User experience designer, technology lover and vegan loyal Kathryn Storm is a multi-talented Bay Area native with a knack for creating, building and sustaining any project she gets her hands on. Now living in Seattle, Ms. Storm consults for the blog Vegan Hacker SF (which she co-founded), a site dedicated to the communal “hacking” of awesome vegan recipes once a month–everything from vegan ravioli to Twinkies and fondue. Her personal blog details her adventures with vegan cuisine and life in general. Gorgeous photographs add extra flavor to her recipes, and clear, candid prose gives readers a sense of total comfort and familiarity with this witty, ever-artistic food blogger.

Tell us the difference between your personal blog and Vegan Hacker.

The two are both meant to share the idea of experimenting with food but Vegan Hacker was a way to scale that and work as both a live forum for experiments as well as focusing on one particular experiment each month. What I love about what VH has become is it’s like cooking with 20 of your friends. There’s a range of knowledge and you get to interact with all of it. I’m always learning something new at each hack. The idea came from my friend Kim and I cooking together in my kitchen and swapping tips.

When I first started blogging I was just trying to navigate through kitchen basics. I Google’d everything and learned about the technical side of food, i.e. when to use yeast in baking, what the hell to do with lemongrass, etc. Looking through old photos, I made some pretty ugly food back then but I had some pretty consistent success with taste. Since then, the blog has become more about not only taste and skill but also presentation. I might need a real camera pretty soon but will say the iPhone has been a huge inspiration for taking food photos. If you follow me on any social media, the bulk of my posts are food-related. Instagram especially (@stormka).

What’s the greatest dietary challenge you’ve faced in living the vegan life?

Beer and wine, definitely. It’s just something you don’t think would need to be considered, right? I mean, unless you’re into the craft, would you even think that clarifying agents for beer are using fish bladders? But I love knowing all the minutia about what I consume.

You throw your dream dinner party, but there’s a catch: you’re only allowed to invite dead celebrities. Who gets a spot on the guest list and why?

Dead celebrities? I’m so bad at this. I think there was a Bill Maher episode where he had Marilyn Manson and Florence Henderson in the same forum and Florence actually was all about Marilyn Manson’s views. I’d probably want to invite a strange group and just see what sort of conversation happened.

Tell us your top five least favorite foods, and what they’ve done to offend you.

Tofu and generally, most fake meat products. I’ve had very few that taste good enough to warrant my burning fandom and am of the feeling that while I understand why people enjoy it, I just prefer to eat as little processed food as possible. Plus, working with whole foods yields some really interesting experiments. I’m still totally open to having the perfect tofu scramble, so if anyone has a suggestion…

If you started a large-scale food fight, what would be your weapon of choice, and why?

Really lavish vegan dessert. Of course, it wouldn’t really go to waste. I love dessert. I think at thirteen I requested a pie in the face for my birthday, which I got, so I’m kinda looking forward to stepping it up from that.

What food trends do you hate, and which do you love?

I’m confused by the trend of bacon. I won’t totally rant on it but I will say that at least health-wise, I think this is such an odd thing to celebrate and obsess over. And on the flip-side, I do love that vegan is becoming more mainstream. We’re so obsessed with diets, it’s nice to see the growing interest in your actual health as opposed to solely a case for vanity.

If you could take a private cooking class with one chef, who would it be and why?

I’m totally inspired by most chefs but I’d really love to hang out in Gena Hamshaw‘s kitchen for a week. She’s so inventive and thoughtful about food and her blog got me over the intimidation of eating raw. Raw can be labor-intensive and require a ton of planning but eating raw fruits and veggies, or making your own juice is so easy. My absolute favorite raw recipe right now is heart beet rawvioli.

What inspires you (in life, in the kitchen, anywhere!)?

New perspectives. I love when something just blows your mind. In the kitchen, pretty much one thing: learning to make everything I love to eat. Baking is still a challenge but I actually prefer homemade in general. It really retrains your palette, too. Now when I go out, I can taste things like what’s fresh or what’s in whatever you’re eating. Then, I go home inspired. It’s a vicious cycle.

You can write, cook, and take lovely photos. What else can you do?

Wow, thank you. In my former life, I was a fine artist. Lots of drawing and painting, which is funny to think about now since it feels like such a long time ago. Though, while packing to move, I found a ton of half-finished paintings, so I might be revisiting them once I settle. I’m kind of redefining what I do now that I’m in a new city and love that there’s a lot of gaming in Seattle. I’ve been all about console RPGs in the last few years.

Tell us your personal message for the world.

Being thoughtful goes a long way.

Catch Kathryn on Twitter @stormka.

