Tuesday Megalinks

Hey everybody – my RSS feed mysteriously dropped about 400 people this weekend. Usually when the RSS does this, it’s a glitch and it rebounds the next day. This time, it’s persisted, which is unusual. Is anyone having problems viewing the posts? If so, I’ll get on it a.s.a.p.

Bankrate.com: 8 ways to make your coupons count
You see coupon strategies everywhere these days, but Bankrate puts it best with this to-the-point list. If you know someone just getting started with the system, send it along.

Being Frugal: Menu Planning and the Pantry Principle
“The Pantry Principle” might sound like a Janet Jackson song, but really, it’s a recession-ready strategy for getting the most out of dried and canned goods. Read it while listening to Control for extra fun.

Boston Globe: Party with a plan
It’s about a week since the Times’ ridiculous $240 dinner party article, and lots of other papers have had time to respond. This one, from the Globe, is one of the best: it’s a wicked good tip compilation for actual (non-rich) people

Culinate: Healthy Holidays
Seems that Americans gain a pound every holiday season. (Um … or five.) Here, Marissa Lippert suggests a few ways to prevent the Christmas Creep.

Culinate: How to host a potluck party (You still need a menu)
It’s true! You do need a menu! Otherwise, it’s three plates of brownies, a bowl of Brussels sprouts, and nothing else.

Gourmet: Favorite Cookies 1941-2008
Cheap? Kind of.
Healthy? Not particularly.
2001’s best cookie recipe, Cranberry Turtle Bars? Oh, hell yes.

Jezebel: Yuppie Foodies Hoodwinked By “Health Halo”
Processed food companies are slapping labels like “healthy!” and “zero trans fat” on their packaging to attract buyers. Buyers, in turn, assume the products are nutritionally sound, and buy/eat more of them. Then, the buyers gain crazy weight. Vicious Cycletown, population: all of us.

The Kitchn: Recipe Roundup – Vegan Appetizers
Vegans (and others)! Take note! TK’s pushing 24 different recipes for non-meat/dairy hors d’oeuvres, and they all look positively scrumptious. I may even serve these to my decidedly carnivore-ish Pa.

Metromix: Dining 2008 – Trends
Remember 2008? Man, I do. That year was AWESOME. All that casual French and African dining … woof. It’s right up there with 2003, when I had a blueberry bagel for the first time. (Thanks to Eater for the link.)

Money Saving Mom: Guest Post: Building an “Emergency Fund” of Food
Guest post mania! Hannah and Abby pass on more pantry tips, creating a nice companion piece to the aforementioned Being Frugal article.

Money Saving Mom: Smart Shopping Tips from Ellie Kay Parts 1 & 2
Despite who I originally mistook her for, Ellie Kay is NOT Mary Kay. She doesn’t own a pink Cadillac and won’t try to sell you animal-tested cosmetics. Nope. Rather, she’s a home economics expert (home ec-spert?) with eight kids. Here, MSM proprietress Crystal comments on some of Ellie’s most well-known strategies.

Neatorama: 10 Weird Gourmet Foods
If corn fungus, snail caviar, and poop coffee aren’t enough, you can top your next meal off with a delicious helping of maggot cheese. It does a body good! (Thanks to Serious Eats for the link.)

The Oregonian: Chocolate and vanilla
Need to decide which extract and/or baking chocolate will do your holiday cookies right? GO HERE NOW. This thing is freakin’ exhaustive. It’s like the Das Boot of taste tests, only with fewer U-boats. (Thanks to Eater for the link.)

Philadelphia Inquirer: The no-splurge holiday spread
More on inexpensive entertaining, straight from the heart of Pennsylvania. (Er … I mean, Philly.) Seven pages of recipes follow the initial tip sheet. (Thanks to Eater for the link.)

Serious Eats: Foodies Pitch Nominees to Barack Obama for Secretary of Agriculture
88 prominent foodies, including Alice Waters and Michael Pollan, wrote Obama a note about their picks for the next White House SoA. Among the named: Gus Schumacher, Sarah Vogel, Neil Hamilton, and four other very nice people I’ve never heard of.

Serious Eats: Mark Bittman – The Minimalist’s Multiple Missions
What exactly does Mark Bittman do, besides publish massive cookbooks and hang out with Mario Batali? In short, he tries to get Americans to cook for themselves, using stuff found in most supermarkets. In long … well, check the article. Interesting profile of a direct, opinionated dude.

Slashfood: What is the Best Cheap Beer?
According to The Boyfriend, it’s MGD, now and always. But a gaggle of commenters have their say, as well.

Time Magazine: Top 10 Food Trends of 2008
From recession dining to calorie counts to good ol’ salmonella, these were the biggest stories in cooking this year. Conspicuously absent: maggot cheese.

Wise Bread: Surviving the Holiday Season – Entertaining (and Being Entertained) on a Budget
Aaaaaaaaaand … article #3 about frugal family and friend food fun. What is this “overkill” you speak of? (Nonetheless, it’s a solid piece.)

Wise Bread: Is hunting/fishing a good way to feed your family?
Blogger Nora Dunn poses a great, simple question: is hunting economical? Most of us don’t have the cash to purchase the guns and gear, but for those who do, well … is it cheaper than buying meat from a supermarket? Interesting issue, wonderful discussion in the comment thread.

(Photos courtesy of Let Me Put You On Something, Gourmet, Amazon, and CVS.co.)

8 Ways · Boston Globe · Brussels Sprouts · Canned Goods · Cookie Recipe · Differe · Dinner Party · Food Companies · Glitch · Holiday Season · Janet Jackson · Menu Planning · Pantry · Party Article · Potluck Party · Recession · Recipe Cranberry · Recipe Roundup · Vegans · Yuppie

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Tuesday Megalinks

Casual Kitchen: The Granola Blogroll – The Ultimate Authority on Great Granola Recipes
Holy moly. Dan’s created THE granddaddy, mother-of-all granola recipe lists, starting with a rolled oats/coconut concoction and ending on a massive, colon-blowing pile of deliciousness. Fibertastic.

Chow: Who Makes Trader Joe’s Food?
What? It’s not a dude named Joe, who also trades things? (But seriously folks, I’m here all week.)

Culinate: COFP – Clean Out the Fridge Pasta
The Boyfriend and I have kitchen sink pasta at least once a week, using whatever meats (ground turkey, chicken) and veggies (peppers, mushrooms) we have hanging around. It’s makes for a quick, rounded, fairly healthy meal, AND there are about four dishes to do afterward. Bonus.

Festival of Frugality #115: Broke Grad Student
Featuring CHG’s own Make Your Own Mix, Fat Man Skinny Wallet with Portion Control the Bento Way, Thrifty Mommy’s Top 10 Times Not to Shop, and a hilariously appropriate picture of Ramen.

Get Rich Slowly: An Easy Way to Go Organic
Turns out that milk, apples, peanut butter, ketchup, and potatoes might nab the most bang for the buck when it comes to organic foods. That sounds like everything Ma ever packed in my lunch box. (Nice work, G!)

Kitchenography: Best Recipes of 2007
Ooo! Nice comp of top ten lists from LA Times, Seattle Times, Chicago Tribune, Food and Wine, Atlanta Journal Constitution, and more! Shrimp Tacos with Pumpkin Seed Sauce? Enticing…

Like Merchant Ships: Laying Down the Skillet
Meredith revises her game plan for meal prep after a week of 50s-style cooking. Includes a few nice links and suggestions for creating your very own menu strategy.

Money Making Mom: Wheat prices set to soar – What’s your plan of attack?
See, this is why I read this blog. Between the Ohio/Texas showdown and reading about Sunday’s episode of The Wire, I had no idea a wheat shortage was lurking around the corner. Great heads up from Crystal & Co, and be sure to read the comments for fantastic storage ideas. (P.S. Speaking of The Wire, will anything good ever, EVER happen to Dukie? That poor kid is the most tragic figure of the whole show.)

Mom Advice: Baby Steps – Storing Your Stockpile
Tips of making the most of tiny spaces. As a Brooklynite with three roommates who’s confined to approximately 15 sq. feet of apartment, this resonates.

New York Times: My Forbidden Fruit (and Vegetables)
“But consumers who would like to be able to buy local fruits and vegetables not just at farmers’ markets, but also in the produce aisle of their supermarket, will be dismayed to learn that the federal government works deliberately and forcefully to prevent the local food movement from expanding.”

The Simple Dollar: Investing in Yourself – Diet
Everything I’ve ever meant to say on this blog, in one simple post. Tremendous. (Trent-mendous?)

Slashfood: Oh, those crazy kids!
Score one for non-violent protest: to voice their disapproval over a shortened lunch period, 29 New Jersey eighth graders paid for their meals entirely in pennies. 6,000 pennies. Genius.

Time Magazine: The World’s Growing Food-Price Crisis
Oh, yikes. This can’t be good. (Perhaps an understatement.)

Wise Bread: 5 Sleek Marketing Ploys Aimed at Getting More of Your Grocery Money
Linsey Knerl is one of WB’s most prolific food bloggers, and her articles are generally thorough, well though out affairs. This one is an excellent rundown of supermarket ploys, including 100-calorie packets, meal kits, foods labeled “humane,” overblown health claims, and “soups for the cure.”

(Photos courtesy of Flickr members ComeUndone, Unique_Snowflake, and flyzipper, as well as msnbc.)

Atlanta Journal Constitution · Best Recipes · Casual Kitchen · Chicago Tribune · Frugality · Granola Recipe · Granola Recipes · Holy Moly · La Times · Lunch Box · Merchant Ships · Portion Control · Pumpkin Seed · Rolled Oats · Seattle Times · Texas Showdown · Trader Joe · Ultimate Authority · Wheat Prices · Wheat Shortage

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Tuesday Megalinks

Happy Tuesday, everybody! Hope your weekends were lovely and full of perfectly grilled edibles. To welcome y’all back, we’ve got barbecue tips, soda taxes, and a piece on the uprightness of iceberg lettuce. Enjoy!

Casual Kitchen: How to Lie About the Soda Tax
Dan takes on lies, damned lies, and statistics perpetuated by the New York Times, of all sources. The manipulation of data is a scary thing, folks, and Dan’s conclusion might make you think twice about the proposed tariffs on Coke. (Please check this Epi-Log post for a bit of background on this.)

Chicago Tribune: 13 strategies for shopping a farmers market
Solid rundown of market tips for newbies. If I was Emeril, I’d end this article with a “BAM!” Then I’d shuffle off to eat some shrimp and count my money. (Thanks to Slashfood for the link.)

Chow: How to Grill (Almost) Everything – Recipes to keep you fired up all summer long
It’s the motherlode, people. Anything you ever needed to know about barbecue is right here for the taking. Grilled Lime Pound Cake with Raspberry Sorbet? Them’s the magic words.

Culinate: Spice Guy – Get the most from your spices
As a woman who can no longer tell her plastic baggied cumin from her plastic baggied cardamom (even after smelling and tasting them), this is right on time.

Gothamist: Groceries in Underserved Areas to Get Tax Breaks, Incentives
This is fantastic. Essentially, New York State will reward urban supermarkets in areas where there are few. Ideally, this will help get inexpensive, healthy food out to populations overwhelmed by cheap crap.

The Kitchn: Cheap Eats – 10 Ways to Use a Can of Tuna
10 great ideas, augmented by 57 largely spot-on comments, will revolutionize the way you feel about the cheapest of fish. Spelt Farotto with Tuna and Artichokes, anyone?

The Kitchn: Planning Dinner? Popular Recipes for Every Course
The Kitchn comps its most popular recipes, beginning with breakfast and ending with Peanut Butter Oatmeal Monster Cookies (which sound delicious, yet terrifying).

The Kitchn: Dinner Parties – 5 Great Tips for Newbies
a.k.a. Simple Tricks That Never Occur to You When You’re in the Thick of Things. Or:
1. Set the table the night before.
2. Distribute dishes between the oven and stovetop.
3. Do a main dish that doesn’t require much supervision.
4. Make dessert ahead of time.
5. Buy apps. Don’t DIY.

Los Angeles Times: Menu labeling bill introduced by U.S. lawmakers
The California/New York law may be going national. Expect orders of Caramel Frappucinos to plummet once people know how many calories (a million) are actually in the dang things.

The Mother Load: 7 Tips For Leading a Balanced Blogger Life
This has nothing to do with money or food, but everything to do with time and life quality. If you find yourself spending too much time online, read this immediately. (Thanks to Money Saving Mom for the link.)

MSNBC: Exercise not likely to rev up your metabolism
Studies are finding that exercising does NOT affect your ability to burn fat during the 24 hours AFTER you work out. Experts are, quote, “flabbergasted,” end quote.

National Geographic: The Global Food Crisis – The End of Plenty
Hey – remember that Global Food Crisis? It’s still happening. And as population growth outpaces agricultural production, it’s only going to become exceedingly dire. NG explores the global effects.

New York Times: Many Summer Internships Are Going Organic
Kids these days. Instead of smoking dope and sucking face behind the junior high school, they’re interning at organic farms for free. Next thing you know, they’ll be volunteering at a soup kitchen or building some kind of habitat for a member of humanity. What’s the world coming to?

New York Times: Slaughterhouses in the City
Part of being a New Yorker is wandering aimlessly around the streets of Queens in search of your brother’s new apartment, and passing two urban chicken coops on the journey. This super-interesting story delves into the stories behind those buildings, where immigrants, Muslims, and gourmets go to inspect, then buy freshly-killed animals.

NPR: Backyard Coops Make Chicks Chic
Apparently, city dwellers across the country are bypassing market meat and metropolitan slaughterhouses in favor of their own edible animals. Raising poultry on your patio: it’s so hot right now.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Health craze deprives poor Brazilians of acai berries
Tremendously popular in the U.S. thanks to Oprah and its recent designation as a “superfood,” Acai berries are becoming scarce in their native land of Brazil, where locals use it to feed the kids. A good example of how a ripple in America’s food chain affects other nations. (Thanks to Slashfood for the link.)

Saveur: The Ice Queen
The paean to iceberg lettuce is well-timed, well-researched, well-written, and well … it makes me want iceberg lettuce. Which I think is the point. With recipes! (Thanks to The Kitchn for the link.)

Wall Street Journal: Farms Start to Feel Credit Pinch
A few years ago, farmers were doing terribly. Then, things turned around, and life was grand. Now they’re slumping again, partly because ain’t no one lending anybody any cash.

Washington Post: Grate Finds – Tony Rosenfeld’s recommendations for nine affordable cuts of beef that are made for summer grilling.
This interactive piece has been all over the place this last week, largely because it’s like an adult version of LeapFrog (meaning: fun, educational, pretty). Remember kids: grilled flank steak does a body good in moderation. (Thanks to Serious Eats for the link.)

(Photos courtesy of Elements4Health, HiCharles, and Oregon Live.)

Barbecue Tips · Cardamom · Casual Kitchen · Cheap Crap · Chicago Tribune · Cumin · D Shuffle · Edibles · Farmers Market · Happy Tuesday · Healthy Food · Iceberg Lettuce · Magic Words · Monster Cookies · New York Times · Popular Recipes · Pound Cake · Raspberry Sorbet · Underserved Areas · Uprightness

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Tuesday Megalinks

Today it’s leafy greens, green grilling, and green sandwiches from Subway. Also, fish. It’s not green, though. Thank goodness.

Consumerist: Don’t Put Too Much Faith in Fortified Foods
I wasn’t going to post this one, because the topic’s been done a bunch. But these parting words caught my eye: “Pay close attention to the details of the ingredients and not the claims on the packaging.” Truer words, never spoken. Packaging is advertising. The ingredient list is fact.

Culinate: Grilling Gets Greener
Marissa Lipert tells you how to get the best taste from your grilled goods without hurting the Good Earth. Good stuff.

Get Rich Slowly: Eating Organic on a Frugal Budget
More on the Cost vs. Eating Ethically quandary, with customary smart commentary by GRS readers. Is there a happy medium? I’m hoping the answer is “oui.”

Get Rich Slowly: Cut Your Food Costs With a Stand-Alone Freezer
If you can swing it, extra freezers seem to be a favorite of smart shoppers around the web. In JD’s case, he and his wife Kris (love the name!) store their good beef in it. I wonder, though … what about freezer burn? Readers?

Gourmet: Recession Flexitarians
Recession Flexitarians are either A) meat-eaters resorting to part-time vegetarianism or, B) semi-vegetarians cutting back even further on their meat. It’s a growing movement, as it saves money and improves health. Get on board, everybody!

The Guardian: Playing the Stock Market
Ten heretofore unseen (er, by me) stock-making tips from a Brit who knows best. It’s my favourite! With colour photographs! Very honourable!

The Kitchn: How to Prepare Chard (Or Any Other Leafy Green)
Hey-o! We gotchya mustahd greens! We gotchya kale! We gotchya everyting wit a stem and a big ol’ leaf dat’s gotta be cooked down befaw you serve it! Right ovah heah.

The Kitchn: What to Put on a Fresh Vegetable Sandwich
If you’re like my sister, and a big fan of Veggie Subs from the House of Jared (a.k.a. Subway), this post might just jazz up your cucumbers. Banana peppers for everyone!

Like Merchant Ships: 10 Yard Sale Entertaining Essentials
Remember that New York Times article from Christmastime? The one about having a dinner party for $30 per head? This one? Meredith’s post is the polar opposite of that, and is 10,000 times more awesome as a result. How much do I want those plates? (Answer: very much.)

New York Times: Loving Fish, This Time With the Fish in Mind
Mark Bittman stumps for environmentally sustainable seafood, and describes how he buys fish without an extra side of guilt. Mackerel and mollusks and squid, oh my…

New York Times: Neighbor, Can You Spare a Plum?
All across the nation, fruit tree owners are sharing their bounty. Look around, pitch in, and you just might end up with pie.

Popular Science: Can This Fruit Be Saved?
Bad news: the banana is on its way out. No, seriously. If we have to make do with banana-flavored Runts, I will be disgruntled. (DisRuntled? Thanks to Casual Kitchen for the link.)

The Simple Dollar: 12 Ways My Wife Quietly Makes Our Life Work
This genuinely moving post should be a blueprint for any long-term commitment, and applies equally to both men and women. Great stuff.

What I Weigh Today: Living With “Restaurant Syndrome”
Restaurant moderation tips from a foodie who’s been there. How you know you can trust her: “I would never suggest you order sauce on the side.” (Thanks to Casual Kitchen for the link.)

Wise Bread: 5 Perfect Respectable Ways to Get a Free Meal
Most of these suggest exchanging a good (blood) or service (speech) for a free meal (free meal). I suggest the alternative: stealing bits and pieces off your Husband-Elect’s plate when he’s not looking. With practice, he’ll never know the difference.

(Photos courtesy of Dreamland BBQ, Supanet, and Banana.com.)

