Favorite Links, March 2011

Recent food articles I've enjoyed:

Michael Ruhlman's review of Nathatn Myhrvold's Modernist Cuisine. [NYTimes.com]
I lust after this book, but I can't justify the $625 price. (Even if it is on sale for only (only!) $461.26 at Amazon.)
Bonus: Look at the jaw-dropping photography: The Wok Shot [Kenji Alt, seriouseats.com]

Watch Pam Make Quick, Easy Lo Mein [ThreeManyCooks.com]
*I'm a self-taught home cook...by cooking my way through Pam Anderson's How to Cook Without A Book. In this video, Three Many Cooks (AKA Pam and her daughters Maggie and Sharon) show how to make a weeknight Veggie Lo Mein. Need a quick, one dish, weeknight dinner? Pam's got you covered.
Bonus: Pam versus Maggy, Pot Braised versus Slow Cooker Barbecued Beef. The winner? Whoever gets to eat either of the recipes.

Rick Bayless shows Christopher Kimball how to make Empanadas [AmericasTestKitchen.com]
Speaking of how I became a self-taught home cook - Rick Bayless's Salsas That Cook and my subscription to Cooks Illustrated were also huge influences. Put the two together? I'm there. This was a Sunday Dinner project for me and the kids, and it was a big hit.
**Bonus: Bloopers from Cooks Country.

One Pot Meal: Mini Meatball Pressure Cooker Broth [Hip-Cooking.com]
*I love my pressure cooker, and I can't wait to try this recipe.

The (Surprising) Truth About Salt [GoodHousekeeping.com]

*Years ago, I read that restricting salt in your diet is only necessary if you are at risk of hypertension. For most people, salt restriction isn't needed. (Which I liked, because food without enough salt is boring.) Last year, there was a big public health push to reduce salt in the American diet, led by (among others) New York City. I assumed that new studies provided a definitive health problem with salt. Um...no, nothing new.

**My favorite takeaway: 80% of the salt in our diet is from prepared foods. So, how do I try to eat? See ERF, below.

Mark Bittman's Soup Matrix [NYTimes.com]

*Looks like I worried about the end of the Minimalist column for nothing. I now have a half a dozen soup recipes I am dying to try out.

**Bonus: Is "Eat Real Food" Unthinkable? My new favorite acronym: ERF. Eat Real Food.

The Sounds of Winter Grilling [AnotherPintPlease.com]
*Sure, you can read everything I wrote about winter grilling. Or, you can watch Mike's thirty second video. If the sound of fat popping in the rotisserie drip pan (at the 0:17 mark) doesn't make you want to go out and grill regardless of the temperature, then nothing I can say will change your mind.

Two Simple Steps To A Steady Writing Habit [QuickWritingTips.blogspot.com]

*My goal for this blog: every day, write for a half an hour. Do I feel like it? Do I have time? Doesn't matter. Write for a half an hour. Every day. The result? Closing in on three years of blogging.

(And, am I perfect? No, of course not. I miss days. But having this goal is the key.)

**Bonus: WriteOrDie.com - Daniel suggested this site when I asked about his paperless writing. Writing with a sword of damocles hanging over your head is surprisingly effective when I need to get ideas past my internal editor and out onto the page.

Dear Sriracha Rooster Sauce [NSFW, theoatmeal.com]

Sums up my love for Sriracha sauce in one twisted, beautiful, obscene comic strip.

*Bonus: An Ode To Tabasco Sauce. [CasualKitchen.blogspot.com] As Daniel says, "You know you've had a long healthy marriage when you finish your first bottle of Tabasco" is a little out of date nowadays...

What do you think? What did I miss? Leave them in the comments section below.

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