Top 10 Links of the Week: 7/2/10 – 7/8/10

This week, it's lots of pretty pictures, a gaggle of perspectives on a failed Soda Tax, and two very off-the-beaten-path takes on vegetarianism. Excelsior!

1) Dark Roasted Blend
Kitchen Appliances That Bite
Spectacularly Creative Ads, Issue 13
I loathe the overuse of “amazing,” but Dark Roasted Blend’s image roundups always merit the word. The first comp is full of cool, newfangled cooking equipment, while the second is another installation in a running series of ads. Both are totally worth the 15-minute coffee break.

2) Tip Hero: Little Known Uses for Fruit Peels, Shells, and Seeds
Holy moly! My fellow frugal foodies, you’re gonna LOVE this piece. It turns out that peanuts, avocados, bananas, pomegranates, and more are way useful beyond their edible flesh. Read it and cheer.

3) Kitchen Bitsch: On Carnivore Guilt
In which author Summerlin, the daughter of a farmer, finds herself torn between her appreciation for meat and her affection for the animals she’s raised.

4) Zachary Burt: Vegetarians Are Just Big Pussies
In which author Zach, decries his former Real Men Eat Meat perspective and embraces vegetarianism.

5) Salon: Men eat meat, women eat chocolate - How food gets gendered
Beef is manly. Wine is for the ladies. If you ever wondered if these stereotypes were the product of genetics, evolution, culture, or really good advertising, read this now. Riddhi Shah’s thoughtful piece raises good questions, and provides a few good answers, as well.

6) Village Voice: Soda Tax Dies As Beverage Industry Outspends Health Groups
I don’t know whether this is a health travesty or a triumph of individual will, but New York defeated the proposed levy on soda (or pop, for you Buffalonians). Somewhat non-shockingly, the beverage industry may have had a massive hand in its downfall. Marion Nestle and Casual Kitchen’s Dan give their thoughts.

7) The Simple Dollar: Nine Tactics That Work for Starting Food Preparation at Home
Can’t bring yourself to cook in your own kitchen? Convinced takeout is cheaper? Hate chopping? Trent has a handful of simple strategies to make the eat-at-home process much easier. (Siblings of mine! Read this!)

8) New York Times: Triumph of the Egg
Wondering how hot it’s been in NYC? The Times crew cooked breakfast on the sidewalk. Mmm … concrete-flavored omelet.

9) Politics of the Plate: An Offer Americans Can—And Will—Refuse
I’ve debated getting into the illegal immigrant brouhaha on this blog, because it’s generally a happy, bi-partisan, la-la-la kind of place, and I’m not sure I want to interrupt that. But man, I love the third story here.

10) Wise Bread: Organic Groceries on a Budget
Love these out-of-the-box tips and tricks for buying pesticide-free foods. Myscha Theriault’s ideas go beyond the average organics post.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

4 Hats and Frugal: Cooking Frugally When You Don’t Want to Cook at All
Amiyrah comes through with some clever tips for summertime meals. “Burritos are my best friends.” Hear, hear, woman!

BoingBoing: Sugar Information explains how sugar won't make you fat
This is so Mad Men, I can hardly stand it. You can practically see Don Draper (handsome, morally questionable, handsome Don Draper) dictating the idea to Peggy and Paul. (Pic from AdPulp.)

HuffPo: The Price of Cheap Meat
Hey! CAFOs killed a lake in Ohio. *cries*

Neatorama: Mapping Your Broiler
There’s a fine line between genius and mania, and it’s up to you to decide where this one falls: Cook’s Illustrated figured out a way to test your broiler’s cool and hot spots, using a grid of burnt and toasted bread.

Real Simple: How Long is it Okay to Freeze Food?
Quick-n-dirty guide to cold food lifespans.

Salon: How to Choose a Watermelon
Woo hoo! It’s watermelon season! Francis Lam teaches us how to pick a good one.

Seattle Times: Q&A With Michael Pollan
The CHG guarantee: Wherever Pollan speaks, we will link to it.

stonesoup: How to Eat for $2 a Day
Stoney lives under the international poverty line for a 24 hours. The food is good, but doesn’t provide for much produce and/or variety.

Trust for America’s Health: F as in Fat - How Obesity Threatens America's Future 2010
Hey! We’re still fat! Sigh.

Unplggd: 14 Home Hacks for Your Dishwasher
Behold: the all-powerful dishwasher. You can clean a keyboard in it.

AND ALSO

Raw Toast Design
Husband-Elect and I discovered Raw Toast at a recent craft show in Brooklyn, and developed a huge, googly-eyed affection for Jesse Kuhn’s illustrations. They’re elegant but funny, and whimsical but pointed. Affordable prints are on sale at the RT website, and moms – quite a few would go well in a kid’s room. Definitely check it out if you get the chance.

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