Cheap Healthy Good

Why Weight Maintenance is Harder Than Weight Loss, and How to Help it Along

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 21:40:00 +0000

An estimated 80% to 95% of people who lose a significant amount of weight will gain it back. It sounds high, yes, but I believe it. This is because I’m slowly becoming one of those people.

Full disclosure: about four years ago, I dropped 30 pounds to get to a (too) low weight of 132. Between then and now, my scale readout has slowly crept up to about 153 pounds. (Ideally, at 5-foot-9 with fine bones and the muscle tone of a newly-hatched wren, I’d like to be somewhere between 140 and 145.)

On one hand, I think I would have gained the weight back much faster had it not been for this blog. Undoubtedly, it’s helped my eating habits change for the better. I drink water, cook at home, scarf lots of produce, and avoid processed foods like it’s my job. My heart, lungs, and various other organs are in excellent shape, and my sister gets thoroughly annoyed that we can’t eat a meal without me adding some kind of crazy vinegar or seasoning. So there’s that.

On the other hand … I’ve put on 20 pounds in four years. I’m not in crisis mode (yet), but what the heck?

I know my faults. There are ongoing issues with portion control and dining out, and my reliance on cheese has grown from an occasional treat to an everyday occurrence. I just didn’t expect those factors to make this much of an impact on the circumference of my backside.

But, as the opening statistic demonstrates, I’m far from alone. Maintaining a weight loss is difficult for everyone. In fact, I would say it’s even harder than losing the weight in the first place. Why? Well, once you’ve dropped the pounds – once you’re no longer getting measurable results on the scale, and weight loss morphs from a happy goal to a ho-hum product of the past – things change. Over time, enthusiasm fades, behaviors slack, and long-ignored temptations are indulged with abandon.

In other words, eating salad for 40 days is easy. Eating salad for 40 years is hard.

Enter the National Weight Control Registry. Comprised of PhDs, MDs, and other experts in the health and obesity field, it monitors the habits of thousands of people who have lost at least 30 pounds, and have kept it off for a minimum of one year. (The average is 66 pounds over 5-1/2 years.) Workers conduct studies, publish journal articles, and are widely considered The Authority on diet and weight maintenance. And while they don’t claim to have concrete guidelines that will keep the pounds permanently off for everyone, they have discovered a few actions common among successful maintainers. (Note that these findings imply correlation, and not necessarily causation.)

In order of popularity, they are:

1) Exercise, on average, about one hour per day.
90% of successful maintainers do this.
Far and away the most common factor for weight maintenance among respondents, exercise prevents you from binging, draws you away from the television set, and … y’know, does all the good things it’s supposed to. Movement must be for life, not as part of a temporary diet plan.

2) Eat breakfast every day.
78% of successful maintainers do this.
The researchers gave three reasons for this: “First, eating breakfast may reduce the hunger seen later in the day that may in turn lead to overeating…Second, breakfast eaters may choose less energy-dense foods during the remainder of the day. Finally, nutrients consumed at breakfast may leave the subject with a better ability to perform physical activity.” Of the 2959 successful maintainers in a 2002 NWCR study, only 4% never ate breakfast.

3) Weigh yourself at least once a week.
75% of successful maintainers do this.
The NWCR calls this “consistent self-monitoring,” and claims it allows maintainers to, “catch weight gains before they escalate and make behavior changes to prevent additional weight gain.” I have not weighed myself in over a year. This explains a lot.

4) Watch less than 10 hours of TV per week.
62% of successful maintainers do this.
In a 2003 study, the American Heart Association found a strong correlation between the amount of TV one watches, the amount of fast food ingested, and the propensity for obesity. Turning the boob tube off can help sidestep this, as it allows for more activity and less mindless grazing. (Personally, I believe this point is incredibly important for kids, since they develop habits in childhood that they’ll have for the rest of their lives. Subsequently, I’d lump video games and computer time in the same category.)

The good news is, the longer you maintain your weight, the more likely you are to keep it up in the future. So, adopting these behaviors can only help. I would also suggest that beginning the whole process with long-term intentions (“This is not a diet. This is a lifestyle change.”) makes all the difference in the world.

As for me, I have to drop some pounds again. Then, I need to concentrate on maintaining it for the rest of my life. It's gonna be tough, but I feel a responsibility to readers, the Husband-Elect, our future kids, and myself to do so. Fingers crossed, these strategies will help.

Readers, how about you? What’s been your experience with maintaining weight loss?

(Photos courtesy of the University of Maryland and Documenting Success.)

Tuesday Megalinks

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:28:00 +0000

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.)

Hush Puppy Corncakes … I Think

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:30:00 +0000

Have you ever seen a recipe, and wanted to make it, but didn’t want it to be very heavy, so you made a few changes, and then when you cooked it, it turned out really different than you thought, but it still tasted good?

That happened to me once.

Food & Wine had a great-looking recipe for hush puppies in their June issue, and I was itchin’ to try it out. Sadly, like 99.5% of hush puppy recipes, it required frying, which is not so great for the cheap/healthy/good thing we attempt here. So, in an effort to reduce the fat, I decided to brown the puppies in a sauté pan, and then finish them in the oven.

Only, that didn’t happen.

Instead, as soon as the batter hit the skillet, it began to expand and bubble. Five minutes later, I had six mini-corncakes that flipped like flapjacks and looked like arepas, but tasted like hush puppies. I narrowed these unexpected results down to two factors:

A) I used 1% milk, which created a thinner batter, and,

B) Deep-frying cooks the outside of food simultaneously and instantaneously, freezing it in position. Pan-browning cooks slowly and doesn’t cover nearly as much surface area, giving everything time to spread out. If I had dropped the batter in hot oil, all would have been well. But I did that other thing, so … flapjacks. Or corncakes. Or something.

Still, they were very tasty. We ate them with a little bit of honey butter, though we suspect they would have also been nice with mozzarella cheese and/or shrimp with bay seasoning. They came out to under 60 calories and only 2.1 grams of fat per serving and … get this … nine cents each. Seriously.

So, people! Go eat these … things. They’re sincerely very good, even if I can’t quite identify what they are.

P.S. I’ve started using crazy/pricey farmer’s market eggs, so odds are your corn cakes will come in about $0.75 less, or $2 total. That’s 7 cents per cake. Wow.

Hush Puppy Corncakes
Makes about 28 or 30 1-1/2” cakes
Adapted from the July 2009 issue of Food & Wine.

1 cup coarse yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking soda
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons dried oregano or Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup 1% milk
2 scallions, finely chopped
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

1) In a large bowl, whisk the cornmeal with the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, oregano, cayenne pepper and black pepper. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk, scallions, and 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Stir the wet ingredients into the cornmeal mixture until just blended. Cover and refrigerate the batter for 1 hour.

2) In a large pan, heat ½ tablespoon vegetable oil over medium-high until shimmering. Drop rounded tablespoons of batter into the pan, like you would pancakes. Cook until bubbles appear on the side facing you, then flip over and continue cooking until golden brown.

3) Repeat until batter is finished, replenishing the pan with ½ tablespoon of olive oil with every new batch. Adjust heat as needed.

4) Serve with shrimp, honey butter, mozzarella, or anything else you can think of.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
59 calories, 2.1 g fat, $0.09

Calculations
1 cup coarse yellow cornmeal: 505 calories, 2.3 g fat, $0.45
1 cup all-purpose flour: 455 calories, 1.3 g fat, $0.09
2 tablespoons sugar: 93 calories, 0 g fat, $0.05
1 tablespoon baking soda: negligible calories and fat, $0.03
2 teaspoons kosher salt: negligible calories and fat, $0.04
2 teaspoons dried oregano or Italian seasoning: 18 calories, 0.5 g fat, $0.21
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper: negligible calories and fat, $0.03
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper: 2 calories, 0.5 g fat, $0.02
3 large eggs, lightly beaten: 221 calories, 14.9 g fat, $1.13
¾ cup 1% milk: 79 calories, 1.8 g fat, $0.18
2 scallions, finely chopped: 16 calories, 0.1 g fat, $0.22
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided: 371 calories, 41.9 g fat, $0.27
TOTAL: 1760 calories, 63.3 g fat, $2.72
PER SERVING (TOTAL/30): 59 calories, 2.1 g fat, $0.09

Israeli Couscous Salad: A Narrative

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Picture it: ~~Sicily, 1924~~ Brooklyn, 2009. Friends are converging on our backyard in less than an hour for a Sunday night cookout. In my kitchen are a lone cucumber, four pounds of peppers, a few near-deceased scallions, a tomato bigger than my head, a handful of on-its-way-out parsley, and a cup-and-a-half of dry Israeli couscous, purchased on a whim during my inaugural visit to the Fairway in Red Hook. (Which? Whee!)

I don’t know about you guys, but that screams Some Kind of Salad to me.

Here’s the thing, though – I’ve never used Israeli couscous before, and have no idea how to prepare it. So, I do some quick research, which reveals the following:

It’s a pasta, not a grain.
It can cook like a pasta OR a grain.
It doesn’t get much bigger after it’s cooked.
It does, in fact, hail from the land of the Israelites.
It’s also called p’titim, which is funny after you stare at it for a while.

Armed with my new cache of knowledge, I take to the stove, where I immediately discover this:

Uncooked, Israeli couscous is somewhat prone to static electricity when poured from a plastic bag, meaning several little nodules can/will end up covering your kitchen floor like so many ball bearings.
It cooks way fast.

Once the tile is swept and the couscous is sufficiently moist, I begin a-choppin’, which quickly progresses to a-stirrin’, and finally ends up with a-drenchin’, a-limin’, and a-salt-n-pepperin’. Thirty minutes later, I have a somewhat original, definitely delicious pasta salad that began with a few spare parts, a bad Golden Girls reference, and a dream.

And you know what? My guests are sated, my Sunday night is heavenly, and I write about it later that week on a cooking blog. Perhaps it’s the best couscous salad ever? Time will tell.

Happy weekend, everybody!

P.S. You could probably cut the dressing by a third and still be fine, taste-wise. Just sayin’.

Israeli Couscous Salad
Makes 8 side servings
Created by moi.

1 cup chicken broth
1 cup water (plus more if needed)
1-1/2 cups uncooked Israeli couscous
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped
3 large scallions, chopped
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
½ large lime
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1) Bring stock and water to a boil. Add couscous, turn down to a simmer, cover, and cook for 6-10 minutes, or until couscous is al dente. Drain and run under cold water to stop cooking process.

