Conor Friedersdorf at The Atlantic recently put out a list of 100 "works of journalism" he has found to be particularly good. They're all linked and directly accessible in his article. He lists several on food, and one that I found to be particularly good was this one, on an American woman trying to find her way into her Chinese mother-in-law's 'good graces'.
"People who love to eat are always the best people"
Thanks for sharing those links Mike, I just read the Chinese one. Wonderfully written and so wonderful that the author cared enough to find a possible link to her M-I-L and follow it through so well. And a happy ending as well!