Your Kitchen’s Most Overlooked Tool: Music
Your Kitchen’s Most Overlooked Tool: Music
Just like the perfect workout mix, the right culinary compilation can heighten the adrenaline required cook. Chefs take this seriously.
Mario Batali has been known to blast modern and classic rock throughout this restaurants and he maintains an ever-evolving playlist on his website.
Anthony Bourdain—a die-hard Ramones, Modern Lovers, and Television fan—has a reputation for firing anyone in his kitchen caught playing Billy Joel (Bourdain’s playlist here).
David Schuttenberg of Cabrito in NYC posts his specially designed punk rock kitchen mix tapes on Twitter (@CabritoChefDave) and his Facebook page.
Take a lesson from these guys: Good kitchen music isn’t smooth-jazz, it’s not Top 40s, and it should never contain the words Kenny or Loggins. Good kitchen music reflects the blood, sweat, and toil of cooking. It’s fast-paced, rough around the edges, and anti-establishment. It’s fuel.
Theme Magazine recently released the best food mix I’ve heard. The download has since been removed, but use the track listing and a couple of bucks in the iTunes store to your culinary advantage. This playlist is still far from complete. There are plenty of food tunes still out there waiting to set the soundtrack to chopping, sautéing, reducing and plating.
I’ll add some of mine. You add some of yours. Then, after our knives are sharpened and our speakers are cranked up to 10, we can start cooking.
5 Soccer Mysteries Solved
5 Soccer Mysteries Solved
Why are there so few goals?
A scoreboard rarely shows a double-digit score in soccer for a few reasons. Take a look at the field and the number of players. �nlike basketball or hockey where the field is smaller and you can create more chances for a goal, soccer has a bigger field,�says Richie Williams, New Jersey Red Bulls assistant coach. On top of an expansive field, there are only 11 players covering a field that is usually 120 yards by 75 yards. Translation? A bigger field with man-on-man coverage makes it harder to nail a goal. The other reason for soccer� low-score finishes is because of the off-sides rule, which prevents any forward or attacking player from hanging out by the goal behind the defender. Instead, when a player has the ball and is trying to score, he must have at least one defender between him and the goal. The only way to beat the off-sides rule is a perfect pass to a player who accelerates past a defender to meet the ball or to dribble around a defenderRecently, FIFA relaxed the off-side rule, so that the offensive player now only has to be in line with the defender, thereby creating more goal-scoring chances.
Why is called the beautiful game?
It is beautiful because it is simple�ou can play anywhere as long as you have a ball, and if you don� happen to have one, you can make one, explains says Jamie Trecker, the Fox Sports Senior European Correspondent for the World Cup and author of Love and Blood: At the World Cup with the Footballers, Fans and Freaks. �here are no elaborate rules, there� no BS like there is in American football where there� a rulebook the size of the telephone book and you never know what� going on.�Soccer is different from other team sports in that it� a collaborative effort, but it relies on individual athleticism and intelligence, says Trecker. �ome of the most attractive things in the game come from individual play and movement of the ball and doing things�aking shots, dribbling, passing�hat seem to at first be mistakes and then turn out to be rather brilliant.�
Are oranges the best half-time snack?
The orange myth is up: You�e better off downing a sports drink in the short window between halves. Oranges are fibrous and contain fructose� sugar that is hard to digest�o they are a ripe target for causing a pain in your gut, says John Seifert, Ph.D., an associate professor at the department of Health and Human Performance at Montana State University. The citrus half-time staple is scarce in carbohydrates and fluid, the two things you�e body desperately needs. You want to down as much liquid and carbohydrates as possible without having a slosh bucket in your stomach, says Seifert. Check the label: Look for glucose and sucrose as the top two ingredients. They are sugars that are easy to digest and can be used as energy fast. The optimal effect comes from a 6 percent carbohydrate drink, like original Gatorde or Powerade. Fructose works if it� the third or fourth ingredient because it sweetens the drink, making it taste better. Forgo solids unless you have an iron stomach. As exercise intensity increases, blood flow to the gut decreases, making digestion more difficult, says Seifert. Finally, consider a drink with a 4 to 1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein, which studies have shown to increase endurance compared with a carbohydrate only drink.
How can you head the ball and not get brain damage?