2) In a small bowl, whisk olive oil and vinegar together to make a dressing.

3) In a large bowl, combine couscous, cucumber, tomato, bell pepper, scallions, parsley, and dressing. Once mixed, squeeze lime over everything, and add salt and pepper to taste. Stir again.

4) Serve cold or at room temperature. Will stay a few days in the fridge, most likely.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
222 calories, 7.4 g fat, $0.82

Calculations
1 cup chicken broth: 10 calories, 0.5 g fat, $0.38
1 cup water (plus more if needed): negligible calories and fat, $0.00
1-1/2 cups uncooked Israeli couscous: 1140 calories, 3 g fat, $1.61
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil: 477 calories, 54 g fat, $0.52
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar: negligible calories and fat, $0.16
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped: 34 calories, 0.6 g fat, $0.66
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped: 33 calories, 0.4 g fat, $1.17
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped: 50 calories, 0.4 g fat, $1.12
3 large scallions, chopped: 24 calories, 0.2 g fat, $0.33
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped: 5 calories, 0.1 g fat, $0.45
½ large lime: 5 calories, 0 g fat, $0.10
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste: negligible calories and fat, $0.03
TOTAL: 1778 calories, 59.2 g fat, $6.53
PER SERVING (TOTAL/8): 222 calories, 7.4 g fat, $0.82

Veggie Might: Atomic Pink Food Can Be Good for You

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:00:00 +0000

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a regular Thursday feature about all things Vegetarian.

There are some unholy colors out there in processed food land thanks to Red #3, Yellow #6, and Blue #2. But there is naturally occurring neon that will light up the dinner table and set off your mineral and vitamin meters.

Beets, in all their pink/purple, betacyanin glory, kick cancer’s arse and taste amazing too. Beets are a pretty recent discovery for me. Growing up, they were only offered in pickled form, which grossed me out. As an adult, I’ve only had them in salads with nuts and goat cheese. And while that’s a great combo, I knew there must be some other way to use them.

Luckily, I found a recipe with a flavor intensity to match the out-of-this-world color.

At the farmers’ market, I had picked up a bunch of beets with their tops, plus an extra bunch of greens. (Yes, Kris, we love our greens!) I wanted a recipe that could incorporate both. Once again, I visited with my imaginary mentor, Madhur Jaffrey, via World Vegetarian, making her Beet Curry with Mushrooms with a few renovations.

Essentially, I made it fit my market haul, and the results were eye- and mouth-popping. It takes a little bit of time, but it’s worth the effort. The earthy, sweet beets bounce off the slightly bitter greens and spicy ginger and chilies. Chickpeas make it a hearty almost-one-pot-meal in a skillet. (I served it with rice cooked separately.)

Speaking of chickpeas, I am a new convert to dried beans. I finally mastered the soak, boil, cook process, and wow! The difference is outstanding. I may never buy canned beans again. Organic dried chickpeas from the bulk bin were even cheaper than the conventional my local natural food store.

An economic side note, dried beans are the best deal in town. My only argument with Food Inc. was the moment Michael Pollan (I think) claimed it was cheaper to feed a family with fast food or processed food.

I understand the point he was trying to make—that farm subsidies have skewed the market in favor of the meat industry—but I wanted to raise my hand and offer to feed the movie theater with a bag of dried beans, a bunch of spinach, a bulb of garlic, and my spice cabinet. It would have been a liberal New Yorker version of the loaves and fishes.

Sorry, back-to-back digressions. Back to the beets. Seriously, this recipe is rockin’, and as you can see, it comes out a gorgeous shade of ‘80s hot pink with nary a food additive in sight. If your only experience with beets is a jar of pickles, give this a try and bask in the glow of your good health.

The beets, the greens...They’re atomic!

Beets and Greens Curry with Chickpeas

1 bunch of small to medium beets (about 9 oz.), peeled and cubed
6 cups beet greens, chopped
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
1 tsp whole mustard seeds
1 tbsp + 1 tsp ginger, peeled and grated
4 large garlic cloves, minced
3 dried red chilies, whole
2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
2 cups chickpeas
2 tsp salt

1) Heat oil in large cast iron skillet or pan of your choice. When the oil is hot, add cumin and mustard seeds. Stir occasionally.

2) When mustard seeds pop, add the beets and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

3) Add ginger, garlic, and chilies. Stir and fry for another 2 minutes.

4) Add the beet* greens, chopped tomatoes, plus 1 cup of water, and salt. Stir and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer.

5) After 10 minutes, toss in chick peas.

6) Simmer for 30 more minutes.

7) Serve with basmati rice. Dig in and radiate.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price per Serving
227.75 calories, 5.5g fat, $1.36

Calculations
9 oz beets: 108 calories, 0g fat, $2.00
6 cups beet greens: 48 calories, 0g fat, $1.00
1 tbsp canola oil: 120 calories, 14g fat, $.08
1 tsp whole cumin seeds: negligible calories and fat, $.02
1 tsp whole mustard seeds: negligible calories and fat, $.02
1 tbsp + 1 tsp ginger: 14 calories, 0g fat, $.06
4 large garlic cloves: 17 calories, 0g fat, $.05
3 dried red chilies: negligible calories and fat, $.02
2 fresh tomatoes: 66 calories, 0g fat, $1.33
2 cups chickpeas: 538 calories, 8g fat, $.86
2 tsp salt: negligible calories and fat, $.02
Totals: 911 calories, 22g fat, $5.46
Per Serving (totals/4): 227.75 calories, 5.5g fat, $1.36

*correction

Feeding a Group on Vacation

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:45:00 +0000

When you’re on holiday with family and friends, there are few worse things than having to leave your luxurious and remote mountain cabin to pick up another pack of hot dogs. Or cooking chili for eight people, only to find out you needed to make it for 16. Or wondering how you blew $400 on food over three days you mostly spent at the beach.

Feeding a vacationing group is tough. And if you’re staying in one place and cooking for yourselves over any length of time, it gets much harder. There are dietary restrictions to account for, shopping lists to write, menus to plan, and most of all, money to consider. But whether you’re in a rental home or a secluded yurt in Eastern West Virginia, there are ways to make everything a billion times easier.

First, plan ahead of time. The earlier you begin, the better prepared you’ll be when the time rolls around.

Second, keep meal prep and planning as simple as humanly possible. It will save you 15 gajillion headaches in the long run.

Third, give these guidelines a shot. In the past, they’ve helped me feed two large groups handily, inexpensively, and somewhat healthily. And if you have anything to add in the comment section, go crazy.

Pick someone to take the lead.
It will make life much, much, much easier if a single person acts as the go-to for everyone. This lovely individual will compile menus, devise lists, collect money, and possibly do the shopping, but WON’T prepare the actual meals. Foodies are always bizarrely up for this kind of challenge, but if no one wants the responsibility, promise a volunteer they won’t have to do dishes the entire vacation. As God is my witness, there is no greater incentive.

Check allergies and dietary restrictions.
You obviously can’t cater to everyone, but you can make sure you buy tofu for Cousin Chloe the Blossoming Vegetarian and avoid peanut products if they’ll kill Johnny Jr. Keeping a running e-mail thread is an easy way to do this, and a great method of keeping tabs on planning in general.

Find out what your vacation destination provides.
Often, rental homes and condos will have cleaning products, toilet paper, coffee, salt, pepper, sugar, and other basic staples already there for you. A quick call to your agent/the owner should nail you down a list, and then you don’t have to buy that stuff.

If you can swing it, bring a few food items with you.This makes sense for expensive products everyone might use (olive oil, coffee, etc.) instead of condiments purchased cheaply (mustard, ketchup, etc.). If you're camping, it may not be feasible, but if you're taking a minivan, see if they fit.

Get an approximate headcount, then multiply it by the number of days in your vacation.
The result is the number of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, and desserts needed for the duration of your stay. Your final drink number is all those added together. In other words:

13 people x 3 days = 39

39 breakfasts
39 lunches
39 dinners
39 snacks
39 desserts
195 drinks (1 drink per meal, snack, & dessert)

A few notes on meals:

Unless you’re gigantic breakfast fans, this is your easiest meal, and should be prepped by each vacationer as his or her schedule dictates. A few dozen eggs, some fruit, a bag of bagels, and monster box of cereal will do the trick.
Lunches are similar to breakfasts in that they should involve simple preparation performed by singular people. Sandwiches and grilled items are good options, and don’t forget leftovers from the previous night’s dinner.
Dinner is a doozy. To avoid anarchy, we designate one or two people per night to cook for the whole group. Make-your-own bars and easily multiplied recipes are best here, including chili, pasta, macaroni and cheese, salads, burritos, and pizza. Again, you can’t go wrong with grilling, either.
With snacks and desserts, I find vacations tend to promote grazing. An adult won’t necessarily sit down to eat exactly 15 chips, ¼ cup of dip, and eight baby carrots. Instead, they’ll have three chips at 2pm, five baby carrots at 3:47, and the rest at 5:13. Kids … vary.
As for desserts, not everyone is into them, and you may only indulge half the nights of your vacation. Subsequently, the overage can be used for random snacking. That’s always nice.
Drinks are exciting, because they’re completely dependent on your group tastes. For one recent three-day trip, we bought a few jugs of OJ and six bottles of Diet Coke, because everyone – from top to bottom – was drinking water. (Er, and booze.)
If you’re going out to a restaurant for any meal, don’t forget to subtract those servings from the total. In other words, if you’re accounting for 39 dinners, but everyone’s hitting a steakhouse on Day 3, it becomes 26 dinners.

Assign dinners and get shopping lists from everyone.
So it’s fair to all attendees, designate one person/group per evening to prepare dinner. Then, have each person/group write up their menu and submit a shopping list to the coordinator. This will ensure all the ingredients are bought, and there’s an equal distribution of cooking duties.

Potential chefs: in regard to the dinners and themselves, choose recipes that A) are easily doubled (or tripled), B) you’re very familiar with (because you should never try a food for the first time on a group), C) will most likely appeal to a number of people, and D) doesn’t involve a huge list of hard-to-find ingredients. Again, chilis, soups, stews, pizzas, and any kind of make-your-own bars are ideal for this. Don’t forget to account for condiments in the lists, and if you have enough for leftovers, bonus.

