Tuesday Megalinks: The Wildly Off-Topic Edition

Folks, not only is it Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry’s AND $0.50 Iced Coffee Day at Dunkin Donuts, it’s also National Chocolate-covered Cashews Day! (Note: not kidding.) In celebration, some of this week's links are a bit unrelated. Still, they're good reads.

Ad Age: While Others Pare, Food Network Magazine Doubles Circ
Bon Appetit and Gourmet are heading down the toilet, while a magazine that regularly features Sandra Lee (and, okay, Ina Garten) perseveres. Up is down, black is white, people!

Boston.com: Dogfish Brewery Always Learning New Tricks
And here I thought my favorite beer was flavored by rainbows and ground-up unicorn horns, when it was chicory, raisins, and maple syrup the whole time. Mmm … beer.

Chow: Your Meat is Green
So, you love meat. Bacon floats your boat, pancetta rocks your socks, and life would be a little less awesome without the occasional big, juicy burger. But you’re also a responsible human being who wants the environment to avoid exploding in 2011. How do you reconcile the two? Chow has ten ideas.

Eat Me Daily: Offal of the Week - BLOOD
a.k.a. How to Consume Hemoglobin Without Resorting to Vampirism. (With pictures!)

Food Network Addict: Comments on Mark Bittman’s “TV Cooking vs. Real Cooking” Piece in the New York Times
Last week, NYT blogger/cookbook author Mark Bittman posted a critique on the shortcomings of cooking shows. Honestly, I love Bittman, but it wasn’t superbly done, and a little strange to read since he’s such a TV vet. FNA rebuts harshly, but his points are on the money.

Jezebel: He Can’t Haz Cheezburger
Dudes, check it: “A study says guys who subsist on processed meat and full-fat dairy have lower sperm quality than fruit-and-veggie fiends.” Might wanna put that bologna sandwich away for now. Just saying.

The Kitchn: Essential Kitchen Tools – a Roundup of the Basics
Basically a compilation of older Kitchn posts, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth looking. Why? Well, clicking on things is fun. Really, it's the bubble wrap of the internet.

The Kitchn: What Can I Do With… - 75 Tips for Leftovers and Ingredients
Oh my gosh, this is solid. Imagine a fairly extensive database for all your excess foods, and *poof* the Kitchn has it.

LA Times: Food Club brings longtime friends back to the table
Old people! Eating food together every month for 45 years! I love this.

Like Merchant Ships: Use What We Have – Ugly Craigslist Canvas
This is too cute for words.

Money Saving Mom: Does Anyone Have an Incredible Homemade Macaroni and Cheese Recipe?
At last glance, this had 158 comments/suggestions, several of which linked to Pioneer Woman’s version. Has anyone tried? Is it really that good? I’m willing to eat 14 pounds to see.

New York Post: Super Surprise Me
Initial reaction: Ick. The Post.
After reading the article: This article about the gourmetization of fast food restaurants is great! And it’s … the Post. I feel weird now.

New York Times: Showdown at the Coffee Shop
Look out Splenda. Watch your back, Equal. Don’t go anywhere without protection, Sweet N Low. Stevia’s new in town, and she’s out for blood. (And coffee.)

Rocks in My Dryer: An Open Letter to the People in the Fashion Industry Who Design Clothes for Grown Women
Word.

Serious Eats: Snapshots from Italy - the Father of all Carrots
Carey Jones has claims to have found the greatest carrot in the history of carrots. BEHOLD!

Time: How Americans Spend Now
If you’re a sucker for slideshows, have a few clicks on Time Magazine. They did quick profiles of 17 different Americans, examining how their money habits have changed over the last year. Some are hardly affected, while others have undergone huge life overhauls.

Washington Post: Baby, That's Good- Homemade Food Has Practical Appeal
Lots of parents are making their own baby food nowadays, and many are going more upscale than yer average jar of pureed peaches. I don’t know about you guys, but Baby Risotto is something I can get behind. (P.S. “Baby Risotto” meaning risotto FOR babies, not a risotto MADE OUT OF babies.)

Wise Bread: Seven Solutions for the Lazy Gourmet
Whether you’re full of sloth or just pressed for time in the kitchen, these techniques will give you flavor as fast as you can say, “Ooo … deglazing makes neat sounds.”

(Photos courtesy of Ridgeview Liquor, Lindley Food Service, and Sustainable Seed Company.)