If ever there was a day for foodies to curl up with a mug of fair trade coffee and the newspaper, today’s the day. The New York Times Magazine’s (first ever, I believe) Food Issue hit stands this morning, so if you haven’t already scanned the whole thing online, find yourself a comfortable chair and a couple of hours to savor it the way papers were originally intended to be read.There’s a LOT of good stuff inside – enough to be slightly overwhelming. So before you dig in, take a look at The Jew & The Carrot’s recommendations on what to read, skim, and skip. Get the most out of the magazine and still have some daylight left to play. Below the jump!WHAT TO READ FIRST.This is a tough call. On the one hand, Michael Pollan’s new article - Farmer in Chief – is the obvious pick. It’s essentially an open letter to the President Elect, telling him why he should make food policy a cornerstone issue of his presidency. (It’s similar in style to Pollan’s email dialogue with Whole Foods’ CEO, John Mackey two years ago – deferential, but packed with a punch.) It features a shout out to the “plant an organic garden at the White House” idea, which has been touted by food activists like Alice Waters, and organizations like The Who Farm and Kitchen Gardeners International.On the OTHER hand, for us Jewish foodies, Sam Shapiro’s article, Kosher Wars, might win first read rights. Shapiro covers a lot of topics, ideas, and people that have been written about before on this blog: Andy Kastner and a new generation of Rabbis who want to be ethical shochets (kosher slaughterers), Maya Shetreat-Klein and Devora Kimelman-Block and Simon Feil for their respective ethical kosher meat initiatives, the Agriprocessors scandal, and a shout out to Hazon. But she does it well and with a lot of depth and finesse – so it’s definitely worth reading, even if the material seems familiar.WHAT TO READ (NEXT).Attack of the Tomato Killers. The sweet, funny account of one man’s attempt at food independence.Why Take Food Seriously? Although Mark Bittman’s new TV show (where he parade’s around Spain with Mario Batali, Gwenyth Paltrow, and Claudia Bassols in search of food adventures) is a self-indulgent snooze-fest, my love for the Minimalist Chef endures. And his article on the state of food today is worth the read for its Bittman-esqe anecdotes and opinions.Why Tip? A compelling article about a San Diego restaurant that eliminated tipping to save itself – and the fascinating history of tipping our food servers (in short: blame Europe).A Catfish by Any Other Name. No, catfish isn’t kosher. But this article about the catfish’s legacy, history, and potential future name change was definitely “fit” to print.Dangerous Fruit. I generally love the Diagnosis section of the Mag (which often reads like a detective novel!) – and this one about a man’s life threatening run-in with a piece of fruit, was no exception.WHAT TO SKIM. On Language: Locavorism. William Saffire’s word column is always a fun read – but if you already know the story of the word locavore backwards and forward, feel free to skim.Where’s the Beef: Questions for Robert Kenner. Kenner is the latest in a line of film makers, authors etc. to explore “the food industry” in his film, Food, Inc. The interview is punchy and the film is likely to be interesting, but the conversation felt better suited for the early 2000s. Interviewer, Deborah Solomon, for example, seemed to have never heard the word Flexitarian before.The Medium: Produce Yourself. Interesting article about the changing role of online advertising and the emergence of “magalogs” (a hybrid between a magazine and a catalog, all online), but the food reference (a case study about Fresh Direct) doesn’t necessarily seem integral to the story. Fresh Direct could have easily been replaced with any other example. So skim it, or dog ear it to read later, when you’re not so busy reading about food!A Green Revolution for Africa? An article about Gates Foundation-funded efforts to improve sustainable agriculture initiatives in Africa. A solid read, that – perhaps from the writer’s style more than anything – didn’t sustain my attention.WHAT TO SKIP. The Way We Eat. Usually, the Food Page is the first thing I flip to in the Magazine (after the Lives’ column, of course). But when set against an entire issue devoted to food, this week’s article about an ornery restaurant owner fell a little flat. Much fluffier (in a good way) is the video on making Mac n’ Cheese pancakes, which accompanies the article. If you’re short on time, go ahead and skip straight to the video.Milk Media. This article about advertising to kids on food packaging (here, milk cartons) seemed a little “past due.”SUPPLEMENTSIf, after reading the paper, you still want more, check out the Inside the Fridge of a Foodie feature which looks inside the fridges of various food activists and farmers. (Spoiler altert: They all really like juice).