“Excuse me miss,” the sunburned gentleman at table five politely said as he waved me over. It was indeed a hot summer night in a resort town. I was working as a waitress at the time. “Can I get some chips for this salsa?” It seemed his wife had ordered a cup of gazpacho without telling him, and he was a bit confused. I explained to him that the cup of tantalizing red soup in front of him was indeed a soup, and dared him to dip into it, one spoonful at a time.

I swear, he rolled his eyes at me and hesitantly picked up his spoon, ladling the tiniest bit of the cucumber, tomato, and herb packed goodness into it. What happened next was the manliest swoon I’ve ever seen. “Good!” he gurgled as he sipped his way to the bottom of the cup. I patted myself on the back as I walked away; sure I had converted another to the church of cold soup.

It’s a hard sell, this idea of cold soup, even in the sweltering heat of summer. Velvety vichyssoise, cool melon puree, even bright white gazpacho; for some cold soup is a difficult idea to warm up to. I’ve been in that camp, after a bland bowl of gazpacho or a cucumber yogurt soup more reminiscent of tzatziki sauce, I want nothing more than a good old fashioned steaming hot bowl of soup. But when done right, oh man, it’s a revelation.

And while it’s not yet tomato season, it’s warm enough to warrant a chilled soup, and I’ve searched the wide web for two amazing spring-y soups for your next WTFSIMFD moment.

Chilled Pea Soup
Adapted from the New York Times.com

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 leeks, white and light green part only, cleaned and sliced

Salt to taste

5 cups frozen or fresh peas (1 1/2 pounds, or 2 12-ounce bags frozen)

3 cups, tightly packed, coarsely chopped Boston or bibb lettuce

5 cups vegetable stock or water

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh tarragon leaves

1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves

1/4 cup chopped chives, plus additional for garnish

Chopped fresh tarragon, chives and/or mint for garnish

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the leeks and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add the peas, lettuce and stock or water, and bring to a boil. Add salt to taste, reduce the heat, cover and simmer five minutes. Remove from the heat. Drain through a strainer set over a bowl, keeping the broth in one and vegetables in the other. Cool for 15 minutes. Taste the broth, and season as desired.

Working in batches, purée the vegetables and herbs in a blender, adding small amounts of broth at a time, until you achieve the consistency you desire; as smooth as possible. Taste and adjust seasonings. Chill for several hours. Just before serving, garnish with additional chives, tarragon and/or mint.

*I pureed first using a food processor and finishing with my stick blender, as I do not own a traditional blender.

Cold is the new hot.

Curried Summer Squash Soup
From Saveur.com

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 white onion, diced
1 cup water
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
2 medium yellow summer squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoon Thai basil leaves
1 teaspoon heavy cream

For the (optional) ice cubes:
3 tablespoons Thai basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt

Making the optional ice cubes: Divide the basil, lemon juice, and salt among 4 cubes of an ice cube tray. Top off with cold water and freeze until solid.

In a large heavy pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, curry, cumin, salt, turmeric, and cayenne and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent, about five minutes. Stir in the squash and cook, stirring occasionally, for another five minutes. Pour in one cup of water, stir, and let simmer until the squash is tender, about ten minutes. Remove from heat and transfer mixture to a container and let chill for at least one hour and up to two days.

Once chilled, transfer the squash mixture to a blender and add yogurt, basil leaves, and cream. Blend on high speed until completely smooth. Portion soup into four bowls and top each with a basil-lime ice cube.

*Again, I used the same food processor/stick blender method for this soup, with wonderful results. I also upped the cayenne to 1/4 teaspoon.

Have a favorite chilled soup recipe? Let me know!

The Chaser:

This list from HuffPo on the Seven Consequences of Eating Fast Food was definitely not as funny as I thought it could be. It’s actually pretty serious.

Just in time for grilling season: ground beef about to get more expensive

Hey festival friends – I hear Bonnaroo just might be adding a serious food component!

She couldn’t always communicate how she was feeling and a lot of the times she didn’t she feel comfortable talking about her issues with parents or friends for fear of being judged, so she called Kids Help Phone where she was promised free access to a counsellor 24 hours a day, confidentiality, anonymity, and list of resources for support groups, organizations, and health professionals. The Kids Help Phone line has a database of 38,000 resources! Her her first call to Kids Help Phone saved her life, in many ways, for today, she is a confident young woman, wise beyond her years for overcoming her personal struggles and for choosing to be a spokesperson for youth with mental health issues.

Equally brave was her mother, sitting by her side, sharing her own accounts of personal turmoil as she struggled to cope and understand her daughter’s mental health condition. She admitted that as a parent, no one could have ever prepared her to deal with this kind of situation and in many ways, she didn’t see the signs and when she did, she even resisted some of them. Some parents actually take the initiative to get their kids help by calling the Kids Help Phone. The helpline doesn’t replace parents, it offers different conversations for kids. And, what was visible even before she spoke it, was that parents of kids with mental health issues need to take care of their own mental health to offer ongoing support.

