What We're Reading: February 15

What We’re Reading:

Prominent Calorie Counts Don't Budge Fast Food Choices

(National Public Radio) Despite a law signed last March requiring many chain restaurants to post calorie counts of menu items, most people ignore nutritional information when deciding what to order. A study just published in the International Journal of Obesity found that while about half of the consumers noted the nutritional info, a small percentage actually took it into account.

Is Eating Real Food Unthinkable?

(New York Times) Mark Bittman encourages Americans to sidestep “healthy” processed foods, and instead, eat real food. Although the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010, released by the Department of Agriculture promotes a specific lifestyle packed with fresh produce, when it comes to cutting back on the junky, processed foods, recommendations become vague because of pressure from manufacturers. “The truly healthy alternative to that chip is not a fake chip; it’s a carrot,” Bittman barks.

Around the World by Food Truck

(Wall Street Journal) Beginning in April, a Singapore food truck will hit the road, opening in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Moscow, London, Paris, New York, Sydney, Dubai and Delhi. But take a ticket now, the Singapore Take Out truck will serve eats for three days only before hopping to the next stop.

Vote for New York's Best New Chef

(CNN) To spice up Food & Wine’s annual “Best New Chef” feature, which in the past has spotlighted the 10 most innovative chefs around the country, the editors are letting your taste buds talk. Starting today through March 1^, vote for your favorite regional chef and the winner will appear in the July issue as the The People’s Best New Chef of 2011. Do you know any of the New York Area candidates?

What We’re Watching:

How to Stir-Fry Noodles

(New York Times) For college students, stir-fry is a popular I-have-piles-of-homework-and-the-last-thing-I-want-to-do-is-cook-dinner meal. In this three minute clip, Grace Young, author of “Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge,” shares easy tips for turning this fallback dish into a meal-stopper. Most notably, she suggests cooking with your ears. “When you stir fry, you must cook according to sound. There must be a constant sizzle,” Young advises.