Here's today's wacky food news, thanks to Parentdish.com: A British dad was out shopping for candy for his sons when he noticed the wrappers on Haribo brand Maoam sour candies. According to him, "The lemon and lime are locked in what appears to be a carnal encounter," adding, "The lime, whom I assume to be the gentleman in this coupling, has a particularly lurid expression on his face."

Ha! Really? Well, maybe. See for yourself:

 

I know, I know -- we're supposed to stay away from packaged foods, right? We should be eating fresh veggies, baking our own bread, churning our own ice cream, simmering our homemade soups with our freshly made chicken stock. But let's face it -- no one can eat all-homemade, all the time. Well, at least I can't. Sometimes you need to resort to soup in can, frozen veggies or yogurt out of a cup.

Women's Health has come up with a list of 125 best packaged foods for women (why exactly they're "for women," I'm not sure, but hey, I'll go with it), based on taste, health and convenience. It covers everything from bagels to cookies to bacon, and includes nutritional information and health notes. Here are some of my personal favorites from the list:

• Sabra Sun Dried Tomato Hummus, which "fights heart disease" and "promotes weight loss"
• Ak-Mak Stone-Ground Sesame Crackers, which have "a whopping four grams of fiber per serving"
• The Laughing Cow Orginal Mini Babybel, which "builds bone"
• Uncle Ben's Whole Grain Brown Ready Rice, which "fights heart disease"

I guess I can feel a little better about buying these packaged products -- thank goodness! One less thing to feel guilty about.

--Maggie

photo: womenshealth.com 

There are hundreds of recipes for pie crust. Make by hand or in the processor? Use butter, lard, Crisco, or a combination of all three? How much water to add?

Our GardenWeb members have lots of great recipes for crust, but there's one ingredient in a couple of them that seems a little -- unusual. It's vodka.

That's right, vodka, the stuff you usually find in your martini or your gimlet. It may sound odd, but adding a bit of vodka to the dough keeps it flaky and delicious (and the alcohol evaporates when you cook it, so you won't taste it or get drunk). This innovative recipe originated from Cook's Illustrated a couple years ago -- it's called Foolproof Pie Dough and calls for 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup vodka.

Member lindac says, "The vodka vaporizes in the oven and leaves a really flakey crust...not at all 'cakey,'" while member mustangs calls it "outstanding."

iVillage community moderator Tamara Amey says, "When something contains 80-proof vodka, it can't be all bad, right? It worked its magic into a combination of crispy, crumbly and flakey all rolled into one perfect pie crust and will now be my go-to recipe."

If that isn't a ringing endorsement, I don't know what is. And anything that claims to be "foolproof" is right up my alley. What do you think -- will you try making vodka pie crust?

--Maggie

photo: j. hall/getty images  

 

 

 

It's time to get serious about Top Chef Masters. After starting with a whopping 24 chefs, they've narrowed down the field to six finalists, who'll now go head-to-head in grueling challenges until just one chef is left standing. I've been following the season closely, and while it's not as compelling as its predecessor, Top Chef, it's still a pretty entertaining show. Here's why:

1. Clearly, TC Masters is a kinder, gentler version of TC. The judges are much less critical, and the cheftestants all seem to get along really well. There's no backstabbing, no petty fighting. While this means a lot less drama (and, ok, ultimately makes for less gripping TV), it does mean you get a lot more warm fuzzy moments, like Roy Yamaguchi, Art Smith, Michael Cimarusti and Jonathan Waxman refusing to sabotage each other as they shop for mystery ingredients for their fellow chefs to cook with. It's really cool to see these chefs interact with each other and see the respect each has for his or her fellow chef masters.

2. It's awesome seeing these well-known chefs in the flesh, in action. You may have seen pictures of them before, or you may have only heard of them and their restaurants. A few have been on TV before. But it's wonderful to see these respected, revered chefs at work, to watch their cooking styles, see how they think, and get insights into their personalities. You'll learn what a spazz Rick Moonen is, see the quiet thoughtfulness of Suzanne Tracht, and be charmed the exuberance of Art Smith. You'll laugh, you'll cry... it's better than Cats. (Just kidding. Nothing is better than Cats.)

3. The chefs seem to be having a ball with it. While they're serious about winning, they're not taking things *too* seriously (see point #1 -- no fighting, no sabotage, no drama). Some of them mess up, but they're able to take it in stride; they joke around, have fun with ingredients and techniques, and aren't afraid to take chances.  

