Cyndi Allison's Blog

Posted by Cyndi Allison

You may not want to read the recent restaurant study by the Center for Science in the Public Interest before you go out to dinner. The non-profit group reviewed over 500 restaurant review reports across 20 cities and found that 2/3 were cited for food safety violations.

Restaurants problems ranged from food at inappropriate temperatures and unclean work spaces. Thirteen percent of the restaurants checked had documented issues with bugs and/or rodents.

It's hard for the average citizen to get reports on restaurants, and the restaurant reports are difficult to read and understand. That's why the Center for Science in the Public Interest decided to tackle this project.

Since 40% of food borne illness issues are restaurant related versus about half that for home meals, it makes sense for folks to know what's going on behind closed doors at their favorite eateries. If people knew that mouse droppings were found in the ice machine at a local restaurant, that could make a huge difference in terms of eating there.

The Center for Science is asking that restaurants be required to post inspection grades. Restaurants who do post appear to work harder at making sure they keep things clean and healthy. The group is also calling for more user friendly reports that would be easy for the general public to understand.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

I've been grilling almost as long as I can remember, so I've made most every mistake you can make when it comes to grilling. I rock the grill almost every time now, but it took some time and effort to get to that point - and some mistakes.

Several readers have emailed about various problems with grilled hamburgers. Difficulties range from grilled burgers falling apart to them sticking to the grates to flavor issues.

There are a number of things that can impact on your success with grilled hamburgers, so I wrote up a Grilled Hamburger Troubleshooting Guide. That covers all the various questions I've been asked about burger grilling plus others I thought folks might be too shy to bring up.

The main thing I'd say is that you are not alone. Plenty of other folks have had failures on the grill. The main thing is not to give up. Grilling out is fun. Grilled food is fabulous. Don't let one outdoor cooking flop turn you off to grilling. Once you figure out what went wrong, you won't do it again. Trust me. I've learned the hard way. Now, grilling is second nature, but I do remember some of the food I've served and eaten off my various grills. Shudder. Some were not too pretty. Some were not too tasty. But, I got the hang of it, and now I'd just as soon cook outside any day.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

The Federal Trade Commission reports that food companies are doing a better job in stressing nutrition for children and teens - to the tune of $1.6 billion in ads yearly. Hum. Well, that's not all spent to promote nutrition of course. Most of the ad budget is doled out freely to get the kids to beg you to buy specific brands and to eat at certain restaurants.

You don't think McDonalds sells you cheap Happy Meals with toys as a community service gesture. Nope. They know how to rope in customers - some before they can even talk. My oldest kid would point and grunt at the Golden Arches before he could talk enough to say he wanted to stop. He, of course, still loves McDonalds (though we most often eat home cooking).

If you've never seen the Eddie Murphy comedy sketch on McDonalds burgers, you ought to give that a look. You can just imagine him as a kid and his Momma's home burgers with green peppers sticking out and served on white bread. He probably appreciates those now, but a kid sees the others with those burgers wrapped in M papers. Very cool. Not such tasty burgers. Oh well. That's what most of them want.

We live out in the middle of nowhere basically, so home cooking is the norm. The boys would really rather have a home cooked meal. They do watch TV though, and they do ask for things they see. We end up with cereal that looks great on TV but does not taste so wonderful at home. Guess who gets to eat the cereal and who gets the free toy?

Posted by Cyndi Allison

It's less than two hours until tax free weekend in North Carolina. This is always a big deal. It's not as wild as Black Friday, but it's close.

North Carolina is not the only state that offers sales tax relief during certain times. You can check the state list and see which states are tax free and when and also which goods are on the list.

On my end, I wish they would shift the NC tax free weekend until after the first week of school. The way it stands, you don't even know what the kiddies need to buy, so you just grab stuff, go, and pray. I always get loose leaf paper and Kleenix. Kids always can use the paper, and the schools must have a major shortage on Kleenix as they always ask parents to send more.

This year I have to factor the gas to go to town and shop tax free. Gas is not tax free - of course. I figure it takes about $8 to town and back. Sales tax is around 7%. If I don't go over $100 on school related purchases, then I don't even break even.

On the other hand, many online stores are tax free but don't always have what I need and may have high shipping charges.

Am I going tax free shopping? Not sure. I hate the crowds. I end up buying things that don't count on tax free. I buy things that I think we may need but don't. I end up eating out, because it takes time and energy to shop, and I just can't pass up a chance to eat out when there's not much here in town as far as eat out. All in all, I probably end up paying more for tax free weekend than I benefit.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

Crisco has come out with some great flavored non-stick sprays. There's butter, olive oil and the regular. They're all good. I like the olive oil especially on the grill. It adds a little kick of flavor. Very nice.

The press buttons on the Crisco sprays are very well designed. They are larger than the usual press spray buttons. And, they don't splatter and drip. Great design.

If you try out any of the new Crisco sprays, be sure to enter the Grill a Day contest at Crisco. In addition to giving away a nice Coleman tailgate grill every day this summer (2008), they also have a grand prize of a $10,000 backyard make-over.

