Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

If it tastes good, it is good. I make a mean, Velveeta-based chili con queso, and everyone loves it.

On the other hand, I use cheddar when I make macaroni and cheese, and it's light years better than mac and cheese made with Velveeta.

And I can make a scratch chocolate cake that will kick your cake-mix-and-pudding cake's ass. Any time you make a cake from a box, you get the distinctive flavor of something that is not butter, and no amount of covering up will cover that up.

The relevant question isn't whether a piece of food dropped on the floor will pick up any bacteria in five seconds; the relevant question is whether that bacteria is likely to hurt you. There's bacteria everywhere, and if you drop food just about anywhere and then culture it, you'll see lots of bacteria. Presumably, however, you're going to eat the food before you culture it. Anything you're likely to pick up from the floor pales in comparison to what you get if you let your food sit out at room temperature for more than two hours. Your body is used to handling the former. The latter is begging for food poisoning.

If I drop something on the floor, I'll eat it unless something's happened to make it unappetizing. But I won't serve it to guests.

Some public health scientists believe that a lack of exposure to bacteria as a child keeps a child from developing a healthy immune system and may lead to more serious diseases as an adult. Here's an article about that. I don't think the theories are universally accepted, but I think it makes sense not to be too squeamish about a little bit of bacteria.

I was hitherto blissfully unaware of Mr. Bourdain's rant. Much of what he says has merit, but he's so obnoxious that he makes me inclined to disagree with him simply because he's objectionable.

I abhor a lot of the Food Network's programming. Especially things like The Secret Life of ... and anything else where there's no actual cooking going on. ("Today we're showing you the top five foods that begin with Q!) That said, I don't think that chefs need to be the only people who have shows. There is a significant difference between what a chef does every day and what an excellent home cook does every day. It's entertaining to watch a chef be a chef, but it doesn't necessarily show you anything you can do in your own kitchen.

As for least favorite show, I really don't mind Rachel Ray at all, but Sandra Lee gets on my very last nerve. People really don't need to be encouraged to use cake mixes and prepackaged cookie dough or whatever.

I once lived in an apartment with two other guys, and one of them and I could share the kitchen peacefully and effectively. And the reason that worked was that we were both good cooks, but I was clearly a better cook, and he always acknowledged that. Also, I think the kitchen was set up well for that sort of collaboration because the range was a stand-alone unit and it was four or five steps from the countertops, sink, and refrigerator, so it was easy for one person to be doing one thing and another person doing another without them having to cross paths all the time. Right now, I'll be working in the kitchen, and my partner will always be getting in my way to throw something in the garbage can, which is under the sink, which is right near the range, and it makes me grumpy.

I'm happy, in theory, to have other people around, but our kitchen doesn't really have a place where they can sit and not get crushed by my constant back and forth. If they could sit on stools somewhere and just watch me, I think I'd like that.

I am generally in favor of any variation on the Sausage Egg McMuffin, but I think that cream gravy is a somewhat dreary affair. I would top it with hollandaise or at least whisk something colorful and flavorful into the bechamel. Maybe a couple of egg yolks, some roasted red peppers, and/or some cayenne.

While I generally approve of unreasonable rage over word usage, I can't get worked up over "foodie." On the other hand, I'd lay odds that the person who has it on his or her vanity plate can't make a decent omelet.