Balance of Food

Celebrating Full Frontal with Samantha Bee for fighting for a better food system

As an actual journalist, I bemoan what passes for food journalism. The best reporters on the food system in the United States have been comedians, such as Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and yes, Samantha Bee.

For 7 years, Samantha Bee took on topics real journalists were afraid to confront. Samantha Bee might have been afraid yet she did segments on important issues such as school lunch funding.

Full Frontal with Samantha Bee on TBS ended its run over the terribly awful Warner Bros. Discovery merger with the new TBS management making several stupid mistakes, one of them cancelling the show. We had hope the show could find a new home but that seems highly unlikely.

Having a half hour a single day a week meant the show couldn't cover as much as The Daily Show did. Still, we would love to celebrate what we had.

Full Frontal with Samantha Bee makes the case for universal free lunch

The stigma of lunch debt. The pandemic led to the USDA to waive price as an issue for the cost of school lunches. Those waivers pretty much expired about a year ago.

The economic numbers don't reflect the number of people unemployed or sharply underemployed, many of whom have children who go to school. Feeding lunch to children is crucial to their ability to learn, which benefits everyone in society.

Since the GOP controls the House, there will be zero legislation to improve the situation.

The food system is also about who is involved in your food

The impact on immigrants, no matter their status, makes a gigantic impact on the U.S. food system from farm workers to restaurant workers and even chef/owner immigrants. Samantha Bee is an immigrant from Canada (that counts) so Bee and Padma Lakshmi, host of Top Chef, talked about the impact of immigration on food.

"I think the food landscape in this country would be completely different without immigrant labor," said Lakshmi. "We all have a responsibility to reach down and pull up the people who really break their back for you day in and day out."

Bee spotlights Cristina Martinez, who runs a popular barbacoa restaurant. Martinez explained in Spanish that she came to the United States to escape her abusive now ex-husband.

The food insecurity coverage in most mainstream journalism during the pandemic was about the visual of long lines for food pantries. Once again, Samantha Bee points out the food insecurity before the pandemic and the loss of school lunches since children weren't going to school.

BalanceofFood.com school lunch coverage

BalanceofFood.com U.S. food policy coverage

BalanceofFood.com television coverage

The Daily Show is in transition after Trevor Noah left. The future of these late-night shows, once so crucial to supplementing journalism, is really up in the air.

What's Eating America devotes cable news time to important food issues

How Trevor Noah and The Daily Show poked fun at the food supply

The MSNBC series was brief and mostly got on the air thanks to the popularity of Andrew Zimmern. This is the exception in cable news, not the norm. While the Trevor Noah version wasn't as diligent about the food supply system, Roy Wood Jr. could have his own show on the topic.

In a TikTok world, the idea of 7-8 minutes for a segment devoted to a food policy concern with humor and significance finding a happy partnership feel wonderful but may be only a pipe dream.

The Food Network and Cooking Channel, both owned by Discovery, the group that took down Samantha Bee's program, would be the ideal place for a block of programming once a week on actual food policy issues. Over the air stations are required to run educational programming. We could check that box, though cable channels don't have that requirement.

photo and video credits: Full Frontal with Samantha Bee/TBS

Nutrisystem plays up saving money but cooking is less expensive

"It's cheaper than going out and getting my own food or meal planning."

This ad goes into saving money by not throwing away food or being cheaper than eating out. These ads never say the word "cooking" because they know their plans aren't as cheap as cooking.

"Getting my own food" usually refers to going to the grocery store. You could rummage through Dumpsters, trespass on farms to pick vegetables, or get food to bring back to your domicile. "Cheaper than … meal planning." Does meal planning cost anything?

The ad pushes the idea of saving money. Patrick is a financial advisor and he knows he is saving money, though part of why he is saving money is that he is compensated for the ad. Someone is literally throwing away food. Implication is that one would never throw off the Nutrisystem food.

"Less expensive than going out to eat." Yes. A false comparison. Yes.

Arguing that this program is easier, less stressful, and fewer temptations: all solid arguments. Cheaper? Not so much.

Any diet program that is more about producing food than diet techniques wants you to think their food is a bargain. This ad is more overt than most.

