Tuesday Megalinks

Thank you so much for the kind wishes yesterday. You guys are the best readers in the world (AND BEYOND). In gratitude, today’s links are full of Office references, Trek foods, and Sandra Lee raves. (Sorry about that last one.)

The Age (Australia): All's fair in love and cooking
He’s a strict vegan. She only eats cow brains. Will it work? The Age explores relationships in which food is a point of contention.

Bargain Briana: How to Save at Whole Foods
To be honest, I didn’t even know Whole Foods had sales. This may necessitate a visit. (Thanks to CFO for the link.)

Being Frugal: You Tell Me – As Seen On TV
You know the home rotisserie? And the fruit-drying thing? And Ginsu Knives? (Ha! Ginsu knives!) Lynnae wonders: do they actually work?

Chow: 10 Canned Goods Worth Using
From tomato paste to hearts of palm to coconut milk, you can save a bundle buying these items canned rather than fresh, frozen, or vacu-packed in saffron. I might avoid canned spinach, though. It tastes like feet.

Chow: 10 Food Moments from The Office
Oh, hold me. I wish I wish I wish I wrote this. Also, I wish they included Kevin’s chili slip from the Casual Friday episode, but I’ll let it pass because the rest of this is fantastic. Tell me folks, is there a BAD Creed moment? Every appearance by that guy is gold.

Chow: Way Beyond Salad Dressing
Have marinades consisting entirely of Italian dressing finally gotten old? Here, Chow has 11 suggestions for flavoring your food using vinegars and citrus fruits. Great stuff.

Eat Me Daily: Review of Sandra Lee’s Money Saving Meals
Aunt Sandy premiered her new show this past weekend, and – surprise - EMD really likes it. I gotta admit – from this small clip, it does looks pretty decent. The background music absolutely needs to go, but it seems less tablescape-focused than her other shows. Readers? Any verdicts?

Frugal Dad: The Ultimate Collection of Money Saving Tips - 122 Ways To Trim Your Budget
Frugal Dad asked. His readers answered. I have a total weakness for rundowns like this, because invariably, there’s some tip I never even considered. This time, it’s #17, from FD commenter eh438. I always forget to do that.

Get Fit Slowly: The Problem with Nutritional Supplements
Hydroxycut was recalled after causing 23 liver injuries and one death. Macdaddy says: “Here’s the big problem with nutritional supplements. While drug makers need to provide safety and effectiveness data to the FDA before being approved, supplement makers do not. The manufacturers of supplements are solely responsible for the testing and marketing of their products” Eat right and exercise, folks. It’s the only way to be sure.

How Stuff Works: Top 10 Most Common Ingredients in Fast Food
Well, one is. The rest … not so much.
10. Citric Acid
9. High-fructose Corn Syrup
8. Caramel Color
7. Salt
6. Monosodium Glutamate
5. Niacin
4. Soybean Oil
3. Mono- and Diglyceride
2. Xanthan Gum
1. Chicken
There are more extensive descriptions within. (Thanks to Consumerist for the link.)

The Kitchn: Apartment Hunting – Gas vs. Electric Stove
52 comments and counting. My view: I grew up with an electric stove, and only started using gas ovens when I moved out of the dorms during college. I’ll never go back to coils. Fire is cool.

The Kitchn: How to Do Just About Anything in the Kitchen
Have you ever wondered how encyclopedia sets or Time Life instructional books are doing since this whole “internet” thing started? I’m betting not too well, because they just can’t compete with stuff like this Kitchn post.

Military Finance Network: 25 Ways to Eat For Free (Really): Get Free Food!
Ooo! Fantastic ideas and PLENTY of valuable links for folks with zero grocery money. Well done! (Thanks to Consumerist for the link.)

New York Magazine: In a Fixe
The economy is such that even places like Le Cirque and Le Bernardin are in trouble. And less Eric Ripert cooking = less joy in the world.

New York Post: Pain on the Menu - Restaurants Spring Sizzle Overdone
Do NOT invest in Ruby Tuesday’s right now. Repeat, do NOT invest in Ruby Tuesday’s right now. According to the Post, the 737% stock bump is temporary, and due to cost cutting, not actual profit.

New York Times: Obesity and the Fastness of Food
Economix writer Catherine Rampell compared obesity rates to the average time spent eating for 20 countries. As the chart shows, Americans spend the least time with their food, but have the highest rates of obesity. Meanwhile, the Japanese, Turks, and French spend upwards of two hours per day with their meals, yet remain thin. Interesting.

New York Times: Congress Plans Incentives for Healthy Habits
Wow. The lede says it all: “In its effort to overhaul health care, Congress is planning to give employers sweeping new authority to reward employees for healthy behavior, including better diet, more exercise, weight loss and smoking cessation.”

Newsweek: Watching Us Save, One Cart at a Time
Do you really want to know the state of the economy? Don’t consult a financial planner. Ask a Wal-Mart manager. According to this piece, they know better than anyone.

NPR: How Low Can You Go? Submit Your $10 Meals
National Public Radio is getting’ on the cheap food train. (Seriously, it’s a train. As you can imagine, it’s no-frills, though.) 318 recipes/comments at last count. (Thanks to the Kitchn for the link.)

Serious Eats: Making the Most of Your Backyard Haul
Sometimes, the best fruit comes from that weird-looking tree by the post office. Where are your local lemon trees? Only Serious Eats and The Kitchn know for sure.

Serious Eats: A Primer to Star Trek Food and Drink
This one goes out to my cousins J and B (and all the other Trekkers on Cloud 9 this fine week). I raise a glass of Romulan ale to you.

Slashfood: Four Steps to Chicken Perfection
Season, sear, start it on the stove top, and sit. Easy peasy, Weezy.

Finally, CHG’s Spend Less, Eat Healthier post was included in this week’s Festival of Frugality, hosted by Savings Not Shoes.

(Photos courtesy of Barf Blog, American Lifestyle, and The Center for Prevention of Shopping Cart Abuse, which yes, is indeed very real.)