Gapers Block has ceased publication.

Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni.
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Tuesday, March 19

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News Thu Apr 04 2013

Ebert on Food

FoodRogerEbertCookbook.jpgFilm critic Roger Ebert, who died earlier today at age 70 after a cancer recurrence, had his lower jaw removed in 2006 as part of his treatment, which meant that the writer was forced to take his meals through a feeding tube--a tragedy for someone who relished the art of the screen seemingly as much as he loved food, as exemplified by the following passage from a 2009 blog entry:

"A downstate Illinois boy loves the Steak 'n Shake as a Puerto Rican loves rice and beans, an Egyptian loves falafel, a Brit loves banger and mash, an Indian loves tikki ki chaat, a Swede loves herring, a Finn loves reindeer jerky, and a Canadian loves bran muffins," he wrote. "These matters do not involve taste. They involve a deep-seated conviction that a food is absolutely right, and always has been, and always will be."

Ebert wrote, of all things, a cookbook titled The Pot and How to Use It: The Mystery and Romance of the Rice Cooker in 2010. Fascinated by the appliance, he emphasized its versatility in areas other than the one simple thing it was meant to do. The irony is that he was writing about an activity he could no longer be part of, and rather than draw the curtains on the experience of eating, he became even more engaged, twisting it on its end. Admirable. If the afterlife exists, I hope it has a buffet ready for him. With a lot of apple pie (NSFW).

 
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Feature Thu Dec 31 2015

The State of Food Writing

By Brandy Gonsoulin

In 2009, food blogging, social media and Yelp were gaining popularity, and America's revered gastronomic magazine Gourmet shuttered after 68 years in business. Former Cook's Illustrated editor-in-chief Chris Kimball followed with an editorial, stating that "The shuttering of Gourmet reminds...
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About Drive-Thru

Drive-Thru is the food and drink section of Gapers Block, covering the city's vibrant dining, drinking and cooking scene. More...
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Editor: Robyn Nisi, rn@gapersblock.com
Drive-Thru staff inbox: drivethru@gapersblock.com

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