The Federal Trade Commission (do we even still have a FTC?) would get involved if there was an obvious deception. Hopefully. We are not saying there is anything technically untruthful in the ad, if Nutrisystem's lawyers are reading this story. The ad is generally deceptive in nature but American standards for advertising allow a lot.

There is nothing magical in any food from any diet company. The diet culture is almost 50 years old. People generally did pretty well with regular food.

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Cooking allows you to use vegetables in multiple dishes. Celery is a lot cheaper when some of it goes into a soup, sauce, a snack, and other dishes. You could make a stew or chili that will last several days. You could make a tomato sauce and use it for different dishes.

Buying spices in bulk gives you flavor over a lot of dishes. A single tub of full-fat Greek yogurt gives you versatility and keeps you full.

Weight control is a lifetime issue for a lot of people. Buying someone else's food might work for awhile. Unless you plan to buy that food for 30 years, you should learn cooking to be more flexible and learn more about food than getting a delivery of meals for the next 4 weeks (read the fine print).

video and photo credit: Nutrisystem

Saute mushrooms, part deux: Cooking them with water

Sauté mushrooms with water seemed to be a contradiction to what we've learned about the sauté. Mushrooms in a cold pan … with water!?

Earlier this year, we tried the Alton Brown method. Waiting 45 seconds before adding the mushrooms and water. Cooking 2-4 minutes and then adding the butter. We tried this twice because, well, I added the wrong amount of water the first time. Neither effort came close to what Brown wanted us to accomplish.

I had some faith in the concept but not the method. I sauté a lot of mushrooms and slowly gave up on the idea of involving water.

America's Test Kitchen on PBS also tried to convince me to use the method. They had an experiment on how much oil mushrooms had been absorbed: raw vs. cooked briefly in the microwave. The difference in oil was significant. Again, the method sounded great but the practice needed to be effective.

The America's Test Kitchen (ATK) recipe is a considerable side dish with red wine, chicken broth, and rosemary. I just wanted to sauté some mushrooms to put on spaghetti. Both the Brown method and the ATK approach involved at least a pound of mushrooms.

The ATK approach started with a cold pan with the mushrooms and water. The water was a ¼ cup instead of ⅓ cup for the Brown method. No 45-second wait.

ATK noted that you should wait until the liquid evaporates to then put in the oil. The Brown method didn't mention the liquid and suggests putting in the fat a lot sooner.

The mushrooms release their liquid so in using the ATK method, there is a lot more liquid. I used a timer to keep track of the progress. There isn't a precise amount of time — a few minutes definitely — waiting until the liquid disappears is the key.

Using less butter or oil or even bacon grease is an advantage to cooking with water. Less fat and more money. This is not a no-fat approach, just using the mushrooms natural makeup to use less fat.

Food TV teaches us to eat with our eyes. The philosophy results in an uglier presentation. If texture is an issue, this approach can be your new best friend. There are advantages to both paths in terms of taste: the water path means smaller pieces that feel more meaty.

Mushrooms and other vegetables can taste better with improved texture

On the surface, this anecdote means the Brown method was "wrong" and the ATK approach was "right." This is where there is art to the science of cooking. The paths are sufficiently similar. Both recipes are checked over and over before hitting the airwaves (cable?). Both are rooted in the science of mushrooms.

ATK offers more steps, which can help some cooks who follow along step by step. The Brown method has a precision with the 45 seconds missing from the ATK approach.

You may have tried both paths and found the Alton Brown method was dominant over the America's Test Kitchen approach. This is why trying more than one path can help you figure out a cooking task.

You might try one path for certain dishes and another path for other dishes. You might combine some of each method into one that suits your cooking.

The New York Times declared mushrooms to be the 2022 Ingredient of the Year. Experimenting with mushrooms is worthwhile.

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Resolve to post more pictures of home cooking in 2019

I've been enjoying Mary Berg's Mary Makes It Easy, which airs on the Food Network in the United States. As a nod to our sibling blog, CanadianCrossing.com, Berg is Canadian, which explains why she says Fahrenheit a lot and has an actual recipe for butter tarts.

I can't say I love all 4 recipes in any episode but there is almost some tidbit or a whole recipe in every episode where I find personal temptation.

