Fat

Always, there were those lovely old country estates and gracious manor taverns with roaring fireplaces, but in the old days fine dining was associated with the city. Not so anymore. Now, there are more compelling reasons than ever for diners to cross county lines for a good meal. The 50 best county restaurants in Howard County, Anne Arundel County and Baltimore County is a mix of the old and the new, destinations for special occasions and joints for Monday night suppers, the chef-driven and crowd-pleasing.

Proclaiming that ours are "fiscally challenging times" has become a mantra of elected officials. Their solutions range from cutting services and furloughing employees to raising taxes. Yet little attention is paid to the fat in the budget. When Baltimore County Councilman David Marks and County Executive Kevin Kamenetz met with Perry Hall residents, they wondered how overcrowding in schools could be alleviated during this "fiscally challenging time. " This was the same David Marks who vowed in his campaign that he would not take a county vehicle - yet replaced his car after it died with a county-owned vehicle.

WHEN IT COMES to body fat, brown can be beautiful.The body stores calories as white fat. It's the stuff that broadens hips and thickens waists. Brown fat, on the other hand, burns up those calories and turns them into heat.People, at least adults, don't have much brown fat. But scientists have learned that, under certain conditions, animals can replace white fat with brown.Humans probably can, too. So researchers are trying to figure out the body's trick, to come up with ways to treat obesity.

There are still "rock" acts on the Billboard Hot 100, but none will remind listeners of Clutch, the veteran Germantown quartet. Songs from popular, non-offensive acts such as the Lumineers and Mumford & Sons sound like sheepish lullabies compared to "Earth Rocker," Clutch's 10th full-length album. On "Earth Rocker," the members of Clutch seem aware that their brand of rock 'n' roll — the old-fashioned kind that thrives when played loud, fast and with a ton of attitude — isn't in fashion now, and hasn't been for a while.

Guess what: Americans are too fat. This fact was discovered recently by a panel of concerned experts and reported extensively in the news media, as though it were a shocking revelation.The truth, of course, is that we Americans already know we have a weight problem. We notice it every time we get out of the shower and look in the bathroom mirror and see our head sitting on top of what appears to be a towel-clad manatee. We notice it when we're unable to get our wallet out of the back pocket of our relaxed-fit jeans without the aid of power tools.

I HATE racism," Andy's paper reads. He has chosen his essay topic "racism" from a list I put on the board this morning."It's not fair to be racist against fat people or girls either. People can't help being fat or girls," he argues.This is where I slap my hand to my forehead and mutter to myself, "Why didn't I suggest they look up their topic in the dictionary first?" Not every eighth grader in our village fully understands the basics of racism, much less the implications."Your essay is well done, Andy," I tell him as I roll up beside his desk.

* Use non-stick cookware or vegetable spray to cut down or eliminate cooking fat or oil.* Replace cream with evaporated skim milk. Replace whole milk with low-fat or skim milk.* Replace or blend sour cream with a reduced-fat sour cream or plain, low-fat or non-fat yogurt.* Replace some or all ground beef with ground turkey in meat loaf, chili and casseroles. Stick to ground beef for burgers.* Use sausages made from low-fat meats such as turkey, chicken and veal.* Use a small amount of broth or stock instead of fat to saute vegetables.

BABES,'' A Fox Network (Channel 45) sitcom starring three very fat sisters, is not only poorly plotted and acted but it is inane and degrading to overweight people everywhere.I think it means to send the message that you can be fat and love it, get dates, have relationships and enjoy a great life.But it abounds with fat jokes and a forced merriment that is overplayed to the last pound.If I were grossly overweight I would resent this television show.Roseanne Barr and John Goodman in ''Roseanne'' try to legitimize being very overweight.

* Item: Red Baron Breakfast Pizza* Servings per package: 2* Cost: About $2.69* Preparation time: 3-5 minutes in microwave or 20 minutes in conventional oven* Review: It's not as convenient as an Egg McMuffin (too messy for commuting), yet this mini breakfast pizza is a hearty option for the morning rush. The sausage scramble flavor features a biscuit-style crust topped with sausage bits, scrambled eggs and Cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. Fat watchers won't be happy (nearly half the calories are from fat)

I have never been a slender man. I'm also neither particularly tall nor particularly coordinated. Which is why my love for Pittsburgh point guard Levance Fields has expanded more quickly than my waistline ever did. (For more, go to baltimoresun.com/toydept)

