Tuesday Megalinks

This week, it’s coupon burnout, low-cost and no-cost breakfasts, and a stellar article on catering your own nuptials. Oh, summer. You’re neat.

Chow: Leaving a Massive Tip – When Should You Leave More Than 20%?
I say A) when the service has been outstanding or B) when your sit-down dinner bill comes to less than $15 or $20. I always feel bad leaving less than $4 for an evening waiter.

Forkable: Save Money – Cater Your Own Wedding
Faboo step-by-step guide to the formerly unthinkable: planning, cooking, and serving your own wedding dinner. Seriously, this is phenomenal, and the money saved is huge. (Thanks to The Kitchn for the link.)

Generation X Finance: The Pros and Cons of Joining a Local Food Co-op
So, here’s the deal: joining a co-op will most definitely land you lots of good food, but it won’t necessarily save you any cash. In fact, you might pay more for your good intentions. Gen X ponders whether the expenditure is worth it.

Jezebel: Do You Have a Secret Culinary Life?
A.k.a. What funky stuff do you eat by your lonesome? Last I checked, there were 393 comments, so it’s a bit of a hot topic.

The Kitchn: Fast, Healthy, and Cheap Breakfast Ideas
Neat little comment thread about the most important meal of the day. If anyone can identify what’s in the picture, I’m all ears/eyes/tongues.

The Kitchn: Grill Out – 21 Good Grilling Tips, Recipes, and Ideas
Do you like fire? Do you like putting food into fire, and then eating that food? Excellent. The Kitchn can help.

Money Saving Mom: Once-a-Week Frugal Food Night
Guest poster Amy Ellen is generally a pretty frugal mom, but once a week, she takes it to warp speed, spending less than $1.50 on a dinner for six. Here, she explains how she does it without resorting to paper shavings. Good stuff.

Money Saving Mom: What to Do When You’re Tired of Couponing
Crystal says: share the load, simplify your system, and for the love of Pete, put it aside if you’re overwhelmed. The $0.50 discount on yogurt will still be there when you get back.

New York Times: New York City – Feeding the Children
Gothamites, hear this: most likely, your kids are eligible for free breakfasts and lunches this summer. Winnie Hu has details.

New York Times: 11 Health Myths That May Surprise You
In what’s essentially a book review, I’m already shocked at a few busted myths: you DON’T lose most of your heat through your head, cracking your knuckles WON’T give you arthritis, and sugar DOESN’T make kids hyper. I might have to read this now.

Newsday: Egg, milk prices seen biggest drop of any major foods
Egg prices plummeted 18%, while milk saw a 22% drop. Is it just me, or do egg prices fluctuate more than oil prices? Also, the man in the picture is the happiest milk-pourer I’ve ever seen. I would order coffee from him.

San Francisco Chronicle: ‘Certified Organic’ May not be 100%
Food politics genius Marion Nestle settles the “What qualifies as organic?” question once and for all, dagnabbit.

Saveur: Types of Watermelon
It’s almost seed-spitting season, everybody! This year, why not try one of the 18 (yes, 18) fabulous varietals described by Saveur? If the Sugar Baby doesn’t tempt you, surely the Extazy will. Oh, and be sure to check out the slideshow.

Start Cooking: 12 Cool Summer Soups
I know some people think cold soups are freakier than a Tim Burton movie marathon, but this recipe rundown might change your mind. When in doubt, go gazpacho. (Thanks to Casual Kitchen for the link.)

US News and World Report: TV Ads Trigger Mindless Eating
Great googly moogly. The header says it all: “Kids watching food commercials consumed 45 percent more snacks, study shows.” Furthermore, “That increased amount of snacking would lead to a weight gain of nearly 10 pounds a year, unless it was countered by decreased intake of other foods or increased physical activity.” Yowza.

Washington Post: We Have a Bad Feeling About Our Food
One last review of Food, Inc. (I promise), in which the author especially hits on the film’s theme of transparency. Worth a gander.