We listened, we asked questions, we talked and we tweeted (#walksokidscantalk or #wskct). As a mother of two young children, I was utterly taken aback to discover that mental health issues can start as young as five and that eating disorders account for 30% of mental health-related calls Kids Help Phone receives. Kids Help Phone offers information online about nutrition and physical health, covering such topics as healthy eating, healthy weight, vegetarian diets, sleep, exercise, body image, physiological changes, and more.

The Kids Help Phone offered the following stats about body image, eating disorders, and hunger/poverty:

• According to a 2003 survey of adolescents in grades 7-12, 30% of girls and 25% of boys reported teasing by peers about their weight. Such teasing has been found to persist in the home as well — 29% of girls and 16% of boys reported having been teased by a family member about their weight.
• Nearly 1/2 of teen girls and 1/3 of teen boys try to control their weight in unhealthy ways, like skipping meals, taking laxatives, or smoking. Teens who are higher in weight and overweight are more likely to engage in unhealthy weight control practices.
• Physical health accounts for 2% of contacts Kids Help Phone receives.
• Mental health, including eating disorders, accounts for 30% of contacts Kids Help Phone receives.
• In one study, 25% of boys reported being teased by their peers about their weight. In the home, 16% of boys reported having been teased by a family member.
• 4% of boys in grades nine and 10 reported anabolic steroid use in a 2002 study.
• At Kids Help Phone, we can safely estimate that between 2 and 4 out of every 10 callers is likely to be living below the poverty line, or, in a family struggling with serious money worries.

Although these stats are based on Canadian demographics and studies, the overall issues, by far and large, are not bound to any particular person, class or geography. It takes a village to offer support for kids with mental health; parents, families, helplines, schools,  hospitals, friends, and other kids with the same issues.

And, it’s important for all of us to be aware of how we talk about body image and food around children since it will leave a lasting impression on them. Counsellors from the Kids Help Phone counsellors offered the following tips:

• Talk about food as a source of health and pleasure, and avoid words like “calories” or “weight,” to promote the development of a healthy relationship with food.
• Refrain from talking about foods as “good” or “bad” and recognize that all foods can be enjoyed in moderation.
• Educate. Television, magazines, music videos, movies, and marketing all influence our perceptions and standards of physical beauty, even though many of the images they portray are unrealistic.
• Encourage your child to learn about the ways that the images they see can be digitally manipulated and airbrushed. Encourage your child not to compare themselves to the pictures they see in the media.

The Chaser

Children, men and women of all ages can develop an eating disorder. Read about the mythsandrealitiesofeatingdisorders.

Photo: ACorralejoPhoto & HeatedGround

1. Creators of Twinkies and baggers of Wonder Bread, Hostess, sent notice this week to production outposts in several states that they very well may be laying off nearly everyone that works for them, and in some cases — Michigan’s 381 workers in the state’s 20 locations, for instance — actually everyone. After filing for bankruptcy in January of this year, Hostess posits that 18,500 layoffs could, logically, pull them out of the financial red zone, and that a ship can somehow sail successfully without a crew.

2. Presented Tuesday at the European Congress on Obesity, in Lyon, France, a study on older men with low testosterone levels correlates supplemental testosterone therapy and weight loss. However, because increased testosterone usually results in weight gain, the likeliest reason for the study’s anectodal evidence to the contrary is testosterone’s ability to make men happier and more energetic, subsequently making them want to exercise — the irrefutable source of most people’s weight loss.

3. Another of the country’s largest distributor of meats joins in the anti-gestation crate parade this week, with Safeway announcing they’ll be actively phasing out support for farms that use small stalls for pregnant pigs. Although big corporations are attempting to appease consumers by choosing the humane road to husbandry, many pork producers oppose the switch to group pens based on beliefs that sow deaths and injuries will increase as a direct result of allowing open socialization amongst super irritable pregnant pigs.

4. The mandatory GMO-labeling front lost ground in Connecticut Thursday after the state’s legislature and governor’s committee denied the proposal, backed strongly by local organic farmers. Reasons for shooting down the lobbyists include Saturday’s impending adjournment and potential financial handicap in the face of other non-participatory states.

5. Tasteful video of Chicago’s Alinea wizards whipping up Lamb 86 — a new lamb dish that gets served with an accompanying glass grid of tiny dabs of every imaginable complimentary paste or sauce or leaf or root or berry, perfectly arranged, ranging from red wine to rhubarb. Like 86 lamb dishes condensed down to 86 individual bites.

6. Results from a recent study published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine support the efficacy of school junk food restrictions and state bans on sugary beverage sales in schools by showing that kids in California — where these strict laws are in place — consume 158 fewer daily calories than kids in other states, probably because they’re not eating as much junk food or drinking as many sugary beverages.