Create a master list of all ingredients and necessities, taking care to estimate how much each item will cost.
Okay. This part is a little tough. But after you do it once, it gets much, much easier for future vacations. Here’s an example of my breakfast list from a three-day, 13-person Seattle trip earlier this year (note that milk is for cereal and coffee, not drinking straight):

BREAKFASTS
BAGELS, EGGS, AND CEREAL WITH MEAT, TOAST, AND FRUIT (39 TOTAL MEALS)
12 - 18 bagels (12-18 MEALS) ($8)
3 dozen eggs (12 MEALS) ($7.50)
2 large boxes cereal (15 MEALS) ($8)
2 cream cheeses ($5)
1 lb unsalted butter (for breakfast & beyond) ($3)
2 lbs bacon ($10)
2 boxes breakfast sausage ($5)
1 loaf toast bread ($2.50)
1 gallon + 1 quart 1% or 2% milk ($5)
Assorted fruit ($5)
TOTAL: ~$60

And here’s an example of one of the dinner nights from that same trip:

THURSDAY DINNER
CHIILI NIGHT W/MACARONI & CHEESE AND CORN MUFFINS (13 TOTAL MEALS)
4 small boxes Jiffy corn muffin mix (or other corn muffin mix) ($2)
10 eggs (for muffins and mac & cheese)($2.30)
4 medium onions ($1.50)
1 head garlic ($0.50)
3 pounds ground turkey (93/7 percentage – NOT 99% fat-free) ($14)
2 28-oz cans whole plum tomatoes (Redpack, etc.) ($4)
2 14.5 oz-cans beef broth ($2)
2 12-oz bottles amber beer (Dos Equis XX Ambar, etc.) ($3)
2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce (Redpack, etc.) ($1)
2 15-ounce cans small white beans ($2.50)
2 15-ounce cans pinto beans ($2.50)
2 15-ounce cans pink kidney beans ($2.50)
1-1/2 pounds elbow macaroni ($2)
18 ounces evaporated milk ($3)
30 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded ($10)
(Spice mixture being brought by cooks)
TOTAL: ~$60

For reference, one serving is about: three eggs, 2 slices of bread, 4 ounces lunchmeat, 2 ounces bacon, 5-6 ounces beef or chicken, 1-1/2 hot dogs, 1 ounce cheese, 1 cup cereal.

Add up the final total and divide by the number of people paying for food.
For this trip, all our meals added up to about $467. Divided by 13 people, that’s $35.92 each. We added another $4.08 to each create a nice even $40, and to account for any possible overage.

In the end, it was came to approximately $33 each for three days of profuse vacation eating, and we used our extra funds for alcohmahol. Not too shabby.

Go shopping.
You can take care of dry and frozen goods months ahead of time, provided you have storage space. Fresh foods should be bought much closer to the start of the vacation. If you’re feeling really saucy, cut and paste your master list to another document, and organize it by supermarket department. It will cut your store time in half.

Eat.
No explanation necessary.

When all is said and done, split the leftovers.
And if you’re allowed, leave extra staples in the rental for the next group. Odds are they won’t have planned as well, and are gonna need that paprika.

SPECIAL NOTE ON BOOZE:
In my (very) humble opinion, the person in charge of food shouldn’t be responsible for alcohol, as well. That’s just crazy talk. So, either designate another vacationer to take on the beer and wine assignment OR make individuals responsible for their own stuff.

And that’s it. Sweet readers, know that this is my method, and one of what must be hundreds. It’s not the easiest thing on Earth, but it’s saved my friends and family tons of dough. If you have your own technique, please share! The comment section is good to go.

P.S. I’m happy to pass my whole Seattle food document on to anyone who’s interested. (E-mail me at cheaphealthygood@gmail.com!) Who knows? It might help.

(Photos courtesy of Sun Realty NC, Mountain Property for Sale, and Dan Beard Council.)

Tuesday Megalinks

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:01:00 +0000

This week, it’s coupon burnout, low-cost and no-cost breakfasts, and a stellar article on catering your own nuptials. Oh, summer. You’re neat.

Chow: Leaving a Massive Tip – When Should You Leave More Than 20%?
I say A) when the service has been outstanding or B) when your sit-down dinner bill comes to less than $15 or $20. I always feel bad leaving less than $4 for an evening waiter.

Forkable: Save Money – Cater Your Own Wedding
Faboo step-by-step guide to the formerly unthinkable: planning, cooking, and serving your own wedding dinner. Seriously, this is phenomenal, and the money saved is huge. (Thanks to The Kitchn for the link.)

Generation X Finance: The Pros and Cons of Joining a Local Food Co-op
So, here’s the deal: joining a co-op will most definitely land you lots of good food, but it won’t necessarily save you any cash. In fact, you might pay more for your good intentions. Gen X ponders whether the expenditure is worth it.

Jezebel: Do You Have a Secret Culinary Life?
A.k.a. What funky stuff do you eat by your lonesome? Last I checked, there were 393 comments, so it’s a bit of a hot topic.

The Kitchn: Fast, Healthy, and Cheap Breakfast Ideas
Neat little comment thread about the most important meal of the day. If anyone can identify what’s in the picture, I’m all ears/eyes/tongues.

The Kitchn: Grill Out – 21 Good Grilling Tips, Recipes, and Ideas
Do you like fire? Do you like putting food into fire, and then eating that food? Excellent. The Kitchn can help.

Money Saving Mom: Once-a-Week Frugal Food Night
Guest poster Amy Ellen is generally a pretty frugal mom, but once a week, she takes it to warp speed, spending less than $1.50 on a dinner for six. Here, she explains how she does it without resorting to paper shavings. Good stuff.

Money Saving Mom: What to Do When You’re Tired of Couponing
Crystal says: share the load, simplify your system, and for the love of Pete, put it aside if you’re overwhelmed. The $0.50 discount on yogurt will still be there when you get back.

New York Times: New York City – Feeding the Children
Gothamites, hear this: most likely, your kids are eligible for free breakfasts and lunches this summer. Winnie Hu has details.

New York Times: 11 Health Myths That May Surprise You
In what’s essentially a book review, I’m already shocked at a few busted myths: you DON’T lose most of your heat through your head, cracking your knuckles WON’T give you arthritis, and sugar DOESN’T make kids hyper. I might have to read this now.

Newsday: Egg, milk prices seen biggest drop of any major foods
Egg prices plummeted 18%, while milk saw a 22% drop. Is it just me, or do egg prices fluctuate more than oil prices? Also, the man in the picture is the happiest milk-pourer I’ve ever seen. I would order coffee from him.

San Francisco Chronicle: ‘Certified Organic’ May not be 100%
Food politics genius Marion Nestle settles the “What qualifies as organic?” question once and for all, dagnabbit.

Saveur: Types of Watermelon
It’s almost seed-spitting season, everybody! This year, why not try one of the 18 (yes, 18) fabulous varietals described by Saveur? If the Sugar Baby doesn’t tempt you, surely the Extazy will. Oh, and be sure to check out the slideshow.

Start Cooking: 12 Cool Summer Soups
I know some people think cold soups are freakier than a Tim Burton movie marathon, but this recipe rundown might change your mind. When in doubt, go gazpacho. (Thanks to Casual Kitchen for the link.)

US News and World Report: TV Ads Trigger Mindless Eating
Great googly moogly. The header says it all: “Kids watching food commercials consumed 45 percent more snacks, study shows.” Furthermore, “That increased amount of snacking would lead to a weight gain of nearly 10 pounds a year, unless it was countered by decreased intake of other foods or increased physical activity.” Yowza.

Washington Post: We Have a Bad Feeling About Our Food
One last review of Food, Inc. (I promise), in which the author especially hits on the film’s theme of transparency. Worth a gander.

(Photos courtesy of VIP Corporate Events, Digital Grin, and Oregon State.)

Escarole and White Beans: It's Leafy Keen, Jellybean

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Lettuce talk leafy greens. (Ho ho.)

We’re gigantic kale and spinach fans here at CHG headquarters, and chard, romaine, and mustard greens have been known to make semi-frequent appearances. I’m just beginning to experiment with arugula, bok choy, and collards, and am working my way up to endive and watercress. Heck, Leigh even has a recipe for stinging nettles, for which I simultaneously applaud her and weep for her hands.

Today, however, it’s all about escarole. Wonderfully affordable and high in fiber, it’s one of those greens generally used to round out a soup, or sautéed on it’s own with a little garlic. It even spawned its own saying that I just made up: “Let the good times escarole!” (What? Sorry.)

Escarole’s only major drawback is that of all leafy greens: they are as gigantic as they are inexpensive. A bunch takes up half my grocery basket, and I can barely stuff it in my crisper drawer without smushing the half-eaten tomatoes and partially-rotting thyme that currently make their homes there. Sometimes, when I open the fridge, it leaps out to attack me. I don’t know if you’ve ever been mugged by a vegetable, but it’s … well, probably much nicer than an actual mugging, come to think of it. So, never mind.

Anyway, all this is leading up to All Recipes’ Escarole with White Beans. Most of the time I see this combination in a soup, but this is sans-broth and about as tasty. It’s primarily beans, greens, and garlic…eens (er, to continue with the rhyme there), with some salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes thrown in for good measure. We ate it with a whole-wheat baguette and some of Mark Bittman’s Squid in Red Wine Sauce, and it was excellent for an unusually cool summer evening. Mark my words, we will be having it again, perhaps with chard or sorrel or some other crazy leafy thing.

If you should make Escarole with White Beans yourself, there are but two things to know:

The original recipe asked for parsley, which I left out because I didn’t have on hand. Honestly, it was fine, and I’m not sure I would have tasted it in the dish.
It will create a party in your mouth, so you better make sure everyone’s invited.

And with that, I’m off to tame some greens. Those suckers are tough, man.

P.S. If you guys have any solid/healthy/cheap leafy green recipes, I’d love to hear ‘em. I think I’m going to do a recipe compilation sometime soon, and any ideas are most welcome.

Escarole and White Beans
Makes 3 or 4 side servings
Adapted from All Recipes.

4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 large head escarole
salt and pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, undrained

1) Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Toss in escarole, turning to coat with oil. Season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes, or until tender.

