5 Cooks, $40, 5 Dishes, 3 Desserts
"Asked by The New York Times to dream up a meal with products from a Jack’s 99-Cent Store, Mr. [Eric] Ripert [ultra-famous head chef at Le Bernardin] and his pastry chef, Michael Laiskonis, did not stop at the requested three courses." Gourmet and $0.99!
Mar 26, 2008 in Food | Comment
Why does a salad cost more than a Big Mac?
"The Farm Bill... provides billions of dollars in subsidies, much of which goes to huge agribusinesses producing feed crops, such as corn and soy, which are then fed to animals... Fruit and vegetable farmers, on the other hand, receive less than 1 percent of government subsidies."
Nov 19, 2007 in Food | Comment
Maison du Miel's Heather Honey Ice Cream
"This ice cream is rich and sweet -- just how rich or how sweet will depend in part on the type of honey you end up using... It is one of the simplest ice cream/gelato recipes I've ever come across. No eggs, no cornstarch, no thickening custards." Should be great over pie this Thanksgiving!
Nov 18, 2007 in Food | Comment
Zagat Los Angeles Outtakes
Such as: "The valet stole my cell phone and called Brazil 11 times." "Great food amid a sea of shorts and black socks." "Could someone do something about the uniforms? 1982 just called and it wants its suspenders back." "If I wanted to be treated with distaste, I would just stay home." Expect some real winners now that writers have nothing better to do.
Nov 17, 2007 in Food | Comment
Khmer Krom Recipes
A wide variety of Cambodian recipes. Watch out for the music!
Jul 10, 2007 in Food | Comment
The Beer Belly
Sneak in beer everywhere... and know what you'll look like after a few years of using the product!
Jul 9, 2007 in Food | Comment
No, Really, It Was Tough: 4 People, 80 Martinis
The New York Times rates gins. While not as shocking as the results of the Times's blind vodka taste test -- which was won by Smirnoff -- they rated Seagram's Extra Dry quite high. I My favorite Martini gin, Tanqueray, is described as "a martini peeking out from librarian’s glasses," which is maybe why I like it dirty. I'll have to try the "surprisingly complex" Seagram's and see if it gives me a more complete drink.
Jun 19, 2007 in Food | Comment (1)
Fruity cocktails count as health food, study finds
"Adding ethanol -- the type of alcohol found in rum, vodka, tequila and other spirits -- boosted the antioxidant nutrients in strawberries and blackberries, the researchers found." Health advice I can take!
Apr 23, 2007 in Food | Comment (2)
The Cook's Thesaurus
"The Cook's Thesaurus is a cooking encyclopedia that covers thousands of ingredients and kitchen tools. Entries include pictures, descriptions, synonyms, pronunciations, and suggested substitutions. " Substitutions are key!
Apr 23, 2007 in Food | Comment
5 home-cooked meals for pets
"Pet owners are worried about what to feed their cats and dogs since the recent recall of 95 brands of pet food." Suggests cooking your own food -- I used to cook Junior's food, but quit out of laziness.
Via Lifehacker
Apr 13, 2007 in Food | Comment
I Bet Cadbury Didn't Expect This!
Apr 10, 2007 in Food | Comment (2)
NutritionData.com
Nutrition data on lots of everyday foods, and even some fast-food joints. Easier than looking it up on everyone's Web site separately, anyway.
Apr 9, 2007 in Food | Comment
Will Soda Makers Shuck Corn for Sugar?
Answer: not really, but we can hope. Well, I can hope. Up with corn ethanol!
Apr 4, 2007 in Food | Comment (1)
Ear-resistible: el Bulli's deep fried rabbit ears with aromatic herbs
Apparently, the concept of eating things that look like cute, fuzzy animals is controversial. Apparently, eating the parts of the cute, fuzzy animals that look less cute and fuzzy is not controversial. Frankly, I think it's important that meat-eaters understand what they're eating. Also, it's good to not waste too much of the animal you're eating, if you can, so bunny ears for a snack sounds super to me. The deep-fried, now I can live without that.
