Link of the Day

Red's swamped this week, so this will be a short one. Today's link comes via eat me daily, where Kaci Beeler's food-themed paintings are taking front seat. They're really well done, with lots of great detail and color work--to be honest, I'm surprised I haven't seen more people doing still life paintings of great food, when still life paintings of fruits and vegetables have always been so prominent. Here's the link to some great shots, and more info on the artist. Bon appetit!

Link of the Day -- Threadcakes

I'd say a good 3/4 of my friends have a strange appreciation for the t-shirts from Threadless, and frankly, if I wore t-shirts more often, I probably would too. They're always cleverly designed and have a strong presence of adorable animals. What more could you want? Well, it turns out that Threadless has launched a competition for its foodiest fans--Threadcakes! It's a challenge to see who can best represent a Threadless shirt on a cake, and people have done some pretty awesome stuff. The winner is based off one of my favorite designs, one that a friend of mine used to wear on a regular basis. Check it out here, as well as all the runners up!

[via Serious Eats]

Link of the Day -- Ice Cream Pudding at Coldstone

Just when you thought you'd heard it all, some weirdo in marketing comes up with a nutty idea that a bigwig CEO decides to run with. Take, for instance, Coldstone's new product, an ice cream concoction that somehow melts into such thick ice cream soup they're calling it pudding. Apparently, it's part of a collaboration between Coldstone and JELL-O, which I don't even want to know what kinds of chemicals would make that possible, and I can't say I'm interested in trying it, but it's just strange enough to post over here. But perhaps I'm being closed-minded. Sometimes these things end up being much better than they sound! Thoughts, anyone?

[via Metromix]

Link of the Day -- In-Pool Pong

On the one hand, I wish I could say I was too classy for beer pong. But on the other, I've always been the split personality foodie--as much as I love upscale fine dining, my favorite kind of food has always been down n' dirty BBQ, and I can't ignore the side of me that really loves simple, lowbrow drink and dining. Beer pong falls into precisely that category--even though I don't partake on too regular an occasion, it's always a welcome way to unwind with friends in the most casual of ways. When I saw a short blurb on inflatable beer pong tables for in-pool summer play in amNY this morning, I knew it would make the perfect link of the day. Now to find an appropriate pool!

Want your own portable beer pong table? Check out this site, but be warned--they don't exactly have a classy side ;)

Link of the Day -- Inner Messages

Today I randomly came across this fantastic site by Yoon Jung Yun, a Korean jewelry designer making "inner message" rings. The rings look like ordinary wedding bands (though they don't necessarily need to be used as such), but on the inside, they contain secret messages printed backwards in raised text, causing it to be imprinted on the wearer's finger after a few hours of wear. It's a really adorable idea--certainly very private, subtle, and intimate--and I love that the bands can be purchased as singles rather than pairs, making for a great romantic gift. Ready-to-wear designs with "always" and "marry me" imprinted in them start at $120, with custom messages available for some more. It's may not be super budget-friendly, but it gets across a clear point!

Inner Message rings by Yoon Jung Yun, available right over here.

Link of the Day -- Student Cooks

As the weather continues to grate on me (we haven't seen the sun in how many days??) I'm happy to find little bits of happiness over the course of my daily reading. This particular article in the NY Daily News was one of those--it's about a high school in Queens (no, not the one affected by swine flu!) that has taken a heavy initiative to open its own restaurant. It's the first such project of its kind (at least in NYC), with the high school students acting as business management, chefs, and recipe developers to feed their staff and faculty. The result? Students with a better understanding of what it takes to run a business, what it's like to work in the culinary world, how to feed themselves nutritiously, and--perhaps most importantly--how to make a killer meal for Mom this Mother's Day. See the whole article here--it's a great read!

(Photo via NY Daily News)

Link of the Day

There may have been confusion recently about why Ruth Reichl (personal hero and editrex of Gourmet) had been dressed up as Gene Simmons at the Four Seasons a few weeks ago, but all that was cleared up today when the eds at the glorified food pub released this quirky little video. Whether they're trying to appeal to a younger crowd or simply trying to get a few laughs, I'm not sure. But this is too great not to share with all you!


