As Hot Plates was out foraging today for various and sundry household items, we came across this must-have for three-season patio dwellers: attractive polycarbonate wine glasses. (read more)

You might be surprised to hear that 400 university and corporate cafeterias are going with a new Low Carbon Diet. A sign in one college cafeteria starts off with "Cows or Cars?" Tough question for a coed, but it's a different game these days. (read more)

We can't help but love how one writer explains what's great about truck food: You're "standing outside, wind in your hair, chowing down with all the homies, hipsters, off-duty cops, nurses, professors and homeless dudes." (read more)

This week’s Wednesday food pages are stocked with recipes and ideas for Passover cooks bored with their usual routine. If you are hosting or attending a potluck, this edition of Hot Plates will provide some ideas on ways to switch... (read more)

Wine bars? We’ve got two on that topic. Weekend martinis? Brazilian sugar cane juice with a kick? Somebody’s thinking about summer cocktails, too. People are ready to relax outside and maybe even tie one on to celebrate the arrival of... (read more)

Hot Plates is delighted it’s the weekend, but after a day where temps slumped into the 30s, we are pretty anxious about the weather. Maybe we have become real Washingtonians after all — fretting about the weather, being scared to... (read more)

It's the talk of the town here in Washington: the most popular food at Nationals Park is not cheap and not for the clogged of artery, but there are many delicious options. Find out about that and more in this week's Hot Plates feature. (read more)

When it rains, friends, it’s a food news downpour. Great stuff today, almost just in time for the month known for its frequent showers. It seems the last gusts of March’s windy nastiness have blown in a plethora of items... (read more)

Hey there, loyal Hot Plates readers. We’ve come a long way, haven’t we? Last spring, you guys weren’t even a twinkle in our eye. But it seems like it is already time to begin thinking, again, about patio wines —... (read more)

This year, we are still eating leftover corned beef brisket and noshing on a loaf of soda bread even as the Easter supplies sit in a bag on the counter. Usually there is more space between St. Pat’s and Easter,... (read more)

Hot Plates is half-Irish, so we have to admit to feeling slightly happy each March 17 even though it has become something of an annual excuse for bad behavior. Plenty of Americans don’t feel close to any particular ethnic group,... (read more)

Is it a good thing that some semi-famous chefs are “taking to blogging as if it were the foam of 2008”? The blogging “bandwagon,” as some call it somewhat disparagingly, does not need any more bad writers, and food workers... (read more)

Wine writers this week were in a romantic mood — they went on a European holiday to Spain, France and Italy. They used words like beguiling, heartbreak, soulful, beautiful, and intense. Like you, they are probably dreaming of better weather,... (read more)

Many times when we open up the Wednesday newspaper food sections, we find stuff that makes us say, “Oh well.” Maybe the recipes featured seem to be heavy on a couple of our least-favorite ingredients, or the restaurants reviewed just... (read more)

Happy Saturday, Hot Plates readers. Some of us around here are in less-than-stellar condition; it’s been a long week and a long winter. But happy vibes are stirring — the kind that come with the first spring day. We could... (read more)

You know, it isn’t the most newsworthy item out there this week, but the Crustastun is what jumped out at us when someone asked what was new in the realm of food news. It’s more fodder for the ongoing discussion... (read more)

We used to be truly in the know on trends, but it isn’t easy to keep up. They seem to come and go faster than ever. In the case of the meal-assembly trend, it seems it got hot and then... (read more)

A little bird told us this is Valentine’s Day Weekend for a lot of folks who decided not to celebrate on the 14th. So people who hate dealing with crowds and overburdened servers may have stayed out of restaurants and... (read more)

Happy belated heart’s day, readers. We don’t mean to be grouchy, but we are just not big Valentine’s Day people over here at Hot Plates. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be, though, and it doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate you... (read more)

Food cravings are strange. They can come on for no reason at all sometimes, and we have to rush off to market or restaurant to procure the roasted peppers/pork ribs/black cod/Mallomars we are lusting for. Most often, we get cravings... (read more)

It wasn’t until recently that we understood how people who really didn’t care much about football would so look forward to Superbowl Sunday: They love a party occasion, first off, and they especially love one that can be centered around... (read more)

Happy 4706! Well, almost. The Chinese New Year starts on Feb. 7, and the Year of the Rat is coming (check your own Chinese symbol here). It is nice to think about another new beginning, since by now most of... (read more)

Hot Plates is coming at you this week with a fun assortment of food news, but we have to lead with what bleeds, as the hardened types say. This isn't about a fatality, exactly, but Americans are so up in... (read more)

It is a little silly for us to write a headline like the above, being that we happen to be 50 percent Italian ourselves and therefore a little biased. But what it refers to is the fact that every wine... (read more)