There are so few cooking shows on commercial television so the ones that are good need to be noted.

I can deal with Berg's shortened language — parm for parmesan — and find it reasonably charming. You should know that Berg goes really fast in a recipe and makes great assumptions if you are not a seasoned cook. Her show sometimes feels like you are listening to a podcast at 1.3 speed because the show goes really fast.

The idea is to realize your own speed as a cook and approach inspiration accordingly. A Mary Berg idea might be your jam, as she would say, but you might need a ATK approach to figure how to work through a recipe. This is a part of the cooking process. The idea may be great, such as cooking mushrooms in water, but this only works when you find an approach or method that suits your cooking interests.

photos credit: me

How Trevor Noah and The Daily Show poked fun at the food supply

Trevor Noah and The Daily Show couldn't live up to the standard on criticism of the food industry set by Jon Stewart in that incarnation of the U.S. TV program. Still, the Trevor Noah era — which started in 2015 and ends tonight — did weigh in on food topics.

We thought an outside perspective on the U.S. approach to food would have been a natural fit for Noah's comedy. While Stewart weighed in from the desk, Noah let correspondent pieces speak for themselves.

Here are the stories we covered that The Daily Show covered in the Trevor Noah era.

Food banks now more important than ever in COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic

Daily Show looks into alternative meats

Will people come back for the Popeyes chicken sandwich?

Daily Show addresses increased junk food in school lunches

Meals on Wheels symbol of Trump attack on food supply

McDonald's Canada kale salad high in calories, but consumers have options to reduce calories

Roy Wood Jr., who is under consideration to be a host or a rotating host, had particular fun with the Meals on Wheels segment, the junk food in school lunches, alternative meats, and the obsession over the Popeyes chicken sandwich.

Appreciating Jon Stewart, The Daily Show on food and nutrition

BalanceofFood.com Daily Show coverage

Saying goodbye to the Colbert Report

The new host or hosts take over on January 17. Hoping the new regime takes a look at the ridiculous state of the U.S. food system.

The Daily Show runs Monday-Thursday at 11 pm Eastern on Comedy Central.

photo credit: The Daily Show with Trevor Noah

Enjoy foods where you travel but be careful what you bring back

I arrived back from Canada earlier this week. I did bring back some Canadian treats. Ketchup chips. Butter tarts. I brought in all of this food legally. I have missed Canadian treats.

In preparing for the trip, I was thinking back to the time of Canadian fat cakes. Well, not actual Canadian fat cakes because they aren't real. Smuggling them back into the United States would not have been a crime, even if they existed.

The Canadian fat cakes episode of iCarly is now 10 years old. Jennette McCurdy, who played Sam, the one obsessed with Canadian fat cakes, is now retired from acting.

That may be more about what we learned in her memoir I'm Glad My Mom Died.

McCurdy talked about weight issues she had due in part to the stress her mother put on her. Having to pretend to be obsessed about a fictional treat, even as lovely as one as Canadian fat cakes, had to be difficult. I don't know much about her acting ability, but Sam had me jonesing for Canadian fat cakes.

I loved how the writers noted the contrast that American fat cakes had "corn fat" while Canadian fat cakes had "cane fat." This was 10 years ago. There was a time where I would have brought over Canadian Twinkies, back when there was a difference. The Jos. Louis cakes, which are real, have the dreaded glucose-fructose aka high-fructose corn syrup.

Your humble narrator hasn't been able to "smuggle" food in from Canada in about 3 years. If I were driving, my trunk would overflow from all the Canadian food I would love to bring back to the United States. All of it legally.

The rules haven't changed. Live food, such as fruits, vegetables, and meat, are definitely not allowed. Foods that were never alive, such as ketchup chips, butter tarts, and the proverbial Canadian fat cakes, aren't a problem.

These rules also apply to entering other countries from the United States. Each country has their own rules for what you can bring into that country.

Australia has very strict rules on bringing anything into that country.  

iCarly hits Canada in search of Canadian Fat Cakes

Temptation of the Week: Canadian fat cakes

Celebrating the Michelle Obama legacy for food and nutrition

BalanceofFood.com Canada food policy coverage

When traveling, enjoy the food of where you are. Bring some home as a souvenir. Just remember to follow the rules of where you are going. 

photos credit: iCarly

Treat yourself to better quality food on your cheat day

"Could you be 'good' for 3 days, for a whole week so you could chow down on this colossal insane burger?"

