yes, that outfit makes you look fat

yeah you...america. this is why you're fat features audience-generated photos of some of this nation's most coveted and creative treats.

a few of my own personal favorites:

a tantalizing donut sprinkled with succulent bacon bits

a crispy french-fry encased sausage on a stick

and agent mike's personal favorite, the krispy kreme (TM) bacon cheeseburger

**in the works, a collective co-sponsored 'this is why you're fat' potluck. we mean business. (polysaturated fats, velveeta, high fructose corn syrup, bacon, deep fried __________, donuts of all varieties, white carbohydrates, potatoes, any filipino dish, are all encouraged). details coming soon.

|¢ontinue|

I Prefer No Reservations

About a month ago I got into a nasty accident that has resulted in me being on a liquid diet for about 2 months and unable to work for the time being. This means 2 things: I have gotten pretty creative with smoothies and soups, and I watch more TV than I would like to admit.


On the surface, these two things seem completely separate, but after 2 weeks of eating through a straw, even Homer Simpson chowing down on some fried chicken can make your mouth water. Around this same time, you begin having what I call SNACK ATTACK!! This is the complete yearning for something crunchy, sweet or savory, and all too satisfying. By week 4, an ad for a "complete pot roast" microwave dinner that doesn't look fit to be sold at Walmart can begin to look like a gourmet meal.


Knowing this, channel flipping can prove to be an excruciating task but Vicodine gives me a short attention span so I don't have much of a choice. One thing is for sure, the food network is off limits. Personally I have never been big on the food network or travel channel which is surprising since I love to cook almost as much as I like to travel. I think the reason is because I don't like cooking like Rachel Ray and I don't like travelling like Samantha Brown. But channel flipping through different times of day has led me to discover many new shows I wasn't aware of. One which I have become a big fan of is No Reservations.

No Reservations is a travel and food show by Anthony Bourdain, a long time cook, writer, and traveller from New York. What sets this show apart right from the start is its parental warning at the start (at least for some shows). If this doesn't set the tone of "This isn't your average travel show" (or show how conservative US TV censorship is), I don't know what does. What I enjoy the most about this show is that it focuses on the local life and the unbeaten path. Bourdain goes to many countries that most people wouldn't, such as Laos, and when he does go to a big cities, he ventures into the backstreet local markets and small towns just outside the big cities. He talks with a variety of people, from local film makers and musicians, to researchers, to cultural icons, to local icons. While the show is a travel shows and he talks about things to do and places to go, the focus is on the food.

While I have been sitting at home and healing, this show has been a blessing and a curse. While I enjoy watching the show with his witty and insightful documentation of far off places I wish to visit someday, my mouth can't help but water as he wanders down the spice market in Egypt, downs fresh oysters in homemade hot sauce on the beach in Jamaica, or chows down on a spicy local taco after a night of drinking in South Beach, Florida. Bourdain gets hope from the locals in finding the best places to eat, but what I enjoy the most is when he is invited to eat a meal with a local family. He is able to see who in the family cooks, what they eat, and their local dining traditions.

Bourdain shows an appreciation for the cultures and people that are different than his own and is genuine in the way he interacts with each human being he meets (or atleast acts like it on TV). His ability to show the inner beauty, if not, simply, the beauty that most pass over, in a country along with his knowledge of food and willingness to try new and differeent things makes this show great. While I am not one to sit down and follow a show, I always check to see if No Reservation is on when I sit down to watch TV.

(How can you not be envious of a spread like that?!)

|¢ontinue|

A Slice of Bacon a Day...

Matty Sallin, a (what looks to be) multi-medium designer out of New York, has come up with a new alarm clock design. Not content with alarm clocks that only use sound to wake someone up, he has come up with the Wake n' Bacon.

You put a slice of frozen bacon in the alarm clock the night before, you set your alarm, and 10 minutes before your alarm is set to go off, 2 halogen lamps turn on and begin to cook the bacon. From what I have gathered, there is no auditory alarm that accompanies this, you are just woken up by the sound and smell of crackling bacon.

