Bloggin’ a Food Blog

If I got invited to a food event, then I can only assume that food blogging has hit maximum saturation. My theory’s proof was delivered in “The Food Wife,” Sunday’s episode of The Simpsons, in which Bart, Lisa, and Marge start a food blog.

Homer’s love of new food experiences has been well documented throughout the series, sometimes to brilliant effect. The episode in which he eats fugu (written by my friend Nell Scovell) comes to mind, but his appetites are always driven by impulse. Having to think about food ruins the experience, which makes him resent Marge’s new bond with the kids. They try to get him to join in, with the expected result:

Although not specifically identified in the episode, the chef at El Chemistri is probably meant to be José Andres, who later serves a deconstructed Caesar salad that’s a bit different than Thomas Keller’s famous version.

There’s an annotated slide show from the episode over at Eater National that’s worth checking out , as well as two clips that include the “Bloggin’ a Food Blog” rap by Time Heidecker and Eric Wareheim (of The Tim and Eric Awesome Show). I have to give them clever points for “I’m frank like Bruni/Ruthless like Reichl/Wiley like Dufrense/and when I take the mike/I’ll rhyme about radicchio/criticize Colicchio.”

Anthony Bourdain makes an appearance (in Singapore, of course) that ends with Homer crashing the party, the source of this deleted scene:

Maybe fresh rhino brains was too out there, or is not yet a hot enough trend to parody. But the writers did manage to crowd a lot of chefs into a short episode.

Who’s missing? “I’m creative like Achatz/Precise like Keller/Buy my spices in packets/Cure meats in the cellar/There’s lardo, coppa, and salami to hang/Then I’ll make ramen noodles with the recipe from Chang.”

Nope. Still can’t quit my day job.