Tuesday Megalinks

amNewYork: New Yorkers altering eating habits
I strode into Starbucks last night for an impromptu early dinner, and they finally got around to posting the calorie counts for all their baked goods. OH MY WORD. There was nothing – NOTHING – under 430 calories. Most hovered somewhere in the 600 or 700 zone. It DEFINITELY changed the way I ordered, and I can only imagine what kind of impact it’s having on food joints’ bottom lines. Crazy. (Thanks to Eater for the link.)

Cash Money Life: The Other America – Commentary on Food Stamps and the Economy
Interesting insights on food assistance, the military, and the judgment we cast on folks whose situations are different from our own. Be sure to read the commentary for well-argued contrasting opinions.

Consumerist: 7 Most Unhealthy Carnival Foods
Cotton candy: not so bad!
Corn dogs: could be worse!
Deep fried candy bars: call a medic!

Consumerist: The 10 Healthiest Beverages
Water aside (because that would be cheating), these are the most nutritional drinks on the market today, according to Health Magazine. Pomegranate, apple, and blueberry juice all make the list, and RED WINE IS #2! WOOOOO! Methinks it’s time for a liquid lunch, ladies and gents.

Culinate: Greens galore – Deal with that CSA delivery
Fantastic post on what to do with the excess of leafy greens that comes with each CSA box. Soups, sautees, and spices abound, with nary a mention of the standard go-to, salad. Really nicely done.

Digerati Life: Lose Weight While Spending Less on Food and Exercise
While it’s worth a look for the pictures alone, TDL’s common sense guide to weight maintenance also contains quite a few health tips rarely addressed on frugality blogs. Take her first rule, for instance: “Don’t buy diet pills or diet drinks.” Simply, they cost a bundle and do not work in the long term. What’s more, the wrong pill can make mincemeat out of one’s cardiovascular system. Nice post.

Grub Street: Bourdain Set to Reconquer World in New Season of “No Reservations”
Um … I think, after you read this article, we can all agree on the following: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Kalyn’s Kitchen: Fourth of July Grilling Ideas 2008
Lots of out-of-the-box BBQ ideas suitable for the whole summer. (P.S. Did you ever notice that when your boss uses the phrase “think outside the box,” he/she's not thinking outside the box? Just something to ponder.)

The Kitchn: Tell us – is there an herb you can’t stand?
Wow. So much hateration for cilantro (“the Black Plague”). Rosemary (“it’s like eating pine needles”) and dill (“barf”) don’t fare much better. Thankfully, only one or two commenters are morally opposed to basil, the divinest of all in the herb kingdom.

Love Food Hate Waste: 5 Surefire ways to save money on your food bill
Age-old advice presented in a nifty, well-designed way. Be sure to flip through the rest of the site while you’re there, since it’s filled to the brim with great info. (Thanks to Get Rich Slowly for the link.)

New York Times: 101 20-Minute Dishes for Inspired Picnics
Another tour-de-force from How to Cook Everything’s Mark Bittman. For more of his minimalist series, check out 101 Simple Meals and 101 Simple Appetizers.

Serious Eats: Meet & Eat – Eric Ripert
Sweet little interview with Le Bernardin’s main man, an award-winning chef and hottie boombottie (or as they call it in France, l’hottie boombottie) if there ever was one.

The Simple Dollar: A Look at the Startup Cost and Why it’s Usually Good to Go Cheap at First
Trent makes a good point: if you’re commencing a new hobby, whether it’s cooking, crocheting, or ladies’ senior ice hockey, don’t go crazy buying equipment on opening day. Why? Well, “it’s usually a mistake to spend a significant amount on equipment until you’re sure that you’re actually going to use the equipment and it’s clear why the higher-quality version is actually better.” Good call.

Time: Fancy Names, Affordable Feasts
Columnist Joel Stein’s on a mission: with the help of several famous chefs including Tom Colicchio, Suzanne Goin, and Eric Ripert, he’s creating a slew of low-cost meals fancy enough to serve to company. Oustanding.

(Photos courtesy of Will Work for Food, Anthrodegree, and Bristol Farms.)