Muffin Web Cartoons

I recently discovered Muffin Films, a project created by by Amy Winfrey for her MFA thesis project at the UCLA Animation Workshop. The site includes 12 animated shorts where muffins sing, dance and promote general muffin love and awareness. Some of the films are a little bit on the weirder side, but I personally like "Pssst..." and "Muffinale".

Geek Art Through Food

Witness the power of this fully armed and operational melon!

The Kitchn is reporting that Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories has created a Death Star-like cantaloupe, and everyone's inner dork just can't enough of it. Looks like dork culture touches just about everything in our lives even the food we eat. And let's face it, you took one look at the picture and knew exactly what the melon was supposed to be.

That's No Melon (Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories)

Save About 2 Minutes For Each Bottle of Wine

Following up on my post about alternative ways to open a wine bottle, Gary Vayenrchuk, wine expert for Eat, Drink or Die, has a quick tip that will save you 1:43 minutes (at least according to him - not really sure where he got this number though) every time you open a bottle of wine. Coined the "Slide Rechnique", instead of cutting open the wrapper that normally surround the top of the wine bottle, he simply twists the entire thing off the bottle. I'm not really sure if this really "blows my mind" or "changes my wine life" like the video suggests, but hey... it's kinda cool the first time to see it.

Ithaca Apple Festival

I was in Ithaca over the weekend and it happened to be the annual Apple Festival. Four years at Cornell and I had never actually gone, so I figured this would probably be my last chance. My one goal was to find a good old fashioned candied apple circa Disneyland (and as you can see from the picture that was a success). I haven't had one of these since I was 8 years old maybe, but I recommend them to anyone who wants to feel like a kid again. although it will never compare to New York City, as my girlfriend mentioned over the weekend, it's events like the Apple Festival that makes Ithaca so special and

More pictures below...

Meet the Top Chef Cheftestants

The date is set! Bravo has finally announced that Top Chef Season 5 will be premiering this November 12th. I'm sure everyone has been starved for another generous helping of weekly Quickfire challenges (at least I know I have) and now the wait is only a little over a month away. For this season, the chefs will be battling in New York City, and previous reports/rumors have them living in Williamsburg for the duration of their stay. You can learn more about the 17 new cheftestants on the Top Chef home page on the Bravo TV web site.

In addition, this season Top Chef staple Ted Allen will not be returning as a judge and will be replaced by Toby Young, British food critic and author of the book How to Lose Friends And Alienate People (yes, the book that the movie of the same title that is coming out soon is based on). Not really sure what prompted Allen's departure, but I believe no show could could hurt from a splash of British humor. Special guests that have been announced include Martha Stewart, the Foo Fighters, Jean-Georges, Eric Ripert, Rocco DiSpirito, Wylie Dufresne, Jean-Christophe Novelli, and Natasha Richardson.