(Photos courtesy of VIP Corporate Events, Digital Grin, and Oregon State.)

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Posted in: Links

Escarole and White Beans: It's Leafy Keen, Jellybean

Lettuce talk leafy greens. (Ho ho.)

We’re gigantic kale and spinach fans here at CHG headquarters, and chard, romaine, and mustard greens have been known to make semi-frequent appearances. I’m just beginning to experiment with arugula, bok choy, and collards, and am working my way up to endive and watercress. Heck, Leigh even has a recipe for stinging nettles, for which I simultaneously applaud her and weep for her hands.

Today, however, it’s all about escarole. Wonderfully affordable and high in fiber, it’s one of those greens generally used to round out a soup, or sautéed on it’s own with a little garlic. It even spawned its own saying that I just made up: “Let the good times escarole!” (What? Sorry.)

Escarole’s only major drawback is that of all leafy greens: they are as gigantic as they are inexpensive. A bunch takes up half my grocery basket, and I can barely stuff it in my crisper drawer without smushing the half-eaten tomatoes and partially-rotting thyme that currently make their homes there. Sometimes, when I open the fridge, it leaps out to attack me. I don’t know if you’ve ever been mugged by a vegetable, but it’s … well, probably much nicer than an actual mugging, come to think of it. So, never mind.

Anyway, all this is leading up to All Recipes’ Escarole with White Beans. Most of the time I see this combination in a soup, but this is sans-broth and about as tasty. It’s primarily beans, greens, and garlic…eens (er, to continue with the rhyme there), with some salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes thrown in for good measure. We ate it with a whole-wheat baguette and some of Mark Bittman’s Squid in Red Wine Sauce, and it was excellent for an unusually cool summer evening. Mark my words, we will be having it again, perhaps with chard or sorrel or some other crazy leafy thing.

If you should make Escarole with White Beans yourself, there are but two things to know:

• The original recipe asked for parsley, which I left out because I didn’t have on hand. Honestly, it was fine, and I’m not sure I would have tasted it in the dish.
• It will create a party in your mouth, so you better make sure everyone’s invited.
  

And with that, I’m off to tame some greens. Those suckers are tough, man.

P.S. If you guys have any solid/healthy/cheap leafy green recipes, I’d love to hear ‘em. I think I’m going to do a recipe compilation sometime soon, and any ideas are most welcome.

Escarole and White Beans
Makes 3 or 4 side servings
Adapted from All Recipes.

4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 large head escarole
salt and pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, undrained

1) In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium heat. Add escarole. Stir to coat. Add salt, pepper, and pepper flakes. Saute until wilted, 10 minutes.

2) To another, smaller skillet, add the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic. Add beans (undrained, so with juices). Cook around 10 minutes, until beans are kinda creamy. Pour into escarole mixture. Cook another 10 minutes, or until the dish reaches your preferred consistency, stirring occasionally. Serve, yo.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
3 servings: 206 calories, 6.3 g fat, $0.71
4 servings: 154 calories, 4.7 g fat, $0.54

Calculations
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided: 158 calories, 17.9 g fat, $0.17
1 large head escarole: 95 calories, 1 g fat, $0.99
salt and pepper to taste: negligible calories and fat, $0.03
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes: negligible calories and fat, $0.02
1 clove garlic, minced: 4 calories, 0 g fat, $0.04
1 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, undrained: 360 calories, 0 g fat, $0.89
TOTAL: 617 calories, 18.9 g fat, $2.14
PER SERVING (TOTAL/3): 206 calories, 6.3 g fat, $0.71
PER SERVING (TOTAL/4): 154 calories, 4.7 g fat, $0.54

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Posted in: Sides,Vegan,Vegetarian

Grilled Bananas & Chocolate: In Which We Become Dessert People

Last Sunday, the Husband-Elect and I were traipsing about in our bewitching Brooklyn backyard, sipping white wine and sucking the last bits of farmer’s market turkey sausage off our fingers, when two things struck us just about simultaneously: A) the mosquitoes were definitely coming from our neighbor’s bucket o’ dirty water, and B) we wanted dessert.