4. All the cheftestants are playing for the charity of their choice, which adds another element of warm fuzziness to the whole show. Even better, most of the chefs have a personal connection to their charities, whether it's an aunt with breast cancer (Anita Lo) or a nephew waiting for a heart transplant (Graham Elliot Bowles). A lot of the chefs say that winning $10,000 for their charities (the prize for winning one of the intial episodes) would be their biggest achievement to date. Awwww.

Ok, let's face it -- Top Chef Masters isn't as good as Top Chef. By the very nature of the way the show is set up, it can't be. But it's a cool way to get a glimpse of some well-known chefs in action; if you're at all intrigued by chefs and restaurants across the country, it's nice to get a little insight into their personalities and what makes them tick. And now that we're down to the top six, I'm excited to see the real action begin.

I'm pulling for Anita Lo -- she's from New York, after all -- but I think Rick Bayless and Hubert Keller are strong contenders, too. I'm betting that they'll be the top three standing, with Anita (hopefully) taking it all.

Who do you think will win Top Chef Masters?

--Maggie

photos: kelsey mcneal/bravo 

We're smack in the middle of summer movie season, and I have to admit, I have *a lot* of catching up to do. I'm pretty picky about my movies, and what you like to watch -- romantic comedies, action-packed blockbusters, or any and every single Harry Potter flick -- certainly says a lot about who you are. But here's something I never thought of before -- what does you movie snack say about your personality? In the latest issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray, Anita Chu, author of the upcoming book A Field Guide to Candy, offers some insights into what you munch on when you hit the theater. First, take the poll:

Now find out what it means:

For the last few seasons, I have been a recurring judge on Iron Chef America, one of the most highly rated shows on Food Network. Over the last couple of weeks, we taped for the upcoming season and I was once again asked to judge multiple battles. While I can't tell you who the contestants are, who won, or if the Chairman will give me a karate chop, I can share some photos and answer a few questions I am frequently asked:

1. Is it real?

100 percent; nothing is rigged. The producers are amazing and they never affect the judges' decision. The Iron Chefs, the challengers, and the judges take it very seriously. The competitors sweat--it is a battle! As a judge, it is extremely exciting to watch the competition every time.

2. Does it really happen in an hour?

Yes, the actual challenge happens in exactly one hour--there is a large clock and a woman, over a loud speaker, counting down the minutes so the chefs can manage their time. That said, filming an episode will take hours. The judging for each chef takes about 45 minutes, coupled with intros, deliberation, and the reveal of the secret ingredient--it's a long but fun day.

3. Is it hard to eat all that food?

Yes, very. I just filmed a bunch of episodes so I will be going on a cleanse. It is difficult to eat all the courses and often there are many components to one plate, so it will require a few bites for each dish to truly assess and give a fair and informed opinion, but the chefs work really hard and I must eat every bite!

4. Do the chefs know ahead of time what the secret ingredient is?

I get this question most often, and the answer is a few days before the challenge both Iron Chef and challenger receive a list of several very different ingredients, one of which is the secret ingredient. Therefore, up until the reveal neither chef is sure what they are going to get; trust me, it is incredibly challenging to do in one hour.

5. Does Alton Brown really know all that stuff about food?

He sure does! He is amazing and his knowledge is encyclopedic. He is so intelligent and he is constantly doing research and learning. He also has a wicked sense of humor --often at my expense.

--Donatella

P.S. The photos are from my perspective at judges' panel. We have a video prompter in front of us because we can't see everything that is going on.

photos: donatella arpaia

Read Donatella's previous posts

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I read today that there's an master kimchi-maker in Korea who's just developed the first odorless kimchi. It's freeze-dried, and you mix it with water before serving; supposedly, it tastes the same, but without the odor. This kind of makes me sad, and I'll tell you why.

I love kimchi. I'll buy big jars of it and keep them in my fridge, to be added to soups, eaten over rice, or even just eaten straight out of the jar (yes, I've had this for dinner numerous times). It's spicy, sour, salty, crunchy, juicy... and addictive. I get cravings for this funky, fermented cabbage -- and I can't stop at just one bite.

But although I've been tempted many times, I've never brought kimchi into the office for lunch. Why? Because the stuff really is very, very potent. It will stink up your office kitchen or area, and annoyed co-workers will come sniffing around, wondering what that awful smell is.

Now, I happen to love the way kimchi smells. It's garlicky and pickly and intense and wonderful all at once. I admit, it may be a little much for some people (I also love the way the aroma of garlic and onions lingers on my fingers a day after I've chopped them, so that should tell you something right there). But to me, odorless kimchi isn't really kimchi at all. The smell is such an integral part of the experience; just one whiff starts my mouth watering instantly. Freeze-dried kimchi sounds sterile and souless; I love opening my refrigerator door and seeing the jar full of bright-red messy layers, knowing that I have a snack waiting for me at all times. Plus, isn't the sense of smell an integral part of the tasting experience? We all know that when you've got a cold or you pinch your nose, food tastes blander and it's harder to distinguish flavors. Won't taking away the aroma take away the kimchi's flavor, too?

