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Grocery Ninja: Agave Nectar, Not Just for Hippies
another word of caution about excess agave nectar consumption: the reason agave nectar has a low glycemic index is because it's about 90% fructose (as opposed to table sugar or even the dreaded hfcs which are both about half fructose and half glucose). while every body cell can metabolize glucose, fructose is metabolized mostly in the liver. that may cause a lower initial blood sugar spike, but it's also why fructose has been linked to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and weight gain. it doesn't mean people shouldn't consume any agave nectar, just that it shouldn't be mistaken for "healthier" than any other sweetener, and definitely shouldn't be used to replace all other sugars in any diet. the wiki articles on agave and fructose are useful and link to the relevant medical research, for anyone who wants to learn more.
Cook the Book: 'How to Cook Everything, Revised Tenth Anniversary Edition'
I love the no-knead bread, and love the faster version even more. I use a sourdough starter, so even the quick one has great flavor.
That said, maybe my favorite Minimalist recipe is for socca/farinata, which is basically just chick pea flour, water, salt, and pepper baked into the most delicious savory crepe--great on its own, just cut into wedges, or topped like a pizza or folded around sandwich fillings. So easy, so tasty, so versatile--a true exemplar of Bittman's brilliance
Seriously Delicious Holiday Food Giveaway: Russ & Daughters
the creme brulee french toast at Jane is unbelievably decadent, but if i have to pick one thing, i'm going to go with a spicy bloody mary; it's just not brunch without it
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The main reason this policy is misguided is that people don't eat high-calorie foods because they're under some mistaken impression that they're healthy.
But another reason is that the number posted is often wrong--and I'm not even talking about the Chipotle Complex. The number can legally be up to 20% wrong in either direction and perhaps unsurprisingly, is more likely to underestimate than over-estimate (see this recent Tufts study). A related problem: even if they publish the "average daily" requirement of 2,000 kcal/day, that's not going to be accurate for most people--especially women.
Even if it posting calories DID make people order fewer calories, there's no evidence that getting people to reduce their caloric intake would lead to long term weight loss (see this review of 30 years worth of research on weight-loss dieting: Dieting Doesn't Work).
But none of that really matters if the information doesn't significantly affect people's behavior in the first place--which is what studies on the NYC calorie counts have shown so far. See this 2009 study published in Health Affairs or this NYTimes article.