Possible safety issues aside (I would hope they put a timed cut-off for the lamps or something on it so that fires don't start), the design kind of reminds me of some of Furni's creations (mainly just because it's a wood alarm clock). Although my Jewish friends will probably not be big on the design, I bet the hog farmers of America are hoping it takes off!


|¢ontinue|

SOY: THE ULTIMATE NO HOMO PHAILZ

First off thanks to vegetarianssuck.com for the image. we do it for the lulZ... Ok so i heard a story from my mom about how eating a lot of soy can lead to all kinds of craziness. It can lower sperm count, interfere with hormone signals, and possibly increase estrogen activity... wtf?! Seriously wasnt it not too long ago that Soy was deemed our century's wonder food? Now it seems like its nothing but bad news.

(HealthDay News) -- Eating half a serving of soy food a day lowers sperm concentrations and may play a role in male infertility, particularly in obese men, Harvard University researchers report.

The reason for this relationship between soy and sperm count isn't clear. However, researchers speculate that soy increases estrogen activity, which may have a negative affect on sperm production and also interfere with other hormonal signals.

"There have been a lot of interest in estrogen and isoflavones in particular and a potential relationship to fertility and other reproductive disorders," said lead researcher Dr. Jorge Chavarro, a research fellow in the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health.

So after hearing this story i decided to check the intranetz for more related stories, and honestly in the back of my mind i was thinking that i would find 1000 articles and topics about soy being way more beneficial than harmful. Oh boy was i wrong! After reading articles like this, this and this it came real apparent that soy isnt all that cracked up to be? Was it because of some Soy marketing dept that pulled the curtain over our eyes during this whole health craze movement? Is it just us as an American population looking for an answer to all our health problems and just being so naive?

Well i know for one thing... ima just be easy on this soy stuff until some other reports come out and say otherwise. Because at right now i think ima need all my man juice. no homo. and no homo on some soy. Honestly i never even really liked soy milk. I remembered a marathon/run i did a few months ago with some friends and my brother and they kept swearing by SOY milk, and honestly i hated it and ended up throwing mine away. While the rest of them devoured it like it was nobodys business! Hmmm.. now that i think about it.. their love for soy would totally explain some other issues my friends have...


|¢ontinue|

Tomatos: The New "Made in China"/Spinach/Mad Cow Disease....

As officials try to pinpoint the origin of a massive salmonella outbreak in tomatos, everyone is warning to stay away from all types of tomatos except cherry, grape, homegrown, and cooked tomatos, as well as tomatos with the stem left in.

To be honest, I have not been cognitive of what I eat lately due to working on the road and not having as much control of the food I put in my body but I do notice "we are not selling anything with tomatos in it" signs at many of the places I go. This is all very reminiscent of the E. coli infected spinach from two years ago and the crazy cows that seem to pop up every once in a while. I didn't let these affect me too much in the past and I won't let them affect me now, but then, I shop a little different than most people.

As population grows and the demand of food has gone up, the markets are dominated by giant, international corporations with many levels and many suppliers of their produce. The more extensive and complex a supply chain becomes (usually to cut cost), the harder it is to enforce quality control, and hold people accountable for their products. This is apparent whenever there is lead paint found in children's toys. Who do you blame? I personally think the company is to blame, know your product, be responsible for it. The companies of course will blame the people who assembled it, who will blame the people who made the parts, who will blame the......see where I am going with this? Atleast with a man-made product, you usually have some sort of trail of documentation to follow, but finding a farm in a country the size of the U.S.? We are spending a pretty penny to find that one out I can only imagine.

The main problem with buying produce from a big chain is when I go and buy a Washington Apple, I don't know whether it came from Farmer John or Philip Morris. There's no accountability for the food you purchase from you local major chain. Don't get me wrong, I buy food from these places when I have to but I usually search for an alternative.

What's the alternative? One of the things I enjoy most about the

weekends is wandering the local farmer's market. Besides the relaxation of strolling through the market and seeing a whole bunch of people out and enjoying life, I also get to do my week's shopping. I am fortunate to live in a city that has great local produce. When I pick up an apple from a stall at the Farmer's Market, I get to look at the person who is in charge of the farm and talk with them, whether it is about the nice weather or his or her farm. I don't know how much more accountable you can get. If I got food poisoning from something I ate, I would know exactly who to go to (although I highly doubt it would happen). Not only is it good for your health, it's good for the environment. By buying local and buying what is in season, you are not paying to ship something half way around the world, just so you can eat it in the off season.

If you are too busy to make it to the farmer's market, I would suggest joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. You sign up for food (they have different sized packages) to be delivered or for pick-up (depending on the program) on a regular basis. Again, you know exactly where the food is grown, it changes seasonally (a good challenge for aspiring cooks), and it provides high quality food to your table with little effort from you.