Chard · Colour Photographs · Flexitarians · Food Costs · Fortified Foods · Freezer Burn · Fresh Vegetable · Frugal Budget · Good Earth · Happy Medium · Kale · Leafy Greens · Meat Eaters · Parting Words · Quandary · Smart Shoppers · Truer Words · Vegetable Sandwich · Vegetarianism · Vegetarians

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Tuesday Megalinks

Being Frugal: Edible Landscaping for Beginners
Imagine being able to eat the plants surrounding your home without being rushed to the hospital with some horrible, mistletoe-induced malaise. Here, Lynnae shows you how.

Casual Kitchen: How to Make the Best Cornbread, Ever
Cheap? Hell yes. Healthy? Um … kind of? But to quote Chris Rock, “ain’t nothing wrong with cornbread.”

Casual Kitchen: Why Spices Are a Complete Rip-Off and What You Can Do About It: The Spice Series Part 1
Dan raises the red flag on McCormick’s & Co.: “High spice prices have almost nothing to do with supply and demand. Instead, high spice prices come from an almost total lack of competition in your grocery store.” Sing it, man.

Chow: Unforbidden Fruit
Writer Helena Echlin devised a brilliant fruit bartering plan: she made her neighbor a tray of lemon squares (hopefully Barefoot Contessa’s) in exchange for a bushel of his lemons. Note to my fellow Brooklynites: this could also well with the drug dealers next door.

Consumerist/New York Times: Supermarkets Begin to Shrink
Well, this is interesting. The U.K.’s Tesco has been so successful, quite a few American grocery chains are thinking of adopting their marketing model: “smaller store sizes that emphasize things like cafes, prepared meals, and produce.” But … but … what will I do without 48 brands of beans?

Culinate: The Organic Top 20
Wonderful list with beautiful accompanying pictures and great blurbs on the 20 foods it pays to buy organic. Also included: the ten you shouldn’t bother with. (“Bugs don’t like asparagus, so farmers hardly ever use pesticides on the crop.”)

Epi-Log: Eating Your Veggies
It’s become standard practice to hide vegetables in kids’ food, but what about their giant, older counterparts (a.k.a. “adults”)? Only 12% of Britons get their allotted dose of produce per day. So, how do you trick yourself into eating more veggies?

Festival of Frugality #143: Living Almost Large
It’s a celebrity theme this week, with nice entries from My Daily Dollars (To Buy in Bulk: Long Term Meal Planning) and Frugal Fu (Stop Food Waste to Save Money). I especially liked Frugal Fu’s idea to let your child help pack his lunch.

Get Rich Slowly: Frugality in Practice – Home Canning
Holy moly, that’s a lot of jars. JD’s wife Kris has been working overtime to preserve their summer harvest, and it’s paid off in spades. I can never, ever let The Boyfriend see this post, because he will die of envy.

Get Rich Slowly: Fighting Food Budget Killers
Cheese: it’s the downfall of many a dieter and saver, both. But you know what? If you’re going to splurge on a food, let it be one you love. It beats the crap out of depravation.

The Kitchn: When Do You Use Low Fat Substitutes?
Since the Kitchn tends to attract folks who’re hardcore about their cooking, the comment thread makes for a super-interesting read. Lots of folks don’t use substitutions, period, and someone named ilovebutter throws out a lot of good arguments as to why.

Lifehacker: Make Sure the CSA Doesn’t Confiscate Your Snacks
Lifehacker’s actually writing about an older Kitchn post here (featured on CHG a few months ago), but their additional 138 comments are more than enough to suggest a second look.

Mom Advice: 35 Ways to Save on Your Grocery Budget
Most people just make lists. Amy makes lists with links! Excellent.

Money Saving Mom: Quick and Easy “Survival Menu” #1
Currently in her first trimester with baby #3, Crystal’s been riding the rollercoaster to Nauseatown. Here, she details her plan to sustain herself and her family without losing her lunch.

My Open Wallet: Taking a Deep Breath
Though it’s not about food per se, this is a phenomenal series of posts, and shouldn’t be missed by anyone with aging parents. Essentially, Madame X’s dad has fallen ill, and it’s fallen to her and her sister to get his affairs in order. An absolute must-read.

New York Times: For Better, for Worse, for Richer, for Pasta
Sweet piece on Italian cooking maven Marcella Hazan (she of the Roast Lemon Chicken), describing her upcoming bio as well as her 53-year marriage to husband/translator Victor.

New York Times: The Key to Wedded Bliss? Money Matters
Get Rich Slowly had a great analysis of this piece yesterday, which lists seven rules every married couple should follow to maintain a financially solvent home. Rule #2, “Run a Home Like a Business,” can’t be overstated.

Serious Eats: Who Should Pay at a Birthday Dinner
Tonya was invited to a birthday party for a friend at a restaurant. Tonya ordered soup and tea. Tonya was forced to chip in $500 for the bill anyway. Tonya almost cried. (I would, too). Tonya now wonders … should she have done something different?

Slashfood: The Strange Rise of Tofu Noodles
The recent rise of Hungry Girl recipes have caused a run on Shiratiki, vacu-packed tofu noodles that clock in at 40 calories a bag. I’ve never tried ‘em, but hear varying reports. Readers, what say you?

Slashfood: Thinking Can Make You Hungrier
Woo hoo! Now I know why I put on 10 pounds just looking at a cheeseburger! I THINK too much. It’s hard being intellectually, uh … y’know … good.

Smart Money: 6 Ways to Save on Beer, Wine and Liquor
Market-based alcohol-buying tips not seen elsewhere. (Thanks to Consumerist for the link.)

Time Magazine: Meat – Making Global Warming Worse
This breakdown of cattle’s effects on the environment goes so much further than their farts. Read and learn.

Wise Bread: 8 Meatless Dishes for Meat-n-Taters Lovers
If you’re in the market for something hearty, but can’t quite splurge on a thick hunk of beef, Lindsey Knerl’s octet of rich dishes should please your palate. And seriously, who can argue with grilled cheese and tomato soup? Not I, said the rabbit.

Wise Bread: Frugalize Any Recipe
Writer Philip Brewer breaks it down into three easy steps: take the recipe apart, use what’s on sale, and use less of an expensive main dish. Easy peasy.

(Photos courtesy of Snewpy.com, Flickr member Mestes76, and House Foods.)

American Grocery · Blurbs · Britons · Bushel · Casual Kitchen · Chris Rock · Cornbread · Eating Your Veggies · Echlin · Edible Landscaping · Frugality · Grocery Chains · Kids Food · Lemon Squares · Lemons · Malaise · Mistletoe · New York Times · Red Flag · Tesco

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Tuesday Megalinks

Blueprint for Financial Prosperity: $325 Cups of Coffee, or Why the Latte Factor Matters
Turns out, that morning cuppa Starbucks can pay for a house. I’m seriously rethinking my Coffeemate addiction.

Bootstrapper: 100 Foods to Improve Your Productivity
I wonder if there are foods that can improve a tendency to procrastinate? Or maybe an antipathy to laundry?

Jaden’s Steamy Kitchen: How to Turn Cheap Choice Steaks Into Gucci Prime Steaks
It’s alchemy, my good man! Satisfy your inner Alton Brown with this salt-heavy guide to morphing your meat.

No Credit Needed: Festival of Frugality #92
Nice, CHG-relevant posts from Financial Tips for WAHMS, AskDong, and Money Crashers in particular.

Real Simple: The Ultimate Chicken Handbook
DA-YUM, son.

The Simple Dollar: Does Cooking at Home Really Beat the McDonald’s $1 Double Cheeseburger?
Short answer: yes. Long answer: if you’re buying in bulk, have an open freezer, and don’t mind the taste of your own cooking, then yes.

Zen Habits: 10 Tasty, Easy and Healthy Breakfast Ideas
A blog so at peace with itself, even the breakfast suggestions are calm. (As opposed to those wild, crazy bacon-and-eggs blogs, I guess.)
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Alchemy · Alton Brown · Antipathy · Bacon And Eggs · Blueprint · Buying In Bulk · Cheap Choice · Choice Steaks · Cooking At Home · Financial Prosperity · Freezer · Frugality · Good Man · Healthy Breakfast Ideas · Prime Steaks · Relevant Posts · Short Answer · Starbucks · Steamy Kitchen · Yum

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Tuesday Megalinks

Caustic Musings: Financial and Physical Peace
With Dave Ramsey as her guide, Maggie draws some parallels between money and fat.

Chief Family Officer: Bento Lunches Resources and Practice
Bento boxes: they beat the heck out of balogna. Fun ideas for a creative lunch, along with some nifty links.

The Digerati Life: Simple Tips for Grocery Shopping That Will Pad Your Pocket Guaranteed
There are a ton of “How to Shop” compilations in the blogosphere, and they can be pretty repetitive after awhile. This one digs deeper and comes out with some nice strategies.

ESPN: Mitchell Report – Baseball slow to react to players’ steroid use
IN: diet and exercise.
OUT: anabolic steroids and lying.
(Side note to Met fans: Todd Pratt? Damn.)

FIRE Finance: 104th Festival of Frugality
This year’s final FoF comes to us courtesy of FIRE Finance, a solid personal economics blog with one sexxay banner. CHG is an editor’s pick! Whee!

The Kitchn: Food Hack #1 – Use Your Crockpot AND One Head Garlic
Slow cooker suggestion thread + awesome mutant garlic = good reading. (Unless you’re a vampire who hates chili.)

Like Merchant Ships: December 2007
If you’re giving gifts, decorating, feeding a family, planning to have people over, or breathing, Meredith’s last month or so of blogging is a must-see. Everything she does is gorgeous.

Men’s Health: Mood Foods – The scoop on six snacks that will help kick your mind into gear
Brain food! Hey, a cerebellum’s gotta eat. (Thanks to Lifehacker for the link.)

Reuters: Meat raises lung cancer risk, too, study finds
And a bunch of other cancers. Interesting, important reading for those concerned about cancer’s link to diet.

Serious Eats: Paula Deen is Trying to Kill Us, Part 3
I sheepishly admit to loving me some Paula (the one from two years ago that hadn’t gone all HI Y’ALL yet), but holy cow. This is a ticket to cardiac arrest.

Wise Bread: Peanut Butter, the Poor Man’s Protein
Ah, behold – the power of the peanut. Ground and whipped into a fine paste, it is truly the most glorious of shelled treats.

Zen Habits: Inexpensive Gifts to Improve Your Life
Lots of food suggestions here. My favorite: onion goggles. If you weep easily and are a big fan of the bulbs, this just might be a must.

(Photos courtesy of Flickr contributors matachi and dinerjunkie.)

Anabolic Steroids · Brain Food · Caustic Musings · Dave Ramsey · Digerati · Espn · Frugality · Giving Gifts · Gorgeous Men · Head Garlic · Holy Cow · Lung Cancer Risk · Men S Health · Merchant Ships · Mitchell Report · Mood Foods · Paula Deen · Personal Economics · Physical Peace · Todd Pratt

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Tuesday Megalinks

Sweet Don Draper on a stick, it’s a long one today. See what happens when you ditch the interwebs for a week? Big Papi goes on ‘roids and the Megalinks become nigh-unmanageable. (Er … we managed, though.) Today, it’s second thoughts on Sandra Lee, getting a handle on Hungry Girl, and another Meredith post that you kind of wish you could frame.

A Year of Crockpotting: Slow Cooking During a Recession
Stephanie lists the top ten ways she saves money with her slow cooker. And I don’t know if you’ve heard, but girl knows crockpots.

Bitten: Rethinking Canned Beans
Bittman caved! He called canned beans “inoffensive”! Not a rave, but we’ll take it!

Chow: Do Bulk Bins Ever Get Cleaned?
Oh man, you’re not gonna like the answer for this one. Helpful hint: you know the bins that distribute food from the bottom? If you can, use those instead of the scoopy ones.

Epi-Log: Is Peanut Butter Healthy?
Essentially, yes. But I might not go and scarf a whole jar of Jif. It will undoubtedly be delicious, but it’ll take a team of horses to pry your mouth open afterward.

Epi-Log: Road Trip Snacks – Top 13 Dos and Top 7 Don’ts
DON’T: pack messy things.
DO: avoid packing messy things.

Get Rich Slowly: A Visit to the Island of Misfit Foods
This is very different from a visit to the island of Dr. Moreau, in that there are no animal-human hybrids. However, in both places, you are likely to find the ghost of Marlon Brando.

Get Rich Slowly: Grocery Shopping Tips from 1950
… are almost exactly the same as grocery shopping tips from 2009, except for the milk thing. Though ladies, it’s okay to leave the house without your pearls. I swear.

The Kitchn: The Top 10 Most Useful Kitchen Gadgets
…with extra special love for the microplane zester. As someone who once zested eight limes with a fork for a key lime pie, I can tell you the dang thing’s invaluable.

LA Times: Hungry Girl delivers
In which the Left Coast Times comes to praise Hungry Girl, not to bury her. On the other hand, Eat Me Daily’s response isn’t as kind. (Thanks to Serious Eats for the link.)

LA Times: Slaws make a great side dish — or dessert
To make a slaw: “Take a main ingredient cut into shreds, dress it lightly with something tangy, and finish it with the little touches that add color and crunch.” And, bonus – the “tangy” part doesn’t have to be mayonnaise. Nice article with good-looking recipes.

Money Saving Mom: How to Practice Hospitality on a Budget
Guest poster Meredith from Like Merchant Ships ruminates on the low cost of being a good hostess/friend. Grab some crackers and get going, people.

Mother Nature Network: 40 Farmers Under 40
Jason Mraz is an avocado farmer? What? Did you guys know this? Crazy. As it turns out though, he’s emblematic of a new generation of young, conscientious agriculturally minded folks who are reinventing what it means to harvest. P.S. For some reason, these people are all insanely attractive. I think it might be the sunlight. (Thanks to Serious Eats for the link.)

New York Daily News: Small kitchen confidential: New Yorkers make big meals in tiny spaces
Though the kitchens pictured are palatial compared to some of the Gotham galleys I’ve seen, this is still a good summary of what it’s like to prep food in a space the size of foot locker.

New York Magazine: Eat Good
First: do not eat Chilean Sea Bass or Bluefin Tuna. Just don’t. Second: read this article to get the lowdown on dozens of sustainable and unsustainable foods, as well as what you can do to help.

New York Times: 101 Simple Salads for the Season
Bittman’s at it again, with another of his 100+ recipe articles. The man deserves some kind of reward. Maybe … a salad?

New York Times: Out of the Kitchen, on to the Couch
Eight pages of pure Pollan, in which he explores how television has affected the way we (don’t) cook. Settle in for this one, folks.

Out: The Semi-Homemade World of Sandra Lee
Sandra Lee … gay icon? Somewhere, Cher is burning a Kwanzaa Cake in effigy.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Public Service Announcement
Once, Ree chopped a lot of jalapeno peppers without gloves. She will never do so again. This is her story.

Seattle Times: Food shoppers trading down on expensive items like soda, wine, snacks
Fascinating article on recent trends in grocery shopping. In response to the economy, folks are buying the basics instead of fancified food products. Does this mean we’ll see the obesity rate drop in the next few years? Could be.

Serious Eats: Taste Test – Milks Not From a Cow
The SE crew tested almond, soy, rice, and hemp milks to find which is least terrible. As you might expect, hemp does not fare well. (*shudder*)

Serious Eats: How to Get Free Fruit via Urban Fruit Harvesting
There’ve been a rash of fruit tree articles making the rounds lately, but this post actually tells you how to find them and use them for your own devious purposes. Delightful.

Serious Eats: My Week Without Corn Parts I and II
One man. Seven days. No corn products AT ALL. Will he survive? By the end, will he want to?

The Simple Dollar: Resetting the Scales
Great piece about expectations brought on by luxury. How do we measure what brings us pleasure? It seems everything is subjective.

The Simple Dollar: Thoughts on a Low Grocery Bill
What’s more important to you: the cost of your food, or the enjoyment you derive from preparing and eating it?

Simple Mom: Back to the Basics Menu Planning
Solid step-by-step guide to weekly meal planning, for those who are just starting out or need a refresher.

What I Weigh Today: The Size 10 Girl’s Dilemma
Okay, I wish I wrote this. You see, Size 10 is a strange place to be, because you’re healthy, but not skinny. And there’s this constant inner war between what’s perfectly acceptable and what’s ideal. Joy, I feel you.

(Photos courtesy of The Perfect Pantry, Womans Day, and Dr. Flavor’s Vegan and Green Line.)

Animal Human Hybrids · Big Papi · Bulk Bins · Canned Beans · Grocery Shopping · Helpful Hint · Hungry Girl · Interwebs · Island Of Dr Moreau · Key Lime Pie · Kitchen Gadgets · La Times · Limes · Marlon Brando · Microplane Zester · Roids · Sandra Lee · Second Thoughts · Slow Cooker · Slow Cooking

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Tuesday Megalinks

Lots of hypothetical questions today, along with a few extra Thanksgiving posts and a staggering four articles from Wise Bread. Really, it’s all a warmup to tomorrow’s piece, “Cheap Healthy Leftovers.” But in the meantime…

Advertising Age: NIH – Banning Fast Food Ads Will Make Kids Less Fat
The National Institutes of Health is claiming that a “ban on fast-food advertising to children would cut the national obesity rate by as much as 18%.” EIGHTEEN PERCENT. Yeah, I think this needs to happen. But will cereal/candy/junk food companies comply?

Being Frugal: Reusing Storage Bags
I try to re-use these whenever possible (for vacations, makeup, etc.), unless the bag’s been holding meat. Because no one wants botchulism on their travel shampoo.

Casual Kitchen: How to Make a Simple Frittata
Inexpensive, quick, infinitely malleable, and all fancy-like, frittatas are the low-budget, high-quality indie movies in the Hollywood of food. I don’t know what that means either, but now I want eggs.

Consumerist: The Crappy Economy Means You’d Better Learn to Love Canned Soup
Does anyone know if Campbell’s is a publicly-owned company? Because if it is, we should all invest in their stock RIGHT NOW. We could build an empire on Chicken and Stars.

Eater: Hottest Chefs in NY Round 2 – Meet Your Chefs
Ladies, this is too fun to miss out on. Eater is conducting a tournament to determine the hottest chef in NYC. Voting for the first round’s over, but Round 2 begins this week. And not to play favorites or anything, but Akhtar Nawab of Eletteria is a stone hottie.

Elastic Waist: Can Your Weight Affect Your Paycheck?
Weetabix poses a great question here, and her first paragraph is equally provocative: “I often wonder how much I’m discriminated against at my day job. I am a great interviewee and have a reasonable amount of responsibility, but I also watched as a very slender peer was groomed for management and became my boss and then rose a tier above that. I strongly suspect that I’m not making as much money as my coworkers.” Readers, has this happened to you?

