Florida

Tortilla Pie is a pretty economical way to feed a big family, or just a big crowd. It’s also one of those dishes that could be halved and baked in a smaller pan. Kids, and secretly adults, love all these ingredients smooshed together. Tortilla also reheats fantasticaly. Other than the sort of trashy nature of it … it’s perfect! Tortilla Pie2 pounds extra-lean ground beef or turkey2 large onions, chopped2 cups thick and chunky salsa1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce1 teaspoon each; ground cumin, chili powder and garlic powder1 can (15 ounces) creamed corn12 corn tortillas (6-inch), cut into 1-inch strips3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated, reduced-fat cheddar cheese or Mexican blend cheesePreheat oven to 350 degrees. (Read the full post about ‘A tortilla pie for Tuesday’…)

Starting yesterday and lasting through August 8, The Economist will be hosting an online, Oxford-style debate on whether or not rising food prices can have an upside for humanity.

The proposition is: "There is an upside for humanity in the rise of food prices." Although we can never overlook the grave situation posed by rising food prices, we hope to dissect the issue and view it from fresh perspectives to see if it can have a positive impact. For example, do rising food prices benefit farmers? Can they lead to development of safe, genetically modified foods which in turn can help developing nations with marginal farmlands become self-sustainable?

(Read the full post about ‘For the “glass is half full” kind of person’…)

Colleague Mark Albright has just reported that national restaurant chains Bennigan’s and Steak & Ale have closed their doors and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection, closing more than 300 locations and laying off thousands of employees. It is one of the largest restaurant bankruptcy filings in U.S. history. Here in the Tampa Bay area, this is a heavy hit, with 10 locations in the area, nine of which have closed. Only the Channelside location (615 Channelside Drive, Tampa), a franchise, remains open at this time. Closures include four Bennigan’s locations in Tampa (18001 Highwoods Preserve Parkway, 2206 E Fowler Ave., 2520 N Dale Mabry Highway and 9206 Anderson Road), one in Brandon (2210 W Brandon Blvd.), one in Clearwater (2640 Gulf to Bay Blvd.), two in St. (Read the full post about ‘Bennigan’s, Steak & Ale restaurants close’…)

I swear I don’t love to pick on her. But it’s just so darned easy. Alright, there was the terrorist-scarf fashion-faux-pas Dunkin’ Donuts commercial recently. But then yesterday it was announced that she’s launching a charity-driven line of dog foods based on recipes she has created for her pit bull, Isaboo. Called "Nutrish" (ugh), proceeds from the line go to Rachael’s Rescue, which she founded to help at-risk animals. A totally noble gesture, for sure, but it just opens herself up to all kinds of dog food jokes.

Since dogs can’t really say Yum-O, here’s a clip of her testing the goods on their behalf…

(Read the full post about ‘Another dawg for Rachael Ray’…)

Sarah McLachlanAlbum: Fumbling Towards Ecstasy: 15th Anniversary Legacy Edition (Arista/Legacy)In stores: NowWhy we care: I don’t want to get all mushy on you guys. After all, I have a grizzled rep to protect. But the 15th anniversary of the Lilith Queen’s breakout album coincides with both the 15th anniversary of my relationship with the Forever Fiancee and the 15th anniversary of my newspaper career. Yep, we’ve come a long way, ladies.Why we like it: The Canadian mezzo-soprano, now 40 years old, opened doors for the Paula Coles of the world, sending gauzy, ethereal pop to the top of the charts. (The FF loved her; I took her to see Sarah in concert.) McLachlan also spearheaded the Lilith Fair tour, which made female singer-songwriters a vital part of the ’90s music biz. (Read the full post about ‘On our very first date, the FF called me an…’…)

Strange but sexy bedfellows Alicia Keys and Jack White will team up for the theme to the new Bond flick Quantum of Solace, according to Billboard.com. I haven’t heard the song, called Another Way to Die, but it’s safe to assume it’s the greatest song in the history of songs. White wrote, produced and plays drums; Keys sings and weaves a magic rainbow around my heart. The soundtrack will be released Oct. 28, the movie Nov. 7. (Read the full post about ‘Jack White + Alicia Keys = Awesomeness’…)

As reported in USA Today — and now featured on bobdylan.com — Lucky Wilbury will release the eighth installment of his vital Bootleg Series on Oct. 7. There will be three different versions available, from a 2CD set (27 tracks) to a limited edition vinyl package. I’m especially stoked about this collection, as it covers demos, rarities, B-sides and live cuts from 1989 to 2006, or the awesome span of such albums as Oh Mercy, Time Out of Mind, Love and Theft and Modern Times. Daniel Lanois, who produced Oh Mercy and Time Out of Mind, has said that the stuff on the cutting-room floor was spellbinding, sometimes even better than what made the printer. (Read the full post about ‘New Dylan “bootlegs” out Oct. 7′…)

I probably shouldn’t like this. But I’m such a vainglorious headcase, I totally dig being talked about like a misunderstood beast roaming the Serengeti. My friend/bad-habit enabler Wade Tatangelo, music critic at Creative Loafing, the alt-weekly in town, debates why daily (and Daly) music critics bother writing about such pap as American Idol. He figures that, in the dismal newspaper climate, it’s now a matter of survival — and a whole lotta music (movie, TV, book, food) critics aren’t surviving these days. There’s a rather hilarious debate in the comments section (wow, and here I thought readers didn’t like me), plus the origin story from L.A. and the fallout story from Toronto. READ IT HERE. (Read the full post about ‘Behold, the wild Daly’…)

When she’s not busy going all Pretty Baby in Vanity Fair or making fun of Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus actually does this little TV thing called Hannah Montana. Maybe you’ve heard of it. and maybe you’ve heard that this next season (the show’s third) may be the last. "We’re thinking this is our last season," Miley told E! Online. "I just think we did a lot of episodes. We basically did two seasons in one last year. Usually people would do one season that would be, like, 16 episodes, and we did almost 30 episodes! It seems like it’s been on, like, longer." But since Miley has been on the show since she was 11, she has been brainwashed by the giant Mouse. (Read the full post about ‘Miley Cyrus may want to quit ‘Hannah Montana’’…)

Fraiser star Kelsey Grammer was hospitalized after feeling faint, his publicist told AFP on Monday. The 53-year-old was admitted to a New York hospital, but no other details were available. "Kelsey was feeling a little faint yesterday and went to the hospital," Stan Rosenfield said in an email to AFP. "His doctor is changing the medication and they will monitor him overnight." The hospitalization comes two months after a heart attack that was initially described as "mild," but the actor later said was anything but. We don’t suppose "mild" would be an apt description when your heart stops beating. [Photo: With wife Camille last weekend. (Read the full post about ‘Kelsey Grammer hospitalized in New York’…)