7. In another study published this week, in Nature, researchers examined the microbial communities of individual human guts, comparing the microbes of people living in the U.S. to those of people in specific regions of both Venezuela and Malawi, in an attempt to identify the importance of these bacterial ecosystems to our bodies at large. Similarities were drawn, citing critical changes in children’s microbes (e.g., increased diversity) as they become adults, regardless of location, but large differences in microbial uniformity in the gut (e.g., the American adults displayed more than Venezuelan and Malawan adults) were also found. The disparity here is most likely due to our higher usage of antibiotics or, conversely, to higher microbe populations of their rural environments.

8. Do you find yourself eating fast food twice a day? Have you been at it for at least three months? Do you imagine you’ll keep up the pace for a while? If so, move to St. Louis pronto and get paid $3,500 by Washington University to participate in a new obesity study that stipulates you do exactly those things. The horrifying catch: you’re required to gain some weight in the process.

9. This year’s classiest/gnarliest/essentially best restaurants and chefs have been officially selected, as the 2012 James Beard Awards got doled out this week. Eater’s got the break down.

10. The perils of drive-ins have never been more apparent than now: a child — rather, yet another child — has fallen into a grease pit at a Sonic in the Nashville, TN, area. The lid to an underground grease trap near the restaurant’s back patio wasn’t securely shut, and a five-year-old girl fell into five feet of spent cooking grease. This is at least the fourth incident of this nature in this city alone. Task force, assemble!

Photo: williac

Mother’s Day is Sunday, kids. If we’re the first to tell you? Number one, you need a new internet connection. Two, there are some amazing food events going on across the country that might be the perfect way to say “Hey, you’re awesome!” to the special mom in your life (even if she isn’t yours). If you’ve already made your Mother’s Day plans, or you’d rather celebrate National Salad (or Hamburger, or Egg, or…Fungal Infection Awareness) Month, grab some friends and a bottle of sunscreen and check out some of May’s best foodie festival offerings.

Gator by the Bay: May 11-13–San Diego, California

Can’t make it to New Orleans? Get your zydeco and Cajun crawfish fix at Gator by the Bay, a Louisiana-inspired food fest filled with live music, dance lessons, shopping, and more savory seafood than you’d ever imagined. Plus, you can enter to win a free trip to NOLA to experience the real deal! Tickets range from $15-$75 depending on how much partying you can handle. Don your Mardi Gras beads and get yours today!

Chocolate Workshop: May 12–Boston, Massachusetts

We love just about anything edible here at Poor Taste HQ, but chocolate takes the cake (and cookies, candy, mole’ sauce, and even cocktails, if we’re being honest). Whether you’re a fan of milk chocolate truffles, bittersweet chips or white chocolate mousse, you can truly appreciate this infamous ingredient by learning to make it from scratch at Taste of Chocolate‘s chocolate-making workshop. Made up of chocolatiers, chocolate historians and plain ol’ chocolate fanatics, Taste of Chocolate brings arcane knowledge of cacao-based treats to the mainstream through tours, classes, and events. Check it out here.

Celebrity Chef Tour: May 15–Las Vegas, Nevada

Nothing says Las Vegas like luxury, and where there’s luxury, there’s famous people. Join celebrity chefs Jonathan Waxman and Clayton Arakawa at the Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill for discussions, cooking demos, and tastings of their incredibly innovative recipes. From classic American cuisine to island-inspired mango relish and coconut bubbles, your taste buds will thank you. Pick up your tickets here.

EAT Honolulu: May 16–Honolulu, Hawaii

Feelin’ fancy? Grab your best island-chic couture and get ready for a mouthwatering meal at EAT Honolulu‘s four-course seafood dinner event, featuring langoustine ceviche, lamb empanadas and spicy Chilean wines. Tickets are $65 and reservations are required; to save your plate, call (808) 487-7926.

OC Greek Fest: May 18-20–Anaheim, California

Greece: the land of olive oil, Spanakopita, and dancing in circles with a table in your mouth. This year’s OC Greek Fest is sure to be a super fun, raucous event filled with incredible Greek dishes, music, dancing, shopping and drinks (they have a Taverna!). Perfect for the entire family, you’ll leave this festival full of tasty food and colorful memories. Get your tickets now!

Artichoke Festival: May 19 & 20–Castroville, California

If someone demanded that you eat a thistle, chances are you’d tell them to go shove something large up something not so large. But before you go all Roadhouse on us, you should know that technically, artichokes are thistles–spiny, delicious thistles that Castroville celebrates annually at their famously fabulous Artichoke Festival. With a diverse history that includes a pre-Marilyn, brown-haired Norma Jean being crowned as their first Artichoke Queen in 1948, decades of both innovative (ice cream!) and wonderfully traditional (deep-fried!) artichoke-based dishes, live music, cooking demos and more, this is one west coast event you really don’t want to miss. Ticket prices vary; get yours today.

