Mimi Sheraton Hates ‘Cottony’ Croissants, Loves a Good Butcher Plate

Mimi Sheraton — who served as the restaurant critic for the New York Times from 1975 to 1983 — is one of the most accomplished and beloved food writers in America. She also happens to be one of the most assertive (Ruth Reichl agrees). But Sheraton's latest book, 1,000 Foods to Eat Before You Die, focuses on what she loves — and this week, she ate a few of the foods cited, like oatmeal porridge, lamb sausage with Rao's marinara sauce, and English Shropshire blue cheese from Murray's. Read all about it in this week's Grub Street Diet:

Thursday, January 15

Knowing I would do this made me self-conscious. Should I eat stylishly gourmet or prove I am up on the current culinary Zeitgeist or stick to the healthful or sustainable? And do all who do this report tell the truth, as, if not, who would know? Decided to go for broke with truth and perhaps learn something about myself. First, a few circumstances that explain some of the following: My dinners at home — about three a week — changed a lot because Richard Falcone, my beloved husband of 59 years, died last February. Meals at home suddenly, sadly meant cooking for one and eating alone, the latter being something I found unbearably dismal to do at the table. The results are dinners that are gracefully edible in a straight-backed armchair while watching the PBS New Hour at 7 p.m. No knives allowed, and found scrambled eggs or omelettes easier to negotiate than fried or poached, and short pasta more practical than long. An added consideration at this season is the weather: If there's snow, rain, sleet, or gloom of an icy night, I stay home and have provisions in my freezer, fridge, and on shelves. Rarely, I order Chinese or Indian food, both requested extra spicy.

On Thursday, up at 6 a.m. with a very sore throat that was especially upsetting, as I had to do a second day of five-hour call-in sessions with 25 satellite radio stations around the country to promote my new book, 1,000 Foods to Eat Before You Die. Chose among my three favorite coffees that I stock and decided on the Falcone blend from McNulty's: three parts Columbia Supremo to one-part Yemen Mocha. Not too hungry, so toasted a Thomas English Muffin and had it with shavings of fontina d'Aosta, the Italian cheese that seems to suggest the white truffles of that same region.

The rest of the article can be found on Grub Street
http://www.grubstreet.com/2015/01/mimi-sheraton-grub-street-diet.html

The Falcone is a custom blend for Mimi Sheraton. It isn't in our catalog or our online website (yet). If you wish to order Falcone, please call us at 1-800-356-5200 or email us at info@mcnultys.com and we would be happy to blend one for you.