The phrases "cheat day" and "sinful" have been cropping up on Food Network and Cooking Channel lately.

Robert Irvine has a whole show devoted to the concept: Cheat Day USA. The opening episode makes several stops where in Denver "a barbecue sandwich is taken to new heights with hickory-smoked beef, pork and sausage, slathered with homemade creamy cheese sauce and topped with beer-battered onion rings."

Yum and Yummer, Food Paradise, and a Food Network special also had episodes devoted to a cheat day.

• Yum and Yummer
• Food Paradise
• Food Network special

Of course, Guy Fieri had a Cheat Day episode on one of his many reality shows.

How to succeed on the Food Network and Cooking Channel: Love every single food

Podcast: Guy Fieri and his new $80 million Food Network deal

The concept of a cheat day isn't new. The Catholics do this during Lent where Sundays become cheat days in that you can indulge in whatever you gave up — for 24 hours.

We're not even upset over the idea of a cheat day. Your humble narrator used Saturday nights to make a special dinner during the height of the pandemic and looked forward to that during the week.

If you truly have been good on those other days, really good, that should be part of your reward. Splitting your French fries with a friend. Adding extra vegetables to your salad. Cutting bacon in half so you feel like you ate 2 slices when there was one slice cut in 2. Building in consistency on good days can make that a pattern instead of viewing it through the lens of 3-6 "good days."

Okay, so you aren't that good on your "good days." You still want the reward. You are human after all.

The problem isn't where you set your standard on those "good days"; the issue is your standard on the cheat days.

I've seen most of these segments. They remind us of most of what is on Food Paradise. I want to host a show where we point out 1-2 (sometimes 5) items that shouldn't be on said food item.

If you have too many things on your burger, you might as well have a portobello mushroom or veggie burger instead of a burger. Yes, food on TV needs to be ridiculous.

A burger should have 2, maybe 3 items at the most. Smaller, more subtle flavors in the mix. A slow onion jam on a burger is wonderful though maybe not indulgent. Blue cheese contributes more flavor than a more flavorless cheese. Crumbled bacon instead of 3 barely cooked strips. Still indulgent but a nice treat.

BalanceofFood.com reality TV coverage

"Damnit. I've been good all week. I should be able to celebrate the way I want." Yes, you should. You don't want to measure out celebration or happiness.

The barbecue sandwich from Denver has 3 different kinds of meat. Will you appreciate all the different types of meat on your sandwich? The "homemade creamy cheese sauce" sounds like calories without much flavor. That can be indulgent but not useful to truly be indulgent.

As someone who has ordered French fries and onion rings at the same time, I get the temptation of fried foods. The beer-battered onion rings might be helpful if a substitute for French fries.

If your celebration food has better quality and flavor without tons of layers, you can really appreciate the taste that goes into a cheat day item. Use those calories for maximum flavor. You deserve the best for a cheat day.

Bone marrow done at home: a most unusual breakfast

This doesn't look as glamorous as the picture at the top of the column. I took this picture but that isn't the reason. This is bone marrow on sourdough toast from my latest birthday. 2 ingredients: bone marrow and toasted sourdough bread.

Plenty of flavor and fat. Great mouth feel. Calories? Have no clue what I ate in that meal. This was indulgence. I had to do a bit of work but not that much work.

This might be the best meal I have this year. Should finish in the top 5 or 10. This wouldn't make the cut on those food television shows because the dish isn't "outrageous" and doesn't photograph well. There is certainly no third or fourth rate cheese in the dish.

You can reduce food costs despite inflation

This grilled mac and cheese sandwich from Panera is described as OTT (over the top). We would agree. Maybe you will beg for this sandwich.

If the whole good day/cheat day yo-yo isn't working for you, ask yourself if you can do better on your good days. Add some lower-calorie flavor to your good days. Add some higher quality food to your cheat day.

Perhaps you will respond better to a more even wavelength than the ones you get now where your highs are too high and lows are too low.

