If you are a longtime reader of delicious days you might know that I have a thing for food news. I started posting links to interesting, funny or controversial articles back in August 2006 in the side column of this blog (visit archive) and have decided to give those news a more prominent spot.

In the beginning I wasn’t quite sure, if people would actually read this separate section, but soon people started crediting delicious:days (“found via”) and newspapers and magazines began to send unsolicited news-updates to my email account, not the typical product marketing yada yada (of course we get those, too) but legit news tidbits. From this week on you can find a weekly compilation of my favorite food-related reads and noteworthy links directly on the blog – but no worries, recipe posting won’t change.

2012 ended with what has become a lovely tradition over the last years, spending time in Rome with our dear friends from Vinoroma – if you ever visit Rome and don’t book one of their wine tasting, you’re missing out big time. We ate, drank and cooked some more. Paid the exquisite Metamorfosi a visit (The fake fig! The white choc & blue cheese lolly! My very first snail risotto!) and strolled through the eternal city with Katie‘s app always at hand. Our digital and trusted prompter for Rome,  Rome for Foodies, which I can highly recommend. Now BTT.

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New York Times &  Bon Appetit name the hottest food trends for 2013

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Tyranny—It’s What’s for Dinner (via  @lemonpi)
“The reservation was nearly impossible to get. The meal will cost several hundred dollars. The chef is a culinary genius. But in the era of the four-hour, 40-course tasting menu, one key ingredient is missing: any interest in what (or how much) the customer wants to eat.” [article]

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34 Coolest Food Packaging Designs Of 2012
“These days it’s perfectly acceptable to judge food by its label. Because if the company cares enough about design, they likely care just as much about the product inside.” [article]

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Do, Make, Be, Barf: The Year in Goop
Lindy West wrote the best mock-up of Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop I have read so far:
“…but maybe you wouldn’t have quite so many debilitating food sensitivities if you didn’t insist on forcibly laundering your digestive system several times a year? Your body already has a system for cleansing itself. It’s called your body.” [article]

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Inside the meat lab: the future of food
With billions of mouths to feed, we can’t go on producing food in the traditional way. Scientists are coming up with novel ways to cater for future generations. In-vitro burger, anyone? [article]

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Exclusive extract: Where chefs eat
What is Ferran Adrià’s favourite restaurant? Where does Heston Blumenthal like to splash out? Discover 50 places where the world’s best chefs dine [article]

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The Essential Guide To Dim Sum
Know exactly how to order thanks to this breakdown of 24 dishes, including photos and Chinese pronunciation. [article]

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I stopped buying monthly food magazines years ago, just treat myself to one or the other issue, especially when traveling. But since there is always an  exception  to the rule, the  brand new  Cereal magazine caught my attention and landed on my doorstep just in time for Christmas. Sleek and sophisticated, it delivers pure eye candy.

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And since everybody seems to be under the weather right now, how about some good old chicken soup or the wondrous Thylehogichi? Both recipes will make the ugly winter weather and your cold or sore throat much more bearable.

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Enjoy your week and stay warm in the cold season!