Tuesday Megalinks

Thanks to everyone who wrote in with advice on our restaurant situation. (Read all about it here.) I agree with most folks on the tipping issue. Having worked in food service in high school and college, I would have expected a severely reduced tip if I behaved like our waiter had. The one thing we DIDN’T do was talk to the manager (which, in retrospect – duh). I’m sure it would have made a huge difference in our experience. But hey - now we know.

And with that, on to the links!

Antithete: How We Eat on $250 a Month
Faboo step-by-step guide to feeding a family of five on ~$50/week. I bet singletons and DINKs could get a bunch out of reading this, too. (Thanks to Get Rich Slowly for the link.)

Ask Meta: Adventures in Veganland
Are you on the no-dairy/meat/egg train and need a plethora of suggestions for feeding yourself? Look no further, sweet vegan! In this handy thread, dozens of bright-n-shiny commenters come forth with their best from-scratch ideas. Behold!

Chow: Food Blog Heaven
Food porn alert! Chow runs down a brief list of its 10 favorite recipe sites, including two of my favorites, Smitten Kitchen and Accidental Hedonist. Bring a bib, because you’ll need something to catch the drool.

Consumerist: Make Your Own Groceries
Neato ideas from Consumerist about DIY food projects, but the link is truly worth it (once again) for the epic comment section. I’m agog. Aghast, even.

Culinate: How to stock a pantry, fridge and freezer
HEL-lo. Culinate BRINGS it with this two-page extravaganza of kitchen basics. I was all proud of CHG’s Pantry of the Gods entry way back when, but it doesn’t compare.

Culinate: Packaged goods – how to store your food
Jeez. Another one! These guys don’t stop with the comprehensive guides, do they? Must … plan … downfall. (Muahahahaahaa!)

Divine Caroline: Portion Size, Then and Now
Stellar pictorial on hamburgers, popcorn, bagels, etc. in the ‘50s and ‘60s versus today. Without exaggeration, 2008's food portions are three times the size. No wonder we’re all gigantic. While you’re on the site, please (oh please) read Five Foods That Cause Anal Leakage. You'll never look at sugar-free candy the same way. (Thanks to Slashfood for the link.)

The Financial Blogger: Festival of Frugality #126
This week’s FoF is a car theme, courtesy of TFB. While your there, be sure to click on Brip Blap/Paid Twice’s A Simple Way to Save Money on Food (hint: eat breakfast) as well as Money and Values’ Eat Less Food (on the glory of portion control).

Get Rich Slowly: Strawberry Fruit Dip
If you’ve been on such a strawberry kick lately, this will help. Mmm … dip.

The Honest Dollar: 100 Ways to Cope With Inflation
It's really an all-encompassing look at saving some bank, but #1-27 specifically focuses on what goes in the belly. #23 is something I forget to do embarrassingly often, resulting in what I’m sure is a feast for eagle-eyed supermarket cashiers. (Thanks to The Simple Dollar for the link.)

The Kitchn: Reader Feedback – What Can We Do With Buttermilk?
There is a single cup of buttermilk sitting in my fridge right now, so this comes at the right time. All you other buttermilk-holders – WITNESS!

Like Merchant Ships: Repurposing Steel Cut Oatmeal Cans
Yay, Meredith! I love posts like these, which are great for the environment, but ALSO double as brain exercises. Eat it, Mensa!

New York Times: A is for Amandine – A List for Beginners
The Grey Lady compiles a leviathan kids’ cookbook reading list for your very own miniature gourmand. Did anybody out there cook as a small child? I did not. I just assumed food came from Ma, a.k.a. The Giver of Macaroni and Texas Chainsaw Chili.

New York Times: One Country’s Table Scraps, Another Country’s Meal
“In 1997, in one of the few studies of food waste, the Department of Agriculture estimated that two years before, 96.4 billion pounds of the 356 billion pounds of edible food in the United States was never eaten.” Oy.

New Yorker: The Last Bite – Is the world’s food system collapsing?
Manomanoman. I try not to get down when I read articles like this, but it’s tough after awhile. Something has to change. I’m just not sure what, and what I can do to change it.

Serious Eats: Most “fun” cookbook you have read or own
Because cooking should be fun, yo. My favorite: Amy Sedaris’ I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence. I don’t know if I’d actually make anything from it, but she's cuckoo enough to make the tome completely awesome.

Slashfood: Ever had a garbage plate?
Rochestarians, unite! Nick Tahou’s in the house.

Slashfood: What are your foodie limits?
In order: mayonnaise, anise, scallops. Anything else is fair game.

USA Today: New breed of American emerges in need of food
A.k.a. Kris, Shut Up About Your Anise Aversion, You Silly Woman. It’s a bit sobering after the la-di-da of the last article, but this piece needs to be read. Lots of people are going hungry right here in the U.S., and again, it’s up to us to change the situation. (Thanks to Consumerist for the link.)

(Photos courtesy of Flickr members vebate, Pinball Mafia Productions, and erikthered.)