Never Be Lonely Again with a Wine Box Boyfriend

Arsenic and Lead Found in Many Popular Protein Powders

You might want to think twice before consuming that post-workout protein shake you’re so keen on. A new study from national advocacy group Clean Label Project evaluated 134 of the top-selling protein powders (according to data from Amazon.com and Nielsen) and the results were not pretty. A third-party organization, Ellipse Analytics, who ran the scientific tests, found that 70 percent of them contained lead concentrations of at least four micrograms per kilogram.

To put that amount in perspective, the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) recommends that you consume no more than 25 micrograms/kilogram a week. If you drink one of these beverages daily, you’d reach this amount easily, plus the additional 20-30 micrograms you’re estimated to consume from other normal food sources. That’s near double the permissible amount, which  is scary since lead toxicity can lead to changes in neural behavior and abdominal pain.

Clean Label Project

Other metals including cadmium mercury and arsenic were also found in varying amounts, as well as the toxin bisphenol A (BPA). All of these substances are known to have toxic effects when consumed in large amounts.

If you’re looking for tips on how to source safer protein powders, here’s some advice: None of the egg-based protein powders evaluated contained lead. Plant-based protein powders also had more heavy metals present than non-plant-based ones. This is likely because of soil contamination from where those plants are sourced.

Of all the brands evaluated, Biochem, Jarrow, Puori, Performix, and Reservage Nutrition rated highest in quality, while Quest Nutrition, Nature’s Best, Sunwarrior, Vega, and Garden of Life were the among the worst. So that’s something you might want to keep in mind the next time you’re perusing the supplement aisle of your local supermarket.

You can check out the infographic below and read the study in its entirety here for more on these findings.

Clean Label Project

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Is Corned Beef Really Irish?

Ever since I was a little kid, my mom made sure to have a big feast on St. Patrick’s Day. The meal, of course, featured corned beef. Growing up, this was a special dinner that celebrated the culture of my mother’s father’s people (he was adopted by a Scottish-Irish Catholic American family as a baby), accompanied by Irish pipes and tenors playing in the background. Now that I’m an adult, I still get a hankering for this traditional dinner, and I’m lucky to be in a city (Chicago) that celebrates like I do. Irish delis, like Harrington’s, sell so much corned beef that you have to reserve it in January to ensure you get one. Local supermarkets, like Jewel, began selling corned beef and cabbage kits, with the meat and spices to make it right. Even area restaurants offer specials on March 17 that showcase the salty meat.

Over the course of the years, I’ve had my fair share of corned beef. One day, however, I was confronted with an outrageous claim: Corned beef is not really Irish. Preposterous! Absurd! No way that’s true! To help shed light on the issue, I asked around, and I came to realize there wasn’t a whole lot of clarity on the subject. Some said it was Irish, others said it was a dish adopted by Americans of Irish descent, and others still said it was a Jewish dish. So, I did what any semi-normal, semi-educated adult of the 21st century does. I Googled it! Expecting to be directed to a series of Wikipedia, Yahoo! Answers, and Quora posts that would force me to draw my own conclusion, I was surprised to find out that The Smithsonian (yeah, the museum in Washington) did some research on it, and outlined the history quite well.

According to the findings, as shared by Shaylyn Esposito, here’s the answer to whether corned beef is Irish: Sort of. In Celtic tradition, cows were sacred animals. This meant they were primarily used for milk and other dairy products, and only eaten once the cow was…on its way out. As a result, beef of any kind was pretty uncommon. In fact, pork was, and still may be the preferred meat of the people of Ireland. In contrast, the English were big beef eaters. So much so, that they needed to rely on other countries, including Ireland, for their beef supply. Once the English assumed control over the Emerald Isle, Irish cattle became less sacred as it made its way to England. Then, in the 17th century, a law was passed forbidding the export of live cattle to England. Since there was no law outlawing the trade of butchered meat, and Ireland had loads of cattle due to the massive popularity of beef in England, they decided to ship salt-cured beef, thus jump-starting an industry.

The salt crystals used to preserve beef sent from Ireland to England were huge—about the size of a kernel of corn, in fact. As a result, the English coined the term “corned beef” to refer to the meat coming from Ireland. What’s more, because of the vast beef supply in Ireland, and the fact that they had one of the lowest salt taxes (apparently, that was a thing in those days) around, Ireland became renowned for their corned beef throughout Europe, and even America. Interestingly enough, however, the Irish people themselves rarely, if ever, consumed it. They couldn’t afford it.

Shutterstock

The popularity and production of Irish corned beef lasted until the mid-19th century. At this time, America started producing its own and The Great Famine wiped out a significant portion of the population, either via death or migration to various locations, including America. In America, the Irish earned more money than they did at home, but still encountered discrimination. On the plus side, this meant they could now afford better food, like beef. On the minus side, they couldn’t afford any beef, only the cheaper types—corned beef, to be precise. To clarify, this was a bit different from the corned beef that originated in Ireland in the 17th century. The stuff from Ireland was absurdly salty, and that was the dominant flavor. The stuff from America was different. While salty, it still had a prominent beef flavor.

