Food

For Mother’s Day I wanted to donate to a cause my mom could get behind. She’s an avid gardener and loves bees, so I was hoping to find a charity working toward saving the little guys. After searching on Google, I found what I was looking for: The UC Davis Honeybee Research Fund helps support the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, one of the largest of its kind in North America. The staff investigates the possibility of sustainable pollination, while also examining the disappearance of bee colonies. The Research Fund doesn’t have anything fancy set up to send a…

We ask our food editor, Aïda Mollenkamp, questions all the time. Aïda, what should we do with elderflower liqueur? Aïda, how do I wrestle the seeds from a pomegranate? And she knows! Now, her crazy-deep culinary knowledge is going cable. Aïda is launching a new show on the Food Network soon, called Ask Aïda. And the channel is asking you to ask—so ask. Upload a video illustrating your conundrum, and it might be featured on the show.

I worked in a mom-and-pop juice bar years ago, where I discovered my favorite blend: freshly squeezed apple, pear, carrot, and beet juice. Once the job ended, I still craved the concoction, but juice bars were inconvenient and expensive. I knew I what I had to do: juice it myself. After working with a superefficient, mammoth, professional juicer at the bar, I had small hopes for home juicers and even smaller funds to buy one until I found this Waring model. The machine is sturdy, fast, and pretty quiet. Cleanup is easier than any of the commercial/home juicers I’ve used in the past.

As everyone thought that my last pick was a little … indulgent, I figured it might be fun to continue with more “what ifs.” These are not items I have, nor could ever fit into my tiny apartment, but I think there is something wonderfully 1999 about an asparagus cooker. Imagine having an entire pot just for steaming your favorite vegetable! Asparagus is mine; if you prefer artichokes, take a look at this artichoke holder. A bit more economical in terms of space and money, it keeps your artichoke from drowning or browning on one side. All-Clad Asparagus Pot, $49.95

While browsing on PrankPlace.com (I was indulging my inner frat boy), I came across the Canouflage. It’s a reusable vinyl sheet printed to look like a soda label that can be wrapped around your beer can. The offerings include faux Sunkist, Pepsi, and Mountain Dew labels, and the site makes a pretty good case for Canouflage: “Want to enjoy some suds in the park or in an area where they frown upon the consumption of beer? Don’t want to pay the inflated prices for a cold beer at the beach? Well now you can enjoy your brews and nobody will be the wiser.” Apparently, the…

A big shout-out to the strawberry, who's back in town and making Washington area farm markets a little more gorgeous. Strawberry glory. A member of the rose family, the strawberry is unlike her other berry brethren, as she's the only one that keeps her seeds in full view, on the skin. Of all the berry options to come our way this summer, the strawberry is fairly low on my list (I'm much more excited about the impending arrival of blueberries, which I can eat by the pint.), but now that I've read in Dana Jacobi's new book, "The Essential Best Foods Cookbook," that one cup of strawberries…

I'll be honest: Despite the greening of my pantry, I've been slow to embrace organic wine. After a less than tasty experience a few years ago with a bottle of organic red from a California winery that shall remain nameless, I've been swearing off the stuff because it either hasn't been up to snuff or is just too darned expensive. Mendocino Wine Company's Paul Dolan. A recent run-in with a 2007 bottle of "Sustainable White" by Parducci Winery has me revisiting the eco-vino issue and I'll tell you why: The wine is delicious and under 10 bucks a bottle. A blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat…

Just one week ago, I asked for your personal stories about the important women in your life, as part of a Mother's Day tribute. Never in my wildest dreams did I anticipate the rush of excitement and enthusiasm that was bursting open my inbox, and I am truly honored and in awe of the generous, loving spirit that came through in every one of your stories. With so many heart-felt nuggets to choose from, it was difficult to narrow the field of entries, which follow. There's Sandi, of Attleboro, Mass., who lost her mother last June to liver cancer: When I saw her last I fixed her shrimp and…

A friend reminded me that 2008 is the International Year of the Potato, organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. The timing is impeccable. With the global cost of wheat 83 percent higher than a year ago and that of rice up by 20 percent since the beginning of this year, the potato is being touted as a low-cost solution to easing the global food crisis. After wheat and rice, the potato is the world's number three crop, but unlike the grains, it's not a global commodity. According to the FAO, about six percent of the world's potatoes are on the…

This week's Green Plate Special is a selection of eco-minded food blogs, which are cropping up like wild mint. Here's what's catching my eye (and whetting my appetite): "Eat your greens" is the mantra of Envirovore, a new addition to the rapidly expanding EcoGeek family. Written by a trio of women in Montana, the blog is a collection of newsy items from around the country, with a politics-policy bent. To wit: yesteday's post is all about the dairy industry's pursuit of a more sustainable image. Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group is the force behind Mulch, a daily report of…

If you go to www.endoftheinternet.com you reach a page that tells you "sorry, but you've reached the end of the internet." I bring this up because on Saturday night, at Craftsteak at the MGM Grand, I received a message from my stomach that said: "Sorry, but you've reached the end of eating." It waved a white flag, as did the stomachs of my companions, and by the time we left Vegas on Sunday morning we vowed never to eat like this again. Which is all to say that our experience at Vegas Uncorked was one of decadence and gluttony. We ate and ate and ate and when we weren't eating we were…

Hello folks. Just got back from Vegas last night and hit the bed like a bullet. This morning, though, you shall be entertained by my most taxing FN Dish episode thus far. This may shock you, but my whole life I've been terrified of sports--especially baseball where I am convinced that one day, sitting there in the bleachers, I'll get hit in the head. I overcame my fears this week to hang out with Mary Nolan, a new Food Network star, who took me to one of her softball games (click here to watch the episode). Otherwise, tonight I shall regale you with stories from the rest of my Vegas trip, but…

Here we are in Vegas, in our hotel room at Caesar's Palace, and I have 30 minutes to tell you everything we've done so far before today's epic schedule, the highlight, of course, being my battle with Dr. Melfi.... Let's start with the flight on Wednesday. We flew JetBlue and I'm normally a very good flyer, never getting sick. But for whatever reason, this particular flight turned me a dark shade of green. I was sitting in a middle seat in the very back and the combination of warm air (the plane wasn't particularly cool), the guy on my left dominating the armrest, The Real Housewives of New…

This is probably the strangest news I've ever reported on this blog; but, it is with great pleasure (and disbelief) that I tell you, my readers, that this Friday, at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, as part of the Bon Appetit Uncorked Festival, I will be going head-to-head with Lorraine Bracco in the Masters vs. Rookies Culinary Pro-Am on the DCS Stage. Specifically, I will be paired with master chef John Church while Ms. Bracco will be paired with master chef Todd English and then we will do battle. The ticket information is here, but I am inquiring about getting some of you who left comments…

Newspaper recipes don't excite me. With their perfect margins, their definitive type, their antiseptic language, I very rarely open the Wednesday Food Section of The New York Times, read a recipe, and run home to make it. Perhaps it's a function of old media vs. new media, in that the old media feels creaky and irrelevant whereas the new media--by which I mean food blogs--are fresh and accessible and offer real recipes by real people with real personas that aren't whitewashed or edited, but vivid and alive. Take Luisa, The Wednesday Chef, who you met in last week's FN Dish. Her site is a…

Lever House will soon have a chef again.