BalanceofFood.com television coverage

"We eat with our eyes," television says to us. We don't. "Television wouldn't lie to us." It does. All the time.

Bigger isn't better. More ingredients piled on top are not better. Think of food more like a charcuterie board than a Dagwood type sandwich.

photo credits: Cheat Day USA/Cooking Channel; me

Full Frontal with Samantha Bee makes the case for universal free lunch

The USDA waived any requirements during the pandemic, allowing all school children to get a free school lunch. As Full Frontal with Samantha Bee points out, that policy expires at the end of this school year.

We found during the height of the pandemic that many children rely on their schools to give them food and nutrition they weren't necessarily getting at home.

Lunch debt has been a real thing. The program explains nuances such as subsidies not reflecting the cost of food and financially strapped school districts really need the money.

We see samples of children raising money to help their fellow kids get out of "lunch debt." While those stories are heartwarming, their efforts should be unnecessary.

One way for schools to reduce the money to spend on school lunches is scratch cooking. Unfortunately, a lot of schools can't make that happen due to a lack of facilities.

California and Maine have passed universal free lunch on a state level. The federal waiver expires June 30. Bee makes a strong case for universal free lunch.

How school lunch can teach children about vegetarian options

Vote for a better food policy on Election Day

Daily Show addresses increased junk food in school lunches

BalanceofFood.com school lunch coverage

BalanceofFood.com television coverage

One more school lunch related note mentioned in the segment: give these kids a proper amount of time to eat lunch. The segment mention that some school lunches are served at 9 am.

Full Frontal with Samantha Bee airs on TBS on Thursdays at 10 pm Eastern.

photo and video credit: Full Frontal with Samantha Bee/TBS

Film review: Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain

They say you should never meet your heroes, how you will be disappointed in who they are as opposed to who we imagine them to be.

Roadrunner starts out as a film chronicling how Anthony Bourdain became famous. Even if Bourdain were still alive, this would be a great documentary subject. Bourdain, up until his 40s, led an interesting life that virtually no one knew about.

Kitchen Confidential. Then the videos started: A Cook's Tour. No Reservations (with The Layover). Parts Unknown. Each of those shows under different umbrellas and approaches, showing a more maturing Bourdain along the way. Given that this part of his life started when he was in his 40s, his work got more mature as the shows changed. You could argue they were all food and travel shows. He didn't eat that much in the first and third shows. Parts Unknown was about, as David Chang put it, Bourdain trying to be a better person.

Morgan Neville then steers the documentary boat into the curious yet futile question: "Why did Anthony Bourdain kill himself?" Neville asks the people around Bourdain and they gave their take. Ottavia, his second wife, gives her perspective. People talk about how devoted Bourdain was to his daughter, Ariane Busia-Bourdain.

There are the theories. Bourdain wanted to slow down but didn't know how to make that move. Bourdain's second marriage crumbled. Actor/director Asia Argento stepped in. Was she the reason?

A documentary should be judged on who doesn't get interviewed. Neville made a case for not interviewing Argento. We hear about the Hong Kong episode story. The looks on people's faces change when they talk about that episode. The one person who had an intriguing story about that episode was longtime cinematographer Zach Zamboni. Zamboni was fired during the shoot over a dispute between Zamboni and Argento, who ended up directing the episode.

Neville takes us down this path knowing there won't be a nice neat bow to the story of Bourdain. His addictive personality is on display. Artist David Choe says Bourdain is the only person who gave up heroin without treatment. What made Bourdain great on TV in his food travels was the addiction for something more. Most people making TV aren't getting better. The adaptation to different levels of Bourdain were part of that addiction. Bourdain got involved with jiujitsu in part because his wife competed in the sport.

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On the second Bourdain Day, how Anthony Bourdain would handle a worldwide pandemic

Bourdain Day is a way to celebrate the love of food and food cultures

Neville has a good reputation as a documentary filmmaker. See the Academy Award winning 20 Feet from Stardom or Best of Enemies on Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley or Won't You Be My Neighbor? about Fred Rogers.

Being curious about why someone killed themselves is worthy of a documentary. Cutting corners to get to that point is a bad sign. The use of Bourdain's voice in an e-mail through AI is a terrible move for a documentary. You don't gain anything from the shortcut. Many other things that Bourdain did say are portrayed in a manipulative fashion.