No matter the time of year, we love a good obituary. Somehow, though, it is easier to consider a person's passing when the air is cold and the sky is dark and nothing is alive outside. The obit doesn't have... (read more)

With the long, not-terribly-cold Washington winter stretching out before us, and the holidays solidly past, we at Cork & Knife have decided to tone up. Yes, we have joined a gym, in the hopes of getting the old blood moving... (read more)

Happy weekend, friends. Is anyone feeling like it was a long week? Going back to the grind can be tough, especially with the psychic weight of knowing the champagne supply has just been decimated. But now it is Wine Friday... (read more)

Hot Plates knows you all love food, and you enjoy dining out. We also know how much you value something culture writer Virginia Postrel calls "look and feel." Food is never the end of the story, is it? You care... (read more)

It is a nice feeling -- that familiar clean slate we get when a new year begins. A simple trip to the grocery store can seem like a way to begin anew: Maybe you'll buy a pineapple, some scallops, a... (read more)

There are those who love champagne, who order it and buy it all year round, who always have a bottle chilled and ready. Then, there are wine lovers who will take a glass of bubbly when offered, and are happy... (read more)

So what kind of year was 2007 in the restaurant world? New York Times writer Frank Bruni wrote an interesting wrap-up this week that neatly explains something that is easier to feel than to describe. In New York, it has... (read more)

We hope everyone has had a merry and a happy so far! Hot Plates loves New York in December, but it is always a bit loony -- the driving, the cooking, the crowds -- and so we also love these... (read more)

Bonus edition today, friends of good drink. Typically you see this roundup of wine and spirits articles on Friday, but Hot Plates was tied up. We thought you might be too, and so here we are with this roundup just... (read more)

If you are traveling in the next couple of days, chances are you might not have a stocked refrigerator right about now. And if you are hosting a Christmas party, then your fridge might be so full that you don't... (read more)

Hello lovely readers. We had to laugh when we saw two fruitcake articles in the food pages today -- we know that when it is crunch-time, it is tempting to flip out about everything that is still left on your... (read more)

Feeling a little blue, reader? Has that cold done a number on your sense of taste, so that your nightly nightcap just isn't the same? It can be tempting to overdo it in mid-December, rendering you tired and cranky with... (read more)

China, India, Afghanistan? France, Italy, America? Dining out in great restaurant cities is a way to take a trip when you can't get on a plane. Amid the holiday chaos, give yourself the gift of a mini-escape to a place... (read more)

Here we are in mid-December, and it just doesn't feel as crazy as usual. We don't know your reality, of course; maybe you are having a second cookie-decorating party this weekend, and you're still not totally cleaned up from Saturday... (read more)

We don't enjoy being bearers of bad news. Rather, our joy as Hot Plates is thinking that perhaps we are making people -- that's you -- excited about the world of food and drink. Maybe we're showing you something you... (read more)

If you're an East Coaster, you might have woken up this morning to a beautiful, frozen wonderland outside your window. It's easy on the eyes, for sure, but it does a number on hands and faces, leaving chapped lips and... (read more)

You all might be cooking up stews and london broil, but Hot Plates has a case of the midweek munchies. Our ideal dinner right now would be very snacky: an assortment of small plates with big tastes, complemented by a... (read more)

It's time to stock the bar (there are two items on this), learn about global bubbly options, and plan to have some of the strong stuff on hand for your guests who say "pish tosh" to a simple glass of red. (read more)

What's yummier, the food or the words? Don't ask us -- we're sometimes biased. (read more)

After spending the past couple of weeks in survival mode, and then maybe in some form of chill-out mode, it's back to party time. But now, gone is the rigidity of Thanksgiving, with its accompanying fretting and family drama. Now it's about cruising through the holiday shopping, dropping off the bags at home, dressing up and heading out for cocktails. (read more)

We'll admit to feeling totally relieved Thanksgiving is behind us. Why should we feel this way about such a happy occasion? Something in the air, maybe. Either way, now it's time to relax, shop, and open some really good wine for no reason at all! The crowds have gone, your kitchen's a wreck and cooking's the last thing on your mind. Let the wine inspire your food choices for the next few nights as you relax into true winter. (read more)

Even though Thanksgiving dinner is traditionally an at-home affair, many people let others do the cooking. Takeout from a great place like Balducci's is one thing, but some folks go all the way with a full-on dining out experience. We see the merit of that choice, but we also can't help but relish this day where we are supposed to stick around our home, or someone else's home, and break bread with the people we love (sub in "like" or "tolerate" here as needed). (read more)

Tomorrow is The Big Day. Are you ready? Is that a truly tired question? Hot Plates knows it is. Media people know that events with what's known as "lead time" tend to seem like they have already happened two or three times by the time The Event actually occurs. (read more)

