Food and Recipes

Here is a place for you to play with your food -- literally: enjoy, have fun with and celebrate food -- but don't worry, we'll still help you get dinner on the table every night.

Topics to Explore

Learn More

Soju: The Wildly Popular Spirit of South Korea

Soju is South Korea's unofficial national drink, a rice-fermented concoction often likened to vodka, but with about half the alcohol content.

By Jeremy Glass Feb 11, 2020 Food Facts & Fun / Beverages

Mushrooms: Wash 'em or Brush 'em Off?

Aaah, mushrooms – all those beautiful shapes and colors, textures and flavors. But what about the dirt and debris that always seem to come along? We find out whether it's best to wash them, brush them or just go au naturel with them.

By Tara Yarlagadda Feb 6, 2020 Tools & Techniques / Food Safety & Storage

How Chopsticks Became the Staple Utensil of Asia

Chopsticks have been in use since 1200 B.C.E. And today more than 20 percent of the world's population uses chopsticks as its primary utensil.

By Stephanie Vermillion Feb 5, 2020 Food Facts & Fun / Food & Culture

That Frozen Treat From Dairy Queen? Not Really Ice Cream

You may be a huge fan of Dairy Queen's Blizzard treat, but this may be news to you: That frozen stuff isn't ice cream. In fact Dairy Queen doesn't sell ice cream at all.

By Jeremy Glass Feb 4, 2020 Food Facts & Fun / Sweets & Snacks

Get Over It! Boxed Wine Is Better Than Bottled

Boxed wines have a stigma, and we're here to tell you there's just no need for it. They taste as good, last way longer and are more eco-friendly than bottled.

By Stephanie Vermillion Feb 3, 2020 Wine / Wine Facts

Who Put the Baby in the King Cake?

King cake is as much a staple of Mardi Gras as the parades and beads. But what's the story of this brightly colored cake? And why is there a plastic baby baked inside?

By Jeremy Glass Jan 28, 2020 Food Facts & Fun / Food & Culture

Does Mushroom Coffee Have Medicinal Properties?

Chaga, cordyceps and lion's mane – the names are mysterious and magical, but can mushroom coffee really give you a health boost?

By Jeremy Glass Jan 22, 2020 Food / Healthy Living

Gelatinous, Squishy Mochi Is Having a Moment

Mochi is a super-chewy traditional Japanese delicacy, made from mochigome, a short-grain glutinous rice.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky Jan 16, 2020 Food Facts & Fun / Food & Culture

Is Dry January a Recipe for February Binge?

During 'Dry January,' you give up alcohol for the month in order to detox and start the new year off right. But does it typically lead to binge drinking in February?

By Stephanie Vermillion Jan 14, 2020 Food / Healthy Living

The Pili Nut Is a Nutritional Powerhouse Worth Cracking

These nuts could be some of the healthiest we've ever come across. So why can't the pili nut crack the health food market?

By Jeremy Glass Jan 13, 2020 Food Facts & Fun / Sweets & Snacks

Try Ghee, the 'Liquid Gold' Better Than Butter

If you've never cooked with ghee, then let us introduce you to this wonderfully rich cooking fat. It's made of butter, but it's way better.

By Muriel Vega Jan 7, 2020 Food Facts & Fun / Food & Culture

Brace Yourself: Bananas Are Berries, Strawberries Aren't

If bananas are berries and strawberries and raspberries are not, what in the world is a berry anyway?

By Michelle Konstantinovsky Jan 7, 2020 Food Facts & Fun / Fruits & Vegetables

What Is Foie Gras, and Why Is It Being Banned?

Cities around the world are banning foie gras, the French delicacy of fattened duck liver because the labor-intensive force-feeding process is considered unethical.

By Stephanie Vermillion Jan 6, 2020 Cuisine / French

It Took a Court to Decide Whether Pringles Are Potato Chips

Pringles aren't like other potato chips. And back in 2007 Procter & Gamble sued to declare the snacks weren't even potato chips at all.

By Jeremy Glass Jan 1, 2020 Food Facts & Fun / Sweets & Snacks

What's the Difference Between Baking Soda and Baking Powder?

Baking soda and baking powder are both leavening agents, but they work differently in batters and doughs. So, in a pinch, can you substitute one for the other?

By Melanie Radzicki McManus Dec 26, 2019 Food Facts & Fun / Food Science

The Cornish Game Hen Is Neither Cornish Nor a Hen

They look very festive at the holiday table but what are these pint-sized pieces of poultry, really?

By Melanie Radzicki McManus Dec 23, 2019 Tools & Techniques / Poultry Guide

Balut Is the Asian Street Food You Gotta Eat to Believe

At first glance, balut, which is a cooked, fertilized duck egg, might look unappetizing. But it's a favorite snack in Southeast Asia, and has been for centuries.

By Jeremy Glass Dec 19, 2019 Food Facts & Fun / Food & Culture

Spread Holiday Cheer With a Good Mulled Beer

Forget mulled wine. This year stay warm with the spicy flavor of mulled beer!

By Stephanie Vermillion Dec 17, 2019 Holiday Menus / Christmas Menus

The Art and Science of Aging Beer

We know wine collectors age their wine. But what about beer? There's a movement of beer enthusiasts dabbling in aging beer, too. Do the same rules apply?

By Stephanie Vermillion Dec 11, 2019 Food Facts & Fun / Food Science

Truffles: The Rarest and Most Expensive Fungi in the World

Truffles are prized the world over for their pungent, earthy flavor, but what's so special about them, and why is the truffle trade so cutthroat and secretive?

By Michelle Konstantinovsky Nov 25, 2019 Food Facts & Fun / Food & Culture

What's All the Buzz About Manuka Honey?

This native New Zealand 'liquid gold' honey may make you want to abandon the bear. But does it really have medicinal properties, and why is it so expensive?

By Tara Yarlagadda Nov 19, 2019 Food Facts & Fun / Sweets & Snacks

How Turducken Became the Ultimate Thanksgiving Triple Play

The turducken is the definitive bird-within-a-bird-within-a-bird (got that?) on the dinner table today. But who first created this mystery meat, and what does it taste like?

By Jeremy Glass Nov 19, 2019 Holidays & Special Occasion / Fall

If at First You Don't Succeed, Try Tripe Again

Humans have been cooking and eating tripe for centuries. Think you can stomach it?

By Kristen Hall-Geisler Nov 18, 2019 Food Facts & Fun / Food & Culture

What Is Sous Vide?

Sous vide has been gaining in popularity with home cooks. So how does this immersion cooking work, and is it right for you?

By Jeremy Glass Nov 14, 2019 Tools & Techniques / Cooking How-to

What's the Difference Between Whiskey and Bourbon?

You might think the difference is only in the name, but it's more than that. The slight variations in recipes, aging and even geography make whiskey and bourbon two different alcohols.

By Patty Rasmussen Nov 12, 2019 Food Facts & Fun / Beverages