Tuesday Megalinks

ABC News: 10 Foods That Bring On the Pain
Tomatoes are out to get you. Chocolate and cheese, too. (Thanks to Pennies and Pounds for the link.)

All Recipes: Cooking on a Budget Winter Edition
Faboo database for frugal, seasonal meals, by the O.G. site for populist gourmets.

Cooking Light: Lighten Up – Holiday Classics
Christmas is coming! Hannukah and Kwanzaa, too. And let’s not forget National Cotton Candy Day (December 7th), either. Here, CL has suggestions for everybody, whatever you’re celebrating. Bonus: the Sweet Potato Casserole looks particularly good.

Culinate: Home-cooking Hurdles – Time, money, effort, knowledge
Also: roommates, building layout, and dog. But enough excuses! Culinate explores the art of overcoming kitchen obstacles.

Elastic Waist: Holiday Rule #1 – There Will be No Dieting On the Holidays
FANTASTIC editorial about suspending the diet for national celebrations. Definitely read the whole thing, which ends with, “Enjoy the holidays, enjoy your family, enjoy the food. New Year's is close enough, and there's plenty of time for self-flagellation then.”

Epicurious: The Best Cookbooks of 2008
The year-end wrap-ups are just getting started, folks. Read this and beat the rush. Highlights: The Modern Baker, Fat, Real Food for Healthy Kids, and the #1 tome of the year, Fish Without a Doubt. Mmmm … doubtless fish.

Epicurious: Epicurious Predicts Top 10 Food Trends for 2009
Man, it’s all about economizing next year. By all indications, noodle bars (not sushi), value (not sustainability), and veggie gardens (not flower gardens) will be taking over the universe. But wait! There’s more!

Hotels Magazine: Experts Offer Top Food Trends For Hotels & Restaurants In 2009
Be on the lookout for more bistros, fewer hotel chefs, smaller portions, lots of in-season produce, and promotions galore. Thanks, economy! (Thanks to Eater for the link.)

Get Rich Slowly: GRS Garden Project – November Update
Spent: $318.43
Harvested: $606.97
With a 200% return and homemade jam for the rest of their natural lives, I’d call it a success.

Get Rich Slowly: Finding Good Wines at Great Prices - Expert Advice for Frugal Wine Lovers
For when Three-buck Chuck just won’t cut it.

The Guardian: The World’s Greatest Baking Tips
A total must-read for all bakers, in which journalist Dan Lepard consults 30 of Earth’s greatest for their best and brightest tips. Among the all-star line up contributors are Dorie Greenspan, David Lebovitz, and Chocolate and Zucchini’s Clotilde Dusoulier. Great stuff. (Thanks to Serious Eats for the link.)

New York Times: We’re Going to Party Like It’s 1929
I love the Times. I adore its restaurant coverage, and the attention it gives to food issues the world over. And I understand that their demographic tends to be wealthier than other newspapers. But man, this article hits all the wrong notes. In a nutshell, writer Alex Williams enlists one of NYC’s top party planners to create a dinner party for less than $30 a head. My beefs:
1) Most New Yorkers don’t have that kind of cash to spare.
2) She balks at potatoes, but blows the majority of her budget on décor.
3) Really? $30 per person, and it’s compared to the Great Depression?
In a country where women are feeding families of four on $40 a week, it's charitable to call the piece pretentious and tone deaf, but I'm curious about your reactions. Readers?

Slashfood: The Five Weirdest Things in My Parents’ Cupboards
In no particular order:
1) 100 hot dogs. (No buns.)
2) Five canisters of Crystal Light. (Gah.)
3) Lots of Curacao. (Hopefully not for mixing with Crystal Light).
4) Three jars of red pepper flakes. (They don’t like spicy food)
5) The vacuum cleaner. (Delicious!)

The Smarter Wallet: Quality Cookware to Help You Save Time and Energy in the Kitchen
SW delves into her five favorite pieces of mealtime equipment, then adds on a few techniques for good measure. It’s quick but substantive, the way I like my men. (WHAT?)

The Toronto Star: Comfort Me with Apple Pie
In these solemn times of economic woe, folks all over are turning to macaroni and cheese, meatloaf, and Ma’s cookbook to sooth their sorry bank accounts. Even in Canada. (Thanks to Slashfood for the link.)

Wise Bread: 12 Affordable Ingredients that Add Gourmet Flair to any Meal
From roasted garlic to Kalamata olives to shallots (a.k.a. God’s Onion), these are some pretty solid suggestions for perking up a humdrum dinner. And if you like it, you’ll love Touch of Class: 10 Thrifty, Healthy Ingredients to Improve the Quality of Your Meals.

(Photos courtesy of Searchviews, The Beeb, and Wikipedia.)

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