Details has named a dozen 'cue shacks and rib joints to its "Best Barbecue in America" list, out in the May issue. The list tries to cover its ground well, listing establishments specializing in ribs and sandwiches, cowboy-style brisket and whole-hog pulled pork.

But given the vast regional variation in the definition of 'barbecue' and the near-religious emotionality surrounding issues like "tomato-based or non-tomato-based sauce," a "Best Barbecue" list seems a risky endeavor. I mean, blood has been shed over this stuff. If I were the author of this list, I might not sleep at night, fearing a meat fork in the eye from a furious pitmaster.

I mean, what kind of "Best Barbecue" list doesn't include Allen & Son in Chapel Hill, or Jim Neely's Interstate in Memphis!? What's your favorite barbecue joint that didn't make the list?

One of my guilty pleasures about the end of the year are all the 'Best Of' lists that pop up. I don't know why, but I always find it really entertaining to watch a year of pop culture, media, politics and (of course) food boiled down to an assortment of Top Ten lists. If you also find it fascinating and want to put your $.02 into the process, then I suggest you navigate yourself over to Yumsugar, where they are giving their readers an opportunity to cast votes on a variety of food-related topics.

The image above is nabbed from their poll about who is the Best Food Reality Judge of 2007.

The Independent Food Festival and Awards is an online event dedicated to the idea that people should share their favorite foods and food experiences to help rekindle a love of and interest in food in general. Judging by the fact that the event seems to be several times the size of last year's festival, this second annual event seems to be a success so far. 

You may have seen their logo on some of your favorite food blogs last year, when 30 well-known blogs were selected to act as jury members and contribute a favorite food-related thing to the online festival. Every jury member creates their own award and awards it as they see fit. The bloggers' awards are being announced over the course of five days, since there are quite a few more participants than last year. Since all the categories and awards are independently generated, it is difficult to say what you might expect to find amongst the nominees, but it is certain to be something delicious judging from the entries so far.

We may have covered most of the "best of 2005" lists, with topics from MMMM to NNNNN, but funny food videos is one we missed. Fortunately, Saute Wednesday didn't miss this important topic in their slightly belated Best of 2005 List. They picked out a Flambe Disaster! clip, which really shows the value of having a fire extinguisher in your kitchen, in addition to being funny. Incidentally, the apartment kitchen in which it takes place looks shockingly like my college apartment. I kept my extinguisher under the sink, guys!

The best clip of the year was definitely from an episode of Saturday Night Live, where they paid tribute to Magnolia Bakery's cupcakes in the most highly esteemed of media: a rap song.

But first, my hunger pangs are sticking like duct tape
Let's hit up magnolia and mack on some cupcakes
No doubt, that bakery's got all the bomb frosting.
I love those cupcakes like McAdams loves Gosling
2 no 6 no 12, bakers dozen!
I told you that I'm crazy for these cupcakes, cousin!

Update: The YouTube video (above) was removed, but you can hear the song here.