CHG Favorites of the Week

Food Blog of the Week
Waiterrant.net
Beautifully written vignettes about life as a server, penned completely by the mysterious Waiter. If you’ve ever wanted a personal account of behind-the-scenes restaurantary, but don’t have the patience for a self-aggrandizing owner’s biography, this is the place to be.

Food Book of the Week
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
TGC is much like A Tree Grows in Brooklyn: a stunning, bittersweet memoir about a resourceful little girl brought up in total poverty by charismatic, flawed parents. In both cases, Jeannette Walls and Francie Nolan go hungry for days at a time. When they do scrounge up food – whether its sifted from a garbage pail or earned through Katie Nolan’s hard-won salary – it’s a minor miracle. It makes me grateful for the eats I have.

Food Comedy of the Week
"Western Spaghetti" by PES
Really, really neat stop-motion meals made out of inanimate objects. (Speaking of, I was cleaning my office for a move today and found a tsai. Last time we moved, it was nunchuks and a Night Ranger album. I think I’m being stalked by very patient workplace ninjas.) (Thanks to Onion AV Club for the link.)



Food Organization of the Week
Treats for Troops
In their words, “Thousands of men and women from every branch of the service are registered with Treats for Troops. If you want to send a care package to show your support, we’ll match you with a soldier who’d love to hear from you.” The packs are a tad expensive, but totally worth it. And if you’d just like to drop a line to say thanks, don’t forget Operation Dear Abby.

Food Quote of the Week
“Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.” – Mark Twain

Food Video of the Week
“I Want Candy” by Bow Wow Wow
Three things you might not have known about “I Want Candy”:
1) Lead singer Annabella Lwin was 15 when she posed naked for the album cover. Many were not pleased.
2) It’s a cover. The Strangeloves sang the original.
3) Former Spice Girl Mel C did a version. Good Charlotte did as well, for the totally underrated Not Another Teen Movie (in which Jamie Pressley is the funniest thing, ever).



Totally Unrelated Extra-Special Bonus of the Week
I have a secret, terrible weakness for commencement speeches. They’re so profound and meaningful. I love that they’re all like, “Hey kid. Your real life is about to get started. I’ve been there, so lemme tell you how it's gonna be.” So, here you go - four STELLAR graduation orations from four funny dudes. Every single one is tremendous, I swear. The Patton Oswalt speech is the newest, and it absolutely blew me away.

Patton Oswalt: And Now, The Actual Speech

Conan O’Brian: Commencement Speech to the Havard Class of 2000

Jon Stewart: Commencement Address at The College of William & Mary

Bill Watterson (creator of Calvin and Hobbes): Some Thoughts on the Real World by One Who Glimpsed it and Fled