“Red meat is not bad for you. Now blue-green meat, that’s bad for you!”
Tommy Smothers
Food & Drink
CoffeeGeek
While I like coffee, and I consider myself a geek, I have nothing on these guys: CoffeeGeek. Man o man.
Best Foods for Men
I have picked up the last few issues of Men’s Health and have found it to be a great source of information about workouts, eating and well, general men’s health issues. The most recent one had a great article, which they have now put on-line: Best Foods for Men. Not only do the editors provide nutritional information on their recommended foods, in many they tell you why they chose the item and how the nutritional breakdown affects you. An example:
Best Cracker
Pepperidge Farm Hearty Wheat
Dense and crunchy. And not in the Swedish-cardboard-cracker kind of way, either. Per 16-g serving: 80 calories, 2 g protein, 10 g carbohydrates, 3.5 g fat (0 g saturated), 1 g fiber, 100 mg sodium
The categories are:
- The Bakery
- 6 Best Bar Munchies
- 9 Best Breakfasts
- Canned Food
- Condiments
- Dairy Case
- The Deep Freeze
- Meat Cooler
- Sandwich Fixings
- Snack Aisle
- Soda Aisle
- 6 Best Square Meals
I really do need to subscribe…
Mmmm… Summer Drinks
If you live in Texas, or an equally-warm clime, I suggest you review these all important tools to ensure you keep your body at a healthy temperature: Sip Into Summer. Thanks to Leesa for the link!
The Thermochemical Joy of Cooking
Wired is running a great piece about Alton Brown of Good Eats fame, titled The Thermochemical Joy of Cooking. The article is focused on Alton’s science-oriented view of cooking and how it differs from the practices espoused on the majority of cooking shows:
Think of Good Eats as a cross between Julia Child’s Kitchen Wisdom and MacGyver. It’s the only TV cooking program that goes inside appliances (the crew rigs “ovencams” and “fridgecams”); regularly riffs on pop culture (the “Man Food Show” episode rejected a romantic breakfast in bed in favor of corn dogs and basket burgers); shuns single-purpose kitchen gadgets (fire extinguishers excepted); and deploys props assembled in the garage (like a giant squid tentacle with suction cups from a bath mat). For Brown, it’s all about making food – and science – fun. “Even people who don’t actually cook can enjoy the show.”
Alton’s methods appeal to the way I cook. While I look at recipes, I tend to use them as a foundation. Often as not, I prefer to look at what is available and throw something together instead of finding the perfect recipe. It’s much more fun, and a helluva lot more creative. Good Eats provides a look into why it is (or is not) better to use a certain method, choose one tool over another or combine certain ingredients while encouraging creativity and experimentation. I learn something new every time I catch one of his shows.
If you aren’t familiar with Alton, or Good Eats, read Wired’s article, and if you get a chance, watch an episode. It’s well worth it.
Besides, who else will teach you to make a Cardboard Box Smoker?
You may want to check out some of his books. I can recommend the first two on this list, and plan to purchase the third when I have a chance:
Carnivores Rejoice
Sometimes the brilliance of science surpasses the imagination. I mean, who would have thought of making a tortilla out of meat?
Utter brilliance!!
While I don’t subscribe to the various low carb diets, I must give my thanks for inspiring the folks at the University of Florida to create the Flaquita.
While there are a wealth of choices in flour tortilla flavors including guacamole, wheat and my personal favorite, cayenne, chicken tortillas could give birth to a beautiful variety of new flavors and dishes.
Soon we can have fajita tacos wrapped in chicken tortillas. Mmmm…