Ladies and gents, this is probably the most helpful of all the Hot Plates columns we have had so far. This week there are several terrific articles about wine that suggest a variety of bottles to buy for your holiday table; much ink is devoted, too, to explaining the "why" behind these selections. That is part of what is so addictive about getting into wine: There are guidelines to follow, but bending those rules can lead to a delicious discovery. (read more)

As much as we are enjoying roasting stuff and, our new thing, making soups and stews, we are headed out to dinner as soon as possible. It is hard to decide whether we want a perfectly cooked and insanely rare steak or whether we want an ethnic feast. We checked the papers, which opened our minds to other possibilities. (read more)

Many Americans might be feeling the country has been in a bit of a rut. But to quote FDR on the topic of apathy, "above all, try something." Don't totally give in to the routine; mix it up this time around with the help of those who are paid to inspire you. (read more)

To help you start a tradition, or build on one you've already begun, we'll round up the recommendations from newspaper wine writers. (read more)

Right about now, people are getting in a groove with cooking, and getting ready to entertain -- which makes it a great time of year to take a break and rediscover the pleasure of letting someone else do the cooking (and cleaning) for you. (read more)

The newspaper food pages decided to stuff themselves silly today with good stuff for us to eat up. From heritage turkeys to chilled oysters to fried pizza to coconut cake, there is a delightful assortment of food news today. (read more)

Though the newspapers are full of talk about Thanksgiving this week, there are still a few interesting stories about wine and spirits to be had. (read more)

The holiday season is approaching; it is a time of possibility. Prior to the rush that will soon hit, with shopping, parties, and all the accompanying whatnot, we bask in a feeling of anticipation. Once it comes, everything will be... (read more)

People are funny on Halloween. All people, including adults. Some whimsical souls still dress up no matter their age, and some real goofballs don't care about candy or costumes in the slightest. However, it is always great fun when a... (read more)

The wine writers at papers this week were in a big-wine mode, which is fitting for the season. And some of them were more in the mood for a beer, and didn't even bother writing about wine. Here is the... (read more)

Probably the most interesting restaurant piece in this week's papers focuses on service, and the cultural differences that make dining experiences vary from city to city. Los Angeles is a driving town; that affects the service, since people splurge on... (read more)

There are no holiday humbugs in the newspaper business; it's simply not allowed. One week from today is Halloween, a day that is less about good food and more about Mr. Goodbar. And as they do each and every year,... (read more)

Happy weekend to you, readers. This week's food pages had a few items worth noting, some of which we wrote down in our "wireless device" to reference when we get to the wine store this afternoon. Darn that L.A. Times.... (read more)

The older we get, the easier it can be to pop over to a favorite restaurant for a meal that's a "sure thing." One bad experience can make a diner run screaming back to his routine of golden oldies. So... (read more)

It's often surprising how much lies at the intersection of food and politics. The newspapers know this, and each week we become a little more educated about the politics of what's on menus across the country. (read more)

The Associated Press writes that Chanterelle's David Waltuck has no ambition to open outposts in cities like Las Vegas or turn his excellent cooking into a national brand, as other successful chefs have done.  He seems to be content to... (read more)

What does it mean to be picky? There are lots of people who love food and everything about it -- farming, hunting, cooking and dining -- but who place limits on what they'll want to try, or what they'll want... (read more)

Happy October, readers! It is Wednesday and Hot Plates knows there might be other food-news fanatics dragging a bit on this warm fall day. That's why we are going to round out our roundup this week with a few bites... (read more)

"You have to be able to pat people on the back and kick them in the rear at the same time." -- Paul Grieco, owner/front-of-house taskmaster at Insieme in New York This funny quote is an important one for us... (read more)

Sometimes, dear readers, opening the food section is a little bit like checking a friend's fridge when you are not sure what you want to eat: Maybe you love everything you see, and maybe there is only a carton of... (read more)

As fall begins to settle in for much of the country, the food pages are awash in autumnal treats including apples, lively red wines, spicy white wines, and -- tongue! Hot Plates takes you on a tour of the country's newspapers for what's hot this week. (read more)

September, that month of beginnings, is here, and in this first week of the month the food pages are sprinkled liberally with news items about new and noteworthy restaurants in New York, D.C. and Los Angeles. (read more)

The Wall Street Journal reports on Chef Grant Achatz's battle against tongue cancer that could leave him without the ability to taste. (read more)

Upscale keg parties, pickle chips, jug beer, ethnic street food vendors, and more from this week's food pages of some of the nation's major newspapers. (read more)

The Nature website reports that a grape genome has been decoded:A French-led team of geneticists has cemented the country's reputation as the world's wine capital — by compiling the complete genetic code of a Pinot Noir grape. Perhaps unsurprisingly, they... (read more)