devour

Wow.. It seems rather unusual that a lot of fellow foodies are also non-believers! Anyone cooked some strozzapreti... and do you say a prayer beforehand? My family, while culturally Catholic (and raised under the assumption that belief is good), is pretty much agnostics and atheists (I understand the "you can be both argument," but some don't self-declare atheism for various reasons). We don't say grace at home or in public. I think occasionally we've attempted some secular equivalent My in-laws are believers. One thing I've noticed, is that even though my wife is kind of a doubter (or is at least non-committal to the question of a traditional god's existence, but "believe in something"), she's in support of traditions mainly to please her family. As you might expect, they do say a prayer, ("Bless us in these, thy gifts, which we...") at home, but they do not say a prayer in public. And isn't there something negative in the Bible (Matthew?) about praying in public anyway? I was kind of put off by the fact that, without consideration, her family took up the habit of saying grace in my house. Then I kind of backpedaled on the whole issue because I figured perhaps it was based on their beliefs that they didn't really have a choice. I guess it kind of irked me because I feel like in any other situation, perhaps in a Jewish home, the tradition of the heads of household is honored. Now that I think of it, they also don't feel obligated to do this at my parents' house either. But it almost seems to petty to get irritated about anyway. Right now, my two year old daughter and I just make funny faces at each other. She knows from her Dad that she has the choice to join in or not. And even if she does, it may make no more of a difference than saying "Bless you" after someone sneezes. You have to wonder, with as automatic as it sounds, how sincere it even is sometimes. That's not meant to intentionally disparage anyone on this board, of course. It's just an observation with a dash of personal bias.

Maybe it's not that weird, but I've gotten some strange looks for proclaiming its awesomeness: Sliced Apples and Roasted Garlic Hummus It was a midnight discovery that made my wife initially skeptical until she actually tried it.

That's sort of the position I'm in too. Consider the fact that the "organic" label is very flexible and non-encompassing. First of all, I think "buy local" is the best thing a consumer can do, but the convenience of the supermarket is hard to ignore. For those of us who don't plan our weekly meal schedule down to the last detail, we're going to have to settle for what's at the supermarket. What that means is that our organic produce is sold by the same companies that sell the non-organic product. They know they can sell this product much higher because the costs associated with organic production is higher, but they really don't suffer as badly as the independent farmers. They have the land and the ridiculous markup to compensate. For them, it doesn't matter if the science justifies the product. The marketing and conventional wisdom of organic sells itself. At the very least, the organic label does inform the consumer about some guidelines that farmers followed when raising the crop, but I think information campaigns, better labeling and other methods are better ways of informing the customer rather than slapping a label that designates 5 or 6 tenuously beneficial criteria. When we consider what a consumer is attempting to do by purchasing an organic crop (making decisions that positively impact the marketplace, make ecologically responsible choices, and make healthier choices), it makes it all the more important for us to know if what they are doing is actually the opposite of what they intend. What is the consumer not aware of with organic crops? They should know, at this point, that there is a perceived superiority of organic crops based on the way the items are presented and priced at the supermarket. Do they know that natural and synthetic pesticides can contain the same toxic compounds (or else they wouldn't work)? Do they know the increased threat of E. coli? Do they know that the "organic" production requires more land, which may impact future farming practices and limit production (making supply an issue in the face of population growth)? I sort of disagree, which probably isn't surprising. I think the issues are actually tied together by a common thread: A fear of things that are synthetic, man-made, and unnatural. While it's probably best to avoid things that we know are toxic, we also know that toxic chemicals (and often the same ones) are present in natural forms. That means chemically they are identical. I think that philosophy crosses over to the anti-GM front on the same premise, but regarding genetics rather than chemicals. For one thing, what is the difference between changing the genetics of an organism using sexual selection or altering them manually? There is a difference, but other than method, what is that distinction and what is its significance? There's obviously less restriction as to what genes can be moved from what organism, and that's admittedly a bit freaky sounding. But here are the caveats and ethics involved: It absolutely should be tested completely and thoroughly. As with any crop though, there's always the dangers of invasive species. It must be controlled. My only real objection to GMO is the issue of biodiversity. Michael Specter has an interesting take on this subject, definitely more passionate than I am about it (the food portion starts about 12 mins in).

