Man saves ribs from apartment fire

We've all thought about it at one time or another: If there was a fire, what would I save?

Robert Wright, of Fresno, made sure to save his ribs. After he saved his kids, of course.


I'm really hoping this interview gets "songified"!

Healthy seaweed that tastes like bacon: The perfect food?

Researchers at Oregon State University have created and patented a new seaweed.

Uh-huh. Sooooo...what's the big deal?

It just so happens that what looks like translucent red lettuce tastes like bacon when you fry it. It's easy to grow, and it has twice the nutritional value of kale. It's full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, protein...

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever. You say it tastes like bacon?

Shocker! Government plan to reduce obesity doesn't reduce obesity

When Los Angeles city lawmakers passed a zoning ordinance in 2008 limiting the opening of fast food restaurants in an area plagued by high obesity rates, who could have guessed that it would fail? Well, pretty much everyone with an IQ higher than a Big Mac—which might explain why government officials actually thought it would work.

The AP reports:

The research by the Rand Corp. think tank found that obesity rates in South Los Angeles continued to rise after passage of the law.

"It had no meaningful effect," Rand senior economist Roland Sturm said. "There's no evidence that diets have improved more in South LA. Obesity and overweight rates have not fallen."

I'm sure we can expect lawmakers to ask for more funding and propose further restrictions. After all, there isn't a problem in the world that can't be made worse with more bureaucracy.

Anthony Bourdain explains why he loves In-N-Out Burger

Anthony Bourdain, renowned chef and writer who has traveled far and wide in pursuit of the most delicious foods in the world, readily admits that one of his favorite restaurants is In-N-Out Burger. Can you blame him?


(via Eater.com)

Italian cook pronounces 'Worcestershire sauce'

"One chest of shoe shine"? That can't be right.

Exercise in a bottle? Does it at least come with a straw?

I was already excited about the robotic couch I could drive to the kitchen. Now, along comes Nestlé with a product that provides at least some of the benefits of exercise:

"Ideally, we'll be able to develop products that will help promote and augment the effects of exercise," said Kei Sakamoto, who heads the diabetes and circadian rhythms department at the Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences in Switzerland.

Specifically, Nestlé is working on a product that would regulate AMPK, an enzyme that scientists have dubbed the "metabolic master switch." The target customer is someone with diabetes or someone who is obese, according to the company.

Researchers at Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences and several other institutions found that a compound acts on the AMPK enzyme in mice to stop their livers from producing fat, according to a study published in July in the journal Chemistry and Biology.

Where can I get a case?

But don't think you're going to drink your way to a beach body.

The product won't outright replace exercise, Sakamoto said in a statement, explaining that even run-of-the-mill exercise has such a dynamic role that Nestlé will "never be able to mimic all those effects in a single product."

Oh. Never mind, then.

Orchestra performs while eating world's hottest chili peppers

If you like your classical music a little on the spicy side, then this performance is for you. Here is "Tango Jalousie" as it was meant to be played—by musicians eating some of the hottest chili peppers in the world:


Whew! Makes me thirsty just watching that.

(via St. Eutychus)

A couch potato's dream come true!

Why go through the hassle of getting up from the couch and walking all the way to the fridge for a snack when you can just drive your couch to the kitchen?


This just makes sense.

Real men cook their steaks with lava

A steak just isn't a steak without the tangy zip of LIQUID HOT MAGMA...

Read more about this little experiment here.

Poor cocoa farmers taste chocolate for the first time

Most of us take a simple thing like chocolate for granted, but it's really a luxury—especially among those who actually grow and harvest the cocoa beans to make it. In this video, witness the joy of cocoa farmers as they taste the end result of their hard work for the very first time...


(via Sploid)

The Ron Swanson low-carb diet

Ron Swanson at his classiest:

Marketing genius: Girl Scout sells cookies outside medical marijuana shop

Location, location, location...


(via Independent Journal Review)

Study: Eating bacon may help you live longer

A recent study suggests that higher amounts of Vitamin B3, or niacin, in one's diet may prolong life. And bacon is chock-full of niacin. From geekosystem.com:

Energy Metabolism Prof. Michael Ristow and his team decided to feed roundworms a bunch of niacin, and discovered that the new element in the worms' diet saw them living one-tenth longer than their Vitamin B3-free peers. This evidence is surprising to the science community, because niacin promotes the formation of "free radicals," which have long been theorized to actually cause aging in organisms.

Ristow's findings go against the largely accepted theory that food rich in antioxidants can prevent aging by eliminating free radicals. "The claim that intake of antioxidants, especially in tablet form, promotes any aspect of human health lacks scientific support," said Ristow. Instead, the Zurich scientists posits that "[c]ells can cope well with oxidative stress and neutralise it."

Basically, Ristow is suggesting that niacin is perfect for every couch potato who hates fruit. "Niacin tricks the body into believing that it is exercising – even when this is not the case," said Ristow. Next up for Ristow's team is testing the theory on mice.

