Food

Make way, Michael Moore! Move over, Morgan Spurlock! There's a new documentary film-maker on the block and he's half your size!

Zachary Maxwell, 11, spent six months secretly filming the lunches being served at PS 130 in New York City.

The food he was served may not have gotten many raves, but his covert expose' "Yuck: A 4th Grader's Documentary About School Lunches" sure has critics buzzing.

Yuck - School Lunch Documentary

Maxwell, at the encouragement and aid of his parents, used a hidden camera to record dozens of lunches served to himself and his classmates at his public school in New York's Little Italy.

While the menu descriptions read like those of gourmet restaurants, the reality on their trays left little to be desired.

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The American Medical Association formally voted earlier this week to classify obesity as a disease, one that 35 percent of U.S. adults reportedly have.

The classification is aimed in part to get doctors to tackle obesity as if they were treating a disease, rather than a mere lifestyle in need of modification.

Dr. Patrice Harris of the AMA said in a statement:

"Recognizing obesity as a disease will help change the way the medical community tackles a complex issue that affects approximately one in three Americans."

"The AMA is committed to improving health and working to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes, which are often linked to obesity."

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Without a doubt, watermelon is one of the quintessential fruits of summer, be it on its own, in a salad, in a beverage, or ... as a new Oreo flavor?

Nabisco has launched a limited edition Watermelon Oreo flavor for this summer, and the flavor isn't even the first fruit-flavored edition of the cookie.

They've also come out with banana split, coconut, chocolate berry burst, ice cream rainbow sherbet and strawberry milkshake varieties ... who knew?

"We chose Watermelon because it is a fun, summer flavor that goes great with the Golden Oreo cookie," spokesperson Kimberly Fontes said.

There are no actual watermelons in the ingredients, of course ... just food dyes, sugar, high fructose corn syrup and "artificial and natural flavors."

But hey ... look at those green and pink colors!!

This week, Chopped explored its “hippie” side by centering the baskets around ingredients such as chia seeds, wheatgrass, and tempeh.

Do you even know what those are? Exactly.

The show encouraged several of the chefs to explore vegetarian recipes like never before, and the results were both unpredictable and delicious.

The impressive quartet of culinary competitors Tuesday was comprised of chefs, executive chefs and restaurant owners from Philly to Texas.

Which chef came out on top in this episode of the Food Network hit?

Our friends at Food Fanatic will tell you in their Chopped review!

Keeping the momentum going in what has been an insane couple of months for viral fast food stories, we present to you ... this insane Wendy's customer!

This video of a dude "losing [his] s--t" over a cheeseburger that was SUPPOSED to be a hamburger is the latest to make the online rounds. Take a look:

Wendy's Customer Flips Out Over Hamburger

"Is there cheese in hamburger? There's no cheese in hamburger!" he screams at the employee working the drive-thru, which he obviously walked thru.

After demanding his money back "FAST!" the guy helpfully explains, "When you have a cheeseburger, you have a cheeseburger. If you have hamburger, you have hamburger!"

Wait ... how does that work again?

He then berates their incompetence, pounds his fists on the edge of the window in scary fashion, uses some foul language and storms off. Classy fella.

From the Taco Bell shell-licking guy to the Wendy's Frosty guzzling employee, this has been a crazy run for fast food joints and smartphone cameras.

Then there's Taylor Chapman. She's in a league of her own.

Wait... was that an episode of Food Network Star that aired last night?

Or an installment of Chopped?

On a special episode of the Food Network competition, it followed the rules of its Food Network brethren, asking contestants to create a meal in 30 minutes out of a basket full of ingredients.

Could they complete the task? Damaris and Stacey didn't seem to have any problems, but Chad could scarcely pronounce the names of some of items in front of him.

That was a slight problem, but it was nothing compared to the attitude of Danushka.

She was cold. Standoffish. Mean. Bored. Pretty much awful all around.

Did it get her sent home? Read this Food Network Star review now for the answer!

With fast food employees around the nation licking taco shells and guzzling directly from the Frosty machine... isn't it nice to know some folks still care about their work in the kitchen?

Yes, we're looking at you, Food Fanatic.

By relying on such products as a Vitamix 5200 and by dedicating themselves to what's tasty and healthy, this website cranked out the following items over the past few days...

• This Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars Recipe combines the best of pretty much every dessert world.
• A Strawberry Gelato Recipe helps you cool down on a very warm day.
• A Microwave Peanut Brittle Recipe is fast, easy and, oh yeah... delicious!
• And to wash it down? May we suggest a Mango Margarita Recipe?
• For those seeking a hearty, traditional dinner, there's always this Chicken Lasagna Recipe.
• And for those wanting to mix dessert with a drink, consider a Peanut Butter Smoothie Recipe.
• This Kale Pesto Recipe makes for a unique topping.
• And, finally, a Chocolate Chip Bread Recipe throws multiple flavors into one yummy loaf.

Two quick notes to American fast food employees:

1. Please stop doing gross stuff with the food
2. At least stop taking photos of it if you do

Actually, never mind the second step. If you're dumb enough to do #1, you'll obviously want to share it, and we can at least help you get fired that way.

The dude above, guzzling straight from the Wendy's Frosty machine (the vanilla kind, for unknown reasons), became a viral hit after his pic hit Reddit.

Not by his doing. "I was going to buy a frosty from Wendy's until I saw the employee do this," the poster wrote, and shortly thereafter, the guy got 86'd.

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Last month, a seemingly innocent Cheerios commercial featuring a mixed-race family sparked controversy and incurred fierce, racist backlash on YouTube.

Much like the response to Sebastien De La Cruz singing the National Anthem this week, it was enough to make you ask, "What the hell is wrong with people?"

A lot, clearly, and it left a lot of people scratching their heads.

Well, this ad parody circulating online offers an even better response to the firestorm, upping the ante on bigots and telling the haters they can "eat it."

Watch the spoof below, followed by the original after the jump:

Cheerios Ad Parody

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If you're the type of person who needs a buffer between yourself and the food, gadgets, toys and who knows what else you crave but know you shouldn't ...

You can help fund the Kitchen Safe on Kickstarter!

Kitchen Safe

How does it work?

Simply place an item inside the Kitchen Safe, close the lid, and set the timer. Then press that button and you’re locked out until the thing hits zero!

The creator notes that it was designed for food, but can be used for all sorts of addicting things ... iPhones, TV remotes, homemade peanut brittle, you name it.

With a goal of $30,000, the Kitchen Safe has already received upwards of $20,000 from 373 backers, with 36 days to go. Looks like it's got a chance!

What would you put in that piece?