So let me guess, food is too expensive at the farmer's market? It is true that the farmer's market can be more expensive than big chains but the cost is marginal in the long run. With gas prices going up, the cost of transportation will increase at a much higher rate for food that travels longer distances, we might start to see farmer's market's get even more competitive. Besides, why don't you skip on the frappacinnos and start brewing some organic coffee at home or riding your bike or walking more places? If you choose to cook more often, you will make up the extra cost in the money you're saving by staying at home to eat.

"But the food doesn't look as nice!" While the food at the farmer's market won't shine in bright lights, it also won't fill your body with the waxes, pesticides, and chemicals sprayed on the food, do you really want to be eating all that? Besides, from my experiences over the years, farmer's market produce proves to be much more flavorful and enjoyable. Don't believe me? Walk down the isles and take some free samples, I bet you forgot what fruit tastes like.

Don't know where to start? Why don't you check out Local Harvest or use trusty old Google. If you live in a big city, you are BOUND to have a Farmer's Market or CSA near you. At least try it out for a little bit, if you don't like it, you are no worse off.


|¢ontinue|

Dinner Talk: Zingari Ristorante

On Sunday (belated happy Father's Day to all the daddies out there, by the way) a homie and I made dinner plans for the last night of Dine About Town. As usual, it was my job to choose the restaurant, which was not an easy task as this particular friend happens to dislike all the foods that I absolutely love. I finally decided on some fine Italian dining at Zingari Ristorante just off of Union Square. I haven't had me some good Italian food in a minute and the menu didn't seem half bad. Plus, it was close to Muni, which meant I wouldn't have to drive and lose my rock star parking (always a plus in the city)!

So, I made the trek out to the financial district and was about 15 minutes late for our reservation. However, once I got there we were shown to a table without any wait. My initial reaction of the place was kind of... mehh. There were two different dining areas. I'm not sure what the difference between them was, but the side we were on was small and... well, boring-- no windows, no art, nothing to catch the eye (except some funky wallpaper pattern). I didn't get a chance to see the other side, but my guess is that it wasn't that much better.


On to the food. I did the prix fixe menu (which it looks like they do on any ol' night), whereas my friend stuck with one dish from the regular menu. I started my dinner off with a zucchini basil soup (the soup of the day). I'm not big fan of zucchini, but it was the most appealing antipasti on the menu. To my surprise, it was delicious. Creamy-smooth (although the waiter mentioned that no cream was used in it), light and very flavorful. I'd recommend it.

For secondi, I had the Rigatoni con Salsiccia (rigatoni pasta, Italian sausage, Grana Padano cheese in a roasted tomato cream sauce). Sounds pretty good, right? It was tasty, yes, but not as good as I thought it would be. Actually, the sauce was a little bland and there wasn't any salt or pepper on the table for me to remedy that. It was, however, well-proportioned. The serving size wasn't too big to the point where it just hurts after finishing the entire dish, but was just enough so that you're a nice-- what I like to call-- "happy-full." The ingredients themselves were also well-proportioned in the dish, which I appreciated. I hate when I don't have enough meat/noodle/sauce in every bite!

My friend got the Penne Pollo (penne paste with roasted chicken breast, tomatoes, lemon, rosemary, in a Pecorino cheese oregano cream sauce), which I found to be much more flavorful, but not as creamy as my dish. I'd recommend this instead.

For dessert, we split a slice of Tiramisu, my favorite! Sadly, I was extremely disappointed. My initial bite was good, but as we worked our way towards the center of the slice, I noticed that there was way too much cream and hardly enough ladyfingers. Not only that, but the ladyfingers were drenched, which completely threw off the consistency of the cake for me. We should have gone with the creme brulee.

• • •

So, overall this dining experience was okay. On a scale of 1 through 10, I'd just barely give it a 7. Service wasn't that great. Not that anyone was rude or anything (not at all), but we got no love, for sure. We had to ask for water (and refills) two or three times and waited a while to get our check. Also, our waiter didn't tell us about any of the specials or about the menu the way I noticed other patrons were told. Ambiance wasn't impressive. The food was decent, but not worth its price in flavor (or presentation). Nothing rocked my socks, but I'd consider going back to try something else on the menu if I were in the area.

|¢ontinue|

Sojourner Cafe: Santa Barbara, CA

It's been about a month since I decided to go vegetarian. I don't miss the beef/pork/poultry stuff all that much, but I have to admit that my new diet is seriously lacking in variety. After five weeks of living on assorted veggies, tofu, and veggie and tofu soup, I thought I'd check out a local vegetarian-friendly restaurant and get ideas for meals that I could eventually try cooking at home. The establishment: Sojourner Cafe.

