Is it a good thing that some semi-famous chefs are “taking to blogging as if it were the foam of 2008”? The blogging “bandwagon,” as some call it somewhat disparagingly, does not need any more bad writers, and food workers taking to their keyboards is certainly not a new thing.

But this L.A. Times article says “the trend is a welcome antidote to the flood of cyber-treacle. Rather than nattering about what they fed their boyfriends last night, or fuzzily photographing their latest batch of heart-shaped cookies, chefs tend to focus on the story behind the food, on the thought process that original cooking entails.” Read the story, written by the talented food writer Regina Schrambling, to see what’s cooking in this corner of the “brave new world of the virtual newsstand.”

That’s not all head kitchen honchos are doing beyond cooking. This New York Times piece acknowledges that while “counter seating, open kitchens, and chef’s tables are not new to the scene,” there is a noteworthy change afoot: “Chefs are not only cooking and plating the food, but also serving it, taking coats, recommending wine and confirming reservations.”

When Cork & Knife was conceived, it was with the idea that people make the difference in our dining experiences; restaurant and home cooks, along with the inventors and creatives who bring new products to market, are the people whose stories merit telling.

That’s why we started off this roundup with the two stories on chefs, and that’s why John Howard is someone else who gets a mention today — both The N.Y. Times and The Washington Post decided to do a piece on his invention, The Pickle Sickle. Frozen pickle juice, friends. Don’t you feel silly you didn’t think of it first? Apparently, you’d have been more likely to come up with it if you lived in South Texas, where “there are a lot of closet pickle juice drinkers.” Wow. The whole thing started in a roller skating rink/arcade in Seguin, Texas. Read both — we know you’re intrigued now.

Speaking of green — we do have that boozy holiday on the horizon — Mark Bittman says we won’t “find a greener dish anywhere,” so we should consider this Mexican meal of chicken with salsa verde when contemplating corned beef and cabbage. Heaven knows there’s no reason to eat Irish food even as we celebrate its lovely people.

The Dallas Morning News picked up this AP feature story about cheese that may not be a shocker, but it explains a trend very clearly. This sentence may state the obvious, but we love a good, true sentence: “The collective American palate has become increasingly adventurous and sophisticated, thanks in part to a pervasive food media that has helped turn the U.S. into a nation of would-be foodies.” The article cites the Kroger-Murray’s Cheese Shop union as an example of the trend, which is sort of crazy from our point of view. Why?

Quick story. Back in high school, we had a friend whose mother remarried a guy from West Virginia. This friend had to take trips there, and she would report that they’d shopped at someplace called Kroger’s — which she pronounced (in her New York accent) with an exaggerated and awful attempt at a southern drawl.

Fast forward to when we were living in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood — just up the road from our very good friends who lived in the West Village (just a few doors down from Uma Thurman and her then-husband Ethan Hawke). Said friends introduced us to Murray’s Cheese Shop, which we revered but sadly didn’t appreciate at the time. Meanwhile, Kroger is no backwater bodega, and “Later this year, mini Murray’s Cheese shops will open at an undisclosed number of Kroger stores.”

Two notes on restaurants before we head out for the evening. Ulah Bistro, a just-opened place down here in D.C., is another sign of the “fancification of the U Street corridor,” Tom Sietsema says. This burger/salads/fish spot sounds like a timely and nice fit for the neighborhood; it’s upscale without being stuffy, and its owner (Tunnicliff’s, Stoney’s) knows what he’s doing at this point.

Moving north, here’s why Frank Bruni of the N.Y. Times thinks we should go to Bar Boulud, Daniel Boulud’s latest (and most casual) offering: “Bar Boulud is a terrine machine, a pâté-a-palooza, dedicated to the proposition that discerning New Yorkers aren’t getting nearly enough concentrated, sculptured, gelatinous animal fat, at least not of a superior caliber.”

Here is why Hot Plates wants to go: “There’s also cooked ham, cured ham and sausages … From all of these you can assemble an oversize snack or undersize meal, to be rounded out with wine from a list that’s a knockout in terms of its tight focus, its enterprising selections, its elegant organization and its price range.” From Mr. Bruni, two big stars on the first try.