links for 2009-01-09

Score one for the smart kids. Don't talk to me about Maryland.

"The myth that scientists adopted peer review broadly and early in the history of science is surprisingly widely believed, despite being false. It's true that peer review has been used for a long time - a process recognizably similar to the modern system was in use as early as 1731, in the Royal Society of Edinburgh's Medical Essays and Observations. But in most scientific journals, peer review wasn't routine until the middle of the twentieth century"

"[I]f your goal is to cook and cook quickly, to get a satisfying and enjoyable variety of real food on the table as often as possible, a well-stocked pantry and fridge can sustain you. Replenished weekly or even less frequently, with an occasional stop for fresh vegetables, meat, fish and dairy, they are the core supply houses for the home cook. "

"Jena Wolfe of The Today Show gives a behind the scenes glimpse of Iron Chef America. She did her story during one episode I [Michael Ruhlman] happened to be judging, along with my fellow haircut (who in fact makes a very good literary point in this 3-minute story)."