Located in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara, the Sojourner features a laid-back atmosphere, interesting artwork on every wall, and a menu of mostly vegetarian and organic dishes. I sampled the golden indian dhal with wild rice and yogurt and chutney on top... it was actually more delicious than I thought it was going to be, and surprisingly filling. The dessert menu is excellent (the desserts are labeled by ingredient for folks following vegan diets). I highly reccommend the the chocolate macaroon torte and the vegan chocolate fudge brownie!

Apparently, the Sojourner Cafe has been voted "Best Spot to Dine Alone" by local papers several times in the past. I don't understand that hype, but I did really enjoy my meal and the staff was friendly. The menu truly opened my eyes to different dishes that I want to attempt at home (WTH, Polenta Royale? Gingered Tofu Wonton Pillows?!), but with the affordable prices here, why cook when I can just come back again and again...


|¢ontinue|

Seconds, anyone?

It's no doubt that San Francisco is a mecca for gastronauts. Whatever your taste buds desire, this beautiful city has a culinary answer waiting for you right around the corner / across the street / and/or straight ahead. However, let's be real, we can't always afford to wine and dine in the city and often times have no idea how to sift through all the options.

Thankfully, the lovely folks at the SF Convention & Visitors Bureau, SF Chronicle, and SFGate.com are sponsoring Dine About Town 2008. For all you fellow foodies out there, I'm sure you're as excited as I am to find out that this event is now biannual (especially if you were saddened--as I was--by the fact that January's Dine About Town only lasted two weeks)! With over a 100 participating restaurants at your fingertips, it's a great way to take advantage of what this city has to offer. You can try some of San Francisco's finest cuisines at a reasonable--and better yet, set--price. However, what I personally love most about this time of year is the fact that all the research has been done for you. Sure, the prices may still be a bit much for some and others may not be fans of the limited menus, but if you're as indecisive as I can be when it comes to good eats this snippet of SF's culinary world is a great resource and starting point for discovering the city's hidden gems and world renowned spots alike. (It's also one helluva good reason to gather up the homies and try something new!)

I've been an avid Dine-About-Town-goer for about three years now. And although I've never gotten all the way through my lists, I've had my fair share of tasty creations. Just for kicks, I've come up with some suggestions based on June's participating (dinner) restaurants list:

Ana Mandara (Vietnamese Fusion): Definitely get on those Crispy Rolls with crab meat, shrimp & shiitake mushrooms and follow it up with the Seared Mekong Basa. (AMAZING!)

Andalu (tapas): Okay... I know it's tapas, but some of the portions are a bit small, especially if you're dining with MY friends. However, if you're like me and can appreciate the ambiance of a restaurant as much as their food, then check this spot out. With it's fresh modern decor and excellent selection of background beatz, Andalu is a perfect kick-it spot. Their fixe menu isn't listed, but I'd suggest trying the Coca-Cola Braised Short ribs, Grilled Eggplant stuffed with Ricotta, and definitely the Cambazola Cheese Fondue with Fuji Apples & Asian Pears (truthfully, when my friends chose this, I was hesitant about the whole fruit and cheese thing, but trust me... it's a good idea). For dessert, hook yourself up with the fresh donut holes and Castillian hot cocoa.

B44 (Latin/Spanish): Paella B-44 (paella is their specialty). Now, this isn't on the fixe menu, but you really should handle the Tiger Shrimp sautéed with garlic and adobo (say, word?!). If it's a nice day/evening I recommend enjoying a glass of wine on their outside bistro style seating.


1550 Hyde: Although I know the food was good, I can't remember exactly what I ordered here. However, I recommend this place as they have a fine selection of wines. It's a bit pretentious, but hey... that's to be expected from a wine bar in Russian Hill, right?

Foreign Cinema: The food was okay from what I remember, but the place is definitely unique and if you catch it on a good movie-night, definitely worth a sit down. It's also attached to Laszlo in case you're on the late night tip and wanna grab a lil' drinkey drink afterwards.