Additionally, the American variety consumed by Irish settlers was Jewish corned beef, made from kosher brisket. What differentiated it as “Irish” was that it was cooked with potatoes (an Irish comfort food) and cabbage (the cheapest vegetable out there). The Irish and Jewish people of America shared what some might consider a unique bond. They came to live in similar neighborhoods and were seemingly connected to each other through shared struggle, a strong religious (albeit different religions) background, and a similar economic status. As a result, the Irish frequented Jewish butcher shops, and the sharing of a food preference was born. This is why you find similar tastes, today, among the corned beef served at a Jewish deli, and that served at an American St. Patrick’s Day meal.

So, is corned beef Irish? Sort of. Historically, there was a time when a variety of corned beef was produced in Ireland in great quantity. The thing is, we don’t really see that type of corned beef anymore, and it probably wouldn’t resemble what we’ve come to know as corned beef today. What we currently refer to as corned beef has little to do with Ireland, strictly speaking. The people of Ireland don’t eat it. Even on St. Paddy’s, they opt for lamb or pork. What we recognize as corned beef actually has its roots in Jewish-American kosher butcher shops. That being said, Irish Americans have consumed this corned beef for decades, using it to commemorate their culture on St. Patrick’s Day by preparing it with a favorite vegetable from home (the potato), and one they (at least initially) could afford (cabbage). Over time, the meal became a traditional dinner for Irish Americans on the feast day of their patron saint.

If you are Irish-American, or just happen to find yourself inclined to partake in this tradition this year, you can make your own corned beef! Get our Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe here. Sláinte!  

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Homemade Biscuits

These Are the Most-Ordered Dishes at America’s Top Chain Restaurants

Can’t decide what you want to eat? Maybe this list can help you out. People magazine reached out to nearly two dozen of America’s top chain restaurants and discovered their most commonly ordered dish. While everyone’s sure to have their personal favorites, these are the winners from a the popularity contest perspective. So the next time you’re at Olive Garden and you just want to follow the whims of the crowd, go ahead and choose Fettuccine Alfredo, because everybody else is! (Hey, sometimes peer pressure just makes casual dining easier.)

The list that follows is a pretty accurate selection of these restaurant’s signature dishes. However, while most of the results are predictable (everyone loves Red Lobster’s Cheddar Bay Biscuits!), some others are total curveballs (who goes to Applebee’s for seafood?!). There are also some surprising absences, like the lack of cheesecake at Cheesecake Factory (it’s right there in the name!) or no love for the Blooming Onion, the massive appetizer that put Outback on the map.

Check out the entire list below to see for yourself. And feel free to bicker in the booth over which of these is really tops (the correct answer is definitely IHOP’s Breakfast Sampler):

• Hard Rock Cafe – Legendary Burger
• Outback Steakhouse – Special Sirloin
• Red Lobster- Cheddar Bay Biscuits
• TGI Fridays – Loaded Potato Skins
• California Pizza Kitchen – BBQ Chicken Pizza
• Cracker Barrel – Hash Brown Casserole
• Cheesecake Factory – Avocado Eggrolls
• P.F. Chang’s – Lettuce Wraps
• Red Robin – Royal Red Robin Burger
• On the Border – Sizzling Fajitas
• Olive Garden -Fettuccine Alfredo
• Noodles & Co. – Wisconsin Mac and Cheese
• Maggiano’s Little Italy – Mom’s Lasagna
• IHOP – Breakfast Sampler
• Friendly’s – Honey BBQ Chicken Melt
• Chili’s – Old Timer With Cheese
• Carrabba’s – Chicken Bryan
• Applebee’s – Bourbon Street Chicken & Shrimp
• Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. – Forrest’s Seafood Feast
• Boston Market – Rotisserie Chicken
• Bonefish Grill – Bang Bang Shrimp

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What Is the Difference Between Broccoli and Romanesco?

Come February, it’s easy to grow tired of winter vegetables. There are mounds of carrots, potatoes, and turnips, after all, and it becomes commonplace to start dreaming of summer’s fresh bounty of zucchini, asparagus, and crisp peas. But despite the cold, these winter months happen to bring a bounty of romanesco—a cauliflower-like flower that’s bright green and more resemblant of an underwater creature than a vegetable. Romanesco is often compared in ideology to broccoli, mostly because both are distinctly green flower-like vegetables and both belong to the Brassica oleracea family.

Yet romanesco shouldn’t be cropped into just being another boring broccoli. What really sets romanesco apart from broccoli is its unique texture. Spiky with convex florets where each bud bursts into numerous other buds, it certainly stands out in the grocery store or farmers market. If its striking appearance doesn’t pique your interest, its delicately nutty flavor certainly will, making it perfect for anything from simply roasting it in a pan with olive oil to eating it raw, dipped in aioli or even ranch dressing.

Pixabay

Broccoli, unlike romanesco, is a member of the cabbage family, which gives it a more sharp and vibrant flavor. A tall stalk blossoms into a leafy, tree-like floret, making broccoli a much less dense and somewhat smoother vegetable than romanesco. Broccoli is best steamed, with an added pat of butter or sprinkling of cheese for flavor.