Boston Food Swap: May 20–Boston, Massachusetts

In a time where finding a five dollar bill in your pocket can feel like winning the lottery, it’s easy to forget that paper money and credit cards weren’t always the way of the world. Boston brings it back to basics with their monthly food swaps, where participants mingle with their community while sharing homemade, homegrown, and self-foraged foods and drinks (I’ve never foraged for a drink, unless you count drunkenly crawling around in search of water). Half-silent auction and half-culinary trading game, these Boston Food Swaps encourage culinary currency by allowing attendees to pay for food with food. Perhaps this is the solution to our country’s financial problems? RSVP here.

The New Orleans Wine and Food Experience: May 22-26–New Orleans, Louisiana

Most food-obsessed folks would give just about anything to spend a month or two eating their way around NOLA; crawfish, po’boy sandwiches, red beans and rice, and world-famous beignets are only some of things to get happily fat on in the French Quarter. It’s probably why one of New Orleans’ most famous food events is called an ‘experience’ and not just a festival. For over two decades, the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience has brought together a brilliantly colorful culture, delicious local food and wines from around the country, raising over $1 million for charities that work to end hunger and promote culinary education. Join the party by getting your tickets here.

9000 Years of Cheese: Fermenting Religion, Climate Change, and the Environment: May 31–New York, New York

While cheese is not always at the top of the list in terms of smell, dietary preference or “things to consume in vast quantities before a date,” there’s no denying the cultural impact that this extraordinarily diverse food has had on our world. From smooth French brie to sharp American cheddar, soft Mexican queso fresco to the ever-controversial casu marzu of Sardinia (it contains live insect larvae. Yum!), cheese has played a vital and highly influential role in kitchens across the globe. At the 9,000 Years of Cheese event, you’ll discover exactly how archaeology, anthropology, linguistics, and geography have been shaped by this time-honored treat. Get your tickets here.

Photos by Slice of Chic, Teesha Dunn, Wendy, and Ami (@entouriste).

1. The sous vide halibut was mushy at the Penthouse Steakhouse, says SF Weekly. Pun intended. With a Micheline Starred chef, Michael Ellis at the helm, the cuisine should draw more attention than the entertainment, right? Guess not.

2. California is #41 on the list of locavore states, says Inside Scoop SF. Vermont and Iowa have more farmers’ markets per capita, topping the list. Louisiana (my home state) and Florida are among the worst at the bottom of the list.

3. Francis Ford Coppola is set to restore the legacy of the (now Coppola) winery that helped put California on the international wine map, says SF Gate. He recently acquired the rights to the original name of the winery, Inglenook, and plans to bring back the Cab that made it famous.

4. Chris Cosentino shows his softer side with his new cookbook My Way to Start a Meal, says SF Weekly. The nose-to-tail meat champion has shared only one offal dish in this book, most recipes are poultry, fish, and vegetables that act like appetizers. Folks are confused, but it seems like a part one in a series (to me at least). Are we waiting for a second installment?

5. To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge, Iron Horse Vineyards, whose co-founder walked the bridge 75 years ago with her father, has released a Golden Gate Cuvee. The sunset colored bubbles pair perfectly with the skyline and, according to 7×7, $5 per bottle will be donated to the Golden Gate Parks Conservancy.

6. After navigating Oakland’s confusing food pod legislation and permitting, Oakland’s first legal food pod has set up shop on Tuesdays in Downtown Oakland, says East Bay Express. LIBA Falafel and Seoul on Wheels will be regular characters, slinging street food for the downtown 9 to 5ers.

7. UC Berkeley unsuccessfully attempts to evict Occupy protesters from their research farm land by suing, says SF Weekly. Protesters co-ordinated with some professors so that the camps did not interfere with any research or seasonal farming, and police threatened the protesters but never raided the encampment.

8. The much anticipated new project of Flour+Water, Central Kitchen, opens in the Mission this week, says Thrillist. The restaurant boasts a meat heavy cuisine and a tasting menu for the indecisive folks.

9. Ippuku, Berkeley’s slow food Japanese restaurant, will now be open for lunch, says Inside Scoop SF. Equipped with a bigger staff and housemade soba lunch fare, the chef promises dinner will not be compromised by the expanded service.

10. When Tovar Cerulli discovered the ills of farming, even organic, he abandoned his veganism in favor of sustainable hunting. He will be talking about this, and rep-ing his new book on the subject this Monday at Pegasus Books on Shattuck in Berkeley, says East Bay Express. Weave through the protesters for this one!

Chili-Lime Peanuts:
Every tiny Hispanic-themed market sells packages of these addicting nuts. Sour and spicy, chili-lime peanuts are perfect any time, in the car or with a beer (but not both).

