Restaurant critics all struggle with the difficulty of writing about eating without resorting to the word 'delicious' and its synonyms. Bee Wilson criticdeliciousdifficulty Change image and share on social
One thing I always make - and I'm sure this is partly to do with memory and yearning and because I've made it ever since my children were born - I make gingerbread every year. And it's partly just the perfume of the spices in the house, makes it smell like winter to me. Bee Wilson bearchildgingerbread share on social
The old injunction 'Don't talk with your mouth full' is based on the presumption that, however multifunctional a mouth may be, it should only perform one job at a time. Humans have found a way around this limitation in the form of food writing. Bee Wilson basefindfood share on social
Protein bars, protein flapjacks, protein granola, protein ice cream and protein coconut water... To look at the health-food aisles, you'd think that protein was a substance no one could overeat. Even bread now comes in protein-enriched form. Bee Wilson aislebarbread share on social
When someone watches us eating, we feel exposed. We might also harbor a suspicion that the person staring wants to steal food from our plate. The taboo, in any case, is long-standing. Bee Wilson caseeatexpose Change image and share on social
Years ago, during a John Grisham phase, I tried to pinpoint exactly why I found Grisham's often predictable legal thrillers quite so comforting. The best answer I could come up with was the frequency with which Grisham tells us that his lead characters are sipping coffee. When it comes to food and drink, predictability can console. Bee Wilson agoanswercharacter share on social
The saddest utensil I've come across is an 'anti-loneliness ramen bowl,' which holds your iPhone to keep you company as you slurp your solitary bowl of noodles. But the iPhone cannot return your gaze or reassure you that you didn't squeeze too much lime into the soup, though maybe a dinner-conversation app is only a matter of time. Bee Wilson antiappbowl share on social
One of the strange things about imaginary food is that it allows us to take pleasure in reading about things that we would never want to eat in real life. Bee Wilson eatfoodimaginary Change image and share on social
A recipe is not an exact formula, but it does need a certain structure. When the bones are right, you can dress it in many ways. Bee Wilson bonedressexact Change image and share on social
The more people get advised to eat vegetables, the less it seems they wish to eat them. And it is quite a natural response. So I've said that the main way that we get to like food is through being exposed to them, but there's a second condition. We have to be exposed to them without feeling any sense of coercion. Bee Wilson advisecoercioncondition share on social