The documentary “SUPER SIZE ME” chronicles a David challenging an American Goliath: McDonald’s. The Giant may still breathing his usual destructive flames of phony food promises, but at least Morgan Spurlock, the film-maker playing our David, has opened doors of new nutritional awareness.

Spurlock’s idea to create this unusual film came about after a particularly filling Thanksgiving dinner, when he caught a news segment about 2 girls suing McDonald’s. These teenagers were blaming McDonalds for their weight condition directly on McDonalds. Spurlock began to doubt the corporation’s claims that their products alone could not explain the poor health of the girls. What would happen, Spurlock thought, if he ate only Mac Donald for 30 days, and further, ordered every meal “super-sized” whenever he was prompted? How would this affect a man of healthy weight without any known medical problems?

Although his girlfriend and family were less than thrilled with the idea of Morgan deliberately destroying his prime health for the film, he remained undeterred. After undergoing a number of tests to measure his current health, he began the experiment.

Each trip to McDonald’s included the super size deal and was followed with a giant soda. How any human person could eat that much bad food continuously for 30 days was truly more than anybody should to do for science. 15 days into Spurlock’s filming, his doctors where concerned that maybe he should stop – not simply because he was experiencing weight gain, but because his blood pressure and cholesterol were now at very dangerous levels. Our remarkable guinea pig emerges from his ordeal with some serious medical problems.

His efforts won Best Documentary from the Int’l Press Academy and also won Best Documentary Screenplay from the Writers Guild of America. The edited DVD version is now distributed to schools throughout the US. I also understand Kaiser Permanente have encouraged its employees to view the film and offers free copies to take home for family viewing.

Of course, there is negative criticism from the fast food restaurant industry and columnists who paint Spurlock as a “Nutrition Cop” performing an unrequested service. Still, the visual evidence is difficult to dispute. Watch the film and decide for yourself!

Cookbook titles are so numerous it’s mind boggling. However, if you could only have one cookbook, the choice would be easy. Since 1931, the best selling cookbook in America has been revised over 24 times. It is “THE JOY of COOKING” by Irma S. Rombauer and her daughter Marion Rombauer. Rombauer self-published the first edition, and the book is now under the care of Bobbs-Merrill Company.

I have owned about 4 different editions; it has been my encyclopedic for culinary information. For someone returning to the kitchen after a long absence, this is an incredible guide to basic food preparation information. It gives background information on food traditions and origin of foods. It starts with entertaining and ends with jellies.

It’s like having 12 books in one because it is so thorough. Instead of high gloss expensive photos, you have small descriptive black and white drawings which show you what you need to know. The index is easy to understand and guides you to the subject you are searching for. It even features a wonderful section explaining calories and food nutrients.

Although the hardback copy rounds out to about $29, the book has also been published in paperback form and you can find it for as low as $12.99 in certain stores. It still amazes me that two women could create this recipe institution that has endured for over 70 years and that has never depended on the likes of FOOD NETWORK or E-Bay. It’s nice to know that some things have true enduring substance and this great book is one of them!