I've always loved Crisco products, and these new non-stick sprays are no exception. I'm using them mostly on the grill right now, since it's summertime (and we cook out most days). They also work great on the George Foreman indoor grill and for general cooking too.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

Parents can enter stories written by their child or children based on prompts at the Subway website. An example prompt for "The Race to Red Onion Ranch" is - "Everyone is gathered in the center of town for the race except . . ."

Prizes include a grand prize of $5000 in athletic equipment for the school of the winning child. There are smaller prizes for the winning child and the runner up entrants.

This contest runs July 1, 2008 through August 31, 2008.

The Subway contest is pretty straightforward and is designed, in part, to promote fitness for school aged children.

Parents homeschooling have, however, complained that the contest is open only to children attending traditional schools and the prize will be donated to a school.

Subway has promised to sponsor another contest open to home-school children. They could, of course, forget contests. Subway is not required to host such events. They may wish they had stuck with the $5 sub deals which apparently don't offend anyone . . . so far.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

I watch Hell's Kitchen now and again, but I clicked in pretty regular this season. We had a local culinary artist competing - Louis Petrozza of Charlotte, NC.

Call me biased, but I was pulling for Petrozza. He'd done the time. He'd earned his stripes.

Gordon Ramsay rode Petrozza hard from the start. Ramsay had issues with Petrozza's laid back style - or that's what he opted to focus on. Ramsay made comments about the Southern guy's slovenly habits in the kitchen. It seemed that Petrozza's messy stations were the worst of his problems. It was hard to argue with the quality of his cooking. He'd have been gone fast if he hadn't been great.

I didn't really think Petrozza had a chance. In addition to being Southern and not a curser, he also checked in at 47 years of age. Three big strikes.

The final cook off looked close. The TV crews slant that - of course. They don't want anyone to know who will win and who will walk off. In the end, it appeared that Petrozza had a better handle on his menu and kitchen staff.

Christina, of course, won. She got bleeped numerous times on the last episode and when she won. I guess it was F-ing great. She was also 25 years old, and Ramsay said he was looking toward the future. It's easier to handle a groupie, and a young'un has more years to give. This is nothing new in the workplace.

Congratulations to Christina. She did do a great job. I wish she'd refused to go the potty mouth route. That may stand her well with Ramsay and in the city. Here, we'll just keep Petrozza and his good attitude and good food. We'll even overlook and even celebrate that he's got a few miles under his belt.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

If the Democrats want to win friends and influence people at the Denver national democratic convention, then they might want to start with the menu. When the food of your "people" (and especially those of Southern hertitage) are held up as the standard of ridicule, then you're not going to make many brownie points - nor get to eat any brownies either.

Several online news sources including the Atlanta Journal Constitution are reporting that the menu at the convention will be healthy and include three of the following colors: red, yellow, green, white, purple/blue. In addition, no fried foods will be served - period.

In the South, we don't plan our meals by the colors. Nope. It's all about the flavors. We can give you red, yellow, green, white and blue/purple. That's fine. But, cooking is not color by numbers.

We also fry a lot of foods here in the sunny South. That's not all we do. We love our fresh garden vegetables and southern grown fruits. It's all about the seasons and the balance.

Government has gotten bigger and bigger but sure not better and better. There are issues much more complex and important than the menu at the convention.

However, banning the food of an area where Democrats struggle is not such a grand idea.

Perhaps Democrats could look on the sunny side. Request what you do want rather than listing a ban on our Southern fried chicken, chicken fried steak, and okra rolled in cornmeal and fried in butter.

Or, put the food out there and let folks decide.

The big brother attitude of the Democratic party has not been setting well in the South, and it's not likely to improve when they talk trash on our Mamma's cooking.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

There are loads of options if you're thinking about a 4th of July cookout.

If you're a beginner, consider hot dogs. They are inexpensive and super easy to grill.

Grilled hamburgers are always a good pick. Try hand patting the burgers. It does make a difference.

For a smaller group, steak is always great. You won't find many people who will turn down a perfectly grilled rib eye.

Some other ideas:

Beer Butt Chicken

Pork Pineapple Kabobs

Shrimp

Grilled Lobster

And, don't forget the barbecue side dishes:

Baked Beans with Hamburger

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Hash Browns on the Grill

Best Ever Potato Salad

Easy Summer Pasta Salad

Posted by Cyndi Allison

The UPS man just came by with my package of La Cense grass fed beef.

I've been concerned about reports of cows being mistreated and "downer cows" being butchered and sold. Then there are the pesticides and antibiotics. Whew. Makes me think twice when I get ready to cook.

I read up on La Cense and liked what I heard. They rotate the cows on pastureland with natural grass. The cows are not packed in feeding houses like most grocery bound cows. This approach, of course, takes longer and costs a little more, but I think we get in too big of a hurry these days.

La Cense meat is better for us. With natural feeding, the fat levels are lower. Grass fed means fat levels similar to chicken breasts. That's a good thing. And, the flavor is fabulous. I ate a lot of fresh beef from my Poppaw's small family farm. That was some great eating.

