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6 Vegetables That Might Save Your Life

August 24, 2014 0

By Timothy Gower for Men’s Journal

If there’s one food that no one — not your doctor, your nutritionist or even your mother — will tell you to eat less of, it’s leafy greens. Calorie for calorie, chard, collards, kale and other leafy greens may just…

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The Best Mix Of Cheeses To Put On Your Pizza, According To Science

August 24, 2014 0

There’s mozzarella, cheddar, Colby — oh, and don’t forget provolone! With so many different cheeses to choose from, which type is the best to put on a pizza so that it tastes incredible, and has that gourmet look to it?

Now an international team of scientists have found the perfect combination of cheeses to use, after looking at each cheese type’s elasticity, free oil, moisture, water activity and baking temperature. After all, most pizza-lovers like when the cheese melts into a gooey goodness without too many blisters and burnt spots, right?

“Pizza browning and blistering sounds like a totally trivial question,” study co-author Dr. Bryony James, a professor of chemical and materials engineering at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, says in the YouTube video above, which was released by the Chicago-based Institute of Food Technologists. “But it’s actually dictated by a combination of composition and mechanical properties of the cheese itself.”

James and her colleagues analyzed the properties of seven different types of cheeses — mozzarella (which is the most often used in pizza), cheddar, Colby, Edam, Emmental, Gruyere, and provolone — and how they affect these cheeses while baking.

What did the researchers find?

Since cheddar, Colby, and Edam cheeses have “small elasticity,” they didn’t easily form blisters when baking. As for Gruyere, Emmental, and provolone, their large amount of free oil prevented moisture from easily evaporating and so resulted in less browning. Meanwhile, mozzarella easily blisters.

(Story continues below)
best cheese for pizzaA screenshot of the above video showing the different types of cheeses used in the study and how they appear after baking.

So, the researchers concluded in their study that mozzarella can be combined with any of the other six cheeses to create just the right amount of browning and blistering you prefer on a gourmet pizza — for instance, try cheddar for less blisters or provolone for less browning. Bon appétit!

The study was published online in the Journal of Food Science on July 21, 2014.

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Before You Try The LeBron James Paleo Diet, 3 Myths About Carbs

August 22, 2014 0

Carbs are not the enemy. Since NBA star LeBron James posted an Instagram picture of his slimmer physique recently the sports world and beyond have been buzzing about his low-carb diet. 

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Can This Guy Save McDonald’s?

August 22, 2014 0

McDonald’s U.S. president is stepping down, a sign the chain may be getting more aggressive in its battle to stay relevant in its home country.

The fast food giant announced Friday that Mike Andres, 56, would replace McDonald’s USA President Jeff Stratton, who is retiring after serving in the role for just two years and working at the company for 41.

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Mike Andres, who will take over as McDonald’s USA President on October 15.

Stratton, 58, oversaw McDonald’s American division during a tough time for the chain. The company has suffered from months of flat or negative same-store sales, an important metric of a retailer’s health.

Meanwhile, chains like Chipotle, with pricier and more upscale menu items, are flourishing.

In recent years, McDonald’s has tried to emphasize its commitment to quality, freshness and variety.

So far the efforts, which have included everything from adding an overwhelming number of menu items to asking gourmet chefs to cook a meal with McDonald’s ingredients for reporters, haven’t paid off.

“We’ve lost some of our relevance,” McDonald’s CEO Don Thompson admitted to analysts in January.

The company also came under fire this year as more workers protested the fast food industry’s low-pay.

In addition to the challenges facing McDonald’s specifically, the chain is dealing with the obstacles plaguing many other companies as the country grapples with rising income inequality. Squeezed by the recession and slow recovery, lower-income Americans have been hesitant to spend — even at low-cost outlets like McDonald’s and Walmart. Walmart replaced its U.S. CEO last month.

Andres comes to McDonald’s after working as CEO of Logan’s Roadhouse, a steakhouse chain. Before that he worked at McDonald’s for 30 years, starting out as a manager in his family’s restaurant.

“Mike Andres is an accomplished executive with a track record of driving strong results,” Lisa McComb, a McDonald’s spokeswoman wrote in an email statement to The Huffington Post. “He’s a progressive, strategic thinker with a deep understanding of consumers and the marketplace – and a proven track record of translating those insights into successful results. He brings a wealth of knowledge of the McDonald’s System as well as broader experience in the Informal Eating Out industry.”

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Jerk Cats Steal Dog Food Because They Refuse To Play By The Rules

August 22, 2014 0

Welcome back to The Huffington Post’s ongoing series on feline psychology. If you’re new to the course here is a brief summation of what we’ve learned so far: CATS. ARE. TOTAL. JERKS. Great, we’re all caught up.

For today’s lesson, if you’ll turn your attention to the video above, we will observe some cats stealing food from mild mannered dogs.

Sure, if you ask the cats, they’ll tell you they’re just trying to help the dogs keep their New Year’s resolutions to shed some lbs. But we all know that these furry sadists just want more food for themselves.

After you finish the video please join us in the comments section for an illuminating discussion on the following topics.

1. Why are cats such jerks?
2. How can dogs learn to stand up for themselves and be more assertive with their cat bullies?
3. Why won’t you let the dogs eat already, you meanie cats?
4. F—k you, cats! (we still love you, though)

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Bike Between D.C.’s Breweries (and Distillery) This Weekend

August 22, 2014 0

If you prefer a bike seat to a bar stool, get in on the D.C. Beer Week action Saturday with Bardo’s bimonthly brewery bicycle tour. At 1 p.m., meet at the Brookland Metro’s west entrance, then ride to DC Brau, New Columbia Distillers, and Atlas Brew Works. Then five-mile journey ends at Bardo’s brewery and beer garden at 4 […]