Endless Simmer: An Elitist Thanksgiving
If you’ve got a few thousand dollars hanging around, you might want to invest in this very very very upscale menu, which includes Capon (a type of poultry), fromage de Clon (cheese that costs more than your college education), ethical foie gras (like foie gras, but without the intense guilt), and a mixed drink featuring $6000 worth of Courvoisier. Or you could just get a Hungry Man. (Thanks to Slashfood for the link.)

Jezebel: “Cooking For One” Is Kind Of Like, Well, Regular Cooking
Come for the post, stay for the 400+ comments, in which all the single ladies describe how they get by buying for one. I cooked for myself for a looooong time, and portions and leftovers can both be pretty serious issues. (Serious in the bank account sense – not serious in the natural disaster sense.)

The Kitchn: A Low-Stress Thanksgiving – Recipes, Tips, and Advice
Nice comp of all The Kitchn’s best Turkey Day tips.

New York Times: It’s a Hit – Breakfast in the Classroom
I love this story because it’s chock full of simple genius. Apparently, serving kids their morning meal in the classroom before class has made a huge impact on their attention spans, behavior, and nutrition. Really, here’s all you need to know: “‘It makes me full and happy,’ Carol Osseili, 8, said as she patted her stomach. ‘I’m ready to study and learn.’”

Simple Dollar: On Hosting a Dinner Party
Are you tired of expensive restaurant visits? Wanna see your friends without having to sell family heirlooms to pay for it? Do you like the warm, comforting glow of your kitchen light? Host a dinner party. Here, Trent tells you how.

Slashfood: Last Meals – What’s On Your Plate?
40 people chime in on their final dinners on Earth. Most popular: sushi, burgers, ice cream, steak, pizza. Mine: mac and cheese. Four pounds of it, maybe with a side of sweet potatoes and/or a last-minute court appeal. Mmm … leniency.

Wise Bread: Alternative Thanksgiving Menus for Nearly Every Situation
Ideas for healthy, vegetarian, non-turkey, barbecue, non-traditional, and restaurant-based Thanksgivings. Good for brainstorming, with a few recipes.

Wise Bread: 10 Tasty Ideas for Leftover Turkey
Whether you have 50 pounds or 5 ounces of turkey sitting in your fridge come Friday morning, this post will tell you exactly what to do with it. My favorite: Turkey Cranberry Roll Ups. Nothing in that title is unappealing.

Wise Bread: Restaurant.com 80% off Coupon Code with FatWallet 25% Cashback – $25 Gift Certificates for $1.50
This sounds like a great deal, and for some, it will be a Christmas goldmine. Just make sure to follow all the rules – there are a lot of them, and they preclude use of the certificates at certain times.

Wise Bread: Meat Money – Grocery Saving Tips for Carnivores
This headline makes me immediately picture a velociraptor, but I’m pretty sure they’re talking about humans who eat meat. PRETTY sure. You never know.

Zen Habits: How to Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half
Leo presents some pretty basic rules for frugal food shopping, but man, the guy does it in style.

(Photos courtesy of Concierge, Classic Yacht Charters, and My Recipes.)

Advertising Age · Canned Soup · Casual Kitchen · Day Job · Elastic Waist · Food Ads · Food Advertising · Food Companies · Hypothetical Questions · Interviewee · Junk Food · Leftovers · Low Budget · National Institutes Of Health · Nawab · Owned Company · Paycheck · Storage Bags · Warmup · Weetabix

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Tuesday Megalinks

I’m away Thursday and Friday, so please enjoy these ever-so-lovely entries in the meantime:

Consumerist/Spoofee: How to Pick a Good Watermelon
Quick! Read this before the season’s over and we have to make do with the cool, refreshing taste of turnips.

Freakonomics Quorum: What is the Right Way to Think About the Obesity ‘Epidemic’?
A.k.a. “Are We Fatties? Discuss.”

Get Rich Slowly: The Grocery Game AND Grocery Store vs. Farmers Market: Which Has the Cheapest Produce?
I link to GRS so often for two reasons:
A) JD is a thoughtful, technically solid writer, and,
B) He focuses a good chunk of the blog on food.
Check out his archives for more mealtime wonder.

The Simple Dollar: Getting Over the “Taboo” of Generics and Store Brands
That stuff about Get Rich Slowly? The same goes for Simple Dollar.

Frugal Upstate: Frugal Potluck or BBQ Food: Fruit Kabobs – Fun, Festive, and Frugal
Let it be known: everything tastes better on a stick.

Bibilical Womanhood: Frugal Fridays – Grocery Shopping
Just 24, Crystal feeds her family of four on $35 a week. I couldn’t feed myself for that much at her age. Lady has her stuff together. Cute kids, too. (Scroll down for the post.)

Top Chef: Anthony Bourdain’s Blog
Cheap? No. Healthy? Nuh-unh. Pulitzer-worthy food writing from a globe-spanning culinary artiste who names his posts after Traffic and Clash songs? You betcha.

Midtown Lunch: Day in the Life – Muhammed “Kwik Meal” Rahman
Neat behind-the-scenes look at an NYC cart vendor who works 16 hours a day, five days a week, 52 weeks a year so workers can have inexpensive, relatively healthy lunches (minus the white sauce).

Free Money Finance: Carnival of Personal Finance
CHG’s an editor’s pick! Woo, I say, woo! Other notable entries include:

MoneyNing: I Could Use Someone Else’s Credit Card to Buy My Groceries – A cautionary tale
Make Your Nut: Big Party, Small Budget – Three cheers, with half left for beer.
Millionaire Mommy Next Door: 5 Things the Marshmallow Test Can Teach You About Money – S’mores as personal finance metaphor? Sweet.

FILAM: 89th Festival of Frugality:
CHG’s Beef series made it into the “Frugal Food and Nutrition” section, along with:

Anthony Bourdain · Chef Anthony Bourdain · Cute Kids · Farmers Market · Food Check · Fruit Kabobs · Grocery Game · Grocery Shopping · Healthy Lunches · How To Pick A Good Watermelon · Mealtime · Money Finance · Nuh Unh · Obesity Epidemic · Personal Finance · Refreshing Taste · Store Brands · Three Cheers · Top Chef · Turnips

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Tuesday Megalinks

Madame X at My Open Wallet has an ongoing series called New York Stories, in which Big Apple residents describe the specifics of their financial situations. She was kind enough to post my entry as lucky #13. If you get the chance, take a look, and/or browse at the 12 other mini-biographies. Taken together, they’re a pretty accurate representation of what it’s like to survive and thrive (and eat – don’t forget the eating) in the city. And with that …

A Calorie Counter: The Beginner’s Guide To Diet, Nutrition & Healthy Eating
Wow. Just a superb, easily digestible (haw) breakdown of basic dietary requirements for those looking to get on a more nutritional track. Thanks to Lifehacker for the link.

Culinate: Eyes wide shut – A look at America’s food inspection agencies
Ever wonder what the USDA and FDA actually do? Here’s the slightly disturbing answer, complete with obligatory rumbles over underfunding. In light of the recent beef contamination scare, this is a solid, timely read.

Eater: The Golden Clog 2008 Nominees Announced!
Eat your heart out, Oscars. Anthony Bourdain and Michael Ruhlman concocted their very own awards show, in which they alone determined the winners. (Over Bloody Marys, natch.) The victors were revealed this past weekend, but I’m posting the nominee link because you SHOULD NOT MISS Bourdain’s breakdown of the odds from last week. Excerpt: “Mario Himself was committed to present his namesake award, yet cancelled for a golf date with Jimmy Buffet. Really. I feel like I’ve been jilted for Kenny Loggins.”

Festival of Frugality #114: No Credit Needed
This week’s leviathan is hosted by NCN and includes CHG’s post on branding and a really neat entry on the musical fruit from Squawkfox.

Gothamist: Baking Substitutions
Running out of brown sugar? Can’t find any buttermilk? Accidentally flushed a gallon of molasses down the toilet, thinking it would make cool swirly patterns in the bowl? This is the post for you. Thanks to Lifehacker for the link.

The Kitchn: Lemon Roasted Chicken – Lemon Inside or Out?
When there’s citrus and poultry involved, everybody wins. Well, except the chicken.

The Martha Blog: Feast your eyes on our prop room!
That sound you hear is my jaw dropping out of my face and crushing all my toes. I’ve never seen that much silver in my life, and am in the process of developing a severe case of Cake Stand Envy. (Now an actual disease!) Thanks to Serious Eats for the link.

Mom Advice: The Art of Stockpiling
Excellent piece on the Amy Dacyczyn’s time-tested, mom-approved Pantry Theory, which makes Einstein’s Theory of Relativity look like baby drool in comparison. Thanks to Chief Family Officer for the link.

Paid Twice: The First Month on the Meal Plan
Due to her husband’s brand spankin’ new dietary restrictions, PT’s had to rework how she cooks and buys groceries. Oy. That can’t be fun. Here’s an update on her progress.

Washington Post: 36 Quick Soups
Three dozen warm, inviting bowls for everyday dinner. Thanks to reader Jennifer for the suggestion. (Note: you might need to sign in to view the article, but it’s worth it.)

Zen Habits: A 12-Step Program to Eating Healthier Than Ever Before
Man, I love this blog. Such a deliberate, calm approach to everything. This particularly stellar post could be Leo’s best ever. (Well, nutritionally speaking, anyway.)

(Photos courtesy of Flickr member BohPhoto, Oregon State, and Cumberland Books.)

Accurate Representation · Anthony Bourdain · Apple Residents · Baking Substitutions · Bloody Marys · Calorie Counter · Diet Nutrition · Dietary Requirements · Financial Situations · Food Inspection · Frugality · Golf Date · Kenny Loggins · Lucky 13 · Madame X · Musical Fruit · Ncn · Open Wallet · Swirly Patterns · Track Thanks

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Tuesday Megalinks

Thank you so much for the kind wishes yesterday. You guys are the best readers in the world (AND BEYOND). In gratitude, today’s links are full of Office references, Trek foods, and Sandra Lee raves. (Sorry about that last one.)

The Age (Australia): All’s fair in love and cooking
He’s a strict vegan. She only eats cow brains. Will it work? The Age explores relationships in which food is a point of contention.

Bargain Briana: How to Save at Whole Foods
To be honest, I didn’t even know Whole Foods had sales. This may necessitate a visit. (Thanks to CFO for the link.)

Being Frugal: You Tell Me – As Seen On TV
You know the home rotisserie? And the fruit-drying thing? And Ginsu Knives? (Ha! Ginsu knives!) Lynnae wonders: do they actually work?

Chow: 10 Canned Goods Worth Using
From tomato paste to hearts of palm to coconut milk, you can save a bundle buying these items canned rather than fresh, frozen, or vacu-packed in saffron. I might avoid canned spinach, though. It tastes like feet.

Chow: 10 Food Moments from The Office
Oh, hold me. I wish I wish I wish I wrote this. Also, I wish they included Kevin’s chili slip from the Casual Friday episode, but I’ll let it pass because the rest of this is fantastic. Tell me folks, is there a BAD Creed moment? Every appearance by that guy is gold.

Chow: Way Beyond Salad Dressing
Have marinades consisting entirely of Italian dressing finally gotten old? Here, Chow has 11 suggestions for flavoring your food using vinegars and citrus fruits. Great stuff.

Eat Me Daily: Review of Sandra Lee’s Money Saving Meals
Aunt Sandy premiered her new show this past weekend, and – surprise – EMD really likes it. I gotta admit – from this small clip, it does looks pretty decent. The background music absolutely needs to go, but it seems less tablescape-focused than her other shows. Readers? Any verdicts?

Frugal Dad: The Ultimate Collection of Money Saving Tips – 122 Ways To Trim Your Budget
Frugal Dad asked. His readers answered. I have a total weakness for rundowns like this, because invariably, there’s some tip I never even considered. This time, it’s #17, from FD commenter eh438. I always forget to do that.

Get Fit Slowly: The Problem with Nutritional Supplements
Hydroxycut was recalled after causing 23 liver injuries and one death. Macdaddy says: “Here’s the big problem with nutritional supplements. While drug makers need to provide safety and effectiveness data to the FDA before being approved, supplement makers do not. The manufacturers of supplements are solely responsible for the testing and marketing of their products” Eat right and exercise, folks. It’s the only way to be sure.

How Stuff Works: Top 10 Most Common Ingredients in Fast Food
Well, one is. The rest … not so much.
10. Citric Acid
9. High-fructose Corn Syrup
8. Caramel Color
7. Salt
6. Monosodium Glutamate
5. Niacin
4. Soybean Oil
3. Mono- and Diglyceride
2. Xanthan Gum
1. Chicken
There are more extensive descriptions within. (Thanks to Consumerist for the link.)

The Kitchn: Apartment Hunting – Gas vs. Electric Stove
52 comments and counting. My view: I grew up with an electric stove, and only started using gas ovens when I moved out of the dorms during college. I’ll never go back to coils. Fire is cool.

The Kitchn: How to Do Just About Anything in the Kitchen
Have you ever wondered how encyclopedia sets or Time Life instructional books are doing since this whole “internet” thing started? I’m betting not too well, because they just can’t compete with stuff like this Kitchn post.

Military Finance Network: 25 Ways to Eat For Free (Really): Get Free Food!
Ooo! Fantastic ideas and PLENTY of valuable links for folks with zero grocery money. Well done! (Thanks to Consumerist for the link.)

New York Magazine: In a Fixe
The economy is such that even places like Le Cirque and Le Bernardin are in trouble. And less Eric Ripert cooking = less joy in the world.

New York Post: Pain on the Menu – Restaurants Spring Sizzle Overdone
Do NOT invest in Ruby Tuesday’s right now. Repeat, do NOT invest in Ruby Tuesday’s right now. According to the Post, the 737% stock bump is temporary, and due to cost cutting, not actual profit.

New York Times: Obesity and the Fastness of Food
Economix writer Catherine Rampell compared obesity rates to the average time spent eating for 20 countries. As the chart shows, Americans spend the least time with their food, but have the highest rates of obesity. Meanwhile, the Japanese, Turks, and French spend upwards of two hours per day with their meals, yet remain thin. Interesting.

New York Times: Congress Plans Incentives for Healthy Habits
Wow. The lede says it all: “In its effort to overhaul health care, Congress is planning to give employers sweeping new authority to reward employees for healthy behavior, including better diet, more exercise, weight loss and smoking cessation.”

Newsweek: Watching Us Save, One Cart at a Time
Do you really want to know the state of the economy? Don’t consult a financial planner. Ask a Wal-Mart manager. According to this piece, they know better than anyone.

NPR: How Low Can You Go? Submit Your $10 Meals
National Public Radio is getting’ on the cheap food train. (Seriously, it’s a train. As you can imagine, it’s no-frills, though.) 318 recipes/comments at last count. (Thanks to the Kitchn for the link.)

Serious Eats: Making the Most of Your Backyard Haul
Sometimes, the best fruit comes from that weird-looking tree by the post office. Where are your local lemon trees? Only Serious Eats and The Kitchn know for sure.

Serious Eats: A Primer to Star Trek Food and Drink
This one goes out to my cousins J and B (and all the other Trekkers on Cloud 9 this fine week). I raise a glass of Romulan ale to you.

Slashfood: Four Steps to Chicken Perfection
Season, sear, start it on the stove top, and sit. Easy peasy, Weezy.

Finally, CHG’s Spend Less, Eat Healthier post was included in this week’s Festival of Frugality, hosted by Savings Not Shoes.

(Photos courtesy of Barf Blog, American Lifestyle, and The Center for Prevention of Shopping Cart Abuse, which yes, is indeed very real.)

Age Australia · Background Music · Canned Goods · Casual Friday · Citrus Fruits · Coconut Milk · Cow Brains · Emd · Ginsu Knives · Hearts Of Palm · Italian Dressing · Money Saving Tips · Point Of Contention · Rotisserie · Salad Dressing · Sandra Lee · Strict Vegan · Tomato Paste · Trek Foods · Whole Foods

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Tuesday Megalinks

Sweet baby Jane, there are a lot of links today. I’m going easy on the descriptors, because we only have two months left of summer. Nonetheless, I’m sure you’ll enjoy bogus BMIs, Southerners on the hot seat, and more Meryl than you can handle.

344 Pounds: 10 Reasons Why Losing Weight is Hard
Great piece by Tyler on why dropping poundage is so difficult. What I like is that it could be called “10 Reasons Why Keeping Weight Off is Hard” without changing any of the content.

Casual Kitchen: If it’s So Cheap to Cook at Home, Then Why is My Grocery Bill So Huge?
Ooo … I like that Dan included an abstract. It reads, “This article discusses why we often spend much more money than we expect to in the grocery store, and it offers several solutions–including one counterintuitive idea that could help you save half off your grocery bill.” Makes my job easy.

Chow: Cooking with Summer Ingredients
Chow’s seasonal roundup goes heavy on the berries, peppers, squash, and stone fruits. With recipes.

Chow: Table Manners
Massive comp of Helena Echlin’s occasionally controversial advice column, in which she waxes poetic on everything from dining alone to applying lipstick at the table. Entertaining and informational. Like Electric Company.

Consumerist: Grocery Shrink Ray is Reversed, Called a Bonus
Mission knocked their average-sized tortilla package from ten wraps to eight a few months ago. Now, they’re adding the other two back and calling it a Very Special Bonus. Lame.

Consumerist: How I Lost 100.4 Pounds in 6 Months
Remember Tyler from the first link? Losing weight was tough, but he prevailed. Here’s how.

Grist: Not Much Convenience in “Convenience Foods”
Holy moly, this is fascinating. A UCLA study found that, “Surprisingly, dinner didn’t get on the table any faster in homes that favored convenience foods [over freshly-prepared “real foods”]. Meals took an average of 52 minutes in total time to prepare.” Ha! Take that, Swanson! (Thanks to Serious Eats for the link.)

The Kitchn: 5 Tips to Help You Cook at Home While Moving
As someone who’s lived in seven apartments in nine years, I appreciate this post.

The Kitchn: What Do You Eat When You Come Back From Vacation?
As someone who spent the weekend at a wedding in Western New York, and has eaten nothing but easily-boiled starch since then, I appreciate this post.

Ladies Home Journal: Ladies Who Lunch – Talking About Food, Life, and Love with Amy Adams and Meryl Streep
Multiple-page interview with the stars of Julie and Julia. And I don’t know about you guys, but I find Meryl Streep DELIGHTFUL in interviews. She’s equal parts genius and goofball. (Thanks to Serious Eats for the link.)

Money Saving Mom: Making short-term sacrifices in order to achieve long-term goals
One word: priorities. The woman’s paying for a house in cash. If that means weekly chicken pizzas, so be it.

My Open Wallet: Money Doesn’t Motivate People to Lose Weight?
Er, $100 at the end of the year wouldn’t motivate me to lose weight, either, unless I intended to already. I’m thinking this study is fundamentally flawed.

