Afternoon Links
By Liv Ren | March 1, 2013
T.G.I.F.! And in the spirit of the weekend just around the corner, here is a collection of links to the fun and informative reads/videos I’m loving right now:
From Serious Eats: “Grocery Shopping with Fuchsia Dunlop in Chinatown, NYC”
Chinese food is delicious to eat, but for those too discouraged by its mystifying ingredients to cook it at home, this article is for you. It breaks down the most essential ingredients in Chinese cooking, complete with a photo gallery of Chinese food scholar and writer Fuchsia Dunlop picking them out in the store.
As Max Falkowitz writes, “If you ever wanted to know more about all those dried fish and mushrooms but were put off by a language barrier, consider this a helping hand.”
From TheKitchn: “Four Reasons to Keep Nori in the Pantry”
Speaking of Asian ingredients, one of my favorites is nori. Dried seaweed may sound funky, but it provides such a satisfyingly savory flavor that you’ll get over it soon enough.
This article gives you a few ideas for using nori, but my personal favorite is the wasabi-flavored roasted seaweed snacks from Trader Joe’s — they’re highly addictive.
From The New York Times: “It’s the Sugar, Folks”
It was a big week in food and health news, with Michael Moss’s expose on the science of addictive junk food along with the release of his book, “Salt, Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us,” and new research backing up the widely held belief that the so-called Mediterranean Diet helps to reduce heart disease and stroke.
In this article, Mark Bittman uses new research from the journal PLoS One to continue his crusade against sugar. He points out that sugar is an even greater threat to our health and incidence of diabetes that the S.A.D.
This article comparing how many fewer calories we spend doing housework today to homeowners 50 years ago is also worth checking out!
From Asap Science, “Butter vs. Margarine”
Ever wonder what the real difference is between butter and margarine? And which is healthier? The answer is more complicated that you think. This video breaks down the science behind the two ingredients.
From The Daily Beast, “Best 2013 Oscar Moments”
For those of us in Oscar and awards-season withdraw, never fear. The Daily Beast curated videos of the only moments you really need to see from the show, all in one article.
But, if you really need to see all four hours of the show again, Hulu has you covered.
And wondering where you’ll see your favorite celebs from this awards season again? Glamour has the guide to upcoming movies starring Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Hugh Jackman and more!
From House of Cardinals: a spoof on “House of Cards”
If you haven’t seen the Netflix original series House of Cards yet, your only goal this weekend is to marathon-watch it.
If you have and love it as much as I do, this video will give you a good laugh.
From BuzzFeed: “Retta is the Only Person You Need to Follow on Twitter”
BuzzFeed has never written a more accurate story. Follow Retta a.k.a. Donna from Parks and Rec right now. I promise, she watches every show you love and hilariously live-tweets them.
From Code.org: “What Most Schools Don’t Teach”
For some inspiration, watch this video.
Code.org is on a mission to get American students on the right path for their futures by giving them an opportunity to learn coding. Like me, many Americans may be intimidated by the idea of computer programming and don’t think they can do it, but the organization’s goal is to change this perception.
That’s all! I hope you have a great weekend, whether you plan to learn coding, change your diet, watch House of Cards or do a little cleaning.