ErinNudi.com

Author: Erin Nudi

  • Food history: Florida tomatoes

    This is a little bit of a different kind of Food History post. 

    I was inspired to write about Florida tomatoes (sorry to pick on you, Florida) from a fascinating book that came out just three years ago, Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit, by Barry Estabrook.

    Estabrook, a former editor of Gourmet and founder of Eating Well, explains how the majority of supermarket tomatoes are being created with the intention of being able to survive long journeys from the farm to the store – flavor and nutrients are sacrificed for the sake of longevity and durability.

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  • Props (writing exercise #12)

    Continuing on with the characterization section of writing exercises, this activity emphasizes the literal surroundings of our characters as they exist in a setting.

    This reminds me a lot of my play writing class I took last year. If you ever go to plays (I recently saw Phantom of the Opera with my mom – it was fantastic) try paying close attention to the props on stage. They’re likely telling you additional things about the characters, that you can’t get from action and dialogue alone.

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  • Difference between: corned beef and pastrami

    They’re both great deli meats that can be found on a Reuben – what’s the difference between corned beef and pastrami?

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  • Food history: the veggie burger

    Today, vegetarianism and vegan-ism is on the rise, so it’s no surprise that veggie burgers are still holding strong. They’ve come a long way and have many different varieties now – black bean burger, portobello mushroom burger, etc. 

    But, where did the original veggie burger come from?

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  • Difference between: organic produce and non-organic produce

    The methods by which organic produce must be grown tend to be more expensive, and that cost is passed onto the consumer.

    Although many people want to eat healthy and buy organic, some do not know the true difference between organic produce and non-organic produce. Is it worth it to spend the extra money?

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  • Wedding showers

    My wedding shower – or bridal shower if you will – was this past Saturday. It went perfectly, other than the fact that it flew by so fast I didn’t get a chance to speak with everyone individually as I wanted to.

    In the majority of my wedding posts I talk about the planning process, questions to ask vendors, etc. I hope as I write about my wedding journey I can advise and occasionally amuse others along the way.

    In the case of the shower, I had nothing to do with the planning and didn’t know where the location was until I was driven there. It was so wonderful to be out of the loop, to have one less thing to worry about.

    Consequently, I don’t have a solid list of how to plan a shower, but I would like to share what was done for me – I’m sure great ideas can be sparked.

    To start out with this, this was the cake, courtesy of my very talented future sister-in-law. I’m pretty sure all guests were shocked that she is not a cake person or baker by profession.

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  • Food history: gazpacho

    Whether served in a glass or a bowl, gazpacho is a refreshing and healthy sip of summer.

    Photo credit: SheKnows.com

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  • Difference between: barbecuing and grilling

    Note: Although originally published in June, 2014 this article was thoroughly revamped and updated in May, 2020.

    Although the two terms are often used interchangeably, there is a difference between barbecuing and grilling. Several, actually.

    Photo credit: Alan Nudi
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  • Food history: edible flowers

    Flowers: They’re not just for smelling.

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  • Difference between: brining and curing

    Brining and curing – they’re both ancient methods of preserving food, that can also be used to infuse flavor. So, what’s the difference?

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