Science Out Of The Box It's Shocking, But You Eat It February 28, 2009 • It's a little yellow bud, and when you put it in your mouth, something strange happens. It's a reaction that feels "a little north of Pop Rocks, and south of putting a 9-volt battery in your mouth."
World Roquefort Cheesemakers Caught In Trade Spat February 26, 2009 • Roquefort cheese producers in France say they've been unfairly singled out in a global trade war that has nothing to do with them. In response to the European Union's refusal to accept hormone-treated U.S. beef, the outgoing Bush administration slapped a 300 percent tariff on the blue-veined cheese.
Pop Culture 'Top Chef' Finalist Carla Hall Cooks With Love February 26, 2009 • Top Chef, a cooking competition broadcast on the Bravo cable channel, aired its finale last night to determine who is the top chef. Carla Hall, a caterer from Washington, D.C., was one of the top three finalists and a favorite of the show's fans. Spoiler alert: She will reveal who won!
'Tastings' Columnists: Open That Bottle! Fresh Air February 25, 2009 • Wine critics Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher advise you to seize the day — and that bottle of wine you've been saving. The Wall Street Journal's husband-and-wife wine team host the 10th annual Open That Bottle of Wine Night on Feb. 28.
Kitchen Window Travels With My Cazuela February 25, 2009 • Cooking in a cazuela transports food writer Stephanie Stiavetti to the Spanish countryside. The inexpensive, versatile clay pot transforms a few smoky spices and simple ingredients into rustic Iberian fare.
Financial Turmoil Grips World Markets Consumers Spurn Dining Out For Prepared Foods February 24, 2009 • As consumers look for ways to trim spending, many are eating out less and turning to the ready-to-eat meal sections in grocery and convenience stores. Some retailers have added in-store chefs, tables and prominent displays of prepared foods.
Business Mexican Winemakers Want You To Try A Glass February 21, 2009 • In 1976 there was a major shift in the wine world. In a blind taste test French wine afficionados proclaimed a Napa Valley Wine superior to a French one. Today, wine lovers can enjoy wine from all over the new world. Still, Mexican winemakers are having a hard time finding acceptance - at least in the U.S. Vanessa Romo reports.
Business Coming To A Store Near You: Kid Rock Beer February 19, 2009 • Musician Kid Rock hopes brewing beer will help bring nearly 400 jobs to the Detroit area. The Michigan Economic Growth Authority approved the plan with $700,000 in tax credits.
Kitchen Window The Meyer Lemon: More Than A Pretty Face February 18, 2009 • Plucked out of obscurity from life as a houseplant and nearly eradicated by disease, the thin-skinned Meyer lemon wouldn't go down without a fight. Now it's a darling of chefs and home cooks — slightly sweet, super juicy and not at all tart. Hear an Interview with Julie O'Hara Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/100778147/100780062" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Hear an Interview with Julie O'Hara Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/100778147/100780062" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
How To Cook Using 99-Cent Ingredients February 16, 2009 • During a recession, the cost of feeding yourself or a family can be a strain. Christiane Jory, author of the 99 Cent Only Stores Cookbook tells host Alex Chadwick about the recipes that only include ingredients that cost less than a dollar.
National Ohio's Only Four-Star Restaurant To Close February 16, 2009 • Pigall's is shutting its doors at the end of the month after seven years. Owners of the Cincinnati bistro say it's a money issue, but Chef Jean-Robert de Cavel says it's because the owners wanted to revamp the menu along simpler lines.
How To Eat Sushi Without Guilt February 16, 2009 • Fish stocks are suffering locally and globally, causing some Americans to feel guilty about eating sushi. But short of giving up on seafood altogether, there are ways to eat sushi without feeling badly about the indulgence.
Reporter's Notebook In Paris, Culinary Education Starts In Day Care February 16, 2009 • In the land of high cuisine, even lunch in preschool is a culinary delight. French culinary traditions and knowledge are cultivated at a very young age. Even toddlers in day care centers are taught how to sit at a table and are encouraged to eat all kinds of foods.
Books Culinary Tales From A Food Writer February 15, 2009 • The great composer Virgil Thomson did not believe in coffee filters. He brewed his coffee in a sauce pan and strained the grounds through a sock. That tasty story is one of many in a new book that is a veritable banquet of food and personality anecdotes.
Diversions A Presidential Portrait In Pastry February 14, 2009 • Zilly Rosen assembled a portrait of Barack Obama and Abraham Lincoln made out of more than 5,000 cupcakes. The installation was on display at the Smithsonian American Art Museum until 5 p.m. on Saturday, when the public was invited to "de-install" the piece.