Organic. It's a pervasive label on everything from produce to frozen foods and boxed mac & cheese. It's changing the landscape of our grocery stores. Increasingly more items have an organic alternative anywhere from a dollar more to sometimes double the price. The philosophy of organic foods is fairly simple. Using no unnatural chemicals, pesticides, or fertilizers yields a more nutritionally sound, better tasting product. It's something that makes intuitive enough sense for me to buy an organic product when the price isn't outrageous. Friends, family and even I will boast when we find a particular deal on some great, organic product. But what if the virtues of organic food are overinflated or if the philosophy of organic food isn't necessarily sound? Safety: Watching the news about how organophosphates may be causing ADHD certainly doesn't make me feel hoodwinked when I feed organic crops to my 1-year old daughter. But this is admittedly a reactionary position with respect to the overall practice of conventional farming. If we can find safer, synthetic substances that will yield the same pest-fighting qualities, then we can avoid the deleterious effects. Arguably some data supports the notion that organophosphates may be deleterious to our mental health. Since this chemical is present in much of our commercial produce, I thought that was a pretty good point in "organic's" favor, or at least its position alongside other products. Or is it? "Since the organic pesticides and fungicides are less efficient than their modern synthetic counterparts, up to seven times as much of it must be used. Organic pesticides include rotenone, which has been shown to cause the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease and is a natural poison used in hunting by some native tribes; pyrethrum, which is carcinogenic; sabadilla, which is highly toxic to honeybees; and fermented urine..." Another thing that I found interesting is that E. coli is significantly higher in organic produce because natural fertilizers are used. It makes sense, of course, but it kind of goes against the conventional wisdom. Why are we convinced that natural substances may not harbor the same dangers? Is 'organic' a false security blanket? Taste: I'm even less sure about the claims of organic foods in this category. Sure, I've bought some organic produce before and claimed it tasted amazing, but maybe it was simply a matter of confirmation bias and the power of suggestion. Or maybe it was just a very good product that would have tasted the same despite whether or not it was organic. From my personal experience, I would probably confirm that the many times I have bought organic that it was a superior product, but I really don't have any way to measure that objectively. It does remind me though of an experiment done on a TV show where they filled bottles of water from the tap and had people delivering praise because they were under the illusion that it was some fancy water. We can be prone to accepting claims based on our biases. As far as the anti-GM movement, my disagreement is actually less ambivalent than the one I have toward the 'organic' label. It seems unusual to oppose the production of a food-bearing plant that would be naturally resistant to pests, produce higher yields, with less water. In fact, it could be the saving grace of starving countries. The "Frankenstein" element doesn't bother me at all. We've been altering plants genetic materials through artificial selection practices and 'unnaturally' cultivating food products for centuries. If you don't believe me, research the banana. I'd like to write more, but I want to see what everyone else thinks.

Seconded on the breakfast burritos (on both counts). There aren't any where I am, but when the wife and I travel, we'll stop in at Sonic occasionally. FWIW, I think that the edibility of fast food joints is highly relative. Sonic is definitely a step up from Checkers/Rally's. I've had decent burgers there, nothing phenomenal, but better than other a number of fast food places. I do find that the west coast has better options for fast food hamburgers though.

A friend explained this to me just about a week ago and I agreed. Locatelli (pecorino romano) is the "chronic", and I wouldn't hesitate to use it in my Italian dishes, but Parmesan-Reggiano works for when I'm going for something more mellow in flavor. When I'm making a dish with white sauce and/or chicken, shredded or shaved parmesan-reggiano works better because it's not as salty. For meatballs, red meats, or something with bold flavors, bring on the Locatelli!

Testing again, it looks like I'm more E than I (60/40 split), but you can see the other traits are more solidly leaning one way than the other. Here are the results: Extroverted (E) 62.5% Introverted (I) 37.5% Intuitive (N) 76.47% Sensing (S) 23.53% Thinking (T) 79.31% Feeling (F) 20.69% Perceiving (P) 89.29% Judging (J) 10.71%

Red & Yellow Beets cooked and cubed Coarsely chopped almonds Fresh Dill Aged Balsamic Vinegar Olive Oil Truffle Salt to taste Simple recipe: 1. Cook beets. 2. Cool beets. 3. Cube beets. 4. Add chopped dill, aged balsamic (or balsamic reduction), and olive oil. 5. Lightly season with truffle salt. Truffle salt is something my wife and I picked up in San Francisco. I don't know what it would exactly taste like without it, but it did pack an amazing flavor! We were pretty much so-so on beets, but my father-in-law thought these looked pretty and wanted to see if I could do something with them. Everyone was more than happy with the results. I almost wanted to add goat cheese to this. If anyone happens to replicate this recipe, let me know if you add goat cheese how it turns out!