We're grilling out tomorrow night, and I'm excited. The La Cense beef looks really super. I have the steak and kabob chunks thawing in the refrigerator.

If you're looking for beef from a humane farm and 100% grass fed, then check out La Cense. For some good recipes and tips, you can visit Yes You Can Grill and get lots of ideas.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

The FDA issued a warning today (June, 7 2008) in reference to certain tomatoes grown in certain areas of the country. Individuals in several states have been infected with salmonella including Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Tomatoes identified include red plum, red Roma, and red round tomatoes. Other tomatoes and those grown in home gardens should be fine. There's also a list of states where no problems have been noted with the tomato crops.

According to the warning, it is possible that the tainted tomatoes may be linked to a single grower. The FDA is working to identify the problem and get and keep bad tomatoes off the shelves as we move into the big tomato season.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

Dunkin' Donut executives decided they would take commercials featuring Rachael Ray in a black and white scarf off the air after complaints came in saying that her scarf looked like a keffiyeh.

Ray's scarf which can be viewed at Boston.com and does not look much like the headscarf (keffiyeh) worn by Yasser Arafat. It does however reflect more closely the younger generation and those showing political support for Palestine by wearing the traditional Arab scarfs around the shoulders as covered in Village Voice. In short, the complaints suggested that Ray supported terrorism with her choice of wearing the black and white scarf while representatives for Ray say it was meant only as a fashion accessory.

The ladies on The View felt that Dunkin' Donuts should have stood their ground and supported Ray. Joy Behar even donned a scarf for a brief period of time; however, she tossed it back over her shoulder after a couple of jokes about the situation. A search of the website for The View for Rachael Ray does not pull up the comments or footage this afternoon. In fact, the ABC Search includes a host of sponsored ads for Rachael Ray products.

This is not the first bump in the road with the Ray/Dunkin' Donut partnership. Rumors online back in January suggested that Ray doesn't like DD coffee. Ray, of course, denied the rumors.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

It took some time, but the big daddy of the fast food chains, McDonald's, is now serving foods sans trans fats with the exception of the pies and cookies which should be trans fat free by the end of the year.

McDonald's lagged behind many other restaurants, since the organization is so large and because company officials wanted to maintain the signature flavor of the French fries. In addition, healthier oils cost more and have a shorter shelf or cooking life.

After New York basically banned trans fats and with the public pushing for healthier cooking preparations, McDonald's along with many other chains including Krispy Kreme doughnuts made the shift. Vegetable oils like canola, for example, do less damage to arteries while trans fats are associated with artery clogging. McDonald's is using a combination of canola, corn, and soybean oils for frying.

This does not mean that your Big Mac and fries are healthy. And, neither are the doughnuts at Krispy Kreme. You're still getting fat and lots of empty calories. But, you're not getting the trans fats at least.

As far as the food flavors, there's not a huge difference. If you have a good palate, you'll detect a slight difference. The French fries are still kickin' at McDonald's, but they aren't clogging arties as much - so that's a good thing.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

The first time I made Beer Butt Chicken, I did not get the chicken down over the can as well as I should have. I managed to knock my chicken off the grill and roll it down the sidewalk. It rolls really neat - kind of like a football. This, of course, also amused my boys. They are easily amused.

I got another can of beer and washed off that chicken, and we had a feast though it was not a lovely feast after rolling around and being scrubbed. The flavor was excellent even with a mishap.

After that first time, Beer Butt Chicken has been a breeze to make. If you want the recipe with tips, then see my Beer Butt Chicken recipe along with a photo of what the chicken looks like when it is not rolled down the sidewalk.

If you are not a beer drinker, then you really can't taste any beer flavor in the Beer Can Chicken. If you have excellent taste buds, you may detect just a tiny hint. It's fine to use soda pop if you don't like the idea of using beer. 7-Up or Sprite with some seasonings work well.

Happy Memorial Day! Crank up the grill and try something different. Anything on the grill just has that extra something!

Posted by Cyndi Allison

MSNBC reports that a new food show may heat up the reality TV landscape in the summer of 2008. "Cooking with the All Pros" is the working title of the program, and the idea would be to pair fans and Dallas Cowboy football players for face off cooking competitions.

Unlike most realtiy competition shows, the contestants would not play for cash prizes or for chef contracts. In fact, football fans would bid for the chance to cook next to a Cowboy. The money would then be donated to charity.

Show planners are also talking about having a drawing for some show slots. That seems like a good idea. Otherwise, only wealthy fans would have a shot at cooking with the Dallas Cowboys.

This idea obvisouly plays off the current popularity of reality TV shows and particularly those in the cooking realm. "Cooking with the Pros" may bring in broad demongraphics by appealing to football fans as well as those who enjoy cooking. On the other hand, it may not work for either group. The sports crowd may not be interested in seeing cooking shows and vice versa.

There's nothing set in stone yet. The game plan is to start taping in June and to have some shows in the can and perhaps a network deal by August before the football season kicks off.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

I guess being a top country music star wasn't enough for Yearwood. She began talking to publishers about doing a book. She wasn't keen on doing her autobiography (perhaps down the road), but she did toss out the idea of a cookbook. Cookbook deals are hard to get these days, but when you're a star . . .

Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen: Recipes from My Family to Yours came out last month and is listed number three on the New York Times Best Sellers list. That's pretty darn amazing for a cookbook.

Freep.com reports that Trisha said, "If you'd asked me if I thought "New York Times best-seller" would ever be on the bio, I'd be like: 'I don't think so.'"

Country music fans will know that Trisha is married to Garth Brooks. He's her third husband and certainly the most famous.

The Yearwood cookbook angle is kind of odd. She says that Georgia (where she grew up) and Oklahoma (where Garth grew up and where they now live) cooking are pretty much the same except for the barbecue and that folks from Oklahoma don't eat grits. We're a North Carolina/Oklahoma family, and I'd say the differences run deeper.

Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen features rather basic recipes. You can learn to fry chicken, make a casserole, and banana pudding.

This star cookbook is probably most appealing to Yearwood fans and is being sold as a combo package with her new CD "Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love" on her fan site.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

The SoFAB was founded in 2004 as a non-profit tribute to the food and drinks of the South. They host a number of interesting collections including restaurant menus from across the Southern states. Some of those are pretty interesting as any Southerner knows. The menus also are made available for researchers through the University of New Orleans as noted on the SoFAB web page:

"We constantly search for menus from restaurants of the American South. From diners all the way up to the saintly temples of culinaria. Diners, honky-tonks, barbeque joints, cafeterias, fine food establishments. New and old. Currently operating or long closed. We want them. Menus are catalogued and archived at the University of New Orleans and are made available to researchers and historians."

The museum is now moving to the heart of New Orleans, so it will be more convenient for locals and tourists to drop in and learn about Southern eats. Everyone is busy now getting things moved over and setting up special displays for the grand opening on June 7, 2008.

SoFAB has also kicked off a new wiki and hopes to share more great information about Southern food culture.

If you can't make the grand opening of the southern food museum, plan to visit when you get to the area. Also, think about adding information at the wiki or donating items to the wonderful museum collection. Food lore is such an important part of the South, and it's great that someone is taking the time to gather and organize these flavors of the South.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

My brother knows that I'm big on outdoor cooking, so he sent me the melting grill story as reported by WRAL out of Raleigh, NC.

The basics here are that Consumer Reports was testing out grills as they often do. The Broil King Signet 90 started to melt - the fire box just started dripping down. This was such an odd thing to happen with a grill that they tested some others. Same results. The metal melts down.

Broil King has now issued a safety recall. If you bought this drippy grill, you can get a free baffle kit and fix your grill.

This is a $650 gas grill. I would not be happy with a fix kit. I'd want my money back. I can't even imagine something designed to be used as a grill melting when hot. That's just WRONG. Someone really ought to try these out before selling them to the public.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

CNN reports today that food supplies are low at pantries set up to help families in need. Noted specifically is that one shelter had a 35% decrease in the donation of canned goods. That's clearly a problem with more families struggling to make ends meet and put food on the table.

The government Farm Bill has been delayed yet again. There are issues with subsidies being doled out to wealthy corporate farmers and to those who do not and have never farmed, but the bill also includes food assistance for low income families.

Food stamps are designed to cover the bare minimum, and price increases mean that families who qualify for assistance. are unable to make it from the beginning to the end of the month. Food prices have risen at the fastest rate in 17 years in 2008.

It's not just families on assistance who are having trouble feeding families. Those who make low wages and are feeling the crunch of high gas prices and/or rocketing mortgage payments are ending up with no money left over to buy the basics like food.

I'd challenge all readers who have anything to spare to step up. Take some food to your local shelter, pantry or church. Or, donate money so that those helping out can purchase items needed in bulk and make every cent count.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

Today I read that Hillary Clinton is slipping bad in North Carolina. It's not likely that she'll take the tarheel state.

I'd be inclined to vote Democrat and also would vote female with a solid candidate that I could trust. I don't trust Hillary though, and she won't be getting my vote.

I've had issues with Hillary dating back 16 years. She's caught some heat for lying lately. Back in the day, she may have been more honest but certainly not very endearing. Here is her comment that made me step back and think: This woman is harsh and does not understand regular old people.

"I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas, but what I decided to do was to fulfill my profession which I entered before my husband was in public life." ~ Hillary Clinton - March 26, 1992 - Nightline

As a single mother who has worked my butt off and still made time to bake cookies, I take exception to this stray comment by Hillary Clinton. I would think it would sting even more for women who have taken time out to raise kids full time. There is honor in that - trust me.

And what about Chelsea? She's out stumping for her Mom now. Chelsea has to try to explain why her mom said they were under sniper fire when they weren't. Hard spot for a kid - and especially one who was not worth the time to bake cookies for.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

I collect cookbooks. I can't help myself. There's just something exciting about a new cookbook - even when I already know how to make most of the dishes.

There are some cookbooks that I'm just itching to buy that aren't available. I don't know if no one has thought to write these cookbooks, or if the publishers just won't gamble on putting them out. In any case, here's my list of cookbooks that need to be written:

Foods That Do Not Burn When You're Busy - Did you know that teabags will catch on fire if you cook all the water out of the pot? Well, they sure do. Don't test that theory. Trust me. A cookbook for the food burners of the world would be really helpful.