Stay alert. A ball that takes you by surprise is more likely to cause harm because you aren� braced for its impact. The best way to attack a ball is to stabilize your head, says Mark Lovell, Ph.D., director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center� Sports Medicine Concussion Program. �f your head is flopping around, you are increasing the chance your brain is going to slide around in the skull,�says Lovell. Instead, tighten your neck muscles to absorb some of the ball� energy, use your core to control your neck, and keep your legs shoulder width apart. If you�e attacking aim to head the ball down with your forehead, and if you�e defending aim up. A good way to learn the good heading technique�o activate your core�is to lie on your back and have someone throw the ball toward you and you do a crunch like movement and head it back, explains Greg Ramos, a certified soccer coach with Lehigh Valley United F.C. Then practice on your knees; and finally do the drill standing up. This will teach you to head in a controlled way and not to push up or jump with your legs.
What are the fans always singing about?
They want to build up their own team and disparage their foes�t� tribalism. �inging and chanting has become wrapped up in the aesthetics of the game,�says Jamie Trecker, the Fox Sports Senior European Correspondent for the World Cup and author of Love and Blood: At the World Cup with the Footballers, Fans and Freaks. The opposing fans sing to each other to goad each other on. In fact, Trecker says one of the greatest soccer taunts is to tell a losing team that their fans only sing when they�e winning. Singing also expresses solidarity�all together, we are behind you,�says Colin Jose, the Historian Emeritus for the National Soccer Hall of Fame. �ne of the most popular songs for English fans is �ou�l Never Walk Alone,�which an anthem for fans of Liverpool in particular,�says Jose. Whatever you do, don� stoop to the level of �le, ole, ole, ole...�the song meaning �o�or �in�in Spanish that originates from Mexican fans at the 1986 World Cup. That� hardly a soccer song, and it� the kind of thing American novices erroneously think the game� all about, says Trecker.
Why are there so few goals?
A scoreboard rarely shows a double-digit score in soccer for a few reasons. Take a look at the field and the number of players. �nlike basketball or hockey where the field is smaller and you can create more chances for a goal, soccer has a bigger field,�says Richie Williams, New Jersey Red Bulls assistant coach. On top of an expansive field, there are only 11 players covering a field that is usually 120 yards by 75 yards. Translation? A bigger field with man-on-man coverage makes it harder to nail a goal. The other reason for soccer� low-score finishes is because of the off-sides rule, which prevents any forward or attacking player from hanging out by the goal behind the defender. Instead, when a player has the ball and is trying to score, he must have at least one defender between him and the goal. The only way to beat the off-sides rule is a perfect pass to a player who accelerates past a defender to meet the ball or to dribble around a defenderRecently, FIFA relaxed the off-side rule, so that the offensive player now only has to be in line with the defender, thereby creating more goal-scoring chances.
Why is called the beautiful game?
It is beautiful because it is simple�ou can play anywhere as long as you have a ball, and if you don� happen to have one, you can make one, explains says Jamie Trecker, the Fox Sports Senior European Correspondent for the World Cup and author of Love and Blood: At the World Cup with the Footballers, Fans and Freaks. �here are no elaborate rules, there� no BS like there is in American football where there� a rulebook the size of the telephone book and you never know what� going on.�Soccer is different from other team sports in that it� a collaborative effort, but it relies on individual athleticism and intelligence, says Trecker. �ome of the most attractive things in the game come from individual play and movement of the ball and doing things�aking shots, dribbling, passing�hat seem to at first be mistakes and then turn out to be rather brilliant.�
Are oranges the best half-time snack?
The orange myth is up: You�e better off downing a sports drink in the short window between halves. Oranges are fibrous and contain fructose� sugar that is hard to digest�o they are a ripe target for causing a pain in your gut, says John Seifert, Ph.D., an associate professor at the department of Health and Human Performance at Montana State University. The citrus half-time staple is scarce in carbohydrates and fluid, the two things you�e body desperately needs. You want to down as much liquid and carbohydrates as possible without having a slosh bucket in your stomach, says Seifert. Check the label: Look for glucose and sucrose as the top two ingredients. They are sugars that are easy to digest and can be used as energy fast. The optimal effect comes from a 6 percent carbohydrate drink, like original Gatorde or Powerade. Fructose works if it� the third or fourth ingredient because it sweetens the drink, making it taste better. Forgo solids unless you have an iron stomach. As exercise intensity increases, blood flow to the gut decreases, making digestion more difficult, says Seifert. Finally, consider a drink with a 4 to 1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein, which studies have shown to increase endurance compared with a carbohydrate only drink.
