Chicken

We're at the finale already (didn't this season seem short?). I'll say it right here at the top of the episode - unless William falls repeatedly on his keister, requiring the judges to give him 5's across the board, there's no way he's not winning this thing. That being said, I'd be OK with any of the three finalists winning, even though I'm personally Team Driver. Tonight's show will have each couple dancing two dances:  1. Judge's pick, which are new routines danced to new music, but in a style the couple has previously danced and in which the judges would like to see them improve.  2. Freestyle Tomorrow night, the couples will be doing some sort of third scored dance, details about which we'll learn later.

Maryland is set to become the first state in the nation to outlaw chicken feed additives containing arsenic - but it won't be the last, if environmental activists have their way. Gov.Martin O'Malleyis scheduled to sign into law today legislation that bars sale or use of any chicken feed containing Roxarsone, which has been widely used since the 1940s by the poultry industry. It would become effective Jan. 1. Environmental and food safety advocates say they hope to push for similar legislation in other states, including neighboring Virginia.

It's true. The Chicken 'n' Waffles food truck has pulled into town. The man behind the truck is Sterling Godfrey, who just recently moved his mobile operation from the D.C. suburbs to the streets of Baltimore. The specialty of the truck is the chicken-and-waffle combo ($9.50), and waffles and chicken all by themselves. You can get waffle plain ($6) or topped with strawberry or blueberry ($7.75). Orders of chicken wings begin at $2.60 for two and end at $10.40 for 10. Also on the menu: hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, minced pork barbecue, and half-smokes, as wells as fish sandwiches (tilapia or whiting)

Maryland's children would be required to get more vaccines before attending school under a proposal being considered by state health officials. But doctors and state health officials said most children are already getting the shots and that they are looking to regulate the process. Under the proposed guidelines, pupils would be required to get a chicken pox booster before starting kindergarten. The chicken pox vaccine is now required to be given to babies. Seventh-graders would be required to get the Tdap vaccine, which protects against tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough.

Lying in bed, the boyfriend and I debated dinner. “I could roast a chicken,” I said. “Roast a chicken? Why don’t we just get Thai food?” he asked. “Because,” I said, “this is the best roast chicken you’ve ever had in your life.” He eyed me skeptically. After a few hours and complaints that he was growing hungry, he shuffled over to the stove and stared at the browned bird. He sawed off a piece when I wasn’t looking.

In their continuing campaign against animal protein and modern agriculture, the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health has published findings that, in my opinion as a microbiologist and veterinarian, defy logic and sound science. Their studies examined "chicken feather meal," not meat, and claim from an extremely small sample size to have found trace amounts, in some cases a fraction of one part per billion, of caffeine, arsenic, banned antibiotics and ingredients found in Benadryl, Prozac and Tylenol.

I know how popular those jerky chicken treats are. Around Patterson Park, they're referred to as doggie crack. So I want to pass on this warning from the FDA: The Food and Drug Administration is again cautioning consumers that chicken jerky products for dogs (also sold as chicken tenders, strips or treats) may be associated with illness in dogs. In the last 12 months, FDA has seen an increase in the number of complaints it received of dog illnesses associated with consumption of chicken jerky products imported from China.

We think Buffalo sauce instantly makes almost any chicken sandwich twice as tasty. As for toppings, we want plenty of options - tomatoes, blue cheese and lettuce, at least. Here are four Buffalo chicken sandwiches from city bars and restaurants. The Greene Turtle 722 S. Broadway, Baltimore -- 410-342-4222 Hours --11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. daily Restaurant's estimate --10-15 minutes Ready in --8 minutes Even though it was the cheapest and came the fastest, this sandwich, $7.34, was disappointing.

Sweet T&T 3539 Brenbrook Drive, Randallstown -- 443-426-7601 Hours --11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Thurdays; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; noon-6 p.m. Sundays Restaurant's estimate --5 minutes Ready in --5 minutes If the chicken in this large order, $9.98, was a little more tender, it would have been our choice for best bargain. The large serving of meat was sweet, tangy and peppery. It came on a bed of rice with sides of beans and fried plantains. Know of a good carryout place? Write to sam.sessa@baltsun.

