Eating

Technology and food don't always make for a good combination.

We've all heard of the many dangers of processed food. And molecular gastronomy is cool and all, but I'm more of a simple kind of cook, using fresh ingredients and basic cooking methods.

But what happens when you have a late-night craving for cupcakes and you're out of eggs or milk? You could break into that forgotten bag of chocolate chips in your kitchen cabinet to feed your sugar habit, but in this case, some old-school technology can help you out. … Read more

Breakfast in the morning is essential, and the same could be said about lunch.

Breakfast comes in all shapes and forms. It could be something obtained through a drive-through window, a healthy snack on the go, or even a long drawn-out session punctuated by a breakfast buffet. Yet even with all these breakfast options, there exists a strange clan that ignores the most important meal of the day and forges on, dodging hunger until lunch.

Perhaps this avoidance of the first meal can be attributed to simple indecision in the morning. After all, even the easiest tasks are strained when … Read more

A party on the patio is just not complete without a few pieces of furniture. Or at least one that tries harder.

Patio furniture is what you make of it. The rules of etiquette that we adhere to while dining inside do not always apply when eating out of doors. The relaxed atmosphere of the backyard enables us to kick back, put our feet up, and use tables as chairs and vice versa. Sometimes, the furniture can even bend to our wishes.

The Outdoor Convertible Coffee to Dining Table, from Hammacher Schlemmer, transforms the outdoor dining space--literally. Featuring four hinged … Read more

The sights, sounds, and smells of summer are never far away when it comes time to enjoy a hot dog. The tubular treasures have the ability to transport our senses into the backyard, the ballpark, or beyond. All it takes is a little heat.

How to apply said heat to hot dogs is not the only question. Also of concern is the attention that any cooking method requires. Luckily, hot dogs require very little attention to cook. And even less with the Electric Hot Dog Turner from Sharper Image.

The motorized rotisserie grill gadget adjusts both vertically and horizontally, making … Read more

Evernote Food lets iDevice users take photos and notes of meals not to be forgotten.

My wife and I entertain a lot. We have two young kids, and having friends to our place for dinner is less expensive than paying a babysitter and dining out. Plus, we like to cook. We typically have the same cast of characters over for dinner, and my wife recently expressed a desire to start a food journal, so we could remember what dishes we cooked for whom, in an effort to avoid duplication.

You should also know that our household is somewhat unorganized. Or … Read more

The Dirty Dozen app is handy to have on your iPhone for trips to the grocery store. It's free and simple: it lists the 12 fruits and vegetables that contain the most pesticide residue.

I'm lucky to live in a part of the country where there are farms nearby and farmer's markets that run all summer and into the fall. When winter arrives, however, I still have to keep berries in the fridge or my fruit-loving offspring may revolt. With the Dirty Dozen app, I have a quick reference to help me decide when to buy organic. … Read more

With the flavor of great home-cooked meals still on our tongues, the new year finally gets under way this week and that means it's time to get back to work.

Holiday hangover or no, we still need to manage lunch, and microwaved meals can only look so appetizing. Luckily, there is an easy way to keep the home-cooking cooking while at work.

The Crock-Pot SCCPLC200-G Lunch Crock Food Warmer offers a go-to solution for hot and ready meals on the go. Composed of a warming base and a 20-ounce food container, the two-part system offers a clever way to … Read more

Just like families themselves, family dinners come in all shapes and sizes. Regardless of exactly how families get together, one thing for certain is that there will be a lot of them doing just that during the upcoming days. That and making a mess.

Naturally, that would mean making a mess at the dinner table. As family and friends get together for the holidays, food will be served in abundance. It's as traditional as the yearly argument about whatever the yearly argument happens to be. If that argument happens to be about setting the wet slow cooker lid on … Read more

Leftover turkey offers a seemingly endless supply of options for meal times, with the key word being "seemingly." No matter how delicious or succulent the Thanksgiving bird may have been, there comes a time to quit turkey, uh, cold turkey.

When looking for something different in the kitchen it is not always a matter of shoving leftovers aside while rooting about in the fridge. Sometimes what is needed to move outside of the comfort zone of comfort food is an appliance that requires one to think outside the box.

Used to make little spheres of deliciousness, the Electric Ebelskiver Maker … Read more