CHG Favorites of the Week: Super Bowl Edition

Blog of the Week
Slashfood
A giant among cooking blogs, Slashfood summarizes nearly every bit of food news from around the web in a smart, funny way. What’s more, there are recipes galore for all kinds of diet. This week’s entries are focusing on Giants/Pats, so if you get the chance…

Comedy of the Week
Bill Swerksi’s Superfans - SNL
In which Mike Myers, Chris Farley, George Wendt, and Robert Smigel answer the eternal question: in a fight, could Mike Ditka beat a hurricane, also named Mike Ditka? Whether you’re a fan of da Bullsss or da Bearsss, this is classic, sausage-soaked SNL. Michael Jordan, at the height of his career, looks on wonder.

Organization of the Week
National Football League Players Association
Gridiron guys receive a lot of recognition for their work on the field. Off the field, it’s different story, and maybe the much greater one. The NFLPA (a.k.a. the players union) asks their members to support, represent, and volunteer for several charities, including the Boys and Girls Club, Feed the Children, and the NEA. The site has more, plus details on a gaggle of year-round fundrasiers. (Bonus extra: Peyton Manning spoofed this on SNL last year. Hilarious.)

Quote of the Week
“When your Super Bowl guests arrive, they should find a mound of potato chips large enough to conceal a pony sitting in front of the television. For nutritional balance, you should also put out a bowl of carrot sticks. If you have no carrot sticks, you can use pinecones, or used electrical fuses, because nobody will eat them anyway. This is no time for nutritional balance: This is the Super Bowl, for God's sake.” – Dave Barry

Tip of the Week
(We interrupt our regularly scheduled cheap, healthy tip for a public service announcement.) If you’re serving alcohol at your Super Bowl party (and really, who isn’t?), think about sticking to beer and/or closing the bar before the fourth quarter. It will give everyone a little bit of time to sober up before the drive home. Needless to say, if anyone’s too drunk to get behind a wheel, handcuff her/him to your couch. (This has been a public service announcement. Have a safe and happy Super Bowl.)

Untried Cheap, Healthy Recipe of the Week
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
This suggestion comes from reader Angie, who digs its easy prep and swell taste. It looks dang good, and will probably entice a lot of anti-hummus sticklers to take the dive. Touchdown, yo.

Video of the Week (Football/Food Division)
“All My Rowdy Friends (Are Coming Over Tonight)” by Hank Williams Jr. “Monday Night Football Theme” by Hank Williams Jr.
The first song is a rollicking country tune about having a barbecue with the buds. The second song, based on the first one, imprinted “ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBAAAAAAALL?” on my brain, probably for life.

(Photos courtesy of About.com and Flickr member psd.)

Cheap Healthy Party Food

With the big Giants/Pats showdown only four days away, it’s time to start thinking about food. What should you bring to a get-together? What will you serve at your own shindig? How can you keep from gaining 14 pounds in a single afternoon?

That’s where Cheap Healthy Party Food comes in. Gathered from five prominent websites, the following 60 recipes are less expensive, healthier alternatives to the chips/dips/wings combo typical of Super Bowl Sunday. Plus, as it’s a football game (THE football game), all the dishes are party-friendly. There is no spa food, and nary a spinach salad or fat-free flaxseed muffin to be found. Instead, the list is chock full of chicken, chili, pizza, and pie, just in lower-calorie incarnations.

To everything, there is a process, and my first step in compiling this list was narrowing down my source websites. (It’s a big internet out there, man.) I decided each one had to have A) lots of health-minded options, B) an easy search function, and C) reliable recipe reviews. After some consideration, I settled on All Recipes, Cooking Light, Eating Well, Epicurious and Food Network. (Oh, and Cheap Healthy Good. Hooray for self-promotion!)

Still, I was left with a ton of possibilities. So next, I had to come up with food criteria. It wasn’t easy, and unlike the Beef/Pork/Fish posts, my methods weren’t exactly scientific. But I eventually settled on the following:

• Each dish had to contain at least four servings.
• Recipes could not incorporate more than one semi-pricy ingredient. (A frequent issue with Epicurious.)
• Fat and calorie content had to be healthy relative to serving size. An 800-calorie stuffed mushroom recipe looks great until you realize is it only makes six mushrooms. (A frequent issue with Cooking Light.)
• The food couldn’t look repulsive in pictures. (A frequent issue with All Recipe.)
• Recipes had to have at least an 87% review rating (3.5 forks on Eating Well, 5 stars on Food Network, etc).
• Dishes had to be appropriate for parties where huge, hairy fathers of three paint their bare chests with Tedy Bruschi’s jersey number.

With all that in mind, I commenced searching. And the results? Are pretty sweet. John Madden would approve.

(As always, read the reviews for cooking and serving suggestions.)

APPETIZERS
All Recipes: Chicken Satay
All Recipes: Pita Chips
All Recipes: Garden Veggie Pizza Squares
All Recipes: Savory Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
CHG: Lightened Seven Layer Taco Dip
Cooking Light: Adobo Chips with Warm Goat Cheese and Cilantro Salsa
Cooking Light: Cheddar with Sauteed Apples and Brown Bread
Cooking Light: Goat Cheese Crostini
Cooking Light: Pinto Bean Nachos
Cooking Light: Starry Snack Mix
Eating Well: Boneless Buffalo Wings
Food Network: Chili Chips
Food Network: Parmesan Pita Toast Strips

DIPS, SALSAS, DRESSINGS and SPREADS
All Recipes: Avocado Mango Salsa (use gloves when working with habaneros)
All Recipes: Black Bean Hummus
All Recipes: Fresh Salsa 1
All Recipes: Spicy Bean Salsa (use low-fat dressing)
All Recipes: Sweet and Sour Sauce
All Recipes: Tequila Cocktail Sauce
CHG: Lemony Light Hummus
Cooking Light: Creamy Artichoke Dip
Cooking Light: Spicy Roasted Red Pepper and Bean Dip
Eating Well: Hot Artichoke Dip
Epicurious: Habanero Chile Salsa (use gloves when working with habaneros)
Food Network: Ranch Dressing
Food Network: White Bean Dip

