Food! Eating is one of the original social conventions. Here’s a list of fun food events going on around Boston.

Tandoor cooking classes at Mantra

Hit The Naan Bar on Tuesdays from 5:30-6:30 and just $20 will get you a hands-on cooking class, one cocktail and a sampling of naans and kebabs. Learn from Chef Brar as he describes the fascinating history of hot clay cooking and go home with recipes for yogurt-based meat marinades. Who says the holidays have to be all about turkeys?

Chef-led tours of Shalimar Indian Foods & Spices

$20 goes a long way again. Head to Central Square on the first Saturday of every month for a one hour tour explaining various exotic ingredients used in Indian foods. You’ll get tips on how to use Indian spices holistically, plus a lunch at The Dosa Factory, a little month-old spot in the back of the shop.

Four great Monday Night Wine Clubs at Ashmont Grill next month

December 7 Holiday Punch Bowls, December 14 Super Tuscans, Dec. 21 Cabernet Four Ways, Dec. 28 Sparklers. $30 buys several generous pours of wine, an on site expert to introduce patrons to new tastes, plus three small plates of matching seasonal food from chef Sam Putnam.

Tailgate Menu at Tavolo every time the Patriots play

$20 again! Try special like White Bean Chile, Max’s Meatballs and Pork Belly Sliders. Each comes with two free draft beers! Tavolo opens at noon on Sundays for football fans. Free parking across the street.

Truro Vineyards Wine Club

An excellent holiday gift that keeps on giving all year; three annual shipments of four wines each (Truro makes about ten of them) plus chef-developed recipes for dishes that pair well with them. This Cape Cod winery is now the largest in Massachusetts, and can ship to 26 states ! Full club details on the web.

Sunday Suppers at CLIO

Just a few weeks old, but gaining momentum. Chef Ken Oringer gets chick-y with a different fried chicken recipe (from southern to Korean) every Sunday from 5:30 PM. Prix fixe $35 comes with accompaniments. Regular ala carte menu also served.

It’s a final fling for Chef Chris Chung of UNI

Chung exits in a few short weeks to open his own spot in Lincoln, but meanwhile, he’s pulling out all the stops at this intimate sashimi salon in the Eliot Hotel. Yes, sashimi is seasonal, so fall flavors and vegetables are likely to appear in tandem with cold water fish, and the results are spectacular. This place also has one of the most creative cocktail lists in town.

Troquet has Boston’s Best Wine List; but the food is also divine.

It’s suckling pig season again, and Chef Scott Hebert makes it succulent with chipotle, asiago grits and honey-glazed carrots. For dessert, try Sugared Pumpkin Souffle or Milk Chocolate-Hazelnut Millefeuille. Pastry Chef Sarah Woodfine loves to make ice cream, and it shows in her fresh nutmeg, mascarpone, roasted banana and cinnamon versions. A sampler platter is $9.75

French fare for Thanksgiving or Christmas Day? Why Not?

Petit Robert Bistro’s three locations will be open from 11-9 on both holidays serving their regular menu, plus celebratory blackboard specials created by Chef Jacky Robert. A pocketbook-friendly wine list makes PRB an informed choice.

So, get out this month and enjoy all the foodie fun Boston has to offer!

Black Ink (Beacon Hill: 101 Charles St. and Harvard Square: 5 Brattle St, Cambridge)

If you’re looking for something truly unique for that impossible-to-buy-for person, Black Ink should be your first stop. Hawking everything from a koi chopstick rest set to a space-agey magazine rack to a charcoal essence infused body towel, you can pick up cool kitchen utensils and old-school toys in the same fun to wander through store.

J. Press (Harvard Square: 82 Mt. Auburn St, Cambridge)

For the boyfriend, brother or even dad who is always dressed to the nines, J. Press in Harvard Square will outfit him perfectly (and, P.S., we’re jealous). They carry a wide range of ties for under $60, as well as classy cufflinks, sweaters, belts and other accessories. Consider it the new J. Crew for guys only.

Looney Tunes Records (1106 Boylston St.)

Those uber-hip Berklee kids duck into Looney Tunes for old LPs and every CD you could wish for. A little bit chaotic, but a music junkie’s dream, Looney Tunes is perfect for that friend who never takes off his headphones. Bonus: a lot of cheap finds are to be had.

Poor Little Rich Girl (Davis Square: 255 Elm St, Somerville and 166 Newbury St.)

This vintage and consignment store is where to go for your best girl friend, your girlfriend, or your eternally cool grandmother. Stocking designer dresses, vintage clothes and accessories from the 1940s-80s, classic apartment furnishings, contemporary stores’ clothing and more, there is no girl who won’t find a treasure here.

Oak (245 Newbury St.)

Consider this your one-stop shop for pretty much everyone on your list. Oak is an eclectic store with goods ranging from classy to crazy. We love the sterling silver scrabble letter necklace and the gin and tonic soap as well as the mix tape pillow and the Apple command key ring. Shop here for your techie boyfriend, glamorous girlfriend, parents, siblings, you name it. You can also find one-of-a-kind gifts for the kiddos in your life, like crocheted hand puppets and make-your-own plush monster kits. Plus, if you somehow don’t find what you need at Oak, you’ve still got the rest of Newbury at your disposal.

Formaggio Kitchen (244 Huron Ave, Cambridge)

If you haven’t been to Formaggio Kitchen yet, you’re so not our friend. Nationally known as a distinctive and delicious gourmet cheese shop, Formaggio is the perfect place to spend afternoon hours or to pick up the perfect gift for your favorite foodie or holiday party hostess. Here you’ll find hundreds of imported cheeses from around the world, as well as local favorites. They sell freshly made (and astoundingly delicious) baked goods as well as crackers, wine, jams, chocolate, produce and more. The shop is small, so try to duck in on a weekday afternoon to avoid the shoulder to shoulder crowds.

Blue Cloud Gallery (Ball Square: 713 Broadway, Somerville)

Looking for something artsy and unique? Blue Cloud has it. Carrying works by over 90 artisans, many local, this shop is perfect for someone like mom, who really deserves something special (especially if you still do your laundry at home). They stock beautiful pieces of pottery and glass blown decorations. Pick up some stunning photo tiles to give as coasters or a piece of handmade jewelry. Either way, pick something up here.

Know of any other great places to find holiday gifts? Comment below with your favorites and help other Blasties navigate the holiday minefield!

You know you’re not going to be saving money on the weekends. New city, new bars, new beers (reader, meet Sam Adams. Sam Adams, meet the reader. I trust you will have a long and lasting relationship). No way can you cut corners in that area. And there is no point in going out to those bars and clubs if you aren’t wearing something fabulous, so don’t expect to save money by not shopping for some new shirts and weekend jeans. Plus, you have to make a great impression on your new classmates, which means some weekday jeans and some serious but stylish shirts to match. And of course the new haircut to go with the new wardrobe. Clearly, this is starting to add up to some serious cash. So, where do we save money? One word: groceries. That’s right. Every week you can save money on your food bill if you just follow some simple ideas.

Buy one good box and one store box. (Media credit/nemoorange/Flickr)

First things first: cereal. It’s not just for breakfast, you know. When buying cereal, buy one box of the good brand and one bag of the store brand. The store brand is terrible and dirt cheap — your perfect drunk food. You’re going to want to save the better, expensive cereal for breakfast, when you are actually aware of what you are eating. So before you start drinking, make sure you hide the real brand somewhere safe. Back of the closet, under the bed, or — and I think this may be the best way to go — inside your school bag. There’s always the chance someone might fall into the closet or stumble under the bed. But mess around with a school bag? Umm I doubt it. And your deadened taste buds will never know the difference.

If you wanted to try my “Pro” plan, you could simply mix the good brand and the store brand together. This way, you have twice the cereal for way less money. You could always soak them in milk but well, milk is expensive and you can only siphon off so much of your roommate’s carton before he/she starts to notice the watered-down taste.

Let’s talk liquids. And by liquids, I mean water, because that’s what you’re going to be imbibing during the week from henceforth. Water is your best friend. Why? Because it is free, right from your faucet. Don’t listen to all that talk about dirty water. If it’s clear, it’s clean. Brown water? Well, then you might have a problem. But until then, go ahead and drink up. Doctors say you need 64 ounces a day, right? I mean, at one point or another, every legit health magazine on the newsstands has published that little disclaimer. Plus, water fills you up, so you’ll want to eat less solid food, which means fewer trips to restock your refrigerator. So the more water you consume, the more cash that stays in that fancy wallet you splurged on at the mall.

Limes have more than one use. (Media credit/flm's/Flickr)

Tired of plain water? Understandable problem. The stuff is as plain as it gets, after all. So here is my solution: buy a lime. A tiny piece of the tart citrus fruit is enough to add flavor to even the most metallic tasting water. And you’re a grad student, so you’re going to need the limes for the Coronas you’re buying this weekend anyway, so it’s not as if the rest of the lime is going to waste. Plus, the peel of the lime can be used as a festive decoration. Limes: the fruit that keeps on giving.

Live near a Whole Foods or Joe’s? That’s great. They have some of the freshest produce you can find in a grocery store. Now, walk away, sit down in front of your computer, and find the nearest “Market Basket.” Sure, you’re giving up a lot of your organic options, but this is about budgeting, not living a healthy lifestyle.

Now, you’re probably thinking, “But everyone needs some fruit and veggies in their life.” And you’d be right. But the operative word here is some. So go buy that bright, juicy apple. Next, cut it in half. Now you have two apples. Sometimes, it’s all about how you look at things.

Some fruit is okay, other fruit is not. How to know what types of fruit is acceptable is really quite simple. Apples: fine. Bananas: sure thing. Watermelon: heck no. For goodness sake, the fruit has the word “water” in it! We already talked about this: if you want water, find the nearest faucet. Do not pay for a five pound oval ball of liquid and seeds.

When it comes to “real” food, I have two words for you: rotisserie chickens. Seriously, those fully cooked little guys are the best invention ever. I get nearly a whole week’s work of meals out of one. Grab the chicken and a package of tortilla wraps and you’re good to go. Sure, it’s not the most varied menu. But I’m just a graduate student, not Martha “every meal is four courses” Stewart.

Just in case you are someone that likes a little variety, here’s a little recipe for your perusal. Salsa chicken is reasonably healthy, fairly easy to make, and, most importantly, only has three ingredients besides chicken breast. Just hit up that Market Basket you found and grab some salsa, taco seasoning and shredded cheese. Bake the chicken with the taco seasoning and the salsa and thrown on the cheese before you eat it.

You'd be surprised what you can find for free in a food court, like the one in the Prudential Center in Boston. (Media credit/seahills1/Flickr)

Got a mall near your apartment? If yes, then you have a nice light meal anytime of the day. Two words for you: Food Court. You know you love those samples. Just grab a couple samples from each “restaurant,” and you’ll be full in no time. BJ’s Wholesale or Costo will work in a pinch, but those are for members only and memberships cost money. If samples are your only option and you haven’t eaten in say, 24 hours, it will taste delightful. That’s a promise.

Now girls, you may or may not like my next idea. But if you are serious about saving money on food, get out there and date. Mostly first dates, since there’s pretty much no worry about having to split the bill or anything like that. Dating: fun, flirty and free food.

Other food to give up:

100 calorie packs of anything. They should rename these little suckers “rip-offs in a bag.” Way more expensive than a big box or bag of the same thing, plus you get less.

Any smaller size food item. Always go for the economy size. With everything you are giving up, whatever you can afford in economy size, you will need.

Ice cream. That is, give up buying ice cream. Feel free to go to every ice cream shop in a ten-mile radius to get your fix of free samples. Personally, I think it’s even better than buying a big thing of ice cream because then you get the variety. And those mini sample spoons are really cute.

Things to give up in favor of food:

Heavy duty trash bags. You live in an apartment now, so your trash is behind the building, not in your garage. As long as you can get the overstuffed, dripping bag of yuckiness out to the Dumpster without it ripping completely, you’re good to go. With so much smelly trash all mucking up together, no one’s going to know the rotten egg smell is coming from your bag of messy goo. The cheap trash bags are definitely good enough.