Which was kind of weird. See, in addition to being Not Really Beef People, Not Really Hockey People, and Definitely Not Nickelback People, we’re also Not Really Dessert People. I mean, I will never ever ever (ever) turn down a post-dinner brownie, but I won’t actively seek one out, either. I’m much more likely to have a second helping of spaghetti, or graze from tomorrow’s office lunches as I prepare them.

But yeah, we were hungry, and I remembered reading about Grilled Bananas & Chocolate (a.k.a. Banana Boats) on Slashfood a few weeks back. And – is there a possible way to go wrong with bananas and chocolate? I think no, and the continued existence of Chunky Monkey supports that assertion.

Alas, we didn’t have a computer handy, and subsequently winged the recipe based on my dim, wine-addled recall. That meant we peeled a few bananas, created a divot down the middle, stuffed ‘em with chocolate, wrapped them in tin foil, and threw them on the grill. Postgame research revealed that I got it all wrong, and Banana Boats are usually made peel-on, sans foil. To quote the bard, “D’oh!”

However, we were victorious in the end. The grilled bananas were delicious, required no cleanup, and sated us for the rest of the evening, during which we became People Who Like The Big Chill. Not too shabby.

Anyway, hope you like them as much, and have a lovely 4th. See you Monday.

P.S.: I didn’t get a picture because this was a freak, daring, seat-of-the-pants experiment. Also, I was two glasses of Chardonnay into the night and forgot. So the image below is from a lovely blog called Blisstree. Thanks, tree o’bliss!

Grilled Bananas & Chocolate
Serves 2
Image courtesy of Blisstree.

2 bananas
5 or 6 squares of any chocolate bar (Hershey’s works well)
Aluminum foil

1) Fire up the grill and peel your bananas.

2) Cut a v-shaped divot down the length of each banana, and place 2 or 3 chocolate squares in each divot.

3) Wrap bananas securely in aluminum foil and place over hot coals. (Direct heat worked for us, but if you’re more comfortable off-heat, go for it.) Grill 8 or 10 minutes, flipping once halfway through.

4) Unwrap and be joyous.

NOTE: During my postgame research, I saw the vast majority of these made peel-on without the foil, but I get the feeling you could do it all kinds of ways. Mine weren’t too messy, which was nice. Also, add marshmallows if you’ve got ‘em. Good times.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
176 calories, 3.5 g fat, $0.56

Calculations
2 bananas: 242 calories, 0.8 g fat, $0.66
5 or 6 squares of a larger chocolate bar (Hershey’s works well): 110 calories, 6.2 g fat, $0.45TOTAL: 352 calories, 7 g fat, $1.11
PER SERVING (TOTAL/2): 176 calories, 3.5 g fat, $0.56

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Posted in: 15 Minutes or Less,Desserts and Snacks,Vegetarian

Sonic Giveaway #2: We Have Winners!

Best. Giveaway. Ever. Thanks to everyone who entered, because the haikus were super-fun to read. Poets, all of you! Alas, we can only have five winners, and here they are, along with their respective masterpieces (as selected by Random.org):

#8: Emily
Oh, Chicken tikka
Masala, British curry
yummy masterpiece.

#20: Crayl
creamy luscious cold
churned so gently, smoothly
in a cone mine.yum.

#47: deb meyers
Eyes closed must open now
hot fragrant bitter smell wafts
from my coffee cup

#53: nfhuth
Beans, fresh corn, bay leaf
Roma, potato, onion—
Any soup is good.

#56: special55k
bacon, is awesome
with cheese, chocolate, anything
i love it so much

If you guys can shoot me your home addresses (cheaphealthygood@gmail.com), I can get those $25 gift cards out to you a.s.a.p.