MEAT MAINS
All Recipes: Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs
All Recipes: Pineapple Chicken Tenders
All Recipes: Yummy Honey Chicken Kebabs
Cooking Light: Ancho, Beef, and Kidney Bean Chili
Cooking Light: Mexican Black Bean Chili
Cooking Light: Real Texas Chili
Eating Well: Chicken Chili with Hominy
Eating Well: Pulled Pork
Eating Well: Thai Chicken Pizza
Food Network: Buffalo Chicken Salad
Food Network: Chicken Chili
Food Network: Chili on Rice
Food Network: Mambo Chicken with Mango Salsa
Food Network: Middle Eastern Chicken Burgers
Food Network: Oven Fried Chicken
Food Network: Sloppy Joes
Food Network: Stuffed Turkey Burgers
Food Network: Three Bean and Beef Chili

SIDES
Cooking Light: Apple Slaw
Cooking Light: Beer Battered Onion Rings
Cooking Light: Cheese Fries
Cooking Light: Classic Potato Salad
Eating Well: Wholesome Corn Bread
Epicurious: Roasted Sweet Potato Slices
Food Network: Grilled Red Onions
Food Network: Black Bean Salad
Food Network: Baked Smoked Chili Fries

DESSERTS
Cooking Light: Frozen Butterfinger Pie
Cooking Light: Fudgy Sheet Cake
Cooking Light: Oatmeal Spice Cookies
Epicurious: Apple Pie
Epicurious: Mini Chocolate Cupcakes
Food Network: Chocolate Vanilla Swirl Pound Cake
Food Network: Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Food Network: Coffee Angel Food Cake

CHG’s Super Bowl Week isn’t over yet, so tune in tomorrow for Favorites of the Week, and then again on Friday for A Tale of Two Salsas. (Mmm … Dickensian.)

Lightened Seven-Layer Taco Dip: A Super Bowl OF FLAVOR

As a nutritionally minded blogger, I normally advocate fresh, whole, prepared-from-scratch meals in modest proportions.

But, dude. The Super Bowl’s coming.

With the possible exception of Thanksgiving, no other event requires Americans to consume their body weight in onion dip. Nor can I think of another quasi-holiday where quesadillas are designated as health food. Sure, your party of choice might have a token crudite platter buried behind the wings, but essentially, Super Bowl Sunday is to diets what Lawrence Taylor was to Joe Theismann’s leg. (Caution: this video might kill you.)

Yet, us weight-conscious folks need options come February 3rd. And that’s where Lightened Seven-Layer Taco Dip comes in. I got the original dish straight off AllRecipes last year, but subbed in reduced-fat and fat-free ingredients, which saved 30 calories and 4 grams of fat per serving. Fortunately, there were so many loud, proudly competing flavors nobody could tell the difference. I’m making it again this year. And while the initial expenditure might look daunting (see Calculations below), just know three things:

1) With 56 servings, this is a hulking behemoth of food. It is the Mount Kilimanjaro of taco dips. If it was people, it’d be William “The Refrigerator” Perry bear-hugging John Goodman. Last year, my friends N and I barely put a dent in it, and they once downed a Ben & Jerry’s Vermonster by themselves.

2) There are ways (WAYS!) to save a little extra dough. This year, I’m going to buy ingredients on sale, make my own taco seasoning (total cost: about a quarter) and shred a block of Kraft Cheddar with my grater. Depending on how much I buy the block for, it will probably run $0.50 to $1.00 less than a bag. Good times.

3) I live in Brooklyn. Even when bargain priced, everything is more expensive here. Except maybe Chinese food.

If you’re interested in keeping it extra-healthy, the dip can be paired with self-baked tortilla chips or possibly celery. (Which, eat quickly, because people will inevitably bogart the veggies for their hot wings.)

On a final note, the rest of this week is being dedicated to Sunday’s game. Tune in tomorrow for some pigskin-appropriate links, and then again on Wednesday for a monster list of cheap, healthy Super Bowl fare. After that, it’s Thursday’s Football Favorites of the Week. Friday is anyone’s guess, but there are seven lonely leftover jalapenos sitting in my fridge. Suggestions are most definitely welcome.

Lightened Seven Layer Taco Dip
56 servings (seriously)
Adapted from All Recipes.

1-oz. package taco seasoning mix (or make your own )
16-oz. can fat-free refried beans
8-oz. package fat-free cream cheese, softened
16-oz. container fat-free sour cream
16-oz. jar salsa
1 large tomato, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch chopped green onions
1 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded
6-oz. can sliced black olives, drained
2 cups reduced-fat shredded Cheddar cheese (or shred your own 8-oz bar)

1) In a medium bowl, mix taco seasoning thoroughly with refried beans. Transfer it to a large platter or bowl, spreading it out on the bottom

2) In a separate medium bowl, mix sour cream and cream cheese. Pour it over refried beans and spread.

3) Pour salsa over sour cream/cream cheese mixture. Spread out. Then, layer with: tomato, bell pepper, onions and lettuce. Finish with cheese and sprinkle olives over everything.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price per Serving
36 calories, 1 g fat, $0.25

Calculations
1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix: 45 calories, 0 g fat, $0.25
1 (16 ounce) can fat-free refried beans: 385 calories, 0 g fat, $0.89
1 (8 ounce) package fat-free cream cheese, softened: 218 calories, 3.1 g fat, $2.69
1 (16 ounce) container fat-free sour cream: 336 calories, 0 g fat, $1.20
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa: 123 calories, 0.7 g fat, $1.50
1 large tomato: 22 calories, 0.2 g fat, $1.00
1 green bell pepper: 24 calories, 0.2 g fat, $0.50
1 bunch chopped green onions: 32 calories, 0.2 g fat, $0.79
1 small head iceberg lettuce: 45 calories, 0.5 g fat, $0.99
1 (6 ounce) can sliced black olives: 80 calories, 6 g fat, $1.49
2 cups reduced-fat shredded Cheddar cheese: 720 calories, 48 g fat, $2.50
TOTAL: 2030 calories, 58.8 g fat, $13.80
PER SERVING (TOTAL/56): 36 calories, 1 g fat, $0.25

Light(er) Maque Choux with Chicken and Turkey Kielbasa: Cook's Illustrated is My Hero

After today, I'm expecting either a cease-and-desist or full-on restraining order from Cook’s Illustrated. But really … I can’t help it. Their 30-Minute Recipe collection has produced four winners in a row, and it’s already dangerously close to taking Ina’s place in my heart. If I was back in junior high, I’d have a butterfly notebook with “Kris luvs Cook’s 4-eva” scrawled on every available inch.

