"advice" news and stories

On Wednesday, Charlie Papazian had a great post on Examiner.com providing advice on "surviving beer festivals." He would be one to know: He's the founder of the Great American Beer Festival.

Late September and early October are traditionally beer fest months, not least in part because of the granddaddy of them all, Oktoberfest. Some of Charlie's advice is self-explanatory, like rule #1: "Know your limits." But my favorite rule is #6: "Dump the beer."

Part of the fun of a beer festival is trying something new. Much of the time brewers are even trying to push products on us we might otherwise not try at all. Yet still people feel obligated to suck down suds they don't like. Part of knowing your limits is knowing when you're tossing back a brew just because it's in your cup. Don't do it! A "taster glass" is meant for just that: a taste. If you don't want the rest, dump it out. But be a respectful patron too and don't waste the breweries product for their sake and for the sake of your fellow fest-goers who might have a different opinion than you. If you're not sure you're going to enjoy something, make sure you only get a taste and consider going back for seconds later.

Check out the rest of the rules here and tell us if you have any beer festival plans for the fall in the comments. You can find me at the NY Brewfest next Friday.

If you're in the market for some new knives, especially if you're new to the professional knife world, OnlyKnives has some great advice for you. Seriously, check it out. The article talks about how many knives you actually need, knives in different price ranges, what to really look for in knives, and even a little (tiny) bit of kitchen knife history.

My favorite piece of advice is that you don't actually need to go with the biggest knife set available. You can get along wonderfully with a smaller set, if you don't have any yet. Actually, you can get along wonderfully with only a few knives. I work in a professional kitchen, and I end up using the same few knives for everything (not counting specialty knives like the oyster knife and such).

If you want to get your collection started, this is a good place to start. If you want to replace a few knives, this may be a good reference source. Either way, it's some good advice and interesting reading.

Unless you travel frequently for business, travel season doesn't usually start until late spring, with spring break, or summer, when many people try to get away from it all for a week. The hardest part about being on vacation is eating right, especially because we tend to tell ourselves that it is ok to indulge - a vacation is from your diet, as well as from your job, right? Indulgence is fine, but even on vacation it's not a great idea for every meal. Forbes Traveler offers up some advice on how to travel and stay thin that will come in handy if you want to stay in shape for swimsuit season

Their basic advice to chose lighter salads and sandwiches, especially in airports or other places where they is a lot of fast food and to avoid fried foods, is good for almost any situation. On the plane, avoid the snack packs, which are usually packed with calories and not much in the way of worthwhile munchies. You can always bring your own snacks.

Once you've landed, order sauces on the side and choose from the "light" menu if you is offered, especially when you're eating at the hotel. Save the splurges for when you get to try some of the local cuisine.

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Even experienced cooks can use and extra hand around the holidays, and unless you have a personal chef already standing by to coach you through your problems, you might need to call in some help. Literally. Several organizations set up hotlines for food advice, so whether you need help with your turkey of help with dessert, you'll have someone to turn to.

• Butterball- 1-800-BUTTERBALL; Nov. 1 to Dec. 31; 8am-8pm - This is the place for all turkey-related questions, staffed with specialists who have completed 'Butterball University.'
• Crisco - 1-877-367-7438; Through Dec. 31; 8am-8pm - They have advice for any and all pie-related questions, such as how to get a more tender crust or prevent the crust from shrinking away from the sides of the pan.
• Ocean Spray - 1-800-662-3263; Year-round; Mon.-Fri., 9am-4pm - Limited to cranberry questions, but great for last-minute tips or questions about specific products.
• USDA - 1-888-674-6854; Year-round; 10am-4pm - If food safety is a worry, whether you need advice on food sensitivities or just have a question about food-borne illnesses, call this line.

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It's not often that you see Dr. Joyce Brother's answer a question pertaining to food, but this seems like an issue that could be a problem for many foodies. No, it's not a 9 1/2 Weeks sort of thing. The question is about what to do when an adventurous eater is interested in someone who is not only picky and unadventurous ("the culinary tastes of a 6-year-old) in their eating habits, but is also entirely uninterested in changing.

Dr. Joyce said that the foodie is better off finding someone who can share her interest in food, since cooking and meals are not only important to her, but are a huge part of everyday life. It can be difficult to choose restaurants and menus when dining with friends if one or two people only ever want a cheeseburger and fries - imagine how much more frustrating that would be in a relationship when the issue comes up three times a day. Even if she could put aside her interests from time to time, it would only cause friction in the relationship as time went on.

It's sound advice. But the temptation must be there to try and convince the unwilling eater to expand his or her horizons. Has anyone succeeded in converting the PB&J devotee to something a little more exciting?

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