New York Times: The Question of Leftovers, Ever Fresh
Quick and funny piece on the cultural mores surrounding next-day chicken. Write this down: if you borrow Patti LaBelle’s Tupperware, remember to return it. She gets mad.

New Yorker: XXXL – Why Are We So Fat?
Five books on the biggening of Americans, five different viewpoints. One author blames evolution. Another blames money. The third blames portion control. The last two say it’s spawned a new field, “Fat Studies,” and it’s taking a toll all over the world. (Note obligatory unrelated cartoon. Oh New Yorker, you’re so wry.)

NPR: Top Ten Reasons Why the BMI is Bogus
Quick list weaves reasoned, well-positioned arguments with hilarious mini-rants like, “That’s total nonsense.” Good times.

The Oregonian: What Price is Right?
Oh, this is so neat: “We did an apples-to-apples comparison of seasonal produce, gleaned from four sources in late June. We started with my weekly produce box from a Willamette Valley farm share (Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, subscription). The CSA box gave us a blueprint for a seasonal shopping list. We weighed and measured it all, then picked up the same stuff, or as close as we could get, at the Wednesday Portland Farmers Market, at a discount grocer (WinCo Foods) and the local chain New Seasons Markets.” Unsurprisingly, WinCo is the cheapest option, but when other factors are figured it, it’s far from the clear winner.

Reuters: USDA to oversee school snack food – Senate ag chair
“The U.S. Agriculture Department would be given the power to regulate all food sold in schools — including vending machine snacks — when Congress renews child nutrition programs.” This could mean more regulations for school lunch offerings (good) or the usual USDA inaction we’ve come to know and love (bad). Time will tell.

Seattle Times: Fiber Bulking Up in Popularity
Apparently, what’s good for your GI system is just as beneficial for your heart. Stock up on flax seed, citizens.

Seattle Times: Just how friendly are those probiotics in your food?
Guess what?!? No one really knows anything about probiotics, much less how they assist any diet. Buyer be warned.

Serious Eats: Money Saving Tips on Food
Everything you ever wanted to know, in 66 convenient comments.

Slashfood: What Can I Get You Folks? – Free Refills
Soda refills cost restaurants time and money, because servers are expected to return to tables multiple times for what becomes less and less profit. Some places are doing away with them entirely. The commenters aren’t pleased.

Time: How to Eat Well on $50 a Week – They’re Doing it. Could You?
Yes. But it’s neat reading about these bloggers’ experiences.

Time: Why Are Southerners So Fat?
Er … the title’s blunt, but the sentiment has merit. Mississippi’s won the obesity crown five years running, and several other Southern states aren’t far behind. Claire Suddath examines why. (Essentially: money, culture, weather, exercise, Paula Deen recipes.)

Zen Habits: The Healthy and Fit Algorithm
Remember that first link? And the 5th one? They were about the 334-lb gentleman who dropped 30% of his body weight in half a year. This is a good guide for how to do that.

(Photos courtesy of Real Simple, Eat Me Daily, and Rantings of a Creole Princess.)

Advice Column · Applying Lipstick · Bonus Mission · Casual Kitchen · Consumerist · Convenience Foods · Counterintuitive · Echlin · Grist · Grocery Bill · Grocery Store · Hot Seat · Losing Weight · Poundage · Southerners · Stone Fruits · Summer Ingredients · Sweet Baby Jane · Table Manners · Ucla Study

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Tuesday Megalinks

Tomorrow, CHG is featuring a joint post with one of the best cooking blogs out there, Casual Kitchen. Dan and I will discuss how to buy a good cookbook, and which ones would be solid basics for your home. Come on back (same bat time, same bat channel) for the excitement.

Bitten: Why I Never Buy Vinaigrette
NY Times food guy Mark Bittman started a blog! (“Food guy.” Way to use that English degree, Kris.) Here, he discusses homemade vs. store-bought dressing.

Casual Kitchen: How to Apply the 80/20 Rule to Cooking
As the business world goes, so does food prep. Minimizing input and maximizing output is a must.

Culinate: Planning meals around a pot of beans
Personable, endearing piece from ex-food critic Carrie Floyd on how she feeds her family for a week using legumes. When her kids protest, she disguises the beans’ true identities with foreign languages: “’Those aren’t beans,’ I say, ‘they’re fagioli.’ When they persist, I switch to French: ‘Haricots!’”

Culinat e: Stocking up – the basics of making meat stock
In-depth look at the art of stock. It’s all in the details, man.

Festival of Frugality #112: Lazy Man and Money
Lazy Man cuts the festival down to a sleeker, more manageable size than its previous incarnations, which makes for much easier reading. Suggested: Wise Bread’s Cooking Without Crepe Pans and Other Expensive Kitchen Tools and Lightening Online’s continuing series on Reducing the Grocery Budget (which has been excellent so far.)

Gourmet: A Rooster’s Wake-Up Call
Short of setting it aflame, there’s no quicker way to add tongue-scorching heat to a meal than sriracha. Gourmet’s Alan Systma explains why the chef-approved hot sauce should be you-approved, too. (Thanks to Serious Eats for the link.)

LA Times: Parchment paper – A kitchen marvel, and cheap!
Though the world grows increasingly paperless, parchment remains a kitchen stalwart. We couldn’t cook fish en papillote, bake decent cookies, or create Native American village dioramas without it. (Thanks to Serious Eats for the link.)

Make it From Scratch Festival #51: It’s All for the Best
Good V-Day dinner ideas in this week’s MiFS Festival, hosted by Heather. For the diet-conscious, there’s a craft how-to for felt cupcakes from GreenStyleMom. (Note: I will eat anything cupcake-shaped. Felt included.)

Serious Eats: Ed Levine’s Serious Diet Week 5 – Can “Start Living, Stop Dieting” Work for a Food Writer?
In which an avowed foodie wonders if a change in lifestyle can mesh with his chosen occupation. Incidentally? Whoever’s behind the current Weight Watchers campaign needs a Clio Award immediately. The “Start Living, Stop Dieting” slogan works two ways: it separates the company from gimmicky weight-loss plans AND promises people that deprivation shouldn’t be associated with healthy eating. Kudos.

Serious Eats: What to Do with 24 Leftover Egg Yolks?
Made an Angel Food cake and don’t know how to use the refuse? Join in this thread and learn about everything from lemon curd to hollandaise.

The Simple Dollar: 100 Great Tips for Saving Money for Those Just Getting Started
PHENOMENAL post. Trent goes well beyond the usual “keep a budget” routine, delving into dozens of well-thought-out beginners’ strategies. Food makes up a good 10% of the list. Pass it on. (To everyone. Even your dog.)

The Simple Dollar: What You Spend, What You Eat – The Deep Connection Between Food and Personal Finance
Wow. Dude’s on a roll.

Slashfood: Buttermilk in a pinch? Add some vinegar to your milk (and other emergency substitutions)
Short, neat list of oft-used improvisations. I never thought of adding vinegar and milk together, having always assumed it would create some kind of time-space vortex. Mmm … vortex.

Wise Bread: Bridging the Gap from Dining Out to Eating In
Ah, yes. Beyond learning to operate a spatula, eating out has undoubtedly been my biggest foil in saving cash. Be sure to read the comments for more suggestions.

(Photos courtesy of Flickr members reya, barron, and wine-scribbler.)

Bat Channel · Bat Time · Casual Kitchen · Cook Fish · Crepe Pans · En Papillote · English Degree · Food Critic · Food Guy · Frugality · La Times · Lazy Man · Man Festival · Manageable Size · Mark Bittman · Meat Stock · Ny Times · Parchment Paper · Planning Meals · True Identities

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Tuesday Megalinks

A Calorie Counter: Fast Food Restaurants & Nutrition Facts Compared
This is a must-see. Post of the week, definitely. ACC takes all the popular items in major fast food chains and compares them, graph-style. Carl Jr.’s and Dairy Queen do not fare well. (Thanks to Consumerist for the link.)

Apartment Therapy Kitchen: How to Make Soup from Almost Anything
Bricks and old Xboxes not included.

Being Frugal: Month of Menu Planning
Lynnae’s attempting to get all her November food planned and out of the way. So far, so good.

Frugal for Life: Festival of Frugality #100
It’s here! Dawn hosts the FoF’s centennial with much ado and joie de vivre.

Casual Kitchen: Fresh Herbs 2 – Solutions to the Waste Problem
“Today I’m going to share three solutions for one of the most frustrating problems with fresh herbs: the fundamental mismatch between the small amount of herbs you might need for a typical recipe and the huge amount of herbs you usually have to buy in the grocery store.”

Consumerist: Are Your Cooking Spices Too Old?
I see two sides to this. One on hand, spices do really, honest-to-god lose their kick when they’ve been sitting in your pantry for a year. On the other hand, who has the money to replace a near-full bottle of marjoram every six months? Not I, says the rabbit.

Frugal Upstate: Best of – Military Care Packages
Jenn, ex-military herself, has a stellar post on what to really send to overseas soldiers. (Hint: Mickey Mouse sheets, yes; glassware, no.)

Journey to Simplicity: A Word about Shredded Cheese
Woman shreds own cheese, saves $26.72. Anti-pre-grated cheese lobbyists rejoice. (Thanks to Like Merchant Ships for the link.)

New York Post: Atkins’ Fat Lip – Famous Diet Hikes Risk of Heart-Disease
Say it with me, folks: “Duh.”

Queercents: Save Money and Landfills with Canvas Grocery Bags
The Boyfriend and I have a Trader Joe’s tote, and we use about half the amount of plastic bags from the supermarket now. They’re really handy and bizarrely ergonomic.

The Urban Vegan: Autumn Express – 101 Simple Vegan Meals Ready in 10 Minutes or Less
Dairy, meat, and egg-free recipes for the legume enthusiast in your life. (Thanks to AT: Kitchen for the link.)

Wise Bread: What to Do About the Rising Cost of Bread AND Non-fat Dry Milk No Longer a Frugal Alternative AND Intro to Freezer Savings
Wise Bread goes for the trifecta. The second article is somewhat alarming, since dry milk is a staple in super-frugal homes (I believe Hillbilly Housewife uses a lot of dry milk in her cooking.) I wonder if there’s a substitute.

(Image courtesy of Allposters.com)

Canvas Grocery Bags · Carl Jr · Casual Kitchen · Consumerist · Cooking Spices · Dairy Queen · Fast Food Chains · Fast Food Restaurants · Fresh Herbs · Frugal For Life · Grated Cheese · Honest To God · How To Make Soup · Merchant Ships · Mickey Mouse · Military Care Packages · New York Post · Shredded Cheese · Three Solutions · Trader Joe

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Tuesday Megalinks

Almost Fit: 20 Tactics to Kill the Fast Food Habit
Three more strategies:
1) Watch Super-Size Me
2) Read Fast Food Nation
3) Work for McDonald’s your sophomore year of college, an experience which will kill any and all urges to order a cheeseburger combo ever again.
(Thanks to Get Fit Slowly for the link.)

Best Week Ever: Heinz Pulls Mayonnaise Ad Over Gay Kiss Furor, Yet Leaves Mayonnaise, Which is Gross, on Market
BWE addresses the severe dearth of good sense that allows Hellman’s to remain on shelves while others must suffer. VIVA LA REVOLUCION!

Chow: Kids Gone Wild – How should restaurants handle misbehaving children?
As friends reproduce with ever-growing frequency (last year around this time I had 11 pregnant buds), I’m a little more sensitive to folks with younger kids. The parents rarely get to go out in the first place, so I’m not gonna raise a fuss over a flying French fry. On the other hand, a modicum of décor should be expected. If your kid can’t behave even marginally well, they might not belong in a restaurant setting yet.

Consumerist: 100 Calorie Packs Make You Fat
Well, we kind of knew this, but it doesn’t make it any funner to hear.

Consumerist: Eight Common Foodborne Illnesses and Their Symptoms
Botulism is a terrible, terrible sickness, and I pity anyone who has the misfortune to catch it. That said? It’s one of the funniest words on Earth, not least because you can make it into “buttulism” (meaning: stankbum). Whee! I’m five.

Culinate: Healthy Cookbooks – Useful books both new and old
Nice! Post of the week right here, from the ever-useful Culinate. They’ve been concentrating a lot on rice, wheat, and quinoa lately, so the books have a slight grainy focus. And yes, I wrote that whole sentence for a lame “grainy focus” gag. Sorry.

Dooce: Revelations
Ehhh … so Dooce’s cleanse didn’t go so well.

Frugal Upstate: Frugal Food Part 4 – Ground Meat
Jenn’s ongoing series hits the wide world of chopped beef this week. Be sure to check into her prior installments on eggs, tuna, and beans for lots of great, inexpensive meal suggestions.

Get Rich Slowly: My Mid-Year Financial Checkup: I Am Spending Too Much on Food
Brave, brave JD breaks down his going-out-to-eat expenditures, and the results aren’t pretty. Read and sympathize.

Get Rich Slowly: Saving at the Supermarket: 15 Great Grocery Shopping Tips
Um … I wish I wrote this?

Jezebel: Is the Obesity Epidemic Messing With Kids’ Minds?
Oh wow, of course. With all these conflicting messages about weight (Don’t be too fat! Don’t be too thin!), how are kids supposed to know what’s what? And that goes doubly for teenage girls.

The Kitchn: Shopping for a New Kitchen – What’s Important?
If this were titled “Shopping for a New Kitchen in New York – What’s Important?” the answers would be:
A) Walls
B) Shelf
C) Floor
D) Lack of wildlife
E) Colder-than-room-temperature box in which to store goods

F) Mechanism with which to warm said goods
G) Maybe a window

New York Times: The Best Foods You Aren’t Eating
Beets! Blueberries! (Battlestar Galactica!) This list of seldom-sought-out groceries is a handy guide next for your next shopping trip, when you can’t decide between romaine and something a little more daring.

New York Times: Food-Shopping Tips Direct From the Store Manager
Pair this with Get Rich Slowly’s article, and you’ll never need to read another grocery shopping-themed blog post again. (Um … except all the ones here. You’ll need to read those.) (…D’oh!)

Newsweek: Let’s Shoot the Speculators!
Who are the mysterious financial dudes supposedly driving up food prices? Financial columnist Robert J. Samuelson explains.

Philadelphia Inquirer: I do … want that mixer
Soon-to-be-married folks! Heed the wise words of this newspaper! It’s a fantastic cheat sheet detailing what to include on your registry. Cutting board? Yes! Mango pitter? No! (Thanks to Slashfood for the link.)

Serious Eats: Cheap Local, Sustainable, and Organic Food: Is It Out There?
SE’s head honcho/resident foodie-on-a-diet lists simple ways to buy quality chow as inexpensively as possible. His third tip can not be emphasized enough: buy local at the peak of the season. A blueberry purchased in July is tastier, cheaper, and has less of a negative impact on the environment than one bought in December.

The Simple Dollar: The Minimalist Kitchen: What You Need (and Don’t Need) to Set Up Your First Workable Home Kitchen
Oh wow – Mark Bittman picked up TSD’s original minimalist cooking post (Which – awesome. Congratulations, Trent!), so here he expands to the kitchen. Nice.

Slashfood 8: Homemade frozen treats
Nice, brief list of gourmet-ish frozen pop recipes. (Rejected titles: Pop Culture, Pop Stars, Pops Rock, Pop in the Name of Love, Don’t Pop Believing, Pop! Or My Mom Will Shoot … okay, done now.)

Slashfood: McDonald’s is being sued by Devo
Q: Are We Not Men?
A: We are Devo! And We Do Not Appreciate Having Our Signature Upside-Down Planter Hats Placed on Happy Meal Toys!

(Photos courtesy of Ronald McHummer Sign-o-matic, Facebook Apps, Cherylspelts.com, and Mr. Wever’s Blog.)

Botulism · Bwe · Chopped Beef · Dearth · Food Habit · Food Nation · Foodborne Illnesses · French Fry · Frugal Food · Funner · Gay Kiss · Good Sense · Ground Meat · Hellman · Mayonnaise · Misbehaving Children · Modicum · Sophomore Year · Super Size Me · Useful Books

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Tuesday Megalinks

Great googly moogly, it’s just a faboo lineup this week, with a huge number of posts from an enormous variety of blogs. Of special quality: Tony Bourdain’s DCist interview, an advice powerhouse from Zen Habits, Simple Mom’s menu-planning ideas, and a GREAT piece on corn syrup from David Lebovitz. Enjoy!

Carrie and Danielle: Tips and Tricks to Eat Healthy on a Budget
Quick rundown of well-known tips – a good read if you need ‘em all in one place.

Consumerist: Snapple’s Acai Drink Just Pear Juice And Corn Syrup
WHAT? Wendy the Snapple Lady, how could you steer us so wrong?

David Lebovitz: Why and When to Use (or Not Use) Corn Syrup
Post of the week, folks. Fantastic FAQ explains the difference between regular corn syrup and the high fructose version, AND gets into how, when, and why you should put Karo in your baked goods. (Thanks to Culinate for the link.)

DCist: Chewing the Fat with Anthony Bourdain
In which my beloved Tony goes to town on Alice Waters, then waxes philosophical on eating in America: “Alice Waters annoys the living s**t out of me. We’re all in the middle of a recession, like we’re all going to start buying expensive organic food and running to the green market. There’s something very Khmer Rouge about Alice Waters that has become unrealistic. I mean I’m not crazy about our obsession with corn or ethanol and all that, but I’m a little uncomfortable with legislating good eating habits. I’m suspicious of orthodoxy, the kind of orthodoxy when it comes to what you put in your mouth. I’m a little reluctant to admit that maybe Americans are too stupid to figure out that the food we’re eating is killing us. But I don’t know if it’s time to send out special squads to close all the McDonald’s. My libertarian side is at odds with my revulsion at what we as a country have done to ourselves physically with what we’ve chosen to eat and our fast food culture. I’m really divided on that issue.”

Epicurious: Top 10 Money-Saving Ingredients
I was pretty surprised at this, because 50% of the list is comprised of foods I eat most: cheese, chicken, legumes, potatoes, pasta, apples, etc. Beef’s inclusion is suspect, but it passes for now. (Thanks to Slashfood for the link.)

Gather Little By Little: Festival of Frugality #162
This week’s festival includes CHG’s The Argument for Spending More on Food, plus 60+ other quality entries.

Get Fit Slowly: Ideas for Losing Those Last Pounds
Have you plateaued? Are those final ten impossible to take off? Will you ram your head into a wall if you go another week without a discernible loss? MacDaddy has the answers.

Globe and Mail: How Mark Bittman saved the world and lost his belly
The How to Cook Everything author credits his weight loss to heightened awareness, less meat, and part-time veganism. Good times. (Thanks to Slashfood for the link.)

Happy to be @ Home: Raising Good Eaters
Amy raises her kids like my mom did: she doesn’t cajole, insists they try a bite of everything, and establishes early and often that she’s not a short order cook. Hardcore!