Chile-Lime Peanuts
From Eating Well

6 tablespoons lime juice
6 tablespoons chili powder
4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 cups unsalted cocktail peanuts

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 250°F.

Whisk lime juice, chili powder, salt, and cayenne in a large bowl. Add peanuts; toss to coat. Divide between two large rimmed baking sheets; spread in an even layer. Bake, stirring every 15 minutes, until dry, about 45 minutes. Let cool completely.

Sesame Sticks:
Sugary-sweet with a smacking of nuttiness, I gobble up packages of sesame sticks anytime I see them.

Sesame Sticks
From Familyfun.com

1 cup sesame seeds
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons honey

If you don’t buy pre-roasted sesame seeds, you’ll need to roast them first. In a medium skillet, toast the sesame seeds over medium-low heat, stirring often, until they’re fragrant and golden, five to seven minutes.

Otherwise, grab a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar and honey, and cook over low heat, stirring often, until the sugar is melted and the mixture is thick, about five minutes. Add the sesame seeds to the sugar and stir well with a wooden spoon.

Generously coat two large sheets of waxed paper with cooking spray. Place one sheet of the waxed paper on a work surface, greased-side up. Scrape the mixture onto the paper and top it with the remaining sheet of waxed paper, greased-side down. Using a rolling pin, roll the mixture into a square about 1/4 inch thick.

Remove the top sheet of paper and cut the candy into one inch squares with a sharp knife. Let the candy cool completely. Break apart the pieces and store them in an airtight container at room temperature.

Indian-Inspired Snacking:
I’ve got some friends that have turned me on to curried snack mixes. Filled with spicy peanuts, rice crackers, and these weird, crunchy crackers shaped like spaghetti, it’s impossible to A) keep your fingers clean and B) stop before you eat the whole bag. Here is an ultra-Americanized version, but delicious.

Curried Snack Mix
From Epicurious.com

6 cups mixed Chex cereals (rice, whole-grain, and corn)
1 1/2 cups sesame sticks if desired
1 1/2 cups small thin pretzels
1 cup pecans
1 cup roasted peanuts
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 250°F.
In a large bowl toss together cereals, sesame sticks, pretzels, and nuts. In a small saucepan melt butter with soy sauce over moderately low heat and whisk in curry powder, sugar, cayenne, and salt. Drizzle butter mixture over cereal, tossing well, and spread in a shallow roasting pan. Bake mixture one hour and transfer to a bowl to cool completely.

The Chaser:

Just one more quick salty, crunchy recipe for Roasted Chickpeas

Did you know there is a Live Journal group dedicated to swapping snacks worldwide? Sign me up!

Tumblr blog The Bad Deal shows you just how much weight (and money) you could save by downloading amazing cookbooks online instead of filling your shelves.

“Hot Dogs and Tits,” ever seen a headline like that before?

A HelloGiggles.com writer has chronicled a few TV characters she’d like to chow down with. What about you?

1. A mystical alliance created this week for and by the figureheads of several major pizza companies seeks to secure their right to not disclose all their foods’ nutritional facts. Known as the American Pizza Community, Papa John’s, Little Caesars, Domino’s, Pizza Hut, Hungry Howie’s, and Godfather’s all feel it’s unfair to mandate full-on menu labeling because — and we quote — “if you do the calculations, you’ll find there are 34 million ways to prepare a pizza.” We know, guys. We’ve done the calculations and we’ve eaten them all. Now please stop rubbing it in our faces.

2. Ashton Kutcher was recently contracted to do a series of short parodic ads for the best chips ever invented — Pop Chips — in all of which he’s dressed and done up to look like various people looking for a date. Trouble is, it’s not only blackface on a Caucasian dude that’s offensive. It’s any human-shade-face not your own that’s offensive, Ashton. So the video of this country’s most annoying grown-up whippersnapper impersonating a Bollywood producer, complete with “brownface,” was understandably yanked this week after a bit of Twitter uproar. We’ll forgive you this time, Pop Chips, but only because of the delicious power of pressurization.

3. After sticking to their guns in name and production for 120 years, cakey cookie brand Fig Newtons decided to slim down their moniker to simply Newtons one year ago, hoping to leave behind the reputation they’d accrued, thanks to prune-like associations, of being a snack exclusively for the elderly. In keeping with this re-imaging, Newtons are diversifying too, as could be seen Monday in their new ad campaign for berry flavored Newtons and crispy incarnations designed to win over baby boomers.

4. Finally, a history book you’d voluntarily pick up and devour. And one that tells you more about Caesar salads’ ties to Mexico and the Graham cracker’s chaste creator than it does about battlements and bombardiers. How the Hot Dog Found Its Bun: Accidental Discoveries and Unexpected Inspirations That Shape What We Eat and Drink, by Josh Chetwynd, chronicles America’s claims to culinary fame and pure luck’s predominant hand in all of it. Out May 1.