What to do with each in the kitchen? Look to these recipes for inspiration.

Garlic Parmesan Broccoli

Homemade Hooplah

Dress up oven-baked broccoli with some minced garlic and Parmesan cheese. The key here is to raise the heat in the oven to super high (at least 425 degrees Fahrenheit) to make sure that broccoli gets crisp. Get the recipe.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Gimme Some Oven

This soup is a classic and undeniably easy to make at home. All you need to do is cook down some vegetables, then add milk, broccoli, mustard, and cheese, which thickens the soup. Get the recipe.

Broccoli Apple Salad

Cooking Classy

Some people find broccoli too tough to eat raw, but others love adding them straight into a salad. This recipe is a testament to that. Raw broccoli gets mixed with sliced apples, walnut hunks, carrots, raisins, and red onions. Get the recipe.

Crispy Broccoli Parmesan Fritters

Cafe Delites

Try out this healthier take on fritters; instead of frying them in oil, bake them in the oven. Just pulse chop broccoli with eggs, onion, garlic, flour, and Parmesan, then form into puck-sized mounds and bake. Get the recipe.

Pan-Roasted Romanesco with Golden Raisins, Tahini, and Sumac

House and Home

Bring out romanesco’s inherent nuttiness by cooking it over a high flame until crisp and browned, then top with a lemony, tahini sauce. Get the recipe.

Romanesco Green Curry

Local Haven

This hearty, spice-infused green curry will make you forget there’s no meat in it. It’s solely roasted florets of romanesco mixed with a host of herbs and spices, coconut milk, and sugar. Get the recipe.

Roasted Romanesco Cauliflower Pesto Spaghetti

Vikalinka

Pasta deserves a green upgrade, too. Roasted romanesco is added to a traditional pesto, giving it a smoky and even nuttier flavor. Toss with warm pasta and finish it off with more cheese. Get the recipe.

Romanesco Soup with Za’atar Granola

Le Petit Eats

This soup is simple to make (it’s just romanesco, onion, and potato, cooked down and then blended), but it’s the za’atar-spiced granola that adds an intensely addicted crunch. Get the recipe.

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Everything You Never Knew About McDonald’s Shamrock Shakes

It’a that time of year again! Fast food lovers rejoice as their favorite McDonald’s product makes its annual return. Second only to the McRib, the Shamrock Shake has one of the biggest cult followings in the chain’s history. The minty green shake is a seasonal staple, as its loyal fanbase savors the late-February through March period when this drink appears on the menu. Its limited availability is, of course, inherent to its appeal. We only get a month to enjoy the milkshake before it goes back into hibernation for the rest of the year.

Now that we’ve finally enter this blessed pre-St. Patrick’s Day season, we decided to take some time to celebrate this beloved beverage by exploring its secret history. Here’s everything you never knew about the Shamrock Shake.

It was originally lemon-lime flavored.

Yup, it’s hard to conceptualize now,  but when the Shamrock Shake was first introduced in the 1970s, it wasn’t minty at all. Instead it was a combination of vanilla ice cream and lemon and lime sherbet. In 1973, they decided to remove the sherbet altogether and just dyed the vanilla ice cream green, but still no trace of mint. It wasn’t until a decade later, in 1983, when the pivotal flavor was added—a major game-changer that forever defined the drink we’ve come to love today.

It had its own mascot.

McDonald’s

In 1975, Grimace got a visit from his uncle, the aptly named Uncle O’Grimacey!  The character is a fluffy green version of, well, whatever the Grimace is. He would apparently takes annual St. Patrick’s Day vacations to McDonaldland to visit his nephew where they would share Shamrock Shakes in furry, familial harmony.  We have no idea what happened to Uncle O’Grimacey, but we have a feeling he’s busy partying in Ireland with the Lucky Charms leprechaun.

There wouldn’t be a Ronald McDonald House without it.

Okay, so here’s a fascinating story. When Philadelphia Eagles’ tight end Fred Hill’s daughter was diagnosed with leukemia, he was alarmed at how many parents of fellow cancer patients had to spend the night in the hospital (they couldn’t afford hotel rooms nearby after traveling long distances for treatment). Hill sought the help of teammates for a fundraising endeavor. The Eagles’ general manager at the time, Jim Murray, reached out to a friend in advertising who was working a McDonald’s campaign and suggested a charitable partnership. At the time, there was a promotional push around the Shamrock Shake, and since green is the Eagles’ team color, it seemed like a great match. The company decided to donate a proceed of the profits from the drink towards this initiative. Together they raised enough to buy a four-story house in Philadelphia, which became the first ever Ronald McDonald House. It officially opened on October 15, 1974 and the charity exists to this day.

A small 12-ounce serving has 63 grams of sugar.

Okay, so you probably already know these are unhealthy by virtue of it being a McDonald’s dessert product, however, did you know a small 12-ounce serving contains a whopping 63 grams of sugar, 460 calories and 13 grams of fat? We’ll just ignore those nutrition facts while guzzling them down this St. Patty’s Day.

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