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Chew On This:  Andrea Weigl discovers a love for the food essays of the late Laurie Colwin, one of 14 authors on a summer reading list from the James Beard Foundation’s book awards committee.

Fire in the Triangle, a competitive cooking series, will pit 16 chefs against each other in Iron Chef-style contests. Diners can buy tickets to the dinners in Raleigh and help choose the winner.

For a generation of chefs and home cooks, she was simply “The French Chef,” the eccentric television personality who left an indelible mark on American food.

Seriously Simple:  I love baby back ribs. Maybe it’s because they seem to have more meat and a less pronounced pork flavor. When I was growing up, just hearing that ribs were on the menu would make me happy. Father’s Day at our house always meant a barbecue with plenty of baby back ribs, a favorite of my dad’s. My mom relied on a sweet, tomato-based barbecue sauce for the ribs.

What’s not to like about shrimp sauteed in butter with garlic?

Mouthful:  Food news: Where to find gluten-free baked goods, Triangle Restaurant Week starts June 4, and small food truck lunch on June 1 outside The News & Observer in downtown Raleigh

On the Table:  Once again, I’m leaving Europe lighter than when I came.

If you want to eat like a 1960s family, you’ll now have a chance. “The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Sixties Cookbook” brings back all those family favorites you might only have seen on TV or the Thanksgiving table.

You have to wonder about the man who ate the first artichoke.