Via Ruhlman
Mar 11, 2007 in Food | Comment
Combo dishes with caution on the side?
Should we make restaurants print nutritional information on their menus? If they serve 2,000 calorie pastas with 128 grams of fat -- that's a bit more than in 5 Big Macs -- then maybe we should.
Feb 27, 2007 in Food | Comment (4)
Gourmet goat's milk ice cream catching on
Yay, more goat products for me!
Feb 15, 2007 in Food | Comment (4)
Nobody Asked Me, But...
Anthony Bourdain unleashes his bile upon the current "chefs" of the new "Food" Network. I'm on board with him 100%, and I believe that the mass-marketing of the Food Network has left an obvious market opening for a channel that does the same thing as the old Food Network, as a premium offering. Probably less profitable than the new mass channel, but still pretty darn profitable! (Time for Food2 maybe?)
Via Fark
Feb 8, 2007 in Food | Comment (16)
A scorching future
"Imagine a world in which the best sparkling wines come from Surrey in southern England, not Champagne. A world where Monterey Bay is home to California's best Cabernet Sauvignons and Sweden produces world-class Rieslings... A growing number of climatologists are warning that by the turn of the next century, such a radically altered wine map could be the new reality. They say man-made greenhouse gases warming the planet are expected to shift viticultural regions toward the poles, cooler coastal zones and higher elevations."
Jan 24, 2007 in Food, Politicks | Comment
Processing may spread E. coli
"Three recent outbreaks of food-borne illnesses traced to bagged spinach or lettuce from California have led some scientists and food safety advocates to suggest that packaging greens might contribute to the spread of a lethal strain of E. coli bacteria." That's super, because I love the packaged greens.
Jan 20, 2007 in Food | Comment
Back for an encore
LA Times top 10 recipes of the year. Some of these even look good!
Dec 30, 2006 in Food | Comment
Gluhwein Recipe
I had this hot wine toddy tonight and it was sooo good. This other recipe adds bay leaves too. Mmm, I see a Gluhwein party in the future!
Dec 25, 2006 in Food | Comment
More Micro, Less Soft
"Microsoft created a weight management benefit (employees already get free medical coverage). The software giant picks up 80% of the tab--up to $6,000--for a comprehensive, clinical weight-loss program. Expensive, yes. But Cecily Hall, Microsoft's director of U.S. benefits, says the company has already realized a one-to-one return on investment since the program began in 2002."
Nov 25, 2006 in Biz, Food | Comment
Taco Bell switching to trans-fat-free cooking oils
"[A spokesman] said the change meant 15 Taco Bell menu items would contain no trans fats, including the Crunchy Beef Taco, the Taco Supreme, some chalupas and cinnamon twists. He said some items, including the Grilled Stuft Burrito, would still contain some trans fat."
Nov 17, 2006 in Food | Comment
IHOP restaurants to test trans-fat-free oil
Also, Burger King's looking into it. This won't exactly make the Rooty Tooty Fresh n'Fruity Breakfast heathy, but it miht make it kill ya much slower.
Nov 7, 2006 in Food | Comment
Red wine helps mice live fat, happy
"Obese mice on a high-fat diet got the benefits of being thin -- living healthier, longer lives -- without the pain of dieting when they consumed huge doses of red wine extract, according to a landmark new study." But will it help me look great in these jeans?
Nov 1, 2006 in Food | Comment
KFC plans to phase out trans fats
"KFC said today it is phasing out trans fats in cooking its Original Recipe and Extra Crispy fried chicken, Potato Wedges and other menu items, but hasn't found a good alternative yet for its biscuits." I can understand the problem with the biscuits, but this is great news!
Oct 30, 2006 in Food | Comment
Denmark an Example After Transfat Ban
"Even consuming less than five grams of transfat _ the amount found in one piece of fried chicken and a side of french fries _ a day has been linked with a 25 percent increased risk of heart disease." Apparently Denmark banned having "more than 2 percent transfats" in food, and, amazingly enough, apparently chefs and even fast food places have figured out how to do without trans fats.