How To Mulch Kitchen Disasters - If you do burn dinner on a regular basis, then this cookbook would be helpful. Which burnt offerings go on the compost pile and which do not?

Really Tasty Dishes That Are Good For You - OK. There are some cookbooks out there that promise this. They do not usually deliver.

Healthy Cooking with Ingredients That You Actually Have On Hand - Is it just me? Or, do all those healthy recipes include at least one item that I don't know, never heard of, and can't find?

Crock Pot Cooking Sans Canned Soup - I'll admit it. I do like the soup goop crock pot recipes, but it's nice to have a change of pace. Give me a slow cooker cookbook that says not one word about pouring a can of cream soup over anything.

Recipes With ALL the Directions - Isn't it annoying to make a recipe and have it turn out wrong. Someone left out some little tip that makes all the difference. Then, it's a bad dinner night.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

The What Would Jesus Eat Cookbook by Don Colbert

The I-Can't-Chew Cookbook: Delicious Soft Diet Recipes for People with Chewing, Swallowing, and Dry Mouth Disorders by J. Randy Wilson and D.M.D, M.D., Mark A. Piper

The Bacon Cookbook: More than 150 Recipes from Around the World for Everyone's Favorite Food by James Villas

The 99 Cent Only Stores Cookbook: Gourmet Recipes at Discount Prices by Christiane Jory

101 Things to Do with Ramen Noodles by Toni Patrick

Farmer John's Cookbook: The Real Dirt on Vegetables by John Peterson

The New InterCourses: An Aphrodisiac Cookbook by Martha Hopkins and Randall Lockridge

The Cannabis Cookbook: Over 35 Recipes for Meals, Munchies, and More by Tim Pilcher

Hot Damn and Hell Yeah! Recipes for Hungry Banditos and the Dirty South Vegan Cookbook by Ryan Splint and Vanessa Doe

The Stinking Rose Restaurant Cookbook by Andrea Froncillo, Jennifer Jeffrey, and Caren Alpert

The Meat Club Cookbook: For Gals Who Love Their Meat! by Vanessa Dina, Gemma DePalma, Kristina Fuller, and Caroline Hwang

The Dooky Chase Cookbook by Leah Chase

Biker Billy's Hog Wild on a Harley Cookbook: 200 Fiercely Flavorful Recipes to Kick-Start Your Cooking From Harley Riders Across the USA by Bill Hufnagle

Posted by Cyndi Allison

I've always been a pretty savvy bargain shopper when it comes to food. I check the sale papers, cross shop at various grocery stores and use a few coupons (but only if they're for foods we'll actually eat).

I thought the same strategy would work with healthy foods, but it certainly wasn't as simple. The fruits and vegetables were sky high. A little pack of blueberries ran $3.99. I could literally hold them all in my hand. I'd say I had between 1/2 and 3/4 cup of blueberries. Salad fixings were likewise running high. Lettuce was over $1.00. The only salad vegetable on sale was broccolil. Fortunately I do like broccoli.

Milk was over $4.00. The 2% milk wasn't any higher than the regular, so I guess that was break even. The heart healthy butter substitute was higher than the margarine. The price for egg substitues was really high when looking at serving sizes per container, but real eggs have skyrocketed too.

Even in the convenience foods section and the junk food isle, the healthy (or healthier) options cost more. My little diet pizza cost more than the big cheesy pizza I got for the boys. Regular chips were on sale up and down the isle - not so for any of the low fat or baked chips.

I hear people say, "Oh it doesn't cost more to eat right." But that's not true. I know. I shop, and I did the research. Eating healthy does put a big dent in the wallet.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

I clicked over to Oprah last night, but I had to change the channel. Katie Lee Joel was featured. It seems that she has written a $25 cookbook, "The Comfort Table." Perhaps she and Jerry Seinfeld's wife got their heads together. Fortunately, Joel has not been accused of plagiarism.

There are loads of great cooks out there who would love to put together cookbooks. The chances of that happening - very slim.

Personally I won't be buying the Joel cookbook or any others carrying the name of a famous guy's wife. They can spin it like the Miami Herald and Oprah can toot their horns. I'm not biting. When a 27 year old gets a cookbook deal, you know it's not because she's an expert at much of anything other than marrying a famous guy old enough to be her father or grandfather.

Joel's cookbook is billed as down home. She's from West Virginia. Yehaw! It looks like Joel is making a statement about his second wife, Chritie Brinkley ("Uptown Girl"). He got this latest one from the farm, or that's how it's being billed to sell this cookbook. If you want a meatloaf recipe, go for it. Or go online. You'll find plenty.

Katie Lee Joel wants her own cooking show next. She hosted "Top Chef," but she washed out there. Perhaps Billy Joel can buy her a spot - if his name isn't big enough to get 'er done.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

My son and I were watching a news report on the tornado in Atlanta tonight on CNN. Sad stuff - for the most part. It's always bad news when others have to deal with tragic happenings. Then there's the media. Bless their hearts as we say in the South. Can you spell clueless?

