Today was supposed to be for questioning the ethics of an administration that approves labeling something as grotesquely engineered as high fructose corn syrup "Natural." We were going to insinuate that high-level FDA officials were in the pocket of the corn lobby, even as they also approved a combined $1 million in bonuses for themselves, "pushing their pay above that of members of Congress, federal judges - and even some cabinet secretaries."

But you don't want to hear about that, right? You want Fun Friday. You know what you want? You want to see a pickle get electrocuted as a metaphor for converting to Christianity. Look, it lights up and smoke comes out! Can the FDA do that? Only listen to Grandpa John and don't try this at home.

Thanks FDA....for nothing. [Accidental Hedonist]
FDA Lifts Warning About Eating Certain Types of Tomatoes [FDA Press Release]
As FDA says tomatoes are safe, growers criticize agency [Sacramento Bee]
FDA Execs Reap Lavish Bonuses [CBS]
Holk V. Snapple civil verdict [Corn.org]
Man electrocutes pickle to demonstrate power of Christianity [Boing Boing]

• In case you were wondering, it costs a lot to fill a Jacuzzi with Chicken McNuggets. [MP: Chicago]

• Mexican wrestling masks on restaurant walls? Yes, please! [MP: Philadelphia]

• Happy birthday, umami! [MP: San Francisco]

• Miami lives la bonne vie. [MP: South Florida]

• Jalapeño and serrano peppers, however, are still dangerous. [Chicago Tribune]

• All these food poisoning outbreaks are driving people right to their local farmers' markets. [Washington Post]

• The Pope thinks you're greedy. [Guardian]

• Well, maybe not those of you in the EU who want to start a 1.6 billion fund to combat the global food crisis. [LA Times]

The normally staid British newsmagazine The Economist has some real cheeky monkeys on staff. Let us explain.

Stephen Dubner is the co-author of the bestselling book Freakonomics and writes a blog of the same name for the New York Times. In a July 8 blog post, he called out a perceived spelling error in a recent Economist story:

"Consider this lead from a recent article about a huge Mexican mining company called Fresnillo, which was recently listed on the London Stock Exchange:

In the hills north east of Mexico City it is not uncommon to find Cornish pasties for sale.

They meant to write “pastries” but, considering that miners work really hard, they might also be hoping to encounter the kind of people who go shopping for pasties."

You see, Stephen Dubner thought the Economist was talking about, we don't know... shortbread cookies. Not cornish pastys — meat-filled British turnovers that are also the ancestors of Jamaican beef patties.

That's when The Economist decided to send Dubner a cornish pastie in the mail. As shown in the picture above, Dubner received a cornish pasty in the mail courtesy of the magazine.

More commentary is available over at Serious Eats and Net Writing.

Pasties, pasties everywhere [Freakonomics/NYT]

[Photos via Stephen Dubner/NYT]

A recent commentary on Marketplace really struck a chord, especially after a dinner some months ago that ended with married best friends bickering over the price of a drink, about eight eyeballs straining to reach the ceiling first, and the embarrassing situation of taking so long that the staff milled about the table, hinting with no subtlety at all that it was time to go.

While this is an extreme version of check-splitting, and was probably called for as it was not a regular dining group, Dan Ariely's assertion that splitting a check causes more mental distress, in total, than does one person treating, never seemed truer.

But there are a couple problems with his point that may not be surmountable, especially to younger diners. First, you need a regular group in which everybody is willing to join in this method. If one person wants the check to be traded from meal to meal, and one wants it to be split every time, it will never work.

Also, picking up the check for a table of four at a moderately priced restaurant can be cost-prohibitive, even for comfortably middle-income people. A meal for $60 might be a ding to the pocketbook, but a $240 check just blew your whole weekend's entertainment budget.

Still, Ariely's got a good point about the "pain of paying," and if you can get to where you only have to experience that pain every fourth dinner, you're doing pretty well. It's all about figuring out who'll pick up the first check...