Jean-Jacques Rachou, the former owner of La Côte Basque, is preparing some classic dishes at Alain Ducasse's new restaurant, Benoit.

Food day dreams from Arianna Huffington and others.

Over on our sister blog, The Pour, Eric Asimov writes a stirring elegy for Chinatown’s great, departed Mei Lai Wah Coffee House and its memorable pork buns.

Q&A with Johnny Iuzzini, executive pastry chef for Jean Georges.

After years of importing ingredients from all over the world, chefs are going back to basics and staying local. We have the lesser-known and more interesting farm-to-table restaurants around the country, all of which promote locally grown produce. See what made the list.

Whether you're fixing meats or veggies, fruits, or even cakes, grilling is a surefire way to impart bold flavor without a lot of added fat and calories. So, push aside the hot dogs and make room for some of our favorite lighter grilled sides, mains, and sweets.

Graduating with all A's except F's in cooking? As much as you thought you could live on take-out Chinese and frozen pizza, it's time you learned to cook. But where do you begin? Learn to cook with our ten basic recipes.

Noodles are popular around the world, from Japan to Hungary. Each shape has a story, one that usually reflects its place of origin. We chose the nine most common. See what we found.

Presents for the graduate and everything you need to celebrate, including recipes, drinks, and entertaining tips. Grill master Bobby Flay even shares his secrets to backyard barbecue success. Plus, don't miss our list of grill-friendly brews.

Once a dusty formality that lived on in the form of radish roses in out-of-the-way hotels, the art of fruit and vegetable carving is enjoying a new vogue.

Almond-stuffed olives are like a savory manifestation of chocolate and peanut butter, but better with cocktails.

A selection of some of the most notable cookbooks for children in all age ranges published in the last decade or so.

The children’s cookbook genre is enjoying a new life, as parents who have a keen interest in cooking encourage their young children to spend time in the kitchen.

Cheap, quick and utterly delicious food in the East Village, at Punjab and the Polish G. I. Delicatessen.

Are you a dog earer? Er, what's that you say? OK, let me come again - are you someone who dog ears your books? You know, you fold the corner of the page down to indicate that's the point at which you've stopped. If you are, DON'T do that to my books if I should lend you any, 'cos I hate my books being dog earred. I just can't stand unnecessary creases on pages and whenever I see a page being dog earred, I have this compulsion, need, to undo the fold. It's like some obsessive compulsive disorder. I just can't stand it. I think the folds spoil the look of the book. Being a book lover, I have a…

I love going to Japanese lifestyle shop, Muji. To be more specific, I like their food section. All the Japanese snacks, teas and biscuits make me just wanna grab everything! The biggest Muji outlet I've been to is the one in Tokyo which is near the station Yurakucho. That one was like a big warehouse and it also had an eatery. I had lunch there before I caught my flight back to Singapore and it was a pretty good one. Oh, how I miss Japan! In Singapore we have mini Muji. I went to the outlet at Marina Square and came away with this bread-in-a-cup mix. That's my name for it anyway. You've just…

I love these steamed sweet potato buns I found at 一口味 the other day. I really like eating sweet potato so I usually like anything that has sweet potato in it. I liked the slightly sweet taste of the buns and I love that cheery orange colour! They were going for $2 for 2. Go here to read more about this humble tuber.

It suddenly came across to me that the word ‘bittersweet’ can be associated with the taste of food or moments you come across in books, plays, reel and real life. When it comes to food, I like the bittersweet taste of dark chocolate, durian and matcha ice cream. I’m a bit of a chocolate snob – it’s dark chocolate for me or not at all. I don’t bother wasting calories on milk and white chocolate, which technically isn’t chocolate since it doesn’t contain any cocoa! Bittersweet dark chocolate is like a dark mysterious person – it’s more interesting. Instead of a flat sweet…

For the first time in my life, I tried honey fresh from the comb yesterday. This situation came about by accident. Those who know me well know that I paddle a lot as a form of exercise. I either dragon boat or outrigger canoe depending on the competitions my team is preparing for. I'm pretty hard core about paddling as I like to train to paddle competitively. After all, where's the fun in training when there's no goal to work towards? OK, some people don't enjoy and can't understand the joy of being competitive, but I do. But I digress. So I outrigger canoe in Sentosa and our club has a boat…

Food Philosophy #76: The Edge Brownie PanInventor and old friend Matt Griffin joins me to talk about his culinary wonder, the Edge Brownie Pan, which is taking the food world by storm -- even getting a nod from Martha Stewart herself.http://www.bakersedge.comYou can also find the Edge Brownie Pan in our Gilded Fork online boutique!Music: Beau Hall (http://www.beaurocks.com/) and George Fletcher's Bourbon Renewal (http://www.georgefletcher.com)Food Philosophy is a production of the Culinary Media Network (http://www.culinarymedianetwork.com/

I'm so honored to be the coverboy of the latest Personal Chef Magazine. It's the main magazine for our industry, and it's amazing to have been chosen for it. The article tells my story and the circuitous way I came into being a personal chef.More images:Photos by Kelly Shimoda/Veras

ReMARKable Palate #141: Hall Wines of Napa ValleyI speak with Kathryn Hall of Hall Wines in the Napa Valley. She's pursuing her dream of making fine Cabernet Sauvignon which expresses the terroir of the Napa Valley. I attended a guided tasting of the Hall wines at Per Se in the Time Warner Center in New York City.ReMARKable Palate is a production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

ReMARKable Palate #142: Cystic Fibrosis Taste of the WorldI attend a special benefit tasting for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, A Taste of the World, at New York's Chelsea Market. Over 25 restaurants and 20 wine and spirits producers gathered to raise money for CF. I speak with some of the chefs and a very unique wine coach.www.thewinecoach.comReMARKable Palate is a production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