Oct 18, 2006 in Food | Comment
Bartenders muddle and blend, and the results couldn't be more delicious
"[I]t turns out that top bartenders, enthusiastically experimenting with highly muddled, fruit-forward concoctions, are finding that sometimes using less alcohol creates the most balanced, delicious drink. This doesn't mean they're making weaker drinks, pouring less gin, vodka or rum. Instead, seeking complexity and body that won't overpower the fresh fruit and herb flavors, mixologists are using lower-proof bases such as wine, sparkling wine, soju (the Korean or Japanese distilled spirit, usually about 20% alcohol or 40 proof), aperitifs such as vermouth (16% alcohol) and Pimm's (25%), some sakes and some liqueurs, which can be as low as 20% alcohol depending on the variety and brand (Chambord, Midori, Kahlúa and Amaretto are among the low-proof liqueurs)."
Jul 29, 2006 in Food | Comment
Cotton Tea Filter
"This cotton sock is traditionally used for brewing authentic Thai Tea or Thai Coffee." Meant to buy one in Thailand with which to brew iced tea (chaa yen), but forgot at the last moment. Price is not bad, only 3-5x the Thai price.
Jul 25, 2006 in Food | Comment
Something's cooking
"The chefs are coming -- and so are the bakers, wine bars, foodies, cafes. Culver City is hot." That's my 'hood!
May 7, 2006 in Food | Comment
Chicago Bans Foie Gras
"What it boils down to is this (pun intended). Groups of people are determining what citizens can eat, based solely on political point scoring. One has to ask oneself, which is worse - force feeding ducks and geese? Or force feeding a debatable morality to the public at large? Personally, I'm more nauseous from the latter."
May 3, 2006 in Food | Comment
Chinese Scientists Clone Mad Cow-Resistant Calf
Apr 27, 2006 in Food | Comment
Easter turducken
Turducken? Turkey stuffed with duck stuffed with chicken. Easter Turducken? Chocolate bunny stuffed with peep stuffed with creme egg. Mmmm.
Apr 14, 2006 in Food | Comment
The Two-Minute Haggadah
"Opening prayers:
Thanks, God, for creating wine. (Drink wine.)
Thanks for creating produce. (Eat parsley.)
Overview: Once we were slaves in Egypt. Now we're free. That's why we're doing this."
Apr 14, 2006 in Food | Comment
Soft Drinks and Benzene - A Primer
"In 1990, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) learned that certain soft drinks marketed to children contain two ingredients that can mix in the soda to form the toxic carcinogen benzene. The Agency didn't tell the public, but instead merely asked companies to voluntarily change their formulas to eliminate the problem."
Apr 3, 2006 in Food | Comment
Why did American Coffee used to be so horrible?
Apr 1, 2006 in Food | Comment
Restaurant overdoes it once again, with 15-pound burger
If the 3 lb. version wasn't enough, here's something a little bigger!
Mar 15, 2006 in Food | Comment
Man Conquers Three Pound Burger
"C.P. Deli: It’s the tiny restaurant that challenges the biggest of appetites. On its menu of ham sandwiches and turkey salads, is the big daddy of burgers. The Wally Burger weighs in at a staggering three pounds and is served with a pound of french fries." That's 7,000 calories, folks!
Mar 13, 2006 in Food | Comment
Weekend Eating: Mobile Cooking
How to boil an egg... using your cell phone! Try it and tell me if it works.
Feb 6, 2006 in Food | Comment
The Official Vodka Infusions Site
Complete with recipies and tips on how to make your infusion work out. Much less frightening than this site, with its recipe for vodochka.
Feb 4, 2006 in Food | Comment
New drink's got whisky fans tippled pink
Tasty food or market segmentation gone horribly wrong?
Feb 3, 2006 in Food | Comment
What Your Drink Says About You
I am bitter.
