saccharin

brooklynbrainery — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:02:19 -0400

Saccharin, one of our oldest artificial sweeteners, was discovered in 1879 after a scientist licked his hand at the end of the day and realized it tasted sweet. Because that’s what you do.

More.

[Brooklyn Brainery]

Cyclamate, the artificial sweetener for the rest of the world

brooklynbrainery — Fri, 10 May 2013 08:01:36 -0400

The story of cyclamate, discovered accidentally in 1937, and currently banned in the United States after a big push from the sugar lobby.

More.

[Brooklyn Brainery]

April 30: The Masters of Social Gastronomy Meet Their Sweet Tooth

brooklynbrainery — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 19:54:00 -0400

We know you’ve been waiting with baited breath for the next MSG lecture. Wait no more!

Come on down to Public Assembly in Williamsburg on Tuesday, April 30, for our monthly Masters of Social Gastronomy lecture. This month we’re talking about sugar and artificial sweeteners.

Brooklyn’s had a long relationship with sugar, from Williamsburg’s Domino Sugar factory to the Navy Yard’s love child Sweet n’ Low. We’ll follow sugar’s path from sticky brown foodstuff to pinnacle of modern science.

But is giving in to our sweet tooth digging our own graves? Let’s break down the science behind the fear of sugar, from carcinogenic artificial sweeteners to the possible perils of that ubiquitous high fructose corn syrup.

MSG is free! Doors at 7, talks shortly thereafter, bring an ID with you. Public Assembly is located at 70 North 6th Street in Brooklyn.

RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/364675813637790/

Gallery: Supermother’s Cooking with Grass Cookbook (1971) I...

brooklynbrainery — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 16:21:43 -0400

Gallery: Supermother’s Cooking with Grass Cookbook (1971)

I first spied this little beauty in the very reputable Antique Trader Collectible Cookbooks Price…

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Save the Date! The Next MSG is April 30th!

brooklynbrainery — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:32:17 -0400

The Bimuelos Pan

brooklynbrainery — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 16:02:23 -0400

Bimuelos were a special treat, reserved for big breakfasts and holiday celebrations, and the recipes vary by region. A yeast-risen, fried dough was drizzled with honey or cinnamon for Hanukkah celebrations; for the last course of the Passover Seder, bimuelos were made with crumbled matza, a crisp, flat bread, that could be soaked in a lemon sugar syrup and sprinkled with nuts. Being able to create light, fluffy bimuelos was the sign of an accomplished cook and never went without praise. More.

[Sarah Lohman, via Etsy]

photo courtesy Etsy

The History Dish: 1001 Sandwiches

brooklynbrainery — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 08:01:37 -0400

Welcome to the world of early 20th century sandwich making, when the advent of sliced bread gave birth to a booming sandwich culture. We tried four, including the infamous ham and banana combo.

More.

[Four Pounds Flour]

Roberta's Weed Tasting Menu

brooklynbrainery — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 21:39:00 -0400

Researching this month’s Masters of Social Gastronomy has put on full display a culinary weak point of NYC: cannabis edibles. Unlike our friends to the west, the East Coast has not been so quick to embrace the quasi-legalization of marijuana. As a result, most of my fieldwork has been reading forums populated by 14 year olds trying to make pot brownies in the microwave. Oh, and about the time that Roberta’s treated former Vice editor Jesse Pearson to a three-course weed tasting menu.

More.

[Brooklyn Brainery]

image courtesy GQ

March Lecture: The Masters of Social Gastronomy Do Drugs

brooklynbrainery — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 14:41:18 -0400

At this month’s Masters of Social Gastronomy, we’ll look at the culinary world’s experiments with illicit substances.

Let’s get high with the Victorians! From patent medicines to absinthe, Coca-Cola to laughing gas, we’ll look at all the forms of socially acceptable substance abuse during the 19th century.

Later, we’ll fast-forward to modern-day America, where quasi-legal marijuana has spawned an industry of cannabis edibles. We’ll survey the range of altered-state culinary concoctions and see what both science and chefs have to say about epicurean euphoria.