I’d never tried or even heard of Maque Choux (pronounced “mock shoe,” not “mack shooks”) before cooking it on Tuesday. According to my sources (a guy named Pierre), it’s a traditional Louisianan side dish made with corn, onions, peppers, and a combination of Cajun-esque spices. The CI version adds a bunch of meat, which morphs it into heartier main course material.

To up the health ante, I switched the kielbasa to turkey kielbasa and cut the vegetable oil to a third of what the original recipe called for. Those two steps alone slashed 40% of the fat and about 13% of the calories without sacrificing much in taste. In fact, I’m finding that turkey-for-real kielbasa is one of the best and easiest nutritional substitutions out there. For poultry, the flavor’s pretty dang close to the real thing.

When all was said and braised, the Boyfriend and I both dug Maque Choux, especially as leftovers the next day. (And the day after that. Like CI’s Chicken Provencal and Polenta, the recipe makes a lot of food.) It does take a tad longer than 30 minutes to prepare, but that's a minor quibble. A more experienced chicken-puller probably could have shredded the breasts faster. (Alas, my tiny dinosaur hands weren’t up to the task.)

So, yeah. Another victory for Kimball & Co. I’m going to try to move on to other recipe volumes for the time being, but … if you should see him or any of the Test Kitchen folks on the street, tell ‘em I said, “Hi!”

(Or, “Oh Cook’s Illustrated employee, I love your food so hard. Please be my personal chef/prisoner for all eternity.” Then run.)

Light(er) Cook’s Illustrated Maque Choux with Chicken and Turkey Kielbasa
Serves 4 to 6
Adapted (again) from Cook's Illustrated Best 30-Minute Recipe.

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and ground black pepper
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
6 ounces turkey kielbasa
1 onion, minced
1 red bell pepper, cored and chopped medium
1 pound frozen corn, thawed
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

CI HINT: "Chop the kielbasa, onion, and pepper while the chicken browns. Blend the corn while the vegetables cook."

1) Pat chicken dry. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat "until just smoking." Cook chicken about 2 or 3 minutes per side, until browned. Place on a plate and set aside for juices to redistribute

2) In the same pot, add remaining oil and heat over medium-high. Add kielbasa, onion, bell pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook around 8 minutes, or until kielbasa is fairly browned.

3) While kielbasa browns, combine half the corn and all of the broth in a blender. Puree until smooth.

4) Add garlic and thyme into pot. Cook about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Pour in corn mixture. Add chicken and any juices on plate. "Cover and cook until thickest part of chicken registers 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes."

5) After chicken is done, remove it with tongs and place on a plate. Add other half of corn to pot. Jack heat up to medium-high and cook another 2 or 3 minutes, until corn is warmed.

6) While corn is warming, use two forks to shred chicken as best you can. Kill the heat on the stovetop. Add shredded chicken and parsley to pot. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with rice and lots of sauce

Approximate Calories, Fat and Price per Serving
6 1-cup servings: 290 calories, 8 g fat, $0.90
4 1-1/2 cup servings: 435 calories, 12 g fat, $1.35

Calculations
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts: 750 calories, 16.2 g fat, $1.79
salt and ground black pepper: negligible fat and calories, $0.02
2 teaspoons vegetable oil: 88 calories, 10 g fat, $0.04
6 ounces turkey kielbasa: 274 calories, 15.2 g fat, $0.75
1 onion, minced: 46 calories, 0.1 g fat, $0.17
1 red bell pepper, cored and chopped medium: 31 calories, 0.4 g fat, $0.63
1 pound frozen corn, thawed: 368 calories, 0.3 g fat, $0.99
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth: 172 calories, 6 g fat, $0.48
2 garlic cloves, minced: 9 calories, 0 g fat, $0.10
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried: negligible fat and calories, $0.10
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley: 3 calories, 0.1 g fat, $0.33
TOTAL: 1741 calories, 48.3 g fat, $5.40
PER SERVING (TOTAL/6): 290 calories, 8 g fat, $0.90
PER SERVING (TOTAL/4): 435 calories, 12 g fat, $1.35

CHG Favorites of the Week

Awesome Standup of the Week
Jim Gaffigan on bacon
This awesome routine’s been making rounds all over the web lately, but it’s an awesome reminder of the awesomeness that is Jim Gaffigan. Also, awesome. And? Awesome. Thanks to Serious Eats for the awesome link. (Awesome awesome.)

Blog of the Week
FatFree Vegan Kitchen
One glance at November 27th’s Sichuan Tofu with Garlic Sauce, and you, too, will become obsessed with Susan V’s “health-conscious vegan” blog. The photos and prose are solid, and the recipes look tempting enough even for ardent carnivores. (P.S. Ardent Carnivores would be my band name. If I had a band. Or could play an instrument besides the flute.)

Development of the Week
NYC requires fast food joints to stick nutrition info on their menus
If the cholesterol content of Wendy’s Big Bacon Cheeseburger wasn’t enough to give New Yorkers coronaries, seeing it listed on a giant board next to their orders will. I love, LOVE this legislation, and wouldn’t mind if it was enacted on all menus, everywhere. (But that might be the Weight Watchers talking.)

Organization of the Week
CARE
Bestowed with a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, CARE's mission is helping the poorest of the poor A) survive, and B) eventually learn to sustain themselves. Food-wise, they focus on nutrition, agriculture, water, sanitation, and emergency relief in places like Afghanistan, Angola and El Salvador. Their website is extensive, and details donation and volunteer information for projects around the world.

Quote of the Week
“I was 32 when I started cooking. Up until then, I just ate.” – Julia Child

Tip of the Week
Buy a canvas shopping bag already, man. Epicurious listed the environmentally friendly tote as one of the best trends of 2007, and this piece at CharityGuide expounds on its benefits over both paper and plastic sacks. I scored one last year and cut my grocery bag consumption down to about one per week. Plus, it’s been much easier on my back.

Untried Cheap, Healthy Recipe of the Week
Apple Flax Muffins at Coconut & Lime
I confess to never using flax. Actually, up until a few minutes ago, I thought it meant “blonde.” (Wrong. That’s “flaxen.” Duh on me.) This simple muffin recipe uses it to great effect, however, and would probably make for a good breakfast.