2) In a separate skillet, heat remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium heat. Stir in garlic. Pour in beans with juices, and simmer until creamy, about 10 minutes. Add to escarole; simmer 10 minutes more, or until dish reaches consistency you like it.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
3 servings: 206 calories, 6.3 g fat, $0.71
4 servings: 154 calories, 4.7 g fat, $0.54

Calculations
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided: 158 calories, 17.9 g fat, $0.17
1 large head escarole: 95 calories, 1 g fat, $0.99
salt and pepper to taste: negligible calories and fat, $0.03
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes: negligible calories and fat, $0.02
1 clove garlic, minced: 4 calories, 0 g fat, $0.04
1 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, undrained: 360 calories, 0 g fat, $0.89
TOTAL: 617 calories, 18.9 g fat, $2.14
PER SERVING (TOTAL/3): 206 calories, 6.3 g fat, $0.71
PER SERVING (TOTAL/4): 154 calories, 4.7 g fat, $0.54

In Which We Become Grilled Bananas & Chocolate People

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:04:00 +0000

Last Sunday, the Husband-Elect and I were traipsing about in our bewitching Brooklyn backyard, sipping white wine and sucking the last bits of farmer’s market turkey sausage off our fingers, when two things struck us just about simultaneously: A) the mosquitoes were definitely coming from our neighbor’s bucket o’ dirty water, and B) we wanted dessert.

Which was kind of weird. See, in addition to being Not Really Beef People, Not Really Hockey People, and Definitely Not Nickelback People, we’re also Not Really Dessert People. I mean, I will never ever ever (ever) turn down a post-dinner brownie, but I won’t actively seek one out, either. I’m much more likely to have a second helping of spaghetti, or graze from tomorrow’s office lunches as I prepare them.

But yeah, we were hungry, and I remembered reading about Grilled Bananas & Chocolate (a.k.a. Banana Boats) on Slashfood a few weeks back. And – is there a possible way to go wrong with bananas and chocolate? I think no, and the continued existence of Chunky Monkey supports that assertion.

Alas, we didn’t have a computer handy, and subsequently winged the recipe based on my dim, wine-addled recall. That meant we peeled a few bananas, created a divot down the middle, stuffed ‘em with chocolate, wrapped them in tin foil, and threw them on the grill. Postgame research revealed that I got it all wrong, and Banana Boats are usually made peel-on, sans foil. To quote the bard, “D’oh!”

However, we were victorious in the end. The grilled bananas were delicious, required no cleanup, and sated us for the rest of the evening, during which we became People Who Like The Big Chill. Not too shabby.

Anyway, hope you like them as much, and have a lovely 4th. See you Monday.

P.S.: I didn’t get a picture because this was a freak, daring, seat-of-the-pants experiment. Also, I was two glasses of Chardonnay into the night and forgot. So the image below is from a lovely blog called Blisstree. Thanks, tree o’bliss!

Grilled Bananas & Chocolate
Serves 2
Image courtesy of Blisstree.

2 bananas
5 or 6 squares of any chocolate bar (Hershey’s works well)
Aluminum foil

1) Fire up the grill and peel your bananas.

2) Cut a v-shaped divot down the length of each banana, and place 2 or 3 chocolate squares in each divot.

3) Wrap bananas securely in aluminum foil and place over hot coals. (Direct heat worked for us, but if you’re more comfortable off-heat, go for it.) Grill 8 or 10 minutes, flipping once halfway through.

4) Unwrap and be joyous.

NOTE: During my postgame research, I saw the vast majority of these made peel-on without the foil, but I get the feeling you could do it all kinds of ways. Mine weren’t too messy, which was nice. Also, add marshmallows if you’ve got ‘em. Good times.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
176 calories, 3.5 g fat, $0.56

Calculations
2 bananas: 242 calories, 0.8 g fat, $0.66
5 or 6 squares of a larger chocolate bar (Hershey’s works well): 110 calories, 6.2 g fat, $0.45TOTAL: 352 calories, 7 g fat, $1.11
PER SERVING (TOTAL/2): 176 calories, 3.5 g fat, $0.56

Sonic Giveaway #2: We Have Winners!

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:14:00 +0000

Best. Giveaway. Ever. Thanks to everyone who entered, because the haikus were super-fun to read. Poets, all of you! Alas, we can only have five winners, and here they are, along with their respective masterpieces (as selected by Random.org):

#8: Emily
Oh, Chicken tikka
Masala, British curry
yummy masterpiece.

#20: Crayl
creamy luscious cold
churned so gently, smoothly
in a cone mine.yum.

#47: deb meyers
Eyes closed must open now
hot fragrant bitter smell wafts
from my coffee cup

#53: nfhuth
Beans, fresh corn, bay leaf
Roma, potato, onion—
Any soup is good.

#56: special55k
bacon, is awesome
with cheese, chocolate, anything
i love it so much

If you guys can shoot me your home addresses (cheaphealthygood@gmail.com), I can get those $25 gift cards out to you a.s.a.p.

For kicks, these were a few of my non-winning favorites. Most were hilarious (Muki), a few were downright gorgeous (Anne), and one (Kathi) had a Liz Lemon reference, which is always good by me. Enjoy!

Bar-B-Q my love
Warm brisket smothered in sauce
Oops it's on my face
-Adam Truax

Enchiladas are
the greatest food known to man.
Make mine with green sauce.
-Pat Thomas

Lowly coconut
your rough exterior hides
such sweet surprises
-Anne Sexton

Gasp! Better than sex?
Hazelnut Ritter Sport -
Proof that God exists.
-kit & kaboodle

The lovely doughnut
Neverending circle of
Sweet deliciousness
-Stephanie Reed

Sweet arctic shards melt
through straws; the homemade slurpee,
with its brain-freeze kiss.
-Sarah

Haikus are too short
to express the immense love
I feel for Sonic.
-Chelsea

Burrito Grande
"Spicy Chicken Wrap With Rice"
Is there a difference?
-Brian

pizza pizza piz
za pepperoni pizza
pizza pizza pie
-Muki

Dear potato chips
Salty and crunchy goodness
Want to go to there
-Kathi in NJ

Thanks again, everyone! For further reading, all the haiku entries can be found in this post's comment section. And be on the lookout for today’s recipe (Grilled Banans with Chocolate), which will be up a little later.

(Image courtesy of Courier Times.)

Sonic Giveaway #2: Five More $25 Gift Cards!

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:50:00 +0000

You guys! In honor of the upcoming holiday, I have five additional $25 gift cards from Sonic Drive-in Restaurants to pass on to five soon-to-be-filled-with-cherry-limeade readers. Sweet.

To enter, all you have to do is leave your name and a haiku about your favorite food in the comment section. For example, mine would be:

Oh, macaroni.
Your relationship with cheese
hath blessed my innards.

The drawing (using Random.org) will go down tomorrow at noon (that’s Friday at 12pm), so get your verse in before then!

P.S. Just in case: a haiku is a three-line Japanese poem. The first and third lines should have five syllables, and the second line has seven. They’re very zen and stuff.

Veggie Might: A Confession and a Prayer to Remain Tailless

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:58:00 +0000

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

In a recent post, Kris suggested screening Food, Inc., and I complied. Eric Schlosser on a sesame seed bun! This movie rocked me to the core. Weeks later and I’m still reeling.

I’ve been a vegetarian for almost 20 years, mostly for ethical reasons relating to personal health, the environment, and animal welfare (and rebellion against my conservative parents, since we’re telling tales). My mid-90s mantra was, “If we fed people with the food we grow to feed animals that we then kill to feed people, no one would go hungry. And I want to be skinny.”

I spent my 20s and early 30s keeping up with the horrors of slaughterhouses, the evils of factory farming, and the dangers of genetically engineered/modified foods ... until I got burned out. Fast Food Nation and Super Size Me pushed me over the edge.

After taking them in, I vowed never to darken a fast-food door and put the whole sordid business out of my mind. Since then, I’ve resisted reading Michael Pollan or engaging in much of the discourse about food ethics other than to explain why I’m a vegetarian to the few who ask. (I’ve gotten over the rebellion and the need to be skinny; the rest remains.)

I was pretty satisfied with myself and my choices. “I’m a nearly-vegan,” I thought, “I buy organic when I can afford it. I send the occasional email petition to Monsanto. All this doesn’t really concern me. I am not part of the problem. Animals don’t die for my meals. My impact on the environment is pretty darn low.”

Well. Food, Inc. snapped me out of my self-righteous fantasy. And broke my heart several times over.

I don’t want to spoil it for you, but vegetarians are not necessarily off the hook. Just as I like to rail at those Skinny Bitch girls for suggesting that all vegans are skinny (hello, you can eat all the Tofutti Cuties and potato chips you want and still be vegan!), not all vegetarians eat ethically or healthily. So many times throughout the film I felt guilty that my ambivalence is part of the problem.

I realized that, except when I buy from the farmers’ market or CSA, I have no idea where my food comes from, who handled it, and how those people were treated. (I’ll spare you tales of feed lot run-off spreading e-Coli and salmonella to the produce fields. You watch the news.)

A particularly unsettling part of the film highlighted the impact of genetically engineered soybean seeds on farmers. Suddenly, my low-impact, cruelty-free diet/lifestyle had a price tag I could no longer afford. (Don’t even get me started on the fact that what we don’t know how GE foods may affect our health in the long run.) There, in the dark, I had a panicked moment. “Where in the name of Bobcat Goldthwait does my soy come from?”

As soon as I got home, I ransacked my fridge and cabinets in search of GE/GMO foods. I breathed easier when I found none, but my complacency was evident. I don’t want to grow a tail from Frankensoy, and I don’t want workers exploited so I can have relatively cheap raspberries.

Like Kris and the Husband-Elect, I have taken stock of my values and my budget and found I can do more, still enjoy food, and remain tail-free. (Are you there Maude? It’s me, Leigh.)

The CSA did not fit my budget or schedule this year. But three weeks in a row, I’ve shopped at a farmers’ market and bought only organic at my local health food store. I tend to overbuy in the face of a “good deal” and then end up throwing stuff away. Since the shift, my budget has pretty much stayed the same, and frankly, I’ve been better about buying less.

So, with eyes open again, I’m ready to learn more and take on new challenges in my ethical vegetarian walk. I just got The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food from the library so I can catch up on what everyone has been talking about for the last five years. In the meantime, here are a few links that have helped me tuned back in.

Organic Consumers Association is a clearinghouse of information about policy, community action, and organic living. The CSA’s farmer from last year turned me on to these folks. You can sign up for their newsletter or action alerts to make your voice heard.

Marion Nestle’s Food Politics blog is crammed with mind-blowing articles about what really goes on behind the scenes at our food protection agencies. After you’re good and angry, write your congressperson.

Celebrate Food Independence Day with the people who inspired the White House garden. Kitchen Gardeners International is encouraging Americans to celebrate the 4th of July by using only local food at their Independence Day picnics and BBQs.