Freeze-dried kimchi may be a good idea for astronauts, but for me, no thanks. I'll continue stinking up my home with my fresh, pungent, delicious jars of kimchi.

--Maggie

photo: asia images/getty images 

Lobsters are an essential part of summer meals. Give me a whole steamed lobster with some corn on the cob and boiled potatoes, and I'll be happy for days. Throw in some steamers and I'll be ecstatic (and don't even get me started on fried whole-belly clams).

Many people cook whole lobsters by bringing a pot of water to a boil and simply tossing the critters in. After all, lobsters are the bugs of the sea, right? They don't make sounds and scream in horror, they're not cute and furry (well, I do think they're cute but others might not agree), and it's been commonly believed that they don't feel any pain.

Well, recent scientific studies have suggested that, in fact, lobsters and other crustaceans do feel pain, which is leading some folks to wonder if boiling lobsters alive is inhumane. The practice is already outlawed in Italy, and many are debating what's the most humane way to kill a lobster. I've been taught to insert my knife into the center of the head and then quickly bring my knife down, cutting the head in half. This, apparently, kills the lobster instantly and relatively painlessly...but really, I have no idea if this is true. Especially since the lobster keeps moving around for a couple minutes after you do this, which is supposedly just its nerves working after the lobster is dead (If you watch the video embedded in the article, you'll see that this is the way Eric Ripert kills his lobsters too, so at least I'm in good company.) It's a little creepy, but hey, at least the killing process is quick.

Anyway, what's your take on this -- is boiling lobsters alive inhumane? My guess is that unlike Italy, we can't create any laws around this -- how would they enforce it in home kitchens across the country? And, let's face it, a lot of people don't really have the stomach to actually kill an animal like a lobster with a knife. A pot of boiling water with a lid just seems so much easier and less gruesome.

And while we're on the subject, what about all the other animals that are slaughtered on huge factory farms, living in crowded, unsanitary conditions and being shot up with antibiotics; isn't their treatment inhumane, too? Shouldn't there be a bigger uproar about that? And do people just care less because don't actually have to deal with it face-to-face?

--Maggie

photo: a. grablewski/getty images 

Greasy, oily fried chicken. Cheesy, overstuffed burritos. Calorie-laden, artery-clogging pizzas with the works. Fast food is pretty evil, isn't it? It's fattening, full of artificial and unhealthy ingredients, and is pretty much on the bottom of the food chain.

Well, here's a site that might change how you look at fast food -- literally. The brilliant concept behind FancyFastFood.com is that the creators take typical fast food meals, like White Castle sliders with fries and a Coke, and deconstruct them, transforming them into entirely different, elegant-looking meals using legitimate cooking methods and techniques (we can't vouch for how they taste, though). The ingredients come almost entirely from fast food joints; for example, your typical ingredient list might be:

• 1 two-piece Popeyes Bonafide spicy fried chicken dinner (breast and wing), with a biscuit, a side of cole slaw, and a large Coke (no ice)
• 1 Loaded Chicken Wrap
• 1 large order of red beans and rice
• packets of Popeyes Louisiana hot sauce
• wasabi paste (for garnish)

Very detailed instructions follow, such as pouring the Coke into a saucepan and reducing it to a syrup; removing the chicken from the bone and chopping it finely; squaring off the tortilla and layering it with rice, beans and chicken, among other directions. The result?

Popeye's sushi!

The tranformed dishes are incredibly clever -- Taco Bell burritos become tortellini, a Burger King breakfast sandwich becomes a quiche. They're not any healthier, and they're probably not any tastier, but boy, they sure do look delicious.

--Maggie

photo: www.fancyfastfood.com

 

Did you have any burgers over the July Fourth weekend? I did. Mine was a grass-fed Vermont beef burger, mixed with "seven secret spices," cooked to medium on a grill. It was topped with garlic-herb cheddar and sauteed mushroom and onions, and garnished with raw onion, tomato, lettuce and ketchup and mustard, served in an organic whole-wheat bun. It was juicy, flavorful and delcious -- yum! (Unfortunately that's not the actual picture of it, but it was just as mouthwatering.)

If your holiday weekend burger wasn't quite so stellar, you're in luck -- the New York Times recently ran in article on how to make the perfect burger, gathering tips from well-known chefs and meat experts. Here's a sampling of their advice:

-Cook the burger as you would a steak -- sear it on the grill, then finish it on the oven. This way, you get a nice char on the outside while the inside stays moist and doesn't get overcooked.