Splitting the check increases the pain [Marketplace]

[Photo: revjim5000/flickr]

Cuchi Cuchi: The flamboyant Cambridge mainstay right between Central and Kendall Squares is always fun for a glamorous or silly night out. Go for their "straight up" international dishes and stay for the wild assortment of delicious cocktails - many also available virgin if you're the designated driver. Servers in colorful garb strut around like characters in a mobster movie, and if you check their website, you might catch an evening tarot card reading to accompany your dinner.

Dali: Technically the sister restaurant of Cuchi Cuchi, we put both locales on the list because both inspire such festive creativity and fun. Dali focuses on Spanish tapas and wine in a romantic setting best for group outings with friends or an intimate date night. Dali prices are more reasonable than most, and like Cuchi Cuchi, Dali also features the artwork of local artist Mark Steel.

Tasca: Last but not least, this Brighton gem sits right off the T, making it a perfect late night spot if you decide to have a few extra drinks. Featuring more expensive main dishes with a large small plate menu, Tasca is probably the best introduction to tapas in town. Not overwhelmingly kitschy, the place is warm and inviting. Tasca also features flamenco dancing - check their calendar for the next evening of rhythmic steps.

Cuchi Cuchi [Official Site]
Dali [Official Site]
Tasca [Official Site]

[Photo: blogefl/Flickr]

• Though a bread habit can be dangerous when Subway employees apparently bake a knife into your loaf. [Reuters]

• Not just a producer: The government of India announced it's looking to make food processing its next big economic growth engine. [Press Information Bureau of India]

• And speaking of economic "engines," right here in our own bread basket Iowa corn producers are pretty proud of the massive popularity of E85 ethanol. [Wallaces Farmer]

We've recently become a little obsessed with the idea of "hacking" non-electronic, everyday things. For example there are these guys who hacked the McDonald's Menu, the well-known Starbucks iced latte hack (the ghetto latte), and now, with blazing turnaround time, the chocolate chip cookie hack.

You probably read the New York Times article last week that included advice to let chocolate chip cookie dough sit for 36 hours to fully absorb the liquid from the eggs. But who has 36 hours? Ridiculous. We want cookies now!

Well, Ideas In Food came to the rescue quickly with this handy hack of writer David Leite's painstaking findings: If you vacuum seal the cookie dough, it only takes about three hours for the liquid to absorb thoroughly enough to make those same perfect chocolate chip cookies.

What I can tell you is that the dough darkened and VacuumSealedDough became fully saturated, similar to the way that the dough usually looks after a couple of days in the refrigerator. It also changed the texture of the dough, making it a bit more elastic to the touch. The just made dough was too soft to shape and needed to chill, so I left in the fridge for about three hours before baking.

The resulting cookies were pretty damn good. They had a slightly cakey texture in the center with chewy yet crisp edges and rich buttery, caramel flavors. It was impossible to eat just one and I was thankful that I had not baked off the entire batch. Were they better than David Leite's? I really couldn't say. On the other hand I think it was clear that vacuum sealing did have a positive effect on the process, and from now on plastic wrap is out and vacuum bags are definitely in.

Vacuum Sealed Cookie Dough [Ideas In Food]
Perfection? Hint: It’s Warm and Has a Secret
HOWTO trick McDonald's into serving you "breakfast" at lunchtime and vice-versa [Boing Boing]
How to hack Starbucks [Slate]

[Photo: Chocolate chip cookie pie via Bakerella/flickr]

Okay, we admit those aren't the correct song lyrics. Nor is the song anyhow affiliated with Middle Eastern cuisine. But when we get our hands on some delicious Lebanese food, we continue to sing its praises for days.

Along the row of restaurants and businesses on Cambridge Street is Phoenicia, a small, family run gem that is dedicated to top quality food at affordable prices. While ordering your falafel roll-up typically means calling for delivery over the phone from your kitchen, Phoenicia incorporates full service dining at take-out prices. However, the low price of the food is no indicator of its quality.

We ordered a falafel sandwich with the works (feta, tabbouleh, and hummus) expecting a small sandwich for the price (around $6). Instead, we were given what resembled a wooden log constructed out of falafel. The sandwiches are so massive you'll probably be toting home a doggy bag with tomorrow's lunch in it. Other favorites include the tabbouleh appetizer plate, which combines a perfect balance of spices like parsley and mint with fresh pita. Luckily, Phoenicia also offers take-out and free delivery as well, so if you feel like enjoying your meal on the couch in front of the TV, they are happy to comply.

