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The first time I ate a raccoon was about 11 years ago. Some were raiding the chicken coop where we lived, so my roommate and I were charged with dispatching. We trapped one in a Hav-a-Hart, killed it, and being equal parts curious and broke, we cooked it. We braised the first raccoon with a bunch of chili peppers, aromatics, and stock. I was honestly conflicted about the whole ordeal. On the one hand, it smelled damn good as it was cooking. On the other hand, I had a mental block on raccoon as a food. I was brought up...

Doctors will often tell you to avoid processed foods or foods that contain high amounts of sugar or saturated fat. Their advice is sound, since consuming these foods frequently can increase your risk of developing chronic diseases, including neurological conditions like stroke and dementia. However, as a neurologist, I can tell you that there are some other surprising and lesser-known foods you should avoid in order to prevent serious neurological issues. I never eat these four foods: 1. Canned foods that appear damaged If a can is bulging, cracked, or severely dented, it should raise an alarm. It might be...

In this article, I’m going to debunk two myths. The first myth regards the need to cook pork until it’s well done to avoid trichinosis (trichonelosis). The second myth is a myth within the myth, regarding the degree of cooking needed to render pork generally safe to eat. The questions are: Do we still need to worry about trichinosis in pork? And, if so, how much do we need to cook pork to kill this dangerous parasite?

WHITE SALMON, Wash. - Raw cougar meat, eaten by a deer hunter who found himself being stalked, is the apparent source of Washington state's first case of trichinosis since 2001, a health official says. The hunter was hospitalized for a time after eating the uncooked meat in October but has since recovered, Klickitat County Health Director Kevin Barry told the Yakima Herald-Republic. "I've been told by everyone I know who has eaten cougar that it tastes pretty good," Barry said. However, he said that like other wildlife, it should be cooked first to minimize the risk of disease from various...

Bob Foster, the rural Yolo County man who has taken to terrorizing TV and radio shows with prank phone calls, says his hobby "is all about getting a reaction." But this may be more than he bargained for. On Saturday, Foster called Michael Savage's live MSNBC show to mention a favorite radio duo, Don and Mike. Savage was apparently not amused and made a series of homophobic comments to Foster on the air. On Monday, news broke that the controversial broadcast personality had been fired by MSNBC. And it wasn't long before Foster began to feel the wrath of Savage...

ADL Commends MSNBC's Dismissal of Michael Savage Following Anti-Gay Comments 7/8/03 8:22:00 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To: State Desk Contact: Jonathan Bernstein or Rose Gabaeff of ADL, 415-981-3500 SAN FRANCISCO, July 8 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) lauded MSNBC's decision to remove Michael Savage's show from the air, following Savage's anti-gay remarks last weekend. At a taping of his show, Savage reportedly told a gay caller: "You should only get AIDS and die, you pig." According to news reports, these comments prompted MSNBC to fire Savage. Jonathan Bernstein, ADL Regional Director, said, "We commend MSNBC for taking this matter...