-Don't be afraid of fat -- meat that's 30 percent fat yields flavorful results

-Grind the meat yourself to control the quality (pre-ground meat can contain inferior cuts)

-Shape the patties using a jar lid; one chef recommends a Hellmann's mayo jar lid for perfect results every time

-Make a well in the center of your patty to ensure even cooking

-Don't be afraid to use lots of salt and lots of heat

Check out the article for more handy burger tips, and you'll be chowing down on fantastic burgers all summer long.

--Maggie

photo: r. macdougall/getty images 

 

 

If you're itching to get out of town, Jane and Michael Stern's new book, 500 Things to Eat Before It's Too Late, will give you the perfect excuse. It's chock-full of delicious-sounding and mouthwatering-looking eats from all across the country, many of them regional specialities: Head to Oklahoma for a perfect "pig sandwich," hunt down lobster rolls in Maine, indulge in cheese crisps in Arizona, or dig into world-class barbecue ribs in Tennessee, Alabama or Texas. You'll learn about foods you've never heard of before (Dutch lettuce salad in central Iowa or Cornell chicken in New York?) and read about must-visit cafes, diners and shacks.

The book is organized by region, so just close your eyes, pick a page at random, and hop into your car...anybody want to meet me at the Maine Diner in Wells for some lobster pie this weekend?

--Maggie

photo: bn.com

Looks like Michelle Obama isn't just setting trends in her own country -- she's influencing fans across the pond, too. In fact, she may be part of the reason why Britain's Queen Elizabeth has planted her own royal vegetable garden at Buckingham Palace. Like Michelle's White House garden, the Queen's is organic; unlike Michelle, the Queen is growing beets. There are also carrots, leeks, tomatoes, onions, and several types of beans that the royal kitchen will be cooking up all season long. It's the first time since World War II there's been a vegetable garden at the palace.

Coincidence? We think not.

 Want to see what's growing in Michelle's garden? Take a look at this exclusive video tour!

photo: getty images

I've been trying to eat more seafood lately, cutting back on my red meat and pork intake in favor of leaner, healthier fish. Plus, it's summer, which always makes me crave lobster and steamers, chilled oysters and sushi. But I've also been trying to be more conscious of where my food comes from and how it's produced (I just joined New York City's Slow Food chapter and I can't wait for my CSA subscription to start next week).

In the past, I didn't pay much attention to which seafood was "good" to eat -- meaning, which was good for me (chemical-free) and also good for the environment (wasn't overfished, wasn't raised or caught in a way that damaged its environment). But now that I'm becoming more aware of all the issues surrounding our seafood, I'm also becoming aware of how difficult it is to figure out which seafood I should be eating at all.

Mark Bittman has an enlightening article in this week's New York Times about the confusion surrounding which fish we should and shouldn't be eating; the rules are so specific and change so often that it's impossible to keep up with. Whether you're ordering seafood in a restaurant or buying some in the store, it seems that you never quite know exactly what you're getting.

Mark has a few simple guidelines he follows when it comes to eating seafood, like shunning the most troubled species (cod, skate) along with anything farm-raised. He also says that he eats less fish and doesn't promote eating it anymore, which is the most surprising and saddening thing of all. Have we really reached a point where we're so uncertain of where our seafood is coming from and how much of it is left in the ocean that we can't eat it anymore?

I'm not sure yet what my seafood-eating strategy will be, but I'll definitely acquaint myself with the seafood watch guide so I'll have an idea of which fish to look out for if possible. And in the meantime, I guess I'll be eating a lot more of those sustainably-grown veggies from my CSA.

photo: s. kashkin/getty images  

I've been a huge fan of Pirate's Booty for years now; though I'm not a big snacker, when I do get the urge, I'll try to pick up a bag of the white cheddar Pirate's Booty. It tastes similar to Smartfood, which I also love (I'm addicted to popcorn, which is why I rarely get it -- too dangerous!), but it's a little lower in fat and calories. So when I heard Pirate's Booty was coming out with two new flavors, I had to try them out.

The new flavors are Bermuda Onion and Sea Sat & Vinegar, and they're both pretty tasty. I brought them along on a road trip to a wedding in upstate New York -- I always like to have snacks in the car, for emergencies -- but didn't bust into them until the night of the rehearsal dinner, when the buffet was long over, several drinks had been consumed, and room service had ended for the evening. First up was the Bermuda Onion, and it really hit the spot. The flavor reminded me a lot of one of my favorite childhood snacks, Funyuns (you know, those crispy onion-flavored rings that aren't actually made out of onions). Bag number one was soon demolished. The sea salt and vinegar was also pretty good, though I think I would have liked a little more vinegary bite to it. All in all, I went to bed happy and satisfied that night. 

