Food : NPR

Florida's Deep Freeze Puts The Squeeze On Tomatoes

WGCU

February 28, 2010 • It's been a tough winter for Florida's tomato crop. A devastating freeze last month wiped out production by 70 percent. The state provides almost all of the tomatoes consumed in the U.S. during this time of year. Farmers are struggling, and soon consumers will notice it too.

Opinion

A Walk On The Wild Side ... Of The Plate

February 28, 2010 • It was inevitable that interest in local, sustainable, ethical eating would lead back to hunting. Weekend Edition food commentator Bonny Wolf shares her experience attending a wild-game-friendly dinner party.

Latin America

Bolivia Pushing Coca That's Good For You

February 27, 2010 • Bolivia is the third largest coca-producing country in the world. Although the illegal drug trade has given coca a bad reputation, indigenous people have used it for centuries as medicine, food and a symbol of their culture. Bolivia's president is a former coca farmer, and the country is trying to rebrand the coca leaf and create a legal industry from the controversial crop.

Grapefruit-Mint Panna Cotta: A Taste of Spring

Carla Hall says you can use creme fraiche in this panna cotta, or substitute a mixture of sour cream and heavy cream. Guy Raz/NPR hide caption

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Guy Raz/NPR

Grapefruit-Mint Panna Cotta: A Taste of Spring

February 27, 2010 • If you're tired of winter, Top Chef finalist Carla Hall has an early taste of spring: smooth, cool grapefruit-mint panna cotta with a tart red wine and pomegranate sauce.

Bright Tastes And Colors Of India's Spring: Holi

Deshakalyan Chowdhury/AFP/Getty Images

Opinion

Kitchen Window

Bright Tastes And Colors Of India's Spring: Holi

February 23, 2010 • Colorful, sweet and savory Indian treats are a natural when it's time to celebrate the coming of spring. That's what the Hindu holiday of Holi — or the Festival of Colors — is all about. The day calls for bright curries, sweet and savory rice, a mango cannoli, and a special carrot juice.

Group Seeks Hot Dog Redesign To Prevent Choking

February 22, 2010 • The American Academy of Pediatrics has a message for parents — Hot dogs can be dangerous to young children — and it's calling for a redesign. Eric Hummel, director of marketing at Hummel Brothers Meat Products, has his own message: Cut them up into bite-sized pieces.

Opinion

The Opinion Page

Op-Ed: Ignore Your Food's Expiration Dates

February 22, 2010 • Some people keep milk until it fails the sniff test, while others pitch it the minute it hits the use-by date. Do those expiration dates really mean anything? Nadia Arumugam says no, and that it's the food supply chain, not the sell-by date, we should care about.

Opinion

An Indian Palate Meets A California Street Corner

February 17, 2010 • Essayist Sandip Roy knows that Indian food doesn't need to be from India to be authentic. In fact, sometimes fried semolina balls filled with tamarind water and boiled potatoes are best served out of a little vendor truck in California.

Lamb Shanks: Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

T. Susan Chang for NPR

Opinion

Kitchen Window

Lamb Shanks: Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

February 16, 2010 • The shank — the lower part of the leg, from the knee down — is one of the toughest cuts you can find on a lamb. But what makes it impossible to saute is what makes it ideal for braising. And after a good long stint in the oven, the reward is a succulent, meaty dish.

Valentine's Day

A-Twitter Over Updated Sweethearts Candy

February 13, 2010 • For the first time in 145 years, the original recipe has been revamped. The new candies have brighter colors, bolder flavors and more current Valentine's Day expressions — like TEXT ME and TWEET ME.

Move Over, Cupcake: Make Way For The Macaroon

Cupcakes Are So 2005: The latest "it" dessert is the macaroon ... or macaron, if you want to be French about it. Kyle Samperton hide caption

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Kyle Samperton