I have been trying for many years to trick my body into thinking it was exercising. Who knew the answer was to just eat more bacon?

Pumpkin Spice: Official Movie Trailer

Yes, it's that time of year again. Time for pumpkin-flavored everything.


USA Today reports:

The flavor of pumpkin is suddenly showing up in everything from M&M's to vodka to Pop-Tarts. While the orange gourd is seasonal, it is increasingly becoming a year-round obsession, with sales topping $290 million last year, reports Nielsen. The sheer number of pumpkin offerings domestically jumped nearly 19% last year.

"Pumpkin is everywhere these days," says Andrea Riberi, senior vice president at Nielsen. "And, seemingly earlier than last year."

Here are a few pumpkin-laced treats to look for this year:

M&M's. For those wanting to toss an October twists into the bags of trick-or-treaters, Target is the exclusive seller of Pumpkin Spice M&Ms.

Pop-Tarts. Kellogg's has brought back Pumpkin Pie Pop-Tarts. They come frosted and sprinkled with pumpkin pie-flavored filling.

Pringles. No joke, folks. Here come Pumpkin Pie Spice Pringles, for chip snackers with a sweet tooth.

Ice cream. Baskin-Robbins is bringing back Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream this month. And Pumpkin Pie is the Blizzard flavor of the month at Dairy Queen.

Doughnuts. Dunkin' Donuts Pumpkin Pie Donut is made with pumpkin pie-flavored buttercream, and the icing is sprinkled with graham cracker topping. "Perhaps, more than any other flavor, pumpkin evokes the feelings of nostalgia and comfort," says Stan Frankenthaler, executive chef at Dunkin'.

New foods at the Minnesota State Fair

As a resident of Minnesota I have come to appreciate the curious culinary cacophony that is the State Fair. Just think of any food and add the words "on a stick" and you get the idea.

Naturally, everyone looks forward each year to the introduction of new temptations to tantalize the taste buds. You can expect the obligatory chocolate-covered this and deep-fried that, but some of the best new foods are old favorites that are given a new twist.

The Shrimp Shack is offering just such a treat: Bacon-Wrapped Grilled Shrimp. And yes, it comes on a stick.

Campbell's Flavored Corndogs offers exactly what the name implies. The flavors you can expect are Jalapeño Cheese, Sweet Corn, and Double Bacon. All deep-fried, of course.

At Goertze's Dairy Kone you will find peanut butter and jelly malts and sundaes.

Among the more daring delectables are Cocoa Cheese Bites from Axel's,

Fried Pickles 'n' Chocolate from Preferred Pickles,

and the Candied Bacon Cannoli from Ole's Cannoli.

Check out all the new foods available at the Minnesota State Fair here.

Sushi restaurant delivers food on a flying tray

Why have a waitress carry your tray of sushi when you can have it flown to your table at speeds of up to 25 mph?

Famed for being the first Sushi chain in the UK to deliver food to customers on a conveyor belt, iconic Japanese restaurant YO! Sushi has gone one-step further with the introduction of the world's first flying tray to deliver their new range of Japanese rice burgers to customers.

The 'iTray', which is now being trialled in the flagship Poland Street restaurant in London with a view to rolling it out across the UK next year, is a high-tech flying platter custom built using the most advanced RC Drone quadicopter technology and is remote controlled through an on-board Wi-Fi system and iPad software.

Universal Studios opens 'The Simpsons' Fast Food Boulevard

Universal Studios Florida has expanded The Simpsons Ride area to include some of the more iconic locations from the popular TV show. Hungry customers can visit formerly fictional eateries like Krusty Burger, Cletus' Chicken Shack, the Frying Dutchman, and Luigi's Pizza. They can even stop by Moe's Tavern for a cold Duff Beer.

Coming attractions include the Duff Brewery, Lard Lad, a statue of Jebediah Springfield, and Kang & Kodos' Twirl 'n' Hurl ride. They are still under construction and are set to open within the next couple of months.

Food under an electron microscope

The Telegraph recently posted a gallery featuring photos of popular foods examined under an electron microscope. Here's an appetizing assortment:

Broccoli floret

Blueberry

Grain of salt

Strawberry

See more photos here.

Replace your usual Super Bowl snacks with bacon

For many health-conscious folks who want to cut out unnecessary carbs and avoid the problems associated with a diet high in grains and processed foods, the "paleo diet" is the way to go. The bad news: such a diet doesn't allow much room for the usual Super Bowl snack fare. The good news: those foods can be replaced with bacon!

Amy Kubal, a registered and licensed Dietitian, provides this handy comparison chart to show you the bacon equivalent of your favorite game day foods:

Warm up this winter with hot Dr. Pepper

I didn't realize there was once an entire ad campaign centered around selling Dr. Pepper as a hot beverage. Makes me wonder why more soft drink companies didn't try this.

While most people probably haven't even heard of hot Dr. Pepper, the recipe is still included on the FAQ page on the Dr. Pepper web site.

(via Messy Nessy Chic)