The New York Times Magazine's Food & Drink Issue Drops

The New York Times Magazine released its annual food issue yesterday, and it toes the line between tackling serious subjects, like Mark Bittman's article on California's Central Valley and a profile of Cook's Illustrated's Christopher Kimball, and lighter fare like a photo gallery entitled "How to Stuff Your Face Like a President" depicting 12 different leaders of the free world in the midst of chowing down. Bittman also lends his expertise to a story chronicling 25 different dishes that feature America's favorite self-reflexive ingredient, bacon.

Oenophiles would do well to check out Daniel Duane's piece on Garagiste owner Jon Rimmerman, who sells $30 million worth of wine over email, while curd nerds will need a handkerchief on hand to wipe up both drool and tears while reading Sam Anderson's commentary on one man's quest to create American buffalo mozzarella. And for restaurant critic obsessives, there are plenty of anecdotes from Frank Bruni, Sam Sifton, William Grimes and more in Maya Lau's 'When I Was a New York Times Restaurant Critic...'

In total, this beast of an issue provides a frolicking look at the current state of food, and it's done in that slick, informative style for which The Times Magazine has become renowned. Read it with a cup of fair-trade coffee for breakfast, or a glass of 2009 petit verdot before bed.