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St. Bernard Puppy (photo by ofrockwood, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Does your dog harbor gourmet longings? Do you need to find a gift basket especially befitting a beloved, four-legged family member? Posh Pets Gourmet Food Company could be your answer.
According to the company’s web site, all treats are made fresh to order and contain no artificial flavors or preservatives. “Jimmy Chews” Cheese Biscuits and "Chewy Vuitton" Chicken Biscuits are among the luxuriously labeled menu items. Vegetarian selections are available and the “all-natural, gourmet treats have been enriched with Omega-3 to help promote healthy skin, coat and joints.”
The company boasts a unique line of gift baskets, treat containers, and "Birthday Pup-Cakes.” Even breathalyzer treats containing fresh parsley and mint are available to help your pet freshen up on the morning after the party.
If you’ve got a pet for whom only the best will do, try paying a visit to: Posh Pets Gourmet Food Company
The Great Reuben (© Andrea Skjold | Dreamstime.com)
Just a short time ago it was Mary Ellen Botter of the Dallas Morning News who braved an onslaught of calories to get the “skinny” on the great sandwiches of the Big Easy, including the renowned Muffaletta. Now, Julia Moskin of the New York Times has embarked on a quest for the Big Apple’s “next best sandwich.”
Having devoured our share over the years, we’re comfortable agreeing with Ms. Moskin that “a real New York sandwich” must be a “two-fisted, five-minute” meal with marvelous “flavor and texture contrast.” And of course, just like their New Orleans counterparts, New York City sandwiches must be "filling."
The Reuben, the falafel, the Cuban, the pressed panini, and the meatball Parmesan hero, are classics of the genre. In her recent search, the adventurous Ms. Moskin looked (and ate) to find a creation that might be new to the city, but was ready to take its place in the Pantheon of great New York City sandwiches.
She made some remarkable finds, including the delicious sounding Chili Mackerel Mantou served by Province at 305 Church Street, near Walker Street in Lower Manhattan. We’ll be giving that discovery and several others a thorough tasting. It’s springtime, we’ll walk off the calories.
If you’d like to read the article on the New York Times cited above go to: The Next Best Things in Sliced Bread
To view the previous post on the sandwiches of New Orleans go to: New Orleans is a Sandwich Lover's Dream
Sleeping Beauty (photo by Kristine Kisky, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Scientists at Britain’s Oxford and Exeter universities have concluded that a mother's eating habits around the time of conception can influence the sex of her baby. It seems women who eat high calorie diets are more likely to give birth to a male child than women on restricted diets.
An article in the Guardian quotes Fiona Mathews, a specialist in mammalian biology at Exeter University, who led the research, as saying:
We were able to confirm the old wives' tale that eating bananas and so having a high potassium intake was associated with having a boy, as was a high sodium intake. But the old tale about drinking a lot of milk to have a girl doesn't seem to hold up. In fact, more calcium meant they were again more likely to have a boy.
According to the article in the Guardian:
The finding makes evolutionary sense and mirrors a similar effect seen in other animals. Females are more likely to be born when food is scarce, since they are more likely to produce at least some babies. Males are more of a gamble though, with some having lots of offspring and others having none.
The researchers warned against trying to determine the sex of a child with drastic dietary changes as those changes may cause other health problems for the mother and infant.
If you’d like to read the article in the Guardian cited above go to: What are little boys made of? Scientists pinpoint bananas
Fresh Oyster (photo by DT Creations, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Weighing in at just 105 pounds, Chicago’s own Patrick "Deep Dish" Bertoletti has captured the Acme World Oyster Eating championship belt, one of the competitive eating world’s most prestigious prizes. He earned the prize by besting a field of a dozen professional eaters competing in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter.
According to a report from the Associated Press posted by the Houston Chronicle, the slender 22-year-old slurped down 35 oysters in the allotted 8 minutes. The article quotes the new champ as saying, "I could probably do a couple dozen more, especially if they were charbroiled...athough they're great raw."
Mr. Bertoletti also holds claim to the oyster-eating endurance title. In 2007, he downed 53 ½ dozen oysters to win that title.
If you’d like to read the Associated Press report cited above go to: Oyster-eating champ slurps 35 dozen in New Orleans
Reefs in Galley Head (photo by Enzo Cositore, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Here's an Old Irish Blessing for you:
May you live as long as you want,
And never want as long as you live.
