Say it ain’t so
Not only does pot-smoking impair your memory, the munchies do too, according to an Australian study. [ABC] —Ann Limpert
FritoLay is going to produce Buffalo Wild Wings-flavored Doritos, which presumably means that Taco Bell is not far behind with a Buffalo Wild Wings-flavored Doritos Locos taco. [Gawker] —Benjamin Freed
What eating a lot of meat and dairy does to the trillions of microbes that your gut needs to function properly. Newsflash: not pretty. [NPR] —Todd Kliman
“The ocean is basically a toilet bowl for all of our chemical pollutants and waste in general.” Something to think about when eating that sushi. [NPR] —Chris Campbell
Agreed.
Dallas food critic Leslie Brenner weighs in with her list of “things that need to disappear in 2014.” I’m on board with most of these, including sub-par banh mi sandwiches, “modernist crumbs,” side dishes “served in really cute cast-iron pans,” and—maybe the most pretentious trend of all—“menus where the dishes appear as lists of ingredients separated by commas.” [Dallas News] —TK
Eat like an angel
An Elle editor (and talented personal friend) eats like a Victoria’s Secret Model for a month. The results? Not so angelic. [Elle] —Anna Spiegel
Oddities
You can always count on Floridians to provide the best stories of the week: In a Miami convenience store, a guy tried to pay for beer with . . . a four-foot-long live alligator. [CBS Miami] —AL
I would love to review this restaurant: Cabbages and Condoms. [LA Times] —TK
Trending
In the UK, the traditional dinner party is dying. In its place? Share plates. Somewhere, José Andrés is harumphing. [The Telegraph] —TK
Jesus is said to have turned water into wine. These Brooklyn distillers are turning Coke into whiskey. Interesting, but much less impressive. [Gizmodo] —TK
Fact check, please
A fired chef hacks into his previous employer’s Twitter account. Hilarity ensues. [Eater National] —AS
Not sure about this trade: “Coffee and cigarettes may ward off liver disease.” Sure, but enjoy that iron lung in return. [Free Press Journal] —CC
Amusing distractions
So, Liberace wrote a cookbook, it turns out. Love the subtitle: Recipes from His Seven Dining Rooms. Brains in black butter. Pierogies. Braised Oxtails. All the sorts of things that are now the rage on restaurant menus. If only for the hilarious pictures, this is worth a skim. [Brain Pickings] —TK
A fun little quiz about booze and literature. [The Guardian] —TK
Drinking and reading
Holiday season means list time, so here’s 26 fascinating things to know about beer. [The Week] —CC
One writer’s experience with Chartreuse: “It’s cloying sweet too, so sweet it hurts to swallow. My tongue feels numb and my breath tastes like blood.” [McSweeneys] —BF
British Medical Journal dares to bash one of its own citizens, saying James Bond was an impotent lush. My wife’s reaction to Daniel Craig’s blue eyes dare to differ. [Wine-Searcher] —CC
DC Brau did the right thing by sending a cease-and-desist letter to an upstart Silver Spring brewery that might have shared a name with one of its flagship beers. The craft beer industry is growing so rapidly, companies like DC Brau need to protect their trademarks. [DC Beer] —BF
Happy holidays (or are they?)
Ah, a heartwarming story for the holiday season. [The Raw Story] —TK