House Beautiful: An Inside Look at Barefoot Contessa’s New Barn
I realize this post is akin to torture during these economic times, but the beautiful slideshow will make you gawk in awe. I WANT THAT HOUSE. Ina fans: please note the prominent stand mixer nook. That’s my girl. (Thanks to The Kitchn for the link.)

Jezebel: Why We Shouldn’t Be Afraid of the Word “Fat”
Writer Kate Harding is fat. But people don’t call her fat, because she argues it carries such loaded meanings, “includ(ing) ugly, unhealthy, smelly, lazy, ignorant, undisciplined, unlovable, and just plain icky.” She goes on to explain, “I want to be called fat because it’s the simple truth … I am a kindhearted, intelligent, attractive, person, and I am fat. There is no paradox there.” Interesting discussion.

The Kitchn: Organize Your Fridge With Sixpacks
K.I.S.S. (the acronym, not the glam rock band) in action.

Men’s Health: The 20 Worst Foods in America 2009
I’m in sugar shock, so I’m just going to list the nutritional facts for the worst food and then go vomit:
Baskin Robbins Large Chocolate Oreo Shake
2,600 calories
135 g fat (59 g saturated fat, 2.5 g trans fats)
263 g sugars
1,700 mg sodium

My Open Wallet: Details on the Food Budget
If you ever wondered how a single woman in New York could spend $8000 on food in a year, this is a good explanation. I totally empathize.

New York Times: Flush Those Toxins! Eh, Not So Fast
Doctors generally agree that detoxes and colonics are a load of hooey. Here, the Gray Lady explains why.

The Non-Consumer Advocate: Food Waste
I really like the post (about preventing too much dinner from being chucked in the garbage), but I liked the blog banner even more. It merits a rating of four out of four adorable kitties. (Thanks to Slashfood for the link.)

Serious Eats: Store-Bought Chicken Stocks, Reviewed: Which Are the Best?
The winners: Swanson’s Chicken Cooking Stock, Kitchen Basics, and Glace de Poulet Gold.
The losers: chickens everywhere.

Serious Eats NY: Fast Food Oatmeal Taste Test – The Good, the Bland, and the Goopy
The winners: Jamba Juice and Au Bon Pain
The losers: bizarrely, still chickens everywhere.

The Simple Dollar: Treasures in the Cupboard – Eight Tactics We Use to Maximize the Value of Our Pantry
The definitive post on why stocking a pantry is important, plus extra tips on how to get the most out of yours. Related story: my office manager sent out an e-mail last year asking everyone to clean out the panty. He meant pantry, of course, but the image was fun.

Simple Mom: How to Menu Plan AND Money Saving Mom: How I Save Money by Planning a Menu
If you didn’t know the hows and whys of menu planning, you do now. Simple Mom has a particularly organized approach. She uses charts! CHARTS, people!

Wise Bread: 6 Ways That Dieting and Budgeting are Exactly the Same
#7: They both end in the letters “ing.” (Hey-yo! I’m here all week, folks.)

Zen Habits: The Zen of Real Food – Keeping Eating Simple
Read it. Live it. Love it:
“It’s as simple as ‘Eat Real Food.’ So what do I mean by Real Food? Simple…
Food grows and dies. It isn’t created.
Food rots, wilts, and becomes generally unappetizing, typically rather quickly.
Food doesn’t need an ingredient label (and probably isn’t in a package either).
Food doesn’t have celebrity endorsements.
Food doesn’t make health claims.”

(Photos courtesy of USA Today, The New York Times, and I Can Has Cheezburger.)

Alice Waters · Anthony Bourdain · Baked Goods · Corn Syrup · David Lebovitz · Dcist · Enormous Variety · Food Culture · Good Eating Habits · Googly Moogly · High Fructose · Karo · Khmer Rouge · Menu Planning · Organic Food · Orthodoxy · Pear Juice · Revulsion · Tony Bourdain · Wendy The Snapple Lady

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Tuesday Megalinks

Bitten: The Best Cookbooks
Mark Bittman is looking to update his master list of the 50 all-time greatest culinary tomes. At last glance, comments numbered 372. Go have your say!

Chief Family Officer: April Fools Ideas for Parents
Muahahahahaha … wonderfully crafty, semi-evil pranks to play on those tiny humans who hang around the kitchen begging for food. Green eggs, blue milk, and mashed potato sundaes abound.

Cooking Light: Greatest Hits – 2008
Staff picks so far this year. Potato Chips with Blue Cheese Dip looks like a delicious, delicious winner, so you’ll excuse me while I mop up this drool.

Consumerist: Readers Write in With Examples of More Shrinking Products
Brawny’s not looking so Brawny these days. And Skippy ain’t dang skippy no more, either. And as for Quilted Northern … um, I have no joke here.

Consumerist: Use a Price Book to Save Money on Groceries
Yay! Consumerist caught on! Alas, the comment section is having their way with my beloved price books. Read! And tell the peanut gallery how wrong they are!

Culinate: Chickpea Central
Doesn’t “Chickpea Central” sound like a delightful train station? Like, “Welcome to Chickpea Central, I have your hummus right here Mrs. Clooney.” (How you know it’s a fantasy: not because it’s a railway hub made of garbanzo beans, but because George took me as his beloved. Sigh. We will BE TOGETHER, George. Oh yes … WE WILL BE.)

Culinate: Pasta Parade – Which shape for which sauce?
Oo! Neat little guide to starch/sauce pairings in which farfalle is dubbed “the most fanciful of pasta shapes.” Also: curious and whimsical.

Eater: Bastianich to Serve the Pope
Lidia’s feeding Benedict! Crazy! Apropos of nothing, on New Year’s Eve 2006, my friend M and I came up with a list of what the Pope does on a day-to-day basis: he eats Pope Tarts, watches Pope-rah, and washes with Pope on a Rope. (We were drinking, see.)

Festival of Frugality #118: My Dollar Plan
This week’s theme: the alphabet. Specifically, those letters that spell “frugal.” Clevah.

Get Fit Slowly: Amazing Rapid Weight Loss Stories
I go back and forth on TBL. Dropping 10 pounds a week isn’t healthy by any measure. On the other hand, they do it through diet and exercise, it’s inspiring for a lot of people, and there is something delightfully wicked about posting contestant names on vending machines.

The Kitchn: Eggs, Eggs, and More Eggs – Best Egg Recipes and Products
Oh WOW that Roasted Asparagus with Poached Egg and Parmesan looks mighty tasty. Also? When you stare at the word “egg” too long, it starts to look like an alien.

Make it From Scratch Festival #57: Applehead
MiFS founder Stephanie’s husband Tim hosts this week’s edition in beautiful black and white. (P.S. Describing Tim’s identity reminded me of the following exchange from Spaceballs, a.k.a. My Favorite Movie in Third Grade:
Dark Helmet: I am your father’s brother’s nephew’s cousin’s former roommate.
Lone Starr: What’s that make us?
Dark Helmet: Absolutely nothing!)

SF Gate: How to be a foodie without breaking the bank
Link of the week! Superb article about a hardcore gourmand who’s dealing with a salary cut through frugality and resourcefulness. My favorite sentence: “Given her budget, she could just subsist on peanut butter sandwiches and ramen, but for her, food goes deeper than merely filling her belly.” Yes! That’s it! Thanks to Slashfood for the link.

Simply Stated: Healthy Eating – What’s it to You?
Wow. Good question. The Real Simple blog asks readers to define their ideas of what constitutes a happy-happy nutritionally sound diet. There’s even a poll!

Wall Street Journal: Cutback Cuisine
This just in: food costs are up, and restaurants have to make do the best they can. Expect a lot of gourmet spaghetti in the near future.

(Photos courtesy of Flickr member Sakurako Kitsa, whyy.org, and manolomen.)

April Fools · Bastianich · Blue Cheese Dip · Blue Milk · Cooking Light · Dollar Plan · Frugality · Garbanzo Beans · Green Eggs · Hummus · Lidia · Mark Bittman · Peanut Gallery · Pope On A Rope · Potato Chips · Price Books · Quilted Northern · Railway Hub · Skippy · Sundaes

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Tuesday Megalinks

Chief Family Officer: Review – Skinny Songs
A CD full of songs specifically written to help you lose weight? I’m torn on this, because a good mix will undoubtedly motivate, but a bad one would kill all propensity to work out again, ever. While we’re on the subject, my favorite exercise albums:
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Greatest Hits
Pixies – Surfer Rosa
The Killers – Hot Fuss
The Replacements – Tim
Foo Fighters – There is Nothing Left to Lose

Consumerist: Get Out Your $#%@# Checkbook! Here Comes “Food Inflation”
Yarg. Is the recession official yet? Because this would seem to go under the “Yes” list. As the great Mrs. D once said, “Crappé.”

The Culinary Review: 10 Meals for Under $1 per Serving
THAT’S what I’m talking about. AND in a stunning twist, I think Paula Deen’s Butternut Squash Soup might be healthier than Alton Brown’s Mac and Cheese. The apocalypse must be nigh.

Festival of Frugality #116: Green Panda Treehouse

GPT does up this week’s FoF with an architecture theme, and CHG’s Food, Finance, and Personal Responsibility post is among the entries.

Frugal Dad: How to Build a Square Foot Garden
Man, this seems like a great idea for folks with limited yard space and/or a high concentration of Styrofoam in their soil (*cough*). Lynnae over at Being Frugal is trying it out, too. Stay tuned.

Healthbolt: What Happens to Your Body if You Drink a Coke Right Now?
AUGH! At 60 minutes: “You’ve also now, literally, pissed away all the water that was in the Coke. But not before infusing it with valuable nutrients your body could have used for things like even having the ability to hydrate your system or build strong bones and teeth.” Thanks to Slashfood for the link.

The Kitchn: The Best (and Worst) Foods to Eat While Reading
I’m gonna have to disagree with soup as a good reading food, since the potential for page spillage is high, but this is pretty astute (and handy!) otherwise.

Lifehacker: Your Best Money-Saving Kitchen Tips?
Inspired by 25 Money-Saving Kitchen Tips over at Frugal Vegan, Lifehacker denizens come up with their own extensive list of cash conservation tricks. Is there anything Lifehacker can’t do? (Call me! *wink*)

Make it from Scratch Festival #55: Pajama Mommy

Ooo – check out the Mile High Chai recipe at The Cole Mine. It looks delicious and it’s fun to say. Gonna have to try that one out.

Monsters and Critics: A Chat with Bravo’s ‘Top Chef’ Padma Lakshmi and Tom Colicchio
Exhaustive interview with the top dogs of Top Chef, wherein we learn the following: Padma loves eating, Colicchio loves Fresh Direct, and the show is really, really hard.

New York Times: A Global Need for Grain That Farms Can’t Fill

More evidence of a recession: “Everywhere, the cost of food is rising sharply. Whether the world is in for a long period of continued increases has become one of the most urgent issues in economics. Many factors are contributing to the rise, but the biggest is runaway demand. In recent years, the world’s developing countries have been growing about 7 percent a year, an unusually rapid rate by historical standards.”

Wise Bread: 21 Great Uses for Beer
Beersicles, anyone?

(Photos courtesy of perrific.com, Flickr member alvy, and film.com.)

60 Minutes · Alton Brown · Butternut Squash Soup · Fof · Foo Fighters · Frugality · Garden Man · Gpt · Killers Hot Fuss · Kitchen Tips · Mac And Cheese · Paula Deen · Petty And The Heartbreakers · Spillage · Square Foot Garden · Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers · Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers Greatest Hits · Worst Foods · Yard Space · Yarg

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Tuesday Megalinks

All Financial Matters: How Cheaply Can You Brown Bag Your Lunch?
One Wall Street Journal columnist is paying almost $5 for his bagged lunches ($0.38 for a slice of tomato?), but still posts a 50% savings over a $10 sandwich from the local deli. (Thanks to The Simple Dollar for the link.)

Being Frugal: My Square Foot Garden Overfloweth
Summer’s here, and Lynnae finally reaped what she sowed back in late Spring. It’s a lot. It’s giving me serious garden envy.

Best Week Ever: The Top 10 Most Tasteless Cakes
Nice roundup of the worst of the Cake Wrecks blog, with #4 being particularly hideous. Why … would … anyone … eat … GAH.

Consumerist: Get Ready for More Supermarket Price Hikes
According to the Chicago Sun-Times (home of Ebert), “grocery prices are expected to rise 5 percent to 6 percent this year.” Yikes riding bikes. I wonder if costs will keep climbing at that rate. They’re already outpacing salary earnings.

Get Rich Slowly: Hidden Price Increases at the Grocery Store
JD weighs in on ever-shrinking packages of processed foods.

Jezebel: Cultural Understanding Goes Down Better With French Fries, Chicken Nuggets
Yay! Fantastic clip from Tony Bourdain’s No Reservations trip to Saudi Arabia (yes, I call him Tony), in which native Danya Alhamrani guides him through the country’s most prominent fast food selections. The city of Jeddah isn’t exactly representative of the rest of SA, but what an interesting cultural view nonetheless. A must-see.

Jezebel: Telling A Friend She’s Fat: Do You Even Go There?
Last I checked, this post had 511 comments. Join in on the fun/rage.

The Kitchn: Tip – Drying Fruits and Vegetables in the Car
This is the most fantastically frugal thing in recorded history. Has anyone out there ever tried it? I would give it a shot, but it might not work as well in the subway.

Money Saving Mom: Lower your grocery bill without clipping coupons
So, you don’t want to blow your Sundays whittling away at newspaper inserts. I understand. So does Crystal. Here, she lists eight effective ways to save cash while avoiding coupons. Plus, billions of commenters sound off with their own valuable suggestions. Super-worthwhile reading from folks in the grocery shopping trenches.

New York Times: A Locally Grown Diet With Fuss but No Muss
It’s like a CSA Santa Claus! “For a fee, Mr. Paque, who lives in San Francisco, will build an organic garden in your backyard, weed it weekly and even harvest the bounty, gently placing a box of vegetables on the back porch when he leaves.” I hope I’m on the Nice list.

New York Times: Food Makers Report Profits as Eating in Gains Favor
There’s hope!

Reader’s Digest: Eat Smart When Dining Out: 20 Tips
In spite of the following Retuers article, diners are increasingly looking for easy ways to health-up their restaurant foods. Here, RD has some suggestions. (Thanks to Consumerist for the link.)

Reuters: U.S. food portions – Monuments of decadence?
We’re Americans! We eat giant food! As we used to say in third grade, “Doy.” (Thanks to Eater for the link.)

Serious Eats: Nintendo DS Cooking Guide Will Help You Make Dinner
Somewhere, The Boyfriend just drooled.

Serious Eats: Out-of-Context Eating
All you need is the first line of the first comment: “I once saw someone open a microwave popcorn bag for their child during Mass,” and you will be totally sucked in. (My sweet Catholic Ma might have killed the popcorn person, sixth commandment or no.)

Serious Eats: What to Eat on a First Date
I realize I might have successfully made myself sound like a lush the last few weeks, but I’d like to add something to this post: beware of overdrinking. Once, on what could have been a fun first date, I downed two too many glasses of champagne. Nothing got sloppy, bad, or out of hand EXCEPT MY BRAIN, which was unable to form halfway interesting thoughts for most of the night. Fortunately, the failed date led me to The Boyfriend, so I guess it wasn’t all bad.

Slate: The Pasta Salad Manifesto
Pair this with Casual Kitchen’s How to Create Your Own Original Pasta Salad for the ultimate in side dish tutorials.

(Photos courtesy of Flickr members Biggie*, Khaled A.K, and UHLMAN.)

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Tuesday Megalinks

amNewYork: New Yorkers altering eating habits
I strode into Starbucks last night for an impromptu early dinner, and they finally got around to posting the calorie counts for all their baked goods. OH MY WORD. There was nothing – NOTHING – under 430 calories. Most hovered somewhere in the 600 or 700 zone. It DEFINITELY changed the way I ordered, and I can only imagine what kind of impact it’s having on food joints’ bottom lines. Crazy. (Thanks to Eater for the link.)

Cash Money Life: The Other America – Commentary on Food Stamps and the Economy
Interesting insights on food assistance, the military, and the judgment we cast on folks whose situations are different from our own. Be sure to read the commentary for well-argued contrasting opinions.

Consumerist: 7 Most Unhealthy Carnival Foods
Cotton candy: not so bad!
Corn dogs: could be worse!
Deep fried candy bars: call a medic!

Consumerist: The 10 Healthiest Beverages
Water aside (because that would be cheating), these are the most nutritional drinks on the market today, according to Health Magazine. Pomegranate, apple, and blueberry juice all make the list, and RED WINE IS #2! WOOOOO! Methinks it’s time for a liquid lunch, ladies and gents.

Culinate: Greens galore – Deal with that CSA delivery
Fantastic post on what to do with the excess of leafy greens that comes with each CSA box. Soups, sautees, and spices abound, with nary a mention of the standard go-to, salad. Really nicely done.

Digerati Life: Lose Weight While Spending Less on Food and Exercise
While it’s worth a look for the pictures alone, TDL’s common sense guide to weight maintenance also contains quite a few health tips rarely addressed on frugality blogs. Take her first rule, for instance: “Don’t buy diet pills or diet drinks.” Simply, they cost a bundle and do not work in the long term. What’s more, the wrong pill can make mincemeat out of one’s cardiovascular system. Nice post.

Grub Street: Bourdain Set to Reconquer World in New Season of “No Reservations”
Um … I think, after you read this article, we can all agree on the following: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Kalyn’s Kitchen: Fourth of July Grilling Ideas 2008
Lots of out-of-the-box BBQ ideas suitable for the whole summer. (P.S. Did you ever notice that when your boss uses the phrase “think outside the box,” he/she’s not thinking outside the box? Just something to ponder.)

The Kitchn: Tell us – is there an herb you can’t stand?
Wow. So much hateration for cilantro (“the Black Plague”). Rosemary (“it’s like eating pine needles”) and dill (“barf”) don’t fare much better. Thankfully, only one or two commenters are morally opposed to basil, the divinest of all in the herb kingdom.

Love Food Hate Waste: 5 Surefire ways to save money on your food bill
Age-old advice presented in a nifty, well-designed way. Be sure to flip through the rest of the site while you’re there, since it’s filled to the brim with great info. (Thanks to Get Rich Slowly for the link.)

New York Times: 101 20-Minute Dishes for Inspired Picnics
Another tour-de-force from How to Cook Everything’s Mark Bittman. For more of his minimalist series, check out 101 Simple Meals and 101 Simple Appetizers.

Serious Eats: Meet & Eat – Eric Ripert
Sweet little interview with Le Bernardin’s main man, an award-winning chef and hottie boombottie (or as they call it in France, l’hottie boombottie) if there ever was one.