How can you head the ball and not get brain damage?
Stay alert. A ball that takes you by surprise is more likely to cause harm because you aren� braced for its impact. The best way to attack a ball is to stabilize your head, says Mark Lovell, Ph.D., director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center� Sports Medicine Concussion Program. �f your head is flopping around, you are increasing the chance your brain is going to slide around in the skull,�says Lovell. Instead, tighten your neck muscles to absorb some of the ball� energy, use your core to control your neck, and keep your legs shoulder width apart. If you�e attacking aim to head the ball down with your forehead, and if you�e defending aim up. A good way to learn the good heading technique�o activate your core�is to lie on your back and have someone throw the ball toward you and you do a crunch like movement and head it back, explains Greg Ramos, a certified soccer coach with Lehigh Valley United F.C. Then practice on your knees; and finally do the drill standing up. This will teach you to head in a controlled way and not to push up or jump with your legs.
What are the fans always singing about?
They want to build up their own team and disparage their foes�t� tribalism. �inging and chanting has become wrapped up in the aesthetics of the game,�says Jamie Trecker, the Fox Sports Senior European Correspondent for the World Cup and author of Love and Blood: At the World Cup with the Footballers, Fans and Freaks. The opposing fans sing to each other to goad each other on. In fact, Trecker says one of the greatest soccer taunts is to tell a losing team that their fans only sing when they�e winning. Singing also expresses solidarity�all together, we are behind you,�says Colin Jose, the Historian Emeritus for the National Soccer Hall of Fame. �ne of the most popular songs for English fans is �ou�l Never Walk Alone,�which an anthem for fans of Liverpool in particular,�says Jose. Whatever you do, don� stoop to the level of �le, ole, ole, ole...�the song meaning �o�or �in�in Spanish that originates from Mexican fans at the 1986 World Cup. That� hardly a soccer song, and it� the kind of thing American novices erroneously think the game� all about, says Trecker.
Air Pollution Tied to Breathing Problems in Sleep
Air Pollution Tied to Breathing Problems in Sleep
Breathing-related sleep disruptions come in several forms, of which the best known is sleep apnea. It causes people to repeatedly wake up when their airways constrict and breathing is cut off. In many cases, sufferers don’t realize they have the condition, which can contribute to the development of heart disease and stroke.
In the study, researchers tried to discover if air pollution — which irritates the airways — has anything to do with sleep disruptions, which affect an estimated 17 percent of adults in the United States.
The study authors pored over data from the Sleep Heart Health Study, which examined the heart health and sleep patterns of more than 6,000 people between 1995 and 1998. They then compared those patterns to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) air pollution data on seven cities: Minneapolis; New York City; Phoenix; Pittsburgh; Sacramento; Tucson, Ariz.; and Framingham, Mass.
The researchers analyzed data on more than 3,000 people and adjusted for factors such as age, gender, smoking and temperature so they wouldn’t throw off the results.
They found that incidents of sleep apnea and low levels of oxygen during sleep went up as the temperature rose during all seasons of the year. Sleep-disordered breathing also rose during the summer as air pollution worsened.
Particles of pollution “may influence sleep through effects on the central nervous system, as well as the upper airways,” wrote co-author Antonella Zanobetti in a news release, noting that the exact mechanism is unclear. “These new data suggest that reduction in air pollution exposure might decrease the severity of such sleep disruptions.”
The study, funded by the U.S. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, the EPA and the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, appeared online June 14 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
Poor School Performance
Poor School Performance
Poor School Performance
These findings make clear the impact violence can have on children living in the area, regardless of whether they witness violence directly or are personally victimized. The results suggest that children may carry the burden of violence with them as they take part in daily life within the neighborhood or school settings,” Patrick Sharkey, a sociology professor at New York University, said in a university news release.
Poor School Performance
These findings make clear the impact violence can have on children living in the area, regardless of whether they witness violence directly or are personally victimized. The results suggest that children may carry the burden of violence with them as they take part in daily life within the neighborhood or school settings,” Patrick Sharkey, a sociology professor at New York University, said in a university news release.
