Tuesday Megalinks: Back in Black

Thanks, everyone, for your good wishes these past few days. I really appreciate them, and couldn't ask for a greater group of readers.

Apartment Therapy Chicago: 10 Cheap Parties to Host This Winter
Do you like theme parties? I know you do. Especially you, P. Diddy. (You can't fool me. I know you read frugality blogs.)

Bon Appetit: Blog Envy Slideshow
Commence drooling ... now: it's 22 of your favorite cooking blogs, with their best holiday fare highlighted in tummy-tempting photos. Does it get better than Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Gratin With Manchego Cheese? I think not.

Casual Kitchen: 15 Creative Tips to Avoid Holiday Overeating
Dan journeys far, far outside the box, and comes back with creative, never-before-seen ideas for staving off the Tight Pants O’Christmas.

Culinate: Not-too-spendy kitchen gifts
God, I love this blog. Practical presents for real-life cooks abound.

Elastic Waist: We Can’t Stop Talking About Oprah
Oprah’s back up to 200 pounds, and everybody has an opinion. EW’s thread makes this one pretty interesting.

EV Grieve: There Are More Than 20 Empty Storefronts Along Avenue B
Alphabet City (now with 85% less heroin!) was my ‘hood for a few years, and it’s nearly-to-mostly shocking how many stores have closed on a 12-block stretch.

The F Word: The Biggest Loser or the Cash Cow?
As it turns out, some Biggest Loser contestants use unorthodox, harmful methods to keep their poundage down for the weigh-ins. According to the F Word, a lot of folks end up gaining it all back, too. Time Magazine has their say, as well, plus an interview with Season 1 winner/current fat guy Ryan Benson

Get Fit Slowly: My Mother's Pantry - Danger Lurks Within
With the possible exception of Friendly’s Hunka Chunka PB ice cream (which I sadly discovered this weekend), there is no greater obstacle to dieting than going home to Ma’s house. Keeping away from the woman’s baking stash is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do IN MY LIFE. (Um … slight exaggeration, but you get the picture.)

The Kitchn: Easy Make-Them-Yourself Cheese Accompaniments
For the cheese lover in your life. (P.S. If you actually know a cheese lover, this T-shirt from Murray’s could be the perfect gift. Just sayin’.)

The Kitchn: Weekend Project: Stocking the Spice Cupboard
Odds are, your January-bought cumin’s lost all of its pungency by now. But what else needs replacing? (P.S. Take a long look at the picture here – especially at the spice in the lower left corner. What do you put THAT in?)

The Kitchn: Urban Homesteading – What Does That Mean to You?
City dwellers, how far do you go in your canning/jarring/growing/storing exploits?

The Kitchn: Weeknight Meal Tip - Ways to Doctor Jarred Tomato Sauce to Add More Flavor
Tip #9: Add beer. It won’t taste good, but by the time you’re done, you won’t remember it anyway.

LA Times: 50 Ways to Make Your Holiday Gifts Homemade
Holy moly. It’s the mac daddy grand chairman of all food gift articles. Read it, write it down, and bask in its glory.

Mental Floss: How Cereal Transformed American Culture
Apparently, cereal is responsible for everything from advertising mascots to color television to the Hadron Particle Collider. Who knew? (Thanks to Hops for the link.)

New York Times: From Dining Out to Cold Turkey
Hey everybody, get this: since the economy is bottoming out worse than the 2008 Detroit Lions, people are eating at home more! Thanks for the up-to-the-minute news bulletin, New York Times! But I can’t stay mad atcha, mostly because…

New York Times: So Your Kitchen is Tiny. So What?
…you rebounded with this awesome Mark Bittman article, in which he defends microscopic apartment galleys. (Hear hear!) Batals to sum it up thusly: “Only bad cooks blame the equipment. I can make almost every dish in my restaurants on four crummy electric burners with a regular oven — as can just about anyone else who cares to.”

San Francisco Chronicle: 10 techniques every cook should know
From dicing onions to searing a piece of meat, the SFC has published 10 step-by-step breakdowns of valuable, universally applicable kitchen practices. (Thanks to The Kitchn for the link.)

Serious Eats: Is a Small Kitchen an Excuse for Bad Cooking or Not Cooking at All?
SE readers respond to Bittman’s NY Times article. GREAT, long thread, so go and have your say.

Time Out New York: 100 Best – Best Food & Drink 2008
For RotFB (Residents of the Five Boroughs) only: a year-end Best of List for New York foodies. Not included: Jacques Torres’ chocolate chip cookies, which the world NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT RIGHT NOW.

(Photos courtesy of US Weekly, Murray's, and Interior-design-it-yourself.com.)