If you are a fan of Anthony Bourdain and his shows, you know Bourdain has countless mentions of death, especially his own death, on the shows. This doesn't always mean suicide will happen but this is a clue to consider.

We don't learn a lot about Bourdain in the second half of the film, except that he had flaws.

"You don't want his legacy to come off as like somebody who succumbed to this darkness. That wasn't him. Like he created something that was so important — and I want — that really needs to be like — that is the legacy of his life. Not this stupid bullshit that he did at the end." — Lydia Tenaglia, co executive producer of Zero Point Zero Production.

The flaw in Roadrunner is that the film is much more about that "stupid bullshit."

Laurie Woolever interview on Q with Tom Power (CBC Radio One)

Anthony Bourdain legacy: Find your own food adventure

Anthony Bourdain takes CNN's Parts Unknown to the mysterious land of Newfoundland

If you want to learn something about Anthony Bourdain, watch this film until it turns dark. Otherwise, watch No Reservations (we are partial to that version) or Parts Unknown.

BalanceofFood.com travel coverage

BalanceofFood.com film coverage

Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain is available for rent. The film is scheduled to air again on CNN on Saturday at 10 pm Eastern.

video credit: YouTube/Focus Features
photo credit: Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain

Ranking food Super Bowl LVI ads

Avocados from Mexico is on a better track compared to recent Super Bowl ads. The ancient tailgating scene was a highlight from Super Bowl LVI ads.

While the ads overall were lackluster, there were some decent food-related Super Bowl ads in 2022.

Super Bowl LVI finally gave Andy Richter a chance to be in an Avocados from Mexico Super Bowl ad. Richter, as Julius Caesar, is the only recognizable personality in this truly old-school tailgating scene.

Richter had a fake rant on Conan in 2018 about how avocados didn't need to advertise in the Super Bowl, how they didn't have any competition.

The Andy Richter of 2018 is more correct than the Richter of 2022. The end of the ad with Richter as Julius Caesar was really odd. Avocados in salads is a nice idea, though not in a Caesar salad. 

Avocados can sell themselves but the company has struggled to do that lately.  

Shoppers in some parts of the United States are not finding the avocados (from anywhere) to be as good lately. Avocados from a couple of years would be a welcome sight.

Seth Rogen teamed up with Paul Rudd for the Lay's Golden Memories ad. The chips ended up in past memories the two friends had before the wedding for Rogen's character.

The characterization made Lay's chips seem cooler than the brand's usual image. Basic chips are now not so basic.

We also covered this ad for our Canadian sibling blog, CanadianCrossing.com.

Ranking food and drink Super Bowl LV ads

Super Bowl ad analysis in recent years

2020   2019   2018   2017   2016   2015   2014   2013   2011

Hellman's had a really nice message about reducing food waste and how the actual product can help this growing problem. Jerod Mayo tackled his way into "explaining" why food waste is a problem. Pete Davidson is the opposite of mayonnaise, which might help and hurt the image of mayonnaise.

Hellmann's and Best Foods are the same product with Best Foods being the name west of the Rocky Mountains. You run into the same issue with Carl's Jr. and Hardee's where the ads run under the Carl's Jr. name.

Flamin' Hot snacks have been popular in certain markets so seeing the genre advertised on a larger scale is a bit surprising. The Doritos product, which somehow combines flamin' hot and cool ranch, is rather confusing.

We often point out where the product can't live up to the advertising. This might be an ad that brings down the product. The animals are so excited to eat junk food that they incorporate the old school song Push It from Salt-N-Pepa.

This is the worst food ad for Super Bowl LVI: sad more than anything else. People in the board room must have been afraid to criticize the ad. Not the worst ad on the night but the money could have been better spent.

The Taco Bell ad involves clowns who lose their makeup and outfits to have late night fun. This is the opposite issue from the Doritos ad. Great ad because they didn't show off the lousy product.

This was a vibrant, colorful ad that looked like people were having fun. This was creative, thoughtful, interesting. If you watch fast food ads from ancient times (40-45 years ago), they talk about how great the food is. Taco Bell knows if you are in Taco Bell, you have low standards, especially if you are sober.

