Food and Drink

"An adequate supply of food is the first component of social justice." That was from the speech of Norman Borlaug in 1970 when he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize; he was one of the winners who actually deserved the prize. It is said that he saved a billion lives, which might be a slight exaggeration, but he certainly saved tens of millions with his work on wheat and rice that resulted in far greatrer yields per acre.

Ouch. The Food Network people won't like to read this:

For the "sometimes you can't win" file: Some of the bars in Franklin have a special liquor license that allows customers to buy a closed container of alcohol inside and then take it outside to drink. More people than ever are apparently taking advantage of this ability since the city's smoking ban went into effect earlier this summer. And -- surprise, surprise -- this doesn't please some people:

When I was in high school, there was a Coke machine in the student newspaper office where I spent a lot of my time (the Food Police had not been formed yet), and I am convinced the

Bummer:

There are always new food monstrosities to try out at state fairs, and I'm game for a lot of them. But one on this list is just so wrong:

The Food Network, which I like to drop in on from time to time, yesterday concluded its fifth annual "The Next Food network Star" co

Gosh, here's a shock:

LONDON (Reuters) - Organic food has no nutritional or health benefits over ordinary food, according to a major study published Wednesday.

Researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine said consumers were paying higher prices for organic food because of its perceived health benefits, creating a global organic market worth an estimated $48 billion in 2007.

The DIY cooking fad (as opposed the the plain old cooking Mom had to do) is apparently giving new life to the jar that made Muncie famous:

The iconic Ball Mason jar may be 125 this year, but its versatility makes it fresher than ever.

The rounded-shoulder jars originally were produced for canning peaches and pickles. Today, preserving edibles has evolved from a survival tactic to a huge foodie movement.

Worry about what you serve your kids in your own home, not about what they might get at the new McDonald's that just opened up, say IUPUI researchers in Indianapolis:

It was found that the addition of fast food restaurants to neighborhoods did not have a significant impact in children's obesity rates. Restaurants located within one tenth of a mile from home were associated with slight elevations in obesity rates within certain high school ages.