Food and Drink

Pimp your snacks: Monster-sized munchies

Considering America is the home of the biggest everything, I was surprised to see this site when scouring my fav UK sites. But I have a feeling it will catch on here. Pimp That Snack is a site devoted to making ENORMOUS versions of your average candy bar, cookie and snack. A Twix the size of your arm. A fried egg that could double as a frisbee. A Rolo as big as a hat! Great fun, if you have the time and patience to experiment.

Continue reading "Pimp your snacks: Monster-sized munchies"

Permalink | 3 comments

Onigiri: Behold The Mighty Triforce

He zips around the lush pixelated world of Hyrule, battling monsters on his quest to save Princess Zelda, a sacred triangle perched atop his head. Link knows that the ancient relic holds great power, but what Link never learned is that the Triforce is also deeelicious.

Continue reading "Onigiri: Behold The Mighty Triforce"

Permalink | 3 comments

When Good Food Goes Bad Part IV: Black Beans

Feijoada (pronounced "fayj-wada") is Brazil's national dish. Although it's simple enough to be eaten on a daily basis, feijoada is often prepared in huge batches for big parties. It's basically a big, salty, tasty pot of black beans cooked with smoked meats and herbs, served over rice with a side of collard greens and sliced oranges.

And it is one of the most delicious meals that I can think of.

Continue reading "When Good Food Goes Bad Part IV: Black Beans"

Permalink | 3 comments

The Way to Your Honey's Heart Is Through the Kitchen

They say a way to a man's heart is through the stomach, but on Valentine's Day, our men take no pains to take that very route to their ladies' hearts as well: call every restaurant in town for a last minute reservation. Finally have the host at Chez Exorbitante tell you the only table they have is at 5:30 pm, but you'll love sitting next to Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Atric -- they have great stories to tell. Pay an appalling markup on a bottle of bubbly (had you only consulted the lists earlier). Suffer through a meal at a restaurant where every single customer expects personalized special-occasion service, from a waitstaff made of mere human beings. Avoid the risk of driving home full of boozy bubbles, by shelling out more cash to take a cab home (in rush hour traffic no less). Isn't it romantic?

Continue reading "The Way to Your Honey's Heart Is Through the Kitchen"

Permalink | 7 comments

Pop That Corkage: A Cross-country BYO Roundup

For me, drinking wine at a restaurant is a classic image of living large: sipping rich purply red from a bulbous stemmed glass, laughing at your companion's urbane chatter, and enjoying the moment. But often the restaurant markup on a bottle of wine is twice or even three times what you'd pay retail, prohibiting this picturesque scene for those with tight purse strings. Fortunately, plenty of restaurants allow you to bring your own bottle. And diligent folks across the country and the internet are tracking them down.

Continue reading "Pop That Corkage: A Cross-country BYO Roundup"

Permalink | 3 comments

Get Your Booze On for Free

Recently a reader here at Wise Bread accused us of being European, citing our proclivity for writing about wine and beer. Mais non, my friend, but indulging in a little of the sauce every now and then is a luxury I'd rather not give up due to budgetary constraints. And I've found a fun way to do it for free, so I will risk name-calling -- continental, drunkardly, or otherwise -- and share this knowledge with you.

Continue reading "Get Your Booze On for Free"

Permalink | 5 comments

When Good Food Goes Bad, Part III: The Crisper from Hell

Until recently, I was using one of those organic delivery services that bring fresh veggies to your doorstep once a week. It was a pretty good bargain for the price, the veggies were varied and delicious, and I got away with avoiding the grocery store for days at a time.

Continue reading "When Good Food Goes Bad, Part III: The Crisper from Hell"

Permalink | 7 comments

Not Just Some Junk in a Box

There are some things you just don't do: you don't wear white to a wedding. You don't talk on the phone during the movie. And you never bring box wine to the party. You just don't. It's gauche.

Except, now you do. Of course, it's a completely different box. And a completely different wine.

Continue reading "Not Just Some Junk in a Box"

Permalink | 6 comments

Ethnic Markets: Feel worldly for cheap

Growing up in an immigrant family meant living on a shoestring, even when we didn't need to. It also meant needing ingredients that you simply aren't going to find at the local supermarket. So, ethnic markets were part of the routine for us -- frugal Mom knew she could save tremendously at them, and still make elaborate meals with their bounty. Granted, you may have to deal with a bit of grit: these are generally not national chains, so the decor might be pretty un-spiffy, and the staffing may be slimmer. But steel yourself -- it's an adventure that surely beats the local Mega-Lo-Mart, and an exploratory attitude can really pay off. The produce is substantially cheaper than supermarkets across the board, and you can find deals on gourmet ingredients and, of course, ethnic specialties, if you know where to look.

Continue reading "Ethnic Markets: Feel worldly for cheap"

Permalink | 20 comments

The Protein Water Scam: Kellog's Special K2O Can Do Anything!

According to a recent ad for Kellog's Special K2O protein water: "Losing up to 6 lbs in 2 weeks just got easier!"

This extraordinary claim caught the attention of the consumer advocates at Mouseprint.com. They point us to the fine print at the bottom of the ad:

*Average weight loss when replacing meals with two cereal meals is 5 pounds. Weight loss may vary.

Continue reading "The Protein Water Scam: Kellog's Special K2O Can Do Anything!"

Permalink | 46 comments