The Simple Dollar: A Look at the Startup Cost and Why it’s Usually Good to Go Cheap at First
Trent makes a good point: if you’re commencing a new hobby, whether it’s cooking, crocheting, or ladies’ senior ice hockey, don’t go crazy buying equipment on opening day. Why? Well, “it’s usually a mistake to spend a significant amount on equipment until you’re sure that you’re actually going to use the equipment and it’s clear why the higher-quality version is actually better.” Good call.

Time: Fancy Names, Affordable Feasts
Columnist Joel Stein’s on a mission: with the help of several famous chefs including Tom Colicchio, Suzanne Goin, and Eric Ripert, he’s creating a slew of low-cost meals fancy enough to serve to company. Oustanding.

(Photos courtesy of Will Work for Food, Anthrodegree, and Bristol Farms.)

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Tuesday Megalinks

ABC News: 10 Foods That Bring On the Pain
Tomatoes are out to get you. Chocolate and cheese, too. (Thanks to Pennies and Pounds for the link.)

All Recipes: Cooking on a Budget Winter Edition
Faboo database for frugal, seasonal meals, by the O.G. site for populist gourmets.

Cooking Light: Lighten Up – Holiday Classics
Christmas is coming! Hannukah and Kwanzaa, too. And let’s not forget National Cotton Candy Day (December 7th), either. Here, CL has suggestions for everybody, whatever you’re celebrating. Bonus: the Sweet Potato Casserole looks particularly good.

Culinate: Home-cooking Hurdles – Time, money, effort, knowledge
Also: roommates, building layout, and dog. But enough excuses! Culinate explores the art of overcoming kitchen obstacles.

Elastic Waist: Holiday Rule #1 – There Will be No Dieting On the Holidays
FANTASTIC editorial about suspending the diet for national celebrations. Definitely read the whole thing, which ends with, “Enjoy the holidays, enjoy your family, enjoy the food. New Year’s is close enough, and there’s plenty of time for self-flagellation then.”

Epicurious: The Best Cookbooks of 2008
The year-end wrap-ups are just getting started, folks. Read this and beat the rush. Highlights: The Modern Baker, Fat, Real Food for Healthy Kids, and the #1 tome of the year, Fish Without a Doubt. Mmmm … doubtless fish.

Epicurious: Epicurious Predicts Top 10 Food Trends for 2009
Man, it’s all about economizing next year. By all indications, noodle bars (not sushi), value (not sustainability), and veggie gardens (not flower gardens) will be taking over the universe. But wait! There’s more!

Hotels Magazine: Experts Offer Top Food Trends For Hotels & Restaurants In 2009
Be on the lookout for more bistros, fewer hotel chefs, smaller portions, lots of in-season produce, and promotions galore. Thanks, economy! (Thanks to Eater for the link.)

Get Rich Slowly: GRS Garden Project – November Update
Spent: $318.43
Harvested: $606.97
With a 200% return and homemade jam for the rest of their natural lives, I’d call it a success.

Get Rich Slowly: Finding Good Wines at Great Prices – Expert Advice for Frugal Wine Lovers
For when Three-buck Chuck just won’t cut it.

The Guardian: The World’s Greatest Baking Tips
A total must-read for all bakers, in which journalist Dan Lepard consults 30 of Earth’s greatest for their best and brightest tips. Among the all-star line up contributors are Dorie Greenspan, David Lebovitz, and Chocolate and Zucchini’s Clotilde Dusoulier. Great stuff. (Thanks to Serious Eats for the link.)

New York Times: We’re Going to Party Like It’s 1929
I love the Times. I adore its restaurant coverage, and the attention it gives to food issues the world over. And I understand that their demographic tends to be wealthier than other newspapers. But man, this article hits all the wrong notes. In a nutshell, writer Alex Williams enlists one of NYC’s top party planners to create a dinner party for less than $30 a head. My beefs:
1) Most New Yorkers don’t have that kind of cash to spare.
2) She balks at potatoes, but blows the majority of her budget on décor.
3) Really? $30 per person, and it’s compared to the Great Depression?
In a country where women are feeding families of four on $40 a week, it’s charitable to call the piece pretentious and tone deaf, but I’m curious about your reactions. Readers?

Slashfood: The Five Weirdest Things in My Parents’ Cupboards
In no particular order:
1) 100 hot dogs. (No buns.)
2) Five canisters of Crystal Light. (Gah.)
3) Lots of Curacao. (Hopefully not for mixing with Crystal Light).
4) Three jars of red pepper flakes. (They don’t like spicy food)
5) The vacuum cleaner. (Delicious!)

The Smarter Wallet: Quality Cookware to Help You Save Time and Energy in the Kitchen
SW delves into her five favorite pieces of mealtime equipment, then adds on a few techniques for good measure. It’s quick but substantive, the way I like my men. (WHAT?)

The Toronto Star: Comfort Me with Apple Pie
In these solemn times of economic woe, folks all over are turning to macaroni and cheese, meatloaf, and Ma’s cookbook to sooth their sorry bank accounts. Even in Canada. (Thanks to Slashfood for the link.)

Wise Bread: 12 Affordable Ingredients that Add Gourmet Flair to any Meal
From roasted garlic to Kalamata olives to shallots (a.k.a. God’s Onion), these are some pretty solid suggestions for perking up a humdrum dinner. And if you like it, you’ll love Touch of Class: 10 Thrifty, Healthy Ingredients to Improve the Quality of Your Meals.

(Photos courtesy of Searchviews, The Beeb, and Wikipedia.)

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Tuesday Megalinks

Today, it’s food preservation, “healthy” additives, a few excellent shopping strategies, and the most overused words in food writing (several of which I’m guilty of). To give you a hint, one begins with “y” and ends with “ummy.”

Accidental Hedonist: Why the Food Establishment is at Fault
When it comes to American meal habits, who’s the bad guy? Is it us (the egg), for not knowing what the crap we’re putting into our mouths, or is it Big Food (the chicken), who creates what we’re eating? In this well-argued essay, AH comes down hard on the chicken. (Thanks to Casual Kitchen for the link.)

The Atlantic: Can Ice Cream be a Health Food?
Dangit, injecting a bowl of lard with a gram of fiber does not good nutrition make. To quote the bard (Chuck D.), don’t believe the hype.

Body+Soul / Whole Living: The Season’s Other Veggies
If you thought tomatillos were guitars, kohlrabi was a yoga guru, chickweed was something you were sold in the 7-11 parking lot, think again. Body+Soul has some words on and recipes for these little-known summer veggies. (Thanks to The Kitchn for the link.)

Chow: Why Are Some Dishes Better the Next Day?
Shirley Corriher, a.k.a. Good Eats’ resident food scientist, explains why soups, chilis, salads and breads are tastier after sitting for 24 hours. Essentially, it could be enzymes, liquid concentration, or just your imagination.

Consumer Reports: Self-checkout, cut calories and costs
CR discovered a neat supermarket trick: scanning your own groceries forces you to re-examine what you’ve put into your cart, often causing folks to discard expensive, unhealthy food. Just something to keep in mind next time you’re at Kroger…

Consumerist: Kellogg Will Start Adding Fiber To Most Of Its Breakfast Cereals
Yarg. Remember that Atlantic article? It applies here, too. Fruit Loops plus fiber still equals a bowl of Pez.

Consumerist: What’s Your Favorite Recipe Site?
HEL-lo. Consumerist commenters get crazy with the Cheez Whiz, suggesting six pages of food sources. AllRecipes does surprisingly well, though other ideas abound.

Endless Simmer: The Top 10 Top 10 Food Lists
From the Top Ten Food & Sex Scenes in Movies (hello, hot ‘80s Mickey Rourke) to the Top Ten Anthony Bourdain Insults on Food TV, this list o’ lists pretty much rules. Oh, how you will giggle.

Frugal Upstate: Best-of Kitchen Tips to Stay Cool
Summer is upon us, sweet readers, and that means heat, humidity, and that singular drip of perspiration that makes its way from your neck to the small of your back whenever you’re standing on a 114°F subway platform. Here, Jenn talks about how to beat the heat in the kitchen.

Get Rich Slowly: 3 Easy and Delicious Ways to Preserve Your Berry Harvest
Should you have a surplus of non-poisonous backyard berries, these ideas will surely be useful. Should you have eaten the entirety of your berry harvest straight off the bush (as I would be wont to do), they will not.

The Kitchn: Vegetarian Skewers Five Ways
Remember: it’s been scientifically proven (by me, in my kitchen) that food tastes 500% better when served on a stick. Especially seitan. Veg-heads, go forth and impale!

Money Saving Mom: The Buy Ahead Principle – One of my biggest grocery saving secrets
MSM is one of the best grocery-oriented blogs out there, not least because it’s pretty impressive what Crystal can score for $40 per week. Still, I’ve often wondered how she supplements all the processed food with whole, healthier foods – especially when she’s feeding three young children. She explains in this post.

Money Saving Mom: How to Store and Preserve Fresh Herbs
Wash thoroughly. Dry thoroughly. Wrap in paper towel (thoroughly). Place in air-tight plastic bag (thoroughly). Eat (thoroughly).

The Simple Dollar: Using Consumer Reports to Assemble Your Grocery List
TSD reader Bob keeps a running list of CR’s best buys, and then uses them to do his grocery shopping. Cereal, cleaners, coffee, peanut butter – their suggestions have never let him down. Solid idea for the practical people in your … need a word beginning with p … pants?

Village Voice: Things We Hate – Overused Food Words
I starred the ones I’m guilty of. In alphabetical order: amazing, boite, comfy, crispy, decadent, delish, dollop, drizzled, eatery*, enjoy*, flavorful*, fork-tender, garlicky, gently priced, guilt-free, homemade, homey, luscious, moist*, mouth feel, mouth watering, napped, nom, nosh, perfect*, resto, resy, rustic, sammy, satisfying, sinful, slathered*, tapas, terrific, to perfection, toothsome, toppings, toque, tuck into, tuscan, unctuous, well-browned, well-spaced, wilted, yummy.

Washington City Paper: Is Cooking Without Tasting Senseless?

Good question! I always, always, always taste my food when I’m preparing it, to the point where now, it’s nigh-unthinkable not to. Turns out, that some Hindu cooks don’t. They consider it insulting. Interesting! Readers, what about you? (Thanks to Casual Kitchen for the link.)

Zen Habits: It’s Time for a New Relationship with Food
What roles do different foods play in your life? Can you change those relationships, just by thinking about them in another way? Thought-provoking post from thought provoker extraordinaire, Leo.

(Photos courtesy of TitanPride, About.com, and How Stuff Works.)

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Tuesday Megalinks

Today it’s recipe lists, weight loss for the very tall, and an infuriating article from the Gray Lady. Tuesday, I like you!

Ad Age: Consumers Say They Want Healthy, But Aren’t Buying it
Oh, yikes. You know those calorie counts they’re starting to post on fast food menus? Apparently, they’re not making/they won’t make much of a difference in what good citizens are ordering. This is perplexing.

Casual Kitchen: The Hummus Blogroll – 16 Easy to Make Hummus Recipes
As I am currently obsessed with all things hummus-related (we’re even watching Don’t Mess With the Zohan, where it figures in prominently), this is my favorite post of the moment. Chipotle Hummus? Thai Basil Hummus? Avocado Hummus? I’ve died and gone to Hummeaven.

Chow: RSVP to My Damn Invite
Yarg. We’re all adults here! Tell me if you’re coming to my party! Because next time you show up without notice and bring 16 hot dogs with no buns, I’m making them out of your shirt.

Consumerist: More People Are Getting Their Food Straight From Farms
Thanks to CSAs, pick-yer-owns, and various related services, farm-procured edibles have jumped about 100% in ten years. Disillusionment works, people!

Consumerist: Sorry, You Are Too Tall for Weight Watchers
WW Online doesn’t cater to those 6’10” and over. Sorry, Shaq.

Frantic Home Cook: 50 Pasta Salads, Just in Time for Summer
Woo hoo! Just … woo hoo! (Thanks to Casual Kitchen for the link.)

Frugal Dad: How Many Nights a Week Do You Eat Out?
Good post made better by solid cross-section of comments and experiences. This is a habit I’m still desperately trying to break. Or at least curb a little.

The Kitchn: Help! I Have the Palate of a Child
Great post with a title that reminds me of my favorite Stephen King line, after someone asked him why he writes such fanciful horror tomes: “I have the heart of a small boy. And I keep it in a jar on my desk.”

The Kitchn: Good Question – How Should I Store Brown Sugar?
Why, in a acid-free plastic cover, so you don’t bend the corners or muss the liner notes. Oh … wait. Not this Brown Sugar? Sorry. I got confused.

The Kitchn: What’s Your Favorite Warm Weather Breakfast?
Come for the picture. Stay … well, stay for the picture, too. It’s a nice picture. But the comments are good, too.

Like Merchant Ships: Library Bag – Green Garden Dip
Okay, I don’t want to creep her out or anything, but every time Meredith posts something like this, it makes me want kids, like, right now. Oh, and there’s a ranch dip recipe.

Money Saving Mom: Is it Possible to Lose Weight on a Budget?
Umm … yes. But again, more in the comments!

New York Times: How Food Makers Captured Our Brains
Hint: it wasn’t with a net. It was with regular foods, combined in certain ways so as to stimulate the reward system hardwired into our brains. They blinded us with neuroscience!

New York Times: With This Burger, I Thee Wed
This article’s been making the rounds the last week or so, and I have to say – I flat-out hate it. It reeks of privilege and condescension, and I can’t tell if it’s the subject or that it’s being called a trend. Readers, thoughts?

Science Daily: Living Near Fast Food Outlet Not A Weighty Problem For Kids
Huh? This goes against popular science and widely-accepted research. Michael Pollan, are you listening? If so, sweet! You have excellent ears.

The Simple Dollar: The Truth About Grocery Store Flyers
The circulars are my supermarket bibles, but Trent has some well-founded reservations. The quantity sales are a pain in the butt, man.

(Photos courtesy of Tasty Planner, Calgary Public Library, and Psi Xperience.)

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Tuesday Megalinks

This week, it’s plenty from The Kitchn, a pair of posts from Wise Bread and Chow, and all New York Times, all the time. Plus, R.I.P. 100-calorie packs. You won’t be missed.

344 Pounds: Weight Loss Accountability
Tyler, currently down 82 pounds, writes about the importance of having people there to help you along the weight-losing way. He doesn’t necessarily mean a support system, but rather folks who are depending on you to lose the poundage. Solid post on a not oft-seen topic. (Thanks to Casual Kitchen for the link.)

Associated Press: U.S. Food Pantries Struggle to Stay Stocked as More People Frequent
The recession has hit pantries particularly hard, with more and more hungry families are coming to them for help. Read of their difficulties here, and head over to Charity Navigator to find out how you can contribute. (Thanks to Serious Eats for the link.)

Chow: Cooking Green
Last week, Chow gave us a monster rundown on the art of the grill. This week, they tackle environmentally sound cooking, with similar triumphant results.

Chow: Too Poor for Drinks – Staying home is the new going out
News flash: broke drunk people are tippling in their own kitchens, rather than forking over $6 per pint at the local pub. But seriously, Three Buck Chuck is the new Cristal, everybody, and Chow has some fine tips on how to keep backyard boozing interesting. Get a game night going and drink up.

Eat Me Daily: Amanda Hesser to Michelle Obama – Get Back in the Kitchen
New York Times alum Hesser gets all up in the First Lady’s grill about her dislike of cooking. As if MO’s not busy enough with gardening and volunteering at soup kitchens and sustainable eating and health initiatives for kids and whatnot. Eat Me Daily chimes in with their view, summed up neatly by Gastropoda’s Regina Schrambling: “a woman’s place is not always in the kitchen.”

The Epi-Log: Quick and Healthy Recipes for Uncooked Pasta Sauces
Neat, quick recipe rundown for stove-less spaghetti toppings. Because sometimes, the kitchen’s too hot already.

Jezebel: 100-Calorie Pack Fad – Finally Finished
And not a moment too soon. Sales of 100-calorie packs have dipped precipitously in the last few months, with more shoppers finding them too expensive. Which … yeah. Eat two cookies and save yourself three bucks.

The Kitchn: Salad for Dinner – 7 Additions to Make it Filling
Summertime is salad time for many of us out there, and Kitchnites have some out-of-the-box suggestions to liven up our greens. Not included: fudge. Dang!

The Kitchn: Family Mealtime – Cooking for Babies
Neato guest post from Backseat Gourmet’s Cheryl on introducing new foods to your babe. (Note: your baby, not your foxy/hunky S.O.). The gist: make ‘em good eaters early, and you might not have to worry about it later on.

The Kitchn: Scavenger – Fabulous Finds from Coast to Coast
Ooo! I loved this post. While I’m sure most of the 25 Craigslist kitchen goods are gone by now, it’s a great reminder that you don’t have to buy new to buy well. Viva la classifieds!

Lifehacker: Make Your Refrigerator Far More Efficient
Rather than inject your crisper drawer with steroids, check these tips to optimize the inner workings of your most valuable appliance. (Next to the air conditioner, of course. Oh, August. How you oppress me.)

New York Times: Childhood – Food Allergies May Be Linked to Obesity
This is fascinating: “Researchers studying more than 4,000 children ages 2 to 19 … [found] obese and overweight children were about 25 percent more likely to have one or more food allergies.” Remember, there’s a difference between correlation and causation, but these findings are something to seriously chew on.

New York Times: In This Subway Series, the Ballparks Offer Sushi vs. Steak Tacos
Queens, represent! The Bruni pits the Yankees versus the Mets in a battle for supreme ballpark cuisine, with Citifield coming out on top. YOU GOTTA BELIEVE … in Shake Shack burgers.

New York Times: Play With Your Food, Just Don’t Text!
I like to think I’m easygoing, but there are a few rude behaviors that drive me to drink, including: not giving pregnant ladies seats on the subway, nail clipping in public areas, customers who open packages to check merchandise and then immediately return the boxes to the shelves, and people who furtively text during dinner. Put the damn phone away and concentrate on your company, kid. (Also: get off my lawn!)

New York Times: Preserving Time in a Bottle (or a Jar)
There’s been a tremendous upswing in canning and jarring the last few years, even in metropolitan areas where storage is usually at a minimum. The Gray Lady examines the phenomenon.

New York Times: Organic Dairies Watch the Good Times Turn Bad
Ouch. While organic products are doing pretty well for agricultural engineers (a.k.a. farmers) all over, organic dairy farmers are the exception. A one-two punch of rising costs and the recession are putting many out of business.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: PW Favorites
There are not enough OOOOOs in the world to express how happy I am that Ree comped her favorite recipes into an easy-to-access master list. So I’ll settle for one long one: OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

San Francisco Gate: Gluten intolerance becoming more commonplace
Marion Nestle explores the recent uptick in celiac disease, the autoimmune disorder that makes people unable to digest wheat and certain other grains. The good parts: it’s easier to diagnose nowadays, and public eating areas (schools, work cafeterias, etc.) are increasingly able to handle the dietary restrictions. (Thanks to Serious Eats for the link.)