Phoenicia [MenuPages]

[Photo: Like to Cook]

MenuPages to Continue as Distinct Multi-City Site

New York, NY, July 14, 2008 – New York Media LLC, the parent company of New York magazine and the Website NYmag.com, announced today that it has acquired leading restaurant listings Website MenuPages. Currently serving eight major markets, MenuPages will continue to operate under its distinct URL, MenuPages.com.

MenuPages currently attracts approximately 1.5 million unique users and 15 million page views per month to its thousands of detailed restaurant listings from eight U.S. cities. Combined with NYmag.com’s more than 5 million monthly unique visitors and 45 million page views, this acquisition creates a significant and immediate advertising opportunity for NYmag.com’s proven sales staff. NYmag.com’s restaurant menus will now be powered by MenuPages, and in the longer term, New York Media plans to expand MenuPages’ scope and depth while forming strategic licensing, advertising and distribution partnerships across the country.

“The acquisition of MenuPages is an exciting addition to New York Media’s restaurant and dining content offering. We’re thrilled to be able to extend our investment strategy to strategic acquisitions that compliment our existing assets,” said New York Media CEO Anup Bagaria. “We’ll continue to invest behind the talented staff at New York Media to drive organic growth as well as to pursue acquisitions on a selective basis.”

The MenuPages staff, led by the company’s President and Founder, Greg Barton, will move into New York Media’s Soho offices late in the summer of 2008 and will work closely with New York Media staff including General Manager of Digital Media Michael Silberman, Publisher Larry Burstein and Editor-in-Chief Adam Moss.

“MenuPages has built its traffic organically through consistent unmatched content quality and reliability,” said Greg Barton. “I am thrilled to be launching a new era for MenuPages; as part of New York Media, with its tremendous depth of resources and expertise, we will be able to work together to build a business that is a nationally recognized resource for restaurants and dining.”

About New York Media
New York Media is the parent company for the ground-breaking weekly New York magazine, founded in 1968, the Website nymag.com, the twice-yearly publications New York Weddings and New York Look, the events sponsorship division New York Events, and the national restaurant search Website MenuPages.

When the word cafeteria comes to mind, it generally conjures memories of dropping your chocolate milk and curly fries-laden tray in front of your entire high school, while Wanda the sloppy joe cook watches from afar in her trademark apron and hair net. Well this is a different type of cafeteria, and don't expect Wanda to be in sight.

Cafeteria, the chic Mediterranean restaurant on Newbury Street, is definitely part of the "see and be seen" genre of Boston restaurants. It draws a diverse crowd ranging from the European socialites permanently in sunglasses to fanny-pack wearing tourists. But luckily, the menu offers something for everyone, therefore sustaining the true mission of a cafeteria.

For a light meal try the pear salad, a mix of baby arugula, Bartlett pears, toasted walnuts and Gorgonzola chunks. It's the perfect meal to to eat while sitting on cafeTeria's coveted patio, a prime people watching spot. For something a bit heavier, the Kobe beef burger is a favorite of many, and personal pizzas are delectable and filling.

There are clearly many reasons why cafeTeria is better than your high school lunch spot, but at the top of the list is the ability to order alcoholic beverages without getting sent to the principal's office. cafeTeria's champagne cocktails are simply perfection. In flavors such as pear, raspberry, and passion fruit, you will forget about sloppy joes and hair nets in no time.

cafeTeria [Official Site]

[Photo: Beaufurn]

• The head of the World Bank says we're going to need $10 billion to offset the effects of food inflation over the next few years in developing countries. [AP via NYT]

• Did you know that the FDA spent $2.2 million over the past eight years on employee award ceremonies? [Food & Water Watch]

• In a slow market, realtors turn to food to lure buyers. Apparently freshly-baked pies or lemonade on a hot day make the idea of a mortgage go down a little easier. [Seattle Post-Intelligencer]