For kicks, these were a few of my non-winning favorites. Most were hilarious (Muki), a few were downright gorgeous (Anne), and one (Kathi) had a Liz Lemon reference, which is always good by me. Enjoy!

Bar-B-Q my love
Warm brisket smothered in sauce
Oops it's on my face
-Adam Truax

Enchiladas are
the greatest food known to man.
Make mine with green sauce.
-Pat Thomas

Lowly coconut
your rough exterior hides
such sweet surprises
-Anne Sexton

Gasp! Better than sex?
Hazelnut Ritter Sport -
Proof that God exists.
-kit & kaboodle

The lovely doughnut
Neverending circle of
Sweet deliciousness
-Stephanie Reed

Sweet arctic shards melt
through straws; the homemade slurpee,
with its brain-freeze kiss.
-Sarah

Haikus are too short
to express the immense love
I feel for Sonic.
-Chelsea

Burrito Grande
"Spicy Chicken Wrap With Rice"
Is there a difference?
-Brian

pizza pizza piz
za pepperoni pizza
pizza pizza pie
-Muki

Dear potato chips
Salty and crunchy goodness
Want to go to there
-Kathi in NJ

Thanks again, everyone! For further reading, all the haiku entries can be found in this post's comment section. And be on the lookout for today’s recipe (Grilled Banans with Chocolate), which will be up a little later.

(Image courtesy of Courier Times.)

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Sonic Giveaway #2: Five More $25 Gift Cards!

You guys! In honor of the upcoming holiday, I have five additional $25 gift cards from Sonic Drive-in Restaurants to pass on to five soon-to-be-filled-with-cherry-limeade readers. Sweet.

To enter, all you have to do is leave your name and a haiku about your favorite food in the comment section. For example, mine would be:

Oh, macaroni.
Your relationship with cheese
hath blessed my innards.

The drawing (using Random.org) will go down tomorrow at noon (that’s Friday at 12pm), so get your verse in before then!

P.S. Just in case: a haiku is a three-line Japanese poem. The first and third lines should have five syllables, and the second line has seven. They’re very zen and stuff.

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Veggie Might: A Confession and a Prayer to Remain Tailless

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

In a recent post, Kris suggested screening Food, Inc., and I complied. Eric Schlosser on a sesame seed bun! This movie rocked me to the core. Weeks later and I’m still reeling.

I’ve been a vegetarian for almost 20 years, mostly for ethical reasons relating to personal health, the environment, and animal welfare (and rebellion against my conservative parents, since we’re telling tales). My mid-90s mantra was, “If we fed people with the food we grow to feed animals that we then kill to feed people, no one would go hungry. And I want to be skinny.”

I spent my 20s and early 30s keeping up with the horrors of slaughterhouses, the evils of factory farming, and the dangers of genetically engineered/modified foods ... until I got burned out. Fast Food Nation and Super Size Me pushed me over the edge.

After taking them in, I vowed never to darken a fast-food door and put the whole sordid business out of my mind. Since then, I’ve resisted reading Michael Pollan or engaging in much of the discourse about food ethics other than to explain why I’m a vegetarian to the few who ask. (I’ve gotten over the rebellion and the need to be skinny; the rest remains.)

I was pretty satisfied with myself and my choices. “I’m a nearly-vegan,” I thought, “I buy organic when I can afford it. I send the occasional email petition to Monsanto. All this doesn’t really concern me. I am not part of the problem. Animals don’t die for my meals. My impact on the environment is pretty darn low.”

Well. Food, Inc. snapped me out of my self-righteous fantasy. And broke my heart several times over.

I don’t want to spoil it for you, but vegetarians are not necessarily off the hook. Just as I like to rail at those Skinny Bitch girls for suggesting that all vegans are skinny (hello, you can eat all the Tofutti Cuties and potato chips you want and still be vegan!), not all vegetarians eat ethically or healthily. So many times throughout the film I felt guilty that my ambivalence is part of the problem.

