Note to all Hogganbecks and McCaslins

Here's an interesting point in case you ever want to or have thought about eating bear meat:

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Hibernating animals contain substances that prevent ice crystal formation in their cells during hibernation. The flesh of these animals can protect the larvae of certain parasites (the Trichinella sp.) within their cells from being killed by freezing. Considering this, it's probably best to thoroughly cook meat from wild animals to prevent possibility of trichinellaisis.

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Thanks Parasitology! I'm still eating raw oysters, however.

Tops Chefs

Honestly, who doesn't like rankings? Okay, you're right. If VH1 rock countdowns and the BCS polls have taught us anything, it's that whoever or whatever dictates the superiority and inferiority of the subject matter most definitely folds in comparison to our expert knowledge of the subject. However, if we have no basis for bias, polls can be quite fun.

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The prominence of cooking shows and chefs as red-carpet personalities has been growing rapidly in recent years. As a subscriber to the Hell's Kitchen page on Hulu, I testify to this. Here is a list assembled by the NY Times of the twenty biggest chef empires. See how many of them you recognize.