Food Philosophy #75: Restaurateur Sirio MaccioniChef Mark and I sit down with Sirio Maccioni, owner of Le Cirque and Osteria del Circo, to talk about his family empire, his thoughts on modern restaurants -- and what he told the Pope about his wife.www.lecirque.comMusic: Beau Hall (http://www.beaurocks.com/) and George Fletcher's Bourbon Renewal (http://www.georgefletcher.com)Food Philosophy is a production of the Culinary Media Network (http://www.culinarymedianetwork.com/

I might be getting ahead of myself (it's only May after all), but I suspect I've discovered what will become my favorite cookbook of the year. Written by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, Ottolenghi: The Cookbook is a collection of 140 recipes from the hugely popular UK-based Ottolenghi establishments. This is my kind of food - abundant family-style platters, big color, bold flavors, and generous use of whole grains. Today I'm featuring Ottolenghi's beautiful red rice and quinoa recipe - a substantial, color-flecked platter showcasing citrus-dressed grains punctuated by pistachios, dried…

Serve me this soup daily for lunch and you'll hear no complaints. Tender, translucent pasta pillows, pale green from their pea-stuffed bellies, are buoyed by yellow split peas in a simple clear broth. Golden puddles of olive oil are suspended across the surface, pooling in various cracks and crevices. Your lips will glisten after a few slurpy bites. Remember the pea dumplings I posted not too long ago? I've been using them twenty different ways ever since. This soup was a quick thing I threw together for lunch the other day while trying to use the last of them. There was a bowl of cooked…

This stunning berry-studded breakfast quinoa is from Dr. John La Puma's recent release - Chef MD's Big Book of Culinary Medicine. I've written about just a handful of books this year (more to come, I promise!), but I wanted to highlight this one for a few reasons. It's a fantastic healthy-cooking (and eating) primer written by a someone who is both a doctor and chef. The book is text heavy and photo-free, but for those of you who want to dive into some of the ways food can work for you, this is a good overview. A chapter in his book opens with the following passage, "...I have begun to think…

Whitney Moss and Heather Flett are two crafty, creative ladies - I'm lucky to call them both friends. Remember the cute baby shower (waaaay back) where guests painted onsies and made do-it-yourself waffles? That was at Whitney's house. Some of you might already know them because of their Rookie Moms website or new book (The Rookie Mom's Handbook) - today they are going to share their favorite kid/family-friendly cookbooks with us. WHITNEY & HEATHER'S COOKING STYLES: Whitney keeps it simple in the kitchen preparing healthy fresh foods and saving the cookbooks for entertaining. She and her…

Perfect lettuce glows. I don't know a better way of describing it. Unfortunately, the glow doesn't last long. From the minute lettuce is picked, you're in a race against time and the elements. Tick, it is getting smashed by your other groceries. Tock, it's starting to wilt. Great lettuce emanates a color and vibrancy that makes you believe it is still alive. Chances are, by the time you encounter lettuce in your local grocery store the glow has long since faded. I hate to be too snobby, but you really have to go to the farmers' market to seek it out. Once you get in the habit of enjoying…

Jeez, sorry to be such a downer lately - but everyone should really read this this article about Monsanto. It's like something out of a movie (literally - if you saw Michael Clayton) with their domination of the world food supply and the scare tactics they're deploying against farmers to "enforce their patents." Suing their own customers? Accusing farmers of "seed piracy" for saving seeds from year to year? Trying to prevent the labeling of Milk as "rBST free"? Are they KIDDING?? No, clearly they are not.You just gotta love how conservatives are all anti law-suit, unless it's to protect their…

Lest they go out of business!That's the lesson I took from today's article about Bread and Cie in the Union Tribune. (Kudos to a paper that has been somewhat lacking in local reporting lately.) It really drives home the fact that they're struggling with the high price of commodities. I already buy my bread from them routinely, but I'll definitely make a point of it now. Charles Kaufman is a great guy and makes a excellent product, and I'd hate to think where we'd be without our best and most prolific local artisan bakery.Go, buy, now. Please!Bread & Cie350 University Ave.San Diego, CA…

Between my birthday last Thursday and two baby parties this weekend, I think I probably ate more cake (or more particularly, frosting) than a person should in the span of four days.But it sure was fun.On Thursday proper, my parents had us over for dinner and my mom made a Sock it To Me Cake - a classic bundt cake with a cinnamon streusel filling and powdered sugar glaze. I kind of think of it as a coffee cake, but over the years, it's become the family go to for birthdays too. It's one of those things I can never make quite as well as my mother does, for whatever reason. Funny little factoid…

Last Sunday, Will from Eclipse Chocolat treated a group of us bloggers to a late morning dessert tasting at his shop on El Cajon in North Park. Beforehand - thinking it would be good to have something in my stomach before indulging in sweets - I invited my good friend Angie from Crazy Salad to join me for brunch at Urban Solace. I hadn't been for brunch before, but given their propensity for homestyle standards with an upscale twist, I imagined it would be fertile ground for some delicious dishes.I was not disappointed. Between the brown sugar glazed bacon, the housemade sausage, the biscuits…

I've decided that even if you order it yourself, it always feels like a present when you get chocolate in the mail (or champagne) so this year I ordered myself a little treat - some Bon Bon Bars from Nina's company up in Los Angeles. They're practically local too. What could be better than that?Oh right - malted ganache with shortbread, that's what. And soft salty caramel with nuts encased in a dark chocolate shell - that too. I haven't tried the orange caramel one, I didn't want to pass out right there in the kitchen. I didn't think the dogs would revive me, and they'd probably just eat the…

Fresh fava beans require patience. You have to shuck them twice, once to remove the thick shell, and then again, after cooking the beans, to peel the outer skin. Are they worth the effort? You tell me. Fresh favas, or broad beans, are only available for a short time in spring, so it's not an effort that you have to, or get to, make that often. I kind of like the meditative aspects of plopping out the beans from their pods like mini-green-bean rocket ships. Cooked in salty water, they taste a lot like edamame, and can be just as deliciously addictive. Here is a recipe for a simple fava bean…

Elise's mom in the kitchen (more photos) I was recently asked to write about what I've learned from my mother about cooking. Since I cook with my mom almost every day, this wasn't a difficult exercise. I'm still learning from her, though now occasionally she learns something from me too. ;-) My mother is one of those intuitive cooks in the kitchen. 73 years old, and having raised six kids, she doesn't follow recipes anymore. If you watch her while she cooks, the timing just appears to happen seamlessly. Whereas I'm good for only making one dish at a time, mom can coordinate a whole meal for 8…