CNN shows an apartment building with the roof ripped off. All apartments are empty except one. The anchor says, "Let's zoom in here?" Hum. That's strange. Anchor boy says that the guy in the apartment must be making a sandwich . . . or cleaning up. You tell me. If you had no roof, would you be making a sandwich? And, do you really think you could get in the apartment with the roof blown off.

OK. Call me cyncial. This looked a lot more like looting. Maybe not. But, that sure makes more sense than some guy making a sandwich in his apartment after his roof goes missing. Officials have rules against stuff like that.

My sincere apologies to CNN if they did catch a sandwich being made - in progress. If so, get the police right out there to block the door to that apartment building. I don't think it's safe to be in your apartment after the roof blows off. Go get a sandwich somewhere else for goodness sake. And take that CNN guy with you. He must be hungry to be thinking that's what he got on tape.

See the footage at CNN - click on Atlanta Building Loses Roof. I don't get the audio with the video. But, I can see the guy who actually appears to be female. Still doesn't look like sandwich making to me.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

Sloppy Joe is sponsoring a free t-shirt contest this month (March 2008). You fill out the form - quick and easy. Two hundred winners are selected daily through March 23 as noted on the site:

"The Not Your Average Sloppy Joe Giveaway Sweepstakes (the "Sweepstakes") begins 12:00 a.m. Central Time ("CT") on March 3, 2008 and ends 11:59:59 p.m. CT on March 23, 2008 (the "Sweepstakes Period")."

According to the rules, the first 200 qualifying entries per day (night) get the shirts. This would suggest that you'd stand the best chance of winning a Sloppy Joe t-shirt if you enter right after midnight each night on central standard time.

Do keep in mind that you can only enter once per day.

The t-shirt says "besloppy.com" on the front and "not your average sloppy joe" on the back with a graphic

Posted by Cyndi Allison

My sister drove over to tell me. My cousin died. She was only 25 years old.

My cousin was a model right out of high school. I guess someone suggested that she lose a few pounds. She did - not just a few. She was 5'7" and almost certainly under 100 lbs when she died.

The pressures on this generation are awful. Expectations are off the charts.

I, of course, went in for the funeral. My cousin lived with me a while during high school. I adored her, but I worried a lot about her lifestyle choices. She made some really bad ones.

I assumed my usual duty of logging in the food brought in at my aunt's home and packing up the treats and storing them. I do not do well just sitting. I need some kind of job to keep me busy. Southern food and keeping lists works for me during funeral times. It's much better than sitting and just thinking.

It was hard losing my cousin. Harder still to see her two boys - ages 3 years and 6 months. They didn't understand. The youngest will certainly not even remember his mother. How sad.

Food is not the enemy. Don't stave yourself to death. Don't turn to drugs to manage your weight. It's not worth it. Love yourself - fat or thin or in between. If you really can't do it for yourself, then think of your babies and your loved ones. Even if you think you don't count for much, your loved ones do. Trust me. I know. I'd love to have my cousin back. I know her boys would too.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

My Dad bought our first crock pot back in the 1970s when they were all the rage. Mom fretted. She thought they would use too much electricity since they cook all day. They don't use a lot of energy, so she decided she liked her crock pot after all.

After I grew up, I got a crock pot. It's been great to put a meal in before I go to work and come home to a house smelling wonderful and a hot meal.

Using a crock pot is really simple. It can be as easy as putting chicken in and adding your favorite barbecue sauce. Turn it on - BBQ chicken for dinner. The chicken turns out super tender, and the flavor is soaked through and through

An article in the Evansville Courier and Press noted that crock pots went out of style and are enjoying a comeback. Huh? That was news to me. I'm glad to hear they are being rediscovered though.

If you have a crock pot tucked back in the cabinet or are thinking of buying one, be sure to check out 300 Slow Cooker Favorites. This cookbook takes you way beyond barbecue chicken. It's packed full of great recipes including some healthy ones too.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

Don't expect to see Robert Irvine on the Food Network once his currently taped shows play out. It seems the creative cook, host of "Dinner: Impossible," took a few liberties with his resume when he applied to be a top gun TV cook.

If you're going to fib, I guess you might as well make it a good one. Irvine said that he cooked for the Queen of England as well as for United States Presidents. In his dreams I suppose.

He also claimed to be a knight and to own a Scottish castle as he was breezing about town in St. Petersburg. He most probably meant he's a nit and that his home is his castle - like it or lump it.

Irvine came clean in a Feb 17, 2008 story published in the St. Petersburg Times.

The Food Network position is that Irvine has ruined the trust with his viewers. The company did appear to leave the door open for another course with a comment about reconsideration at a later date. Perhaps they could look into featuring Irvine as the "Court Cooking Jester" and have him whip up outrageous dishes using Spam.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

With food prices up, it's important to get the most from every dollar spent at the grocery store.

Here are a few tips:

Learn to love leftovers. Spend a little extra on freezer containers and pack away the extra portions rather than letting them sit and go bad in the refrigerator.