Best of all, I didn't feel too guilty in the morning, as each 1-ounce bag only has 130 calories. Pirate's Booty saved the day (and night) yet again! 

photos: pirate's booty  

The new White House garden made headlines when Michelle Obama first broke ground back in March. But now it's June, and we're all wondering -- how does Michelle Obama's garden grow? Well, take a look at this behind-the-scenes video as White House chef Sam Kass gives a tour of the infamous organic garden, pointing out the chamomile, snap peas and fig bushes taken directly from Monticello -- the same figs Thomas Jefferson grew in his garden (no beets, though). Then get a glimpse of the enormous White House Kitchen as chefs prep the President's meal, using ingredients they've just gathered outside. What's on the menu? Grilled sea bass and steamed veggies, according to head chef Cristeta Comerford.

Watch the video to get the full scoop.

 

You can learn how to do just about anything on YouTube -- make tortillas from scratch, butcher a whole pig, whip up bacon and egg ice cream. And of course, there are billion TV shows about food, from cooking competitions to eating bizarre foods to visiting diners and barbecue joints all across the country. But you know what? We're over it! This whole video and TV thing is way overrated, anyway. Truly passionate foodies are taking it old-school by starting their own web radio networks, according to an article in the New York Times. At least, that's what Patrick Martins of Heritage Foods USA has done. He's launched the Heritage Radio Network, featuring a variety of food-related shows that air live on the web and are archived on the site. Some even take phone calls. Lots of shows are still debuting, but there are or will be ones about urban foraging, cheese, food and music, and cooking techniques. Think of it as a hip NPR for foodies.

It may have finally happened -- we've gotten overloaded with so many flashy TV hosts, catch phrases, glossy kitchen sets, and food shows that have nothing to with cooking and barely have anything to do with food, even, that we're shunning all visuals and returning to the basics. It'll be interesting to see whether this new network takes off. You can bet I'll be turning in, and tuning out Guy Fieri and all those cake-decorating competitions.

photo: d. waters/getty images

Here's something that'll make you the envy of everybody in your neighborhood this summer -- the stainless steel notebook grill. It's sleek, shiny, modern and minimalist. Looks great, you say. But what's the big deal?

Well for one thing, it's portable. It folds up into a super slim package, much like a handy little laptop. It's got cut-out handles so you can carry it easily. And it only weighs 9 pounds (!!) -- that's just a little bit more than your average laptop. Priced at just $68, this charcoal grill is a great deal. Sure, it doesn't come with all the bells and whistles -- but if you can look this good while you're barbecuing, does it really matter?

photos courtesy of aplusrstore.com

I've grown up around a lot of bottled Asian sauces -- soy sauce, hoisin, oyster sauce, Chinese barbecue sauce. And of course, various hot sauces and chili sauces were always lingering in my mom's kitchen, ready to be added to rice porridge or vegetables or soups or anything, really. As a kid, making regular trips to the grocery store in Chinatown with my family meant walking by a huge array of bottled hot sauces, each nearly indistinguishable from the next. But there's one that always stands out: Huy Fong sriracha, with its instantly recognizable green cap and rooster logo.

Sriracha, a fiery red blend of chilies and garlic, has been growing increasing popular, especially among the chef set (watch Top Chef and see how many cheftestants use it in their dishes or rave about it -- one even made a sriracha ice cream). It has a cult-like following, with more than 120,000 Facebook fans and people who eat it on eggs, pizza, sushi, as a dip for chips, in salad dressings, on top of crackers, in tuna salad and mashed potatoes. The New York Times just did a nice piece on sriracha's history and creator, 64-year-old David Tran. It covers his humble chili sauce-making roots and how sriracha was developed and packaged (you'll find out why there's a rooster on the bottle, for example).

Sriracha has gotten so mainstream that it's even being used in dishes at P.F. Chang's and Applebee's (!). You can now walk into a Wal-Mart and pick up a bottle.

How do you eat sriracha? I add it to soups or dipping sauce for dumplings; I've tried it in bloody marys, too. Tell us what's your favorite way to use it. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Condiment or Crack?

Sriracha recipes from the Food Network

How to use sriracha 5 ways

photo courtesy of huyfong.com

You're not alone. There's a bizarre, increasingly common phenomenon that's been happening lately -- people are reporting that after eating pine nuts, "they have developed a foul, metallic taste in their mouth lasting for up to two weeks, making practically all food and drink unpalatable," according to Daily Mail online. The first reported incidents of "pine mouth" began last winter and are growing; doctors and experts can't figure out what's causing it. It's not an allergic reaction; no pesticides or metals were found in tested pine nuts, and those that caused pine mouth weren't chemically different from those that didn't. Most puzzling of all -- some people get the reaction and others don't, even if they've eaten from the same batch of pine nuts.