For Storytime, we’ll explore the 1971 cookbook “Supermother’s Cooking with Grass,” and this mama’s not using lawn clippings. For those preferring to stay on the good side of the law, we’ll also see if vodka sauce can make some seriously drunken noodles.

All the details:
Masters of Social Gastronomy
Tuesday, March 26, doors at 7pm
Public Assembly (70 North 6th Street)
Free, RSVP recommended

Chinatown Roulette: Bamboo Charcoal Peanuts

brooklynbrainery — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 21:37:42 -0400

They’re peanuts. They’re covered in bamboo charcoal. And they’re way more delicious than you would imagine.

[Brooklyn Brainery]

MSG is tonight!

brooklynbrainery — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:11:57 -0500

MSG is tonight! :

Learn all about the history of sandwiches and eat some too.

Tuesday, Feb 26, 7pm Public Assembly in Williamsburg Free

hellomsg:

The history of sandwiches is laced with vice, ingenuity, and industry.

Sarah will relate this sordid tale via the PB&J, perhaps the sandwich Americans feel the most passionate about. But jelly wasn’t always thought to be peanut butter’s natural companion and at MSG you’ll get to experience…

Chinatown Roulette: Bamboo Charcoal Peanuts

dangerscarf — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:25:38 -0500

Bamboo Charcoal Peanuts aren’t a mistranslation, they’re actually peanuts covered in bamboo charcoal. We ate them. And enjoyed it. [Brooklyn Brainery]

Between the Bread: Masters of Social Gastronomy Talk Sandwiches on February 26

brooklynbrainery — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 09:01:23 -0500

The history of sandwiches is laced with vice, ingenuity, and industry.

Sarah will relate this sordid tale via the PB&J, perhaps the sandwich Americans feel the most passionate about. But jelly wasn’t always thought to be peanut butter’s natural companion and at MSG you’ll get to experience long-forgotten peanut butter sandwiches of the past.

Later, Soma will take us on a tour of America’s best sandwiches, from national standbys like the BLT to regional treasures like the Po’ Boy. He’ll go to bat for the grilled cheese as the greatest sandwich of all time, and use the power of experimentation to uncover the Perfect Grilled Cheese.

During Storytime, former-Sandwich-Artist Soma will spill the beans on Subway’s secrets, because we know you’ve always wondered what exactly that “Subway smell” is. Afterward, they’ll put on their brave faces whiletasting the most bizarre and innovative sandwich combinationshistory has to offer.

Masters of Social Gastronomy
Tuesday, February 26
Public Assembly (70 North 6th Street, Williamsburg)
Doors at 7pm, free, bring your ID
RSVP

image courtesy:http://www.flickr.com/photos/chaparral/1195577057/sizes/o/in/photostream/

Podcasts!

brooklynbrainery — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:02:09 -0500

In case you can’t make it out to MSG’s live show each and every month, we collect all the audio and turn it into podcasts that you can enjoy anytime. Here’s the full collection: http://soundcloud.com/msgpodcast

The History Dish: Coffee Pretzels

brooklynbrainery — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 08:01:45 -0500

Coffee + pretzels, the combination you never knew you were missing. But how do they taste? More [Four Pounds Flour]

Save the Date!

brooklynbrainery — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 20:36:07 -0500

February’s MSG is on Tuesday, February 26, and we’re talking sandwiches. More details soon.

Celebrating a year of Masters of Social Gastronomy with a fish...

brooklynbrainery — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 19:12:16 -0500

Celebrating a year of Masters of Social Gastronomy with a fish sauce toast. Thanks to all of you for making our first year so amazing, and special thanks to Public Assembly for hosting each and every month.

Our monthly Masters of Social Gastronomy lecture is tonight at...

brooklynbrainery — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 12:47:30 -0500

Our monthly Masters of Social Gastronomy lecture is tonight at Public Assembly in Williamsburg (70 North 6th Street), 7pm, totally free. You’ll get to taste some MSG, if you dare. Be there!