John P.

One Mans Blog

Specialization is for Insects.

USDA OrganicThe next time you decide to drop some large coin on expensive organic food or “all natural” cosmetics you need to remember what you see here.

The BBC produces a television show called The Real Hustle which features three scam artists who demonstrate how easy it is to part you with your money.
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High-Fructose Corn SyrupWow, this is very bad news considering my complete and utter addiction to Coke. But Dr. Chi-Tang Ho, professor of food science at Rutgers University has uncovered evidence that our addiction to canned drinks is directly linked to diabetes because of the high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

HFCS is a sweetener found in many foods and beverages, including non-diet soda pop, baked goods, and condiments. It is has become the sweetener of choice for many food manufacturers because it is considered more economical, sweeter and more easy to blend into beverages than table sugar. Some researchers have suggested that high-fructose corn syrup may contribute to an increased risk of diabetes as well as obesity, a claim which the food industry disputes. Until now, little laboratory evidence has been available on the topic.

In the current study, Chi-Tang Ho, Ph.D., conducted chemical tests among 11 different carbonated soft drinks containing HFCS. He found ‘astonishingly high’ levels of reactive carbonyls in those beverages. These undesirable and highly-reactive compounds associated with “unbound” fructose and glucose molecules are believed to cause tissue damage, says Ho, a professor of food science at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J. By contrast, reactive carbonyls are not present in table sugar, whose fructose and glucose components are “bound” and chemically stable, the researcher notes.

So, I went shopping after I read this article with a renewed interest in avoiding products with high fructose corn syrup in them, and I could not believe how many of my every day items are on the list…
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Houston's SteakhouseA little while back I was visiting my brother in Houston and we went to a steakhouse called Houston’s. While we were waiting for a table I took this 10 minute video of the chefs working the grill and prepping the food.

These guys were serious pros, and it’s cool to watch, but you should have smelled the food! Makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

Anyway, at times when you watch the video it looks like the speed of the video has been altered. I assure you, this is real time and those guys are actually moving that fast! They had a serious assembly line going and these guys were a real team.
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Peel Boiled Eggs in 5 Seconds Flat!

Peeled EggsThis is awesome! It is the most unique egg peeling method I’ve seen. Well, I previously posted this other method, but frankly I don’t know anyone that can do it. However, this new method is one that 100% of us can pull off, and it’ll save a ton of time when you really need to get the shell off an egg.

Oh, and while you’re at it, you may want to take a look at how to peel a potato in 2 seconds.
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John’s Famous Souvlaki Recipe

SouvlakiIn Greece there are two types of souvlaki (kebob). You can get the fast food sort from vendors on the street like a hamburger, or you can get the gourmet kind at sit down restaurants. This is my version, and hopefully it would be judged as the latter type rather than the former.

The secret to great souvlaki is in the marinade. It doesn’t hurt to start with a good cut of beef as well. Here is how to make my souvlaki - I’ve yet to serve it to anyone who doesn’t love it!
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You’ll NEVER Eat Bacon Again

Save BabeIf you love to sit down at Wendy’s with that juicy Bacon Double Cheeseburger, you might not want to watch this next video. :-)

In November 2004, Bella the piglet was rescued from an intensive piggery to become the ambassador for Animals Australia’s new campaign, SaveBabe.com.

This little piglet actually seems to think he’s a dog! And damn if it isn’t cute…
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Top Foods To Fight High Cholesterol

American Heart AssociationClose to 107 million U.S. adults have cholesterol levels of 200 mg/dL or higher, a level that the American Heart Association says increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.

What follows is a listing of the most potent foods to add to your diet if you want to fight high cholesterol and drive your levels down using your diet as a primary tool.
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What Does 200 Calories Look Like?

200 Calories FoodThe folks over at WiseGeek.com have posted a very interesting article, as evidenced by the fact that it has the highest Digg rating I’ve ever seen!

They have photographed varying portions of a wide variety of foods, all of which equate to 200 calories. Check it out.

Scallops, the Single Most Perfect Food

ScallopsYears ago, while watching a cooking show, I heard a nutritionist state that if they were forced to eat only one food for the rest of their life they would choose Scallops. The assertion was that as a source of important nutrients, they simply couldn’t be beaten.

I’m not sure how thouroughly researched that claim was, but it stuck with me because I simply love to eat scallops! Recently I decided that I need to incorporate more seafood into my diet and I went looking for some nutritional information on my old favorite. Here now is everything you ever wanted to know about the king of the mollusks!
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Trivia: Forty Four Fantastic Food Facts

Grocery MeatHow about that alliteration huh? :-) Seriously, cheesy though it may be, I found 44 pretty cool facts about food. Just be thankful I didn’t drag it out even longer (think Peter Piper picked a peck…).
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That’s One Serious Cup of Coffee

CoffeeI thought this topic was particularly fitting given that it’s New Years Eve and tomorrow people are going to be needing a lot of this…

First of all, I don’t drink coffee. But if I did, I think I’d want to have one made by this guy!

Here is, what must be, a professional barista actually creating art out of coffee (or cappuccino or latte or whatever it is :-)).
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Coke CanBelow is an excellent little video that shows exactly how much sugar is in a can of coke. And before you watch it, if you do a little math, here are some staggering figures:

  • There are 12 ounces (340 grams) in a can of coke.
  • There are 39 grams (1.38 ounces) of sugar in a can.
  • 340 grams / 39 grams = Coke is over 10% pure sugar!
  • If you typically drink the equivalent of 6 cans a day you are consuming over 8 ounces or 1/2 pound of pure sugar per day.
    • 24 oz. at lunch
    • 2 cans during the day
    • 24 oz. at dinner
  • That level of sugar consumption equates to about 15 pounds of raw sugar per month, or 182.5 pounds per year. (This happens to be about my body weight.)
  • Don’t drink that much Coke? Well, 3 cans a day still equals 7.5 pounds per month or 91.25 pounds per year that your body has to either burn off or store as fat.
    • Sweet Tea has almost the same amount of sugar
    • Sweetened Coffee counts too. A heaping tablespoon of sugar is about 20 grams.

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