I’d love to hear what y’all think. Have you see Food, Inc.? Have you read anything about food policy you’d like to share? Care to testify?

(Images courtesy of Natalie Dee and Grain Millers.)

If You Like CHG, You’ll Love These: 18 Stellar Food Blogs

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 03:59:00 +0000

Yesterday, as part of CHG’s Sonic Gift Card Giveaway, we asked readers to name their favorite food blogs. 101 ~~dalmations~~ of you lovely people submitted ideas, and suggestions ranged from the timely and sublime Obama Foodorama to awesome and overwhelming favorite The Pioneer Woman Cooks. Needless to say, it was really neat to see so many different culinary angles and points of view. Thank you for passing them on.

Today, for kicks, I compiled and counted all the nominees. In the process, I found that quite a few were name-checked more than once, and a solid handful could be described as widely beloved.

So, here you go. In descending order according to number of mentions, these are CHG readers’ very favorite food blogs. If you’re not familiar and you get the chance, take a gander. You won’t be disappointed.

1. Pioneer Woman (20 mentions)
READERS SAY: “Step by step instructions with pictures, and usually easy-to-find ingredients.” “Not always cheap, not always healthy, but always really good.” “I'm a visual learner.” “I'm a fan of gratuitous amounts of butter.” “She is just fabulous.” “I can't do her justice.”
OH, AND ALSO: From Ree, creator of the wildly popular Confessions of a Pioneer Woman, comes this gorgeously designed cooking site with the drooliest photos this side of Smitten Kitchen. Beyond the food, the writing rocks and the step-by-step instructions (with accompanying photos, natch) are incredibly helpful. Also? Her. Kitchen. Is. So. Pretty. (*drowns in own envy*)

2. Smitten Kitchen (eleven mentions)
READERS SAY: “Her photos are almost as good as the recipes.” “I love the index and searchability.” “I have yet to make anything that didn't taste fabulous.”
OH, AND ALSO: Armed with mouth-watering photography, giggle-inducing wordsmithery, and a neat logo, Smitten Kitchen is, as Martha Stewart deems it, “a very cute website.” If you have any doubts after Miss M’s ringing endorsement, take a look at this blondie recipe or peruse bon mots like: “I almost offered to marry the guy giving it out just for the recipe but I was torn because I already have a kick-ass kugel recipe and… oh right. I’m also already married.”

3. A Year of Crockpotting (nine mentions)
READERS SAY: “The breakfast risotto is delicious!” “Her crockpot applesauce … easy and DELICIOUS!” “My wife made fantastic refried beans using a recipe she got from there.”
OH, AND ALSO: For kicks, Stephanie spent a year making a new slow cooker recipe every night. Then, each following morning, she's posted a picture, a procedural rundown, and her tastiness verdict. Sweet. While some meals contain processed ingredients, there's really an effort to balance them with healthy, whole foods. The overall effect is dang skippy. If you’re looking for a crockpot recipe – ANY crockpot recipe – this is a good place to start.

4. $5 Dinners (five mentions)
READERS SAY: “Perfect for the poor student.” “To cook cheaply for my family -- it's been an invaluable resource!”
OH, AND ALSO: Wonderful recipe site with frequent giveaways, lots of coupon info, and a metric ton of money-saving tips. Oh, and everything’s under $5. You can beat that.

5. Bakerella (three mentions)
I wasn’t familiar with Bakerella until recently, when she was a featured guest on on Pioneer Woman. And … whoa. I’m getting a sugar rush just thinking about her site, which is chock full of cupcake porn (and beyond). It’s seriously gorgeous. Go now.

6. Closet Cooking (three mentions)
READERS SAY: “Uses easy to find ingredients in new ways.” “Simple, delicious meals from [a] closet-sized kitchen.”
OH, AND ALSO: Simple, no-frills food blog filled with fairly easy, delicious-looking recipes and dazzling pictures. I’ve tried two dishes off of it now (White Bean and Kale Soup with Turkey Sausage and Peach Blueberry Cobbler) and they’ve both been aces. Instant blogroll material.

7. Orangette (three mentions)
READERS SAY: “She loves food and writes so well.” “Currently on hiatus.”
OH, AND ALSO: One of the best known and most well-loved cooking sites around, Orangette is more than a great food blog – it’s a wonderful read. Right now Molly’s on break helping her husband start a business, but when she gets back … there will be food. Good food. And lots of it.

8. The Kitchn (three mentions)
READERS SAY: “A wide variety of articles.” “The photos make me drool!”
OH, AND ALSO: You might be familiar with it already, because we link to the Kitchn all the time in Tuesday’s Megalinks comps. Part of the Apartment Therapy empire, it’s a gorgeous, well-designed cooking blog that's been on a total roll the last year or so. Definitely worth a daily visit.

Each of the following sites garnered two nods each. Some are better known than others, but across the board, they’re worth looking into. Please do so if you get the chance.

Baking Bites (beautiful baking)
Bitten (marvelous minimalisim from the Times' Mark Bittman)
Cakewrecks (hilarious cake decorating misfires)
Casual Kitchen (great recipes and excellent commentary - a personal favorite)
Chocolate & Zucchini (gorgeous green-oriented food)
Everyday Food Storage (smart storage solutions)
FatFreeVegan Kitchen (my favorite vegan blog, and I'm a registered carnivore)
Gourmet/Epicurious (the magazine's unparalleled web presence)
Nose to Tail at Home (making his way through Fergus Henderson's cookbook)
Serious Eats (the macdaddy ... also the daddy mac)

Sweet readers, if you have any other suggestions, our ears are open. And thank you!

(Image courtesy of The Little Pink Clubhouse, drawn by Charles M. Schulz.)

Sonic Giveaway Winners! Also, Tuesday Megalinks! Hooray!

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:31:00 +0000

We have winners from today's Sonic $25 gift card giveaway! Chosen by Random.org, here they are, along with their favorite food blog:

#1: AB - $5 Dinners
#2: Bashtree – Baking Bites and Gourmet
#18: Broman – Closet Cooking
#21: Amy – CHG (aw, shucks)
#31: Karen – Closet Cooking

If you guys can shoot me an e-mail with your addresses (cheaphealthygood@gmail.com), I can get those cards out tomorrow. Congratulations, one and all, and thank you to everyone for your most excellent suggestions. They’ll be part of an upcoming post.

And with that, let’s go to the links! Today, it’s a lot of listing, restaurant questions, and yikes-inducing news for happy couples. All in ten words or less. (The descriptions, not the articles. Those are longer.)

Bitten: Real Food Can Be Cheaper Than Junk food
Mark Bittman gets on the cheap-n-healthy train…

Bitten: The Ten Ingredient Shopping Trip
…then does a little shopping for easy-to-make meals.

Bon Appetit: Top 10 Surprising Health Foods
Duck breast and whole milk (not together) – who knew?

Casual Kitchen: How Do You Define Truly Great Restaurant Service?
Four words: free cookies, coffee refills. Dan has other ideas.

Chow: 10 Good Cheap Liquors
No plastic bottles! Sorry, Odessa vodka. You made college … fuzzy.

Chow: Are Whole-Wheat and All-Purpose Flour Interchangeable?
As it turns out, nope. I could've told you that.

Epicurious: Top 5 Bad Wine Pairings
Chardonnay with spicy lamb and chorizo? *barfs*

Freakonomics/NYT: Vegetarianism as a Sometimes Thing
Correspondent Matt has stellar idea for group part-time veggie-ism. Bravo!

The Kitchn: The Best Easy, Frugal Foods for Camping
Potatoes and biscuits and food-on-a-stick, oh my!

The Kitchn: Homemade Stock – What’s Your Routine?
A.k.a. Reasons Don’t We Make Stock at Home? (#1: Time)

The Kitchn: Quick ‘n Easy – Ways to Soften Butter
Cut up, pound into chunks, warm water bath. There. Done.

New York Magazine: How I Learned to Heart Breakfast (or at Least What to Eat for it)
Older piece, just as awesome today. Good for you, too!

New York Times: Discounts Have Restaurants Eating Own Lunch
Applebees, Friday’s, etc. trying to outbid each other. Working? Kinda.

NPR: How Low Can You Go?
Public radio asks listeners to submit recipes $10 and under.

Seattle Times: Summer Berries and Fruit Make Quick Desserts
Um … title self-explanatory. Berries are good.

Telegraph UK: Are Lentils the Perfect Food?
Well, they’re okay. The Telegraph begs to disagree with me.

Time Magazine: First Comes Love, Then Comes Obesity?
Clinically proven: chicks gain weight in happy relationships. CRAP!

Zen Habits: Why You Almost Never See a Fat Japanese (or How I Lost 4 Lbs in Tokyo)
And later: why you never see a happy jogger.

$25 Sonic Gift Card Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:20:00 +0000

Sweet readers! Tuesday’s Megalinks are coming a bit later, but first we’re kicking today off with a giveaway from Sonic. The lovely chain of drive-in restaurants bestowed this fine blog with a few $25 gift cards, and we’re passing one each to five lucky winners this evening.

So! Here’s the deal. I’m gonna choose the five folks at 9pm tonight using Random.org. To enter the contest, simply go to the comment section and leave your name and your answer to this question:

What is your favorite food blog, and why?

(Though straight-up recipe blogs are great, I’d love a few food news suggestions, a la Serious Eats or The Kitchn.)

Again, five winners will be chosen at 9pm tonight, so get those entries in! Think of all the grilled chicken sandwiches (without mayo, naturally)!

CHG Turns 2: The Year's Top Ten Recipes

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:04:00 +0000

You guys! So many things going on today.

1. Last night, I received a KitchenAid stand mixer. For free. From my Mother-in-Law-Elect. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to joining this family.

2. Also last night: bananas, stuffed with chocolate, wrapped in foil, and grilled. I now have proof that Heaven is a place on Earth. (Thank you for the heads up, Belinda Carlisle.)

3. It’s CHG’s two year anniversary (er, as mentioned in the title)! Thank yous are in order to all you lovely readers, as well as Veggie Might’s Leigh, Jaime of City Kitchen Chronicles, and our frequent contributor, Rachel. Also, a huge shout out to all the blogs that’ve supported us for the last two years, including (but not limited to) MSN Smart Money, Get Rich Slowly, The Simple Dollar, Money Saving Mom, Like Merchant Ships, Healthy Eats, Serious Eats, Casual Kitchen, Kalyn’s Kitchen, Thirty a Week, City Mama, A Good American Wife, Chief Family Officer, Mom Advice, and more…

I'm thrilled to helm CHG, and am warm fuzzified that so many people seem to like us. There will be plenty of giveaways this week to celebrate. But in the meantime, we proudly present our best recipes of the last 364 days. Behold, in alphabetical order:

Baked Eggplant with Mushroom-Tomato Sauce
Adapted from Cooking Light
Best. Eggplant dish. To ever appear. On the blog. And that’s saying a LOT.

