By James Hibberd, Reuters
ABC is teaming with British chef Jamie Oliver and Ryan Seacrest for a new series that gives healthy makeovers to an entire city.
Oliver will travel to the unhealthiest places in America and find ways to use nearby resources to improve local eating habits. The network has ordered six hours of the project from Ryan Seacrest Productions.
The series is loosely inspired on Oliver’s acclaimed school lunch project in the U.K., where the chef set about to improve kids’ nutrition. His effort to improve one school’s offerings, documented …

The “Free chicken giveaway” promotion by Oprah has caused overwhelming responses nationwide. There were reports that patrons were lining out the door and around the restaurant to get free pieces of chicken. Restaurants were unable to keep up with the anticipating customers and had to usher people away. In a statement last Thursday, President of KFC of USA, Roger Keaton says that restaurants nationwide will no longer accept the coupon for free chicken.  Instead, customers will be issued rain checks to be used at another time for a free grilled …

This cleverly designed guard will protect your fingers from accidental knife cuts. Made of steel, it has an adjustable ring that slips onto your middle finger. Dishwasher safe. 2″ wide.
Hmm….Cooks’ Cutting Guard sounds ok, but I would rename it the Knife Shield.  It just sounds more badass.  This product looks so much more useful than half of the products that are sold at the store.
$14.95 at Williams Sonoma

Photo: Tony Cenicola/The New York Times
The New York Times
May 6, 2009
The Minimalist
Freeze That Thought
By MARK BITTMAN
IF I tried to sell you a new appliance that could help you save money, reduce food waste and get meals on the table faster, the only thing you’d ask would be “How much?”
The answer is “Nothing.” You already own it. For just as the stove comes with a hidden and often overlooked bonus — the broiler — so does the refrigerator: the freezer. Why not use it?
I know: you do. In that messy box …

As I was channel surfing today, I saw a very intriguing advertisement. I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears. Kentucky Fried Chicken aka KFC, as we all know it by, is now offering Kentucky Grilled Chicken (KGC). With an acronym sounding to similar to the famous Russian secret service group, this could be an addition to KFC’s menu that could change the way consumer looks at KFC forever.  KFC should have thought about grilled chicken a long time ago, especially in a society of more health conscious consumers and picky …

Food Network Magazine has rounded up the best burger in each state.  Although I don’t know what criteria was used to select the best of the best in each state, I’m willing to give its recommendations a shot.
Since I live in the Tri-State Area, I’ll be hitting up the following places once Summer comes along.

Burger Joint
Burger:  Cheeseburger
New York, NY
Le Parker Meridiean, 119 W. 56th St.
Be warned:  This place is tiny, crowded, hard to find and ruthless about burgers.  You’ll have ground beef on a squishy bun, and you’ll like it.  …

Lopez Foods, the supplier of meat for McDonald’s, takes us on a tour of how the meat is ground up, shaped into those familiar patties, and packaged.  Want to know how the meat is prepared?  Watch the video.

I wonder if chicken sausage is any healthier than pork sausage?  Somehow I doubt it.  But it does sound healthier, and that’s good enough for me.  I picked up a package of Brat Hans Chicken Sausage: Spicy Andouille flavor, a couple of days ago at where else, Whole Foods.  I don’t usually eat sausage because it is loaded with preservatives, nitrates, and a heaping dose of sodium.  However, this brand of sausage doesn’t contain nitrates and monosodium glutamate.  It also follows  the trend of listing “no antibiotics” on the packaging.
The …

healthcentral.com
David Mendosa
Sunday, May 03, 2009

Imagine my surprise when I read a new research report that the healthiest methods for cooking veggies seem to be microwaving or cooking on a flat metal surface without any oil. After all, on the Internet we can find thousands of diatribes on the dangers of microwave cooking. Several of my friends have junked their microwaves or given them away to people they don’t like.
Researchers at the University of Murcia and Madrid’s University of Complutense in Spain examined how six different cooking methods affected the …

Go ahead, play with your food!  I came across a site that features a load of great and fun food art.
I’m really digging the Nike Air Max 90 Burger by Ollie Hemmendorff.  Just eat it.  Get it? Yeah…never mind.

Lots more can be seen at http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2009/04/pasta-monster-and-other-strange-food.html