Blog Posts by RachaelRaymag.com

We taste-tested dozens of whole grain pastas from the grocery store and picked our favorites.

Best for Pesto: Trader Joe's Organic Whole Wheat Pasta
Some whole grain pastas are blah, while others taste like bitter cardboard. But this line of penne, rotelle and spaghetti gets it just right with a comforting, starchy wheat flavor. (at Trader Joe's stores) Read more »

Try in: Red and Green Pesto with Pasta and Lemon Shrimp »

Best for Creamy Sauces: Al Dente Whole Wheat Fetuccine Plus Flax
Pasteurized eggs give this fettuccine the rich taste and velvety texture of egg noodles, and flaxseed adds a sweet earthiness. The delicate, flavorful ribbons are made to soak up a creamy cheese sauce like alfredo. (at most grocery stores) Read more »

Try in: 5-ingredient Fettuccine Alfredo »

Best for Red Sauces: Rao's Homemade Whole Wheat Penne Rigate
Who knew pasta could be so darn sexy? Our tasters quickly ran out of superlatives to describe the come-hither, enveloping

It's time to get real about snacking! These ideas rely on natural, real and delicious foods: sweet, juicy, drip-down-your-chin fruit, crunchy-yet-savory veggies, and creamy-without-the-cream puddings and dips.

SALTY SNACKS
When you're jonesing for some salt-and a little goes a long way.

Buffalo Popcorn: Toss air-popped popcorn with olive oil, a little hot sauce and a handful of crumbled blue cheese to season.

Cheesy Kale Chips: Tear kale leaves into large pieces and arrange on a baking sheet. Spritz with olive oil and bake in a 350° oven until crisp. While still warm, sprinkle with grated parmesan.

Tamari-seasoned rice crackers are a salt lover's vehicle for tuna salad. We like to punch it up with a squeeze of sriracha chili sauce!

Smoked Turkey Pinwheels: Spread a layer of softened cream cheese on sliced smoked turkey breast and top with thinly sliced tomato. Roll up and cut into 1-inch pieces.

Whole wheat pretzels are always delicious, but they're flat-out irresistible when

Foodies everywhere are discovering that these tastes belong together (if you haven't tried sea salt chocolate yet, get on it!). Snacks are a given, but we never thought about it working in our other dishes. Check out these wacky but delicious new versions!

Bacon & Broccoli
Though you might not think of broccoli as sweet, it actually does fall on the bittersweet end of the vegetable scale (its main flavor is sweet, then it's bitter in the aftertaste). That's why you often see it with salty ingredients, like anchovies in Italian cooking or soy sauce in Chinese food. At home, pan-fry the florets with salty bacon and top with parmesan cheese.

White Chocolate & Olives
This seemingly stomach-turning combo doesn't taste as unusual as it sounds (we swear!). Olives are cured in salt or brine before they can be eaten, so their salt level is mighty high-which works perfectly against white chocolate, the sweetest of all chocolates. For a subtle start, try sweetening olive crostini with a little

The bartenders at these hotels are so wholehearted about hooch, they're mixing their own blends. Pull up a stool!

English-Style Ales in Vermont
Vermont's Norwich Inn has been brewing beers in the English style since 1797. But until recently, they were only equipped to make three 5-gallon jugs at a time. After adding on a four-barrel brewhouse, they now turn out 125-gallon batches of English ale and 15 other brews. In tradition's name, some hops still come from the motherland; the rest are grown on-site. All are pumped into the house pub from beer cellars. (325 Main St., norwichinn.com, 802-649-1143; $5.50 for an imperial pint, $5.50 for a 22-ounce bottle)

Kentucky-Style Bourbon in California
After their first bourbon-themed dinner got rave reviews, the chef de cuisine and head bartender at the Grange Restaurant in Sacramento's Citizen Hotel headed to the Bluegrass State to sample the best barrel-aged bourbons and blend their own. After rounds of tastings with Kentucky master

Here's what some of nature's tastiest finds can do for your heart, bones, memory and mood, no matter what your age.

This Quinoa with Herbs and Mixed Olives recipe can help trim belly fat in your 20s....IF YOU'RE IN YOUR 20s
You've entered the "real world" (career, bills, living on your own), and you're maintaining a packed social calendar. Maybe you've started a family, too-or you're planning to. Amid all that chaos, these easy foods make healthy eating practically foolproof.

Coconut water: This low-calorie thirst-quencher (and hangover remedy) is one of nature's top sources of potassium (most women in their 20s get less than half the recommended amount)-a mineral that helps keep your skin glowing and metabolism running smoothly, says dietitian Ashley Koff. Other key sources include sweet potatoes, bananas and sunflower seeds.

Quinoa: "Young women tend to eat a lot of refined flour in white bread and pasta," Koff says. But opting instead for fiber- and nutrient-packed whole grains like quinoa (which also offers protein) helps trim belly fat, says dietitian David

Everyone's talking about the dress, but we're yakking about the food!

Sophie LaMontagne & Katherine Kallinis, owners of Georgetown Cupcakes and stars of TLC's DC Cupcakes
"We would turn our cupcakes into a tower-it'd have to be regal, a 10-foot-high, layered cupcake pyramid with a different flavor for each layer (one would be english toffee). We'd add ornate piping and fondant designs, and present them in royal blue gift boxes with William and Kate's monogram!"

Al Roker, co-host of NBC's Today show
"Well, you have to serve pigs in blankets. Oh, sure, everyone thinks, "Royal wedding…must be fancy." I've been to parties everywhere from the White House to my house. Everyone loves pigs in blankets. Of course, always curtsy when serving them."

Alex Guarnaschelli, host of Food Network's Alex's Day Off and executive chef at Butter restaurant in NYC
"William and Kate are young and vibrant. I'd go American food all the way! Since we're all about variety here, I would serve some of our best

This month Pepsi announced the production of an all-new bottle made entirely of plant material. The bottle will be made from switch grass, pine bark, corn husks and eventually orange peels, oat hulls, potato scraps from its food business. While the new bottles aren't scheduled to appear until 2012, you can get in on these other eco-packaged goods on supermarket shelves now:

In the Dairy and Snack Aisles
It looks like plastic and keeps food just as fresh, but a greener version known as corn-based PLA is made from kernels. Unlike oil-based plastic, the corn-derived kind is biodegradable-which means it will eventually break down into harmless natural compounds and take some pressure off our landfills.
Spot it! Snyder's of Hanover's organic pretzel thins bags, Stonyfield multipack yogurt cups

In the Bottled-Drink Aisle
Companies are replacing plastic packaging with a sugar-derived version made from molasses and sugar cane. One version from the Coca-Cola Company, known as PlantBottle, is

1. Mug
Bottoms up! These won't do much for the flavor of your beer-they're just for fun-but are best for the lightest, simplest brews. The shape isn't designed for much quality control, so beers tend to lose carbonation a bit faster. The same goes for pitchers.

2. Tulip
Check out those curves! They're there to lock in carbonation: The bulbous bottom and narrow center create a bottleneck that keeps bubbles from escaping too fast. It's perfect for drinks like scotch ales and double or imperial IPAs, which can taste intense once their fizz fades.

3. Pint
This traditional beer-glass shape boosts the flavor of heavier styles like porters, stouts, IPAs and American lagers. The small bottom and large opening funnel carbonation out of the glass, and the bubble loss helps the rich, toasted notes stand out. The stemless design lets beer warm up a bit in your hands, and that also amps up taste.

4. Chalice or goblet
Just as a strong wine releases subtler flavors when decanted, heavy sipping