This story was published by the New York Times over a week ago, but I keep finding myself talking about it, so I figured I would bring it up with the legions of Griddle readers.

Despite the horrific title, "Hip Hop Cuisine" (which just makes me think of this atrocity), the article is an interesting discussion of eating bunnies—er, I mean rabbits. It centers on a rabbit butchering workshop held in What's-Next-In-Food Central: Brooklyn.

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I've been talking a lot recently about the fact that the more I learn about industrial/unsustainable food production, the fewer things I can enjoy eating. This isn't all bad. It's important to be an ethical, conscientious consumer, and sometimes the more you learn about a product (especially when it comes from a local, independently-owned source) the more you enjoy it.

These days I've been finding out a lot about fish.

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Tomorrow at 7 p.m., the Ambler Theater will screen Fresh as part of their Pennypack Sustainability Series. For information and tickets, visit amblertheater.org or call 215-345-7855.

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Rhubard syrup, from Marisa McClellan's upcoming recipe in GridSo, you'll be noticing some new bylines in Grid over the next few months. We're adding a gardening column and a biking column. We've also recruited Marisa McClellan, author of the excellent blog Food In Jars to contribute her culinary expertise to our food section. In the April issue (which hits the streets next week) she shares three ideas for rhubarb—an early arrival and harbinger of spring.

It seems we're boarding the McClellan train at the right time—Food in Jars was just nominated for a Saveur Magazine Best Food Blog Award. Her category is "Best Special Interest Blog." You can read her reaction here.

So, check out Food in Jars, vote for it at Saveur, and keep an eye out for Marisa in the pages of Grid. We're thrilled to have her on board!

Can the Jewish Deli survive the sustainable food movement? It's an interesting question, and one addressed by a recent story on haaretz.com. In early February, the Jewish community center in Berkeley hosted a panel discussion on the fate of delis in a world where local, seasonal eating has started to really matter to people. Michael Pollan was on hand, as were Karen Adelman and Peter Levitt, co-owners of Saul's Deli, a kosher-style Jewish deli down the street from Alice Waters' Chez Panisse.

Adelman and Levitt make their corned beef and pastrami from local, grass-fed meat, all their fish is sustainably raised and their produce is seasonal. They also make their own celery soda:

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Birchrun Hills Farm's Birchrun BlueOn Sunday, after a lovely long bike ride along the Schuylkill, I checked out the brand new Garces Trading Company at 11th and Locust.

It's a beautiful, clean space and our table was immediately greeted with a basket of warm sourdough bread, baked in-house. The bread was perfect for dipping in a dish of olive oil, dotted with sea salt from the tiny bowl our waiter brought us. The menu is large but surprisingly focused—sandwiches, salads, pizzas, pastas and a smorgasbord of cheeses and charcuterie.

We were only in for a snack, and went with a chef's selection of cheeses. Each came with an accompaniment. Our favorite was the downright magical truffled lavendar honey, paired with a blue cheese. The truffle hits your nose before the bite even reaches your lips. Really spectacular.

Now that I've finished gushing, I'll express some disappointment with our resident Iron Chef.

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Last night I was at the Fair Food Farmstand after work, picking up some groceries: a couple yukon gold potatoes for a roasted sausage dish I planned on making with my Meadow Run merguez, some yogurt, a couple apples, a tiny block of Birchrun Hills Highland Alpine (a cheese I am intensely devoted to) and some eggs. 

My bag was already a bit over-filled for the 30 minute walk home but then somebody mentioned pickles, and pointed. There they were—Weaver's Way's locally made, locally grown pickles. The Farmstand carries two flavors: basic dill and "spicy." The young woman manning the register assured me they were spicy, like spicy. The ingredients confirmed the presence of habanero peppers in the mix. Still, I was skeptical. Packaged spicy foods are rarely as hot as they claim to be.

When I got home, I immediately cracked open my jar. I was chatting casually with my little brother as I took my first bite.

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