Real Solo cups. Store brand ones are just as good. I have done extensive interviews and surveys on the subject. Please take my word for it and spend the saved money on something worthwhile. Like oatmeal. I know, who eats oatmeal besides babies and Gramps? Well, you should. Relatively cheap, fairly healthy, and — keyword here — filling. You won’t need to eat for hours. That’s clutch because as we all know, snacks are essentially expensive, unsatisfying, and unnecessary. Note: tell yourself this 100 times a day until you believe it

So, do you feel ready to tackle the world of budget grocery shopping yet? Don’t stress out, you’ll be fine! Seriously, calm down, you’re looking a little peckish. Just grab a beer and chill out. That’s where all your money will be going anyway.

TORONTO — Here is the third edition of the Terra Podcast, where Blast’s world news reporter Sachin Seth visits a food bank and learns about the people who work and are served there.

Many Food Banks around North America are in dire straits. Since the recession set in, many are finding it harder and harder to secure donations from those hit hard by the global economic downturn.

In major cities like Toronto, food banks have seen close to a 30 per cent increase in clients, but no major increase in donations. Those in need of food are turned away near closing time because supplies run out.

William Shane, a board member at Fort York Food Bank, one of the largest in Toronto, says he’s seen an almost 200 per cent increase in food hampers requested in just five years. The majority of that increase has come since 2007 – the beginning of the recession.

Fort York is by no means a spacious food bank. It’s one of the largest in Toronto in terms of population served, however not in terms of space. Still, Shane tells me it costs more than $90,000 just to keep the lights and heat running. That money comes primarily from donations, save for a small stipend from their mother company that amounts to just a few thousand per year.

Almost one third of Toronto’s entire population visits a food bank every year, an astonishingly large number for a developed North American metropolis. But if you look around, numbers in other major cities across Canada and the U.S. aren’t far off.

I went to Fort York with many questions in an effort to find out how the food bank copes with such large demand. But instead of coming away with answers, I quickly fell in love with the men and women who work there. Their pasts, in some cases heartbreaking, and their ambition, in some cases inspiring.

This is the story of three of the selfless women I met who turned their lives around to give back to the community.

This is the story of Trudy, Janice and Liz.

There are many great tapas restaurants in Boston that I’ve been frequenting for years including Tasca, a Brighton gem, and popular hot spot Tapeo on Newbury Street. But as I learned quickly, nothing compares to the incredibly fresh, diverse and innovative tapas of Spain.

Well known for being adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea, the fish is fresh, delicate and bountiful in Barcelona. Walking through the Mercat Boqueria, one of the most famous marketplaces in the world, it’s easy to see why seafood is such a huge contributor to the culture. The market is open air but enclosed in a building sans walls, brimming with small counter top-only cafes, bossy produce sellers that exclaim “No toca!” (”Don’t touch!”) when a tourist attempts to touch the fruit and mountains of mouth-watering meats such as jamon serrano. The place is sensory overload, filled with brightly colored candies and marzipan, and massive fruits and vegetables including colossal watermelons and zucchini. The place was worth seeing for sure, despite the dense crowds and fruit rind strewn floor wet with water and who knows what else.

On the first night, we sauntered up and down Las Ramblas, the famous avenue filled with street performers, human statues and all varieties of shopping from cheap souvenirs to expensive leather wear. We stumbled upon a seemingly typical restaurant. Its second floor overlooks the Mercat Boqueria but its entrance is right on Las Ramblas. Euskal Sukaldaria. I don’t even really know if this is the restaurant’s official name, but it was emblazoned on the windows. This place had the best patatas bravas I’d ever had, in my life, in any city. The sauce on them was garlicky, tangy, and just slightly spicy with a heat that’s only pleasurable, without an ounce of pain. I was in heaven. I had one plate to myself, and it was hardly enough.

I also ordered one of the tapas samplers that contained a variety of things including some cheeses, smoked chorizo on thickly cut baguette bread and some type of meat salad (maybe chicken, maybe ham who really knows). I also had a “small” plate of traditional seafood paella filled with razor clams, small mussels, shrimp and some squid (more than ample offerings for three people). I finally realized how Europeans stay so thin; they walk everywhere, all the time, and eat small portions, a little sampling of everything. Also, eating slowly and in a relaxed casual setting actually curbs overeating since it takes the body about 22 minutes to realize satiety.

Every meal should be served with a San Miguel beer, ridiculously inexpensive and amazingly delicious. Move aside Bud Light, you don’t know the first thing about drinkability. San Miguel invented drinkability.

I digress.

Moving on to breakfast. It was an experience that can only be summed up as simply decadent. The trademark Spain breakfast of churros con chocolate is essentially a very basic thing – fried dough served with hot chocolate. But this is not your Dunkin Donuts’ hot chocolate, my friends. The chocolate served in a mug in Barcelona is rich, thick and not overly sweet. It’s a darker chocolate than standard milk chocolate and does not include any added sugar, making it very easy to devour. Dipping the lightly fried, chewy, warm churros into this divine drink is nothing short of heaven, foodie heaven.

My traveling companions preferred a lighter breakfast of American-style coffee (they didn’t embrace the tiny cup of espresso-like coffee they were served when they simply asked for coffee) and fresh fruit. Amble into any grocery store off the main roads or a sidewalk produce vendor and you can get a week’s worth of fresh basics for about 5 Euros. They noshed on apples and bananas and a wonderful dried fig concoction dotted with almonds that was slightly sweet and high in protein. These folks are health-nuts and this light breakfast was the perfect way to start any day filled with sightseeing and ridiculously long and tiring walks.

Since I do frequent tapas restaurants here in the states, I already have a strong dossier of dishes I enjoy. I love tortilla espanola, recognized as a potato and egg omelet – light and fluffy and delicious. During one dinner I had a trio of tortillas, one cheesy and tangy, another made with spinach, and another with tomato and peppers that was amazing. I also indulged in melon con jamon, the perfect summer dish of cantaloupe or honey dew served with a heaping side of salty jamon iberico or jamon serrano. The marriage of sweet and salty is a great way to start any meal.

And while I was enjoying mid-morning and mid-afternoon sidewalk breaks to sip a San Miguel and feast on a light sandwich of jamon serrano and tomate or some perfect machego cheese, I could never really keep my mind off patatas bravas. I was a woman obsessed. I ate patatas bravas at least once each day I was in Barcelona, and I still couldn’t get enough. I was searching for the one, and while all the variations were amazing and had different intricacies and takes on the dish, I knew which prevailed.

Some restaurants served the potatoes more than lightly fried, but cooked darker brown similar to our hash brown. Others would serve it with a deep red sauce that was very spicy, or very heavy with tomato flavors. A beach-side restaurant in the beautiful southern coast town of Sitges served patatas bravas lined with a red sauce just slightly darker and more complex than ketchup, and another swirling circle of what I have to believe was plain mayonnaise. Please do not misunderstand me, they were all delicious, a great way to serve everyone’s favorite starch. But something about that first dish of patatas bravas lingered with me.

Maybe it was because they were the perfect size, approximately 1 x 2 inches making one piece a hearty forkful. Or maybe it was the way it was sort of fried-baked, with a crispy exterior that was barely golden brown and pillowy soft texture on the inside. Or maybe it was that sauce. That ridiculously mouth-watering, succulent sauce that I still can’t stop wishing I knew how to make. All I know, is that the combination of all of these elements melded together to make one of the best simple foods I’ve ever had in my life.

If you’re not a huge beer drinker, another great pairing with patatas bravas is sangria. I can’t talk about Spain, especially Barcelona, without mentioning sangria. Sangria is a wine punch, typically made with a fruity red wine such as a Spanish Rioja, mixed with sliced fruits including anything from apples to oranges to mangoes, and splashed with any number of other fruit liquors from apricot brandy to peach schnapps. The result is always delicious, and always refreshing.

A trip to Barcelona is the perfect antidote to a seemingly nonstop lifestyle of burgers and fries here in the United States. The critical foodie that lives inside me, bubbling on the surface daily to critique, analyze and search out the best in food was ecstatic at the sheer number of tapas varieties and restaurant locations. Ole!

No, we’re not plotting the reasons for the demise of American health. These are current applications for you iPhone that allow you to place an order without ever speaking to another human! Considering that we’ll spend twenty minutes scouring websites in order to make a doctor’s appointment to avoid actually having to place a phone call, this clearly represents a marked improvement in our lives.

The application features what you would expect it to—location awareness selects the correct store for your delivery—to the unexpected—shake your iPhone to make your hotwings spicy! The application is actually very svelte, and supports the entire range of iPhone input gestures. You can pinch and pull the pizza to make it go from a personal pan size to an extra-large. You can rotate the phone between landscape and portrait, depending on what you’re trying to accomplish, and you can swipe forward to move steps.

The pizza builder is our favorite part. You can drag and drop individual topping to your custom pizza, or click and drag the phrases like “ranch chicken” for predefined sets of toppings.

While we haven’t technically placed an order with the application (iTunes) yet, you can check out the official YouTube video below.

We did a lot some days and a whole lot of nothing on others. Still, I left feeling that I must return to Puerto Rico. I have a feeling there’s a lot that I still need to see.

A few thoughts: While Old San Juan is charming, I got the distinct feeling that the city in general is trying mighty hard to become South Beach. Places push their prices sky high, blare house music, drape everything in white and compare themselves to The Delano. To fall into this would be a shame. While I love South Beach, Puerto Rico is no South Beach and I wish they’d try to forge their own identity rather than become copycats. The result ends up looking like a fake Louis Vitton bag: kind of desperate and cheap.

I’m also at a loss when it comes to the service in Puerto Rico. Whether at a restaurant serving comida tipica or an upscale place with menus in English, the waiters were the same: they’d come and take your order, bring your food and then disappear. Getting a check or paying a bill were nearly impossible and probably doubled the amount of time I would have spent in any establishment. This wouldn’t have been nearly as bad if I’d had some kind of drink in front of me, but sitting at an empty table, with an empty glass, trying to flag down a waiter is simply no fun. It also makes the dine and dash a tempting prospect”

Notables: Eating well in Puerto Rico is easy. Eating healthily, not so much. It seems the Puerto Ricans like to fry everything- fish, tacos, plantains. You name it, you can probably find it fried. Even seemingly good foods like rice and beans are cooked in ways to increase their calorie content- a technique that harks back to the days when people had to subsist on the basics. Rice is typically cooked with lard, while beans come stewed with some kind of pork fat.

We ended up at a strip of food stalls in Loquillo one day, about an hour east of San Juan, but I was so hungry I forgot to take pictures. There must have been 50 places, all lined up on the beach, all selling chicharron, mofongo, fried fish and yellow rice. While the comida tipica was tasty, I can’t figure out how these places survive when they seem to all sell the same thing.

The Surprise: San Juan Water & Beach Club in Isla Verde. Yes, this place falls into the category of establishments trying too hard to be South Beach. But the lovely ocean views, waterfalls in the elevator and not too pretentious service made it work: this place is chic, fun and definitely worth a visit. We started our evening at Wet, the rooftop bar which afforded a lovely 360-degree view and a too-cool-for-school atmosphere. This would be a great place to come on a date, or to start a rowdy evening with friends. (One complaint: they don’t have a cocktail menu. What upscale nightlife establishment doesn’t have its own cocktail menu?)

We then had dinner at Tangerine, the restaurant downstairs that emphasized ambiance with blue lights, a waterfall behind the bar and white everything. While appearance is good, what sets this place apart is the fact that the food was tasty and original.

We started with a trio of ceviches: ginger tuna, topped with candied ginger; coconut snapper; and tangerine salmon. Each was distinct and unlike any ceviche I’ve ever had: the snapper was subtly sweet, the tuna had a bit of bite and the salmon emphasized sour.

Next, we had a paella with red snapper. It was a lovely execution, not at all greasy, which can be the case with paella. The rice was accented generously with carrot, zucchini and red pepper, as well as large, gorgeous chunks of snapper.