5. Friday, KFC was ordered by an Australian Supreme Court Justice to pay AU$8 million in damages, plus all legal costs, to the family of a Sydney girl who was left with brain damage after eating a chicken wrap and contracting Salmonella poisoning, which put her in a months-long coma in 2005. The fast food chain’s not pleased with the ruling, and will probably appeal. But, according to recent prosecution trends, food executives and corporations aren’t as safe from the bull’s-eye as they used to be.

6. If you’re into “angry white guy” comedians and might enjoy hearing them take jabs at corporations who have so little shame they’ll call their food packaging “artisanal,” and you haven’t already watched the Daily Show this week, you’ll get a kick out of this clip of Lewis Black losing it, as he’s wont to do.

7. The Right to Know Campaign — an international group in support of mandatory GMO labeling, sometimes called “Money Bomb on Monsanto” — has gained especial ground in California, collecting anywhere between 850,000 and a million signatures before the April 22 deadline for an initiative to qualify for ballot placement (which only requires about 500,000 valid signatures). And May 2 was the deadline for submitting signatures for random verification check. Long story short, there’s an excellent chance California will approve the labeling of genetically engineered foods come November 6.

8. Pabst Blue Ribbon, the Midwest’s king of cheap, mediocre beer, went above and beyond the call of duty this week in what seems like an attempt to win their first award since 1893. When the beer company heard a college student in Lincoln, NE, was held at forkpoint and robbed of her PBR, they promptly sent a rep to give the girl and her friends a bunch of free beer. Sounds like we’re going to have to start getting our beer stolen more often.

9. Sin tax is one thing, but sin tax lite is a whole different beast. This week, Chicago City Council housed a debate between soda-pop trade associations and health advocates concerning a 15 to 35-cent tax hike on sugary beverages. Opponents find the proposed increase “regressive and discriminatory,” while supporters believe it to be a step towards reducing obesity and helping health programs. In reality, the true benefit of additional excise taxation could only be financial buoying of the state of Illinois, seeing as these types of taxes have never before proved successful in curbing any sort of behavior in anybody.

10. The White House revealed on Thursday that President Obama has invited for participation in the Group of Eight summit on May 19 (Day 2 of 2), to a discussion of African food security, the leaders of four African countries: Ethiopia, Tanzania, Ghana, and Benin. Originally scheduled to take place in Chicago, the G8 summit was moved in March to Camp David, Maryland, for undisclosed reasons. Chicagoans protesting the event pretty predictably took credit for its relocation.

Photo: The Pizza Review

1. Last ditch efforts to stop the fois gras ban are too little too late, in spite of a petition signed by the likes of Thomas Keller and Chris Cosentino. The CA state legislator issued a statement saying that the ban will definitely happen, petition or not, says Eater SF.

2. According to Michael Bauer, the Cliff House’s view of the Bay has overshadowed the food for quite a while. If it weren’t for all the slightly undercooked vegetables, the new dishes might have a fighting chance against the golden California sunsets.

3. Slice, a food blog, asks San Francisco restaurants, is it pizza or flatbread? Turns out, the word flatbread provides an open interpretation to what lies underneath the toppings.

4. A bicycle/taco conference is coming to the bay area Mother’s Day weekend. The unlikely pairing will be in Oakland and San Francisco. Visitors can bike around and eat tacos, duh, but there will also be speakers on sustainability and the like. Follow the Taco Conf twitter feed for more details.

5. 7×7 has always got the details on free and super cheap booze, but this week head to the Ferry Building for a Cinco De Mayo celebration benefiting CUESA and La Cocina, or make a run for the Castro to lap up local Bourbon with the folks from St. George Spirits.

6. Another faceless food critic is unveiled this week, thanks to Grubstreet. A photo of Johnathan Kaufman hovers above the announcement that he will be serving his last days at SF Weekly and moving on to write for the Tasting Table.

7. KQED chronicled a bike tour of the East Bay, fueled by caffeine, local caffeine. Riders hit up every coffee shop from Local 123 in Berkeley to the Blue Bottle Roastery in Jack London Square.

8. Wells Fargo, one of the major targets of the Occupy movement, attempts to win friends in the Mission by donating funds to restaurants that have been vandalized after the May Day protests. Just to be clear, no-one is officially endorsing the vandals, not even Occupy, says Grubstreet.

9. For this Cinco De Mayo, skip the taco, says 7×7. They list 7 top places to get not-a-taco Mexican fare just in time for the holiday.

10. St. Vincent, a wine bar, will open Monday in the space formerly known as Heart in the Mission, says Thrillist. The spot is star studded with a Bar Tartine chef whipping up actual bar snacks, like pork rinds and pretzels. Perfect.