Feb 3, 2006 in Food | Comment
Portion Distortion Quiz
"Anyone eating on the run or at restaurants has probably noticed that food portions have gotten larger... With this growth have come increases in waistlines and body weight. To see if you know how today's portions compare to the portions available 20 years ago, quiz yourself on Portion Distortion... You will also learn about the amount of physical activity required to burn off the extra calories provided by today's portions."
Jan 9, 2006 in Food | Comment
Calorie Counter Database
Count your calories in the food you eat, track your consumption, track your diet and weight, plus a nifty toolbar for Firefox and IE. Could be handy to keep track if, like me, you're trying to get to a more reasonable weight.
Jan 9, 2006 in Food | Comment
NIH Interactive Meal Planner
Very 1998 interface, but seems useful nonetheless.
Jan 9, 2006 in Food | Comment
Alton Brown's Egg Nog
Dec 12, 2005 in Food | Comment
A Butcher Reponds
If you caught this interesting article on meat in SmartMoney, you might be interested in this response from an actual butcher. This, folks, is why I go to a little tiny corner store, not a big honkin' chain. I love that I can see my butcher fabricate my cuts in front of me.
Dec 6, 2005 in Food | Comment
The perfect cup of tea
Mostly obvious, but some good pointers to products after which I lust.
Nov 25, 2005 in Food | Comment
For Bush in Beijing, It's Hard to Get Out
"As he barnstormed through Japan, South Korea and China, with a final stop in Mongolia still to come, Bush visited no museums, tried no restaurants, bought no souvenirs and made no effort to meet ordinary local people... A number of the most senior White House officials on the trip, perhaps seeking the comforts of their Texas homes, chose to skip the kimchi in South Korea to go to dinner at Outback Steakhouse -- twice." Outback Steakhouse?!
Nov 21, 2005 in Food | Comment
How lobster went up in the world
"Restaurant menus dating back to the 1850s have allowed scientists to track the decline of marine species..." An interesting social/scientific article, including insights such as "In colonial America servants negotiated agreements that they would not be forced to eat lobster more than twice a week."
Nov 10, 2005 in Food | Comment
Lightning bolt born in Brazil
"Following a now-familiar pattern in the spirits world, cachaça, the Brazilian liquor made from sugar cane juice, has made a heady move up the social ladder in recent years. Like those other better-known New World distillates, rum and tequila, cachaça (ka-SHAH-sa) was originally a working man's drink but has lately been taken to new, more sophisticated heights by ambitious producers."
Sep 9, 2005 in Food | Comment
Who Knew a $10 Bill Had Such a Nice Bouquet?
"The fact is that today cheap wine across the board is far superior to what it was 50 years ago. It is not hard to find dry, refreshing, satisfying wines for $10 and under, as the Dining section's wine panel learned in a tasting of 24 bottles."
Jul 27, 2005 in Food
Ready for dinner on Mars?
"'Martian bread and green tomato jam', 'Spirulina gnocchis' and 'Potato and tomato mille-feuilles' are three delicious recipes that two French companies have created for ESA and future space explorers to Mars and other planets." One of those "two French companies" is Alain Ducasse!
Jun 15, 2005 in Food
Name a Street After Maillard
You know, the guy who discovered the Maillard Reaction, that wondrous chemical event that makes your food tasty? Sure he deserves a street named after him in Nancy, France! (Site is in French, but you can figure it out, smarty!)
May 31, 2005 in Food
The mojito gets a groove on
Also includes a recipe for a fruit-flavored caipirinha -- like I had so many of in Brazil.
May 31, 2005 in Food
How to Cut...
(Part of a series on knives)
Apr 14, 2005 in Food
Free Online Wine Course From the CIA!
"Get a 'taste' of The Culinary Institute of America’s professional wine courses by taking this exciting course online—for free. We’ll give you a sample of our in-depth, on-site courses by taking you on a virtual journey through three of the world’s top grape varieties. You’ll learn about where they grow, how they’re made into wine, how the wines they’re made into taste, what foods they work with best, and why they’re hot in the marketplace. We’ll suggest a few simple but great tastings you can do at home, and share some delicious wine-matched recipes from our CIA chefs."
Apr 7, 2005 in Food