The highlight of the evening, however, was the steak with green chile sauce. To be frank, I didn’t have high hopes for this one, but we didn’t think two tapas-sized dishes would be enough to eat (though in the end, two would have been fine). Chunks of tender beef sauteed in a red-wine, chile and caper sauce, and served with house fried plantain chips, this dish was succulent, savory and impossible not to love. While our previous two dishes had been good, this one set the bar even higher.

The Regret: Driving back to San Juan from Loquillo on Saturday I passed a sign for chicharron de conejo. I was intrigued. Chicharron are typically fried pieces of pork skin and conejo is rabbit”� fried rabbit skin? Alas, I kept driving, and now I haven’t been able to stop wondering what I missed out on.

While I mostly have great things to say about Puerto Rico, there was one place that annoyed me so much, I feel compelled to warn others to stay away, especially because it’s supposed to be one of the best places on the island.

The Disappointment: Budatai in Condado. Frommer’s led me astray with this one, naming it one of the 10-Best Dining Bets in Puerto Rico. Perhaps the good people at Frommer’s only ate at 10 places in Puerto Rico? Executive Chef/Owner Roberto Treviño is a contestant on Iron Chef America this season, and if this cuisine is any indication of Treviño’s talents I’d avoid putting any money on him winning.

Located across from La Ventana al Mar Park, the terrace area where we ate did have lovely views of the sea and surrounding area. However, that did little to make up for the limited menu or poor execution. My first beef with Budatai came with the menu, which boasted “Wild Salmon”� but which our server then informed us was actually farm-raised. My sense of distrust raised immediately. Why would you put “wild”� on the menu if it isn’t? What other fabrications are included? Is the vegetarian cuisine truly vegetarian? Is the duck really duck?

We started with some vegetarian egg rolls, which interestingly enough had cheese in them. Yes, cheese, which in my book is the ultimate faux-pas when it comes to Asian-fusion cooking. Worse, the cheese was gooey and tasteless, adding nothing but calories and a strange mouth feel.

My companion, who keeps kosher and hence had little to choose from on the shell-fish and pork heavy menu, reluctantly opted for the salmon, which came with vegetables and a Bearnaise sauce- again, a strange offering at what is supposedly an Asian restaurant. It was forgettable at best. I opted for the pork dumplings (billed as the house specialty) and a side of duck fried rice.

In his last column as The New York Times’ dining critic, Frank Bruni suggested that one way to safely navigate a restaurant’s menu was to “scratch off anything that mentions truffle oil.”� I wish I’d listened. As a rule, pork dumplings are usually a safe standby in Asian places. Budatai’s started off promisingly enough with some well-flavored pork wrapped inside a doughy wrapper. Then things got a bit”� well, crazy. The dumplings looked like they’d been grilled, but they were about as crispy as chewing gum. Then, they were topped with what looked like any and everything the chef had within reach: some strange brown sauce, caviar, truffles, truffle oil, garlic, sesame seeds, watercress”� and those are just the things I could identify in the terrace’s half-light. It was a cacophony of flavors, so busy I wondered if I’d even notice if half the ingredients were missing.

The duck fried rice was similarly busy. Greasy, with only a trace of duck, this dish came laden with sweet plantains, which were just weird. Just say it: rice, banana and duck”� it even sounds weird, doesn’t it? This dish would have been saved with more duck and perhaps the inclusion of some complimentary ingredients: think scallion or bean sprout. Banana? Not so much.

The Delight: Miró, also in Condado. This place obviously caters to tourists, but had a few hard to find dishes, like grilled baby octopus and arroz negro — rice cooked with squid ink and then mixed with a variety of shellfish. In addition, the sangria was pretty amazing. Made to order with red wine, brandy, triple sec, pineapple juice and a squirt of sprite, it was refreshing, but not too sweet.

Blast author John M. Guilfoil (left) enjoys Fish Tuesday.

The Boston-based food blog is a newcomer, and it mixes restaurant experiences with New England home cooking.

Blast got to enjoy exactly what Tania and Nicole deLuzuriaga means by home cooking by attending a special Musing Bouche event called “Fish Tuesday,” where an unbelievably assortment of fresh codfish, (filleted from the WHOLE fish) corn pudding, tomato and avocado bread salad and more. They fed 11 people to the brim.

The blog is great, the food was amazing and you need to see what all the buzz is about.

In regards to Robert Kenner’s latest, “Food, Inc.,” I am not the average moviegoer. I spend my free time honing my culinary skills and reading through medical texts in addition to my addiction to pop culture. Needless to say, I feel that “Food, Inc.” was tailor made for me and my brethren. “Food, Inc.” deals with the industrialization of food production, the culling of small farms, and how they are trying to cover it up behind red tape. It mixes food, health and culture in one big vat, turns the heat up, and the watches it all boil over.

Its PG rating is a bit misleading. I’m sure it got bumped down some because of its documentary status, and I will never tell someone not to go see an educational film, but you might want to leave the kiddies home for this one. I recall being traumatized by Bambi’s mother dying, and I don’t want to be responsible for not warning parents about the hidden camera footage of so called “Kill Floors.” It’s probably a good rule of thumb to never involve you children in anything with a “Kill Floor.”

But these scenes, as graphic as they are, are needed to fully display what goes into our hamburgers and sausage every day. Without getting into debate over the moral aspects of eating meat, the real story here is about the condition of the meat after it’s off the bone, before it heads to the slaughterhouse. Killing the animals might be the least controversial aspect of this section of the movie.

The other aspect is the industrialization of food, specifically about farms. Many people know that the death of the traditional farm seems to inch closer every year. This movie tells you why. It also focuses on the impact of soy and corn on our society and how our little yellow kernelled friend might just be responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths. Sounds extreme, and it’s meant too.

Now, as you can guess, subtlety is not this movies strong point. It has a very clear agenda: fear. You might learn a few things along the way, but the purpose of this movie is to be “Scared Straight: Fast Food Edition.” Fully knowing all the information in this movie, prior to seeing it, I still can’t help but look at that Burger Joint a little differently. In the end, it’s a good movie. The production is better than a documentary deserves, and the ideas are both informative and controversial. It does everything it wants too: Teaches, frightens and inspires.

However, this movie is going to miss its intended audience. Even large scale documentaries aren’t seen by the single mother, poor families and 20-something college kids that this movie is meant influence. Instead, it will more likely been seen by well-off people who go already buy organic, some granola hippies and probably the starving artists of the world.

Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle” caused massive changes because it was read everywhere. It forced the issue of safety and standards in meat production in the early 1900’s and you can draw the obvious parallels between “Food, Inc.” and the classic book pretty easily.

However, “Food, Inc.” will not have the widespread appeal to get anything changed, and it’s message to change our current system might be lost in the the fear they used to sell the message.

Anyone who loves the delectable flavor of hot-off-the-grill foods has probably heard that cancer-causing substances — such as heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs or HCAs) — form when the proteins in red meat, pork, poultry and fish react to the high heat of grilling and when fat drips off the meat and produces smoke.

But the researchers aren’t just pouring water on our coals; they’re coming up with solutions, too. Chemists at Kansas State University found that marinating meat for an hour in spice blends can reduce the formation of HCAs by 80 percent or more. They credit the antioxidant properties of spices with this change. Other researchers suggest that marinades may buffer the heat that causes the problematic chemical reaction, or that a combination of sugar, oil, and acidic ingredients decreases the carcinogenic compounds.

Not that you need a scientific reason to marinate. Savvy grillers know marinating improves flavor and the process isn’t labor-intensive. You can make your own signature marinades, or rely on the guaranteed results of quality mixes.

For safe and delicious grilling with marinades:

• Choose lean cuts of meat, which will drip less and produce less smoke. Trim excess fat.
• Prick the surfaces of meats with a fork before marinating to allow flavors to penetrate.
• Marinate foods in the refrigerator — not on the counter — in a glass, plastic, or stainless steel pan.
• Keep in mind that marinades that have been used for raw meat, poultry or seafood need to be cooked thoroughly before eating. So don’t baste with them during the last few minutes, don’t dip your finger in the pan to taste and don’t use the leftover marinade for sauce without cooking it first.
• Consider cooking meats in the microwave for a minute or so before placing them on the grill. Discard any juice that’s produced during microwaving. Use tongs or a spatula, rather than forks, to reduce drips when turning foods on the grill.
• Cook over medium (rather than high) heat to avoid charring foods. Let flames settle down before cooking over coals or wood, and turn the temperature down to medium on a gas grill. If you do char a portion of the food, cut off that section before serving.
• Flip those burgers. Again. They’ll cook faster (and produce fewer HCAs) if you turn them often.
• Consider other options, too, like soy burgers and soy hot dogs, portobello mushrooms and other vegetables. These foods don’t have the same potential to produce harmful substances that can result from unsafe cooking procedures — but they’re delicious when marinated nonetheless!

Here’s a simple, tasty recipe from Chef Kendall McFarland, research and development manager at Simply Organic:

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked pasta
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 package of Simply Organic Steak Marinade Mix

In a large bowl, toss the pasta with the olive oil and the Steak Marinade Mix. Serve as a warm or cold side dish.

Add olives, cheese or other vegetables if desired.

Staying with the same marinade for the complete meal, Chef Kendall also has this tasty recipe:

Tarragon Encrusted Salmon

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons softened butter
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 package Simply Organic Steak Marinade Mix
1 to 1 1/2 pounds salmon steak — minimum of 1-inch thick

Preheat grill. In a small bowl blend butter, lemon juice and Steak Marinade. Lay salmon on grill using a fish grill plate, skin side down. Spread a thin layer of butter mixture on steaks. Grill eight to 10 minutes or until salmon is just flaky.

Serve with sliced fresh tomatoes as a garnish.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

“Many misconceptions relating to pigs have surfaced,” said Dennis Wolff, the Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture. “Pork products are safe to consume and living near or working on a hog farm is not a threat to human health.”

Here in Massachusetts, officials have released a fact sheet that says, among other things, that swine flu is nothing new. We’re just seeing an increased number of infections this year.

Your pork is still safe to eat. Don’t throw it away or boycott it.

Swine flu is like any other flu — stay home if you’re sick, wash your hands religiously, drink fluids, get rest, and see the doctor if you start developing symptoms.

But pork is still the other white meat.

Seafood Spinach Quesadilla’s

1 bag frozen shrimp (51-60 count)

3 oz. Cod

Fresh spinach

Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

Wheat tortillas

Olive Oil

Ripe Avocado

Salsa

Directions:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees
• Spray skillet with cooking spray and add cod
• When cod is just about cooked put cod shrimp and spinach into one pan and cook until spinach is wilted and seafood is cooked.
• Spray round baking pan with cooking spray.
• Brush olive oil onto one side of tortilla and place into round baking pan
• Spread shredded Monterey Jack cheese on tortilla.
• Add spinach and seafood mixture to tortilla.
• Place second tortilla on top and spread olive oil over top half of tortilla.
• Place in oven until tortillas are crisp.
• After removing sprinkling cheese on top of finished product and cover until cheese melts (1 minute at most).
• Slice with large knife or pizza cutter.
• In a bowl mash half ripe avocado.
• Mix in salsa of choice and enjoy guacamole and salsa on the side of your quesadillas!

Stuffed peppers are an old Italian standby.

The problem is that they’re awful for you. It’s ground red meat with tons of fat, and the cheese doesn’t make it any better. So I did some experimenting. I tried it with ground turkey. Brown rice instead of white rice. It’s come out ok — a little better each time. I ran into a great dish at the Tavern way over in Westfield once. They make their peppers with turkey, too, and their recipe shows that you can do it healthily and still deliciously.

The best way to do it is by baking the peppers with a chunky homemade red sauce. Of course, a good Italian red sauce takes all day to prepare. In a pinch, you can use canned peeled tomatoes or, gah, a jar of sauce.