He analyzed data on reported murders in Chicago from 1994 to 2002 and compared that with information collected through surveys of children and families in Chicago. The study was limited to black and Hispanic children, because whites and other ethnic groups were almost never exposed to local murders in the data samples used in the study, Sharkey explained.
Overall, the study found that black children whose reading and language skills were assessed immediately after a local murder had much lower scores than those of peers who lived in the same neighborhood but were assessed at different times.
When the length of time between the murder and the child’s assessment increased beyond a week, the effects of the murder on the child’s scores weakened. In addition, the farther away a murder was from a child’s home, the less the impact.
While the findings were extremely strong for black children, local murders appeared to have no effect on Hispanic children, a finding that requires further research.
“When one takes into account the prevalence of homicide in the most violent neighborhoods in cities like Chicago, these results mean that some children spend about one week out of every month functioning at a low level as they navigate the home or school environment,” Sharkey concluded.
The study was released online June 14 in advance of publication in an upcoming print issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Gene Mutations Offer Clues to Autoimmune Disorders
Gene Mutations Offer Clues to Autoimmune Disorders
Gene Mutations Offer Clues to Autoimmune Disorders
Gene Mutations Offer Clues to Autoimmune Disorders
Researchers report that the findings could lead to better treatments — although that’s not guaranteed — and pave the way for scientists to link uncommon genetic variations to other diseases.
The research is focused on mutations in the gene coding an enzyme in charge of a crucial cell in the immune system. The enzyme, called sialic acid acetylesterase, controls the immune system’s B cells — white cells that produce antibodies to fight the foreign proteins of viruses, bacteria and other invaders. If the enzyme fails to rein in the B cells, they may attack the body’s healthy cells by mistake.
The study authors compared the genetic makeup of 923 people with common autoimmune disorders to a control group of 648 people without them. They found a genetic variation that interferes with the enzyme in 24 of the participants with autoimmune diseases but just two of the controls.
The gene variant accounts for only about 2 or 3 percent of autoimmune disease cases, but “we are actively investigating other genes in this pathway that may be defective in a larger percentage of patients,” said study senior author Dr. Shiv Pillai, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and researcher at the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Cancer Research, in a hospital news release.
The research appears online June 16 in the journal Nature.
H1N1 Flu Vaccine May Shield Against 1918 Strain
H1N1 Flu Vaccine May Shield Against 1918 Strain
H1N1 Flu Vaccine May Shield Against 1918 Strain
The finding stems from work funded by the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, which examined the vaccine’s efficacy in influenza protection among mice.
“While the reconstruction of the formerly extinct Spanish influenza virus was important in helping study other pandemic viruses, it raised some concerns about an accidental lab release or its use as a bioterrorist agent,” study author Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, a professor of microbiology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, said in a school news release. “Our research shows that the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine protects against the Spanish influenza virus, an important breakthrough in preventing another devastating pandemic like 1918.”
Garcia-Sastre and his colleagues report their findings in the current issue of Nature Communications.
The authors worked with three groups of mice, injecting them with either the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine, a seasonal influenza vaccine, or no vaccine.
Three weeks following vaccination, all the mice were exposed to a deadly dosage of the 1918 Spanish influenza virus. The researchers observed that only mice from the group that had been inoculated with the 2009 H1N1 vaccine were able to survive, although some from that group also succumbed to the Spanish influenza exposure.
In a second round of testing, Garcia-Sastre’s team also injected mice with blood serum drawn from people who had been vaccinated against H1N1, and then exposed them to the Spanish influenza virus. In this way, the researchers found that antibodies present in human blood exposed to the H1N1 vaccine may also offer some protection against Spanish influenza.
“Considering the millions of people who have already been vaccinated against 2009 H1N1 influenza, cross-protection against the 1918 influenza virus may be widespread,” said Garcia-Sastre. “Our research indicates that people who were exposed to the virus may also be protected. We look forward to conducting further research on the benefits of the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine in protecting against the deadly 1918 Spanish influenza virus.”
H1N1 Flu Vaccine May Shield Against 1918 Strain
The finding stems from work funded by the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, which examined the vaccine’s efficacy in influenza protection among mice.