This is the first I'm hearing about pine mouth, and I admit, I'm a little wary of eating pine nuts (and pesto, which contains pine nuts) now. Having everything I eat and drink for two weeks taste medicinal, metallic and become utterly inedible and undrinkable? No thanks.

Have you experienced pine mouth or know someone who has? Tell us about it.

photo: a. sass/getty images

Planting a garden in your backyard and growing your own fruits and veggies sounds like a great idea, right? It's cost-efficient, it's convenient (just run outside and pick a bunch of green beans or lettuce), and it's fun. Plus, what with all the food recalls lately, it's nice to know where your produce is coming from and that it's perfectly safe to eat... right?

Well, according to a recent article in the New York Times, your homegrown produce might not be as safe to eat as you think. There could be harmful levels of lead in your soil, left over from nearby homes that once sported lead-based paint, pesticides containing lead, lead plumbing and leaded gasoline. "Dust from lead-tainted soil is toxic to inhale, and food grown in it is hazardous to eat," the article says.

So before you chow down on your backyard berries or serve a fresh salad with your homegrown lettuces and tomatoes, get your soil tested -- it's the only way to find out if it contains harmful levels of lead. Your local public health department might test your soil for free, or can give you a list of schools and companies that will do it for a fee.

And if you discover your backyard soil *is* harboring dangerous levels of lead? Don't fret -- you can replace the contaminated soil or simply add lime or compost to it to neutralize the effects of lead. The safest way to raise produce, however, is to grow them in containers or raised beds filled with uncontaminated soil. And it's a good idea to place them away from buildings, since houses with lead paint can still emit lead dust or contaminate rain water that splashes on them. 

So before you decide to plant a replica of Michelle Obama's White House garden, get your soil tested. And hey -- even the White House soil has elevated levels of lead, so if you discover lead in your own backyard, you're in good company.

photo: m. poole/getty images

Ok, so maybe it's not the candy bar itself -- it's the way it's being marketed and advertised. With the tagline "naughty...but not that naughty!", the Fling chocolate bar, created by Mars (the same company that produces Snickers, Milky Way and M&M's), comes wrapped in pink, clocks in at just 85 calories, and has a blatantly sexual ad campaign. The bars are called "fingers" and ads say "Pleasure yourself;" there's even a TV spot that begins with what initially appears to be strangers having sex in a dressing room. The website says, "Have a FLING in private, or wave it all around town; in the office, the bedroom, or the great outdoors." You can also buy t-shirts on the site that say "Try it in public" and "You'll never forget your first time."

I'm pretty tired of companies trying to appeal to women by turning products pink, or giving them a "Sex in the City" spin. I don't want my food to be feminine, dainty, sexualized or "intended for women" -- I want it to be tasty, authentic and appetizing.

The chocolate bars -- sorry, fingers -- are only available right now in California or online. Curious? Check out www.flingchocolate.com, and tell us whether you think this girly new snack is cute or creepy.

Photo courtesy of FlingChocolate.com

 

I got an e-mail yesterday clueing me in to a great site -- EatWellGuide.com. It has a handy search that allows you to find farmers' markets, co-ops, CSAs and farmers near you, along with stores, restaurants, butchers, bakers, etc in your 'hood that offer organic food or support sustainable practices. Each entry is mapped out for you and comes with a little description so you know what you're getting; plus, they offer pdf guides of various cities across the country (Memphis, Phoenix, Seattle, Philly, etc) if you want the to download the whole thing. I had fun playing around it with -- for example, I learned that there's a place I can order sustainably produced meats from small farms in upstate NY, and then pick up the meat from a location only two blocks away from my apartment. Nice! If you're taking a road trip, you can also map out routes and see what farms, eco-friendly stores and restaurants are on your way, or find out what's in your destination once you get there.

Eating green just got a little bit easier.

photo: k. d'silva/getty images

Here's something I instantly fell in love with -- the Oxo Steel Corkpull. I have something similar at home that works amazingly well, but it's made of plastic and comes in two separate pieces, which requires a little bit of coordination (though it's still one of the best wine bottle openers I've ever used). This one caught my eye instantly because it looked sturdier AND had a removable foil cutter built right into it. Genius!