Then a friend who works at Whole Foods turned me on to Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah), a wheat free, gluten free, high-protein, organic grain that can be used as a rice substitute. That, combined with some crushed unsalted tops saltines, and POOF, I had it!

Dish #7 — Turkey and Quinoa stuffed peppers

About an hour and a half — About $25 — Serves 2-4

Get the Quinoa going first. Add a half cup of Quinoa to a cup of water and a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil. Bring it to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium or whatever lets the water simmer without boiling over. Cook until the water is absorbed. Add an ice cube and let it sit for about 10 minutes.

Rinse the peppers and lay them on a cutting board. Using a butchers knife, slice off the tops of each pepper and pull out any seeds. You'll be left with something that looks like a weird tropical cup.

You start with some bell peppers. Doesn’t matter what color. I like green and red, but you can do orange, yellow, whatever.

Rinse the peppers and lay them on a cutting board. Using a butchers knife, slice off the tops of each pepper and pull out any seeds. You’ll be left with something that looks like a weird tropical cup.

Place your pepper cups aside for now. (By the way, you can and should eat the scrap tops of the peppers. Raw veggies are healthy, and they taste good.)

Open up a pack (a little more than a pound — which will fill four to six peppers) of ground white meat turkey and place it in a large mixing bowl. Crack two eggs (or use liquid egg whites) over the meat. Add a half cup of water, a third of a cup of breadcrumbs, and five finely crushed unsalted saltines. Shake in some ground black pepper, some red pepper, a dash of salt, a teaspoon of dried oregano and the same amount of dried basil. Then dump in your Quinoa.

Make sure the Quinoa is cool or it will burn your hands!

Also, make sure your hands are clean.

Mix it all up with your hands. Comeon, get your hands in there. Mix it until there is a consistency to the meat/crumb/egg/grain mess.

Using a table spoon, scoop the mixture into each pepper, filling each to the brim and sliding off excess with the back of the spoon.

Coat a deep baking pan with cooking spray. Place the peppers on the pan, on their sides, with the meat sides facing each other. Now pour your sauce or your can of tomatoes over the tip and sprinkle some parsley over the top. You can also sprinkle some parmigiana on top too.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. Then uncover the pan and bake for another 10-15 minutes.

The dish goes great with some whole wheat angel hair. The peppers also freeze very well and will last you a few months. Just take them out the night before and reheat in the microwave or oven.

Tasty and healthy!

One thing about “going out for lunch” is that sandwiches almost always come with fries or onion rings.

Another salad, but a good one. Bars and burger joints have come a long way from lettuce and Italian dressing, that’s for damn sure. Don’t be afraid to try some of these “bistro salads” either. They’re good.

Unfortunately, there are very few diets that will let you eat sausage on Italian bread.

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to healthily cook and eat peppers and onions. They are fabulous for you; packed with vitamins, and they fill you up without making you feel disgusting afterward.

Shake and stir, baby!

Dish #5 — Colorful Peppers and Onions

20 minutes — About $5

You can find frozen, sliced, bagged peppers in your grocer’s frozen foods section.

If you’re a wuss.

Young people seem petrified of cutting food, and bell-shaped peppers seem to especially puzzle our Gen-Y minds.

Wash the peppers first. Turn one on its side and slice the each side off. Then slice the bottom off. Throw out the guys/center/stem. Congrats. You just sliced a pepper, and you didn’t even kill yourself. Some people try to cut out the middle and pull out the stem. Just do it this way.

Orange peppers are delicious. Yes, you CAN slice peppers easily and without bodily injury.

Slice your quarters into 1/3″ thick slices. You can make them thicker if you want, depending on your tastes. Throw all your slices into a plastic container.

To slice an onion, place it on a flat cutting board and slice off the top and the bottom. Then carefully make a slit down the onion from top to bottom, cutting the top layer or two only. Then you should be able to easily peel off those top layers. Then just cut the rest into 1/2″ slices as if you were cutting an orange. Make sure you thoroughly separate all the layers and pieces, and throw the onion bits into the container with the peppers.

Now, spice them. Spice them, dammit!

Add some ground black pepper, some cayenne (red) pepper, a little Adobo spice (or salt and garlic powder will do). Don’t overdo it on the salty stuff! Too much pepper you can live with, but do you know what you get when you put too much salt on these things? French fries!

Shake the container to mix everything up.

…

Put the cover on first.

Add a solid second worth of drizzle of olive oil to a big, deep frying pan and fire up the stove to medium-high. Once it gets hot, throw all your spiced veggies in and continuously stir until cooked, about 7-10 minutes.

These go great with Virtually Fat Free Chicken Tenders! Plus, they’re fat-free except for the olive oil you used to cook them. They also dip great in BBQ sauce.

The series is an interactive cooking demonstration and learning experience that takes place at various restaurants throughout the Boston area.  In a classroom like setting participants learn techniques, how to cook a dish, and mingle with the teaching chef through a question and answer session.  

Participants also get to taste the food prepared, receive a complementary glass of wine, a free recipe booklet and the opportunity to win a special gift from the restaurant they visit.  The best part besides learning how to cook a fine meal? Proceeds from each ticket sale benefit a charity of the restaurant’s choice. 

Masona Grill
Corey Street, West Roxbury
Sunday Feb. 8, 5 p.m.
Charity: Cancer Research

Himalayan Bistro
Centre Street, West Roxbury, MA 02132 
Monday, Feb. 23,  6:30 p.m.
Charity: West Roxbury YMCA 

Bangkok Café
Poplar Street, Roslindale, MA 02131 
Saturday, Feb. 28, 4 p.m.    
Charity: Roslindale Arts Alliance                    

Townsend’s Restaurant
81 Fairmount Avenue, Hyde Park, MA 02136  
Tuesday, March 3, 6:30 p.m.                  
Charity: The Cam Neely Foundation for Cancer Care 

Delfino’s Restaurant
754 South Street, Roslindale, MA 02131 
Monday, March 9, 6:30 p.m.                  
Charity: Italian Home for Children 

West on Centre
Centre Street, West Roxbury, MA 02132 
Monday, March 23, 6:30 p.m.             
Charity: PINCH Foundation 

Brickhouse Café
107 Bridge Street, Dedham, MA 02026 
Monday, March 30th, 6:30 p.m.             
Charity: Dedham Food Pantry 

Tickets are $40 per person and reservations are required in advance. They can be purchased on-line or by calling 617-323-0670.

The move will be a big hit with the one percent of the world with Coeliac disease, a genetic autoimmune disorder of the small intestine caused by a reaction to gliadin, a gluten protein found in wheat.

“Food allergies are a very serious, sometimes life-threatening, issue for many Americans,” said Uno CEO Frank Guidara in a statement. “Pizza is our signature product, and we wanted to offer a gluten-free pizza so all of our guests could enjoy it when dining at Uno.”

“Consumer reaction was so positive in the gluten-free community that our restaurants began receiving requests to carry the new pizza,” noted Richard Hendrie, senior vice president of marketing for Uno. “Because the demand was so strong, we decided to pull out all the stops to get the gluten-free pizza into our 200-plus locations as quickly as possible.”

Uno claims the title of “America’s Healthiest Chain Restaurant” and already has one of the largest gluten-free menus in the country.

Guidara said that Uno spent over a year of research and development come up with a recipe that worked.

“While we want to meet the needs of guests with allergies, we never forget that we are about great taste and choice, and that means developing new dishes that are healthful without sacrificing great flavor.”

Uno was also the first national chain to stop using trans-fats.

There are more than 200 Uno Chicago Grill restaurants found in 31 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates, according to the restaurant’s website.

The problem with cooking healthy is that it is a widely-known fact that the flavor is often in the fat. But fresh herbs, however daunting that section of the produce department is, are the secrets to dishes that are packed with healthy flavor. If you want a dish that rises above a salt or pepper shaker, you might want to stray to the land of funny leaves and stems — even if only once in awhile.

Likewise, where a potato leaves something to be desired in nutritional content, its funny-colored cousin is a perfect substitute. Sweet potatoes are one of the most nutritious vegetables on earth (and they are also one of the oldest veggies known to man).

Thus, these sweet potato wedges with crispy sage is a snack that only take a few minutes to prepare, satisfy a quick, healthy carb fix and deceptively doses you with nutrients that you didn’t even know you wanted.

Plus its about 80 calories per serving, and zero fat.

That’s 80 calories. No fat.

Bon apetit!

Dish #3 — Baked Sweet Potato Wedges with Crispy Sage Leaves

30 minutes — Market Price — 80 calories per serving

You’ll need:

• 2-3 medium-sized sweet potatoes
• A pack of sage (it’s in that department, as mentioned)
• Olive Oil
• Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 465 degrees. Coat the bottom of a cookie sheet with non-stick spray — like Pam.

Peal two medium-sized sweet potatoes. If you don’t have a peeler, all the better, cut the sweet potato peels off on each side. It should resemble something like a brick.

Slice the sweet potato like thick chips. I like to cut on the angle, then turn the potato and cut the opposite side. Repeat.

They should resemble a wedge. Don’t make them too thick, and remember, the more uniformed the slices, the more evenly they’ll cook.

In a large bowl, place the wedges and pour a tablespoon or so of olive oil. Then a tablespoon of black pepper, and three teaspoons of salt.

Next, separate the all the sage leaves in the package from their lengthy stems. Rip the leaves into thirds and throw then into the bowl of oil, salt, pepper, and sweet potato.

Mix the ingredients until the veggies are all coated with the herb mixture. Spread them out onto the cookie sheet (leave some space between the wedges, so they don’t become soggy when cooking).

Bake for 20 minutes, and remove. Let the sweet potatoes cool for 5 minutes before plating. Sprinkle with (a bit more) salt, and enjoy.

Dipping sauces are always welcome. Watch out for butters and things that add fat and calories, though.

Oh my god this is painful. I am working on a story for the Boston Globe here in Middleborough, and the only place I could find with wireless Internet to file my story is … a McDonald’s.

I’m totally not a paying customer. I’m not buying anything, especially French fries.

I’ll be mixing potato dishes, veggies and whatever else I can find to fill me up.

Though, I’m sure I’ll need your help. Email me any ideas!

Dish #1 — Barbecue sauce-infused green beans

10 minutes — Under $5 — Under 100 calories

One of several downsides to giving up french fries completely: dipping sauces. This dish is a way to enjoy some of the flavor without nearly any of the fat or carbs.

It’s also one of the cheapest things you can buy at the grocery store. Even at the local and usually more expensive Whole Foods Market, I got a heaping handful of green beans for 89 cents.

Rinse your green beans thoroughly in a colander under cold water. Chop off each end of the beans.

Season your green beans as you wish. I like to lightly coat them in black pepper and add a few shapes of Adobo spice and Cajun spice mix.

Add a few drops of olive oil to a proportionally sized pan over medium-high heat. Add a quarter teaspoon of minced garlic immediately. When it starts to cook and sizzle, throw in all your beans. Using a wooden or sturdy plastic spatula, continuously stir the beans for about five minutes until beans are tender.

Then add about two tablespoons of the barbecue sauce of your choice and stir it in for about a minute. Turn off the stove and remove from heat.

And enjoy!

Make sure you don’t cook the beans over super-high heat or the sauce will burn, clump, and stick. I probably cooked mine a little too hot, but they were still delicious.

The whole dish is 8 Weight Watchers Points, but I get no points for presentation.

I paired them with two Tyson chicken tenders and some store-bought mini egg rolls. The whole dinner with two glasses of water is eight Weight Watchers points.

We need to talk.

The years have gone by so fast for us. From my first McDonald’s fry 24 years ago to the wide crinkle cut deliciousness at Glenwood in Connecticut and Town Spa in Stoughton.

It’s always been good. That was never the problem.

Something changed between us. It became all about you. I was changing, and you were staying the same.

We’re going in different places. It’s obvious, and I think we both know that.

Oh, I guess it started in high school when I would order two Wendy’s Biggie Fries with my Crispy Chicken Nuggets. It’s my fault I suppose. I was stuck at a desk sitting on my ass and you were always just there. So convenient. And … God … so good.

