Opinion A Favorite D.C. Food Landmark Suffers in Fire April 30, 2007 • Commentator Bonny Wolf lives just one block from Washington D.C.'s Eastern Market, which was ravaged by an early morning fire Monday. It was a devastating sight to watch a 134-year-old food market go up in flames.
Author Interviews Back to Basics: Kingsolver Clan Lives off Land April 29, 2007 • In a departure from her popular novels, author Barbara Kingsolver takes her family back to its roots in Appalachia to live off the land for her latest book. The clan learns to "eat deliberately."
Wine Blogger Makes Choosing a Bottle Palatable April 28, 2007 • At a bland building in suburban New Jersey, Gary Vaynerchuk is demystifying the wine world. Through Wine Library TV — an almost daily Web broadcast of wine tastings from his store — Vaynerchuk hopes to put people at ease when they choose a bottle of vino.
The Food Revolution of Alice Waters' Chez Panisse April 27, 2007 • With her famed Berkeley, Calif., restaurant, Alice Waters helped give rise to a new cuisine based on locally grown, seasonal ingredients. Waters and her biographer look back at her offbeat and memorable eatery, Chez Panisse.
Kitchen Window Letting Leafy Greens Into Your Life April 25, 2007 • Once upon a time, Susan Thomas didn't know a mustard green from a mizuna leaf. Now, she can't imagine life without dark, leafy greens — especially Swiss chard. She shares easy and tasty ways to get vitamin-packed greens into your diet.
Opinion An Argument Against 'Healthy' Chocolate April 24, 2007 • The Food and Drug Administration considers changing the ingredients in one favorite diet buster: chocolate. A recent proposal by the FDA that would allow manufacturers to replace the cocoa butter found in chocolate with vegetable fats and oils.
Diversions It's Time to Enjoy Spring's Bounty for the Table April 21, 2007 • Like crocuses, spring foods seem like promises of warmth and sunshine. Asparagus, artichokes, green garlic and strawberries are all ingredients associated with the season. Food writer Peggy Knickerbocker offers some ideas for fun with spring foods.
Now You Can Craft Your Own Barrel of Wine April 21, 2007 • What if you could actually make any kind of wine you wanted to? Well, you can: There's a company that hands over the reins — or at least some grapes — to customers to create their own barrel of wine.
Kitchen Window Surprisingly Sweet Polenta April 18, 2007 • Known in the United States primarily as a warm and savory comfort dish, polenta is also a common ingredient in Italian desserts. Simona Carini shares her memories of Italy — and recipes for sweet cakes made from the ground cornmeal.
Opinion SoundClips: Audio Experiences Can You Hear the Bread Baking? April 17, 2007 • Listener Catherine Iino submits a Soundclip of her weekly task of baking loaves of bread. We hear the shaping and cooking process.
Odes to Greasy Spoons Net Pulitzer Prize April 17, 2007 • Michele Norris talks with L.A. Weekly restaurant critic Jonathan Gold, who won a Pulitzer Prize this week. Gold specializes in reviewing little-known eateries in the Los Angeles area, as well as old standbys. Popular reviews have included "Home of the Porno Burrito" and "The Devil's Own Steak House."
News Monitoring Food Imports to the United States April 14, 2007 • The contamination of pet food has raised questions about the safety of our own food supply as more of the food we eat comes from overseas. Les Bourquin of Michigan State University talks about how food inspectors decide what imports to monitor, and what they look for.
Business Slaughterhouse Shortage Hits Natural Beef Industry April 14, 2007 • Large-scale agriculture has nearly eliminated small slaughterhouses from many states. That's a problem for the farmers trying to fill the growing demand for naturally raised, local meat products, especially in New England. Small farmers must often drive for hours to get their animals to slaughter.
National Peach Farmer Watches as Cold Snap Ruins Crop April 12, 2007 • Robert Chapman, a farmer in central Georgia, says he has been hit hard by unusually cold temperatures. Chapman tells Melissa Block that he has lost all his crops, from peaches, pears and plums to blueberries and pecans, during a 25-degree Easter Sunday freeze.
Business Safety Questions Linger Over Pre-Washed Greens April 12, 2007 • Lettuce and spinach crops are in the ground now in California's Salinas Valley. They'll soon be arriving as pre-washed bagged leafy greens at your local supermarket. Are they safe to eat?