This corkpull is just one unit (except for the removable foil cutter), so using it couldn't be simpler. Snap out the cutter that's at the top of the handle and use it to cut the foil around the top; snap it back in, and you're ready to go. Just place the corkpull on top of the bottle -- it automatically lines up correctly -- and start turning the handle; keep turning the handle in one direction, and the screw goes into the cork and pulls it out with zero effort on your part. No broken corks, no tugging or twisting. Once the cork comes out of the bottle, simply turn the handle the opposite way to remove the cork from the screw. I'm telling you, it's brilliant. Buy it now, and you'll never use another corkscrew again.  

Photo courtesy of Oxo

You've probably heard by now about all the hubbub over the Kentucky Fried Chicken/Oprah promotion. In a nutshell: KFC introduces their brand-new grilled chicken, Oprah offers a coupon for a free meal (two pieces of grilled chicken, two sides and biscuit) you can download off her site, and chaos ensues. Rumors of riots at various KFCs, stores running of chicken, thousands of angry people unable to download the coupon, etc etc. And now the president of KFC is saying that they're unable to honor the free deal right now. If you bring your coupon to the store, you'll get a rain check (plus a free Pepsi -- score!). What a disaster.

And, interestingly, The Huffington Post rightly points out that Oprah, as a PETA award winner, shouldn't be shilling for KFC at all -- the chain buys its meat from Tyson, which is known for supporting the mass-production of chickens under horrible, inhumane conditions (I just finished reading Omnivore's Dilemma -- I know, I'm behind the times -- so I'm especially sensitive to this issue).

Check minus for everyone involved in this debacle.

I recently stumbled across a site that I wanted to let you all know about -- Freekibble.com. Every time someone goes to the site and answers the trivia question, whether they get it right or wrong, the site will donate 10 pieces of kibble to help feed dogs in shelters across the country. There's a version for cats, too, at Freekibblekat.com, with an appropriately cat-themed trivia question. I plan to hit up both sites every day to help those hungry animals (I adopted both my cats from rescue organizations). The site was started by 12-year-old Mimi Ausland in 2008; so far, this non-profit has donated more than 80 million pieces of kibble for cats and more than 100 million pieces of kibble for dogs.

Check out the sites, play, and spread the word. After all, everyone deserves to eat good food!

For all you moms out there (and anyone who has a mom) -- a recent survey conducted by Market Day found that more than 30 percent of mothers who are celebrating at home will cook their own family's Mother's Day meal this year. C'mon, folks -- can't we give Mom a day off just this once?

The survey also found that 34 percent of moms doing the cooking will get help from family members (that's a *little* better, I guess). The economy doesn't seem to be doing much to slow down Mother's Day celebrations -- 73 percent said they wouldn't be cutting back this year. Of those who did say the economy was a factor, about half said they would opt for a cheaper restaurant or not go out at all (and make mom cook, I guess??).

So, Mom -- here's a super-easy brunch menu that Dad and the kids can tackle all on their own while you stay in bed and relax. Forward it to your hubby, print it out and "accidentally" leave it lying on the kitchen table, tack it up on the refrigerator... whatever it takes to get your point across. Hopefully on your special day, you can put your feet up, read the paper, and stay out of the kitchen -- and have an extra happy Mother's Day.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

When the swine flu news first broke, I immediately wondered whether I needed to stop eating pork. Some quick research confirmed that you can't contract swine flu from eating pig -- that means pork chops, bacon, ham, etc. Since then, the Centers for Disease Control and other health officials continue to reiterate -- you can't catch swine flu from eating pork!

Yet I knew that many people would stop eating pork anyway. After all, some countries have banned pork from Mexico and the United States, and Egypt even decided to slaughter all of its pigs. And of course, many consumers have stopped buying fresh pork at the supermarket. It's gone so far that at least one restaurant in New York City has banned pork from its menu entirely.

Poor little piggies! Let's help get this industry back on its trotters. One New York Times blogger has declared her own personal "Support Pork Week," and I think we should all join in. Fry up some bacon for breakfast, make a ham sandwich for lunch, and roast some pork loin for dinner. Go out to eat and order pulled pork sandwiches, apricot-glazed pork chops, roast suckling pig, braised pork spare ribs. Pork has always been there for you when times are tough ("extra bacon on that cheeseburger, please"); now it's your turn to give this much-loved food a boost.

In a recent study reported by the Los Angeles Times, 18 volunteers were given five foods to sample during a blind taste test: pork liver pate, duck liver mousse, Spam, pureed liverwurst and Newman's Own dog food. They were actually told that one of the samples they were tasting was dog food, yet only 3 out of the 18 correctly identified it (eight thought it was the liverwurst, four thought it was the Spam, two went for the fancy pork pate, and one thought it was the duck liver mousse). Seventy-two percent of the volunteers voted it as the worst-tasting of all the samples they tried.