But it wasn’t good. When we were together — in the moment — I didn’t really care, but afterward I felt dirty. Unfulfilled.

So that’s where we’re at. We need some time apart, and that’s all there is to it.

I never stopped caring. I just wish there was another way.

Love,
John

There you have it, folks. French fries got dumped. I am pledging to go one year without eating a single French fry.

It’s going to be a year-long feature for Blast, and I’ll be posting 50 side-dish and food ideas and recipes that aren’t fries or as unhealthy as fries.

Stay tuned

From the early days of George Washington’s home-brewed ales and James Madison’s attempts at creating a national brewery, patriots and early American leaders relied on beer for nutrition and inspiration.

In more recent history, Jimmy Carter’s brother, Billy, promoted his own brand of brew, Billy Beer, shortly after the Georgian peanut farmer was elected. During the last presidential election in 2004, polls found that Americans would rather have had a beer with George W. Bush than John Kerry.

Throughout the country’s existence, the humble hopped beverage has lubricated the wheels of democracy by sparking debate or resolving conflicts. And the beverage has come up in some pretty interesting ways this year on the campaign trail.

Senator John McCain faced criticism after the Associated Press highlighted the candidate’s extensive fundraising connections to Anheuser-Busch through his wife’s fortune and high-powered position in Hensley and Co., the nation’s third-largest A-B distributor. Although McCain’s financial connections to the brewing giant may be close, don’t expect the White House to replace the stemware with Pilsner glasses. McCain’s campaign manager Jill Hazelbaker told the Associated Press that he “very rarely, if ever, drinks alcohol.”

But who could forget Governor Sarah Palin’s now infamous appeals to “Joe Six-Pack”?

In August, Democratic candidate Barack Obama’s taste for beer was challenged during an interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes. During a discussion of his campaign’s attempts to court blue-collar voters, Steve Kroft, the interviewer, remarked to Obama, “You tried really hard to reach these people. You went and sipped beer, which I know you don’t particularly like.” Obama promptly told the reporter that he had a beer the previous night and then said, “Where does the story come from that…I don’t like beer? …C’mon, man.”

Though politicians may use beer as an image to appeal to the common person, some breweries and drinking establishments have long abided by the folk ethos of not combining politics and alcohol, while others embrace the mix. With the heightened energy of the upcoming election, many brewers and barkeeps around the country are getting into the spirit of the election season.

“What better way is there to celebrate the diversity of ideas and thoughts that come out every four years during our election process with something that goes way back to our founding fathers, that’s beer and ale,” said Wayne Mayer, director of marketing for the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company.

The northern California based brewery’s ALECTION lets customers “vote” for a candidate by buying either the “Obama Ale,” or the “McCain 2008,” re-labeled versions of their English-style light ale. Each week the results are tallied on the brewery’s website.

While encouraging their drinkers to show their preference for the candidates, the style of the beers themselves is the same.

“We did that for political reasons so no one could say that we were trying to favor one over the other,” explained Mayer.

Currently the Democratic candidate is in the lead “by quite a bit,” according to the brewery. When Blast contacted Half Moon Bay in mid-October, Obama had 4,991 bottles over McCain’s 1,274.

“We’ve seen a huge jump in our incremental beer sales,” said Meyer.

Unlike the real upcoming vote this November, Mayer jested, “This is the only election where you can vote early, often, and legally.”

Magic Hat Brewing Company, based in South Burlington, Vt., released a politically themed Participation variety 12 pack, containing a few of their normal offerings and a special pre-prohibition style “Participation Lager.”

“Beyond the political packaging and beyond the beer itself, which is also politically themed, we actually as a sales team go into our bar promotions and register voters,” said Krissy Leonard, spokeswoman for Magic Hat.

Magic Hat partnered with HeadCount, a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization to register people to vote. On the night before the election, the brewery is sponsoring a concert at the Highline Ballroom in New York City to benefit HeadCount featuring Robert Randolph, Joss Stone, and other artists.

Winter variety packs are now being shipped but there should be more of the politically-themed 12-packs in stores until Election Day, Leonard said.

Below the Mason Dixon line, the Flying Saucer Draught Emporium, a chain of beer bars, is conducting another presidential poll. Patrons at the bars can buy a pint glass for $5 bearing either Obama or McCain’s face drawn as a cartoon, which is counted as one vote.

With 13 locations in Texas, Arkansas, North Carolina, and other traditionally red states, some might find the current standings a bit surprising. Obama’s 11,420 bottles leads McCain’s 9,220 as of Oct. 28, according to the company’s website.

Fort Worth, Texas and Cordova, Tenn. are the Flying Saucer’s only locations where McCain is holding a lead.

In New York, one of the strongest Democratic support bases, Sixpoint Craft Ales located in Brooklyn created the “Hop Obama” in honor of the democratic candidate’s grassroots campaigning style.

“We were tossing it around as far back as late September last fall,” said Jeff Gorlechen, one of founding members of Sixpoint. “Then his campaign started steam rolling. At the time it was all word of mouth, and we identified with that.”

After Obama won the first few primaries, Gorlechen and the other four workers at the brewery decided to brew the ale.

While the brewers may admire the candidate, Sixpoint stopped short of fully endorsing him, as their label points out: “Although we do not intend this beer to be a direct Sixpoint endorsement of Obama, we do believe the delicious and refreshing quality it represents reminds us of the Senator’s successful grassroots campaign.”

There are “many parallels” between the rise of craft and micro brews and Obama’s style of campaigning, he said.

“There was no marketing, no advertising dollars behind it. It’s hard not to admire him,” explained Gorlechen. “In the last five years the craft market segments exploded. It kind of caught the major breweries off guard. I think [Obama] did the same thing when he won Iowa.”

Available on draft in N.Y. and Mass., Gorlechen described the Hop Obama as a hybrid ale “sort of like a British session ale, sort of like an amber, sort of an ESB [Extra Special Bitter]” that uses Scottish, English, and German malts and three different hops from the Pacific Northwest. Also, a part of the profits go to Get Out The Vote, an organization that registers voters.

Of the seven ales produced by Sixpoint, it is currently their second best seller and the brewery sold its stock of the beer faster than any other single batch released for the first time.

Although one of Sixpoint’s best selling products, some bar managers have refused to serve their beer because it is mixing beer and politics, he said.

The “Ale to the Chief” by Colorado’s Avery Brewing Co. has hit shelves in the 32 states. “Instead of an Imperial Pale Ale we’re calling it a ‘Presidential Pale Ale’ because it’s a democracy here, it’s not an imperialistic nation,” mused Matt Throll, beer manager for Avery.

This past spring, Adam Avery, the owner of the brewery, returned from a road trip with the idea of creating a politically themed beer.

Overall, the reaction to the “Ale to the Chief” has been positive, the Brewery said.

“We’ve only had one person call up and complain to say ‘leave politics out of beer,’” Throll said. “We had to tell them that beer has been a part of politics a long time, that’s just the way it is. We weren’t setting out to offend anybody, but of course that’s going to happen.”

“It was not necessarily pro any of the candidates but pro change,” said Throll

Avery’s brewmasters have another batch of “Ale to the Chief” underway for Inauguration Day.

In the Midwest, the St. Louis Brewery Inc., producer of the microbrew Schlafly, is selling posters and T-shirts with altered versions of their labels featuring the candidate’s images.

“I changed our Hefeweisen to  ‘Hefe-Biden,’ our Oktoberfest became ‘Baracktoberfest,’ and our actual flagship pale ale became ‘Palin Ale,’” explained Troika Brodsky. graphic designer for Schlafly Beer.

Two days before the Vice Presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Brodsky learned that a church group would be screening the debate at Schlafly’s downtown brewery and restaurant.  To celebrate the debate, Brodsky made four custom tap handles and posters featuring altered ‘political versions’ of the brewery’s labels.

Although the other candidates’ names were easy to juxtapose with the labels, Brodsky said creating one for McCain was difficult. He settled on ‘McCain’s Maverick’ American Pale Ale.

“Its basically just parody,” he said. “They were a big hit, actually.”

Even though the church group holding the screening was “more conservative-leaning,” Brodsky said, “Still, the Baracktoberfest and the Hefe-Biden taps sold far more.”

Schlafly is now selling a limited number of Baracktoberfest and Palin Ale T-shirts on its website.

Beyond the tension and mudslinging of the election, it’s all in good fun, he said.

“The point of this is that everyone’s really exited about the election around here. We want to encourage that energy, encourage people to vote,” said Brodsky.

When planning a Halloween party, it is best to consider the ages of all goblins that will be attending. Adults and children may both love the fun of Halloween, but the fright factor will be different. Once you have established your guest list, you can start to plan “tricks or treats.” 

For tricks, start the guests off by having a “frightening fashion show” where they walk down a red carpet to show their costumes. Cover the carpet with spiders and webs and, if everyone is brave enough, turn the lights down low. Be sure to play some ghoulishly good music, such as “The Monster Mash,” so that your party ghosts and princesses can get into the spirit. This is a good way to “break the ice” and let everyone showcase their costumes before the party begins. 

Follow up the fashion show with a few games such as pass the pumpkin or bobbing for apples. If guests will be heading out for candy, be sure to feed them a selection of healthy “treats.” Why not start with deviled eggs? 

The incredible edible deviled egg is a party favorite and fits perfectly into a Halloween theme. The high quality protein from the egg will help witches and mummies feel full longer, which could help minimize their munching on candy. Deviled eggs are also the perfect appetizer before serving a Halloween meal such as “creepy crawly chili” (chili topped with gummy worms) and “tombstone tossed salad” (decorate the salad bowls with funny tombstones). 

If you really want to get into the spirit when planning your menu, why not dress your basic deviled egg recipe up in a costume by trying this recipe? For more recipe ideas visit www.incredibleegg.org. 

Mystery Pirate Ships 

Yields: Six servings 

Ingredients: 

6 hard-cooked eggs 
2 tablespoons mayonnaise 
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish 
1 teaspoon prepared mustard 
1 package (2.5 ounces) smoked sliced, chopped, pressed, cooked ham 
12 green olives, optional 
Directions: 

Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks. Set whites aside. Place yolks in a one-quart plastic food storage bag. Add mayonnaise, relish and mustard. Press out air. Close bag. Press and roll bag until yolk mixture is thoroughly blended. Push yolk mixture toward bottom corner of bag. Snip off about 1/2 inch of the bag corner. Squeezing bag gently from the top, fill reserved whites with yolk mixture. 

Place each filled egg on one ham slice. Turn two opposite corners up over the yolk mixture and gently press. For masts and flags, stick wooden picks topped with olives into the boats, if desired. Chill to blend. 

Courtesy of ARAcontent 

Most will come to realize that after orientation, the quality of their school’s food drops drastically and is not at all worth the wait in line. Luckily, there are easy ways to eat well without leaving the dorm.

A large part of eating in a dorm involves finding ways around regulations. For instance, most schools will include hot plates on their lists of forbidden things. The clever, if not smart-alec, way around that regulation is to bring a hot pot. In fact, a hot pot is probably more useful. You can use it to make soup, pasta, tea or anything else you can imagine.

On the more creative side, an iron makes a decent substitute for a frying pan. It wouldn’t be the greatest idea to fry eggs that way, but according to Northeastern University junior, Brennan Degan, grilled cheese will come out nicely.

“You take a piece of bread, put a little butter on it, then two pieces of cheese and another piece of bread,” said Degan. “You put it on a hot iron for a few minutes and it’s done, it’s as easy as that.”

Of course, you’re not limited to just grilled cheese. It’s easy to imagine what else you could cook up, like toast or quesadillas. Just try to keep the iron clean, for the sake of you clothes and your stomach.

In a more conventional vein, the mini-fridge and microwave are key items, so don’t forgo them. With these, your food choices are nearly endless. You won’t be making steak, but good meals are very possible.

Susan Barnes, a Bucknell University junior, is starting her third year of dorm living and has always relied on the mini-fridge and microwave.