I realized that, except when I buy from the farmers’ market or CSA, I have no idea where my food comes from, who handled it, and how those people were treated. (I’ll spare you tales of feed lot run-off spreading e-Coli and salmonella to the produce fields. You watch the news.)

A particularly unsettling part of the film highlighted the impact of genetically engineered soybean seeds on farmers. Suddenly, my low-impact, cruelty-free diet/lifestyle had a price tag I could no longer afford. (Don’t even get me started on the fact that what we don’t know how GE foods may affect our health in the long run.) There, in the dark, I had a panicked moment. “Where in the name of Bobcat Goldthwait does my soy come from?”

As soon as I got home, I ransacked my fridge and cabinets in search of GE/GMO foods. I breathed easier when I found none, but my complacency was evident. I don’t want to grow a tail from Frankensoy, and I don’t want workers exploited so I can have relatively cheap raspberries.

Like Kris and the Husband-Elect, I have taken stock of my values and my budget and found I can do more, still enjoy food, and remain tail-free. (Are you there Maude? It’s me, Leigh.)

The CSA did not fit my budget or schedule this year. But three weeks in a row, I’ve shopped at a farmers’ market and bought only organic at my local health food store. I tend to overbuy in the face of a “good deal” and then end up throwing stuff away. Since the shift, my budget has pretty much stayed the same, and frankly, I’ve been better about buying less.

So, with eyes open again, I’m ready to learn more and take on new challenges in my ethical vegetarian walk. I just got The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food from the library so I can catch up on what everyone has been talking about for the last five years. In the meantime, here are a few links that have helped me tuned back in.

Organic Consumers Association is a clearinghouse of information about policy, community action, and organic living. The CSA’s farmer from last year turned me on to these folks. You can sign up for their newsletter or action alerts to make your voice heard.

Marion Nestle’s Food Politics blog is crammed with mind-blowing articles about what really goes on behind the scenes at our food protection agencies. After you’re good and angry, write your congressperson.

Celebrate Food Independence Day with the people who inspired the White House garden. Kitchen Gardeners International is encouraging Americans to celebrate the 4th of July by using only local food at their Independence Day picnics and BBQs.

I’d love to hear what y’all think. Have you see Food, Inc.? Have you read anything about food policy you’d like to share? Care to testify?

(Images courtesy of Natalie Dee and Grain Millers.)

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Posted in: Cooking,Health,Veggie Might

If You Like CHG, You’ll Love These: 18 Stellar Food Blogs

Yesterday, as part of CHG’s Sonic Gift Card Giveaway, we asked readers to name their favorite food blogs. 101 dalmations of you lovely people submitted ideas, and suggestions ranged from the timely and sublime Obama Foodorama to awesome and overwhelming favorite The Pioneer Woman Cooks. Needless to say, it was really neat to see so many different culinary angles and points of view. Thank you for passing them on.

Today, for kicks, I compiled and counted all the nominees. In the process, I found that quite a few were name-checked more than once, and a solid handful could be described as widely beloved.

So, here you go. In descending order according to number of mentions, these are CHG readers’ very favorite food blogs. If you’re not familiar and you get the chance, take a gander. You won’t be disappointed.

1. Pioneer Woman (20 mentions)
READERS SAY: “Step by step instructions with pictures, and usually easy-to-find ingredients.” “Not always cheap, not always healthy, but always really good.” “I'm a visual learner.” “I'm a fan of gratuitous amounts of butter.” “She is just fabulous.” “I can't do her justice.”
OH, AND ALSO: From Ree, creator of the wildly popular Confessions of a Pioneer Woman, comes this gorgeously designed cooking site with the drooliest photos this side of Smitten Kitchen. Beyond the food, the writing rocks and the step-by-step instructions (with accompanying photos, natch) are incredibly helpful. Also? Her. Kitchen. Is. So. Pretty. (*drowns in own envy*)

2. Smitten Kitchen (eleven mentions)
READERS SAY: “Her photos are almost as good as the recipes.” “I love the index and searchability.” “I have yet to make anything that didn't taste fabulous.”
OH, AND ALSO: Armed with mouth-watering photography, giggle-inducing wordsmithery, and a neat logo, Smitten Kitchen is, as Martha Stewart deems it, “a very cute website.” If you have any doubts after Miss M’s ringing endorsement, take a look at this blondie recipe or peruse bon mots like: “I almost offered to marry the guy giving it out just for the recipe but I was torn because I already have a kick-ass kugel recipe and… oh right. I’m also already married.”

