I mentioned in a previous post my trip to the Jersey shore, where I spied a whole mountain of Cheez Whiz. Along the same lines, I also enjoyed plenty of bacon-cheddar spread, on this trip, provided by our generous host, Home & Garden editor Michele.

I've seen bacon-cheddar spread before but never, for some odd reason, tried it. It was super-rich, creamy, smoky, intensely cheesy and bacony all at once. And completely addictive. Every time Michele busted out the crackers and spread, even if I was full, I couldn't help digging in. I do love cheese, any kind of cheese, and can make a meal out of cheese and bread. But bacony-cheese and some kind of carb? Even better. (Washed down with plenty of wine, of course.) Consider it the next time you entertain -- your guests will leave very happy. And full.

I got a press release last week for a new cookbook and knew immediately that I had to own it: Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, with Recipes, by Jennifer McLagan. Um...how could you *not* want this book? Don't worry, it's not filled with recipes for triple-bacon-cheeseburgers. It's a celebration of fat in all its forms, from butter to goose fat to bacon. So you'll find recipes for both simple and sophisticated fare, like spaghetti with butter and sage, slow-roasted pork belly with fennel and rosemary, cassoulet, and a "perfect" BLT (with bacon mayonnaise!). I'm most intrigued by some of the desserts, however -- Bacon Fat Spice Cookies and Bacon Baklava (using actual cooked bacon, not rendered bacon fat) might be at the top of my list, and of course, there's plenty of recipes for sweets using lard. There's also a recipe for Marrow Rice Pudding, which scares me just a little.

Check out it -- superstar chef Eric Ripert has an ongoing video series of him cooking in a *toaster oven.* True, it's a fancy-schmancy Cuisinart oven (they're one of the sponsors), but who cares? He's making some very tasty-looking, elegant but super easy things, like butterflied garlic shrimp and mini toad-in-the-hole using quail eggs and smoked salmon. All in the toaster oven. On the site, he says he started cooking in the toaster oven because it was the easiest way to prepare meals for his five-year-old son. Awww. How cute is that?

Watch the videos here; the recipes look great, and are fast and easy. Now I'm just waiting for Thomas Keller to release some vids of him cooking in an Easy-Bake Oven.

Ok, maybe a bit of an exaggeration. But yesterday I had a super-busy day in the office and didn't have time for lunch...so at around 2:30, I was starving. Our cafe downstairs closes at 2, so that was out. My only other options were to order in food, which would have taken forever, or to walk over to our sister building's cafeteria. And at 2:30 I knew pickings would be mighty slim over there.

But then I remembered that I had some packages of Ronzoni Bistro meals sitting on my desk. They're essentially single-serving fully-cooked pasta meals in a pouch that you heat up in the microwave, right in the bag, for about 90 seconds. I chose the Rotini with Basil and Tomatoes, zapped it in our office microwave, and had a steaming cup of pasta ready in two minutes. Though it certainly isn't a substitute for making fresh pasta with sauce, I was pleasantly surprised. The flavor kind of reminded me of the Chef Boyardee canned pastas I loved as a kid -- not a bad thing at all. I kind of enjoyed the nostalgia of it. While it wouldn't be my first choice lunch, it's definitely a good backup to have on hand in the office for emergencies.

So thanks, Ronzoni, for keeping me from starving yesterday.

I get a ton of press e-mails every day, and I barely have time to give them more than a glance. But this subject line caught my attention immediately: "Tofurkymobile Reaches Manhattan"

Really?? There's a Tofurkymobile? And it's somewhere in the city???

But just when I started to get really excited (not that I'm a fan of tofurky -- in fact, I've never tried it and I probably never will...but I was imagining some giant squishy turkey-shaped van, handing out samples, or something), I read on, and realized that it's an *imaginary* vehicle. It's been traveling across the country, virtually, to demonstrate how much energy you can save by not eating meat one day a week, which apparently cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions (FYI, the Tofurkymobile drives 16.5 miles for every individual who pledges to do this).

Now I know that sending out a real live Tofurkymobile would defeat the entire purpose of this PR stunt, but c'mon...a solar-powered Tofurky? Or one powered by decomposing tempeh? What would a Tofurkymobile look like, anyway (on the site, it's a round guy in a green suit driving a log on wheels -- very Berenstain Bears)?

Sigh.