I'm not able to embed the video here, but hit this little link to see the 2 minute clip--it's a good laugh, foodie or not.

Link of the Day

After yesterday's Seder, Red is feeling le tired. To keep it brief today, I found this fun little link for those of you interested in dining deals around the city. $30 all you can eat BBQ and $35 omakases and four course meals abound, so look closely! There's something for nearly everyone and the list can be found here.

Link of the Day -- April Fools?

I stumbled upon this article this morning and got quite the laugh. Then I made a double take--is this for real? April Fools? I'm not sure, actually! Either way, I thought it would provide some quality humor to kick off the day.

Headline: Mothers Against Drunkenly Driving a Motorized Barstool

PS. Stay posted for a fun foodie-related Budget Finds coming up later today!

Link of the Day

If I titled this post, "On Mussels and Medicine," you'd probably think I'd made a typo. "Muscles and Medicine" makes a lot more sense, but this article here might change your mind. As a seafood lover, I tend to fight a few close friends who hate the thought of eating mussels and clams (especially razor clams, which I ate for the first time this weekend!). However, I'm pretty sure everyone will think this is a pretty nifty development, regardless of seafood preferences. Check it out and let me know your thoughts!

Link of the Day

I couldn't resist sharing this adorable little find that I stumbled upon while reading Serious Eats earlier this morning. Let me clarify a few things first, though. Both Beetlejuice and the Beatles hold very special places in my heart, even though they have nothing in common. I always have to resist the Mott's Apple Juice boxes because there's nothing more wonderful that a cold juice box slowly enjoyed from a teeny-tiny straw on a hot summer day. And as a kid, I hated apple juice, which means that I've had the kid-favorite obsession a little later in life.

With all that in mind, I introduce you to the best juice boxes ever:


In case you can't quite make it out, the flavors are: Apple McCartney, John Lemon, George Pearrison, and Mango Starr. John Lemon aside, these sound delish and feature the coolest design while hitting like a million soft spots all at once. Genius? I think so.

Link of the Day

Today's link of the day gets you more of a value lunch than even the ramen quiche below. Yes, we're talking cheaper than $0.85. What could be cheaper than $0.85? A free lunch at Quiznos, that's what. Click here to get yours!

What The World Eats

Ever since TIME captured Obama's charisma through their brilliant behind-the-scenes photography on the campaign trail, I've been really impressed by the consistently provocative images their photographers manage to capture.


That's probably more true than ever this week, given the first set of photographs by Peter Menzel that form the multi-part project entitled "What the World Eats."


The e-exhibit goes around the world positioning families in front of a spread of food consisting of their weekly intake, providing the total cost and country below. Not only are the products and nutritional values staggeringly different from country to country, but food costs and presumptive breakdowns are fascinating as well.


Take a look at which countries drink more soda. Notice that although the Japanese families eat far more packaged food than expected--interesting, no? If I had to choose, I'd be torn between Italy and Mexico--so many fruits and vegetables (and let's not even mention all that delicious bread in the Italy picture!).


Perhaps my favorite observation--Nissin Cup Noodles in Japan. Aren't those made in the States? And Kosher? They're outsourcing ramen from us??? Click here to find out which photos belong where, check out some more great photos, and see the full stats.


Correction: Turns out this project wasn't done specifically by Time. Rather, Time ran the photos which were created for this book, called Hungry Planet: What the World Eats. Check out that book here, or check here for some more info. The kind folks with Peter Menzel request that if you continue to share these photos, that you please credit with "Photographs by Peter Menzel from the book 'Hungry Planet.'" Thanks!

Link of the Day

For all those times that I wondered where the good food was in the Fashion Week tents, here's a lesson to be learned. Even when great food itself is not around, the possibilities still abound. That's a message that Bergdorf Goodman is putting into good practice with their new Fashion Week Tea Service, which is serving up treats inspired by the runway throughout the duration of this season's shows. The Times claims that it's a great idea to eat lookalikes when the real deal isn't in the cards, but at $45-60 for tea service, this may just be another thing to add to the list of "unaffordable beauties."

See more pics and info here.