Video of the Week
“Blueberry Hill” performed by Louis Armstrong
Satchmo’s rendition of the mellow standard isn’t about fruit, per se, but it’s just as sweet. Obligatory/unnecessary personal anecdote: ol’ Louis is buried in the same Queens cemetery as most of my (dead) relatives. (The live ones are buried elsewhere.)

(Photos courtesy of Flickr member missjdub and the Blogging LA website.)

The Case for Frozen Food

As I begin this post, I’m enjoying a highly delicious, unusually nutritious homemade mixed berry smoothie. Normally, the cost of making such a drink in mid-January is prohibitive, with fresh berries running up to a dollar per ounce. But if you order a similar smoothie at a place like Jamba Juice? At four or five bucks a pop, you may as well blow your nose on Abe Lincoln.

Enter Trader Joe’s bag o’ frozen strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries. For a mere $2.99 you, too, can procure a pound of sweet, juicy produce that tastes almost as good as the day it was wrenched from a vine. Throw in some low-fat yogurt, a little light soy milk, and a dash of honey, and *poof*. It’s manna in an glass for less than half the price of the Jamba shake.

When it comes to whole fruits and vegetables, fresh is nearly always preferable to frozen. Yet, there are circumstances in which iced goods have clear benefits. An affordable blueberry smoothie in the dead of winter is just one example.

Nutritionally speaking: frosty fare retains most of its vitamins and minerals because it’s flash-frozen soon after being picked. In some cases, frozen eats may actually be healthier than fresh, since they’re not artificially ripened, shipped long distances in precarious containers, or left laying around to wilt. More on that here.

Financially speaking: I bought a pound of mixed, chopped bell peppers for $1.29. Fresh green bells were going for $1.49/lb at Key Food, and red and yellow peppers for much more than that. Frozen produce can be a massive bargain, especially because supermarkets seem to run specials almost every week.

Culinarily speaking: home cooks get pretty tired of potatoes, apples and winter squash after a few months. A variety of iced goods counters the boredom. Yeah, the quality can waver (greatly … oh, so greatly), but y’know – the spice of life and whatnot.

Conveniently speaking: chilled fruits and veggies are on par with zippers and the invention of the wheel. Produce will last for months in a freezer and can be purchased in giant, hulking bags. Sure, there’s some thawing time, but overall, the handiness is hard to match.

Flavor … uh … ly speaking: preservatives are kept to a minimum, since the cold acts as a safeguard against the elements. What’s more, food is given a chance to ripen before it’s packaged, meaning it'll taste better than that suspicious February chile.

It’s worth noting that lots of processed frozen entrees don’t meet these criteria. For every semi-healthy Amy’s Kitchen shepherd’s pie or Lean Cuisine panini, there is a slew of artery-clogging Hot Pockets, Hungry Man Hearty Breakfasts, and TGI Friday’s mozzarella sticks. The calorie counts in these foods can reach four digits, never mind the fat and sodium levels. For the sake of convenience, it might be difficult to cut them out entirely, but don’t forget to read the nutrition labels before you buy.

Also meriting a mention is the environmental impact of mass-produced frozen foods, which is … hard to quantify. Freezing a string bean consumes a lot of energy. Keeping it cold uses even more. However, you do save precious food miles by avoiding imported off-season goods. (See? Hard to quantify.) To reduce the negative effects on the atmosphere, try to buy the majority of your produce fresh, in-season and/or organically-grown. Or? Grow and freeze your own fruits and veggies. The Earth will thank you.

That’s it for me (I have a smoothie to finish), but if you’re interested in reading more about the glory and magic of whole frozen foods, these resources will do quite nicely:

• Good Housekeeping has a great article about choosing the best-quality and healthiest frozen food. (Including a graph! Graphs are our friends.)
• If you absolutely have to eat a prefab frozen meal, this MSNBC piece will help you choose the right one.
• WebMD says everything I just did, only with way more medical degrees to back it up.
• Finally, to find out how long that cauliflower is gonna last in the icebox, check out Health Recipes.

Polenta: The Movie Trailer

Our trailer opens in space, with the sun rising over the Earth. At first, we only hear NARRATOR’S voice. It’s that guy who does all the previews.

NARRATOR: In a world … where your staples … are always rice and potatoes … (and sometimes couscous) … comes a side dish … that no one considered … and only one man … can bring it home …

We cut to an urban kitchen, where young KRIS is freaking out over what to pair with Chicken Provencal.

KRIS: Nooooo! (slams counter) I don’t know what to serve with this. My starches all seem so … boring. Isn’t there anyone who can help me? Anyone? (begins to weep)

Cook's Illustrated guru Christopher Kimball flies in through the kitchen window. He looks like Superman, but skinnier and slightly dorkier. Oh, also - the bowtie.

CHRISTOPHER KIMBALL: Never fear, young…ish lady. It is I, Cook’s Illustrated guru Christopher Kimball! I will take your meal back to my secret Test Kitchen Headquarters, analyze it, and devise a solution!

KRIS: (blowing nose) Oh, thank you, Christopher Kimball! But how long *SNOOORRF* will this take you? Seriously, I’ve got to put dinner on the table sometime tonight.

CHRISTOPHER KIMBALL: Uh … 10 minutes?

KRIS: Great!

We see CHRISTOPHER KIMBALL leaping out the window and flying speedily over every conceivable landscape.

NARRATOR: With the pressure … of dinner upon him … can Christopher Kimball … find the answer … and make it back … to Kris’ Brooklyn Kitchen … in time?

CHRISTOPHER KIMBALL lands at Test Kitchen Headquarters, and is immediately accompanied by NONDESCRIPT CHOPPING LADY. We see them furiously mixing dozens of ingredients, stirring hundreds of bowls, and licking innumerable spoons.

CHRISTOPHER KIMBALL: DANGIT! Won’t this ever come together? We’re running out of time!

NONDESCRIPT CHOPPING LADY: I know, Christopher. (gazes longingly) Oh, how I know.

A frantic cooking montage begins.

NARRATOR: With the weight of the world … let me rephrase that … with the weight of dinner … upon him … Christopher Kimball must reconsider … everything he holds dear …

End montage. CHRISTOPHER KIMBALL and NONDESCRIPT CHOPPING LADY are sitting on the floor of Test Kitchen Headquarters, covered in flour and looking defeated.