A proposed settlement that could net consumers $5 million in refunds and coupons from the nation's largest poultry producer moved a step closer to fruition Friday when a federal judge signed off on the preliminary agreement. Judge Richard D. Bennett repeatedly expressed concerns about the $3 million in plaintiffs' attorneys' fees and court costs that could be paid by Tyson Foods under the terms of the settlement. Bennett said he would be hard-pressed to sign off on what he called such a disproportionate scale, with the plaintiffs' counsel set to get about 37.5 percent of the total, with consumers' refunds capped at $50. Consumer lawsuits were filed across the country in 2008 and later consolidated in Baltimore, accusing Tyson of lying about the drugs that go into its birds.

Annapolis mom Jessica Pachler has long bought eggs from a local farmer in the name of environmental responsibility and healthful eating. But for years she has wanted to go further, so she and other residents began lobbying the city for the right to keep egg-laying chickens in their backyards. And they won. Annapolis Mayor Joshua J. Cohen signed into law last week an ordinance allowing city residents to keep hens on their property — legislation that was the subject of fierce debate over issues ranging from the smell of chicken waste to the sound of roosters crowing.

Marjorie Cicala from Middle River was looking for baked Sesame Chicken recipe that was demonstrated by a poultry distribution company at the Maryland State Fair in the 1960s and that she and her brothers and sister all loved. She said that the recipe for the delicious baked chicken with sesame seeds that her mother had written down was stolen from her purse at a school event some time ago. While no readers responded to Cicala's original query, I thought this was worth a little investigating.

In their continuing campaign against animal protein and modern agriculture, the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health has published findings that, in my opinion as a microbiologist and veterinarian, defy logic and sound science. Their studies examined "chicken feather meal," not meat, and claim from an extremely small sample size to have found trace amounts, in some cases a fraction of one part per billion, of caffeine, arsenic, banned antibiotics and ingredients found in Benadryl, Prozac and Tylenol.

It's true. The Chicken 'n' Waffles food truck has pulled into town. The man behind the truck is Sterling Godfrey, who just recently moved his mobile operation from the D.C. suburbs to the streets of Baltimore. The specialty of the truck is the chicken-and-waffle combo ($9.50), and waffles and chicken all by themselves. You can get waffle plain ($6) or topped with strawberry or blueberry ($7.75). Orders of chicken wings begin at $2.60 for two and end at $10.40 for 10. Also on the menu: hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, minced pork barbecue, and half-smokes, as wells as fish sandwiches (tilapia or whiting)

A new trial date has been set for Oct. 9 in an environmental group's lawsuit accusing an Eastern Shore farm couple and Perdue Farms of polluting a Chesapeake Bay tributary. The case brought by the Waterkeeper Alliance was originally scheduled to begin this week in U.S. District Court, but was postponed by Judge William M. Nickerson to encourage the sides to try to reach a settlement. Perdue spokeswoman Julie DeYoung said in an email Wednesday that despite talks, "it does not appear the case will settle.

The Gallaghers still miss Betty White and wistfully recall how much the Silkie loved to be held. The hen, who was named after the 90-year-old celebrity because she was "ditsy and really out there" like many of the actress' TV characters, was killed by a fox last fall in the Glenelg family's backyard. "We normally don't name our chickens so we don't become too attached," said Karinna Gallagher, an IBM employee who works from home and who witnessed the attack but couldn't stop it. "But Betty White was such a flighty bird who didn't care about the pecking order.

A tagine (pronounced "tah-zheen") is a hallmark of Moroccan cooking. The slow-simmered stew mingles meats and vegetables with spices, such as cumin and cinnamon. This Moroccan Stew With Roasted Vegetables pairs chicken and prunes, an ancient combination that continues to offer good nutrition. Sometimes marketed as "dried plums," prunes are a quick source of energy and aid in the absorption of iron. A quarter cup of the fruit contains 317 milligrams of potassium, which promotes heart health.

Maryland's General Assembly adopted today a ban on arsenic additives in chicken feed, which if signed into law would make the state the first in the nation to take such a step to keep the toxic chemical out of food and the environment. By a vote of 101-31, the House of Delegates gave final approval to the bill , ending a lengthy debate over the issue that had pitted environmentalists and food safety advocates against the state's major poultry industry.  Similar measures had failed to pass since 2009.

A man, armed with a handgun, robbed a Glen Burnie restaurant Wednesday evening. Employees of the Kentucky Fried Chicken in the 6700 block of Ritchie Highway told police a man, in a black ski mask, entered the business at about 9:30 p.m., displayed the gun and demanded money. He left with an undisclosed amount of cash and was last seen running toward Furnace Branch Road, police said. Officers canvassed the area, but did not locate the suspect. Mary.gail.hare@baltsun.com Text NEWS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun local news text alerts