Turning the ramen aisle into a rave, one shopper at a time.

Delicious, fried foods-- minus most of the fat? Count me in! Check out my friend Dave Lebovitz's trial run with the ActiFry. I'm thinking about picking one up on Amazon!

 

 

I love Cuba. And I am jealous of their universal health care system, and despite the problems that lie behind the Palm Curtain (in a paradise prison for some Cubans), this story shows many signs of a change in the air for the country as a whole.

Huff Po reporting this story-- further proof that morons are dangerous. The boat should have docked and dropped supplies, and those willing to volunteer should have been allowed to do so. Those not willing should have been taken off and transferred to another boat. This is like driving in a bus past a 40-car pile-up with massive fatalities and stopping long enough to take a pee break. Ridiculous.

I'm conflicted: I want to make ethical food choices, but I don't want to feel like an a-hole everytime I eat a banana. What are you thoughts on avoiding these scandalous foods?

Delta
I fly Delta all the time, and it looks like they are--yet again-- upping baggage fees. Lame. 

I Won't Forget to Put Roses on Your Grave
Valentine's Day is a month away, but it's not too early to start plotting your revenge against that jerk that broke your heart. I'm typically not one for dwelling in the past, but I thought this Dead Flowers concept was just too good to keep to myself.  

Stumbled across this seriously adorable snack on Serious Eats. Olives + carrots + toothpick = perfect for your next winter party.

Spooning Leads to Forking
Check out this pasta fork. It's perfect, no?

Spanx, but No Spanx
Did you eat too much over the holidays? I know I did. Even so, I don't think this "Spanx for Men" is up my alley. What do you think?

Eater posted a list of the legendary New York spots who closed their doors this year. Sad to see a lot of these places go.

Go with the Flow
Just discovered the site Eating the Road. Have you seen their flow charts? They aide you in picking the perfect cereal, fastfood joint, chain restaurant, beer, or crap from the freezer aisle. Just hysterical!

Fresh Mountain Air and Munchies
Have you heard about these marajuana-centric restaurants popping uparound Denver? You can order pizzas, pasta dishes, baked goods, even tapanade (called ganjanade) made with weed. Sounds pretty interesting, but don't expect to see that segment on Bizarre Foods.

Happy Hanukkah
We're in the midst of the Festival of Lights... one more reason to cook and eat great food. Check out the New York Times' Q an A with Jewish foodie Joan Nathan, as well a slideshow of some favorite Hanukkah dishes. 

Give and Receive
Finding the perfect gift can be stressful. That's why it's a good idea to check out your favorite magazine or website's holiday gift guide. Editors receive tons of sample goods all year long, and they've got their finger on the pulse of what's new and unique. I love Delta Sky Magazine's Globetrotter gift guide (they've also put together a guide for gadget gurus, kids, culinistas and more). 

For ideas of what not to buy, check out this assortment of foodie crap from Jillian at Food Network Humor.

 

Ever wanted to pound a glass of raw eggs a la Rocky? Turns out, it may not be as dangerous as you think, and they're even chockfull of Vitamins B12 and D.

No-Knead Smackdown
Want to know which EZ bread baking book to best suits your needs (er... kneads?)? Our friends at the Heavy Table put two new no-knead books head-to-head (Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg, M.D., and Zoë François and My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method by Jim Lahey). 

Sketchy Santas
Not food related, but you can't not love this homage to the mall Santa Claus and all the stress, fear and tears he strikes in the hearts of kids.

Calling all singles! Jamie Oliver teams up with Match.com, supplying "romantic" recipes that will help aid the falling in love process.  Apparently, "certain meals are scientifically proven to jump-start a connection." Hmm... Maybe he should check out this site.

People Eating Weird Things
Paste, scorpions, glass (?)... and you guys thought I ate bizarre stuff. Check out this video from current.com. That cinnamon thing is pretty funny. 