CHRISTOPHER KIMBALL: All these years in the kitchen. So many meals. So many expertly executed dinners. Nondescript Chopping Lady, I just … don’t know. We're doomed.

NONDESCRIPT CHOPPING LADY: What about polenta?

CHRISTOPHER KIMBALL and NONDESCRIPT SHOPPING LADY meet eyes, hold their stare for a second, and then turn to the camera. Our picture fades to black. The title graphics for “Polenta: The Movie” appear onscreen.

NARRATOR: Polenta. The Movie. When the chips are down, the corn comes out. Coming this Fall.

-fini-

(Quick end note: I’m finding Cook's Illustrated Best 30-Minute Recipe tends to make serving sizes on the large side. This polenta could spread itself to five or six people, especially if you have kids. I did calculations for both four and six servings, just like last weeks Chicken Provencal, to be safe.)

Cook’s Illustrated Quick Polenta
Serves 4
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated Best 30-Minute Recipe.

4 cups water
1 cup instant polenta
2 T unsalted butter
¼ c grated Parmesan cheese

1) Throw out the polenta box (removing polenta first). Don't even look at the directions.

2) In a large pan over medium-high heat, bring water and 1 teaspoon salt to a simmer. Very, very slowly stir polenta into water. Drop heat to low. Cover and cook about 5 minutes, until polenta gets a smooth texture, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and uncover. Add butter and cheese. Stir until well-mixed. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve but quick.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price per Serving
4 servings: 199 calories, 8 g fat, $0.42
6 servings: 132.5, 5 g fat, $0.28

Calculations
4 cups water: negligible calories and fat, FREE
1 cup instant polenta: 505 calories, 2.3 g fat, $0.99
2 T unsalted butter: 204 calories, 23 g fat, $0.19
¼ c grated Parmesan cheese: 86 calories, 5.7 g fat, $0.52
TOTAL: 795 calories, 31 g fat, $1.69
PER SERVING (TOTAL/4): 199 calories, 8 g fat, $0.42
PER SERVING (TOTAL/6): 132.5 calories, 5 g fat, $0.28

Chicken Provencal and the Cookbook Hall of Fame

Originally, this post was going to be all about Chicken Tikka and Chole Channa, two dishes I made Tuesday from the Food of India cookbook. Alas … yick. They were terrible - my second and third disappointments from that particular tome (see Indian Carrot Salad). I’m thinking it might be a dud. A lemon. A failure from the makers of Bad Idea Jeans.

Yet, it got me pondering. Between gifts from my family and self-purchased additions, I own 14 or 15 different cookbooks. Of these, I consistently use seven or eight, and should probably sell three or four.

To determine what to keep and what to junk, I decided to break down each cookbook’s role in my kitchen, baseball-style. I’m a gigantic Mets fan from way back, and read ESPN’s Page 2 like it’s my job. So, in honor of the impending MLB season (pitchers and catchers report to spring training next month), let’s get to it:

The MVP
Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten
This was a Christmas gift from the ‘rents, but I’m already intimate with it since Rachel (my old roommate) owned the book. To put it plainly, Ina has never failed us. She’s the kind of gal you could build a whole franchise around.

The Intellectuals (aka Stats Dorks or The Finesse Guys)
I’m Just Here for the Food by Alton Brown
The Cook’s Bible by Christopher Kimball
Alton Brown and Christopher Kimball are the Mike Mussina and Greg Maddux of celebrity chefs – brilliant, reliable, and the cornerstones of my cookbook team. Younger authors could take a note or two.

The Savvy Veteran
Everything You Need to Know to Cook Today by the people behind Betty Crocker
I don’t use this baby too often now, but Betty pretty much got me through the final two years of college, when I had to learn to cook for myself. A good starter book, it will always have a place on Team Kris.

The Import
Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich
Nearly every year, the large-market MLB teams (New York, Boston, etc.) enter a bidding war for the Next Big Japanese Pitcher. Though she’s Italian, Lidia’s that guy. And this cookbook is her money pitch. I need her to bolster my lineup and impress my parents.

The Savant
Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child
Julia is to cooking what Sandy Koufax was to pitching, but truth be told, I’m a little afraid to touch this thing. I’m afraid it would spoil me for other cookbooks. Plus, there’s all that butter … not good for the booty and such.

The Hometown Favorite
My binder by my parents, a few friends, and lots of internet sources
I keep an ever-growing file of decent recipes right between Alton and Lidia. I probably use it the most, since it’s tailored to my specific tastes, and would liken it to Derek Jeter: a local wunderkind and all-around good egg that will never, ever get on my bad side.

The Utility Men
Lighten Up: Lowfat Cooking in 15 Minutes by Ginny Clark
No Diet Required by Jenny Craig
I bought these a few years ago when I was initially trying to drop some weight. The Jenny one is unintentionally hilarious (see: rich old women in foofy hats), and they’ve fallen out of my starting lineup, but both remain decent backups in case another recipe goes horribly wrong.

The Jekyll and Hyde
Fix it and Forget it Lightly by Phyllis Pellman Good
From day to day, I have no idea what this cookbook will give me. During a single week last year it produced a delicious baked bean dish, a middling chili, and a soup I would hesitate to call food. Completely hit or miss, like a streaky second baseman.

The Rookie with a Bad Attitude
The Food of India by Priya Wickramasinghe and Carol Selva Rajah
It must be said that this is a gorgeous book, and looks like a million bucks coming out of the wrapping. But the recipes … see above. It might end up traded for a player to be named later.

The Rookie with Potential
The Best 30-Minute Recipe by the Editors of Cook’s Illustrated
Looks great, comes highly recommended from scouts, and so far, has produced well. I don’t want to overuse it yet, but this could be the beginning of something special. In fact, the Chicken Provencal recipe attached below comes from this book. I made it last night, and it was OUTSTANDING. I can’t even explain. I haven’t made a dinner like this in awhile, and I run a freakin’ food website. The portions are big, too, so while the book calls for four servings per recipe, you can easily net six. (My calculations are for both.)

Ultimately, based on my designations, I’d probably chuck/sell the Fix it and Forget it book, as well as Food of India and Jenny Craig. There’s a three-volume Williams-Sonoma set that I’m undecided on, as well, but we’ll see.

Readers, how about you? What are your Hall of Fame cookbooks? Drop me a comment, and let’s get this discussion going.

Chicken Provencal
Serves between 4 and 6 people
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated Best 30-Minute Recipe.