Link of the Day -- Carrot Flowers

Since yesterday's post-it origami, I've been thinking about the fun ways that I can add creativity and artfulness into the least expected of places. I'll be honest, this isn't an entirely unusual thing for me, but sometimes it just gets kicked into full gear...


On that note, I remembered this nifty idea that I'd seen a few weeks ago on Apartment Therapy (a blog, which, by the way, is edging closer and closer to my ideal mix of food and decor day by day). It spruces up one of my most love/hate vegetables, carrots. They're so tasty in baby form and dipped in something like hummus or ranch, but in any other way they're just so blah to me. Especially cooked. But we don't have to go too deep into that.


Regardless, I'd be far more interested in carrots if they always looked like this. You always hear about adding carrots to a salad for color appeal, but do it like this and your culinary and artistic skills seemingly soar through the roof. Just don't tell anyone how easy it is to do! Check out the step-by-step here.

Link of the Day

My colleague was researching decor blogs when she stumbled upon this. She thought it was ridiculous; I thought it was fabulous!


Perhaps that's because I'm really craving a good burger, though...

Microwave-made Chocolate Cake: The

After finally watching my personal appearance on Food Network's Throwdown last night (!!!), I felt my tummy rumbling with quite some vigor. The battle was bread pudding, and the victor, dessert truck, is closed on vacation for another two weeks. What would I do to satisfy my newly awakened sweet tooth?

I had an idea.

Sometime last week, I tucked a link into a drawer full of bookmarks to be explored at a later date. This one--three minute microwave-made chocolate cake--would hit the spot, assuming the whole three minute microwave-made thing didn't turn out to be some nasty illusion.

Well, it wasn't. And if you, like me, are a skeptic that a perfectly decent (even delicious!) chocolate cake can be made without an oven, try this recipe. Here's what it looks like according to its creator, and the recipe can be found right here.


Don't get me wrong--this isn't a substitute for that perfect chocolate cake recipe you've brought to your friend's birthday all those years. No. This is a quick fix that hits the spot. Without much effort. And it's still pretty darn good.

Do yourself a favor--go find out when Throwdown: Bread Pudding will rerun, schedule it to tivo, and sit down and watch my first Food Network cameo with a mugful of this gooey deliciousness.

Link of the Day

All this talk about Channukah has me really craving some latkes...

...but in the meantime, TastingTable put up this quirky little guide to Channukah food around the city. Basically, it seems, anything fried and delicious would count!

Click here to check it out.


And why do we eat fried foods on Channukah, you ask? Clearly, because back in the day, the Macabees made one day's oil last eight! What does this teach us? Use oil to fry up some latkes, then re-use it for more tomorrow! And again tomorrow! Or something like that...

Link of the Day

Channukah starts this Sunday, and even after all these years I still haven't quite decided how to spell it. However, Brooklyn designer Cheryl Berkowitz spells it almost exactly the opposite way as I do: Hanukkah. It's a real to-may-toe/to-mah-toe kind of thing, but it doesn't stop me from loving her super cool subway-inspired holiday cards.

The only thing I would change (other than the spelling)? I don't live in Brooklyn! Happy Channukah from Manhattan would be just perfect, though!


Cheryl's cards are available here for $18/set of 6.

Link of the Day/FREE finds!

I know that today isn't budget finds day, but does a free find count as a budget find, necessarily? I think this falls into its own category... and lo and behold, there's already an existing label for "free stuff" here at eatmywords!

Let's not stall any longer... apartment therapy has discovered something that none of you should miss! Unless, of course, you don't like modern interpretations of nature-y designs. I realize that may be a decently sized chunk of you (male readers, perhaps? I don't mean to constantly isolate you boys), but I'm certain that anyone looking for free gifting ideas could make use of this.



Mibo, a really cool design company that does lots of nature-inspired accessories, came out with this cool 2009 calendar--the colors are gorgeous, and it's all online and FREE. There's really no reason not to print yourself out a copy and hang it in the office, the kitchen, or above the desk.

And since all "free" things have some kind of catch, I'll let you know what this one is--all you have to do is sign up for their mailing list. For those of you who hate spam, keep in mind that spam filters are always wonderful for this sort of reason (not that I'm advocating that you exploit the nice little company that gives out free pretty calendars.)

Anyway, enjoy!