San Francisco Gate: Going vegan for a month
Amanda Berne, SFGate’s Accidental Vegetarian, recently went vegan for 30 days to find out what the deal was. While it was much harder eating out and food preparation took way longer than normal, she felt spectacularly healthy by the end, and counted it as a victory. Chalk one up for the seitanists. (Thanks to Serious Eats for the link.)

Seattle Times: Getting the most out of grilled chicken
The only thing in the world easier than last night’s Final Jeopardy question (answer: gravity) is burning the crap out of grilled chicken. Here, the Seattle Times lets us in on a few moistifying secrets. (Thanks to Serious Eats for the link.)

The Simple Dollar: Grocery Shopping 101 – Quantity Surcharges and 10 Products to Watch Out For
From tuna fish to baked beans to canned veggies, some foods simply aren’t worth buying in bulk. Trent gives us the heads up on these, plus seven more better-in-smaller-increments edibles.

The Simple Dollar: The Art of the Marinade: Making Inexpensive Foods Dazzlingly Tasty for Pennies
Much like the board game Blokus, the art of the marinade is easy to learn, but difficult to master. Fortunately, a few basic recipes and rules can help you on your way. Confucius say: he who soaks food in flavorful liquid will have flavorful food.

Slashfood: Salt – How much is too much?
Lots of good tips here. One they missed: taste food as you’re salting it – because there’s no better gauge of saltiness than your own tongue.

Wise Bread: Bargain Shopping 101
A.k.a. The Basics of Saving Money on Food
A.k.a. Elementary Supermarketing
A.k.a. A Wallet-Saving Work of Staggering Genius

Wise Bread: Supermarket Angst Part II: What Eggs Should I Buy?
Carrie Kirby researches egg labeling (”cage free,” “with Omega 3,” etc.) to find that almost none of it makes any difference whatsoever.

(Photos courtesy of Community Service Community Development, Latest Trends in Home Appliances, and Pollocompestreinc.com.)

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Tuesday Megalinks

This week, it’s the debt-fat relationship, Joy Fit Club transformations (including a lady who’s dropped over 400 pounds), and polar-opposite profiles of Aunt Sandy and Omnivore’s Dilemma spokesfarmer Joel Salatin. I wonder what those two would talk about with over a beer?

Casual Kitchen: A Question of Food Quality
Dan asks a simple question with a difficult answer: was food better way back when than it is today? I say … I’m not sure. I doubt I would have tried Gorgonzola cheese in 1936, but on the other hand a tomato tasted like a tomato. Readers, what say you?

Casual Kitchen: What Percent of Your Budget do You Spend on Food?
Most commenters seem to hover around 10%, with much of that going towards restaurant meals. It’s slightly higher in the CHG household, because we have this blog thing, see. Also, we like pricey bacon. Mmm … pricey bacon.

Culinate: 10 Sites That Will Help You Eat with More Awareness
Whether you’re concerned about saving the whales or saving your own digestive system, this helpful compilation post is the place to go. From Marion Nestle to The Ethicurean, it’s like having your own personal Food Wiki.

Gourmet: Reduce Debt to Lose Weight?
A recent German study found a correlation between obesity and indebtedness. Of 9000 folks in hock, “25 percent were medically obese, compared to only 11 percent of the non-indebted group.” Frugal Dad has his own take on the issue, as well.

MSNBC: Health Reform Idea: Put Down the Doughnut
The question of personal responsibility in weight control (and subsequently, health care) has once again reared its controversial head. (Yes, a head can be controversial. Just ask Ted Williams.)

MSNBC: Joy Fit Club Transformations
Oh dear, sweet Moses Malone, how I love Before-and-After weight loss photos. And Today Show nutrition expert Joy Bauer has 40 of them, right here in slideshow form. Even if you don’t get through the whole thing, scroll ahead to Tammey’s story on page 9. Girl dropped 410 pounds. That’s 1-1/2 offensive linemen.

New York Times: You Say Tomato, I Say Ecological Disaster
Wondering what happened to this year’s tomato (and potato) crops? Dan Barber’s gotcher answer, right here. (It’s fungus.) (Also – has anyone else noticed that the price of avocados seems to suddenly have skyrocketed? Any ideas?)

Newsweek: How Diet Affects Fertility
This eight-page story might not apply to everybody, but it’s fascinating to learn how simple dietary changes can affect one’s ability to spawn. Most interesting: full-fat dairy products are hands down better for you than low-fat varieties.

Newsweek: Sandra Lee – The Anti-Julia
I’m guessing there have been so many Aunt Sandy profiles lately because of Julia & Julia. Journalists seem to be choosing her as an example of where food programming is headed. This one is alternately harsh and resigned. The most interesting part: Rachael Ray isn’t crazy about being lumped in with Lee. She’s all like, “Um, you know I know how to chop a vegetable, right?”

Serious Eats: Top 10 Cheap and Green Kitchen Tips
Handy and easy, though there’s some debate in the peanut gallery over #1.

The Simple Dollar: Freezer and Fridge Hacks – Seven Ways to Maximize the Value of Your Refrigerator and Freezer
Ooo – I like this one, because the tips are easy and it’s stuff that I never think about. Pulling your fridge back from the wall? Who knew?

Time: Cheapskate Blog – How to Bring Your Grocery Bill Down to $15 a Week
If you’ve ever read an I-Survived-Feeding-Myself-on-$50-a-Week article and thought to yourself, “Amateurs,” then this interview with Philip and Christina (the folks behind the $30 a Week blog) will show you there are kindred spirits out there.

Time: Why Exercise Won’t Make You Thin
But it WILL make you healthy. Explore the difference with this interesting piece, backed by what seem like reliable studies.

Treehugger: Joel Salatin – America’s Most Influential Farmer
Fascinating interview with Michael Pollan’s favorite farmer. Note to TV development departments: this guy needs his own show immediately. Dude can TALK. (Thanks to The Kitchn for the link.)

Wise Bread: The Five-Day Freeze: Batch Cooking for the Rest of Us
What, you don’t have 12 spare hours to put aside every week? No worries. Lindsay Knerl will show you how you can still pull off batch cooking without neglecting your children/job/lovah/catching-up-on-Season-2-of-Mad Men.

(Photos courtesy of The District Domestic, Complete Garden, and Slow Food Charlotte.)

Casual Kitchen · Commenters · Controversial Head · Digestive System · Doughnut · Food Quality · German Study · Health Reform · Hock · Joel Salatin · Joy Bauer · Marion Nestle · Moses Malone · Msnbc · Nutrition Expert · Omnivore · Personal Food · Personal Responsibility · Restaurant Meals · Ted Williams

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Tuesday Megalinks

This week, it’s bargain shopping, making the most out of what you have, and a little dash of sports news, just in time for baseball’s Opening Day. Viva la Mets! (Pleaseohpleaseohplease.)

Culinate: For the Love of Meat, What Would You Pay?
Jake pays about $8/lb for meat he receives as part of a CSA, and for him, it’s worth every penny. Here, he explains why well enough to make him a finalist in Culinate’s blogging contest. (P.S. This made me crave sausage.)

Eat Me Daily: Cooking in Outer Space
You think cooking in your tiny kitchen is tough? Try it on a spaceship. Astronaut Sandra Magnus spent four months on the International Space Station, where fresh food was limited and tortillas became her best friends. For extra fun, click on her NASA slideshow, where you’ll learn more than you thought possible about rehydrated tomatoes. Really neat stuff.

Eater: First Looks at Citi Field’s Shake Shack
METS FANS, REJOICE! This might even make up for the inevitable collapse in the last week of September.

Hillbilly Housewife: $45 Emergency Menu for 4 to 6
HH updated her from-scratch, nothing-in-the-pantry menu to reflect 2009 grocery prices. If you or someone you know is in dire straits (or you’re just looking to cut waaaaay back on your food expenditures), this is a fabulous place to start. One of the most valuable sites on the web, especially right now. (Thanks to Simple Dollar for the link.)

Kitchen Stewardship: A Reduced Produce Primer
You know that bargain produce shelf? The one that’s waaaay in the back of the grocery store? The one behind the POM display, next to the apple chips? Sometimes, it offers bounty beyond your wildest dreams. Other times, it’s yellow broccoli and apples that should’ve been thrown out during the Hoover administration. This post tells you how to tell the difference.

Like Merchant Ships: Bargain Secret – Bakery Thrift Stores
Oh! And while we’re on the subject, check out this post about how to choose the best bread from your local discount bakers. Mmm … Pepperidge FAHHHM.

Money Saving Mom: Eating From the Pantry Challenge – The Finale
Crystal, mom of two, just fed her family for an entire week on nothin’ but pantry staples. Somehow, the meals stayed pretty well-balanced and tasty-looking. Behold!

MSNBC: Thrifty shoppers ‘Sold!’ on grocery auctions
Man, lots of stuff on discount shopping this week, right? Anyway – and I’ve never heard of this before, but it sounds fun – eight different states have been holding auctions for meats, produce, personal supplies, and more. Attendance is apparently insane, and folks are walking away with 50% savings off their grocery bill. Readers, has anyone tried this? Do tell.

New York Times: Comrades at Arms – Two Food Writers in a Kitchen Smackdown
Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni pitted two friends in a cook-off, where a three-course gourmet meal for six had to be kept under $50, total. Now, you can see this in one of two ways:

Totally tone deaf. Once again, the Gray Lady has no conception of real-world budgetary constraints, OR
A great piece that perfectly pitched with the financial times. After all, as Bruni himself notes, “It’s not easy to dazzle at $8.50 a person [for] at least three courses.”

I’m going with Choice B, with some reservations. Just for contrast, here’s Jezebel’s response (Due warning: profanity is employed early and often.)

Serious Eats: Is Artisanal, Handmade Food Always Better?
SE guru Ed Levine bought four items at the farmer’s market. Two (apple candy and popcorn) were excellent. Two (sausage and peach preserves) were awful. The contrast raises the question: “Are serious eaters down with eating bad food if it’s made by hand by someone with the best intentions?” Great essay, dozens of thoughtful comments.

Slate: The Locavore’s Dilemma – What to do with the kale, turnips, and parsley that overwhelm your CSA bin.
Funny, observant, and informative, this piece by Catherine Price should resonate with anyone who’s been overwhelmed by their CSA bounty. She notes, “After three years of practice, I’ve figured out simple ways to deal with most of these problem vegetables: I braise the turnips in butter and white wine; I sauté the kale and collards with olive oil and sea salt; I wait until the parsley shrivels and then throw it out.” With a special guest appearance by minimalist extraordinaire Mark Bittman.

Sports Illustrated: How (and Why) Athletes Go Broke
This has absolutely nothing to do with food, and everything to do with how crazy I thought this fact was: “By the time they have been retired for two years, 78% of former NFL players have gone bankrupt or are under financial stress because of joblessness or divorce.” If centerfielder Torii Hunter’s story about investing $70,000 in a raft for couches (in case of a flood, naturally) doesn’t hook you, nothing will.

Yahoo Green: Learn to Cut Your Food Bill by 25%
According to … uh, somebody … we waste about 25% of the food we buy. That means that a full quarter of our groceries rot, mold, spoil, or get thrown out as unwanted leftovers. STOP THE MADNESS.

Yahoo Hotjobs: Food for Thought on Lunch Interviews – 10 Do’s and Don’ts for Making the Best Impression Over a Meal
Ooo! Great piece about taking the relaxed approach to job interviews. Among the nuggets: DO research the restaurant, DON’T be rude to your waitress, and for the love of Pete, TRY TO relax a little

Finally, CHG was lucky enough to be featured in the Make it From Scratch blog carnival this week, over at Christ’s Bridge.

(Photos courtesy of I Want One of Those, Qanik, and Super Eco.)

Apple Chips · Bargain Shopping · Dire Straits · Food Expenditures · Fresh Food · Grocery Prices · Hillbilly Housewife · Inevitable Collapse · International Space Station · Merchant Ships · Mets Fans · Nasa · Neat Stuff · Opening Day · Shake Shack · Spaceship · Subject Check · Thrift Stores · Tiny Kitchen · Wildest Dreams

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Tuesday Megalinks

This week, it’s multiple links from Consumerist and the ever-informative New York Times, along with a killer Salon post and the prettiest kitchen ever, courtesy of The Kitchn (naturally).

Chow: 10 Things to Cook for One
Is one the hungriest number you have ever known? No worries. This nice linkfest from the Chow folks will help you through dinner, AND BEYOND.

Consumerist: Buy In Bulk With Friends From Warehouse Clubs
Neat idea for apartment-dwellers, and/or folks who just won’t finish 3,000 capers all by their lonesome.

Consumerist: Learn To Make Depression Era Recipes With 93-Year-Old Clara
You’ll want Clara to be your grandma by the time this video is over. She wields a potato peeler pretty well for a nonagenarian.

Consumerist: Man Sues Walmart After Being Bitten By Snake, But Keeps Going Back For The Deals
a.k.a. When Frugality Goes a Tad Too Far. Just a Tad.

FiveThirtyEight: Beer No Longer Recession-Proof
Hm. If stripping and the mafia start to see losses, we could be in real trouble. I cite The Sopranos as proof:
Tony Soprano: Sil, break it down for ‘em. What two businesses have traditionally been recession-proof since time immemorial?
Silvio Dante: Certain aspects of show business and our thing.

Free Money Finance: Paying Off a Mortgage by Brown Bagging Your Lunch
Dude bags lunch. Dude banks money saved by bagging lunch. Dude pays off mortgage seven years early, pockets $14,000 in interest. Dude wins!

Frugal Upstate: Homemade Bisquick Substitute
Why buy the box when you can DIY in 30 seconds? Here, Jenn tells you how.

The Kitchn: 15 Tips for Easier, Quicker, and More Delicious Soup
Solid link comp on the wonders of watery meals.

The Kitchn: How to Make Over Mom’s Kitchen in One Weekend
Alix overhauled her ma’s tiny, messy kitchen in three days for only $275, and the results are stellar. For kicks, compare it to five similar (and presumably, pricier) redesigns from the This Old House website. You’ll be even more impressed.

Like Merchant Ships: Ultimate Lego Birthday Party
AUGH! I can hardly stand how cute and inventive and frugal and awesome this is. Party planners, take notes.

New York Times: Even Top Chefs Have Picky Kids
Quick-n-dirty interview with The Bald One on feeding his teen. If this guy has problems, we’re all doomed. DOOOOOOOOMED.

New York Times: No Lunch Left Behind
Slow food doyenne Alice Waters argues for healthier school meals. Perhaps a bit unrealistic financially, her plan is thought-provoking nonetheless, especially if you have elementary-aged kids. This interview with South Beach Diet creator Arthur Agatston makes a nice companion piece, as well. (Side note: I worked in a high school ten years ago, and vividly remember the cafeteria offering soft pretzels with dipping cheese as a weekly meal option. That’s messed up for so many reasons, it’s hard to count.)

New York Times: Tropicana Discovers Some Buyers Are Passionate About Packaging
You know the new Tropicana cartons? The ones that look like they were designed by a C-average art student? They’re gone, yo. Trop’s moving back to the old logo, thank goodness.

New York Times: Tipping and the Recession
Frank Bruni, the most powerful food critic in the Milky Way, reminds you to tip your waiters.

NPR: Downturn Drives Shoppers to Frozen Food Aisles
I’m not crazy about the interviewee’s tone (Cooking at home? THE HORROR.), but this five-minute audio piece summarizes Americans’ new shopping habits pretty well. Special emphasis is placed on frozen dinners, where folks can get decent quality for a fraction of the price of a restaurant.

Salon: How to Live What Michael Pollan Preaches
Both The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food are incredible books, full of crazy-valuable information and wonderful ideas. Still, their strategies remain out of reach for most of us. Half essay, half review of Mark Bittman’s new Food Matters tome, this Salon piece examines a compromise. Great stuff.

The Simple Dollar: Bulk Breakfast Burritos: Convenient, Cheap, Healthy, and Easier Than You Think
I’m pretty down with this thoughtful, comprehensive post on easily assembled morning meals, though the food itself is a little calorie-laden, thanks to the tortilla. To save 50 calories or so, I might opt for a soft taco-sized wrap.

Slashfood: What is Natural Food?
Newsflash: the word “natural” on food packaging means absolutely nothing. You’d be better off licking a sweater for the nutrition it promises you. Slashfood’s Emily Matchar examines the labeling process, and then asks a great question: “Forget the FDA – what does “natural” mean to us, as it applies to our food?”

Times UK Online: 50 of the world’s best food blogs
Have a couple of hours to kill? This is a good way to do it, and it’s much more entertaining than a nap.

(Photos courtesy of Mat and Carly, The Kitchn, and Right at Home.)

Alix · Apartment Dwellers · Buy In Bulk · Consumerist · Delicious Soup · Depression Era Recipes · Frugality · Linkfest · Merchant Ships · Messy Kitchen · Money Finance · Neat Idea · New York Times · Paying Off A Mortgage · Recession Proof · Silvio Dante · This Old House · Tony Soprano · Walmart · Warehouse Clubs

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Tuesday Megalinks

So much good stuff today, but first – I had the opportunity to write for the Mushroom Council’s new blog, so head on over if you get the chance. There’s a short post followed up by a sweet recipe for stuffed mushrooms, courtesy of the fine folks at Cooks Illustrated.

Broke Grad Student: Festival of Frugality Singles Awareness Edition
This week’s roundup includes lots of candy hearts, CHG’s What the Great Depression Can Teach Us About Food and Frugality, and a stellar post by Mighty Bargain Hunter entitled Why Do Frugality Tips Suck So Badly?

Chow: 10 Ways to Save at the Grocery Store
There are a billion of these stories floating around the blogosphere right now, but I liked Chow’s attention to substitutions and size, as well as the superhelpful (one word!) Chowhound threads linked at the end. Those guys know their stuff, yo.

Chow: Cooking with Winter Ingredients
To be sung to the tune of “It’s the End of the World as We Know it” by REM:
That’s great it starts with a grapefruit, banana, kale and artichokes –
Escarole is not afraid
Eye of a meyer lemon, listen to a yellow onion
Turnip serves its own needs
Don’t misserve your own beets
Feed it up with chard, cabbage, kiwi, orange,
Rutabaga, rutabaga, rutabaga – rutabaga fine!

CNN: Living on Food Stamps
Sean Callebs is living on the government’s $176 food stamp allotment for an entire month, and blogging all about it. As a 5’9” woman with no children or discernible exercise plan, I could do this. As a 6’3” long distance runner, Sean might have some issues.

Epi-Log: Cheap and Indispensable
In which Epicurious gives it up for flexible cutting boards. They’re absolutely necessary in my kitchen, so I concur with the mad props. Pretty colors, too.