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
salt and ground black pepper
1 slice bacon, minced
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons unbleached white all-purpose flour
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 Tablespoon minced fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped course
2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1) Sprinkle salt and pepper all over chicken and place in a single layer in a casserole dish. (Make sure it's microwave-safe.) Cover very tightly with plastic wrap. Nuke 15 minutes on half-power. Be super-careful removing dish from microwave, as it may be very hot.

2) As chicken is cooking, heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook for about 2 minutes, until it begins to give up its fat. Add onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook 5 minutes, until onion is soft. Add garlic. Cook another 30 seconds or so, until fragrant.

3) Add flour to pot. Stir and cook "until lightly browned, about 1 minute." Add wine slowly, scraping up brown bits from the bottom of the pan as you go along. Add broth, tomatoes, and oregano. Bring to a simmer.

4) Knock heat back to low. Very carefully (it might still be hot) add chicken and any juices from dish to pot. Cover pot and cook another 10 minutes, until chicken is tender and fully cooked.

Approximate Calories, Fat and Price per Serving
4 servings: 443 calories, 17.7 g fat, $2.07
6 servings: 296 calories, 11.8 g fat, $1.36

Calculations
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs: 1081 calories, 35.5. g fat, $3.95
salt and ground black pepper: negligible calories and fat, $0.02
1 slice bacon, minced: 43 calories, 3.3. g fat, $0.37
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil: 124 calories, 14 g fat, $0.06
1 onion, minced: 46 calories, 0.1 g fat, $0.10
4 garlic cloves, minced: 18 calories, 0.1 g fat, $0.20
2 Tablespoons unbleached white all-purpose flour: 57 calories, 0.2. g fat, $0.01
½ cup dry white wine: 97 calories, 0 g fat, $0.40
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth: 43 calories, 1.5 g fat, $0.12
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes: 82 calories, 0 g fat, $1.29
1 Tablespoon minced fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried: negligible calories and fat, $0.02
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped course: 180 calories, 16 g fat, $1.40
2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley: 3 calories, 0.1. g fat, $0.20
TOTAL: 1774 calories, 70.8 g fat, $8.14
PER SERVING (TOTAL/4): 443 calories, 17.7 g fat, $2.07
PER SERVING (TOTAL/6): 296 calories, 11.8 g fat, $1.36

CHG Favorites of the Week

Blog of the Week
yumbleBus
How could I have missed this? A sweet rundown of restaurant and magazine news with tons of relevant information to those of us who aren’t full-fledged foodies. They linked to me a few days ago, and I’m more than happy to return the favor. Impressive.

Blog of the Week #2
have cake, will travel
To continue with this week's vegan theme, HCWT is home to dozens of tasty-looking dairy-and-meat-free baking recipes. The White Chocolate Lime Cookies are seriously drool-worthy, but then again, so is everything else. Worth a gander, whatever your diet consists of. Thanks to Monika at Dabbles with Apples for the link.

Food Comedy of the Week
The Swedish Chef
Pierdy pierdy pier mork mork mork! Der shmingen video fringen flingen funny! Anden dere’s flingen flugen der lots more fargen flugen shmingen on You Tube. Checken outen dem all. Mork mork mork! (Translation: Seriously, you could blow an hour on YouTube just searching for old Muppets videos. I can’t believe how well they hold up. I thought they were hilarious at four, and 26 years later I’m still laughing up a lung.)

Organization of the Week
Idealist.org
While Idealist isn’t so much an organization as an umbrella website for non-profits around the world, it IS a fabulous place to research volunteering opportunities, donation possibilities, and even job openings. There are special search categories for farming, agriculture, poverty, and hunger if you’d like to keep it food-relevant.

Tip of the Week
If you’re looking for something chocolatey but don’t want to overdo it, grab a bag of good bittersweet or dark chocolate chips. (Ghirardelli is my favorite.) Eating a dozen will sate your cravings and provide glorious antioxidants without going overboard with fat or calories. Of course, it might be a good idea to store the rest of the bag in a place that’s difficult to reach.

Untried Cheap, Healthy Recipe of the Week
Chickpea Cutlets at Chow
Another great link suggestion from Dabbles with Apples, this recipe comes from Veganomicon cookbook authors Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romano. It’s supposedly their masterpiece, and as a chickpea fan (must ... get ... commemorative jersey), I’m excited to try.

Video of the Week (Food Division)
“Peaches” by the Presidents of the United States of America
Mid-‘90s semi-hit from endearingly goofy Seattlites who, incidentally, have a new album coming out this Spring. Beyond the ace lyrics (“Peaches come from a can/They were put there by a man”), “Peaches” features the awesomest drummer-ninja showdown, ever.

(Photo courtesy of Flickr member Rageforst.)

Privacy Policy for top-freebeauty-tips.blogspot.com

If you require any more information or have any questions about our privacy policy, please feel free to contact us by email at kletingkuning@gmail.com.

At top-freebeauty-tips.blogspot.com, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us. This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by top-freebeauty-tips.blogspot.com and how it is used.

Log Files
Like many other Web sites, top-freebeauty-tips.blogspot.com makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol ( IP ) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider ( ISP ), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user’s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.

Cookies and Web Beacons
top-freebeauty-tips.blogspot.com does use cookies to store information about visitors preferences, record user-specific information on which pages the user access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser.

Some of our advertising partners may use cookies and web beacons on our site. Our advertising partners include Google Adsense, .

These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on top-freebeauty-tips.blogspot.com send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see.

top-freebeauty-tips.blogspot.com has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.

You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. top-freebeauty-tips.blogspot.com's privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites.

If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browsers' respective websites.

Feeding a Vegan: Ellie Krieger’s Aromatic Noodles with Lime-Peanut Sauce

Though I’m a proud chicken devourer, vegetarianism always seemed like something I could handle. Like, if a doctor told me, “Kris, you have a terrible spleen disorder. We call it Spleenism, and it means you can’t eat, look at, smell, or make out with meat for one calendar year. What does the spleen have to do with meat, you ask? I don’t know. But let’s pretend for the sake of this essay,” I’d be fine. There are enough substitutes and options on this crazy, crazy planet to make me forget about animal flesh for at least a little while. (Well, except maybe bacon.)

