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When I talk to Slow Foodists, locavores, and leaders of this country’s sustainable food movement about the need to ensure that fresh,...

Like many Americans, I have a pre-existing condition. And as a freelancer who bought my own health insurance plan in New York City, it turns out I had it pretty good. As I reported this article for Portland Monthly , I discovered that New York is one of just a handful of states that's known as a "guaranteed issue" state: insurance companies in these states must cover residents who have pre-existing conditions, as long as they've had continuous coverage. To my dismay, in Ore

Child Nutrition Re-Authorization. The Food Safety Modernization Act. The White House Garden gets a hoop houses! For a brief summary of...

One of my favorite features at Travel + Leisure is the magazine's annual Global Vision Awards, where a team of illustrious judges (this...

A few weeks ago, I got to tag along on one of chef Matt Lightner's foraging expeditions to the Oregon Coast. With us were Merrick, the CEO of branding/ad/creative agency Tangible Worldwide , and his girlfriend (both adventurous epicureans), my dear friend Kimberley Sevcik, and Jason, a sous chef from Castagna. Wildcrafter Lars Norgren was our de facto tour guide—teaching us about a parasitic vine called dodder that wraps itself prettily around salicornia (aka pickleweed) and

Though I'm a native Oregonian, I'd never ventured to the wineries in the southern part of the state—until researching this 12-page story ...

There is reason to be hopeful about the changing landscape of farming—and food—in America. Those of us who've been participating in the...

One of the first things a curious eater will discover about Portland (Oregon) is the ubiquity of food-focused happy hours. Not only are house wines and daily cocktails just $5 (and local microbrews often $3)—you can usually get a full dinner for under $10 (depending on how hungry you are). I just wrote about a handful of my current favorites for the New York Times' T: Style . What are yours?

Watch the trailer for the new sustainable food movement documentary “Fresh” by Ana Sofia Joanes and you’d be forgiven for dismissing it...

Last week, I had the pleasure of interviewing marine stewardship expert and ocean activist Casson Trenor for my column in the Faster Times . I'd come across Trenor's name while researching "sustainable sushi"—a relatively new concept at sushi restaurants here in the U.S., but one that's taking off as locavore diners turn their attention to where their fish is coming from. Then, by coincidence, Mark Bittman blogged about sustainable fish a few days later. Something is definit

As the snow continues to fall here in New York City, it seems an appropriate time to mention my last column for Endless Vacation travel...

Two weeks ago, I sat down with Sadie, Safiyah, and Catherine over slices of (locally made!) Balthazar cake to talk about "bad" vegetarians, why good food should not be a luxury, and the importance of not telling other people what to eat. Check out my blog about the movie, which I did for the Atlantic Monthly's food channel. An edited Q&A of my conversation with the gals will soon be available at The Faster Times.

Freelancing can be rough, especially in this economy. But reporting stories like this one , which ran in the Metro section of the Times this past weekend, is what makes me love my job. For a year or more, I'd walked past Automotive High School in Williamsburg and wondered about the raggedy but lush vegetable garden bordering its majestic front. I always had another assignment or story idea to pursue, though, so never took the time to investigate. It wasn't until this fall, w

Food trends are typically followed by parallel trends in wine. Witness the recent focus on organic, biodynamic, and local wines—at restaurants and wine shops across the country. But, just as the locavore movement has begun spurning mere organic produce (consecrating “beyond organic” farmers such as Joel Salatin as movement heros), fans of terroir—let’s call them terroir-ists—are touting something called natural wines. Artisan & Vine is London’s first natural wine bar. For a q

I've been thinking a lot about public school lunches lately—not just because it's a subject that's perpetually in the news these days....

Steve Smith knows a thing or two about tea. Having co-created both Stash and Tazo (two of the best known U.S. tea brands, Stash was...

This story originally appeared on The Faster Times. This weekend, I finally got around to watching this Larry King segment (which aired...

This column originally appeared in the Faster Times on Oct. 16th. These days, it’s not easy keeping up on the latest in Food Politics....