It’s been a quiet week here in Brooklyn. The weather has snowed, thawed, and covered the ground in a thick layer of ice. Everyone has been spending more time indoors than they’d like to admit. Being stuck inside is a great reason to catch up on some reading and the internet has provided some especially interesting mind-food.

If you thought being a line cook was stressful, imagine what it’s like to be the White House chef. Walter Scheib was the chef for the Clinton administration and served into the first part of Bush’s presidency. Munchies posted a two-part Q&A with Scheib that covered everything from his security clearance to the preferred foods of the President and First Lady.

Credit: Bob Jagendorf

Ever wondered how the ubiquitous diner waitress uniform was created? Eater has got you covered.

Cinemagraphs – a photo-gif mashup that show a still image with one moving part – get a culinary makeover in this evocative series Kitchen Ghosts.

Food Queens–a mostly rural phenomenon that turns young girls into ambassadors for a local agricultural industry–get a history in this article for First We Feast.

Could drugs that fool your stomach into believing it’s already full be the cure for diet-related diseases and obesity? NPR has the story.

The Awl posts a lament for the lost profession of the seltzer man and one seller who is still trying to hang on.

This is the most techno food you’ll ever find.

The New York Times reports that technology is making the phenomenon known as “tip creep” grow even faster.

In non-food news:

As someone who grew up in the 90s, I have a special interest in this piece from The Atlantic that looks at the rise and fall of those weird plush toys known as Beanie Babies.