Chipotle Pork Tenders
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
This could be CHG's manliest recipe, which isn't to say that folks of all genders won't flip their lids, as well. Excellent on burritos, to boot.

Nathan's Lemon Cake
Adapted from Cooking Light
You say it’s cake you want? Keep looking. This piece is mine.

Pasta Puttanesca
Adapted from Rachael Ray
We give thanks to Western New York for many things, including beef on weck, a consistently decent hockey team, and our state’s alfalfa supply. But mostly this Rachael Ray dish.

Pumpkin Orzo with Sage
Created by Leigh
Imagine a world where risottos were wildly flavorful, but contained negligible fat. I bet this is served there.

Sublime Fruit Salad
Adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis
The picture is worth a thousand … mmms. The actual salad will ruin all other salads for you.

Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows
Adapted from my Ma
My favorite Thanksgiving food, and second favorite overall, after macaroni and cheese. Ma gave me more than good genes.

Tomato Bread Soup
Adapted from Serious Eats
It’s better than any other tomato soup you’ve ever had. Not kidding

.Tunisian-Style Greens and Beans
Adapted from the International Vegetarian Union
Never has something this healthy and green been so tasty. I could eat this for weeks.

White Chicken Chili
Adapted from Recipe Zaar & Simply Recipes
The motherlode.

Honorable Mentions: American Chop Suey, Autumn Apple Salad, Avocado Chicken Salad, Black Bean Burrito Bake, Easy Vegetarian Bean Chili, Indonesian Bean Stew, Kale with Mushrooms and Polenta, Mojitos, Peach-Blueberry Cobbler, Plums with Orange and Mint, Polenta Pudding with Blueberry Topping, Shaksouka, Spinach Rice Casserole, Tzatziki

Again, thank you so much for all your support and kind words, and be on the lookout for celebratory giveaways. They're gonna be sweet.

Kale with Garlic and Peppers: A Tribute

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:00:00 +0000

Today was going to be about the general awesomeness of kale – how it’s super-easy to prepare, lends crazy heft to lighter dishes, and is one of the cheapest, most natural foods you can pick up at the supermarket. As part of that, I was going to gush all over the innate incredible-ness of Cooking Light’s Kale with Garlic and Peppers. Mostly about how it’s one of the simpler, tastier sides I’ve whipped up in recent memory. Then I was going to babble about the profusion of kale dishes available here and at the eminently stellar I Heart Kale.

After it was all done, I was going to stop writing. Soon enough, I would to dump my leftover Kale with Garlic and Peppers into some cold spaghetti. Then I was going to warm it up in the microwave with a tiny bit of salt, and espouse for hours about hearty/healthy/goody aspects of eating it in the office (which I’m sure my new, temporary co-workers would love).

Finally, I was going to make a lot of kale puns. Like that this dish was kale and hearty and that criticizing it would be beyond the kale. I’d watch my favorite movie, Kale Rider, or maybe even An American Kale, and then read A Kale of Two Cities, but only when I finished my kalegate party.

But then Michael Jackson died.

So instead, I’ll leave y’all with one of the best things he’s ever done.

P.S. Nutritional numbers come from Cooking Light, so only the price is calculated down below.

Kale with Garlic and Peppers
4 servings (serving size: 1 cup kale mixture)
Adapted from Cooking Light.

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups sliced red bell pepper (about 2 medium or 1 large )
1 tablespoon chopped seeded jalapeño pepper (about 1 small)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
14 cups chopped kale, stems removed (about 1 pound)
1/2 cup organic vegetable broth (or low-fat chicken broth)
1 garlic clove, minced
Lemon wedges (optional)

1) Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add red bell pepper, jalapeño, salt, and black pepper; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add chopped kale and broth; cover. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring once. Stir in garlic; increase heat to medium. Cook, uncovered, for 2 minutes or until liquid evaporates. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
157 calories, 4.1 g fat, 40.63

Calculations
2 teaspoons olive oil: $0.17
2 cups sliced red bell pepper (about 2 medium or 1 large): $0.96
1 tablespoon chopped seeded jalapeño pepper (about 1 small): $0.14
1/4 teaspoon salt: $0.01
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper: $0.01
14 cups chopped kale, stems removed (about 1 pound): $0.79
1/2 cup organic vegetable broth (or low-fat chicken broth): $0.22
1 garlic clove, minced: $0.05
Lemon wedges (optional): $0.16
TOTAL: $2.51
PER SERVING (TOTAL/4): $0.63

Veggie Might: Strawberry Rhubarb Nostalgia, Co-opted

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:58:00 +0000

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a regular Thursday feature about all things Vegetarian.

For the last few days, I’ve been in a sweet, tangy, gooey haze of nostalgia created both in my imagination and in my kitchen. Just sweet enough, not too rich, it’s been delicious.

Everyone I know has a mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt, or second-cousin Shirley who made the best strawberry-rhubarb pie/cobbler. Except me. Sort of.

A couple weeks ago, on my Lehigh Valley excursion, I bought my first rhubarb. I’ve never used it before, and to my knowledge, never had it at home. I was excited to try it. When I got my stalks home, I tried a piece raw. It reminded me of a Granny Smith apple. But I decided to trust what I’d heard and cook it with something sweet.

My first exposure to rhubarb was in a cobbler at an NYC restaurant where I used to work. It was there I learned that rhubarb is commonly paired with strawberries and sugar because of its natural tartness. Everyone, co-workers and customers, had a story: “Oh my aunt made the best rhubarb pie. My mother’s strawberry-rhubarb cobbler was the best you’ve ever tasted.”

Maybe, I would think, but I’d never had it before. I didn’t even know what rhubarb looked like. To my knowledge, no one in my past ever baked with rhubarb. My finicky dessert issues, for once, were not to blame for my culinary cluelessness.

Then I called my mom. Apparently my Grandma C made the most amazing strawberry-rhubarb pie ever. Dad got on the phone and confirmed Mom’s claim. He went on: his grandma (who I never met), plus Great-Grandma (Mom’s grandma, who I knew well) made great rhubarb pies too.

How did I miss all these pies? I usually remember rejecting foods out of hand; I feel guilty about it. Well, this recipe made up for lost time.My friend, who ate it, called me by my full name in exclamation. “Leigh Angel, I like your cobbler!”

Crumble, to be exact. This recipe developed via a culinary game of telephone, much like recipes passed down through the generations. Everyone makes a tweak and sends it on. I got it from the delightful blog, everybody likes sandwiches, who got it from Smitten Kitchen, who got it from Nigella.

The secret to this recipe, according to Nigella and SK, is the baking soda. It converts a standard crisp topping into a lighter, crumbier topping, without upping the amount of butter. Essentially, you get more delicious warm sugary, buttery bang for your buck. As a matter of fact, the els recipe reduced SK’s butter amount, and I reduced hers a bit more.

This crumble is a pretty dang easy and healthy dessert for one so delicious. I used these cute little ramekins instead of a casserole dish, but I overfilled them—only getting five servings and thanking SK for recommending foil to line my baking sheet. It still came in at under 300 calories and 8g fat per serving. If I'd used a casserole dish, I would have gotten six servings out of the recipe.

I used organic strawberries from the farmers’ market, which pushed up the price a bit. If you find cheaper fruit, the cost will go way down. But let me tell you, these berries were better than any from the grocery store.

If my parents were nearby, I would hope they would like this as much as Grandma C’s (or Great-Grandma’s or Grandma F’s). Or at least enjoy the trip down memory lane.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble
Serves 5

Filling
5 stalks rhubarb, chopped into 1” pieces
1 scant qt. strawberries, quartered (about 1 lb)
juice of one lemon
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
pinch of allspice

Topping
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp granulated sugar
zest of one lemon
1/4 c melted butter (I used Earth Balance vegan margarine.)

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2) (If making individual crumbles, mix the following in a medium bowl. If using a casserole, mix directly in baking dish.) Combine rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, cornstarch and nutmeg. Squeeze in lemon juice and stir to combine. Set aside.

3) In another bowl, combine all topping ingredients. Mix until clumps form.

4) Sprinkle topping with your hands evenly over the fruit.

5) Bake for 40-50 minutes until the topping is golden and the fruit is saucy.

6) Allow to cool and serve with ice cream/nondairy frozen dessert of your choice. Maybe you’ll cry a little from happiness and nostalgia. It’s okay. It happens.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price per Serving
292 calories, 9g fat, $1.62

Calculations
5 stalks rhubarb: 55 calories, 0g fat, $2.17
3 cups strawberries: 150 calories, 0g fat, $4.50
juice + zest of one lemon: 12 calories, 0g fat, $0.25
1/4 cup + 3 tbsp granulated sugar: 366 calories, 0g fat, $.25
3 tbsp cornstarch: 87.8 calories, 0g fat, $.17
pinch of allspice: negligible calories and fat, $.02
1 cup flour: 337.5 calories, 1g fat, $.21
1 tsp baking powder, negligible calories and fat, $.02
1 tbsp brown sugar: 52 calories, 0g fat, $.04
1/4 c melted butter: 400 calories, 44g fat, $.48
TOTALS: 1460.3 calories, 45g fat, $8.11
PER SERVING (TOTALS/5): 292 calories, 9g fat, $1.62

Food Network, the Decline of Stand and Stir Programming, and Where to Go From Here

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:38:00 +0000

Earlier this week, True/Slant’s Michael Greenberg wrote a scathing open letter to Bob Tuschman, the SVP of Programming at Food Network. In it, he rails against their lineup as of late. A few key quotes:

“The Next Food Network Star sucks. It’s not entertaining. It has nothing to do with actual culinary skill. And it’s another troubling step in the ultimate devaluation of your network’s brand.”

“Nowadays, prime time on the Food Network is all about competition shows and reality non-fiction programming — and it’s all about folks looking to make a name and buck. The food is just an afterthought for you, Bob, and it’s really starting to grate on me.”

“It looks like my beloved Food Network has succumbed to the reality-show dreck that pollutes other once-innovative TV networks, like MTV and VH1.”