And an Irish Quotation:
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and fat. - Alex Levine
For travel info and special offers on trips to Ireland you can visit: Ireland.ie
Peruvian Man Napping (© Photographer: Pavalache Stelian | Agency: Dreamstime.com)
Over the years there’s been compelling evidence that a Mediterranean-style diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fish, nuts, and olive oil works wonders for keeping a healthy heart. The people who thrive on such diets have significantly lower rates of heart disease than those who consume a lot of deep-fried foods, processed meats, refined flour, and pure sugar. Drinking wine in moderation is far healthier than drinking soda.
But it seems that there may be more to the healthy results of the Mediterranean lifestyle than just the food and wine. After a study of more than 23,000 subjects, scientists from Greece’s University of Athens Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health have found that a propensity for midday naps and siestas among Mediterranean cultures may be playing an important role in keeping people free of heart disease.
According to an article in Scientific American the researchers concluded that “those who took afternoon siestas of 30 minutes or more at least three times a week had a 37 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease than those who did not. Afternoon siestas have long been a part of daily life in Greece
While Americans are accustomed to getting their sleep in a continuous stretch at night, quite a few Mediterranean and Latin American countries honor the midday nap or siesta. One explanation for the health benefit of a midday snooze is the relief it provides from stressful work. After a pleasant and relaxing sleep people can return to work with less chnace of developing chronic stress, which has been implicated in heart disease.
If you’d like to read the article in Scientific American cited above go to: Napping May Be Good for Your Heart
Fortune Cookie (photo by Michael Connors, courtesy of morguefile.com)
In breaking news, the New York Times has reported that the debate over origin of the fortune cookie may have been settled. Japanese researcher Yasuko Nakamachi says the cookies are almost certainly of Japanese origin, despite their ubiquitous presence in Chinese restaurants around the world. About 3 billion fortune cookies are made each year. Most are made in the U.S.
In the New York Times article Ms. Nakamachi points to “...many references to the cookies in Japanese literature and history, including an 1878 image of a man making them in a bakery.”
Ms. Nakamachi is a folklore and history graduate student at Japan’s Kanagawa University. Her quest to determine the origin of the fortune cookie covered a span of six years. Her time was spent at Japan’s National Diet Library, pouring over old documents and drawings, and traveling to shrines and temples across the country to conduct interviews.
If you’d like to read the New York Times article cited above go to: Solving a Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery Inside a Cookie
U.S. Currency (photo by Dawn M. Turner, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Most American families are probably well aware that food prices have been rising. A report in The Toledo Blade confirms what they’ve been experiencing on the checkout line: food prices increased by 5.4% between November 2006 and November 2007, according to the Consumer Price Index.
Some staples of the American diet have seen very steep increases since 2000, according to the article. The price of a dozen eggs has gone from 97 cents in 2000, to $2.49. The cost of a gallon of milk has risen from $2.78 in January of 2000 to about $3.95 today, and the price of a fresh whole chicken has climbed from $1.05 to $1.49 a pound during that time. A rise in the cost of imported produce is largely attributed to the decline in the value of the dollar. Produce rose 1.7% in just one month, the largest increase in 14 years.
The Toledo Blade article quotes J. DiNuzzo, president of DiNuzzo Investment Advisors Inc., as saying, "The weaker currency is having an effect all across the board, all the way to food prices."
Sharply rising demand for biofuels and record-setting oil prices are also blamed as culprits making food more expensive. In Mexico, citizens have taken to the streets in protest of rising corn prices as that diet staple has been diverted from food to biofuel production.
The article indicates that food prices will continue to rise as the dollar grows weaker.
If you’d like to read The Toledo Blade article cited above go to: Food prices increase by 5.4%
Champagne for Two (© Photographer: Bliz | Agency: Dreamstime.com)
A Happy, Healthy & Prosperous New Year to You & All Your Loved Ones!
Christmas Ornaments (photo by Jane M. Sawyer, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Grits, Eggs, Bacon & Toast (photo by Dawn M. Turner, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Grits are one of the American South's most recognizable foods, but it was Chicagoan Patrick Bertoletti who took home the $4,000 first prize in the Louisiana Downs Grits-Eating Championship. A chef who sports a Mohawk haircut, Mr. Bertoletti consumed 21 pounds of grits in 10 minutes, outpacing Timothy “Eater X” Janus of New York City, who ate 20 pounds for a second place finish.
Southerners can take heart that one of their own may soon claim the coveted title as they have some excellent prospects. In fourth place was Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas, of Alexandria, Virginia, who downed 18.5 pounds of grits in 10 minutes. Finishing fifth was Hall “Hoover” Hunt, of Orange Park, Florida, who ate 15 pounds of grits.