Going vegan? That’s another story. I know there are a billion agave nectar muffins and triple bean chilis out there, but I’m not sure a life without cheese is worth living. What’s more, since 1977, I know exactly one successful vegan. I have a few college friends who tried it out way back when, but among them, even the crunchiest of Phish fan hippies failed miserably. A butterless universe seemed meaningless, and within a month or two, they always went back to the wide world of mozzarella sticks. (It sounds like I’m knocking veganism here, but I swear, I’m not. I respect and admire anyone who can hack it without resorting to rice 24/7.)

Incidentally, my one successful vegan friend, S, came over for dinner last night. Now in his ‘30s, S has been a vegan for years and years, and by god, I didn’t want to poison him. I figured pasta was safe, so I began by researching veggie-heavy noodle dishes. Then, I remembered Ellie Krieger’s Aromatic Noodles with Lime-Peanut Sauce, which I made for one of my mom’s rare sojourns to Brooklyn last year. Thanks to the peanuts, chilis, and lime, it has a slight Thai flavor, and the mixture of snow peas, broccoli, and peanut butter sauce gives it a moxy lacking in an average pasta primavera. Mom liked the dish, and that was good enough endorsement for me.

It was good enough for S, too. He went home full and un-poisoned, which is a main goal of mine nowadays. (Oh, also the cheap and healthy thing.) After the experience, I’m ready for other vegans now, as well. At the rate I meet them, though, that won’t be ‘til 2037.

On a side note, the more I see of Ellie, the more I like her. She’s knowledgeable, reliable, and soothing-er than a Sarah McLachlan record. It’s a nice counterpoint to Ray-Ray, Ingrid Hoffman, and The Banshee That Ate Paula Deen. Here’s hoping she never gets hit by the “Turn it Up to 11” flu.

Only the pricing info is included below, since Food.com so graciously provided nutritional listings.

P.S. #1: Reviewers on the Food Network site substituted all kinds of veggies and protein for the peas (which tend to be expensive) and broccoli. You can, too. The star of the recipe is the peanut sauce, so go nuts.

P.S. #2: I was worried at first, and we had side salads just in case, but this really did feed six people.

P.S. #3: Not all pasta brands and types are safe for vegans. Read the labels to make sure.

Aromatic Noodles with Lime-Peanut Sauce
Makes 6 servings (1 cup pasta, 1 cup veggies, 2.5 T sauce)
Adapted from Ellie Krieger.

3/4 pound spinach linguine or whole-wheat spaghetti
2 cups (about 9 ounces) broccoli florets
2 cups (about 6 ounces) snow peas, trimmed
2 cups (about 6 ounces) sugar snap peas, trimmed
1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 scallion, cut into pieces
3/4 inch fresh ginger, finely grated
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup shelled unsalted peanuts

1) Cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water to stop cooking process, and set aside.

2) While pasta is cooking, steam broccoli for 3 minutes in a medium saucepan fitted with a steamer basket. Add snow peas and sugar snap peas and steam for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat when finished.

3) Toast peanuts until fragrant, around 3 minutes. Set aside. Chop when cooled.

4) Combine peanut butter, soy sauce, water, vinegar, lime juice, scallion, ginger, sugar, and red pepper flakes in a food processor. Puree until smooth.

5) In a large serving bowl, mix pasta with 3/4 cup peanut sauce, stirring thoroughly to combine. Top with veggies and pour remaining sauce over everything. Serve with roasted peanuts on top.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price per Serving
451 calories, 19 g fat, $1.58

Calculations
3/4 pound spinach linguine or whole-wheat spaghetti: $1.12
2 cups (about 9 ounces) broccoli florets: $0.99
2 cups (about 6 ounces) snow peas, trimmed: $1.60
2 cups (about 6 ounces) sugar snap peas, trimmed: $2.74
1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter: $0.42
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce: $0.38
1/4 cup water: $0.00
2 tablespoons rice vinegar: $0.48
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice: $0.60
1 scallion, cut into pieces: $0.20
3/4 inch fresh ginger, finely grated: $0.20
2 tablespoons brown sugar: $0.06
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes: $0.01
1/2 cup shelled unsalted peanuts: $0.70
TOTAL: $9.50
PER SERVING (TOTAL/6): $1.58

Jet Lag Cooking: Sweet and Sour Shrimp with Vegetables

When I asked my friend H what it was like to have a baby, her first words were, “well, there’s no difference between am and pm anymore.” After ten days visiting India, it feels like I just had a baby. The only things that are missing are the crib, the stretchmarks, and the actual child. Oh, and the overwhelming sense of tremendous responsibility for the next 18 years. I don’t have that either. Hm. Maybe this was a bad metaphor.

Anyway, India’s 10-1/2 hours ahead of Brooklyn, meaning if I was typing this at the same time last week, I’d be finishing up dinner instead of eating a bowl of Rice Chex. It’d be dark, and my friend S and I would be at the guesthouse, reading the Hindustan Times and listening to stray dogs howl. Now, I’m watching Regis and Kathie Lee … er Howie and Kelly (What the hell happened while I was away?), and pining for a hazelnut coffee.

Though it’s much better these last 24 hours, the switch in night and day played some fun games with my body. For one, I just haven’t been hungry, and that’s never happened before in my life. Not for ten seconds. I also have a slowly-abating head cold which sounds like a simmering volcano every time I cough. Finally, there’s sleep. I’ve been involuntarily rising at 6am and taking three-or-four-hour naps around 2pm.

After rising from my jet lag siesta yesterday, I had an hour for dinner before my roommate’s birthday party. (I wasn’t really hungry, but there would be beer. And beer + no food = hangover city.) The Boyfriend had Chinese takeout from the previous night, and there was lots of brown rice and steamed mixed vegetables (mostly broccoli) left over. So, I whipped open my Cook’s Illustrated Best 30-Minute Recipes cookbook (new for Christmas!) and flipped to page 102, where five Asian-oriented stir-fry sauces live to tantalize readers with their tangy goodness.

Following CI's directions for stir-fry, Sweet and Sour Shrimp with Vegetables came together in about 15 minutes. And I liked it. And it used up my leftovers, but turned them into something entirely new. And? And? If I keep making it, I can take more naps in the future. Infinite naps. I may never get over my jet lag by choice.