So... Coolio has a new food show. Yes, as in the man responsible for such classics as Gangsta's Paradise and 1-2-3-4 (Sumpin' New). I don't think I've ever heard someone use a "dime-bag" as a measurement of dry ingredients before, but whatever works for you. Be sure to check out his recipe for lettuce wrap blunts (I'm not even kidding) and Fork Steak Heavenly Ghettalian Garlic Bread. Shaka-zulu!

Make Bacon... Then "Make Bacon"
My friend Alexis McKinnis passed along this fun food blog. Looking to get some action? Maybe you should try out one of these recipes from Cook to Bang, a food site dedicated to getting you laid.

What's your stand-by recipe when trying to impress the pants off a potential mate? Or better yet, what recipe might make you start giving that come-hither stare?

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. What's better than hanging out with your friends and family, eating home cooked food and watching football? Of course, the day itself can be incredibly stressful, but when the grub finally lands on the table and everyone sits down to eat, it's worth all the hassle. 

Seems everyone has their own set of tips and tricks to make it through Turkey Day. I can recommend the best place to get a bird and share my favorite recipes for a perfect turkey, stuffing and gravy. Here's a collection of some of the most helpful, fun, interesting Thanksgiving-dedicated content on the web. Enjoy! 

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What chef's Thanksgiving dinner would you most like to attend? I'm thinking Paula Deen's: Classic comfort food, and no skimping on the fat, salt and butter. Paula's website, Get Cookin' with Paula Deen, has some great video recipes of Thanksgiving staples. Here's a vid for cornbread stuffing. Sign me up. 

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And for something on the complete opposite end of the spectrum.... Who loves a vegetarian Thanksgiving? Not me, but every celebration will have the token veggie and you gotta accommodate. Here's an editorial piece and podcast from our friends at NPR on a poultry-free dinner. 

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For planner-aheaders, our minimalist amigo Mark Bittman has 101 Head Starts for Thanksgiving. Pick and choose a few and make the day that much less stressful.

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Having a oh sh*t moment? Check out Food52's Thanksgiving 911, where you can post a problem or question and get feedback from people who know and care. Ahh... feel the love.

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If you're addicted to food porn, take a look at Ree Drummond's site, The Pioneer Woman. Great recipes and tips, but amazing photos. 

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Thanksgiving is all about being thankful. If you want to pay it forward this year, Epicurious compiled a list of organizations looking for donations and/or volunteers.

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And just for fun, who else is in the This American Life fanclub? We are at our office. Check out Sarah Vowell's Thanksgiving tribute to episodes of classic sitcoms that dealt with the holiday. Listen to the podcast or download the episode on www.thisamericanife.org.

A PR stunt meets fashion show meets... meat? As part of the campaign, "Eat your steak. Be a man." the Russian Goodman Steak House restaurant mini-empire hosted a fashion show with clothing made of raw meat. The video is really something... the only thing that could make it better is a walk-off between Derek Zoolander and Hansel, judged by David Bowie. For more [mind-boggling and kind of disgusting] photos, check out adme.ru.

Get Your Grubs On
This meal focused on bugs, worms and other creepy crawlers had my mouth watering. Check out the slideshow from this unique meal organized by the Stanford Club of San Francisco. Do you think you could stuff yourself on this grub?

Elissa Altman talks about her finicky eating habits as a kid, and why she goes crazy when parents complain about making separate meals for every member of the family. Even though Altman admits she might be off base (she doesn't have kids), I think she does bring up a good point about eating as a family.

Food Oddities
Meet Remy. He's eight. He lives in Michigan. He'll eat anything. I posted a video of him sampling bamboo worms above, but he's got lots more on the website, foododdities.com. Remy, you ROCK! Who knows? Keep it up and it could be your job one day.

Here’s a completely unnecessary, fabricated holiday I can certainly stand behind. Serious Eats, God bless ‘em, put together a list of some of the best sammies in the country. Esquire Magazine thinks these are the best in the country, and I love the pastrami at the Carnegie Deli.

So tell me: Who makes your favorite sandwich?