Surprising? Sure, though there's certainly a lot of dog and cat food out there that's made to resemble human food (in fact, I sometimes give my cats Spot's Stew, which looks exactly like a thick chicken soup -- it has real carrots and peas in it). I've never *tasted* it, though I may have been tempted on a couple of occasions, just for curiosity's sake. And here's my real issue with the study: if I were one of the volunteers, I'd be pretty mad when I found out I'd have to eat dog food for it. It seems kind of unfair to spring that on someone (unless, of course, they were warned before signing up, which I kind of doubt).

Who were these tasters, anyway? Had they eaten high-end pate before? It's hard to identify foods when they're taken out of context and you've never even tried them before. I'd like to see this same taste test given to a panel of trained chefs. Hey, there's a thought -- the next Top Chef quickfire challenge!

I'm sure you know about the Twitter phenomenon. Some of you may already be on it, following your friends' tweets, sharing your own little tidbits about your daily life. While I'm not addicted to Twitter like some people I know, I like the concept -- especially the fact that there's a 140 character limit for each tweet. Brilliant. The last thing I want to do is to read someone's self-important ramblings about their trip to the hardware store, or what they ate for breakfast (unless it's something super delicious or wacky and they have an amazing photo of it, too). Keep it short and sweet, I say.

But there's a woman in Northern Ireland named Maureen Evans who's taking Twitter to the next level -- she's twittering entire recipes, condensing them into single, succinct, sometimes mildly confusing tweets. She says it's a hobby for her: "Kind of like sudoku. I really get a kick out of how complex a recipe I can fit into 140 characters." She's garnered more than 6,000 followers so far. Here are some sample recipe tweets:

Saffron Asparagus Orzo: brwn c orzo/T butter/garlic; +.25t saffron&s+p/2.5c broth. Cvr@low9m; +2c asparagus3m. Fold+8T parmesan. Srv w parm.

Nettle Soup: saute 2T butter/2shallots&clvs garlic; +4c stock&spring nettletops [pick w gloves]. Cvr/simmer10m; puree+4T yogurt/nutmeg&s+p.

Rhubarb Upside Down Cake: butter6ramekin;+T sug/4T fruit e. +beaten5T buttr&sug/egg/9T yogurt/c flour/t bkgpdr&zest/.5t salt. 25m@350F/176C.

Trying to decipher one is like working out a puzzle; they're extremely clever, and, strangely, cute. An entire, functional, oftentimes sophisticated recipe, shortened and abbreviated into 140 characters or less. Adorable!

But would I want to actually *cook* one of these twecipes? I'd maybe do a couple just for the novelty of it (New York Times writer Lawrence Downes tested a few and found that they worked), but honestly, I think it would quickly grow frustrating. Just trying to interpret more than a few of them started giving me a headache. And she has a lot of them -- check out at twitter.com/cookbook.

What do you think about recipe tweets -- yay or nay? Have you twittered a recipe lately?

Earth Day is this Wednesday, and appropriately enough, I received a link to this surprisingly fun little game from Tropicana today. Here's the deal: Protect the rainforest from loggers by helping monkeys catapult oranges at them. You use your mouse to control the catapult's power and direction and launch oranges over the trees, hopefully smacking the loggers and their equipment below before they cut down the forest standing between them and the monkeys. Helpful toucans flying overhead (is there a connection to Kellogg's Fruit Loops here? Hmm...) can catch your oranges and also knock out the loggers below.

There are five levels of play, and while the game can be a little clunky at times, I have to admit, I got sucked into it pretty quickly. (Also, I love playing simple, mindless games at work for "research" purposes, especially ones that involve animals, cute graphics, or cool noises.) There's just something about those monkeys anxiously hopping around as you launch oranges, the buzzing of the loggers' chainsaws as they advance ever closer, the "splat" of the orange as you narrowly miss the bulldozer, the innocent trees going down one by one... I'm telling you, this is serious drama going down in the rain forest!

But it's not all about fun and games -- Tropicana has partnered with Cool Earth, an international organization that combats climate change, to produce specially-marked cartons of Tropicana orange juice with special codes. Every time you enter one of these codes online at www.tropicanarainforest.com, you'll save 100 square feet of rain forest in Peru. Tropicana has even partnered with Google Maps so you can get a birds-eye look at the rainforest you're protecting and watch as these saved plots grow. Pretty cool.

I'm guessing chances are pretty good that you'll be buying some Tropicana at some point in the future (especially now that they've decided to revert back to their old packaging), so make sure you grab that code and save some trees, along with all the animals that live in them. And if that isn't incentive enough, you can even win daily prizes, along with a grand prize of a trip to Peru for four.