3. A Year of Crockpotting (nine mentions)
READERS SAY: “The breakfast risotto is delicious!” “Her crockpot applesauce … easy and DELICIOUS!” “My wife made fantastic refried beans using a recipe she got from there.”
OH, AND ALSO: For kicks, Stephanie spent a year making a new slow cooker recipe every night. Then, each following morning, she's posted a picture, a procedural rundown, and her tastiness verdict. Sweet. While some meals contain processed ingredients, there's really an effort to balance them with healthy, whole foods. The overall effect is dang skippy. If you’re looking for a crockpot recipe – ANY crockpot recipe – this is a good place to start.

4. $5 Dinners (five mentions)
READERS SAY: “Perfect for the poor student.” “To cook cheaply for my family -- it's been an invaluable resource!”
OH, AND ALSO: Wonderful recipe site with frequent giveaways, lots of coupon info, and a metric ton of money-saving tips. Oh, and everything’s under $5. You can beat that.

5. Bakerella (three mentions)
I wasn’t familiar with Bakerella until recently, when she was a featured guest on on Pioneer Woman. And … whoa. I’m getting a sugar rush just thinking about her site, which is chock full of cupcake porn (and beyond). It’s seriously gorgeous. Go now.

6. Closet Cooking (three mentions)
READERS SAY: “Uses easy to find ingredients in new ways.” “Simple, delicious meals from [a] closet-sized kitchen.”
OH, AND ALSO: Simple, no-frills food blog filled with fairly easy, delicious-looking recipes and dazzling pictures. I’ve tried two dishes off of it now (White Bean and Kale Soup with Turkey Sausage and Peach Blueberry Cobbler) and they’ve both been aces. Instant blogroll material.

7. Orangette (three mentions)
READERS SAY: “She loves food and writes so well.” “Currently on hiatus.”
OH, AND ALSO: One of the best known and most well-loved cooking sites around, Orangette is more than a great food blog – it’s a wonderful read. Right now Molly’s on break helping her husband start a business, but when she gets back … there will be food. Good food. And lots of it.

8. The Kitchn (three mentions)
READERS SAY: “A wide variety of articles.” “The photos make me drool!”
OH, AND ALSO: You might be familiar with it already, because we link to the Kitchn all the time in Tuesday’s Megalinks comps. Part of the Apartment Therapy empire, it’s a gorgeous, well-designed cooking blog that's been on a total roll the last year or so. Definitely worth a daily visit.

Each of the following sites garnered two nods each. Some are better known than others, but across the board, they’re worth looking into. Please do so if you get the chance.

• Baking Bites (beautiful baking)
• Bitten (marvelous minimalisim from the Times' Mark Bittman)
• Cakewrecks (hilarious cake decorating misfires)
• Casual Kitchen (great recipes and excellent commentary - a personal favorite)
• Chocolate & Zucchini (gorgeous green-oriented food)
• Everyday Food Storage (smart storage solutions)
• FatFreeVegan Kitchen (my favorite vegan blog, and I'm a registered carnivore)
• Gourmet/Epicurious (the magazine's unparalleled web presence)
• Nose to Tail at Home (making his way through Fergus Henderson's cookbook)
• Serious Eats (the macdaddy ... also the daddy mac)

Sweet readers, if you have any other suggestions, our ears are open. And thank you!

(Image courtesy of The Little Pink Clubhouse, drawn by Charles M. Schulz.)

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Posted in: Cooking,Links