American Vinos - Analysts have noticed that the Americans wines of choice typically have a higher alcohol content, at least lately…

Grill your dessert - More and more restaurants are serving grilled fruits or even cakes for the last course! Yum!

Blenders behind the bar - Blended beverages are making a seasonal comeback, according to the New York Times!

A cookbook at 17 - Young teenager became a gluten-free baker to help out his older sister, and now has his own published gluten-free cookbook! Not bad!

How to preserve summer fruits - Host your own canning or pickling party! It’ll be fun (and quite useful).

Summer on a stick - Summer treats in stick form are much more than just popsicles.

Bigger breakfast -> bigger weightloss - We heard it on those Kellogg commercials, but who knew it was actually true? You can lose weight more easily if you eat a bigger breakfast.

Thirsty for watermelon? - The thirst quenching fruit is now the special ingredient behind many summer beverages and cocktails.

Flavor to savor - Washington Post tells us that adding flavor to your food can you make feel full faster, and therefore promote weight loss.

Shrimp society - The many different faces of shrimp, how they all taste, and where they all come from.

You say tomato…I say contaminated - A recent salmonella outbreak has caused tomatoes to be lifted off menus everywhere. Here’s how to prevent eating the wrong tomato.

Organic…alcohol? - Because nothing’s trendy if it can’t be found in cocktail form.

“You won’t believe it’s not bacon” - I’ve heard of bacon bits (vegetarian), but now bacon salt?! This bacon-remniscent product is completely kosher and vegetarian.

Baco (gyro-pizza-taco) - Sometimes we just need to know when to stop…

It’s ok to eat meat - My own alma mater (U of I) did a study that demystified the myth that diets high in meat negate the effects of dairy products for your bone health.

Octopi emerge - The eight appendage sea creature is now being more widely consumed.

Eating weeds? - More weeds are turning up in culinary concoctions.

Gluten-free isn’t just for the celiacs - More people are looking to gluten-free recipes to get their fix of the latest health “trend”, even if they don’t need to eat gluten-free, according to Medill Reports.

Cooking oil guide - Find the right cooking oil for you!

Turkey on the grill - Not typically known to be grilled, turkey takes its turn on the grill!

Tastebud trickery - If you ever want to trick your tastebuds into thinking all foods are sweet, eat a red berry called “the miracle fruit.” For the next half hour, you’ll think everything is full of sugar…good? bad? I’m not sure how I feel about this.

Rose on the rise - Seriously, what did we tell you? ‘Tis the Season to Drink Pink!

Chicago hot dog gets a makeover - Five renowned Chicago chefs put their own spin on the Chicago hot dog. Will their changes catch on? Doubtful, you just can’t mess with sport peppers.

Coffee Tasting - Tasting notes aren’t just for wine. Coffee aficionados participate in similar discussions, highlighting the origins and floral undertones of their cup of joe.

Fruits and veggies fight skin cancer - If there’s no stopping your trips to the tanning salon, at least eat some fruits and vegetables beforehand!

Truffle trouble - The French black truffles are threatened by global warming’s effect on the climate in France.

Smoothies can be good for health, bad for teeth - Dentists worry about too much smoothie intake, especially now that they’re pitched as “healthful beverages” when made with the right ingredients.

Saying goodbye to a Wine Legend - Robert Mondavi, who reinvented the Napa Valley vineyard scene passed away at the age of 94 last Friday.

Too LITTLE salt? - Just like too much salt can be bad for you, not enough salt can also be harmful!

Grilling and chilling with Batali? - Italian chef Mario Batali introduces grilled Italian dishes into the industry.

Tapas for the health conscious - More and more people watching what they eat have noticed that small portions, like with tapas, are the way to go.

Brown is better - We always had a feeling brown rice was better than white, but now the FDA has confirmed our suspicion by labeling the rice a truly healthy grain.

Under the microscope - Is molecular gastronomy an old fashioned term for the avant garde techniques? What does the future have in store?

Internatonal pickle week - All across the world, people are celebrating their love of all things pickled!

Can a strawberry be savory? - Knowing how often its used in desserts, its hard to get past the sweetness of the strawberry, but some chefs took the strawberry to new territory.

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Top Chef cruise? - Bravo goes multimedia. We knew about the cookbook and the calendar, but a cruise?!

Blueberry juice wins - I knew it! Blueberry juice isss better than pomegranate juice for antioxidants!

Roses aren’t just for smelling - Many international pastry chefs have been incorporating rose water and rose petals into their pastries!

The effect of higher food prices - Going out to eat might be less of a treat these days…now that quality is at risk.

Going Danish - The latest cuisine to permeate its way into  the American stockpot of worldly cuisines hails from Denmark.

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Top Brunch? - The Original “Top Chef” Harold Dieterle shows off his brunch skills!

Wine without corks? - French vintners (winemakers) are jumping on the “screw top” bandwagon instead.

Blogging for survival - A Minneapolis Cookie blog posted a plead for help for their cookie business. Their post got an enormous response, keeping the cookie shop MORE than in business!

Grilled pizza - YUM! Sounds simple and obvious, but often never thought about. Why not grill our pizza instead of requiring ovens?

Juleps for Derby - The most traditional beverage of the Kentucky Derby this weekend is most definitely the mint julep. But, there are an uncountable number of ways to make one! Speaking of which, I’m on my way to Kentucky right now!

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Sorry about the late roundup - here is last week’s news!

Serotonin-producing Saffron - The yellow spice has been found to help ease the symptoms of PMS.

Posing as salmon - First it was veggie burgers, next it was tofu dogs…and now this???

Aged…beer? - We know wine likes to age, but these days wooden barrels are being used to harness and protect the hops, instead of the grapes.

Dining with food allergies - Restaurants have been catering to the growing population of Americans with food allergies.

How about some tea in that…soup? - Chefs suggest substituting tea for water in your cooking to twist things up and add some nice flavor. So wherever there is water, there might as well be tea.

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