Jelled salads. So very very retro, except perhaps in Utah, where my friend Kalyn tells me Jell-O is the state fruit. Jelled salads and aspics became popular in America in the early part of the last century when food scientists were finally able to stabilize gelatin sufficiently for predictable results in the kitchen. They really took off mid-century when the pre-flavored, already-sugared Jell-O brand mixes became available. My Minnesota grandmother loved gelatin salads like nobody's business and used to make them for us all the time when I was growing up. I still love Jell-O, gelatin, all…

There's something about the combination of mango and chicken that just works. We eat mango chutney with roast chicken so often that I even started making my own chutney just so we wouldn't run out. Here is a mango chicken curry I whipped up the other day. I love it, but my father thinks it's a little on the sweet side, so feel free to reduce the amount of mango the recipe calls for if you want a little less sweet. Or add a little more vinegar. The amounts are approximate, feel free to experiment. Just don't let the mixture boil after adding the cream or it may end up a curdled mess. Continue…

Please welcome guest author Garrett McCord of Vanilla Garlic who prepared this fabulous salad for us the other day. Big, big hit. ~Elise "Very tangy and sweet! With just enough crunch from the peanuts." "It's so colorful and aromatic, you can just smell the mint and garlic!" The compliments Elise and I praised this salad with are plentiful. Really, this is a wonderful spring and summer salad, with Asian inspiration. Soba noodles, if you are not familiar with them, are thin Japanese noodles made with buckwheat flour, and are often served cold. Soba noodles can be found in the Asian aisle of…

Walking to the Tsujiki fish market, past a sashimi-knife store and a noodle-soup vendor, was like entering an alternate universe of artisan shops against the more usual backdrop of convenience-store Tokyo.

Sometimes, things are bad in ways you can never expect.

Chef/co-owner Barry Maiden deserves credit for baring his Southern culinary soul in Yankee Doodle town—something he does with style and refinement.

In a couple years, the proverbial butcher, baker, and fishmonger that give France such an appealing culinary culture will likely be obsolete.

Looking forward to the season for fresh sour cherries—a rare, can’t-miss summer treat.

I would like them fried, please, and as thin as possible, cooked in olive oil in a shallow skillet. I’d like them speckled with chives or garnished with a chiffonade of basil, and a bouquet of greens would be nice. I’d like them with black beans and a corn tortilla, and please pass the hot sauce.  But most of all, I’d like them from a local farm, where the hens eat vegetable scraps and actually see the light of day. For years, I much preferred egg-y accompaniments – applewood-smoked bacon, cheddar or chevre, a toasted pumpernickel bagel, oniony hash browns – than the egg…

You may have already heard that coffee lovers will get a budget break this Thursday, May 15. Dunkin' Donuts is giving out free 16 oz. iced coffee from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at any store in the country. (Find one here). They're also revealing the newest flavor to their iced coffee line: Berry Berry Iced Coffee. Who's willing to try it and report back? Do you think it will be any good?

I think it's always been more like dinner for friends. Even in college, I hosted my fair share of dinner get-togethers. I'm not quite sure you could have called them dinner parties, certainly not when much of what you've thrown together comes from the dinning hall (all part of my meal plan of course) and your main piece of kitchen equipment is a sandwich maker. Not the most luxurious of foods, but definitely creative, and most importantly, mobile.Since then, and increasingly after culinary school, my friends have come to expect a bit more than broccoli fried rice or spaghetti pockets. So…

Do the words “vacation” and “cooking” belong in the same sentence? According to the results of a 2006 survey conducted by the Travel Industry Association, some 17 percent of all American leisure travelers (or 27 million) think so. Culinary tourism – a term coined only five years ago with the birth of the International Culinary Tourism Association – is hotter than ever. In fact, this month’s Gourmet is a special issue devoted to cooking vacations that includes first-hand reports on 40-plus cooking classes around the world, from an evening of hands-on practice in Las Vegas to an…

Here's a quick poll: Do you bring your lunch to work? And if so, what do you normally pack? Admittedly, I never bring my lunch. I think it's because 1) I'm never happy with what I bring and 2) I never have lunch staples at home. But you can't argue the cost and portion control benefits of DIY lunch. My goal: Try to bring lunch at least once a week. I'm going to start easy with this Turkey Wrap recipe. What do you make for lunch? Photo: Anna Williams

Make-Ahead Sunday Brunch Serve a mellow Sunday brunch, featuring gingery berry muffins and savory pumpernickel waffles (both of which can be prepared in advance) accompanied by smoked salmon, poached eggs and chives. Brunch from the Farm With their own homegrown vegetables and homemade cheeses, two Atlanta chef-farmers create a fabulous vegetarian meal Healthy Mother’s Day Brunch F&W shows how you can enjoy rich French toast and even sausages if you use a few healthful cooking …

May May 14, 2008 — Poached Eggs with Baked Feta and Olives Pairing: A fruity Mediterranean rosé, like the 2006 Librandi Cirò Rosato or the 2006 Gaia Estate 14–18h Rosé from Greece May 13, 2008 — Indian Coconut Fish Curry Pairing: A Gewürztraminer, like the 2006 Thomas Fogarty or the 2006 Storrs Viento Vineyard May 12, 2008 — Fettuccine with Escarole and Brie Pairing: A crisp, fruity Pinot Grigio, like the 2005 Bollini May 9, 2008 — Blood …

Picnic Drinks and Starters Minty Lemon Iced Tea Zen Sangria » Cashews with Crispy Sage and Garlic Spicy and Smoky Guacamole Israeli Hummus with Paprika and Whole Chickpeas Indian-Spiced Tomato Salsa Potato Chips with Nori Salt Idaho Potato Chips Bread-and-Butter Pickles Plus: Easy Homemade Condiments » 12 Make-Ahead Picnic Salads Fusilli Salad with Grilled Chicken and Zucchini Citrus and Avocado Salad with Honey Vinaigrette Potato Salad with Bacon and Barbecue Sauce Rice Salad with …

The Organic Gardener “Parents will tell me, ‘I have wanted to plant a vegetable garden with my kids forever to teach them where food comes from, but it’s overwhelming,’ ” says Jeanne Pinsof Nolan, 39, of Chicago’s The Organic Gardener, which has installed or consulted on more than 100 gardens over the past three years. When Nolan plants a garden, she works side-by-side with children and parents and teaches as she goes. She knows what varieties go …

Plus: More Easy Homemade Condiments Fruit Preserves & Pickled Vegetables Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Innovative Condiments Speedy Rubs, Pastes and Sauces Five Zesty Salsas

Updated Wed AM: Taqueria Nueve and DF have closed.  I used to be a big fan of Taqueria Nueve, but thought the quality had dropped quite a bit the last few times I was there. I wasn’t a fan of DF, but heard it had gotten much better since I was there (at least a year ago.) As Dave J. says “Their departure opens up a huge hole in the PDX food scene…” Speaking of closures, Mark Lindsay’s Rock and Roll Cafe has also shut its doors. According to Willamette Week, The closure wasn’t a huge surprise, considering that the cafe, named for Portland’s Paul…

