Byzantium's Shores: chronicling the misadventures of an overalls-clad hippie

The City of Buffalo, New York has given to the world one of the greatest of all indulgent foods: the Buffalo-style chicken wing. The problem is, Buffalo wings -- which retain the fatty skin, are deep-fried, and are then tossed in a sauce comprised of hot sauce and butter -- are, from a health standpoint, a disaster of a food item. (What makes them even worse is their amazingly addictive quality. Remember that old Dorito's slogan, "Betcha can't eat just one"? Well, try eating just one Buffalo wing.)

Many people have attempted to come up with a "healthier" version of the classic Buffalo wing. Most such attempts involve baking the wings instead of deep-frying. But today I read, courtesy The Buffalo News food critic Janice Okun, of a truly bizarre method of cooking the little morsels. Read about it here. (Okun is a longtime defender of the wings of Buffalo.) Wings encrusted in oatmeal? The mind boggles....if you suggested such a thing at The Anchor Bar, you'd probably be tossed out on your ear.