Please note that there are lots of possibilities here. Tons of options and switch-outs, including substitutions for fresh vegetables and raw meat. I used pre-cooked shrimp because I had it on hand. (I know raw is preferred, but hey.) If you get the chance, try some and let me know whatchoo think. Viva la Cook’s Illustrated!

Sweet and Sour Shrimp with Vegetables
Makes 1 serving with lots of sauce
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated Best 30-Minute Recipe.

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons orange juice
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon ketchup
1/3 teaspoon cornstarch
1/6 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 cup steamed vegetables (I used broccoli.)
1 teaspoon soy sauce
12 medium pre-cooked frozen shrimp (I used Trader Joe’s.)
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (I only had powdered, but fresh is preferred.)

1) In a medium bowl, combine  vinegar, orange juice, sugar, ketchup, cornstarch, and salt with a whisk. Set aside.

2) Defrost shrimp under cold water, sopping up any extra moisture with a paper towel. In a small bowl, mix with soy sauce. Set aside.

3) In a large skillet or wok, heat 1/2 teaspoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add veggies and cook 1 or 2 minutes, until heated through.

4) Move veggies to outside perimeter of skillet. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil. Add garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.

5) Add shrimp to pan and cook another 30 seconds, until heated through

6) Pour sweet and sour sauce to pan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, until sauce is thickened. Serve over brown rice.

NOTE: If you don’t have leftovers lying around, grab a cup of your favorite vegetables (cut up), add them directly to the pan and cook until crisp-tender. (As per Cooks Illustrated, “If using very tough vegetables, add to skillet with ½ cup water, cover and steam over high heat for about 2 minutes; uncover.") Then follow the rest of the directions as-is.

NOTE #2: You can use any kind of meat with this. If it’s not pre-cooked, sauté about 4 ounces (cut into small chunks) over high heat until browned. Then transfer to a clean bowl, and proceed to Step 3. Transfer back to pan in Step 5.

Approximate Calories, Fat and Price per Serving
268 calories, 6.3 g fat, $1.76

Calculations (using broccoli)
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar: negligible calories and fat, $0.16
2 Tablespoons orange juice: 14 calories, 0 g fat, $0.09
2 Tablespoons sugar: 93 calories, 0 g fat, $0.04
1 Tablespoon ketchup: 15 calories, 0 g fat, $0.05
1/3 teaspoon cornstarch: 2 calories, 0 g fat, $0.01
1/6 teaspoon salt: negligible calories and fat, $0.01
1 teaspoon vegetable oil: 44 calories, 5 g fat, $0.02
1 cup steamed vegetables: 31 calories, 0.3 g fat, $0.58
1 teaspoon soy sauce: 3 calories, 0 g fat, $0.03
12 medium pre-cooked frozen shrimp: 60 calories, 1 g fat, $0.69
1 clove garlic: 4 calories, 0 g fat, $0.05
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger: 2 calories, 0 g fat, $0.03
TOTAL (which is also per serving): 268 calories, 6.3 g fat, $1.76

CHG Favorites of the Week: The Back in the US of A Edition

Hi everybody! I’m back from India. It was grand and gorgeous and full of so many contrasts (and camels) that it’s difficult to summarize. Still, I learned a few things, food-related and otherwise:

1. India is the best place in the world to be a vegetarian.
2. Though Indian Hindus (who make up like, 80% of the country) consider the cow sacred, McDonald’s still exists. They just serve things like Chicken McCurry and Tikka Aloo instead of Big Macs. (We just went in to see – no eating.)
3. You know how spices are cheaper in ethnic markets? They’re even less expensive in the actual foreign country. I got a little thingy of saffron for less than a can of Schweppes. (Of course, the plane ticket kind of makes up for the cost.)
4. Adapting to the water in far-away places takes time. And by that, I mean it takes time spent in the ladies' room, praying your lower intestine doesn't fall out with everything else you just ate. (Too graphic?)
   
5. Naan is the bread-nectar of the gods.
6. Lassis are the nectar-nectar of the gods.
7. When you forget about a banana for five days in your shoulder bag, it … no, never mind. I can’t explain. Too traumatic. Just know that the bag didn’t make it.
8. It’s not a good idea to handwash a red-dyed Rajasthani shawl in a white tile bathroom. My tub looks like I was butchering a deer.

More on the trip in future posts. In the meantime, many gigantic thanks to Rachel, who covered CHG during my absence. She’s a New Year’s Day to celebrate, a chocolate-covered candy heart to give away, a bird of spring, and a flower of, er, bloom. In other words, I just wrote to say I’m grateful.

Now, on to this week’s favorites (brought to you by the makers of jet lag).

Blog of the Week
The Simple Dollar
Trent is one of the big dogs in the Personal Finance blogging world, and fortunately, he writes plenty about the economics, procurement, and love of food. A blossoming cook, he’s even launching his own site soon, so stay tuned.

Food Comedy of the Week
The Bowl At The Howling Rim Of Famous-Ity by Patton Oswalt
Patton Oswalt’s (Ratatouille, King of Queens) standup bit about KFC’s Famous Bowl is approaching legend. But he never actually tried it before this article. Come feel the pain. (Rated PG-13 for language, preservatives.)

Interview of the Week
Anthony Bourdain in Onion AV Club
Um … EEEEE!

Quote of the Week
“You know, the only thing worse than an American to an Italian is an Italian from the next village.” – Anthony Bourdain on why his Italian wife doesn’t like his Italian cooking. (Just dare me to write the word "Italian" again.)

Tip of the Week
This week’s tip comes courtesy of my sister, a convenience cook if there ever was one: if you’re making pasta and don’t have the time/energy/will to clean anymore dishes, instead of heating pasta sauce separately, pour it directly into the drained, still-hot spaghetti. It will warm the sauce and cool the pasta to just the right temperature.

Video of the Week (Food Division)
“Know Your Chicken” – Cibo Matto
I was a DJ for four years as an undergrad, and this was by far the weirdest song we played with any consistency. And in the college radio world, where bands like Dead Milkmen, They Might Be Giants, and Primus reign supreme, that’s saying something.

Website of the Week
Television Without Pity
At first glance, it looks like a bunch of programming summaries (which it is, essentially), but a further exploration reveals TWOP’s extensive message boards, which food TV fans use to dissect their favorite shows, rate recipes they’ve tried, and make fun of Sandra Lee. Lurk around for awhile, and see what folks have to say. It’s a solid way to get advance word and/or suggestions on a dish.