As a food freak, I agree with some of Michael’s points. I want gentle, informative instruction in my cooking shows, not all this reality stuff. Why so many cake wars when you can show Ina, Giada, and (oh lord, please bring her back) Sara?

Because (with the notable exception of Ace of Cakes), verité programming becomes pretty dull after awhile. Look, it's nice that you can make fondant that looks like Shrek. But can someone tell us how to create fondant in the first place? I’ve watched approximately 50,000 Food Network shows, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen step-by-step instructions.

However.

As someone working in cable television, I think Michael’s out of his mind.

When it comes to TV, righteous indignation tends to garner support. Especially on the internet, it rallies idealists to your side. But often, it ignores real-life situations like technology, demographic shifts, industry changes, and financial needs. Michael may lament Food Network turning into VH1, but you know what? VH1’s ratings have never been higher than the last few years, when reality programming has taken over the schedule. However you feel about Bret Michaels or Guy Fieri, they run rings around Charlie Rose and C-Span.

At its heart, television is a business. An occasionally ruthless, often pandering business that’s chief purpose is to make money for advertisers. It does that through ratings, and subsequently, will broadcast almost whatever it takes to garner those eyes. In some cases, that’s Food Network Challenge. In others, it’s the truly charming Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. It still others, it’s Unwrapped (which - I feel like I’ve seen the same dang conveyor belt 200 times now).

However you feel about these shows, they rate. Someone is watching this stuff. Usually, it's me. Or you. Or your mom. If you don't like it, change the channel. It's not like there aren't a million other options.

If you want elegance, pick up a Julia Child cookboo k. Read Saveur or Bon Appétit. Change the channel to PBS, where I’m pretty sure you’ll never see Lidia Bastianich competing on Chopped (which I actually think is a fun show). As with music or movies, it's up to each individual to take advantage of non-traditional outlets, if they so choose.

But if you want cooking shows designed to appeal to the widest possible swath of Americans, go to Food Network. Because odds are, you’re one of those people, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Odds are, Alton Brown, Emeril, or even Ray-Ray got you interested in cooking in the first place. Odds are, you’ve watched one of those reality shows and thought, “Wow. I didn’t know you could do that with celery root.”

Ultimately, this it isn’t to say we shouldn’t reach for the stars, or try to get the best possible programming on television for all to see. The quality of our mass media says a lot about the intellectual interests of our country. What it IS to say is that we have to accept that certain outlets are businesses. They exist to make money, not to achieve indie cred.

So readers, I turn this one over to you. If you ran Food Network what kind of shows would you create? What would they look like? Who would host them? What kind of cuisine would you make? What issues would you tackle?

P.S. Quite a few Serious Eaters compared Food Network's current slate to MTV's lifestyle programming, which I thought was interesting. MTV stopped playing videos because they’re pretty much the lowest-rated things you can put on TV without resorting to infomercials. Kids aren’t the same as they were in 1987 – they’re not going to watch a Ne-Yo video and then stick around for the Jonas Brothers. Also, get off my lawn!

P.P.S. This didn't relate to inexpensive, healthy food in the least. We'll get back to that tomorrow, I promise.

(Photos courtesy of The Morning News and Operation Bon Appetit.)

Tuesday Megalinks

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 03:11:00 +0000

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.)

Eggs Two Ways: No Yolking

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:15:00 +0000

It’s been five days, and the Husband-Elect and I have successfully polished off our haul from last week’s trip to the Farmer’s Market. (Friends helped.) While we appreciated the ground beef, liked the bacon very much, and freakin’ loved the bread, the highlight of our booty (heh) was undoubtedly the carton of eggs. The EGGS. Who knew?

Lemme explain.

Okay, you know how supermarket eggs are? Runny, pale yellow yolks with flimsy whites and shells that break if you look at them the wrong way? Farmer’s market eggs are not like that at all. They have bright orange yolks with a silky, almost syrupy texture. They have substantive whites you can actually bite into. They have thick, brownish shells that seem almost twice as hard as store-bought eggs.

But best of all, they’re not just eggs. They’re EGGS. They taste like the eggs you remember as a kid. Or like regular eggs, turned up to 11. Or like eggs on ‘roids. (Alex Rodregguez?) If supermarket eggs are regular humans, farmer’s market eggs are the X-Men – regular humans, but way better. Like with claws and telekinesis and stuff.

I prepared our EGGS two ways this past weekend: poached and hard-boiled. Neither method uses oil, butter or cream, which cuts down on the fat. And the techniques – one from The Kitchn, the other from Chocolate & Zucchini – are basically foolproof. I’m an idiot when it comes to hardboiling, and Clotilde’s way hasn’t failed me yet. I owe her something in return. Perhaps a really good egg?

I do need to mention: today I learned there may be an issue with pasteurization and farm-fresh eggs. If you’re nervous, you might want to avoid the poaching and skip ahead to hardboiling. Either way, you’ll feel eggscellent in the end. Eggstra special. Eggceptional, even. (Sorry.)

Whirlpool-Style Poached Eggs
Makes 1 serving
Adapted from The Kitchn.

1 egg
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

1) Bring 1 quart of water to a boil with vinegar and salt. Lower the flame to a gentle simmer. With a spoon, stir water in a gentle circular motion to form a whirlpool in the center.

2) Crack an egg into a cup. Lift the cup with one hand while you are stirring with your other hand, and as you stop stirring, ease the egg into the very center of the whirlpool.

3) Cook 3 1/2 to 4 minutes then remove with a slotted spoon. Let drain slightly. Gently transfer egg to plate. Season with salt and pepper. Eat.

NOTE: If you’re having multiple eggs, I might do this one at a time. Otherwise … collisions. Yolk everywhere. Dogs and cats, living together. Mass hysteria.

Hardboiled Eggs
Makes 1 serving
Adapted from Chocolate & Zucchini.

1 large egg
Salt and pepper to taste

1) Place the egg in a pot and cover with cold water by a 1/2-inch or so. Bring to a gentle boil. Now turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for exactly seven minutes.

2) Have a big bowl of ice water ready and when the egg is done cooking place it in the ice bath for three minutes or so - long enough to stop the cooking.

3) Roll egg lightly on cutting board, hard enough so shell will crack, but not so hard you mangle it. Peel, salt and pepper to taste, and eat.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving for Both Dishes
74 calories, 5 g fat, $0.50

Strawberry and Avocado Salad: An Exercise in CAPITAL LETTERS and Fat Reduction

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:00:00 +0000

I’m pretty ambivalent about salads. They’re okay, but I’d order almost anything else before paying for a staid pile of lackluster leafy greens. Still, I like strawberries. And I like avocado. And I like pecans. And this dressing sounded tasty. So I thought I’d give AllRecipes’ Strawberry and Avocado Salad a try.

Sounds neato, right? I thought so. However, there was one minor issue: namely, 609 calories and FIFTY-POINT-SEVEN grams of fat per serving. I realize numbers higher than eleven aren’t usually spelled out. I wanted some extra emphasis there.

Now, healthy oils are dandy, but to reiterate: FIFTY-POINT-SEVEN grams of fat? In a freakin’ salad? You gotta be kidding me. This wasn’t in the realm of possibility. In fact, I couldn’t even see the realm of possibility from where I read the recipe. That’s how far away it was.

But shucks, I still wanted the salad. Strawberries and avocado? C’mon. It’s like Christmas in summer. So, I made some changes. I dropped 75% of the pecans, 50% of the avocado, and added 50% more salad greens.

The result was three main course salads for … wait for it … 222 calories and FIFTEEN-POINT-THREE grams of fat. Those three dinky alterations meant 387 lost calories and THIRTY-FIVE-POINT-SEVEN lost grams of fat. And? If you don’t use all the dressing (we didn’t), the numbers drop even lower than that.

It still tasted great, to boot. No one flavor was overwhelming, we avoided mushiness, and divided among three plates, the sweetness was just right. The Husband-Elect and I ate it with a lovely bean concoction and a slice of last week’s Buttermilk-Vanilla Pound Cake. HEAVEN.

With that said, hope y’all have a lovely weekend. It’s been a wet June - great for food photos, bad for people. New Yorkers, stay dry!

P.S. Update on Monday’s post! We got our feet wet at the farmer’s market and hauled back some ground beef, fancy bacon, a loaf o’ whole wheat bread, and a dozen eggs. So far, the bread was quite tasty and the egg … well, it wasn’t just an egg. It was AN EGG. It asserted itself in my mouth, and I appreciate that. Next stop: Bacon City.

Strawberry and Avocado Salad
Makes 3 main dishes or 4 sides
Adapted from AllRecipes.

2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 cups torn salad greens (I used romaine. – Kris)
½ small avocado (about 2 ounces) - peeled, pitted and sliced into 1” pieces
10 strawberries, sliced
1/8 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts or almonds)

1) Whisk together the sugar, olive oil, honey, vinegar, and lemon juice. Set aside.

2) Place the salad greens in a bowl, and top with sliced avocado and strawberries. Drizzle dressing over everything, then sprinkle with pecans. Refrigerate for up to 2 hours before serving, or serve immediately.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
Three servings: 222 calories, 15.3 g fat, $1.02
Four servings: 167 calories, 11.5 g fat, $0.76

Calculations
2 tablespoons white sugar: 93 calories, 0 g fat, $0.04
2 tablespoons olive oil: 237 calories, 27 g fat, $0.24
4 teaspoons honey: 85 calories, 0 g fat, $0.13
1 tablespoon cider vinegar: 3 calories, 0 g fat, $0.02
1 teaspoon lemon juice: 2 calories, 0 g fat, $0.11
3 cups torn salad greens (romaine): 24 calories, 0.4 g fat, $0.45
½ avocado (about 2 ounces) - peeled, pitted, and sliced into 1-inch pieces: 91 calories, 8.3 g fat $0.75
10 strawberries, sliced: 38 calories, 0.4 g fat, $1.00
1/8 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts or almonds): 94 calories, 9.8 g fat, $0.31
TOTAL: 667 calories, 45.9 g fat, $3.05
PER SERVING (TOTAL/3): 222 calories, 15.3 g fat, $1.02
PER SERVING (TOTAL/4): 167 calories, 11.5 g fat, $0.76

Veggie Might: People Need Potato Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:07:00 +0000

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

Okay, enough with the rain, am I right, East Coasters? The sunshine teasers are just not enough. Anyway, I’ve digressed before I’ve begun.

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting my dear friend S in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley. We spent a lovely (sunny!) couple of days playing with her little one, cooking (a fab bean salad I will share with you later), and catching up. On Sunday, we strolled through her local farmer’s market. I was able to score some choice produce to bring back to the city.

