Food and Drink

I never thought of potatoes as being especially "unhealthy," although eating them too often would be one part of a poor diet. I love potatoes. There are dozens of ways to fix them, and I can't think of a single one I dislike. But a school in Britain found one it says the government doesn't approve of:

In my untiring efforts to present the very best to all my discerning readers, today I offer my nominee for the best canned food on the market. (Not your grandmother's pickles or green beans, OK? This has to be from the supermarket.)  Canned food should not be anyone's first choice for a good dining experience, but even the best cooks know we have to occasionally supplement our fresh ingredients with something quick and convenient.

The newest thing in education circles is the elimination of the cafeteria tray. Apparently it saves on energy (cutting down on the hot water needed for washing) and prevents so a lot of food waste. Students who juggle plates don't let their eyes become bigger than their stomachs, I guess Well, some students:

Saigon, one of my favorite restaurants, gets a nice writeup by a Circle City couple whose Worth Your Attention blog is dedicated to "eating, drinking, shopping and exploring Indianapolis and beyond."

Some people can do clever, and some can't. The people who do Burger King's TV ads are definitely in the "can't" category. The king mascot is just creepy, even when he's running down a football field, let alone showing up in some guy's bed or hanging out with his wife and kid in the future. How many ways are there to fall flat while trying to be funny? We took the Whoppers off the menu -- ha-ha, fooled you!

Now we know why the county health police are cracking down so hard on outdoor cooking. It's a plot to keep us stupid and controllable:

Humans are "strange" and smart animals, and according to a new study out in this month's issue of Genome Biology, it may be because we're such good cooks.

I missed the column in Sunday's JG by Mindy Waldron, an administrator with the county health department, but I heard Pat White talking about it on WOWO on my drive home yesterday, so I hunted it up. The department has gotten a reputation for being a bunch of rule-obsessed, meddling busybodies because of its apparent attempt to kill outdoor cooking by restaurants.

Don't go out in the sun -- you'll get cancer! OK, fine, I'll stay indoors more. Oops:

Inadequate vitamin D could increase your risk of death by 26 percent, a new study concludes.

Yet many people are not getting enough vitamin D, which the skin makes naturally when exposed to sunlight. A nationwide survey found that 41 percent of men and 53 percent of women in the United States were not getting enough of this vital nutrient.

I haven't been in a lot of coffeehouses, so I'll have to take take Dave Beckham's word for it they're hotbets of liberal radicalism. Even if it is true, it's certainly because of the kind of people who go to coffeehouses, not because a bunch of sneaky progressives came up with brilliant business plans. So I don't think Beckham's solution is going to fuffill any great unmet need in Crown Point:

A panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has reinstated the requirement that Hoosiers who want to buy wine by phone or over the Internet have to first make face-to-face contact with the winery, and isn't it wonderful we're saving the childfren?