“While the reconstruction of the formerly extinct Spanish influenza virus was important in helping study other pandemic viruses, it raised some concerns about an accidental lab release or its use as a bioterrorist agent,” study author Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, a professor of microbiology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, said in a school news release. “Our research shows that the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine protects against the Spanish influenza virus, an important breakthrough in preventing another devastating pandemic like 1918.”
Garcia-Sastre and his colleagues report their findings in the current issue of Nature Communications.
The authors worked with three groups of mice, injecting them with either the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine, a seasonal influenza vaccine, or no vaccine.
Three weeks following vaccination, all the mice were exposed to a deadly dosage of the 1918 Spanish influenza virus. The researchers observed that only mice from the group that had been inoculated with the 2009 H1N1 vaccine were able to survive, although some from that group also succumbed to the Spanish influenza exposure.
In a second round of testing, Garcia-Sastre’s team also injected mice with blood serum drawn from people who had been vaccinated against H1N1, and then exposed them to the Spanish influenza virus. In this way, the researchers found that antibodies present in human blood exposed to the H1N1 vaccine may also offer some protection against Spanish influenza.
“Considering the millions of people who have already been vaccinated against 2009 H1N1 influenza, cross-protection against the 1918 influenza virus may be widespread,” said Garcia-Sastre. “Our research indicates that people who were exposed to the virus may also be protected. We look forward to conducting further research on the benefits of the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine in protecting against the deadly 1918 Spanish influenza virus.”
Yoga Pants for Achy Knees
Yoga Pants for Achy Knees
Yoga Pants for Achy Knees
The name pretty much says it all: These are basic black yoga capris, but with a large square of padding over each knee. The pads are thin. Translation: They don’t scream,“I’m wearing knee pads!” Still, they give about the same amount of cushioning as a single or double layer of a blanket does. Overall, the pants fit well, and the fabric has a nice, stretchy weave that’s not only comfortable but also wicks sweat quite nicely.
There’s one caveat, though, and it’s definitely worth noting: These capris have a “crotch gusset” (i.e., an oval piece of fabric sewn into the crotch area), and the placement of the seams makes it look, somewhat embarrassingly, like I have a sort of continuous frontal wedgie, if you will, even though the pants fit just fine. It was enough of an issue to keep me from wearing them to yoga class; I chose instead to test them in the privacy of my den.
The verdict: These capris are a great idea for yoginis with achy joints, eliminating the need for extra padding during knee-down poses. But you may want to save them for your home practices—or at least wear them with a long T-shirt.
Product: Fila Knee Pad Yoga Capri
Category: Apparel
Pros: These comfy pants eliminate the need for extra knee padding during yoga poses.
Cons: Some of the stitching is less than flattering.
Cost: $55 at FILA.com
Extra tip: They pad only your knees for comfort; they don’t protect them internally during challenging poses. So if you sometimes modify the poses to go easier on your joints, you should continue to do so when you wear them.
Yoga Pants for Achy Knees
The name pretty much says it all: These are basic black yoga capris, but with a large square of padding over each knee. The pads are thin. Translation: They don’t scream,“I’m wearing knee pads!” Still, they give about the same amount of cushioning as a single or double layer of a blanket does. Overall, the pants fit well, and the fabric has a nice, stretchy weave that’s not only comfortable but also wicks sweat quite nicely.
There’s one caveat, though, and it’s definitely worth noting: These capris have a “crotch gusset” (i.e., an oval piece of fabric sewn into the crotch area), and the placement of the seams makes it look, somewhat embarrassingly, like I have a sort of continuous frontal wedgie, if you will, even though the pants fit just fine. It was enough of an issue to keep me from wearing them to yoga class; I chose instead to test them in the privacy of my den.
The verdict: These capris are a great idea for yoginis with achy joints, eliminating the need for extra padding during knee-down poses. But you may want to save them for your home practices—or at least wear them with a long T-shirt.
Product: Fila Knee Pad Yoga Capri
Category: Apparel
Pros: These comfy pants eliminate the need for extra knee padding during yoga poses.
Cons: Some of the stitching is less than flattering.
Cost: $55 at FILA.com
Extra tip: They pad only your knees for comfort; they don’t protect them internally during challenging poses. So if you sometimes modify the poses to go easier on your joints, you should continue to do so when you wear them.
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