“Right now, I believe there is jelly, water and chocolate (in my refrigerator),” she said with a laugh. “I usually eat soup and sometimes I have salad stuff in my room, or peanut butter and jelly. I did lean cuisine for a while too.”

The mini-fridge provides storage for fruits and vegetables, which gives you the obvious option of making salads. You can also throw vegetables into the hot pot and use them to mix in with some pasta or add some fruit to your cereal.

There are also plenty of snacks you can keep in a mini-fridge. Things like yogurt, cheese and applesauce make great snacks and take up minimal space. Storing juice, milk, soda or water is another obvious but wise use of a mini-fridge.

The microwave is useful for the things a hot pot can’t help you with, like popcorn for movie time. It also doubles as storage space, just incase you need a little extra.

On that note, you’ll need a decent food storage space. In a dorm, that can mean and empty drawer or just a cardboard box. Here you can store college staples like cereal, which makes the perfect breakfast or snack.

With all of these options right in your room, it can be easy to get carried away. The “freshman 15″ is no myth, most college freshman gain around 15 pounds in their first year. That’s why it’s important to control your portions and keep primarily healthy food in your room.

“You have to be creative, keep stuff in your room that’s easy to eat when you’re snacking,” said Roger Williams University junior, Cora Tetreault. “I take deli turkey and roll it up in lettuce.”

Tetreault, who successfully kept the “freshman 15″ off, recommends that 50 percent of each meal be made up of fruits and vegetables. When she doesn’t have time for a meal, she snacks on nuts for protein.

Of course, everyone has a weakness. “When I really want chocolate, I eat chocolate,” she said. The trick is not to get carried away.

These are the basics of college eating. They are the tried and true methods of dorm dwellers — truly the only people who could think of grilled cheese on an iron.

“People are understandably concerned about what they’re serving their families,” said Gary Torres of Food for Life, a vegan food company that is seeing increased interest in meat-free foods. “But it’s not just confirmed vegans who are seeking these alternatives. We’re seeing increased interest in vegetarian and vegan foods by people who don’t consider themselves to be followers of either lifestyle.”

The health advantages and expanded availability of more vegan choices seem to be key factors inspiring more people to incorporate meat-free meals into their lifestyles, Torres says.

Not sure if you can incorporate vegetarian or vegan foods into your family’s diet? Consider the following:

• A simple Google search turns up hundreds of Web sites designed to help you “go vegan.” In fact, you can even find sites that will help you locate restaurants in your area that serve vegan or vegetarian dishes.
• It’s easier than ever to find cookbooks filled with delicious vegan and vegetarian dishes you can prepare at home.
• Numerous studies point to the health benefits of vegetarian and vegan diets – from help in losing weight to alleviating symptoms of some types of arthritis and diabetes.
• Vegan and vegetarian food products are going mainstream in grocery stores. Many products deliver the benefits of vegan foods without sacrificing the flavor and texture consumers demand. For example, Food for Life’s new baked (not fried) Moophrey burgers mimic the flavor and texture of quality ground beef. And in taste tests conducted by the company, more kids chose baked Cluckphrey Patties over traditional chicken nuggets. Both products are made with all-natural, non-genetically modified vegetable ingredients.

And if you’re still not convinced that vegan foods fit into your family’s lifestyle, consider this – you may already have vegan foods in your pantry. Items you already use, but never knew were vegan range from Kool-Aid and Fritos to Sunbeam bread, Krispy Kreme fruit pies and Ore-Ida Tater Tots, according to Peta.org.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Nothing is funnier than watching fat, old British ladies ride around in a motorcycle and sidecar and cook pasta, using an Italian accent.

Take a look across the pond for a fresh take on cooking as Jennifer Paterson and Clarissa Dickson Wright join a lobsterman on the sea, cook chicken breasts and meat loaf and game Yorkshire gingerbread.

More than a cooking show, this is a travel program and a cultural journey. It only takes one episode to get hooked, and once you start watching you’ll see different foods, different tastes and different parts of the United Kingdom.

They don’t just show you how they cook, they go out to fish piers, stores and butchers to find the best materials and ingredients. And they don’t cook in some television studio, they cook where ever they find themselves — restaurants, a school and even fresh muscles picked and roasted on the beach.

The series aired in the 1990s and became popular in the states with several bestselling cookbooks, and a parody on “Saturday Night Live” by Brendan Fraser and Darrell Hammond.

Sadly, Jennifer Paterson died in August 1999 while filming the fourth season.

Special Features include a documentary tribute to Paterson, biographies of Jennifer Paterson and Clarissa Dickson Wright and a recipe booklet.

It’s grilling season. In celebration of all things eating, I wrote two most fun articles in The Boston Globe — one about eating al fresco all over Boston and the other where I got to test out four different grills, eat a ton of food and see which grill cooked them the best.

Yeah, life is rough.

Following up on my grilling story, Weber shared a few ridiculously good-looking burger recipes, and I think you need to have a look.

Weber’s Hollywood Cheeseburgers with Mushrooms and Brie

Prep time: 10 minutes

Grilling time: 8 to 10 minutes

Burgers

1 ounce dried mushrooms, such as shiitake
1-1/2 pounds ground chuck (80% lean)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon dried tarragon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 ounces brie cheese, thinly sliced
8 slices sourdough bread, each 1/2 inch thick
5 lettuce leaves
Wholegrain mustard

To prepare the burgers: In a medium bowl, cover mushrooms with boiling water and allow them to soak until soft, about 45 minutes. Drain the mushrooms and squeeze out the excess water. Blot the mushrooms with paper towels, cut out the tough stems and discard. In a food processor, process the mushrooms until finely chopped and place them in a medium bowl. Add the remaining burger ingredients and gently mix with your hands. Shape into four patties, each about 3/4 inch thick.

Grill the patties over Direct High heat until medium, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once. During the last 30 seconds, top the burgers with the brie and grill the bread until lightly toasted. Serve the burgers hot on the toasted bread with the lettuce and mustard.

Makes four.

Weber’s Cheeseburger of Champions

Prep time: 10 minutes

Grilling time: 8 to 10 minutes

1 ½  pounds ground chuck (80% lean)

1  tablespoon ketchup

1  teaspoon dried basil

1/2  teaspoon dried thyme

1/2  teaspoon kosher salt

1/2  teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2  teaspoon Tabasco® sauce

1/4 teaspoon fres

hly ground black pepper

4 thin slices Monterey Jack Cheese

4 hamburger buns

4  lettuce leaves

4 tomato slices

In a medium bowl, using your hands, gently combine the ground chuck with the ketchup, basil, thyme, salt, Worcestershire, Tabasco, and pepper.  Gently shape into 4 patties, each about ¾ inch thick.

Grill the patties over Direct High heat until medium, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once.  During the last minute of grilling place a slice of cheese on each patty to melt, and grill the hamburger buns, cut side down, until toasted.  Assemble the cheeseburgers with lettuce, tomato, and ketchup and/or mustard, if desired.  Serve warm.

Makes 4 servings

©2005 Weber-Stephen Products Co. Recipe from Weber’s Real Grilling™ by Jamie Purviance. Used with permission

Tomatoes have been pulled off shelves and menus nationwide after the Food and Drug Administration warned consumers not to purchase or eat certain tomatoes and tomato products in the wake of a nationwide salmonella outbreak.

This outbreak occurred less than a year after the FDA launched its “Tomato Safety” Initiative, a risk-based strategy to reduce food borne illness.

At least 167 people have been infected since mid-April with the uncommon strand of salmonellosis called Salmonella Saintpaul, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

It is a radically different number than the three reported infected with the same strand this time last year.

The CDC says that more than those reported were likely infected as well. At least 23 people have been hospitalized.

Preliminary analysis by the FDA suggests that the outbreak is linked to raw red plum, raw red Roma, and raw round red tomatoes.

The FDA does not believe that cherry, grape or vine-attached or home-grown tomatoes have been affected.

The government warns that raw tomatoes are often used in the preparation of fresh salsa, guacamole, and pico de gallo, are part of fillings for tortillas, and are used in other dishes.

The typical symptoms of those infected with salmonella are diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps anywhere from 12-72 hours after infection, and they usually last for 4-7 days. Most recover without treatment, but severe infections may occur, sometimes leading to death, the CDC said.

The specific source of the outbreak is under investigation, the FDA said.

Vitamin C is essential for healthy teeth and gums, aids in the absorption of iron and helps maintain connective tissue health which is important for defending against infection. Peaches and nectarines provide 15 percent of the recommended Daily Value (DV) of vitamin C, and plums provide 10 percent of the recommended DV of vitamin C.

Looking for ways to add more nutrients to your family’s summer eating routine?

“Find clever ways to add seasonal veggies and fruits, such as California peaches, plums and nectarines, into every part of your meal,” says registered dietitian Jackie Newgent. “You’ll be boosting vitamin C and other antioxidants, while adding flavor and flair.”

Adding more fruit to your diet can be done in so many different, delicious ways. From appetizers to desserts, fruit can jump right into some of your favorite dishes and add nutritious flavor. Newgent suggests whipping up a fresh salsa with diced peaches or tossing slices of fresh plums into a summer salad.

Grilling fruit is also a hot, and healthy, trend. Try topping grilled nectarine halves with low-fat frozen yogurt for a tasty treat. “By incorporating fruits, you can delight in your desserts while getting more nutritional bang for your calorie buck,” Newgent said.

Don’t forget that drinking your fruit counts, too. Try this on for size:

Peach Pie Smoothie

Prep time: 5 minutes

2 fresh peaches, pitted and sliced
1 cup low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt
1/4 cup low-fat milk
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
2 vanilla wafer cookies, crumbled

Puree all ingredients except cookies in a blender until smooth. Pour into two chilled glasses and top with cookie crumbles.

Serves two.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

The latest trend in fast food is healthy and organic, and luckily for conscious consumers, several chains offering just such fare are taking root in different parts of the U.S. One of the leaders of this small but scrappy pack of fast food upstarts is O’Naturals. The small chain currently runs two stores of its own in Maine (Falmouth and Portland) and one in Acton, Massachusetts, and franchises out additional locations in Kansas and Florida. O’Naturals’ menu contains lots of vegetarian-friendly items, including “build-your-own” flatbread sandwiches, salads, noodle stir-frys and soups. The meat the restaurant does serve is grass-fed and hormone-free, while the chickens are free-range and the Alaskan salmon is wild.  

Another healthy option is EVOS, which currently runs five “quick-casual” restaurants in Florida and is planning a major expansion into the western U.S. Vegetarians can rejoice in the chain’s wide selection of vegetarian and vegan items. While its hormone- and antibiotic-free burgers are still only about as healthy as red meat gets, their soy burger satisfies without the guilt or the cholesterol. Also, EVOS uses organic field greens in its wraps and salads, organic milk in its milkshakes, and fresh fruit in its smoothies. Additionally, the restaurant air-bakes its fries and other typically deep-fried items to keep the fat content as much as 70 percent lower than the same kinds of foods found elsewhere. 

Meanwhile, Seattle-based Organics-To-Go, with five locations in Washington and California, lays out a wide array of “grab-and-go” organic and natural foods so customers can make up their own meals out of a cornucopia of healthy choices. Other fast food alternatives offering lots of health (as well as vegetarian and vegan) options include Au Bon Pain, Bruegger’s Bagels, Noah’s Bagels, and World Wraps, while Subway and Quizno’s alike can be good options for those willing to study the menu carefully.  

Even though many alternatives exist, it is hard to beat the reach of the major fast food chains, several of which are making small steps toward healthier menus and will undoubtedly continue to do so if consumers bite. McDonald’s, KFC, Burger King and Wendy’s have reduced or eliminated trans-fats. Burger King now offers a veggie burger, and McDonald’s is testing one in California. Taco Bell offers many non-meat options, including a bean and cheese burrito, a veggie fajita wrap, and a 7-layer burrito, which can be had without the cheese and sour cream. Carl’s Jr. also has many tasty and healthy vegetarian options despite an otherwise standard fast-food menu. Vegetarians and vegans looking for more ideas about what to eat when time is of the essence should consult any number of websites with pages devoted to the topic, including Vegetarian-Restaurants.net, VegCooking, FitWise and Vegetarian Resource Group.  

