Mark Bittman first had this salad at a Chinese restaurant in Manhattan, and always orders it there.  Read More →

Governor Paterson and legislators in Albany are trying to reach compromises to close the yawning gap in New York’s budget. Although the proposal to sell wine in grocery stores is back on the table, there is another drinks-related area our officials have yet to uncork: bottle deposits. Last year, a reform bottle bill passed–largely unnoticed–that included significant changes, notably extending the deposit to include water containers... 

Rather than scaring you about the Iberian lynx , some cork enthusiasts have put out a video to try to save…foxes? Foxes and forests? Bottles sporting wood? Something like that. I am confused.  Read More →

POM, the beverage company that turned an old pomegranate orchard into a money machine with POM Wonderful juices, is taking the Coca Cola Company, parent of Minute Maid, to court. The reason: false advertising. According to POM, Minute Maid’s pomegranate juice name and label make it appear as if pomegranate is the main ingredient, though the blend actually contains less than 0.3 percent of …  Read More →

One of my favorite things about summer is going to a farmer’s market and being surprised by an ingredient that you don’t see too often. Such was the case this past Saturday when I went to the monthly New Amsterdam Market –which by the way, is THE best market in all of NYC. In addition to the usual array of stunning produce, and delicious prepared foods, one vendor had  Read More →

Giorgio Milos, the 2008 barista champion of Italy, is giving away coffee every Friday from noon to 2 p.m. until early October.  Read More →

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday vetoed a bill that would have made the state’s 700,000 farmworkers the only ones in the country to get overtime pay for working more than 40 hours a week or eight hours a day. “The governor had a chance to make history,” said state Sen. Dean Florez, the Democrat who wrote the bill. “He had a chance to wipe a 70-year-old shame off the books of California. Instead, he has... 

Crunchy cool slaw with a light peanut dressing. It’s almost the end of July. How has your summer been? Moonlit and sultry? All Popsicles and kiddie pool? Or just plain flat out busy as a bee? If it’s been busy, Sugar, I can relate. Here in our tiny corner of the world we’ve been too crazy to cook much. We’ve been living on…  Read More →

The Gulf oil gusher is benefiting some farmers in southern states. They are getting paid to provide alternative wetlands for migratory ducks and geese that can’t hang out in oil-befouled, food-deprived waters on their way south. The $20 million program is meant to make about 150,000 acres available by mid-August in the five Gulf states as well as Arkansas, Georgia, and Missouri, the Associated Press reports. One farmer of rice and crawfish... 

The paiche fish will be on display at Lobster Place until 2 p.m. on Thursday.  Read More →

Union Square Hospitality Group is set to open three new restaurants in Battery Park City next year.  Read More →

In a NYT story entitled, “ To Enhance Flavor, Just Add Water ,” Harold McGee explains–perhaps counterintuitively–that adding water to (alcoholic) beverages amplifies their flavors and aromas. To the tape: How can water reduce one sensation and amplify another? Both alcohol and aroma molecules are volatile, meaning they evaporate from foods and drinks and are carried by the air to the odor receptors high up in the nasal... 

Jodie, who follows Fooducate on Facebook, asked – “can you let me know any information on Planters new Trail Mix? it’s delicious.. wondering if it’s too good to be good for me?” Excellent question Jodie. Trail mix is a great mix of protein, heart healthy fats, and carbs that really helps keep people energized for hours on a trail. A basic mix includes at least one type of nut or seed, with at least on kind of dried... 

I’m a little surprised how much I’ve been loving the challenge of feeding myself for $2 a day . It’s been refreshing to look at the world in a different way. It’s also been great hearing from people, especially their tips for saving money on food. And after a wonderful long weekend eating and drinking my way around Melbourne, my bank balance was screaming out for a little moderation. So I’m back with one last $2... 

Again I struck gold at Whole Foods, this time it was with fresh organic figs and even better than that was the price, only three dollars a pint! Sometimes when I buy fresh figs even though they look and feel ripe, when I get them home they have no flavor at all, does that ever happen to you? Not the case here, they were all you would ever want in a fig, perfectly ripe, plump and oh so sweet! I’m …  Read More →