Little dabs make great soup. Again, freeze those small amounts of food that often get tossed. If you have a bit of meat and some vegetables, you can make a soup that piggy backs off other meals but is new to you and your family.

Keep bread and buns etc. in the freezer. Only pull out what you need. Microwave on defrost for a few seconds. You'll have fresh tasting bread without having to buy bread every few days.

Buy in bulk and repackage at home. Go with the family pack of meat and so on. Break it down. One package of hamburger can be used for burgers, chili and tacos. Three meals. Not so costly when you do the math.

Experiment with less costly options. Learn to love beans and rice. Those are good for you and are inexpensive. Jazz them up with seasonings, and you have a feast with a lower investment.

The squeeze is definately on. I won't even share how much my heating oil ran this month. Very sad. Add the food increases, and it's not looking great here in 2008. With some creative planning, we'll all make it. But, it's not going to be easy or fun.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

I just returned from the grocery store. The trip set me back over $50, and that's not including the cost of the gas to drive to the store and back. I didn't need to make a second trip out to the truck when I got home. I could carry my skimpy $50 purchase in one hand. Now, that's sad.

I tend to cook at home. Hey, I'm a food and cooking writer. Of course, I cook. This has always been a budget saver as well as meaning healthier foods for the family and just all round fun with the kitchen as the home hub. Sadly, the gap between eating out and cooking at home is closing this year. Grains and oils are really getting more expensive. Even the litle pack of candy bars I like to buy jumped from $1.29 to $1.39 between last week and this week. Wish I'd stocked up last week. Then again, candy isn't essential.

If you're wondering about the rising prices at the grocery store, it is complicated. Check out the Seattle Times for a quick overview. Then again, ignorance may be bliss. The news is not good in foodville.

As the family breadwinner (single mom) and the family cook (the boys don't really love to do it), I'm now looking for ways to make the dollars go further when it comes to the kitchen.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

Students at Clemson University studied salsas where class members double dipped. In other words, the students would dip the chip, take a bite, dip again with the same chip.

As reported on CNN, most students thought this would not spread germs. In fact, double dipping contaminated the communal dips with loads of bacteria. It was likened to kissing everyone at the gathering.

Don't give up dips. They are easy to make and fun party foods.

Do, however, pass the word about double dipping.

I always break off a bite sized piece of whatever I'm dipping and take individual bites. I never really thought about it. That just came natural. I didn't really think about or stress about how others were dipping. It does make sense though that double dipping would spread germs. I don't think that my boys double dip, but I'll mention this to them - just in case.

My favorite Mexcian restaurant has recently started giving out small indiviudal salsa dip bowls. I wondered why they were doing that. Ah ha. They must have heard about the issues with double dipping. If you're worried about this problem, then giving guests little bowls for dip would be a solution.

Happy dipping - but remember no double dipping.

Favorite Dip Recipes:

Vegetable Dip Recipe Collection - also fine for chips or crackers

Fabulous Fruit Dip Recipe Collection

Rotel Cheese Dips

Posted by Cyndi Allison

General Mills is offering a free sample of Fiber One - a healthy cereal for the start of the new year. Simply fill out the simple form and sign up for the "eat better America" e-newsletter. That's all there is to do it.

The cereal is tasty, and it's good for you since it adds fiber.

This offer does end at the end of the month, so sign up quick if you're interested.

It can take up to 8 weeks for your sample to arrive.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

For several months the FDA has been supporting the cloning of farm animals. The most recent report from the FDA states that cloned food is safe. The FDA has, however, put the project on "delay" due to public reactions.

I don't think that cloned food is inherently unsafe. I can also see how cloning could be beneficial in some ways. The most often cited is that dairy farmers could clone cows who are high milk producers and produce more milk with fewer cows.

I, like many others, do have concerns about cloning within our food supply community.

If we become very selective in breeding, then the gene pool becomes limited. While cloned animals have been hearty, any animal could potentially have vulnerabilities. If we clone and have a large number of animals with the same genetic make up, then some "super bug" that animals with other genetic codes might be able to tolerate could wipe out our engineered "perfect" animals.

It's also a shame to weed out various "strains" (for lack of a better word) in the animal community. We've done this with our fruits and vegetables. There are far fewer varieties of apples today due to selective growing. The apples we opt to save are not always the best tasting. They are the apples that grow easily and transport well.

When we try to control nature, we often do more harm than good. I was watching 60 Minutes and they discussed forest fires. In the early 1900s, we were able to control fires much more effectively. This seemed like a good thing. Now, we have massive fires, since smaller fires did not clear out the underbrush. Our intervention caused more problems down the line, and I fear that cloning animals will turn out to be a short term solution with long term problems.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

Take a minute or two to visit Bruce Foods and order the free recipe booklet - just in time for the Mardi Gras season.

You can snail mail in your request to:

Bruce Foods Corporation

P.O. Drawer 1030

New Iberia, Louisiana 70562

Or, you can email the request to:

order@brucefoods.com

You'll also find some tasty recipes right on site at Bruce Foods.

