Archive for December, 2008

the cookbook you don’t want your chef to use

Dec 28, 2008 bizarre findings, food and drink

As a writer, I get inundated with press releases for just about everything. But even with this onslaught of regular information, I still have to stop once in a while and say “you’ve got to be kidding me.”  Or words to that effect.

This is one of those times.

I received a note to check out a book on lulu.com that features recipes using an unusual ingredient. I think the cover speaks for itself:

I flipped through the page reader on the site, to see if this was a serious book or one meant as a joke. It appears to be presented as a real cookbook, complete with color photos of the “finished” dish.

So once I got past the “ewwwww,”  “ick” and “oh hell no!!!” reactions, my first thoughts were these:

  • What about the health concerns? STDs? Other diseases that can be spread via body fluids?
  • Who would actually intentionally eat food containing sperm? I mean, there are people who eat foods like Rocky Mountain oysters (bull testicles), but would even Andrew Zimmerman (of TV’s “Bizarre Foods” fame) balk at this ingredient?
  • Why would someone create a whole cookbook around sperm…and who did the taste tests for the book? “Wanna come over and help me with my recipe book about semen?”
  • Am I the only one who can see the opportunities for nasty pranks on people with these recipes? “Hey, how are you enjoying the dipping sauce? Wait until I tell you the secret ingredient…”
  • Speaking of “secret ingredients”…is this the one you’ll never see used on Iron Chef America?

I’m curious as to what y’all think. Would you ever use a cookbook like this or consent to eat a dish prepared from it?

Interestingly, the recommendation area of the page says that people who bought this cookbook also bought “Cooking with a Serial Killer.”  Another round of “ewww,” anyone?

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12 days of xmas videos – day 12

Dec 25, 2008 music

To wrap up this little video series, I’d like to leave y’all with a remake of the classic “Blue Christmas” that features Martina McBride dueting with Elvis Presley.

I’d like to dedicate this to my mom (whom I lost 3 years ago), my dad (whom I lost 2 years ago) and to my gramma (who I lost exactly a year ago this week). I do miss them terribly and it will be a blue Christmas for me without them this year.

But I do hope you and yours have a wonderful Christmas and holiday season and that you’ve enjoyed the last 12 days of music, tv and movie clips that celebrate the love and laughter of this time of year.

Happy Holidays!

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12 days of xmas videos – day 11

Dec 24, 2008 music

Today’s holiday nugget comes courtesy of musicians Jack Blades (of Night Ranger) and Tommy Shaw (of Styx) who are performing a live rendition of the Christmas classic, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”


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12 days of xmas videos – day 10

Dec 23, 2008 movies and tv, music

Another trip to the video library at Saturday Night Live brings us this recent music video classic. Mixing comedy with a smooth R&B sound, enjoy this censored version of Adam Sandberg and Justin Timberlake singing “Dick in a Box.”

For those that want the NSFW version, click here.

PS: The video comes courtesy of Hulu, which may insert a short ad at the beginning. I have no control over that – sorry.

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12 days of xmas videos – day 9

Dec 22, 2008 movies and tv

Thanks to Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, I bring you this clip from Robot Chicken of Dragonball Z saving Christmas from Composite Santa. I send this one out to my Evil Twin.

Audio and video NSFW, unless you have a very understanding office. LOL

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12 days of xmas videos – day 8

Dec 21, 2008 movies and tv

“You’ll shoot your eye out…” became one of the biggest lines to quote from a holiday movie thanks to the classic film, “A Christmas Story.” I couldn’t find the clip I wanted from the movie, but I did find the 30 second Bunnies parody of the film. This clip comes courtesy of Crackle.com and I think they insert a short commercial before the actual clip…but at least they let me embed this here for you.

I’d like to dedicate this to Rhonda, who would make me sit through the 24-hr marathons of this film, if I didn’t grab the remote first. LOL

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