Giusto Gusto

Food is an endearing and inspiring subject to write about. There are no universal rights or wrongs, no static opinion or public standard, and especially no one way to do anything. Every ingredient, recipe, cook and region is worth it’s weight in literature and scribbled praise.

I’ve only dabbled in the art of the charta gastronomica, a mere 3 years of writing this beloved site I call GiustoGusto, but I’ve recently drawn substantial envy and awe in the writing of others. Cleverly detailing a recipe or meal is one thing, but reading another’s perfectly descriptive tale that mimics your personal experience so well is – well, f*cking frustrating. But it’s food! Not even, it’s writing about food, which I can neither scoop nor spin onto my fork, and so I take note and enjoy the eerily-similar feelings of my fellow gastronomes and aspire to their level of narration:

Cereal Magazine
readcereal.com

Cereal is a brand-new magazine from the UK focused on world-wide cuisine. It’s inaugural volume visits places like Ravello, Copenhagen, and Westonbirt, England to name a few. The combination of casual writing and incredible photography is hard to put down, lets hope the next volume comes out soon.

Diner Journal
dinerjournal.com

Diner Journal is an awesome resource for recipes, sometimes as many as 30 in a single volume. That may not sound like a lot compared to Food Network Magazine, but the two are working on different wave lengths. Diner Journal’s recipes are warm and styled after home-cooked traditions, Food Network Magazine is built for quantity and the recipes suffer in quality. I’m not saying, I’m just saying.

Gastronomica
gastronomica.org

This magazine is incredibly worldly, with as many as 25 articles per volume, most of which detail ingredients or cuisines I know next to nothing about. If there was an encyclopedia gastronomica to start building, this is where I’d start. The addition of Chef’s Pages in each volume, including an interview with a worldly chef, is rad too.

Lucky Peach
mcsweeneys.net/luckypeach

Lucky Peach is the punk rock, subway bombing, take no shit little brother of the culinary magazine world. The cover art is insane, the articles are outside the box, and the entire editorial experience is fun, whacky, but informative. Articles by Bourdain, volumes on Chinatown, and the ridiculously cool design of it all makes this magazine one the most entertaining of the lot. It’s just food, and they know it.

Kinfolk
kinfolkmag.com

Last but not least is Kinfolk, a beautifully written, photographed, designed, and executed devotion to small gatherings. It’s first 3 or 4 volumes were a tad on the feminine side for my taste, but that does not detract from the quality of writing or photography. Since then, each issue has had a great balance of things relatable to both men and women including surf-trip camp meals, chef interviews, and great recipes. The authors and photographers are spread out around the world, giving each article a distinct perspective into something food-related. What I appreciate most about this magazine is the editors choice in top-notch authors and their ability to describe what I wish to describe in a way I never knew possible. Maybe I should spend more time planning my words? Ah, maybe next time.

Happy Reading folks.

If I’ve become an acquaintance of yours in the past 6 years then you know very well that I’m a junky. My insatiable craving drives me over hill and dale to search endlessly for the next fix, the next hit of sweet sweet nectar. Fortunately for myself, and my acquaintances, my ever-thirsty addiction resides in a beloved, ancient craft: coffee.  Notably, espresso.

I’ve sought out this dark, silky demon in every location I’ve travelled from the crowded streets of Mardi Gras to the sleepy hills of Agrigento. I’ve invested hundreds, literally hundreds, of dollars in my pursuit for the most delicious demitasse. I’ve written about this love affair once before, and like before my experience is based almost entirely on just espresso. BUT, since I’m so often asked for my favorite brands I thought I’d round them up for all of my coffee loving readers. Even if you despise espresso, if that’s possible, all of the following roasters make exceptional coffee varieties, 10 times more than they produce espresso beans actually.

Lavazza: This is my go-to espresso brand and a beloved Italian roaster. You can find Lavazza at most Fresh Markets, Whole Foods, and the occasional Harris Teeter but try the Qualita’ Oro or Traditional. Both are sold in 1/2 lb tins ground to the perfect consistency for boiler espresso machines. Tin’s are typically $8-$9.

Intelligentsia: This Chi-town roaster has crept into my #1 position thanks to one product: Black Cat Espresso. I’ve never tasted a more delicious, thick and flavorful espresso as Black Cat when pulled right. Their devotion to small South American and African fair trade providers bumps the price up to $13/lb but the variety of roasts is exceptional and constantly updated. The branding and packaging is also top-notch. Splurge once and you’ll be a throat-scratching junky for life.

Larry’s Beans: The Triangle has a plethora of notable roasters, two of which appear on this list, but Larry’s Beans is my preferred option. Larry’s passion for great coffee is evident in every variety he sells, from Megs favorite Louie Supremo to the chocolatey Secret Espresso Blend #17 I consume at an alarming rate. Fair Trade and Organically sourced beans inevitably raises prices, $10-$13, but it’s a small price to pay for coffee this good roasted locally and sold only by friends of the small business.

Counter Culture: My favorite cup of coffee in Raleigh hails from Helios Cafe off Glenwood. Aside from the staff and quality grub, the baristas have memorized my daily double shot of Counter Culture Espresso. The Durham-based roaster also follows the small-farm, organic, fair trade rules but changes their line up faster than I can keep up with. Their most recent addition of Espresso Rustica, inspired by varieties roasted in Souther Italy, is a favorite for brewing in my Moka at the office or at home. Best of all, each package of coffee comes with an in-depth description of the location it hails from and why it was chosen. Very good work indeed.

Pilon: If I’m traveling or need something cheap after a rather pricey weekend I’ll grab for this Robusto-laced South American standard. Pilon is typically used for Cuban Coffee and lacks any real profile, but it will get you jacked up like a Mountain Dew induced 1st grader with ADD. They only make espresso, or at least that’s all I’ve ever seen, but if you’re in a hurry and need something that will give you that buzz you crave try this gun powder.

Never satisfied, my addiction continues and I’ll search far and wide for bigger and better cups of joe, but if you have a favorite roaster, variety, or brewing method you think I would benefit from ALSO being hooked to, let a bruddah know.

Happy Brewing!