To read full coverage of the event in the Shreveport Times go to: Chicagoan wins La. Downs grits-eating championship
Savoring Wine (photo by Luis C. Tejo, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Seasoned wine lovers know the quality of a wine often bears little relation to its price tag. Expensive wines can be disappointing vintages from great wineries. Wines that haven’t achieved media recognition can be had at a price representing incredible value.
But with all the wines on the market, and seemingly endless introductions of more choices, finding those affordable wonders can be tough. Luckily for wine lovers, writer Eric Asimov of the New York Times arranged a tasting by wine aficionados and has written an article on their selections for the best wines for $10 or less.
As you’d expect, finding those wines was no easy task. Mr. Asimov says in his Wines of the Times article,
Frankly, the $10-and-under price range may represent the cheapest wines, but I feel the best values are in the $10-to-$20 range, where you can find sensational wines made by small producers using traditional techniques. These sorts of wines are much harder to find at $10 and under.
To read the article cited above & see which inexpensive wines made a fine impression go to: Happiness for $10 or Less
(photo courtesy of morguefile.com)
The outbreak of widespread and lethal poisoning from pet food has a lot of people looking for safer alternatives. Many have joined the ranks of those who prepare meals for their pets themselves, a practice once seen as a little eccentric.
At specialty food shows we've seen a trend toward fancier & healthier pet food that has been underway for some time. In 2005, organic pet food sales reached $30 million, according to the Organic Trade Association. That was up 46% from 2004, but a small part of the $16.1 billion Americans are expected to spend on feeding their pets in 2007. Still, there are small specialty firms that make organic, vegetarian and even low-carb pet food selling for premium prices. Some of them are making pretty good money doing it!
To read an article on pet food entrepreneurs in Business Week go to: A Growing Appetite for Healthy Pet Food
To read an article from the New York Times on home cooking for pets go to: "Home Cooking for Pets Is Suddenly Not So Odd
[via Boing Boing]
Enough said?
(photo courtesy of morguefile.com)
Want to cut down your calorie intake? Best skip that soda and have a glass of water instead. Want to cleanse your system? You can't beat a glass of water. We hear a lot about making food choices that will be good for our health. We don't see as much information on what we should be drinking and what we should avoid drinking.
To read a recent New York Times article on smart beverage choices click here: You Are Also What You Drink
I remember there was an incident with one of the Apollo missions when the astronaut couldn't get the camera working on the moon. He tried everything and finally, in exasperation, hit it with a hammer. The camera started working.
Here's another example of how the low-tech method of one swift kick (or head butt) can work wonders.
Well-placed head butt restores vet's sight lost in WWII blast - New York Daily News
If you have ever been surprised by additional guests at a dinner party, it usually isn't the amount of food that's the problem. If you're like me, you usually make extra anyway or most people are sensitive enough to reduce their portion size to accommodate everyone except maybe your brother-in-law.
The real problem is space. The table is too small!
Problem solved. Look at the videos of these functionalistic tables from dbfletcher. Cool isn't the word! Link here.
[via Boing Boing]
Happy Thanksgiving from your friends at American Feast!
Here a link to a video of a bunch of turkeys trying to have a happy Thanksgiving by getting out of town!
Turkeys wait for a NJ TRANSIT train - YouTube.com
Posilac is the genetically engineered bovine growth hormone, used in about one-third of the nation's dairy cows. This hormone, according to it's manufacturer, Monsanto, increases milk production by 10%. As a matter of fact, Monsanto has a web site for farmers with a calculator to demonstrate increased production. (The site can be found at www.make10.net.)
The FDA and Monsanto say that milk produced with this hormone (also known as recombinant bovine somatratropin (rBST)) is safe. Samuel Epstein, professor emeritus of environmental medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, strongly disagrees.
"In his new book "What’s in Your Milk" (Trafford Publishing, $24.95), he charges that rBGH milk can increase the risk of breast, colon and prostate cancer and is profitable to Monsanto while posing dangers with no benefits to consumers."
