This week, no one large culinary no-no entrée to chew on. Instead, a few smaller appetizer-like items to sample.
Let’s begin with Culinary no-no # 70, a famous cartoon character and his exploits around the pool.
The well known Frosted Flakes from Kellogg’s is one of the many sugar-sweetened cereals on the market. Come mid-September, look for someone other than Tony the Tiger to grace those cereal boxes: Olympic champion Michael Phelps.
In choosing Frosted Flakes, Phelps rejected the cereal most athletic phenoms opt for, the Breakfast of Champions, Wheaties. So-called health experts are furious because this will send a horrible message at a time when child obesity is sweeping Fatso, USA.
Seems to me lazy kids and irresponsible parents are more to blame for out of shape youngsters than Tony the Tiger.
Michael Phelps on boxes of Frosted Flakes? So what!
By the way, take a look at what Frosted Flakes is sponsoring.
Culinary no-no # 71
After a long run on the Food Network, celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse has landed on the environment –conscious cable channel, Planet Earth. Those familiar with Emeril, and that would be millions, know about his cooking flair, his dramatic excess. The chef calls it “turning it up a notch,” and finishes off each creation with a resounding, BAM!
Alessandra Stanley writes about television for the New York Times. With schnozzola scraping the ceiling, Stanley critiques Emeril’s latest cooking show, slamming him for not being “green” enough:
“
Emeril Lagasse cannot put away the butter. Or the cream, crème fraîche, white flour, olive oil, fried batters, béchamel, roux, mayonnaise and fatty beef. ‘Emeril Green’ on Planet Green, a new offering by the Discovery Networks, is supposed to promote easy, healthy ways to prepare nutritious, eco-friendly dishes. As he strolls the aisles of a Whole Foods Market, Mr. Lagasse mainly points out organic foods while waving a green felt-tip pen.
Recent recipes have included chocolate soufflé (cage-free eggs) and fried, breaded eggplant topped by a white shrimp-crab béchamel sauce. The diet lentil salad he prepared for a woman trying to maintain her 130-pound weight loss came topped with a fried egg.”
Excuse me, but when I watch Emeril, I’m not interested in seeing him whip up some vegan salad.
Three words for Alessandra Stanley: Please shut up!
Culinary no-no # 72
I’ve never had one, but I’ve love to try a Wendy’s Baconator:
Six strips of hickory smoked bacon piled high atop two 1/4 lb. patties of fresh, never frozen, beef with two slices of American cheese, mayo and ketchup.
Yes, I know. It's cardiac arrest on a bun.
But six, count 'em, six strips of sizzling bacon. Who doesn't love bacon? And that combo on the Baconator is downright mouth-watering. But as good as bacon is, it doesn't go with everything.
The Associated Press writes that a candy-maker in, where else, Calfiornia, has concocted chocolate-bacon bonbons.
At the Minnesota State Fair, now underway through Labor Day, Famous Dave's is selling Pig Lickers, chocolate-coverd bacon strips sprinkled with sea salt.
I recall an early episode of Happy Days where Milwaukee's favorite statue, the Fonz said that ice cream and ketchup were fabimundo apart, but put them together........thumbs down, baby.
Chefs today should refrain from getting too creative. By too creative, I mean coming up with combinations the AP mentions like watermelon and feta salad or cotton candy with foie gras.
They really need to listen to the Fonz.
Culinary no-no # 73
Can you cook an egg on a sidewalk? I guess so if it’s hot enough.
Can you bake chocolate cookies in your car?
Yes you can. But why?