Last weekend at the market I stopped by a stand overflowing with baskets of hedgehogs, chanterelles, pink oysters, and morels. This was no ordinary vegetable stand, or even a flower booth rather it was the Mushroomery and these were all the beautiful mushrooms they had available for sale.Far beyond your average cultivated white button, the world of wild mushrooms is an exciting place to explore. If you have an interest in foraging, or just an adventurous palate, let’s go over the ins and outs of a few delicious mushroom varieties. Before we start, remember that foraging mushrooms isn’t without danger. If you are considering hunting your own, make sure to do your research, or go with a guide. Many areas across the US have mycological societies that sponsor hunts and hold classification classes. Have fun and be safe. Thus ends this week’s PSA, on with the show!

Chanterelles:
Shaped like a golden trumpet, chanterelles can be found in many areas of the US, and are one of the most easily identifiable. Despite this, they tend to be fairly expensive. They grow near Douglas fir trees and are most prevalent after steady rains, especially in the fall.

When purchasing in the store or at a market, look for those almost dry to the touch with an almost fruity fragrance; avoid those looking especially spongy. Since chanterelles are never cultivated, there is sure to be some debris in the gills. Before preparing, clean with a toothbrush or dry cloth. Their delicate, sometimes peppery flavor is a wonderful accompaniment to mild dishes; think chicken, pork, or pasta, and anything with cream, butter, or eggs.

Chanterelles (Philip Ferrato)

Oyster and Pink Oyster:
For first time cultivators, oysters are your best bet. Easily grown in almost any conditions with minimal effort, oysters are a brown thumb’s best friend. The fan-shaped mushroom grows on trees in the wild, and can be found in additional shades; white, gold, or even blue. However, these are harder to correctly identify alone. I suggest cultivating or purchasing in the store.

Clean as you would any other mushroom, cultivated ones may have bits of straw here and there, and there is always a chance of bugs in the tiny gills. When it comes to flavor profiles, the oyster is described as having an almost meaty flavor, sturdy and able to stand up next to hearty steaks and roast dishes. They are great stirred into creamy chowders, or even lightly grilled.

Hedgehog:
Similar in color to the golden chanterelle but far cheaper, hedgehog mushrooms have tiny, almost tooth-like gills on the underside of the cap. They grow in the wild mainly on fallen logs, and some may have a depression (similar to a belly button) in the middle of the cap. The younger the mushroom, the firmer the “teeth” on the underside; choose younger hedgehogs when foraging or choosing at the market.

Hedgehogs may be a bit harder to clean, you might want to use a damp cloth on the top of the cap, but avoid water on the underside. If the stem is too firm, discard before cooking. I’ve found it helpful to dry sauté hedgehogs first, as they may be harboring more moisture than you first think.

Overall, the chewy texture is quite nice; with a slightly nutty flavor, these mushrooms are excellent in stir fry or as an accompaniment to a butter, garlic, and herb sauce. Use as a substitute in anything you would use chanterelles.

Morel:
The mighty morel, with its honeycomb cap is one of the most prized finds among mushroom hunters. Widely prevalent across the country, morels love old burn sites and freshly wood-chipped areas. They tend to be elusive, even leaving the root system when snipping doesn’t necessarily guarantee a return the following year.

True morels are hollow on the inside and are easily dried and reconstituted. Stuff them with a mixture of goat and parmesan cheeses, coat or bread and fry for a mind blowing treat. They’ve got an earthy flavor like no other mushroom and are a perfect accompaniment to anything creamy; think pasta, risotto, or white pizzas.

Truffles:
Different than your regular mushroom, a truffle is the underground fruiting body of a mushroom. Highly prized and ridiculously expensive, edible truffles only grow in two spots in the US; the Pacific Northwest and the South.  They are usually found with the help of specially trained pigs or dogs, but can be found on their own with a level of skill.

Extremely fragrant, the tiny black or white truffle almost resembles a rock. Sliced in half it looks like the cross section of a brain. With truffles, a little goes a long way. The oil is used as a finishing flavor to top risotto, French fries, or sautéed vegetables like asparagus. Fresh truffles can be shaved or sliced and turn any dish from ho-hum to wowza. Seriously, anything from scrambled eggs to mashed potatoes is better with the golden Midas touch of truffles.

If you muster up the cash to purchase a small truffle or two, consider keeping them in a dry glass jar with a few raw eggs. It takes a few days after unearthing for the full power of the truffle’s scent to come up, and in the meantime they will impart some of their flavor through the eggshell creating magic truffled eggs.
Enjoy the magic of mushrooms, which is different than magic mushrooms, or so I’m told.

The Chaser:
Specific mushroom and truffle recipes can be found here.

Before you go blow your paycheck on the latest food magazines, check out this list of what’s hot in each edition, allowing you to cherry pick your favorites.

A few culinary-minded DIY Mother’s Day Gifts. Sure they’re kid-minded, but I can get behind that macaroni picture frame.