And remember, nothing beats seeking out local restaurants when you’re on the road, to soak up some of the local culture. And with trends as they are it shouldn’t be too difficult to find many that do serve healthy menus-just not quite as fast as “fast food” but probably fast enough. 

CONTACTS: O’Naturals, www.onaturals.com; EVOS, www.evos.com; Vegetarian-Restaurants.net, www.vegetarian-restaurants.net; VegCooking, www.vegcooking.com; FitWise, www.fitwise.com; Vegetarian Resource Group, www.vrg.org.  

Dear EarthTalk: Are sunscreens safe? Which ones do you recommend that will protect my skin from the sun and not cause other issues?     – Bettina E., New York, NY 

Getting a little sunshine is important for helping our bodies generate Vitamin D, an important supplement for strong bones, and f or regulating our levels of serotonin and tryptamine, neurotransmitters that keep our moods and sleep/wake cycles in order. Like anything, though, too much sun can cause health issues, from sunburns to skin cancer. For those of us spend more time in the sun than doctors recommend-they say to stay indoors between 11 AM and 3 PM on sunny days to be safe-sunscreens can be lifesavers. 

Getting too much sun is bad because of ultraviolet radiation, 90 percent of which comes in the form of Ultraviolet A (UVA) rays that are not absorbed by the ozone layer and penetrate deep into our skin. Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays make up the rest. These rays are partially absorbed by the ozone layer (which makes preserving the ozone layer crucial for our health), and because they don’t penetrate our skin as deeply, can cause those lobster-red sunburns. Both types of UV rays are thought to cause skin cancer. 

Yet while most sunscreens block out at least some UVB radiation, many don’t screen UVA rays at all, making their use risky. According to the non-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG), by far most of the commercially available sunscreens do not provide adequate protection against the sun’s harmful UV radiation and may also contain chemicals with questionable safety records. 

In all, 84 percent of the 831 sunscreens EWG tested did not pass health and environmental muster. Many contained potentially harmful chemicals like Benzophenone, homosalate and octyl methoxycinnamate (also called octinoxate), which are known to mimic naturally occurring bodily hormones and can thus throw the body’s systems out of whack. Some also contained Padimate-0 and parsol 1789 (also known as avobenzone), which are suspected of causing DNA damage when exposed to sunlight. Furthermore, EWG found that more than half the sunscreens on the market make questionable product claims about longevity, water resistance and UV protection. 

As a result, EWG has called on the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to establish standards for labeling so consumers have a better idea of what they may be buying. In the meantime, consumers looking to find out how their preferred brand stacks up can check out EWG’s online Skin Deep database, which compares thousands of health and beauty products against environmental and human health standards. 

The good news is that many companies are now introducing safer sunscreens crafted from plant- and mineral-based ingredients and without chemical additives. Some of the best, according to Skin Deep, are Alba Botanica Sun’s Fragrance-Free Mineral Sunscreen, Avalon Baby’s Sunscreen SPF 18, Badger’s SPF 30 Sunscreen, Burt’s Bees’ Chemical-Free Sunscreen SPF 15, California Baby’s SPF 30, Juice Beauty’s Green Apple SPF 15 Moisturizer, and Kabana’s Green Screen SPF 15. Natural foods markets stock many of these, or they can be found online at websites like Sun Protection Center and Drugstore.com. 

CONTACTS: Environmental Working Group, www.ewg.org; Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database, www.cosmeticsdatabase.com; Sun Protection Center, www.sunprotectioncenter.com, Drugstore.com, www.drugstore.com. 

GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to: EarthTalk, c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit it at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/thisweek/, or e-mail: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php.

DES MOINES, IOWA — Flowers are in bloom, warm temperatures are around the corner and nothing quite feels more like summer than a cool, refreshing salad with a variety of in-season fruits and vegetables. May is National Salad Month, and with soyfoods, creating a fresh and healthy meal is fast and easy.

Soy packs numerous health benefits as do most vegetable salads. The more colorful your salad is, the healthier it will be, and tossing some soy on it just amplifies the positive nutritional value.

Salads have a reputation as being a go-to food when it comes to dieting. The addition of soyfoods to your salad will help in more ways than one. First of all, soy is jam-packed with protein-the only plant food that has the same equivalent as an animal product. Studies have shown soy protein will decrease your appetite, keeping you full longer and less likely to snack a lot in between meals or gorge yourself at dinner time.

According to Dr. Mark Messina, adjunct associate professor of nutrition at Loma Linda University, some studies have even shown soy to decrease body fat.

“There is some data, although it is quite speculative, that soy causes loss of body fat,” said Messina. “Even if weight loss is not increased to a greater extent with soy versus other proteins, body composition may be improved-less fat, relatively more lean muscle tissue.”

What isn’t at all speculative but has been proven is soy protein reduces LDL (bad cholesterol) while helping weight loss.

“There is no question that soy protein lowers cholesterol,” said Messina. “More specifically, it lowers bad cholesterol about 4 percent, which in theory reduces risk of coronary heart disease by about 10 percent. Second, soyfoods are low in saturated fat, and when displacing more traditional sources of protein in the U.S. diet, soyfoods reduce saturated fat intake, and as a result, cholesterol is further lowered.”

Obesity has been linked to diabetes in many individuals. Along with protein, soy contains isoflavones which may reduce blood glucose and insulin levels while stopping fat tissue build-up and enhancing the breakdown of fat.

“For diabetics, I think soy has some advantages,” said Messina. “It is very heart healthy which is important because heart disease risk in diabetics is greatly increased compared to non-diabetics. Second, soy protein doesn’t stress the kidneys as much as other proteins, which is important because one of the main medical complications of diabetes is renal disease.”

While lowering your blood glucose levels, soy can reduce your blood pressure as well. The American Heart Association estimates high blood pressure affects approximately 50 million Americans and one billion people worldwide.

Substituting soynuts for other protein sources in a healthy diet appears to lower the blood pressure in postmenopausal women, and may also reduce cholesterol levels in women with high blood pressure, according to a report.

“Evidence suggests soy protein lowers systolic (top number) blood pressure about 4 points (4 mm Hg) or so and diastolic blood pressure about 2 points,” said Messina. “Although that may seem small, that is very clinically relevant.”

A common misconception is as long as you’re eating a salad, you’re making a healthy choice. For the most part, that can be true until it comes time to add the dressing. All nutritional value gets thrown out the window the second a thick, creamy ranch dressing douses your salad. Using the wrong kind of dressing can add as many calories as a cheeseburger to your healthy intentions. However, you don’t have to sacrifice taste along with calories.

Using soy and other ingredients, you can make your own Ranch, Thousand Island or Caesar dressing right at home. And it is easy, delicious, nutritious and inexpensive!

This spring when you’re surrounding yourself with all the beauty of the season and fresh air, incorporate soyfoods to make this May the healthiest National Salad Month yet.

Creamy Ranch Dressing

1 1/4 cups soymilk
12 oz silken tofu, drained
1 oz package ranch salad dressing

Mix the ingredients together, and you have a low-fat, protein-filled ranch dressing. In a ¼ cup there are only 48 calories, as opposed to regular Ranch dressing which contains 140 calories in 2 tablespoons, or 280 calories for ¼ cup.

Thousand Island Dressing
If ranch dressing isn’t your weakness, but you still want a creamy dressing, here’s an alternative.

12 oz silken tofu, drained
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons of white vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
6 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons chopped sweet pickles
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
2 tablespoons chopped green onion.

After combining the tofu, water, vinegar, lemon juice and chili sauce in a blender, stir in the pickles, green peppers and onions. For 1/4 cup, there are 50 calories, 3 grams of soy protein and 7 grams of carbohydrates as opposed to regular Thousand Island that has 59 calories per tablespoon or 236 calories in a 1/4 cup.

Caesar Dressing

Finally, here’s a healthy alternative for a Caesar dressing. This is what you’ll need:

3 garlic cloves, preferably large
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 1/4 cups cubed firm silken tofu
1/4 cup lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients. There are 17 calories per serving, 1.4 grams protein, 1.6 total carbohydrates and .4 grams of fiber.

Mexican Black Bean and Corn Salad

The word “salad” is not exclusive to lettuce topped with veggies. There are also various bean and pasta salads, and this Mexican Black Bean and Corn Salad is sure to spice up any fiesta. Here’s what you’ll need:

2 cans (15 oz.) black soybeans, drained and rinsed
2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 large red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 cup chopped green onions
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
2 tomatoes, chopped
2/3 cup chopped cilantro, optional
Juice from 2 limes (about 1/4 cup)
1 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon soybean oil

Combine the first eight ingredients in a large bowl. Make dressing with lime juice, garlic, cumin, salt and soybean oil; combine well. Pour over salad ingredients and toss lightly to combine. Chill several hours before serving.

This recipe makes about 8 cups with 117 calories per serving, 8 grams protein (6 grams soy protein), 16 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 340 mg sodium, 40 mg calcium and 5 g dietary fiber.

Courtesy of The Soyfoods Council

Beer Chicken

Ingredients:

• One whole frying chicken
• 12 oz. can of beer
• Garlic powder, chili powder, pepper, white pepper

Mix the peppers and garlic and chili powders in a bowl. Rub seasoning mixture into the entire outside of the chicken.

Now the third best part: crack open a can of beer, any kind really, although I do encourage you to try all different types. Do something with half of the beer in the can. If using a pan, you can pour it in bottom-or just drink it.

Now the second best part: stick the half-full can (we’re optimistic because this is a proven good recipe) up the chicken. There are two possible orifices in the chicken-stick the can where you think it belongs.

Oven: stand the chicken upright on the can in a pan (possibly with leftover beer in it) and place in an oven. Roast at 425 for 45 minutes to an hour (depending on the size of the chicken). Lower the temperature to 350 to cook the rest of the way (again, depending on the size of the chicken). When the juices run clear, it is finished. Consult the package of your chicken for proper cooking times.

Finally the best part: carve and eat the chicken and remove the can if you wish. The evaporated beer will make the chicken extra-moist and delicious. Salt and pepper to taste.

Beer Hot Dogs

Already a match, the powers of these two favorites can be combined into this super dish.

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. can or bottle of beer (again, feel free to experiment)
• 1/2 bottle of ketchup
• 3-6 tablespoons of brown sugar
• White onion
• One (12-16 oz.) package of hot dogs
• Worcestershire sauce

Pour beer into a pot (don’t drink any this time) and bring to a boil. Cut hot dogs into small, bite-size pieces. Cut up the onion. Add three tablespoons brown sugar and onion to beer-dogs. Pour in a cup of ketchup and mix. Reduce heat to low and cover. Periodically stir. After 20 minutes, assess the beer-dog situation. The sauce should be thick and pasty; adjust ketchup and brown sugar content accordingly and also for taste. Simmer for 20 more minutes. Take off the heat and let sit, covered, for 10 more minutes. Serve in grinder rolls or any other way.

We have a seafood feast on major holidays, especially Christmas and New Year’s, with fillet, fried shrimp, calamari, stuffed clams, lobster or crab sauce and plenty of claws to crack and pass around.

Now that I’ve opened my eating horizons, fish is a distinctive option, not only for the holidays and Friday nights, but for a healthy, refreshing alternative to chicken, steak and pork.

I want to show off a family-inspired recipe that illustrates clearly that the Italians don’t just batter and deep fry their fish. Today is Good Friday, so I bought a beautiful, large cut of cod fillet, and I’m going to bake it and serve the fish with some sautéed vegetables.

By the way, a single serving is only six Weight Watchers points.

Kicked up traditional codfish

Preheat the oven to 350.

First, I take my cod and soak it in water with a light squeeze of lemon for five minutes. Take it out, and let the water drain off. Lightly coat both sides in salt and pepper. I use coarse, kosher salt, but anything works.