Get Rich Slowly: Quick Tips for Eating Organic
Lightning fast rundown of tricks, highlighted by copious links and a few informative words from Grist’s Lou Bendrick.

Gotta Little Space to Fill: Make it From Scratch Festival
Valentine recipes galore decorate this week’s festival, along with Leigh’s Kismet salad.

Healthy Eats: Top 5 Kitchen Tools for Cooking Healthy
Food Network’s new healthy cooking blog launched only a few weeks ago, but is already packed to the gills with good stuff. Among the more helpful posts is this short, sweet article on the glory of food scales, plane graters, and beyond.

The Kitchn: Eight Ways to Build Flavor
The best part about this piece? All those flavor builders involve almost no added fat or calories. Plus, they turn the taste to 11.

The Kitchn: Soup Swap – Have You Tried it?
Ooooooooooo. Neat twist on the average potluck dinner. We’ve been nuts about soup here lately, so this might be worth a shot.

The Kitchn: Vegan and Vegetarian Soup Recipes
Speaking of soups, here are 15 of the Kitchn’s meatless favorites. These guys are on a total roll lately.

New York Post: Golden Time for Arche$
McDonald’s sales went up more than 5% last month alone. Whoa. Sure, they’re everything that’s wrong with food policy, but, uh … invest now.

New York Times: In Kitchen, “Loser” Contestants Start From Scratch
Article of the week, right here. Much more on this in tomorrow’s post, but essentially, the whole shebang boils down to this: Biggest Loser contestants generally come into the ranch completely unable to cook for themselves. Learning how is the hardest part of the whole experience, except for when Jillian yells. She’s scary.

New York Times: Restaurants Stop Playing Hard to Get
Eateries – even the fancy ones – are courting customers like CRAZY in an attempt to stay afloat during the recession. There are deals and discounts to be had out there – it’s just a matter of research.

New York Times: Dieting? Put Your Money Where Your Fat Is
Need a fast way to lose weight? Bet your ultra-competitive coworkers, cousins, or BFFs that you can do it quicker than they can. For real, it’s helping a lot of folks drop extra poundage.

Prime Time Money: Wife Swap and Couponing Gone Wrong
I saw this episode! While the non-frugal couple could have trimmed waaaaay back, the frugal family took thrift about 37 steps over the boundary of acceptable, to the point where it was affecting their children’s social development. Good analysis of a strange situation.

Slashfood: Could You Live Without a Fridge?
Do you know anyone who’s trying this? I hope they have a spare igloo.

Smart Money: 5 Sites for Clipping Grocery Coupons
Super-nice breakdown of reliable couponing sites. Hardcore shoppers might already know about these, but for the uninitiated, it’s a treasure trove … OF KNOWLEDGE. (Thanks to Consumerist for the link.)

U.S. News and World Report: Coupon Master Saves $1,500 a Month
Interview with Ashley Nuzzo, a.k.a. Frugal Coupon Mom, in which she details how she banks all that extra cash. Her plan is difficult to follow if you don’t have the time, but there are decent tips within, nonetheless. (Thanks to Jezebel for the link.)

Wise Bread: Frugal Fitness – Twenty-Five and a Half Ways to Make it Happen
WOOOO! Linkfest ’09! (Seriously, this is good stuff. Click now.)

(Photos courtesy of Ultimate Coupons, Spinalist Tips, and Spinelli’s Deli.)

Bargain Hunter · Candy Hearts · Cnn · Cutting Boards · Exercise Plan · Food Stamp · Food Stamps · Frugality · Grad Student · Great Depression · Informative Words · Little Space · Long Distance Runner · Mad Props · Mushroom Council · Pretty Colors · Recipe For Stuffed Mushrooms · Rutabaga · Valentine Recipes · Yellow Onion

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Tuesday Megalinks

Before we get to today’s links, I’d like to take a minute to commemorate the most important story you, me, or anyone across our vast, glorious planet will read this week. You know the one I’m talking about. The sad one. The crazy one. The one that will forever change the lives of teenagers aching to burst free of complacency/sobriety. If you don’t know, I’m sorry I have to bring it up here, in a simple blog.

Yes, the rumors are true: Zima is being discontinued.

Really, it’s kind of like losing a family member, if that family member came in a frosted bottle and tasted like a terrier’s butt. But don’t fret, dear readers! My youth may be lost, but your teen’s is still safe. Why, just think of all the other terrible, terrible malt beverages flooding the market today. If all goes well, your child will try one, decide it reminds them of “the devil’s urine” (which, word-for-word, is how my friend Mike described Zima Gold in 1994), and learn to hate alcohol forever. And in that way, Zima’s legacy will be preserved, even as the beverage itself meets its maker.

Now, for our regularly scheduled links…

Chief Family Officer: Our Biggest Spending Pitfall – Eating Out
Oh, sweet Cathy, I hear you. The Boyfriend and I have both had the sniffles lately, and rather than cook, we’ve been resorting to takeout egg drop soup and spicy noodles. (Really, anything that will temporarily sate our sinuses.) The financial effects have been … not nice.

Culinate: The Winter Squash Glossary
Sure, the butternut, acorn, and spaghetti varieties are here, but also – kabocha! Hubbard! Kuri! (Sidenote: up until I read this article, I didn’t know those words were types of food. I assumed they were the names of the secret Palin kids.)

Dietriffic: 30+ Ways to Recession-Proof Your Family Food Budget
In this post is everything you ever needed to know about saving food cash, plus links. Really, it makes CHG obsolete. Stop reading! We have no purpose. (Er … just kidding. I love you. All of you.) (Thanks to Being Frugal for the link.)

The Epi-Log: Does Organic Really Matter?
Arrrrrg. Everything I know is wrong.

The Kitchn: Best Healthy Comfort Foods? Ideas Wanted!
Worth a look for the comments thread, in which ideas are plentiful and solid. Included: popcorn, hot cocoa, butternut squash puree, edamame, roasted apples, soup, crumbles, and … holy cow. I’m going to get lunch now.

New York Times: Across the Country, Restaurants Feel the Pinch
Okay! I’m back from lunch! And it’s just in time for this NYT story, (again) documenting the financial collapse of another food-related industry. Ack. Now I need a drink.

Rocks in My Dryer: Aldi’s – Is It Worth It?
SPREADSHEET POWER! Shannon did a price comparison between Aldi’s and her local WalMart, and the former comes out so far ahead, it’s kind of ridiculous. Let’s put it this way: if the stores were swimmers, Aldi’s is Michael Phelps, and WalMart is some poor schmuck from a small town in Lichtenstein.

Rocks in My Dryer: What I’d Like For You To Know – Dealing with Food Allergies in a Child
I used to work with a guy with a severe peanut allergy, meaning you couldn’t touch a nut and then shake his hand, because it would literally KILL HIM. Here, mom Jane Anne describes how it is for kids. Another solid entry in RiMD’s What I’d Like for You to Know series.

Serious Eats: The Latest in College Financial Aid: Food Stamps
So, college students in Denver are applying for government assistance to get them through the week without starving. Honestly, I’m not sure how I feel about this. On one hand, if you’re putting yourself through school, these can be incredibly helpful. On the other hand … if you can afford college, why can’t you make room in the budget for some Ramen? (Yes, I know some people are taking out monster loans and trying to better their chances at a good job, but … yeah, it doesn’t sit right with me for some reason.)

SF Gate: One turkey bacon stands out in the flock
Oscar Meyer’s Louis Rich brand beats all others (including Trader Joes!) in a walk. I’m a fan of Applegate myself, but the tastetesters do not agree in the least. (Thanks to Serious Eats for the link.)

The Simple Dollar: Stop Wasting Money on Disposable Things
Post of the week, for sure. Trent makes a short list of stuff we shouldn’t have to throw out, including batteries, Swiffers, and Ziploc bags. Gigantic comment thread (94+ comments) adds even more creative ideas.

Slashfood: Just the Thing for Your BLT – Baconnaise
NOOOOOO! Why in the name of all that is good and pure would anyone pervert the simple beauty of bacon by combining it with MAYONNAISE? WHY? WHY? WHY? ARG. THIS HURTS MY SOUL.

Wired: The Future of Food
Geeks! Nerds! Foodies! UNITE! Super-awesome graphics and genuinely neat information combine to create a ludicrously cool series on feeding the planet. It’s the magazine’s front page, too, so if you can’t see it online…

(Photos courtesy of teamlorenz, The District Domestic, and bacontarian.)

Butternut · Complacency · Dear Readers · Egg Drop Soup · Family Food · Food Budget · Friend Mike · Glorious Planet · Kuri · Malt Beverages · Pitfall · Recession Proof · Sad One · Sinuses · Sniffles · Sobriety · Spicy Noodles · Types Of Food · Winter Squash · Zima

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Tuesday Megalinks

Okay! We’re back! Sorry, everybody. Between an exciting stomach bug and the wedding of two of my favorite people, it’s been a nutty couple of days. But we’re here now! With links! Lots of ‘em, too.

Casual Kitchen: 50 Delicious Recipes Containing Apples
Powerhouse recipe comp from Dan. As we slide into apple season, you can bet on seeing at least three of these on CHG over the next few weeks.

Chow: Whole Wheat Pasta Taste Test
Dang. I thought Ronzoni would place higher. But I think they might have changed their recipe from a few years ago. It’s grainier now. Boo.

Chow: How Green is Your Takeaway Container?
Long after humanity has eaten, argued, and TV’d itself into extinction, our lo mein containers will still litter the landscape like so much non-biodegradable snow.

Consumerist: Food Makers Want To Sell You Cheap Food For Big Profits
To illustrate, please see the Serious Eats article on Peanut Butter Slices about 15 links from now. Your mind will blow, then reform itself, then blow again.

Culinate: Women and Diet – Eating Well from 30 to 60
Ladies! Our metabolism is downshifting! Batten the hatches! Release the hounds! Open the Metamucil!

Get Rich Slowly: September Garden Update
JD and Kris are nearing the end of harvest time, and they only have four ears of corn to show for it. Oh, also 51 pounds of tomatoes, 27 pounds of apples, and more cherry tomatoes than a battalion of Italian grandmas could eat.

Huffington Post: Have a Late, Idiot – The Coffee Wars Turn Bitter
Super-interesting dissection of McDonald’s latest coffee commercials, which rely HEAVILY on class distinction to sell the goods. Do we really need to do this for breakfast? It’s my happiest time of day, and I do not appreciate its Palinization.

The Kitchn: Conscientious Cook – Which Foods to Buy in Bulk
The first of four strong entries from The Kitchn this week, in which Emma delineates which pantry, produce, and supply items should be bought en masse.

The Kitchn: No-Spend Shopping – The Housewares Swap
Trading extra kitchen equipment with friends at a party? HOLY MOLY, WHAT A GREAT IDEA. Seriously, how many extra pans, dishes, or weird little tea holders do you have lying around? My household owns a minimum of four whisks. I bet I could get a sweet potholder for one.

The Kitchn: Toad in a Hole and Birds in a Nest – What are Your Favorite Food Names?
Ooo! Bubble and Squeak!

The Kitchn: What’s Left After the Fad Passes?
The problem with buying magic-solution diet cookbooks is that inevitably, they’ll be worthless in a year. You’ll move on to the next great idea, and Skinny Bitch will be left to wither, lonely and unloved, behind aging salt and pepper shakers.

Money Saving Mom: All From One Little Pumpkin
Faboo guest post from Monica shows the evolution of a single gourd, from decoration to sign to vase to hiding place to muffin batter to lunch snack. If I was into calculus, I’d say this is resourceful to the Nth degree.

New York Times: And Then There Was the Food
Paul Newman’s been gone about a week now, and this article discusses the food legacy he left behind. Organic snacking wouldn’t have been the same without Cool Hand Luke, man. (P.S. At left: humina.)

New York Times: Momma, I’ll Have Some of Whatever You’re Having
Wow. Fascinating look at baby purees, and how mulching parents’ food can help children develop tastes for certain foods. Pasta Bolognese Slurry? Yes, please.

New York Times: On the Cheap
Design students create homes for mere cents on the dollar. Pretty, pretty pictures should give aspiring, broke decorators some neat ideas (especially in the kitchen). Just be warned – do NOT pick furniture off the street if you live in NYC, or any major metropolitan area with a vermin problem. You could be in for the worst, crawliest, most disgusting surprise, ever.

Serious Eats: Economy Bad, People Eat More at Home, Food Magazines Prosper
While the rest of the print industry is going to the dogs (literally – my housemates are using them to train their puppy), food magazines are on the rise. Everyday Food, Everyday with Rachael Ray, and Everyday Everyday Everyday (by the makers of Everyday) have all increased their numbers the first half of this year.

Serious Eats: More Signs of the End of Food – Fiber One Pop Tarts
Everything I know is wrong. And just to prove it …

Serious Eats: Peanut Butter Slices
Are you freaking kidding me?

Slashfood: Don’t Let ‘em Freeze – Bring Your Herbs in for Winter
We’ve posted similar links before, but herb preservation definitely deserves a yearly reminder. Don’t let your flava go to waste!

The Toronto Star: Soup a good way to economize
Torontites get soupy with it in the face of a worsening economy. Sweet Canadians, we never meant to hurt you.

Wise Bread: Cooking with Cabbage – 10 Cheap Meal Ideas
Cheap, fiber-filled, cheap, plentiful, and cheap, cabbage plays a valuable role in cuisines all over the world. Here, Myscha Theriault comes up with a bushel of tasty dishes featuring the vaunted vegetable.

Zen Habits: 9 Fail-proof Tips for Eating Healthy at Social Gatherings
Leo’s readers come up with a simple list of party tricks for the healthy eater. Clip and save.

YumSugar: Burning Question: What’s the Difference Between Yams and Sweet Potatoes?
I’m ashamed to say this, but I had no idea. (Except for, you know, the spelling.)

CHG is part of three blog carnivals this week, including

Festival of Frugality #14
The Politics and Money Carnival
Make it From Scratch (should be up momentarily)

(Photos courtesy of I Can Has Cheezburger, Retrospectacle, The Lounge, and Herb Society.)

Apple Season · Batten · Casual Kitchen · Cheap Food · Cherry Tomatoes · Chg · Class Distinction · Coffee Wars · Delicious Recipes · Downshifting · Food Makers · Harvest Time · Metamucil · Peanut Butter Slices · Release The Hounds · Sorry Everybody · Stomach Bug · Takeaway Container · Taste Test · Whole Wheat Pasta

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Tuesday Megalinks

CNN: Health magazine names top chain restaurant fare
Pretty decent rundown of good/bad dishes from a variety of mid-level eateries. Olive Garden’s Capellini Pomodoro gets a huge thumbs up, as long as you can resist UNLIMITED BREADSTICKS.

Consumerist: NJ Gov Interested in Fast Food “Sin Tax”
Wow! This is new. In an attempt to raise funds for struggling Garden State hospitals, Gov. Corzine (who doesn’t wear his seatbelt) is apparently considering a levee aimed at Mickey D’s, Burger King, and the like. While it sounds like a decent idea on the surface, aren’t you essentially taxing lower-income people? Who need the money to use the hospital? It’s a vicious circle.

Eurekalert: Better-educated women are a healthier weight, new research reveals
I think you can pretty much attribute this to: better education = more money = better nutrition, but I could be wrong. Why? Well, outside the U.S., “the average male body mass increased with every additional year of schooling.” Who knew? (Thanks to Jezebel for the link.)

iEat: Looks Like Intentional Pass for Roger Clemens Sports Bar
Bill Simmons said it best, but no other public figure enrages me more than The Rocket. A money-grubbing, Piazza-beaning, ‘roid-abusing, affair-having butthead of the highest order, he makes Ron Artest looks like a Mahatma Ghandi. Hopefully, his blunders will guide in a new era of honest, naturally talented ballplayers. Oh yeah – there’s also something about a restaurant here.

Festival of Frugality # 124: Frugal for Life
Dawn uses the alphabet as her guide for this week’s Frugalpalooza, which includes nice posts from The Digerati Life, My Daily Dollars, and My Dollar Plan.

The Kitchn: What Foods Can You Carry On The Plane?
Great list (including a mah-velous comment section) on airplane edibles. The Kitchn leans a bit toward the pricey sometimes (”roasted almonds are a must” … uh, no), but these should cover every financial base.

Lifehacker: Creative Ways to Use “Disposable” Items
My new favorite toy are the rubber bands off of leafy green vegetables. The Boyfriend and I reuse them for everything, up to and including: sealing garbage bags, closing half-eaten snack sacks, and decorative wrist bands. (One of those may be false.)

MSN: What if No One Were Fat?
Behind that provocative title lies a solid breakdown on how much money America would save on the whole if we didn’t have the obesity problem. The number they came up with (“$487 billion in gas, sweat and stretch pants”) is … well, it’s a lot. Suggested reading.

Philadelphia Inquirer: Neighbors take turns making “family meal”
I LOVE this. In a world where we know our neighbors less and less, food could be the great uniter – especially if there are kids involved. Hot dogs! Hamburgers! E Pluribus Unum! (Thanks to Slashfood for the link.)

Philadelphia Weekly: Reality Bites – When a young chef tries to save teen lives through food, his students prove his toughest critics.
Essentially, a chef teaches a cooking class to kids in Juvie who aren’t exactly receptive to “rich-people food,” a.k.a. hummus. Beyond the eye-opening anecdotes and some truly surprising stats, this piece does a GREAT job illustrating how income determines diet. (Thanks, Slashfood.)

Real Simple: Common Cooking Mistakes
Man, I do at least half of these things on a daily basis. Kudos to the world’s calmest magazine to correcting the mishaps of a nation. (Thanks to Lifehacker for the link, and for many additional comments on the subject.)

Science Daily: Body Image Program Reduces Onset of Obesity and Eating Disorders
I don’t go into body image and eating disorders much around here because I think they deserve much, much more attention than my half-cocked food blog can give them. Nonetheless, the discoveries covered in this piece are tremendously important, and absolutely worth reading if you have tweens or teens running around. (Thanks to Jezebel for the link.)

Slate: The agony of the food snob
Like just about everybody else, gourmands of the upper economic echelon are forking over mucho moolah for their chow. Unlike everybody else, it’s $21.99/lb prosciutto. Trying … to … gather … sympathy. (Thanks to Serious Eats for the link.)

Wise Bread: The ethics of hoarding
Wow. Just a stellar post on the difference between hoarding and stockpiling, and the lines folks cross when they resell goods at a higher price.

Wise Bread: Healthy frugal eating
WB’s Philip Brewer strikes again with a straightforward, no-bull piece on why we gotta suck it up and stop eating expensive crap. Stern, but informative!

Wise Bread: Optical illusions that make you fatter and your wallet lighter
Does this mean if you eat a meal on top of an M.C. Escher drawing, it will seem like it never ends? Up is down and down is up, people!

(Photos courtesy of Flickr members catiebear912, and foggychan, and Bookblog.)