Weekend Reading

Dutch Crunch, the place where food and obsession with identity intersect, and more we read and loved this week.

Around the web

• America's a nation of picky eaters—but what's more, the endless opportunities to customize our food reflect our obsession with identity. [The Atlantic]
• The Nobel Prize-winning scientist Elie Metchnikoff believed "Aging is a disease that should be treated like any other." His prescription: yogurt. (At last! Someone who loves yogurt as much as we do.) [Nautilus]
• The U.S. saw a major recession between 2007 and 2009—but "foodie" culture only continued to grow. Why? [Eater]
• Is organic agriculture better for the environment? (And what reasons go into our decisions, as consumers, to buy organic?) [The Washington Post]
• A chef-doctor who's built a practice around the "let food by thy medicine" philosophy, and med schools that are taking up the banner. [Bloomberg]

Some of this week's favorites on Food52:

• Meet a "food person" who never makes stock—and our new Writer in Residence, Julia Bainbridge!
• Farmers markets can feel like expensive places to shop—are they really? And why?
• Dutch Crunch will transform your next loaf of bread into a crunchy, beautifully spackled-looking thing.
• Please, please, whatever you do, do not make this Pinterest DIY.
• A good, strong drink and 1930s glitz—you can still find it at the Waldorf Astoria's bar, Peacock Alley—and in its new book of cocktail recipes.

What are some of the best things you read this week? Share the links (and your thoughts!) in the comments.