Food and Recipes

For over a generation, school children have been taught that the tongue could distinguish four tastes: salty, sweet, bitter and sour. But can kids taste one of these more than adults can?

By Sara Elliott

Autumn is a beautiful time of year when a crisp coolness fills the air. So bundle up and visit a pumpkin patch or get lost in a corn maze. It's time to enjoy all that mother nature has to offer.

An apple a day will keep the doctor away! Did you know that approximately 2,500 varieties of apples are grown in the United States? Apples are a delicious fruit that is available year-round and they are full of vitamins and nutrients.

Pumpkin pie is so much a part of our American heritage that other uses for this nutrient-rich fruit tend to get overlooked. But canned pumpkin can be enjoyed in many other recipes, from smoothies and cakes soups to cocktails.

By Alison Cooper & Kathy Price-Robinson

Thanksgiving is a time to enjoy the company of family and friends and to express gratitude for the year's accomplishments. Don't let the after-dinner dishes put a damper on your holiday.

By Heather Kolich

Bring the holiday down to their size with familiar favorites and kid-sized versions of traditional Thanksgiving dishes.

By Heather Kolich

Instead of simply reheating your leftovers for a second Thanksgiving dinner, getting creative can turn your leftovers into new family favorites.

By Jessica Brown

As you sit post-holiday meal, slumped in your chair all bloated and listless, the only words running through your head are, "Why did I eat so much?" But food comas are just another in the long list of holiday traditions.

By Emilie Sennebogen

The key to low-calorie desserts? Smaller portions, natural sweetening from fruit and low-fat dairy. These five desserts keep the calorie count low while still satisfying your sweet tooth.

By Debra Ronca

It sounds like a greeting card, but health really is a gift. Whether you want to live a healthier lifestyle yourself or want to encourage healthier habits in others, there are some steps you can take now to get and stay on the right track.

By Sara Elliott

To some of us, growing a crop in the shade is a perplexing concept. But for crops like coffee, shade is a good thing -- for the environment, for biodiversity and even for your cup of joe.

By Julia Layton

Food prices have been steadily rising and it can be a challenge to find food for less than five dollars. Do you know where to look? Explore our gallery and discover where you can find some cheap treats!

Spice pictures will delight you with brilliant colors and aromas from around the world. Check out our spice album and learn how to flavor your food.

By Candace Keener & Marie Bobel

If you love history, mystery and happy endings, you'll enjoy learning about autumn apples. One of the earliest cultivated fruits, the apple has come a long way from its crabapple-like ancestors. Most apples have long and respected pedigrees.

By Sara Elliott

Cider is the signature beverage of autumn, but you may be a little confused about the difference between apple cider and apple juice. Don't worry, it's a common question and has an answer that differs all over the United States.

By Sara Elliott

Apple cider conjures up images of hayrides through colorful leaves and the scent of wood-burning stoves. And while it's readily available year-round in stores, you can whip up your own batch, too.

By Emilie Sennebogen

Steamy summer days and yellow ears of grilled corn are behind us. The produce aisle is stocked with red and blue Indian corn. Can you actually eat it? What's the story behind those colorful ears?

By Victoria Vogt

Depending on how you look at it, the practice of genetically engineering crops is either a boon for civilization and the greatest hope to feed a hungry world, or a dangerous interference with nature that threatens both our health and our ecosystem.

By Emilie Sennebogen & Gallagher Flinn

From using seawater to grow crops in the middle of the desert to helping us colonize distant worlds, greenhouses are undoubtedly going to be an integral part of humanity's future.

By Chris Obenschain

Harvest rituals can be found around the world, in almost every culture. They're used to give thanks and appease the gods for a bountiful growing season. But how do they vary from place to place?

By Emilie Sennebogen

The ads say that eggs are incredible and that they're nature's most perfect food. But conscientious shoppers take note: Some eggs aren't all they're cracked up to be. What type should be on your grocery list?

By Chris Obenschain

As adults, some of us crave rich, savory treats, such as caviar and foie gras. But for children, anything with sugar will satisfy and delight. Why do kids have such a yen for sweets?

By Alia Hoyt

S'mores are the stuff memories are made of. But who created this ooey, gooey, chocolatey sandwich?

By Victoria Vogt

Want to make your brownies less fattening? Don't have wine but your recipe calls for it? Good news. There are simple ingredient swaps that can help you out with both.

By Chris Obenschain

What's the opposite of fast food? Slow food -- food that's been prepared from locally grown ingredients and reflects a certain culture and its history. It's the kind of food you savor, not scarf down in your car on the way to your kid's soccer game.

By Debra Ronca