One exception to that is when employers check your credit before offering you a job. At one point, the credit score was even referred to as the second resume. I don’t know if it’s still as prevalent as it was before the recession, but I would imagine some companies still do it.

My dad has made chips from good ol’ russets this way for years. I don’t care for sweet potatoes (I keep trying and spicy, cajun fries are the closest I’ve come), but the method is solid.

Ahhh hotel sex. Here’s where REM’s “Everybody Hurts” plays in my head while I think on times gone by. And don’t think for a second you’re chickenshit for not having kids. There’s no inherent glory or superiority to any choice, and a choice is all it is. Besides, life provides enough hurdles and hardships to go around…

Fair points. My kids aren’t all old enough to wipe their butts, though, which is another exciting, early morning activity. The swim team is not with a school so there are no taxes, no buses. My kids aren’t old enough to mow our yard (YET! but yes they will age into that). I will admit to some late night OITNB with…

I think you spelled that wrong. It should be “...weekend morning let the dog out because its howling, the kids are banging on the door for breakfast, there’s a swim meet in an hour, and it’s an hour drive to get there.”

I was being a bit tongue-in-cheek with that, however, VABlitz makes a good point about diabetics. I guess we could add those with Celiac to those who may benefit.

These are called parmesan frico, and they are indeed glorious. I have never made taco shells with them (soon to be remedied), but I’ve made little salad bowls (without the soul crushing nightmare flavor of radish, mind you) with them, used them as a decorative bit on some bacon, cheese grits, and put them on…

That’s brilliant! Cook the base in a sous vide for 72 hours and then age it for 9 weeks in the fridge and maybe by fall you can have the world’s most perfect ice cream.

I’m a big guy and running just punishes my feet. When I found my Brooks Adrenalines, I found my (not going to make a stupid sole mate joke) shoe. I strayed once, and it caused so much pain I had to stop running (loping actually) for months. I wish it wasn’t so hard to find the right shoe, but I couldn’t agree more.…

Being careful not to add salt too far in advance. They get too mushy if you add salt more than three or four minutes before cooking. Plus, they just taste better when the salt is added before cooking. If the salt is added later and doesn’t dissolve much (if it’s not a finely ground salt), it becomes inconsistent—some…

A dinner party is the best justification I personally have come up with for wanting to use sous vide. Being able to have cooked, not overcooked, food warm for a long time that can be slapped on a hot grill or skillet quickly and served seems fantastic. You get more guest time and great food with a show-off name you…

An option my wife and I have used over the years is tissue (gift tissue not toilet or facial) and spray starch. Cut the tissue to fit window panes. Spray starch it into place. It doesn’t make shade, but it will obscure windows while still allowing light in if you need to go that route.

Despite the many decades since I was a teenage boy, “transform plain, boring nuts into pizza nuts” made me laugh. Not ashamed. Also, I wonder how the Doritos mix would taste so I could transform my nuts into Doritos Nuts. I would label them “D’s...”

Sign me up too!

Haha, fair point. I usually don’t eat them either, but the wife and kids aren’t as uppity as me. Sorry, uppity as I. ;)

Don’t let the lack of lemon curd stop you. You can make a quick one yourself in another few minutes (http://www.pbs.org/parents/kitche…). For that matter, just make a lemon glaze and pour it on.

The goal here isn’t to make a dessert as good as what could be prepared in a real oven with thoughtful time and attention. The goal is quick, easy, imperfect, and satisfactory. I’ve done microwave cakes for my kids many times because it was fast, and I was tired from working all day then cooking dinner then cleaning…

If you don’t like the chocolate chips in the brownies because of the texture rather than the flavor they impart, melt your batter over very light heat before you bake the brownies. Better Homes and Gardens (the red and white plaid cookbook) has a recipe for a cookie called the Fudge Ecstasy. It’s the best chocolate…

A year or so ago, when my son got picky about which of the squeezie pouches he liked, I had tons of pouches he wouldn’t touch because he hates me and likes to waste my money, so I started eating them. First, they’re freaking awesome tasting. I mean, fruits and veg all mixed together? What’s not to love? So now I get…

I recently had to eat at an A&W and of course everything there is battered and fried. I opted to have the grilled chicken sandwich without the bread and green beans instead of fries. I say this without hyperbole, that was the worst food in the history of the universe. Next time, I’ll go across the street to the gas…