Bruce Bauer from WineGuyWorld.com has a look at a Thai restaurant I hadn’t heard of before. I dropped by with some friends, and had a large selection of dishes. Based on my meal, I think this is a pretty accurate impression. Food Dude] I have seen the future of Thai food happiness in Portland, and by lucky coincidence it is about a five minute drive from our house! A newish place called Mai Thai (shocking play on words, I know!) opened a couple of months ago down on 31st and SE Belmont. Both w and I are huge Thai food aficionados, but here, like everywhere in America, you have to wade…

Another victim of our ailing economy, Cooking Accomplished is closing their doors at the end of May. Strictly rumors: Lorenzo’s on Mississippi may be closing soon. 5/8 - Lorenzo himself says not true. Also, lots of rumors about Wildwood going down the same path. I’ve been hearing the Wildwood rumor for ages, so take it with a grain of salt. Speaking of the ailing economy, some restaurants may be turning to cheaper ingredients to offset the cost of more expensive ingredients. From an article today on MSNBC.com, Call it a menu makeover: Steakhouses are adding buffalo meat alongside…

WillametteWeekWire is discussing their Best of Portland competition. I had no idea this was going on until I saw the trackback. Anyway, from their latest promotional piece,  “Among bloggers, Geek in the City is trashing previous winners bojack.org and portlandfoodanddrink.com.” I’ve never even heard of Geek in the City. Don’t make me beg! They have lots of prizes for voters Ok, I’ll beg. You can vote here.

By Catherine Cole Alyssa Gregg is one of our town’s charming and reserved chefs. She has been quietly creating culinary magic at Castagna, and now is the head chef at The Teardrop Lounge in the Pearl. She’s also spent time in commercial kitchens throughout San Diego and San Francisco. Alyssa graciously allowed us to pick her brain about food, the industry, and about hunting. Where are you from originally? Alyssa Gregg: Born in Minneapolis, but I was raised here in Portland. How long have you worked in commercial kitchens? AG: Since 2001 What’s your food philosophy? Or…

Price: $2.31 + tax Serving: 6 1/8 oz. Calories: 310 Fat: 15%, 9g Cholesterol: 7%, 20mg Sodium: 29%, 700mg Protein: 16g Carbohydrates: 15%, 44g Sugar: 7g Fiber: 12%, 3g Weight Watchers Points: 7 Points Lean Cuisine says: Crunchy French bread topped with a flavorful tomato sauce accented with basil, garlic and onion. Topped with mozzarella cheese, savory Italian sausage, zesty pepperoni, mushrooms, and red and green bell peppers. Becky says: I will fully admit that pizza ranks very highly on my list of favorite foods, right behind sushi. And when I realized that I haven’t bought this Lean…

Price: $3.99 Serving: 1 tart, 3.3oz. Calories: 300 Fat: 20%, 13g Cholesterol: 38%, 115mg Sodium: 3%, 70mg Protein: 4g Carbs: 13%, 40g Fiber: 2%,

Serving size: 1 Tray, 10 oz Calories: 280 Total Fat: 6%, 4g Saturated Fat: 5%, 1g Trans Fat: 0%, 0g Cholesterol: 13%, 40mg Sodium: 23%, 550mg Carbohydrates: 14%, 41g Dietary Fiber: 16%, 4g Sugars: 6g Protein: 36%, 20g Weight Watchers Points: 5 Points Hormel says: Santa Fe Style Chicken with Rice, Black Beans & Fire Roasted Corn.   Nicole says: Nicole: Have you eaten the hormel santa fe style chicken? Matt: Not yet Matt: I only had the beef one Nicole: It seems my camera (phone) has decided it is completely non-operational Nicole: Might you share your photo when you do eat it? Matt:…

Price: $2.00 on sale Serving: 1/2 cup, 3.5oz. Servings per Package: 2 Calories: 45 Fat: 3%, 2g Cholesterol: 2%, 5mg Sodium: 9%, 220mg Protein: 1g Carbohydrates: 2%, 2g Fiber: 8%, 2g Sugar: 3g Weight Watchers Points: 1 Point Green Giant says: Sliced carrots, zucchini quarters and sliced green beans lightly tossed with rosemary butter sauce Abi says: I’m in Las Vegas right now for the Food Marketing Institute’s annual convention. So far I have attended seminars on food trends and sampled a lot of truly odd items, including an energy drink that contains collagen. During one session…

Price: $3.19 (Free to me) Serving: 1 Calories: 320 per serving Fat: 12%, 8g Cholesterol: 7%, 20mg Sodium: 28%, 680mg Protein: 14g Carbohydrates: 16%, 48g Fiber: 8%, 2g Sugar: 12g Weight Watchers Points: 7 Points Smart Ones says: Smart Ones Fruit Inspirations meals are delicious new recipes inspired by the natural goodness of fruit. Now you can make every bite count with wonderful dishes that combine the intense flavor of real fruit into your everyday meals of juicy meat or poultry and crisp vegetables. Smart Ones. Taste so good, you want to be good. Jess says: I recently opted to attend a…

Photo by Melissa SchneiderI planned the meal for five years. Actually, it only took me an hour or so. We had just bought a bottle of Barolo, the tannic wine of Italy's Piemonte, at a wine shop in La Morra. We knew precisely when we would drink it: April 25, 2008. Though it ended up being April 26. The wine would be 10 years old by then — just about coming into drinkability &mdash and we’d be celebrating our fifth wedding anniversary. Barolo is the Piedmont’s greatest wine. Osso buco is one of its greatest dishes. I couldn’t resist pairing them: The wine’s tannins…

I apologize for the slack in posting. I’m working a lot at my new job, which has not one but two looming deadlines. And Maxis has reawakened my videogame love, since the latest games are my office’s water cooler chatter. (In fact, if you’re on XBox Live, I’m oenoscribe.) So bear with me as I adjust to the new routine, and, as always, thanks for reading.