Got hormone-free milk? - Chicago Tribune
If I haven't mentioned it before, I love the Weekly World News. Beyond reporting the hard stories other media outlets don't dare to touch, it brings to our attention important issues our society faces everyday but get lost in our hectic work-a-day worlds. For example, watch this hard hitting video report about a problem I didn't even know existed when I woke this morning, the rise in obesity among telekinetics
Obesity on the Rise Among Telekinetics (Video Report) - Weekly World News
[via Boing Boing via Strange New Products]
As a pet owner, it's not only important to make sure your pet gets appropriate food (see PET HEALTH ALERT: HOLD THE GUACAMOLE, POR FAVOR) but I submit that you have a responsibility to make sure he's eating it in a way the prevents indigestion. If not for his sake, for your carpet's.
Feasts for your beast can now be served in a bowl that prevents your best friend from eating in his usual debauched way.
Demonstration video here.
Here’s information on a study that purports to show that dogs, like people, gravitate towards winners.
Study: Dogs Prefer Winners – Discovery News
Killer Teddy Bear Wreaks Havoc at Fish and Game Department hatchery.
Hatcheries supervisor Robert Fawcett said the bear — a Paddington Bear dressed in yellow raincoat and hat — is believed to be the first stuffed bear to cause fatalities at the facility.
Killer teddy bear behind deaths of 2,500 fish - MSNBC
[via Vega Porn]
In defense of cats and dogs, even the ones that cause allergic reactions, it looks like they may offer more than love and affection (as if that was not enough) to their owners.
"Jane Heyworth at the University of Western Australia in Crawley, and colleagues found that incidences of gastroenteritis – commonly called stomach flu – were significantly lower in young children living in homes with pets, than those living without."
Cats and dogs protect kids from stomach bugs – NewScientist.com
Leave it to the Americans to improve on Mother Nature. California-based biotech firm Allerca looked at thousands of cats and found the ones that did not have the glycoprotein Fel D1, which produces allergies. Then it was a simple matter of breeding.
Allergic reactions to animals are caused by a protein that is excreted in saliva, skin glands and urine. The special felines were selectively bred by reducing this trigger protein.
But don’t expect these elite cats to come cheap. Somebody has to pay for the research.
Allergy-free cat goes on sale for £2,500 – Daily Mail
Hypoallergenic Cats Now Being Sold in US – DogFlu.ca
Here are two stories that just happened to show up on the same day. Both are reminders of a valuable lesson taught by our teachers and parents years ago. (Do you wanna smack?) Pay attention!
Activist's yard sprayed with chemicals – boston.com
Woman spends $14,000 for rotary phones from AT&T - c/net
[via slowdown blog via adbusters]
We may have been going to fast to notice "Slow Down Week" (January 15 thru 21), but you can still see the short video. Well worth the time and if it doesn't get you to think about what we're all doing to ourselves, I don't know what will!
From their own "anti-brand" shoes (Blackspot Shoes), to consumer education, Adbusters champions consumer empowerment. As sponsers of "TV Turnoff Week" and "Buy Nothing Day" they bring action as well as enlightenment.
Don't forget to check out the spoof ads and flash videos.
Link.
via boing boing, via the consumerist - take a look at this picture of baby Ronald McDonald from an advertisement in India announcing the opening of a new McDonalds. (Isn't the cow sacred in India?) If this doesn't give you nightmares, I don't know what will. Link.
I should start a new category for this blog entitled “Exactly the Opposite!” Here would be posted items such as this, where new medical science not only finds something they did not know, but discovers the truth is 180 degrees from their original thinking. I hate when that happens.
“Scientists at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor say the finding is a complete reversal of previous research and that drug makers will have to design new medications to treat sleep disorders, jet lag and some forms of depression.”
Body Clock Surprise – Ivanhoe.com
While the University of Gastronomic Sciences does not offer any courses in cooking, it will provide you the opportunity to earn a Masters in Gastronomic Sciences and Quality Products or a Master in Food Culture: Communicating Quality Products.
What professional opportunities are available to graduates?
Graduates of the three-year degree course in Gastronomic Sciences will have a thorough background in both sciences and humanities, and will bring a new level of specialization to the fields of production, preparation, distribution and promotion of food and drink at an international level.
The object is to qualify graduates so they will be capable of undertaking various roles: in industrial, commercial and catering companies; producer associations and consortia; restaurants or hotel chains; in the field of food marketing and promotion; education; journalism and in any public or private bodies in which a thorough knowledge of the food, production and consumer sectors is required.
The University has two beautiful campuses in Italy and at the moment has no plans to offer distance learning. While at the website, sign up for their newsletter to keep up-to-date on new programs.
You have to hand it to McDonald’s. They may not be know for their nutrition but they have never scrimped on advertising. This billboard design features a working sundial that shows off different food products at | |
