Summer reading

Now that I have thoroughly immersed myself in the food and eating disorder blogospheres -- not that they have very much in common -- I'm interested in knowing what other people are reading.

But first, a line-up of some sites that are worth the effort -- sites that are changing the way that I look at food and fat:

If you believe that the consequences of what you eat go beyond what ends up on your hips, the Slow Food blog -- "Good, clean, and fair food" -- is a good place to start. Especially with the prices of food and other commodities rising like Noah's flood, it behooves the consumer to start paying attention to where his or her food actually comes from. That, and food just tastes better when it doesn't come from a mega-farm.

Recipe central: Epicurious. Every recipe in the last five or so years coming out of Gourmet and Bon Appetit and some other minor Conde Nast publications. The best part about it? The search tool is really, really good. Put in "garbanzo" and "chard" and you'll come up with this year's number-one bean recipe. At least according to me and mine.

Real Food: This is actually a book, but the author has created a blog, too. Nina Planck's writing on food and nutrition preceded the much-applauded Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food, and in my opinion she takes the cake on this sort of food writing: more astute analysis of food science, less foodie self-righteousness. Read her book and understand why I started to eat butter and cheese again, and stopped being afraid of whole milk.

For more good, clean fun: food blogs. Check out Orangette, Gluten-free Girl, Smitten Kitchen for some food porn and otherwise harmless entertainment. Reading about these women's love of cooking makes it much easier to embrace one's inner chef, and to appreciate how much pleasure that food and cooking can actually bring to one's life.

And if you don't feel like honoring the domestic gods (Hymen, San Pascual, Juno)? How about The F-Word.org -- I love Rachel's slogan: "Food. Fat. Feminism." Now, which is the real F-word? It's up to you to decide. A compendium of articles and links about food, eating disorders, and body image with a feminist slant. Very empowering for those of us who still worry about the weight on the scale.

Speaking of weight, have you seen the different size charts out there? Such as Cockeyed's visual chart showing real people at real heights and weights? Or more visually appealing (and politicized): Kate Harding's Illustrated BMI Categories? These may be controversial enterprises -- I am not sure of the creators' intentions -- but I personally find it fascinating to see what 100 lbs, 150 lbs, 200 lbs, 300 lbs actually look like on people. It is also disturbing to see how people that I would consider normal-weight are actually considered "overweight" or "obese" by the medical establishment; this is no laughing matter when insurance premiums can actually go up for people with a BMI above a certain number!

So, what am I missing? What are you reading that I'm not?