I often buy a whole chicken for a week’s worth of dinners. The first two meals are easy: something with the legs and then something with the breasts. But what about the wings? There’s not much meat on them; certainly not enough for a main course. In the past, I’ve picked the meager flesh from the bones and added it to omelettes or soufflés, dishes where you don’t want a big hunk of meat with rich eggs. But for a few recent chickens, I’ve made the wings into rillettes, a spread of shredded meat and fat. I think I got the idea after making rabbit rillettes…

When Melissa and I visited wineries in Marlborough, I was struck by the number of winemakers who said something along the lines of “Well, Sauvignon Blanc is kind of boring.” or “Sauvy keeps the accountants happy, I guess.” I was also surprised by the wide array of other grapes that wineries were bottling. Other than the occasional Pinot Noir, we rarely see anything other than Sauvignon Blanc here. It struck me that Marlborough has been so successful with the grape that it’s become difficult to get drinkers to buy anything else. I wrote about these observations…

Here is a question I often ponder. If you are going to suggest a wine to go with a particular dish (or vice versa), why would you just write a regular tasting note and not reference the dish? That thought crept into my mind again as I noticed this post on Personal Wine Buyer, whose author will be suggesting wine pairings for Design*Sponge. (And I only single him out because I just read his tasting note; I can’t think of the number of times I’ve seen this.) Here is his write-up of the wine he chose to go with Matt Armendariz’s Sautéed Beet Greens with Sun-Dried…

319 lbs. +146 BMI 45.8 +20.9 ShareThis

A movie and dessert date with Presh. We share a sundae from Cold Stone Creamery. ShareThis

Dinner at Shangri-la de old Cathay. We ordered the chicken and eggplant. Highly Recommended ShareThis

Leftover spaghetti. ShareThis

Cold cereal again for first meal. ShareThis

Reservations are for suckers. Er, until BiteClub gets wait-listed and told to cool her hungry heels for "45 minutes to an hour". While McNibs scowls and huffs at me. Ugh.Consider me among the eager masses huddled around the front doors of Ari Rosen's new casual Italian eatery, Scopa. The shoebox-sized restaurant opened last week next to Healdsburg's Bistro Ralph (similarly shoebox-sized), featuring simple, rustic fare from the former Santi chef. The name refers to an ancient Italian card game that, like poker, requires plenty of bluffing, banter, booze and snacks to be properly…

Three words: Truffle oil fries. Just a couple weeks into its new ownership, The Healdsburg Bar and Grill is noticeably changed under the watch of Cyrus' Nick Peyton and chef Douglas Keane. Though the look and feel is still very much the same as the old HBG--casual inside tables, t-shirted waitrons and kids running around the bocce ball court outside--the menu has been elevated to haute burger status. Starts include a very grown up mac 'n cheese with Fiscalini, Parmigianno-Reggiano and Hobb's bacon, lobster bisque and the sweet-tangy Alexander Valley gourmet pickles. Three types of…

I recently heard someone say that if you needed a holiday to honor your mom, you might need to rethink your relationship. Which is probably true, but it's always nice to have a fire lit under one's sorry behind to get that maternal thanksgiving crackling.And what better way to say, "You're the best, Mom" than treating her to a sit-down meal on Sunday (that's Mother's Day, if you haven't gotten my drift yet). But not just any old brunch. We're talking seriously good eats that let her know just how much you care.BiteClub's top bet is a patio-side seat at the new Cafe Saint Rose. We…

After several years of trying to make a go of it, Healdsburg's Plaza Farms is throwing in the towel. The market, which opened in 2005, has struggled to gain a foothold with tourists and locals since its inception despite the popularity of many of its vendors, including Bovolo Restaurant and DaVero Olive Oils and former occupants Scharffen Berger Chocolates, Otea and Bellwether Farms. It's too bad.BiteClub ran into John Stewart, co-owner of Zazu and Bovolo on Sunday at his restaurant after seeing a small sign in the back of the market announcing the closure of Plaza Farms. The good news is…

Cupcakes are the happiest food on earth. I dare you to defy me on that. Wrapped in crinkly paper collars and capped with a pastel poof of buttercream, they're unabashedly adorable. They come in dozens. And no one can pull off sprinkles and candy glitter with the same panache.But when it comes to taste, well, that's where things sometimes go horribly wrong. Dry, crumbly cake. Greasy, fake frosting that leaves behind a room full of purple fingerprints and blue teeth. Exactly the sort of thing that keeps cupcake baker Andrea Ballus awake at night. Or rather up at 4am each morning.As owner of…

Garlic is often the essential ingredient that is required to make a great recipe. Slice, mince, or crush garlic cloves with this startcooking.com Tips and Techniques video.

Recipe: Omelet with Cheese serves 1 2 eggs 1 pinch of salt 2 tablespoons of water 1 teaspoon of oil 1/3 cup of cheese - shredded1 tablespoon of chives - minced Blend together eggs, water and salt.  Add oil to a 6 inch sloped sided non-stick fry pan. Heat oil, on medium for one minute; add egg mixture and cook.  As the eggs begin to set, with a spatula, lift the edges and let the raw mixture run to the bottom of the pan.When the top is no longer runny, but still moist, sprinkle the cheese on ½ of the omeletWith a spatula, flip the omelet in half.  The cheese will take about…

Learn how to cut onions with Tips and Techniques at startcooking.com. Chop, dice, and mince while watching this video and then start working on your favorite recipe. Enjoy!

Recipe: Grilled Cheese Sandwich (video) serves 1 2 slices of bread 2 slices of cheese 1 tablespoon of butter - softened Spread the softened butter on one side of each slice of bread. Lay one slice of bread, butter side down, in a non-stick frying pan. Put two slices of cheese on the bread. Now cover it with the other slice of bread with the buttered side up.Turn the stove on medium heat and place the pan on the stove.After about 2-3 minutes it should be ready to flip.The second side will take a lot less time to turn golden brown because the pan is already heated up.Slice the grilled cheese on…

As spring progresses and summer advances, salads are gracing our tables more often. One way to spice things up is to explore different sorts of salad greens; another way to change it up is to create your own dressings. You COULD stock up on all sorts of mass-produced bottled stuff, but that would be expensive, take up a lot of fridge space, and may not be your healthiest option. Instead, make sure your pantry is stocked with the right ingredients, and you can whip up a new dressing every day of the week. You’ll know exactly what is going into your mouth (no nasty additives or corn…

It’s easy to get in a salad rut, turning to the same kind of lettuce every time. Why not go beyond iceberg, romaine, or leaf lettuce and try some more interesting options? Spring is the perfect time to experiment with salad greens, and this post will help you get acquainted with all that leafy stuff at the grocery store. When you purchase or harvest lettuce, you should wash or rinse it, then store it wrapped in a cloth or paper towel, then in a plastic bag, in the crisper drawer. Store lettuce away from apples, pears and bananas. These fruits release ethylene, a ripening agent which…