I used to put more stock into the MBTI, and I guess there are reasons to distrust it but I do think it tends to give somewhat of a picture of a person's preferences provided that they don't consciously devalue their traits. Confirmation bias also plays a part in how we choose to accept the results it gives us. I'm not actually trying to 'debunk' the MBTI. I think people just need to contextualize its purpose. It can be abused or inflated. That being said, prompting the tester to reveal cognitive preferences is worlds beyond staring at I tend to test as an I/ENTP. E and I are probably the most subject to bias (everyone wants to be the life of the party and the introspective genius). Sometimes I'm detached, other times I am very social. As far as food preferences, I love cooking Asian foods. Korean, Thai, Indian. I really enjoy rich, bold flavors that some people shy away from. I'm also a bit connected to my Italian heritage. But unlike a lot of Italians I know, I don't believe in keeping recipes secret and I'm not really afraid to use unconventional ingredients in the context of Italian cooking. I love making a really well executed hamburger (and I loathe frozen "Bubbas" b/c they seem so restrictive, and I end up undercooking them because I only like cooking fresh meat). I prefer the grill and the gas stove. I'm too impatient for pickling or charcuterie. Desserts and bread are really not my thing either...ok, well I take that back. I made some shortcut beignets that were badass, but that's because I love deep-frying stuff. Just got a bread machine though, and I'm itching to use it sometime this month.

The answer for me is to usually avoid Subway at all costs, however, if one must go to Subway, the most edible sandwiches are as follows: Veggies w/ Cheese (NOT the Vegimax patty, which is like a deep fried maxi pad) Italian BMT loaded(for some reason, these fattier meats can take being stored sliced, unlike the other Subway Frankenmeats) Both with plenty of oil & vinegar, oreg, s&p. My wife likes the Meatball, but these make me feel like I'm eating frozen meatball-flavored bread. And don't toast your sandwich unless you like to microwave your lunchmeat at home.

The whole raw food movement kind of irks me actually. In trying to achieve the same flavors as their "cooked" counterparts, they end up with roughly the same nutritional value. Fats are still fats (albeit unsaturated, but still), and sugars are still sugars. Nuts actually have fat where flour does not, so you end up spending more, getting fatter, and eating foods that taste not as good as the 'real thing.' Sorry to go off on a tangent, but as much as I enjoy the creative aspect of the raw food movement, it's not practical or necessary to achieving better health... and it tastes like garbage!

I know what you mean about the Picky McPickersons of this world. It makes me recoil in horror to hear them justify denying entire categories with a lame circular argument. If you already convince yourself you won't like something, likelihood is you'll find reasons not to like it! I know family and friends who are like this, and it halfway tempts me to say: "I like you? WHY!?" But I realize they are just quirks that people have. I think someone mentioned it on here that it's a result of being spoiled and tended to as a child, and since they were used to getting the same kinds of foods over and over again, they enjoy the control aspect of getting exactly what they want and it tasting exactly as they expect. BORING!! Other food quirks that irritate me: Ordering an item with enough exceptions as to not make it resemble the item on the menu "I'll have the Barbeque Cheddar Craptastic Grilled Chicken Sandwich. But can I not have the lettuce, tomato, sauce, cheese, barbeque sauce, or bun with it? Yeah, don't put any of it on there, even a leaf of lettuce. I'll send it back. (Heard as: Please, rub the food on your genitals! I'm a ridiculous jerk!)" Falsely declaring a dislike as an allergy I'm not a fan of liver, but I don't tell people I'm allergic to it. I'm not going to try to trick you into eating food you don't like (as tempted as I am). A repulsion of all things vegetable-oriented. This is okay if you are a toddler. 14-100, not so much. Camping out in the kitchen to sabotage the chef. If you're this anal, how do you dine anywhere outside of your house? That being said, my wife has a few funny quirks too, but thankfully she's adventurous enough to enjoy different ethnic foods. She claims not to be picky, but allegedly does not like sausage, cooked carrots or celery, "spaghetti noodles", black pepper, bell peppers, or any meat 'on the bone'. The last one is true, but I've seen her eat almost everything else in some combination. So I think some of them do qualify as neuroses or minor control issues. But I have to say, as much as it irritates me that other people do these things, it's kinda cute when she does it! Weird, right?

I'm not sure why this didn't post (Newbie here, sorry!) This was the perfect meal to throw together so I could take care of our little one while my wife was out with the ladies. Breakfast for dinner counts as "breakfast", right? Admittedly, it's not as amazing as some of the masterpieces on here, but I thought it was pretty enough that I had to take a picture after my first bite. Dad's Awesome Saturday Night Dinner Huevos Rancheros & Mexican Hashbrowns Skillet 2 fried eggs, fried shredded hashbrowns, Adobo seasoning, fresh chopped cilantro, shredded Mexican cheese, a few dashes of Smoked Tabasco, butter I cooked the hashbrowns till they got to a nice crisp on them, moved them over to one side of the pan, and then cracked the eggs in. It made for a low clean-up dinner that was very satisfying. I know it didn't have salsa like it's supposed to, but I think I like it this way better after trying it. Went amazing with a beer, although I wish I had better beer.

Hot mayonnaise and a pickled pig foot served in a roasted durian