I use Louisiana Hot Sauce to make my Killer Chicken Wings. The flavor is fabulous. They're the best Buffalo Wings I've ever had anywhere.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

One of my students introduced me to the Milk Chug game. No. I didn't play. I just watched a video he'd made of this very odd milk contest game.

The way the milk chug game works is that the participants try to drink a gallon of milk as quickly as possible. Generally the rules require the milk to go down in under an hour.

Milk chuggers end up vomiting with such large amounts of milk and sucked down so fast.

I'm not really sure why this drinking game is popular. It does not make much sense to me. But high school and college kids seem to be enjoying the Milk Chug antics.

In fact, one school class in Texas held a milk chug as part of a science class lab. After the videos were posted on YouTube, an angry parent contacted the school. The teacher was suspended.

I'm not sure what point the teacher was trying to make - if any. I'm not sure about the claims that she endangered the students though. None needed medical attention. And, I've not heard of any ill effects from this strange milk chugging game. My student was fine, and the rest of the students in class thought his milk chugging was funny. Dangerous? I don't know about that. Seems pretty silly - but harmless. I'll check around and see if it does present a health threat.

If you want to see the Milk Game, here's a YouTube Milk Chug video. Please note that it contains one profane word. The vomiting is also pretty stomach turning. You can also search "Milk Chug" at YouTube and find many more examples.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

If you’ve not kept up with the story, Lapine published her book about slipping pureed vegetables into various different dishes, so kids would eat healthier, and then Jessica Seinfeld came out with her cookbook - "Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food."

Writers can’t copyright ideas. Otherwise, we’d never have any new books. When it comes to cookbooks, things get even more complex. Ingredient lists cannot be copyrighted. If they could, then there go all the slight variations on broccoli casserole. The long tradition of women and men writing down favorite recipes on slips of paper and handing those to friends to enjoy with their own families would be illegal.

On the other hand, the presentation of materials including those in cookbooks are personal creations. Those have value and do belong to the creator, although it’s often darn hard to pinpoint specifically what constitutes “unique creation.”

Lapine is charging Seinfeld with plagiarism. In comparing the two books, it does look a little – well suspicious or “sneaky.” There are a number of near duplicate recipes. Of course, both are presenting recipes that will be kid friendly, so that could be explained away – and may be. Even the covers are quite similar. Same basic theme – but again kind of a generic approach. My thoughts are that the case would be a tough one to present and win.

In addition to the charge of plagiarism, Lapine is also charging Seinfeld – the star rather than his wife with defamation. Seinfeld went on David Letterman and made comments that suggested that Lapine is a nut case. He even noted that she uses three names like famous assassins including Mark David Chapman and James Earl Ray. Chapman murdered John Lennon, and Ray murdered Martin Luther King, Jr.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

With the football play offs in full swing and with two teen boys, it's hard to make a sit down meal sound like a great idea. No problem. I just make up some of these great finger foods, and we all hang out and enjoy the football games and the finger foods.

Bisquick Sausage Balls - Sinful. But oh so good. Sausage balls are always even better than I rememberd.

Party Ham Cheese Sandwiches - The ladies at the church always bring these, and they are always gone before the dinner is over. The little girls think these are elegant. The boys think they're tasty.

Tortilla Cream Cheese Roll Ups - These are made ahead and chilled. Great to munch on all day.

Carolina Crab Cakes - Make these silver dollar sized. They work great as little finger food treats too.

Cream Cheese Pizza with Veggies - Oh yes! I was hooked the first time I tried these. Quick and easy to make. They fly off the plate.

Vegetable Dip Recipes - The vegetables go over well when I make up a tasty dip. This is a collection of my favorite veggie dips.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

Just click here and you'll find the offer for the free cookbook from Jolly Cook. You'll see a simple form to fill out. Once you submit you have a form to sign up for the newsletter. Note that you need to be signed up for that to get the cookbook. With the newsletter subscription, you also get a free e-cookbook.

I don't know how many cookbooks they printed at Jolly Cook, so it's a good idea to sign up soon if you're interested.

Posted by Cyndi Allison

Food Pals is a neat new space put together Ron Douglas. He's the author of several cookbooks including America's Most Wanted Recipes.

I just happened across Food Pals and thought it was a great idea.

You sign up and can find loads of new recipes or add your own. You have a personal cookbook where all your recipes store as well as any that you click. It's so easy to forget where you found a recipe. Then you want to make it and can't locate it. The cookbook feature is great. The recipes are saved and ready when you need them.

When you sign up you even get a free e-cookbook, "World's Finest Quick & Easy Recipes: 197 Surefire Dishes in Under 30 Minutes." I'd been curious about e-cookbooks, so this was the perfect chance to test drive one. Quick and Easy is a nice collection. I'm looking forward to trying out some of the recipes soon.

Once a member (and it's free), you can unload photos. I already put up a couple. It's really easy to do. And, it's fun to have photos up to show family and friends. It's also neat to see what the other members look like and to see their families and recipes cooked up.

The best thing about Food Pals is that it's a warm and friendly place. Although the focus is on cooking and food, Food Pals is much more than just a recipe excange. It's a family of folks who love to cook and eat but also have many other interests as well.