Hi Everyone!I would like to introduce Heidi Adkisson, our new guest blogger at startcooking.com. Heidi, a former Professional Chef, is now the author of a great food blog called Ward Street Bistro. The beginner cook may be a bit intimidated by some of her recipes, but don't be! Heidi’s very precise, step-by-step photo-tutorials makes everything look really simple. I can’t wait to try her Luxurious Artichoke and Mushroom Lasagna! The Lemon Pepper Potato Salad, made with baked potatoes looks like a real winner. But it’s the Red Pepper and Hazelnut Dip that will really wow your…

Cooking isn’t just a means to an end. Sure, you are (usually) rewarded with something delicious when you’re finished, but the process is part of the fun! Cooking is a fantastic family activity, and there are many ways to get kids involved, no matter how old they are! There is so much more they can do besides, “Shake and Bake! And I helped!” In the kitchen, children can learn math skills, practice fine-motor coordination, make choices about nutrition, and of course, learn basic cooking techniques. Making foods from different countries is also a superb way to start…

Mother’s Day is traditionally one of the busiest days of the year at restaurants. Why? Because kids and dads want to “treat” mom to a good meal, but aren’t used to doing the cooking! Well, forget the restaurant this Mother’s Day and show your family’s matriarch you care about her by whipping up a home-cooked treat.Breakfast:Chocolate chip pancakes are the perfect start to the day. Small children can help measure and stir the ingredients while dad spoons the batter into the pan and flips the pancakes. Pop some bacon in the microwave, pour some orange juice…

Posted by Kerstin I was in Virginia this past weekend, and a few exits away from the Southern Kitchen (raved about by many food writers as a superb roadside destination). Although it’s dangerously close to bathing-suit season, I decided this was too tempting to pass up. Located in the small town of New Market, Virginia, the large vintage sign outside says it all. No trendy food fads have tainted the down-home menu. House specialties include peanut soup and the friend chicken platter (served with choice of two sides, ranging from the smart (house salad) to the sinful (buttered corn, fried…

Posted by Katie Soon the warm, breezy days of spring will give way to the hot, humid days of summer. Unless you are opting for a Mia Farrow cut, you will need something to keep your locks from going limp. One solution? a ponytail or bun with some glamour.  I give my elastic hair bands an upgrade with a simple and inexpensive accent: buttons. The ones below were found at Lou Lou Buttons in New York City, but there are other sources such as Tender Buttons, M&J Trimming, or Great Buttons. They're a cinch to make with the right materials. You will need elastic hair bands, available at…

Posted by Lisa & Rena We are texture junkies. Rena is a terror to museum guards, as she is always stretching her fingers longingly toward the art. There's a word for this: haptic. It means “of or relating to the sense of touch.” Recently, we’ve been enjoying three books, all mysterious white volumes that are each haptic experiences, both in form and content. Sheila Hicks uses a very tactile medium -- weaving -- and explores it using nontraditional materials and rhythms, creating lovely design. Her book "Weaving as Metaphor" is a large, soft brick and wonderful to hold;…

Posted by Bluelines Here's another blogger on what she'll be giving Mom this weekend. Again, please share your gift ideas with us. Posted by Kerstin My mom has a thing for elephants. You can find them tucked in all over the living room shelves and assorted other places in the house. For Mother's Day, I thought it was high time she have an elephant she could take with her on the go. They have the cutest enamel jewelry at J. Crew this season. I recently spotted this elephant necklace so that now she doesn't have to look further than her neck to see a familiar friend.

Posted by Bluelines Don't worry, no wire hangers in this post. We simply asked our bloggers to share what they will be giving their mothers come Sunday. And for any moms out there: no peeking! Check back tomorrow for another gift. And please, share any ideas you have. Posted by Rebecca "For Mothers Day, I want to get my mom tickets to the new show "Boeing Boeing." My mom loves Broadway -- she's taken me to shows since I was little. This one just got a great review in the New York Times, and I love how stylized the sets are."

Japanese soba noodles made of buckwheat. Served cold with dipping sauce, tasty and refreshing for warmer weather. (Want more? See Tastespotting)

Chicken, Mushroom, and Taragon Pie (Want more? See Tastespotting)

Chocolate. Pecans. In a bar cookie. Yum. (Want more? See Tastespotting)

Easy Steamed Spring salad with Broad Beans, Radishes and Avocado Drizzled with Balsamic Vinegar and Oregano (Want more? See Tastespotting)

Balcony Delicacies: "Coffee Ice Cream" And Tish Boyle's"Coconut Custard Squares". (Want more? See Tastespotting)

Hot on the trails of their last ramen festival, Japanese supermarket chain Mitsuwa Marketplace is holding a Umaimono Gourmet Food Fair (roughly translated as “yummy stuff” food fair), complete with two very different types of ramen along with other “gourmet foods.” For the ramen lovers, you get your choice of “scary” (scary?!) shark fin ramen from Tokyo’s Chibakiya, present at the ramen festival, and shina soba from Kanagawa’s Kujiraken Honten (”Love for the noodles, and soul for the soup.”) For everyone else, there’s beef…

Those of you that visit our humble site regularly know that I don’t particularly care about the nutritional value of the food I slurp down my gullet. But lately, after starting to post the nutritional information of the instant ramen we review, I’ve started paying just a bit more attention to what’s on the label. While nobody will likely argue that instant ramen, especially instant brick ramen, is especially nutritious, I’m not sure how many people have noticed that the “Nutrition Facts” on these things is…well…I don’t want to make any…

Quick, describe the taste of chicken to someone who’s never had chicken before…having trouble? Just as chicken seems to be one of the lowest common denominators in food flavors, so is the “instant ramen-ness” of Sapporo Ichiban’s original flavor. The “original” flavor doesn’t belong to the typical ramen flavor groups: it’s not shoyu, not tonkotsu, not shio, not miso. There is a slight miso-ness to the soup base flavor, but it’s barely discernable underneath the barrage of onion-ness, white pepper-ness, MSG-ness, and the plain…

Ramenramenramen has learned that Nissin is introducing a limited edition Cup Noodles to select markets across the U.S. The new flavor, called simply “MSG flavor,” was created in response to the overwhelming popularity of MSG flavoring. “You have no idea how many letters we receive from ramen fans asking for ‘more MSG’,” said a spokesperson for Nissin. “Some of the more (ahem) extreme fans even questioned why we had so many flavors. ‘Don’t even bother diluting the MSG with beef, chicken, shrimp, or any of those other weird flavors. Just…

More than one person has taken me to task for not trying the tokusen toroniku (choice fatty pork) ramen at Santouka. Interestingly, not one of my friends think Santouka is very good. But then again, none of them have tried the toroniku either. So finally, I convinced two other ramen-loving (well, ramen-enjoying anyway) friends to go to Santouka and splurge on a toroniku free-for-all. Coincidentally, we all decided to order different flavors of ramen. I stuck with the shio ramen, while the rest of my motley crew opted for the shoyu and miso flavors. When we got our ramen, everyone wondered…

