12 Commandments of Eating

From Michael Pollan's book "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto"

1. "Don't eat anything your grandmother wouldn't recognize as food."
2. "Avoid foods containing ingredients you can't pronounce."
3. "Don't eat anything that won't eventually rot."
4. "Avoid food products that carry health claims."
5. "Shop the peripheries of the supermarket; stay out of the middle."
6. "Better yet, buy food somewhere else: the farmers' market or CSA."
7. "Pay more, eat less."
8. "Eat a wide variety of species."
9. "Eat food from animals that eat grass."
10. "Cook, and if you can, grow some of your own food."
11. "Eat meals and eat them only at tables."
12. "Eat deliberately, with other people whenever possible, and always with pleasure."

News from the World of Bacon

You are what you eat

Do it yourself bacon?

Do it yourself bacon alarm clock!

Bacon martinis!!

Strawberry-flavored gummy bacon (what? no bacon flavor?)

Send your sweetie a bacon Valentine

Cheeseburger in a Can

This would be delicious with a can of whisky.

Fast Food's Dirty Little Secrets

It's 2008. The holidays are over but the spare tires linger. Bathing suit season is still a reach, but now is the time when millions of us start thinking about getting back in shape.

Here are a few little secrets, courtesy of Men's Health magazine, that the restaurant industry does not want you to know:

- a medium-size fruit-and-yogurt smoothie at Dunkin Donuts has more than four times the sugar of a chocolate-frosted cake doughnut
- one Omelette Feast at IHOP will satisfy about 150% of your daily fat requirement and 300 percent of your suggested cholesterol intake
- an order of Outback's Aussie Cheese Fries has 2,900 calories. Outback's website reports that: "we take pride in our 'No Rules' approach to accommodating our customer's specific dietary needs."

I'm worried.

Read the full report here

If you REALLY love me Santa ...

... this is what you'll leave under my tree this year!



The Tercenturian Hamper, from Fortnum & Mason.

I promise I've been a good girl. Really, I have! Don't you think I deserve this hamper from heaven?

F&M has put it out for one year only - to celebrate their 300th anniversary. This is no ordinary gift basket, friends. This one comes stacked with foie gras, truffles, vintage port, cashmere socks, a bottle of Château Margaux, 1er Grand Cru Classe Margaux 1983... What else?

Champagne flutes, a fruitcake weighing in at over 15 lbs., a 5 lb. baby Stilton, Château Latour, 1er Grand Cru Classe Pauillac 1970...

The list goes on...

And the price tag? £20,000. But Santa, I'm worth it!

My new internet addiction

Cold Mud is just what I needed. A thoughtful aggregation of news and items from some of the best food sources on the net - sources that I would love to visit daily if only I had the time. But now, I don't have to worry.

Self-described as "the best food and drink writing and the latest news, reviews and gossip..." the site is brand-new and so far has an interesting collection of reading materials. Let's hope it keeps up.

The name, for the curious among you, is apparently diner slang for "chocolate ice cream."