Silverbrow on Food

The New Yorker on food scarcity

The New Yorker makes a strong argument that a free market in food is not always a good thing. 

They're not advocating collective farms, but they do warn against the dangers of half-arsed market forces.  People need a reliable source of food, it's less important that it is efficient.

I wonder if the IMF et al would change their rules on marketing boards if they had their time again?

This article is from the New Yorker's must-buy, annual, food issue, which is out now, dated November 24. 2008.  The full contents is here.

I'm going to liveblog the Ferran Adrià event - I hope

Using the rather clever software available from Cover It Live, I'm hoping I can give a running commentary on Ferran Adrià's talk next week.

I'm doing this because a) I want to see if the technology works and b) slightly more altruistically, for the sake of those people who emailed asking for the tickets I had going spare and were disappointed.

If you want to follow the liveblog, just return to Silverbrow on Food from 7.30pm (GMT) a week today (Monday, 24 November) and it'll be just like sitting in the Queen Elizabeth Hall next to me.  Or at least that's the plan. 

You can fill in the form below to get an email reminder of the event.

Silverbrow on shopping

As the festive season draws ever closer and the economy goes down the swanny, it feels like now is the right time to cash-in.  Or to put it another way, open up my very own shop.  Sort of.  With the help of Amazon.

Those with a cunning disposition will notice that over on the left hand side of the page, there is a new link to STORE.  Click on it and you will go to my store at Amazon. 

The majority of the things I'm selling are cookbooks.  I have a little obsession with them.  But I will be focusing on other items, things you really need in the kitchen like ice-cream makers or espresso machines.

Within my store I've currently got four departments:

• Essential reading - the books that really should be in every kitchen
• My full library - pretty much what is already here
• Jewish cook books - it seems to be a genre I specialise in
• Food writing - meh, not quite cookbooks, not quite novels
• Kitchen kit - the aforementioned ice-cream makers etc.

I'll probably tinker with the the stock and departments over time.

Happy shopping!

Two tickets for Ferran Adrià event

I now have two tickets going begging for Ferran Adrià's discussion next week with Jay Rayner. 

The event is on Monday 24 November at 7.30pm at the Southbank Centre. 

The tickets, for seats in Row L of the stalls, are £12 each and being a lovely kind of guy I'll swallow the ridiculous £1.50 per seat booking charge.

If you're interested, please email me or leave a comment below.

UPDATE: These tickets have now gone, sorry.

Aiden Byrne leaves the Dorchester

The news is a real shame.  I can't say I'm surprised, he should be out there on his own rather than tied down by the rigours of a hotel - although there are probably better economic times to launch your own place. 

He's a great chef and a lovely bloke and I wish him all the best in his new place.

The Dorchester must be less than delighted, especially as it leaves them without a decent restaurant.