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And we think we consumers have no power over the food industry. (Bloomberg.com)
Why some bloggers decided HBO's series Weight of the Nation was offensive--before it even aired. (Health at Every Size and Appetite for Profit)
Great tips on grilling fish, including which types of fish to avoid, which are easiest, and what makes a successful marinade. (Beyond Salmon)
Is the food writing dream over? Don't let fear create your reality. (Monica Bhide)
Recipe Links:
Delicious, healthy and easy: Spinach Feta Risotto. PS: You can use regular rice too. (Ezra Pound Cake)
And a little extra bourbon for the baker. Chocolate Bourbon-Spiked Banana Bread. (Leite's Culinaria)
A striking low-carb and gluten free Lentil Granola. And yes, you read that right. (Stonesoup)
Off-Topic Links:
The old lie about writers developing a thick skin. (The Green Water Blog)
Why I can never, ever not work. (Academic Jungle, via Oil and Garlic)
That's why bad habits are so insidious. (James Altucher)
Don't apologize. (Erin Pavlina)
Do you have an interesting article or recipe that you'd like to see featured in Casual Kitchen's Food Links? Send me an email!
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9 comments:
I make banana bread often, say every other week or so if the guys in my life didn't finish them in time. Never thought about making it with alcohol though. Might make my son actually go to bed at a decent time!
I found it interesting to read about slamming a show before it airs. It's like people who want to ban books without reading them.
The spinach feta risotto looks fab! I will not be making it with the mushroom topping, though, because I don't like mushrooms... I'm still secretly five years old.
That article about not apologizing is way, way off base.
Sure, people need to walk the talk. But really - anyone who would actually tell a bullying kid - in front of other kids and adults - that they shouldn't apologize unless they are truly sorry, has a major screw loose. Sorry, but kids need to learn appropriate social behavior, and they need to be forced to apologize when they of stuff wrong, even if it isn't sincere. That's how social interaction is developed. And the only lesson that the bully learned from this interaction was not the subtle point the author was trying to make, but that sometimes if you stand your ground long enough people will back you up and you can get away with stuff.
Diane: so I can assume that article *isn't* your favorite then? :)
I hear you. And I think you're interpreting that article in a reasonable way. I thought the article raised some interesting questions: what does it mean to say you're sorry, and what does it mean to *mean* you're sorry?
DK
The two pieces on "Weight of the Nation" were predictable examples of fat apologism at work.
"if fat tissue loss was the key solution, why do we see no medical improvements with liposuction?" one asks. But we DO see medical improvements with intentional weight loss, including gastric bypass.
Fat apologists over-simplify just as much as fat haters do. I frankly wouldn't care if 60% of the population is overweight/obese if this factoid were not directly affecting my own cost of living through higher insurance premiums.
The weight of the evidence (no pun intended) is that being overweight is directly correlated with paying more for healthcare. For that reason alone, it's a public policy issue.
I'm sorry the apologists are offended by seeing pictures of fat people in articles about obesity, but what sense would it make to illustrate these articles with pictures of thin people?
In other news: bourbon in banana bread sounds goooood.
Okay, I've randomly chosen from the commenters here... and Amanda, you're the winner! I'll email your promo code for your free copy of Charmian Christie's Kitchen Disasters and Fixes app. Congrats!
DK
Chacha, it was interesting to read those two articles. I sympathize with the sentiments of the authors--nobody likes to be shamed, singled out or picked on. But if you're going to slam the show before it airs and assume that it's offensive before you've even seen it, well, that's not fat acceptance, that's psychological projection.
DK
I didn't like the article on apologizing either (and man, am I glad my friends haven't totally dumped me because I, despite much effort, am terrible at not being 5 minute late always). But I *do* agree that forcing someone to apologize is not the route to go. What meaning is it to teach "Say you're sorry, even if you're not."?
I've found much better success in my classroom--yes, even with mean kids and bullies--by outlining for kids exactly why their behavior was unacceptable and telling them that I wasn't going to force them to apologize, but that it would mean a lot to me and {victim kid} if they did. And afterwards, I would always follow it up by giving them a hand-written note telling them I was proud of them because it took a lot of courage to admit you are wrong and ask for forgiveness.
Not only did this work literally every single time I used it, these kids showed tremendous emotional growth over time, becoming more compassionate and less cruel.
I know the plural of anecdote is not data, but I still fully believe that compassion and consideration of where others' are coming from--yes, even when those others are children clearly in the wrong--is a much better strategy than just forcing someone to fake an apology, both in the short run and the long run. Let's teach kids to actually be decent human beings, instead of just how to fake it when adults are looking.
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