'Hidden Kitchens': About the Series September 29, 2004 • Learn more about the Hidden Kitchens project and the people who contributed to it.
Health Care For Elderly, Mediterranean Diet Adds Up September 22, 2004 • A new study shows that elderly people who stick to a Mediterranean diet, exercise at least 30 minutes a day, and have moderate alcohol use can cut their risk of dying in half. The diet is rich in plant foods and fish, low in meat and dairy and has a high ratio of monounsaturated fats to polyunsaturated fats. Approximately 1,500 people were studied in the Netherlands over a 12-year period. NPR's Patricia Neighmond reports.
Landmark New York Eatery Turns 50 September 19, 2004 • This fall, Serendipity 3, the quirky dessert restaurant and boutique on New York's Upper East Side, celebrates its 50th year in business. Co-founder Stephen Bruce has written a book. He speaks with NPR's Liane Hansen.
Comebacks Boxed Wine Making a Comeback September 16, 2004 • There's a new school of thought that says boxed wine isn't swill anymore. Some critics argue that what boxed wines lack in tradition, they make up for in value. NPR's Karen Grigsby Bates looks into the renewed popularity of vino that eschews the corkscrew.
Americans Cook Simpler in Post-Child Era September 13, 2004 • NPR's Melissa Block talks with Mark Bittman, author of How to Cook Everything and the weekly New York Times food column "The Minimalist," about American cooking after Julia Child. He says good cooking these days is much more simple that Child's style and recipes.
Opinion Pinkwater: Vows Led to Dropped Pounds September 7, 2004 • Commentator Daniel Pinkwater insists he isn't on a diet --- his wife is. But he eats what she eats and that's meant he's lost 50 pounds. He's doing -- by chance, exactly what his father told him to do years ago to lose weight: no white bread, no white rice, no desserts. He says the Fat Pride movement may expel him from its ranks.
World Japan Rejects Testing Young Cattle for Mad Cow September 7, 2004 • Japan's food safety commission has just decided that cattle younger than 20 months need not be tested for mad cow disease. This opens the way for Japan to resume its position as the biggest importer of U.S. beef. It's also a victory for a U.S. strategy to resist mandatory universal testing. Hear NPR's Greg Allen.
Opinion The Minnesota State Fair on a Stick September 5, 2004 • Washington-based writer Bonny Wolf first visited the Minnesota State Fair as a child and she's been back almost every year since. The fair's number-one attraction for her is all the food, especially the large variety of things that are served on a stick.
Buffalo Wings at 40: Still a Hot Item September 5, 2004 • The Buffalo chicken wing turns 40 years old this weekend. Reporter Eileen Buckley finds folks in Buffalo are still plenty proud of the bar snack that put the city in New York on the road map of American cuisine.
Business Twinkie, Wonder Bread Maker in Financial Trouble September 4, 2004 • Interstate Bakeries, the company that gives the world Wonder Bread and Hostess Twinkies, is close to bankruptcy. Officials hope for a turnaround but are struggling with old, inefficient facilities. And changes in eating habits haven't helped. Frank Morris of member station KCUR reports.
Paris Eatery Leaves Diners in the Dark September 4, 2004 • A new restaurant in Paris offers diners more than a good French meal. Patrons of the restaurant Dans Le Noir -- translated to English as "In the Dark" -- eat and drink in a pitch black dining room and are served by a blind waitstaff.
Environment EPA Expands Warning on Fish, Toxins August 24, 2004 • The Environmental Protection Agency adds more lakes and river miles to its list of places where fish may be contaminated with toxins such as mercury. But the new advisories don't necessarily mean pollution is worse. NPR's Allison Aubrey reports.
Trivia Smorgasbord in 'Food and Drink Miscellany' August 21, 2004 • Culinary matters large and small -- mostly small -- are the province of Ben Schott. His new book is Schott's Food and Drink Miscellany. The author speaks with NPR's Jennifer Ludden.
French Winemakers Seek Ad Help August 21, 2004 • Demand for French wine grapes is disastrously low. Small winemakers think more ads and less-stringent control of slogans may help boost their business. The French Senate is proposing legislation to ease controls. Hear NPR's Jennifer Ludden and Fabrice Layer, an aide to a lawmaker from the Burgundy region.
Ruby Tuesday's: An Experiment in Eating Out Smart August 18, 2004 • Congress and many states are trying to require restaurant chains to post nutritional information on their menus in an effort to combat obesity. The restaurant industry opposes such mandates, arguing that the market will naturally respond to consumer demand. The popular restaurant chain Ruby Tuesday's already has. NPR's Patricia Neighmond reports.