From Scratch

I’m still incredulous.
I saw this about a week ago and have been shaking my head ever since. A 6-quart KitchenAid stand mixer for $899. What’s special about it? The finish. You have your choice of a copper or nickel alloy.
To me, this is not a tool for a serious baker. It’s a prop to be […]

The lighter side of presidential politics. When it comes to fashion, there’s no doubt which potential first lady gets Tim Gunn’s vote. Project Runway’s divine style maven-in-chief tells Time magazine online:
Michelle Obama. Absolutely. From a fashion viewpoint, Michelle Obama looks so comfortable and relaxed in her style, in her fashion, and she exudes that. She […]

I’m normal! At the very least, I’m not alone. Certain things in recipes make me put them down or turn the page, never to make them. They’re my recipe deal breakers and I hope you’ll share yours.
A week and a half ago Kim Severson wrote about this in The New York Times, a fun piece […]

Finally it’s down to what the last three contestants call the meal of their lives, the challenge that will determine who wins Top Chef, Season 4.
We’re still in Puerto Rico and Richard says he has everything to lose, with a wife, a baby on the way (born a few weeks ago, darling!) and a new house, […]

Where’s a fun Top Chef drinking game when you need one? Right here. Even when Top Chef makes me crazy, which is often, I watch it. (Exception: Season 2, which ought to be deep-sixed.) But the show has become too formulaic and predictable, with product placements everywhere, dumb editing and well duh moments such as — […]

It’s almost summer and bathing suit season here in the Northern hemisphere. That means no more excuses for being a couch potato, except on rainy days. Otherwise…

Photo blatantly swiped from raincoaster.

Sphere: Related Content

I have some kindred souls at Serious Eats. I’ve ragged Paula Deen for not only frying butter but then posting the recipe. Serious Eats, however, has an entire series called Paula Deen is Trying to Kill Us.
The latest installment includes a bonus video. Watch as Paula (or Pauler, as she sometimes says) whips together a […]

Sometimes when I clean out the fridge I feel like Magellan: I know where I am, but occasionally wonder what on earth is that in front of me. It’s a long weekend with time to take a short quiz to find out what the contents of your refrigerator say about you. In my case, I’m neither […]

It’s not enough that millions of American freezers are stocked with tubs of that chemical cocktail called Cool Whip. Now, Kraft is about to introduce a less taxing variety at next week’s Food Marketing Institute show in Las Vegas.
As Emily Bryson York wrote in Ad Age, Kraft is only responding to its consumers:
Consumers didn’t want […]

This is just as ludicrous as the hotdogs sold already in the buns.

Yes, indeedy, just in case you don’t have any bowls in your kitchen — just in case you don’t know we’re probably in a recession — you can have this 10″ melamine gem by visiting your nearest Linens N Things or going to […]

I am not a fluffy person but I don’t take myself very seriously either, so when my friend Juan tagged me for this fun meme, I was happy to play along. This is more about me than you ever wanted to know.
5 things found in your bag:
wallet
lipstick
a little mirror for the lipstick
gas coupon to save 10¢ […]

Think of it as lol politics and media.
Cheez and Tofu, the team behind I Can Has Cheezburger, have launched a new site this election year with familiar faces getting the clever caption treatment. Some of the captions are even in plain English, not lolspeak (or kitteh, to those of us who are fluent) and politicians […]

As the graphic proves, everyone can be Irish today. Americans of all ethnicities are making corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick’s Day, even though it’s not an Irish thing at all.
What?
Well, if you weren’t around last year at this time — and you probably were not, as this blog was only a couple days […]

My first blogoversary is only a couple weeks away, as the countdown widget shows, so I’m giving an early thank you to you, my regular readers and subscribers. Many of you take the time to leave comments, so now when you do, your feed will be checked and the title of your most recent blog […]

One of my favorite bloggers, MusEditions, is a fellow book lover and recently tagged me to take part in a fun little book-related meme. The rules were few: pick up the book nearest me, turn to page 123, find the fifth sentence and post the next three.
In truth, the book nearest me at the time […]