Many cookbooks have great recipes, some have such beautiful photographs that you're drooling at every page, others give fantastic tips and insights and there are those extraordinary few whose words transport you to a magical place. It's not often however that one book does it all. Blue Eggs and Yellow Tomatoes does exactly that and then some. You might know Jeanne Kelley from her great contributions to Bon Appetit and Cooking Light over the years. So you'll expect fantastic recipes and you certainly won't be disappointed...there are 150 and each one is better than the one before. And don't…

If you are a mother, have a mother or think about being a mother...Happy Mother's Day!I made some delicious Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes this morning from my new fave cookbook Blue Eggs & Yellow Tomatoes (much more about it tomorrow) that I thought you'd all enjoy...whether you're a mother or not. And I made mine on my brand new Griddler...a wonderful gift from my Honey! Now I'm off to relax before heading out to my daughter and son-in-law's where all the moms get to enjoy some Chinese Take Out and no cooking.So have a great day and enjoy the mothers in your life.

Hopefully I actually made this in time for Mochachocolata-Rita's Chinese Take Out Event.I've been obsessing over the need for bok choy and fermented black beans since seeing Mark Bittman's video back in March.First I obsessed about fermented black beans, thinking I'd find them at the new Asian market downtown...no luck - but they actually did order some for me. That very morning (before the Asian store) I bought some baby bok choy, but naturally without the fermented beans...and then getting sick, well ultimately they were thrown out.But today I have all the ingredients and here's the…

Why am I smiling and happy if it's 6 degrees, windy and very overcast with the forecast for rain all weekend? Why indeed! I actually debated whether or not to get out of bed early...it was soooo cozy and a peek out the window was not encouraging either. For weeks now, I've been obsessed with finding bok choy for a dish I want to make for Mochachocolata Rita's Chinese Take-out Event (hopefully, I will sneak in under the wire) and the local grocery stores didn't have any (I went to 3 of them yesterday). So the choice is either Pete's Frootique or, possibly, the Saturday Halifax Farmer's Market.

It's been a busy week for all of us and so many of the pastas this week are thanks to hectic days. Plus there are lots of really interesting ingredients and combinations...one word for the stars of the roundup - awesome - two dozen really inspired dishes. So what are you waiting for....check them out!First up this week, is Moriah of Where I'm Cooking From sent us this super speedy, super tasty Cold Sesame Noodles.Sarah of Homemade is back with a beautiful dish of Pasta with Goat Cheese and Zucchini. Even I would eat this one...(zucchini is one of the very few veggies I don't like cooked).Lisa…

Whole Paycheck gotcha down? Yah, me, too. There's an alternative: use this lil handy map to find out where local produce is near you!! 50 Vote(s)

I love buttons! I love soap! I love it!42 Vote(s)

What a great idea to keep any trash in your car at bay. And cute, to boot! {Via Kids Haus}123 Vote(s)

And the food...don't even get me started on the food.40 Vote(s)

Pink garden hoses, lattice print plates and ice kabobs...looks like pure fun to me.94 Vote(s)

Though it may look like parsley, chervil is in a class all by itself. The spring herb with anise aromas is an obvious choice to accent other seasonal favorites such as salmon or trout, asparagus, new potatoes, baby carrots and salads of baby greens.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

Conservation scientist Gary Nabhan says the best way to recover some of America's at-risk species is to eat them. He documents lost and threatened foods in his new book, Renewing America's Food Traditions.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

In 1982, Paul Saginaw and Ari Weinzweig opened Zingerman's Deli in Ann Arbor, Mich. After 26 years, they have built an empire called Zingerman's Community of Businesses that Inc. magazine called "The Coolest Small Company in America." On Friday, Oprah Winfrey rated a sandwich from Zingerman's an amazing 11 out of 5.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

When it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, what you eat may be more important than where your food comes from. A new study finds that replacing red meat and dairy products with chicken, fish or vegetables could have the same impact as shifting to an entirely locally-grown diet.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

A century-old law restricted champagne production to 370 villages in northeastern France, but with demand now outstripping supply, the official body that determines wine laws is admitting 40 more communities — a lucrative move for those joining the exclusive club of champagne producers.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

We received an email message from one of our readers in Sparks, Nevada last night. She asked us if we could help her find a farmers market in her neighborhood. It occurred to us, that as spoiled Californians we take the farmers market for granted. Of course there’s one close by… more likely, there are several, and they’re not all on the same day of the week, so we have access to fresh produce any time, even in the dead of winter (when our day time highs may not even break 60°F). Obviously, that’s not going to be the case elsewhere in the country. So, here’s a…

One of the things that I discovered after starting to read vegan literature is that “free range” doesn’t mean what I thought it did. Before going vegan, I used to buy eggs marked “free range” or “cage free” — and I felt pretty good about that. In my mind, I was eating what was basically a waste product (an unfertilized egg), produced by a chicken that was living a pretty good life. As conventional wisdom holds, “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” Many people believe that egg production is less abusive to chickens than…

Jane and I had the opportunity to attend WorldFest 2008 yesterday. As you might expect, the weather was perfect, sunny and warm with just the slightest breeze. We arrived in time to hear Karen Dawn talk about her new book, Thanking the Monkey. She’s promoting the book as a way to introduce animal rights issues to your non-vegan family/friends. It sounds like a worthwhile read! Then it was off to the food court. We’d heard that the food would be all vegan, and we were excited by the prospect of being someplace with multiple vegan options. Jane headed straight for the Rahel…

If you’re in the Los Angeles area and looking for something to do tomorrow, why don’t you consider visiting the WorldFest in Woodley Park in Encino. According to their website, “WorldFest is a solar-powered celebration of music, the environment, animals, and humanity. We’re helping people learn what they can do for the Earth and its inhabitants.” The festival is Saturday, May 10th, 2008 from 10AM - 6:30PM at Woodley Park in Encino, CA (Map). Admission: $7 / Seniors $5 / Kids under 12 - Free! / Pets Welcome One of guest speakers will be Gene Baur, author of Farm…

One of the things Jane and I still crave is cow’s milk. I have a smoothie for breakfast every morning. Jane makes almond milk, and that works just fine. It’s also an effective substitute in baked goods and for general cooking, but cereal just isn’t the same. And Jane would just about kill for a shake (bad choice of wording?), so when we go to Johnny Rockets this weekend for our free vegan burger, she’s going to whine, and I will be as supportive as I can be. So I’m doing my research in advance, and tonight I came across a post at “Go Dairy Free” that…