Pringle's had its best ad in ages, which is a very low bar. The obsession with buying several flavors and building stacks is hopefully out of their system. The ad has fun with the canister design, which is a playful way of saying, "we are different from the competition." A Super Bowl ad should make that distinction.

They are technically potato crisps instead of potato chips, but they fall into the snack category.

BalanceofFood.com advertising coverage

Honorable mention goes to a promo during the game for NFL.com/Play60 to get digital resources to get kids eating healthy and moving.

The healthy eating part appears to be an effort with America's Dairy Farmers to get kids to eat cheese sticks and drink milk. Yes, kids need protein for growing bodies. They could eat real cheese, yogurt, and whole milk without added high-fructose corn syrup.

photo credit: Avocados from Mexico
video credits: the companies themselves; Conan/TBS

Bone marrow done at home: a most unusual breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day but most days is entirely forgettable. When planning an extraordinary menu of food for my latest birthday, I struggled to find something different and tasty for breakfast.

I had the Good Eats episode Marrow Minded in my head for a different reason. Cutting expenses is crucial these days. The idea of eating bone marrow in a restaurant was very tempting yet expensive. Could I actually follow what the episode said to prepare bone marrow at home.

I was considering a snack of bone marrow for the birthday in case going out would be a struggle (the curse of a winter birthday). After all, the first pandemic birthday of 2021 was a nightmare for different reasons.

The bone marrow for breakfast idea came out of using a spreadsheet for the eating possibilities. I put bone marrow in the breakfast slot and never changed it out.

Alton Brown's idea for cooking the pipes was terribly impractical. Not having an outdoor grill, much less access to one, much less access in the middle of winter: that wasn't going to work.

Alton Brown's idea for cooking the canoes was clever and practical. Using aluminum foil to balance out the bones was helpful.

Pipes run vertical and require a marrow spoon or even a letter opener (talk about multitaskers) to get out the marrow. Canoes run horizontal and access to the fat is really easy.

I have an excellent meat market so getting the bones was the easy part of the exercise. I also had access to day-old local bread that toasts up really well.

Here is what I did not do:

• Alton Brown suggests brining the bones. My bones were too long for a container. Maybe that would have made a huge difference in taste.
• Brown made a combination of the 2 suggested salads to go with the dish. Looked good but this was too much work for my birthday, especially when I was the chef. The idea was to cut the richness of the fat yet I wanted that richness to stand out.

These were marvelous ideas if you have the time/need/space to do this.

My aluminum foil attempt still produced some leakage of fat from the bones. I did create a 2-layer system of foil so it kept the fallen fat safe.

The marrow can be in large chunks when removing the fat from the marrow. Give yourself time to spread this thinner on the bread. Your patience will be rewarded: an Alton Brown common phrase.

Do not think you are cooking too much toast. I wondered if I was cooking too much toast and it was not. Marrow can go a long way on toast.

Your house will smell wonderful for some time after you cook. That was the best my kitchen had smelled in a very long time.

A simple breakfast of bone marrow and sourdough toast might seem too simple. I thought of adding bacon, since everything goes with bacon. I was glad I did not add bacon. The prize was the marrow and toast. I should have added a finishing salt but forgot.

The only accompaniment was a glass bottle of Mexican Coca-Cola with cane sugar. Not normally a breakfast item but this was not a typical breakfast.

You deserve better than 'birthday cake' flavored anything

BalanceofFood.com holidays coverage

Cost: Was surprised that a nice amount of bone marrow cost $8.40, tax included. Figure $1.50 for the bread and $1.25 for the soft drink. You could get a fancier meal having brunch in a restaurant but not one as satisfying as what I made at home.

I hadn't considered the idea of bone marrow at home until Alton Brown mentioned this in his show. That sounds pathetic to me but factor in a lot of cooking that seems unsure and life can be "safer" to not try.

Bone marrow is getting popular but has been around for a long time. If we want nose to tail, bone marrow is a tasty way to live out that philosophy.

That breakfast was one to remember. These food memories are some of the best-treasured moments from my life. Creating one without having to travel beyond a few miles is important when traveling is difficult.

photos credit: me