Weekly roundup of great reads on food and wine #36

This was the week that saw the announcement of the 50 World’s Best Restaurants for 2015. Just like Michelin has been taking flak in the past years for its system, this award is also finding itself at the centre of criticism. We will be writing more about this during the coming week but in the meantime take a look at Tim Hayward’s article in the Financial Times on the same subject. We find ourselves in agreement on pretty much all the points he makes.

We’ve written before about Massimo Bottura’s Refettorio Ambrosiano. It is a project by one of the world’s best chefs, Italian Massimo Bottura of Osteria Francescana, to feed the poor using food which would otherwise be wasted. You can take a look at this week’s launch here. And don’t forget, if you want to donate to the project you can do so here.

London’s dining scene is on fire with many restaurants receiving lots of international press. But there is another side to the coin. This is explored by the editor of Observer Food Monthly Allan Jenkins. It is a brilliant article about rising rents. He says family places are being forced to close down because they cannot charge high prices, cannot afford the rents or borrow the money. It’s happened in Soho, it is also happening in China Town. It’s food for thought. And unfortunately, this is happening in many cities around the world.

We had never heard of Rachel Laudan before coming across this article. She takes a contrarian view to Michael Pollan, Alice Waters, Mark Bittman and Jamie Oliver when it comes to food. Unlike these influencers she believes that there is a lot that is good with processing and modern food. We are  tempted to read her book over summer to get a different point of view.

Fermentation is making a huge comeback especially in top-end restaurants where chefs are trying their utmost to respect the seasons and eliminate food waste. Here you can read about the benefits of fermented foods.

The Fine Food Dude has a great interview with Corey Lee, the chef of three Michelin star Benu in San Francisco.

If you are into cheese, here is a list of 10 British cheeses you should try.

Read an interview with the founder of the Slow Food Movement, Carlo Petrini. He speaks about Borough Market and how it has played an important role in the development of British agriculture.

We’ve been wanting to visit Sardegna for a long time and this article makes us want to go soon.

This is a very interesting read about food trends. Ashlie Stevens says we should stop thinking and just eat.

Jane Anson writes about the Bordeaux en primeur system and says that the system of buying wines before they are released will have to change because it is no longer working.

Have you ever tried the wines from Corsica? You may want to after reading this article. And Eric Asimov has listed nine excellent Corsican producers you should look out for.