Take a deep baking pan and cover it in aluminum foil. Coat the foil in non-stick cooking spray.

Take 2-3 pieces of lemon and one diced plum (or any…) tomato and lay them down across where you’re going to put the fish. Dash on a little salt, pepper, basil, oregano, parsley, whatever you want. Drizzle some olive oil.

Take a small handful of Italian breadcrumbs and sprinkle the bank of the fillet. Lay it down over the lemon wedges and tomato. sprinkle a few more crumbs over the top — just a bit. Then take 4-6 Ritz crackers and crush them, two at a time, with your hands, letting the crumbs fall over the top of the cod.

Then dice one or two more small tomatoes, and cover the crumbs. Coat with some more salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and whatever spices you like best. Drizzle some more olive oil on top.

I like to leave some onion pieces in the corners, and you can add any vegetables you want to the pan. I didn’t in this case, because I’m serving other veggies with the fish. Don’t cover the cod, but crinkle the sides of the foil up just a bit on each side.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until it cleanly flakes with a fork. You may need less time if you use a smaller piece.

Now, take out your favorite chef’s knife, and cut up some veggies.

I stress that you can use whatever vegetables you want, but I chose some red and green peppers, a white onion and a yellow squash. It’s a colorful mix; it’s beautiful; it tastes unbelieveable.

Cut some narrow strips or slices of your favorites and shake them up with salt, pepper, Adobo spice, parsley, garlic powder, etc. This is not an exact science, but DON’T OVER SEASON your veggies. Too much, and they’ll be saltier than McDonald’s French Fries and it will ruin the dish.

Lightly coat a nonstick frying pan or wok with olive oil and warm over medium-high heat. Add the vegetables, and continuously stir then for about five minutes or until you can easily break one with the spatula.

Invest in a $1 wooden spatula. It cleans in the dishwasher and won’t rust or scratch your pans.

After about 5-7 minutes, cover the pan for 2-3 minutes. You don’t want to steam the vegetables, but you want to force them to hold in some moisture. Then uncover the pan and drizzle about a tablespoon or two of soy sauce. This departs from tradition just a bit, but trust me. Stir it in, and turn off the heat.

You want to start cooking the vegetables about 2/3 though the cod’s cooking cycle.

When the fish is done — depending on the size and number of people — spread some vegetables over the center of each plate. With a a spatula, cut even pieces of fish. Discard the cooked lemon wedges (the fish tastes lemony enough) and serve with the tomatoes and whatever else is in the pan.

One good-sized fillet serves two.

This is a very filling, very, very healthy dish. The kicked-up veggies replace the need for rice or potatoes or French fries.

Enjoy with a glass of white wine, and have a Happy Easter!

See Blast’s new Food Page for more great ideas!

One of the best things about cooking a pork loin roast is that you get a ton of meat out of a single preparation. But a lot of food often means a lot of leftovers, and we all know that leftover pork or chicken or beef or turkey tends to dry up — even moreso once you throw it in the microwave.

In this case, I prepared a center cut pork rib roast with some garlic, fennel seed, rosemary, and other spices the night before and had about half of it left afterward.

The next night was the perfect opportunity to create a dish that you’d swear wasn’t backed by leftover pork chops.

Pork and white wine sauce over pasta

This is a quick dish, especially when you’re using previously cooked meat — it also works with chicken and veal, especially saltimbocca.

Start by boiling enough water for as much pasta as you’ll need for your guests.

While your water is warming, take a large skillet over medium-high heat and add a little less than half a bottle of cheap, dry white wine, a pint of heavy whipping cream, a couple tablespoons to 1/4 cup of white flour and a few liberal tablespoons of dried parsley.

You can substitute light cream to reduce the fat content, but I wouldn’t go much lower. I tried this with skim milk once and it was a disaster.

Bring the sauce mixture to a boil, continually stirring it up, and lower the heat.

By now your water is boiling, so throw the pasta in. I like to salt the water before boiling, but it’s up to you. Use an interesting pasta — campanelle is a great choice with this dish.

Take another pan: skillet, saucepan, whatever and lightly coat it — seriously, just a little bit — with olive oil and throw in all your meat. If there are bones in it, leave it alone. Just throw it all in. Add some coarse salt, pepper, onion powder and a touch of mustard powder if you can. Lightly brown your pork over medium heat, turning it a few times.

You don’t want to re-cook the pork. This is just a better way than microwaving it. Warm it up, brown it a bit, spice it and it’s nice and warm and ready to eat.

Keep a loaf of crusty Italian bread handy. (A) you’ll want to rip off pieces of it to taste the sauce, and (B) it’s always good to have bread with a fine pasta meal.

Remember to keep stirring the sauce so it doesn’t clump or set. It’s an extremely delicious white sauce.

Put a few scoops of pasta on each plate. Put some meat on top and liberally cover it all with sauce. Add a slice of bread and some parsley, and you’ve got yourself a dish … a leftover dish.

Using broth to create homemade soups and stews is a wonderful way to add lots of flavor to these tasty dishes without having to spend all day in the kitchen. In fact, most people use broth in home-cooked soups and stews. According to a recent survey commissioned by Campbell Soup Company, broth is used in homemade soup more than 80 percent of the time, and in stews made from scratch 69 percent of the time. So, go ahead and warm up your taste buds with these cold-weather classics.

Sensational Chicken Noodle Soup starts with a flavorful base of chicken broth and combines chicken, egg noodles, carrots and celery to create a heartwarming dish as good as grandma would make.

For a satisfying entree, prepare Hearty Beef Stew. Just add potatoes, beef and carrots to Swanson beef broth for a slow-cooked meal that is tender and tasty. It is sure to be a family favorite!

When the weather outside gets frightful — create a delightful homemade soup or stew that is sure to warm your family from the inside out. For more hearty dishes and helpful cooking tips, visit www.swansonbroth.com.

Beef Barley Soup

Prep: 20 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
Cook: 40 minutes

Ingredients:
2 cups water
1/4 cup uncooked pearl barley
1 pound boneless beef sirloin steak or top round steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
6 ounces mushrooms, sliced (about 2 cups)
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups Swanson Beef Broth (regular, 50 Percent Less Sodium or Certified Organic)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
Generous dash ground black pepper
2 medium carrots, sliced (about 1 cup)

1. Heat the water in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat to a boil. Add the barley. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 40 minutes or until the barley is
   tender, stirring occasionally. Drain.
2. Cook the beef in a 3-quart nonstick saucepot until it’s well browned, stirring often.
3. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook until the mushrooms are tender.
4. Stir the broth, thyme, black pepper and carrots into the saucepot. Heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the carrots are tender. Stir in the barley.

TIP: Substitute 1/2-cup quick-cooking barley for the pearl barley. Cook for 12 minutes (or according to the package directions) or until the barley is tender.

Sensational Chicken Noodle Soup

Prep: 5 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
Cook: 25 minutes

Ingredients
4 cups Swanson Chicken Broth (regular, Natural Goodness or Certified Organic)
Generous dash ground black pepper
1 medium carrot, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1 stalk celery, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup uncooked extra wide egg noodles
1 cup shredded cooked chicken or turkey

1. Heat the broth, pepper, carrot and celery in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat to a boil.
2. Stir the noodles and chicken into the saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 10 minutes or until the noodles are tender.

Alternatively:

Asian Soup: Add 2 green onions cut into 1/2-inch pieces, 1 clove garlic, minced, 1 teaspoon ground ginger and 2 teaspoons soy sauce. Substitute uncooked curly Asian noodles for egg noodles.

Mexican Soup: Add 1/2 cup Pace Chunky Salsa, 1 clove garlic, minced, 1 cup rinsed and drained black beans and 1/2 teaspoon chili powder. Substitute 2 corn tortillas (4 or 6-inch) cut into thin strips for the noodles, adding them just before serving.

Italian Tortellini Soup: Add 1 can (about 14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained, 1 clove garlic, minced, 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed and 1 cup spinach leaves. Substitute 1/2 cup frozen cheese tortellini for egg noodles. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Following Joey Chestnut’s stunning victory over Kobayashi at the 2007 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest, fellow canine-named video game publisher Mastiff announced that they have acquired the Major League Eating license for gaming platforms.

Major League Eating is the organization that oversees a plethora of competitive eating events. People scarf down everything from asparagus to hamburgers.

“Major League Eaters aren’t just elite athletes,” said Bill Swartz, who claims the title of “Head Woof” at Mastiff. “They are the people who built America. Or at least the competitive eating part of America. And I am deeply honored that the International Federation of Competitive Eating and Major League Eating choose Mastiff as their exclusive video game partner.”

Mastiff’s other titles include: Gurumin for PSP, Pump It Up: Exceed, and La Pucelle: Tactics, Gungrave: Overdose, Technic Beat and Top Gun: Combat Zones.

“We knew this sport would lend itself very well to an interactive format,” said George Shea of Major League Eating. “Mastiff has the stomach and the sense of humor to pull this off.”

Major League Eating: The Game features the world’s greatest gurgitory athletes competing across twelve different food types. Built much like a fighting game, MLE: The Game requires players to show brilliant on-screen eating; a mastery of offensive and defensive weapons including burps, belches, and mustard gas; and of course the technical mastery necessary to avoid emptying one’s stomach in a vividly colored reversal of fortune.

Game of the year, anyone?

A recent study shows that Crispy Honey-Chipotle Chicken Crispers, Chicken Broccoli Pasta Alfredo Bowls and Chocolate Molten Lava Cake aren’t the reasons for customers returning to national chains week after week. It’s the “emotional connections” that waiters and waitresses form with the clients that result in more business and higher profits.

PeopleMetrics, a consumer research firm, observed that the amount and quality of server and client interactions in about a dozen major food chains, including Chili’s, Applebee’s and Red Lobster.

Findings indicated that the more engaged a customer is (“How is everything going over here?”, “Can I get you a refill on that?”) the more likely it is that those customers will not only visit again, but will act as free positive advertising for the restaurant.

These satisfied customers have been shown to tell friends about how they enjoyed the experience, go out of their way to return, and, in general, remain loyal to the restaurant and the brand.

“I mean if you compare menus they all serve the same stuff,” said Mary Kirshmann, a student at Western New England College, who agrees that the food is not always the penultimate factor when choosing a dinner destination. “They just have to be courteous.”

Sounds simple enough, but what are chain restaurants doing to take advantage of this information?

Brinker International Incorporated, parent of Chili’s, On the Border and Macaroni Grill, has already put some of this philosophy into their business plan.

“We know we must give our team members the appropriate autonomy to provide the highest level of hospitality, making our guests feel special whenever they dine with us.,” said a statement in their 2007 annual report.

The proof is in the Portobello Mushroom Fajitas. Brinker has enjoyed a 70 million dollar increase in revenue since 2005, bringing them to $4.4 billion net gain this year.

However, Darden Restaurants, owners of Red Lobster, Olive Garden and The Capitol Grille, reported only $201 million in net earnings this year.

A possible difference: While Brinker focuses on customer service in their annual review, Darden steadfastly relies on the quality of their food.

“Our relentless pursuit of quality and, above all, freshness,” is Red Lobster’s public advertising strategy. The word “fresh” appears at least ten times in the “Our Story” section of the Red Lobster website.

In comparison, Chili’s web page advertises their support for charities, allergen information and customer surveys, implying that their interest and concern for their patrons’ morals, health, and opinions.

“(Restaurants) need to hire and retain employees who make the dining experience fun,” said Kate Feather, PeopleMetrics’ Vice President and director of the study. “Restaurants who can quickly and effectively resolve customer concerns are the clear winners.”

By reducing employee turnover rates, these corporations will gain more experienced and familiar staff – therefore increasing customer satisfaction. It is also much easier for experienced and relaxed waiters and waitresses to solve any issues that may arise for a customer.

What does this mean for your next dinner outing? You may find a few extra napkins at your table. Your server may be uncommonly peppy and interested in how your day is going. But remember, it isn’t your current visit that the brand is worried about; it’s your next visit, and the one after that, and the one after that…