It's Fat Tuesday and many of us are going to indulge in rich gumbos, savory jambalayas and sweet beignets in honor of the occasion. Eating healthy may seem fruitless on a day devoted to high-calorie, rich foods. But there are ways to make healthier versions of our favorite Fat Tuesday dishes. Eatingwell.com offers this healthy sausage gumbo recipe. Ingredients 12 ounces hot Italian turkey sausage links, removed from casings 2 teaspoons canola oil 1 large onion, diced 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 4 cups chopped tomatoes 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth 2 1/2 cups frozen chopped okra 3/4 cup instant brown rice 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and sliced (optional)

Knowing the right way to eat is one thing, but doing it is not always easy, especially when dining out. But some Baltimore-area restaurants are making heart-healthy dining easier and more attractive for their diners. Restaurants like Zia's in Towson are drawing new customers with a menu approach that makes eating heart-healthy almost foolproof. The cafe's menu is completely free of white flour, hydrogenated oils and refined sugars. "We have doctors, nutritionists, trainers, coaches recommending people to us," said Zia's owner, Daniela Troia.

The Fat Larry's logo is a smiling, bald guy with glasses and a goatee. The logo is everywhere at Fat Larry's, a sub shop that opened in September in the Federal Hill space where Corks used to be. Fat Larry is on the outside windows, on the menu and on the wall behind the register. When we were waiting for our carryout order, Fat Larry himself walked right in the front door. So there really is a "Fat Larry. " He's Larry Davidov, the owner. A Philadelphia native, Davidov is serious about bringing authentic Philly cheese steaks to Baltimore.

The beauty of baseball is that even fat guys can play it, and play it well. It's the most democratic of sports. You can be chunky, you can be roly-poly, you can be out and out blubbery and still find a place in this game. I should know. I played it for years. But if you need further proof, I give you Pablo Sandoval. The Kung Fu Panda sure lit it up last night in the San Francisco Giants' 8-3 win over the Detroit Tigers in Game 1 of the World Series. Sandoval became only the third player in history -- the others are Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson and Albert Pujols -- to smack three home runs in a World Series.

The buzz surrounding Shaquille Cleare has dulled a bit since the 6-9 power forward from Houston announced more than a year ago that he was coming to Maryland. The spring and summer of 2012 had all been about whether his former AAU teammates, Andrew and Aaron Harrison, would join him here next year. Cleare, the centerpiece of Mark Turgeon's first recruiting class at Maryland, said he didn't seem to mind the spotlight going elsewhere. But now, with the Harrisons choosing defending national-champion Kentucky over the Terps, the buzz surrounding Cleare will certainly be back when he takes the court Friday night at Comcast Center for Maryland Madness.

Baltimore Ravens' Terrence Cody is fat, according to Mike Golic from ESPN Radio's Mike and Mike in the Morning show. Golic's comment was made on Friday morning, during a discussion about Cody's objections to the new NFL jerseys : "Terrence Cody is about 350. Terrence, I don't mean this in a bad way, but you're fat. I mean am I making up that you have some fat on you when you weight 350? Listen, if you're under 10 percent fat percentage, god love you, but I am pretty sure you are not. "

Do you love french fries, but worry about the fat they absorb during frying? These oven fries have less than half as much fat as homemade french-fried potatoes and about one-third as much fat as a serving of fast-food fries.Oven Fries4 small baking potatoes (about 1 pound total)1 tablespoon margarine, melted1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese1/2 teaspoon garlic salt1/4 teaspoon paprika1/8 teaspoon onion powder (optional)Non-stick spray coatingScrub potatoes thoroughly. Cut each potato lengthwise into eight slices.

HAVE YOU ever been calipered? Well, neither have I.With America's obsession with thinness, seemingly normal people are being "calipered." It's the latest in thinness technology.My handsome cousin Rocko has just been calipered, and he is hysterical. He called from Los Angeles to tell me about it. Rocko is 65, looks about 50, weighs 159, is very thin, runs every day and plays tennis three times a week. He does not smoke, drink or eat any fatty foods. And he's never been sick a day in his life.

NFL players of size -- including some Ravens -- are saying that the new Nike jerseys are less than flattering to their figures. In a word -- they make them feel fat. A funny Wall Street Journal story says unlike the old Reebok jerseys, the new ones made by Nike are slimmer fitting, something called the "body-contoured fit. " While the more lithe players applaud less material, the larger ones -- like the Ravens' Terrence Cody and Arthur Jones --...

It's a common refrain in Gia D'Anna's office: Extra inches that childbirth or time left around the middle are resisting diet and exercise. D'Anna is the office manager for a Lutherville plastic surgeon, and, as a mother, she sympathizes with the patients. She just got her own flat tummy back last year. Her boss, Dr. Ronald H. Schuster, had bought a machine that aimed to zap muffin tops and love handles via low temperatures. He was looking for volunteers on the staff before he rolled out the service to patients.