Blog Posts by Epicurious.com

By Joanna Rothkopf, Epicurious.com

We're very aware of white bread's shortcomings-highly processed, nutrient-deficient-when compared with its whole wheat counterpart. The satiating power of a bowl of oats is no mystery thanks to the staple's prominence in American breakfasting culture, but only recently have we begun to explore the wide-ranging benefits that whole grains (and pseudo-grains like quinoa, buckwheat, and amaranth) have to offer. Given the variety-oats, wheat berries, bulgur, and kamut, among others-as well as their versatility, we'd be remiss not to explore the world of these tiny wonders. So take a break from the tired, white, and processed and give vibrant, hearty whole grains a go.

In the past, food processing and storage practices made the whole grain a rarity in most supermarkets. According to Maria Speck, author of Ancient Grains for Modern Meals: Mediterranean Whole Grain Recipes for Barley, Farro, Kamut, Polenta, Wheat Berries & More, the absence can be

By Megan O. Steintrager, Epicurious.com

Eat like an athlete for optimal performance-whether you're running a marathon or just want more stamina for everyday life.

Read the full energizing article at Epicurious.com

Photo: CN Digital StudioBy Lauren Salkeld, Epicurious.com

When I was a kid I was obsessed with the Biscoff cookies that several airlines gave out on flights. I hoarded the ones I got and I continue to look for them when flying.

See also: Our Ultimate Grilling and Barbecue Guide

Now that I'm older and wiser and have eaten more cookies, I realize Biscoffs are really just speculaa cookies, the lightly spiced, buttery biscuits long popular in Europe. According to the Biscoff Web site, since being discovered by an airline food supplier on a trip to Belgium in 1984, Biscoffs have gained international popularity and are enjoyed on most domestic and international airlines.

While I've never done it, you can order the cookies on Amazon or the Biscoff Web site. It's a rather civilized approach, but I prefer to keep these as my in-flight treat--there's something extra special about a sweet that's not that easy to get your hands on. That was the plan anyway and then I spotted a jar of Biscoff Spread at my local

Photo by Charles SchillerBy Epicurious.com

Ice cream by itself is delicious, but paired with cake or cookies, ice cream becomes fantastic. Perhaps it's the textural combination of chewy and crumbly with smooth and rich. Or the relatively foolproof assembly required for an ice cream cake or sandwich. Whether it's a slice of Red, White, and Blue Ice Cream on July 4th or a Chocolate-Peppermint Ice Cream Cake for Christmas, an aura of decadence comes with every bite. Yes, a little time and patience-and some assembly-are required, but some things are worth the wait.

1. Lemon Ice Cream Sandwiches with Blueberry Swirl. In a rush? Save time by using store-bought brownies instead of homemade for the crust.

2. Coconut Coffee Marbled Ice Cream Cake. Layers of coconut sorbet and coffee ice cream rest on top of an espresso-flavored chocolate cookie crust. If you prefer a lighter coffee flavor, omit the espresso powder when making the crust. Or try a flavored instant coffee.

Related: Our Favorite Ice Cream Recipes

3.

Packaged foie gras. Photo by Sara BonisteelBy Sara Bonisteel, Epicurious.com

Foie gras popped up in the news again this week for two reasons as officials at Anuga, a biennial food festival to be held this coming October in Cologne, Germany, decided to ban French foie gras producers from showing their controversial wares, and a Brooklyn restaurant got flak for serving foie gras-filled jelly doughnuts.

There's a lot of back and forth between animal rights activists and foie gras lovers when it comes to the delicacy--a goose or duck liver that's been fattened up to ten times its normal size because the producers force feed the waterfowl in the last few weeks of their lives, a process the French call gavage.

See also: Our Ultimate Grilling and Barbecue Guide

Last month, I spent a week in southwest France, where much of the world's foie gras is produced. It is a place that I imagine must be the embodiment of hell on earth for animal-rights activists. Everywhere you look there are shops offering foie gras, in pâté, mousse, and raw

By Epicurious.com

We cooked up a list of our favorite movies that put food in a starring role.

By Regina Schrambling, Epicurious.com

Despite all the depressing confirmations of how the Murdochs make their media sausage, I still can't bring myself to cancel our subscription to the Wall Street Journal. Today the rationale is a good story on how chefs use every bit of not just the pigs and cows they buy but also the produce they spring for.

Two summers ago I wrote about making pesto from radish greens, but these guys (only guys were interviewed) are taking the idea even further. One makes pesto from carrot tops, another recycles wilted lettuces in a clam dish, while others use beet greens in gratins or pierogi or malfatti (rough gnocchi). Another actually executes an idea that occurs to me every corn season: use the stripped cobs to make sweet vegetable stock.

See also: Our Ultimate Grilling and Barbecue Guide

This time of year vegetables are so lush it's too tempting to take what you need and trash the rest. But clearly there is more to be done to get your dollars' worth. I buy

By Sara Bonisteel, Epicurious.com

Over the weekend a friend and I introduced a visiting Austrian to his first raw oyster. We went to a kitschy seafood place in Queens, where the menu didn't describe what type of raw oysters they offered. We ordered a dozen and received a platter of the largest bivalves I'd ever seen. Most were a nearly a foot long, in craggy shells that arched and bent at uncomfortable angles.

See also: Our Ultimate Grilling and Barbecue Guide

The waiter said they were from Washington State, but that was "all he knew." Some informal polling later led me to believe we had supped on Pacific oysters, which according to the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife can grow up to a foot long.


The oysters had a mild taste. I thought that breaded and fried, they'd be terrific in a po'boy.

I feel kind of sorry for the visiting Austrian. His first raw oyster was the size of a small dinner platter. When he orders them again and gets the much smaller Wellfleets, Kumamotos, and