Twenty-two years ago, I sat down and compared the nutritional data of chicken sandwiches from the big four drive-thru chains: McDonald's, Wendy's, Chick-Fil-A, and Burger King. Back then, Chick-Fil-A's grilled chicken reigned supreme, their fried sandwich was the best of a guilty bunch, and Burger King's Caesar salad was the …

For those out there (you know who you are) who may have some time over the next couple of weeks and are looking to hone Macintosh programming skills, you might take a look at the iron coder contest. It's a timed contest wherein an API is disclosed and the participants …

Here's an interesting article from The Edmonton Sun (I guess that at this time of the year, there isn't much else to do in Alberta), about a teacher who went on an all-McDonald's diet and actually lost weight. The secret? You'll never believe this... exercise.

Admittedly, I'm not one to jump on the latest food research bandwagon, but when it says eating Indian food might help fight Alzheimer's, I'm definitely in. An article from WebMD published today indicates that researchers at UCLA have just completed a study with the VA that shows the antioxidant benefits …

Not exactly travel, but I'm not sure where to put this. On Saturday night, Carol and I went to Celtic Christmas, a concert held at Dumbarton United Methodist Church in Georgetown. The concert was good, but the meal ahead of time was spectacular! Red Ginger of Georgetown (located at 1564 …

I have to admit that when I saw this on slashdot, I thought somebody was just being silly. However, the Cooking For Engineers site actually does have some interesting concepts that it puts into practice. For one thing, check out the innovative visual recipe style and the chemical explanation of …

Update: Twenty-two years later, I revisited this comparison with six chains, including Popeyes and KFC. There's a lot of discussion these days about the right foods to eat and how to appropriately eat during your busy life. So, I decided I'd take a look at some of the fast food …

An article from the Washington Post describes a WHO report on nutrition (Report 916, PDF format) and comments by the current US administration that indicate disagreement with the ideas put forth therein. In particular, administration and industry officials don't like the idea of cutting sugar-related junk food advertising to children …

An article from the New York Times tells the tale of the best whiskey makers of the present getting together to raise money for Mount Vernon by doing what they do best. A much more detailed article from the Washington Post also discusses it. Our first President, according to reports …

As usual, pictures will eventually be forthcoming, but the trip to the Patagonia region of Chile to the Explora was spectacular. We spent 4 nights and three days at the resort hotel, hiking and trekking during the day and feasting on fine food and Chilean wines at night. The accommodations …

The Washington Post is reporting that US Department of Health and Human Services has announced that starting January 1, 2006 all food labels must contain listings for trans-fatty acids. This is considered a success for the heart-conscious, as trans-fats are believed to be a significant contributor to to obesity, heart …

According to an article from BBC News, Kraft Foods, America's largest food maker, is planning on reducing portions for its snack foods because of concerns over obesity. Although the company says its primary concern is customer health, they also admit that they are taking action out of concern over lawsuits …

The Washington Post is reporting that McDonalds restaurants is asking their meat suppliers to cut back on the use of antibiotics. The move comes as a reply to the growing concern that antibiotics in the food chain are contributing to the increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria, a growing health concern. McDonald's …

The Philadelphia City Paper has an article about a local Philly DJ who uses iPods as a distribution mechanism for programmed music in eating establishments, stores, and the like. The benefits are small size, big capacity, and ease of programming as well as the LCD display that the current …

An article in The Globe And Mail (of Canada) details the use of new Intel miniature sensors (called "motes") to monitor the growth and health of a vineyard in British Columbia. The sensors are a technology co-developed with the Wireless EmBedded Systems group at Berkeley. Using TinyOS, the "motes" communicate …

Wired reports that researchers from St. Louis University have created a new fuel cell that is able to take alcohol and turn it into power. For those who follow fuel cell developments, this would be a completely uninteresting story, except that it doesn't require the use of methanol, like previous …

An article from BBC News states that the British Food Standards Agency is suggesting that the salt intake of youngsters be curtailed.

Last night, we went to Taberna del Alabardero, a DC restaurant acclaimed to be one of the best Spanish restaurants in the United States. Reviews in the Washingtonian were excellent, but some of the others were mixed, however we found it an excellent experience. There are many ways to judge …

In a stunning departure from the kinds of lawsuits that make you unable to eat, a judge has dismissed the case against McDonald's that claimed the food giant was responsible for obese patrons' obesity. The suit, brought in New York, claimed that McDonald's had done too much to make its …