Mangarosa (Brazilian/Italian Fusion): Tender soft beef short ribs with red bell pepper sauce served with mashed potatoes. Although... the home made gnocchi definitely caught my attention tonight.

RNM: (in mah 'hood!). It's a diamond-in-the-rough-kinda-spot with a cozy neighborhood feel. They also have a $28 prix fixe menu anytime of the year, Tuesday-Saturday. Go for the mac&cheese and/or white castle burgers.

Roy's (Hawaiian Fusion): The menu's changed, but it all sounds good. Definitely get the Sampler Trio... you won't regret the seared shrimp.

Tres Agaves (Mexican): A favorite among the coworkers. Honestly, I haven't tried much of what's on the fixe menu, but let me tell you... the guacamole is on point! Real talk, I'd go back just for that.


Bon Appetit!

|¢ontinue|

Dinner Theater, Terra Nova Restaurant: Appetite Killed.

What do you get when you mix a classic episode of Saved by the Bell with Prohibition-Era gangstas and a plate of chicken piccata?

You get something like this.

Ah, yesssss... murder mystery dinner theater. I have secretly wanted to experience one of these ever since I watched Zack, Slater, Screech, Kelly, Jessie, and Lisa spend that murder mystery weekend at Mr. Jameson's mansion.

Every Saturday, the Terra Nova Restaurant (Costa Mesa, CA) is transformed into a 1920's era speak-easy... someone gets murdered, music is sung, comedy and mystery ensue. And somewhere in between, dinner is served. It's wonderfully cheesy.

The food is ok. It's a four-course meal, nothing spectacular but not super horrible either. Clearly, the highlight of the night is the show, not the dinner. If you're looking for something entertaining and random to do with a larger, slightly intoxicated group (e.g. birthday parties), I recommend this. If you're looking to have a romantic, quiet night out with your girl, sorry this is not the place to take her. It's an interactive show and actors will mingle with the diners during serving breaks. They may even call you out during the acts.

The mystery plot made absolutely no sense to me and I still have no clue who the killer was. But that might have had less to do with the quality of the script and more to do with the whole bottle of Pinot Noir I had with dinner. Props to the actors for their improvisation skills-- I suspect that it's not uncommon for a diner to spoil the fun by loudly pointing out that the dude who was murdered in the first act is obviously the new character dressed in drag in the current act (Thanks, Dad). The actors handled this monkey wrench quite gracefully and with wit.

Overall, it was good fun. I'm happy to finally cross this off my list of "things to do at least once in my life." What's next? Ordering a mango tonic with a kiwi twist at the bar...



|¢ontinue|

The Linkery, San Diego

Most people who visit San Diego comment on two things, the Gaslamp Quarter and Extraordinary Desserts. While both are great things to see while in San Diego, what gives SD its character are all the neighborhoods near downtown such as Hillcrest, Golden Hill, East Village, Barrio Logan, North, and South Park. In these neighborhoods are the clothing boutiques, bars, and restaurants that really stand out in this city.

With the E. coli spinach scare and beef recalls, we really do take for granted the safety and origin of our food. Linkery in North Park, SD goes above and beyond providing quality and credibility unsurpassed by most restaurants with every one of their dishes.

When you walk into the small restaurant on the corner of Upas and 30th, you enter a dimly lit room that feels more intimate than cramped. The menu is one large page. On one side is the simple menu with many options (although being Carnivore, my opinion might be a little skewed away from the realities of Vegans and Vegetarians). The other side of the menu is a complete list of the farms where each ingredient came from, including locations and names of the owners of the farm.

Although they are known for their sausages (hence the
name) which are made in house, the rest of their menu is fresh from the local farms, with great produce and choice cuts of meat. While I was there, I had a succulent piece of pork with purple mashed potatoes that were presented very appropriately for the setting and tasted better than it looked. My friends sausages were juicy an flavorful and the extraordinary mustard that came with them is made fresh daily and changes as they see fit. Along with their fine selection of food is an international wine list and a very diverse and well-selected beer selection.

Whether you are an environmentalist, a vegan, a raging carnivore, an informed consumer, or an empty stomach, I would definitely recommend venturing off the beaten path next time you are in SD and visiting the Linkery, just be sure to read the information for newbies before visiting.

After you are done with dinner, wander north to 30th st and walk around the shops and studios and enjoy yourself. If you feel like some dessert, you might want to think about skipping on the extraordinary desserts and going for some Heaven Sent ones, but that's for another time.

|¢ontinue|