I also got a little inspiration to make a zippy, healthy potato salad.

Everyone has a favorite potato salad recipe. It’s a spring and summer classic and endlessly customizable. The tricky thing is making it light. My pal C’s mom’s version, my all-time favorite (sorry Grandma), swims in olive oil and mayo. But, dang it all, it’s good.

For this recipe, I let my farmer’s market haul, potato salads of my past, and the voices of my foodie friends speak to me. “Leigh, it’s just potato salad,” you may be thinking. But that’s the beauty of it. It’s so simple, and yet, so satisfying. And it just says summer.

My friend, A, called me just last week to tell me to keep my eye out for garlic scapes at my farmer’s market. She had just discovered them (and made pesto), but I had no idea what they were. Well, I do now; and I got a handful in PA.

Garlic scapes are delightful, curly green shoots that come out of garlic bulbs and eventually hinder bulb growth. Farmers trim off the curlicues, which have a lighter, less intense garlic flavor. I showed S my purchase, and she said, “Oh, scapes, I sauté them with potatoes.” A plan was forming.

My market take also included some beautiful spring onions. Diced and tossed in the potato salad, they gave a mellow sweetness. I opted to leave the scapes raw for a snappy crunch. I tossed in a bit of dill to what’s become my standard vinaigrette (courtesy of Mark Bittman) and voila!

Zippy and light, this potato salad is perfect for topping salad greens or accompanying a sandwich. I’ve had it for lunch twice this week and it’s definitely helped me beat the well-I-guess-I-could-never-live-in-Seattle blahs.
Normally, I would make potato salad with red bliss potatoes, but I had a bag of russets begging to be used. Hey, whatever potato suits your fancy, as long as they are firm in texture after cooked. I have to set a timer. Mine always come out too soft. I find that five minutes is all it takes.

Something about eating potato salad feels like summer. And I don’t know about you, but I could use a little sunshine right about now.

Potato Salad for Rainy Day People
Serves 4–6

1 1/4 lb potatoes (about 4 medium russets)
2 spring onions, chopped
1 small handful garlic scapes, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp dried dill
1 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper to taste

1) Scrub potatoes well. Cut into 1” pieces. (I’m a skins-on kind of gal, but if you want to peel, go for it.) Place into pot of boiling water and cook until firm but cooked through, about 5 minutes.

2) Drain and rinse in cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.

3) Chop onions and dice scapes.

4) In a blender, combine olive oil, vinegar, dill, salt, and pepper. Blend until emulsified.

5) Combine potatoes, onions, scapes, and dressing in a large bowl and toss well. Salt and pepper further to taste.

6) Serve over salad greens. Eat on a rainy day and feel like summer.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price per Serving
179 calories, 8.2g fat, $.54 (4 Servings)
119 calories, 5.5g fat, $.36 (6 Servings)

Calculations
1 1/4 lb potatoes: 440 calories, .6g fat, $.40
2 spring onions: 32 calories, 0g fat, $0.33
1 small handful garlic scapes: 4.2 calories, 0g fat, $1.00
2 tbsp olive oil: 240 calories, 28g fat, $0.16
2 tbsp white wine vinegar: negligible calories and fat, $.20
1/4 tsp dried dill: negligible calories and fat, $.02
1 tsp salt: negligible calories and fat, $.02
fresh ground pepper: negligible calories and fat, $.02
TOTAL: 716 calories, 32.8g fat, $2.15
PER SERVING (TOTAL/4): 179 calories, 8.2g fat, $.54
PER SERVING (TOTAL/6): 119 calories, 5.5g fat, $.36

Film Fest '09: Three Essential Documentaries About Food

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 03:35:00 +0000

Hypothetical situation: let’s say you’re teaching a junior high health class. Your arms are broken, so instead of giving notes, you’ve decided to show three movies that thoroughly explain the modern food industry. (Presumably, one of the kids will work the VCR. Or DVD player. Or whatever newfangled thingamabob they use these days.) What would those films be?

This past weekend made the decision much easier for me, because the Husband-Elect and I caught an early screening of Food, Inc. in Manhattan. Without exaggeration, it changed the way we’ll eat from here on in. (Not too shabby for a Saturday matinee.) So there’s Movie #1.

Afterwards, we rented King Corn, a 2007 documentary about the kernels’ influence in America. It was really well done, and an easy choice for Movie #2.

And frankly, Super Size Me is a no-brainer. Some might be all, “Spurlock, you MTV punk! Shave yer ‘stache, stop making like a Gen X Michael Moore, and get real!” But I love the guy, making his McDonald's exposé a shoo-in for my #3 pick.

Together, I consider these films the holy trinity of documentaries on food production. Michael Pollan figures heavily into two of them, and McDonald’s is a major player in all. If you get the chance to teach that junior high class (armless or not), I might watch them in this order.

(Due warning: Spoilers ahead. If you want to see these movies and be surprised, skip this post.)

1. King Corn (2007)
Directed by Aaron Woolf

Premise: Ian Cheney and Curtis Ellis are two New England 20-somethings who travel to Iowa to plant a single acre of corn. They come in as blank slates, clueless about farming and agriculture in general. What they learn over the course of a year is shocking to anyone who isn’t part of the system already: their crop isn’t edible, it’s processed to create animal feed and corn products, and it’s impossible to make a profit entirely on their own. Instead, government surplus demands and mammoth corporations conspire to keep them relatively powerless and almost completely broke. Ian and Curtis leave Iowa as new men - with $28 in their pocket and loads to talk about later.

What’s great about it: Affable, curious, and creative, it’s impossible not to like the filmmakers, which goes a long way considering their approach. They’re just guys learning about corn, not experts with an agenda. Even better, the movie is perfectly plotted, with a natural progression and easy-to follow explanations. The dangers of what they’re doing only become apparent as the process itself gradually dawns on them.

Key scene #1: The guys rent their acre from a genial older man named Charles Pyatt, an Iowa corn farmer who seems to be doing pretty well through the course of the film. Six months after wrapping, they revisit Charles to find he’s gone broke and is selling all his possessions. It’s heartbreaking and perhaps, a sign of the times.

Key scene #2: Curt belly-slides down a mountain of corn that looks – no lie - like it might be bigger than Yankee Stadium. For this New Yorker, it was pretty friggin’ trippy.

Key scene #3: Earl Butz, the Secretary of Agriculture under Nixon, and the guy who set so many of these farm policies in motion, was still alive (though 40,000 years old) when they made this. Ian and Curt find him for an interview, and you learn he meant well. It’s just that he grew up during the Great Depression, and never wanted to see Americans go hungry again. Something to consider.

2. Food, Inc. (2008)
Directed by Robert Kenner

Premise: On average, there are 47,000 food products available in each American supermarket. From the eggs we have for breakfast to the burgers we wolf down for dinner, they come from a handful of mega-corporations with three goals: ship food fast, cheap, and in whatever borderline condition customers will accept it. Oh yeah - and under no circumstances reveal how it’s all accomplished. Because apparently, the first rule of processing food is: don’t talk about processing food.

Of course, there are repercussions. First, the potential for disease is ever-present, since FDA regulations are ineffectual and most food comes from the same places. Second, the production methods themselves are dangerous, dirty, and inhumane – and that’s just for the animals. It’s even worse for the workers, many of whom are illegals receiving rock-bottom wages for thankless work. Third, the surplus of calories (Thanks, corn!) is making Americans obese and wildly unhealthy. But you knew that.

Oh, also? That’s just the first 15 minutes.

What’s great about it: It’s scattershot, overwhelmingly one-sided, and after the first hour, you might want to banish the unsubtle HEY, THIS MUSIC SIGNIFIES A THING WE DON’T LIKE back to Hell where it came from. But man, is this an effective film. The testimony and footage are so convincing, it’s hard to imagine how food corporations could possibly respond. (PR nightmare!) Even more vexing though, are our own roles in the mess. What are we doing to ourselves, and how can we stop it?

Key scene #1: About halfway through the film, after the audience has seen hundreds, if not thousands of featherless, headless chicken carcasses, a live fowl has its throat slit at Joel Salatin’s Polyface farms. At that point, it’s the most natural thing in the entire movie. Still, there were several audible gasps in my theater. A few minutes later, full-grown pigs are herded squealing and terrified into a slaughterhouse box. They come out dead. No one at Film Forum made a sound.

Key scene #2: Any video of Barbara Kowalczyk’s little boy will pretty much kill you.

3. Super Size Me (2004)
Directed by Morgan Spurlock

Premise: 30-something Spurlock eats nothing but McDonald’s for 30 days, just to see what happens. And what happens is this: he gains 25 pounds, loses his sex drive, and sees his metabolic functions go haywire. Along the way, he learns a ton about the connection between food, marketing, and obesity, especially for kids.

What’s great about it: If King Corn is about the source of our food issues, and Food, Inc. is about their scope, than Super Size Me is about their potentially cataclysmic effects on our bodies. Check it: a third of Americans are clinically obese, and another third is overweight. Some of the blame can be pinned on us individually, but there are so many factors working against us (because foodcorps are after money only) that it’s difficult to know what’s what. And that’s the director’s point: how do we stay healthy when bad food is inescapable? When it’s our only option at the corner store? When it’s the only stuff in school lunchrooms? When it’s advertised to us FROM BIRTH?

Also, it’s a well-paced movie with a light touch. Just thought I’d mention it.

Key scene: After he downs his second super-sized meal from Mickey D’s, Morgan promptly opens his car window and barfs it right back up. Mmm ... I’m lovin’ it!

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL

American Dream (1990)
Directed by Barbara Kopple

The 1990 Oscar winner for Best Documentary, American Dream examines a Minnesota meatpacking labor dispute during the Reagan administration. Evenhanded and well-observed, it’s neither pro- nor anti-union - just tremendously insightful.

Le Sang des Bêtes (1949)
Directed by Georges Franju

Blood of the Beasts is oh-so-French in its arty juxtaposition of serene farmland with monolithic slaughterhouses. Still, if you’ve ever wanted to know exactly how animals were – and sometimes still are – killed, watch it. It’s unrelenting and will ensure there’s no disconnect between what your food is and where it comes from. Due warning: for a 60-year-old film, this mother is GRAPHIC.

And that does it. Readers, anything you’d add for your armless junior high lessons? Please fire away in the comment section.

Tuesday Megalinks

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:30:00 +0000

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.)