Jell-No! Hospital Chow Goes Upscale

From 'grilled to perfection' to 'garden fresh'

(NEWSER) - Tired of menus that use the same old phrases over and over? So are the food critics at the Chicago Tribune. They nominated nine menu clichés for the compost pile:

• "Grilled to perfection": Subjective to the point of meaninglessness. And why always grilled, and not “boiled” or “baked”? Can only grilling reach perfection?
• "World famous": Almost always an empty boast.
• "Kobe burger": “Kobe” is becoming a general synonym for “high quality”; it doesn't apply unless the beef actually came from Japan.

(NEWSER) - If you want white truffle shavings sprinkled over your Thanksgiving leftovers, the biggest specimen found in Italy this year is up for auction tomorrow. You'll need some big bucks—and perhaps the moxie to outbid David and Victoria Beckham. The delectable fungus weighs about 2½ pounds and is expected to spark a bidding war, ANSA reports. More»

Esquire provides the basics, from grades to cooking times

(NEWSER) - There's more to a mouthwatering steak than meets the eye. So Esquire offers some tips and terms every steak lover should know before a Labor Day meat-fest:

• Types of beef: Grass-fed: "Healthier but ... less flavorful than corn-fed." Heritage: "Rare heirloom breeds ... without the hormones or pesticides." Aberdeen-Angus: "Pure breed found in the US, England, Scotland, and Ireland."

10 best gut-stretching meals around the country

(NEWSER) - Tired of picking at salads and counting out almonds? Fill up your plate with the 10 "best-tasting, most gut-stretching" meals the Discovery Channel could find.

1. Lambert's Cafe, Sikeston, MO
2. Eagle's Deli, Brighton, MA
3. Seiad Valley Cafe, Seiad Valley, CA