Maybe San Francisco’s further from New York City than I thought: this article proposes that the seated dinner party is an endangered pastime, but I refuse to believe that cooking for others is a dying art! (New York Times)

I found this list of top over-used ingredients compiled by CookWithJames (one of our longtime regular guests) right on; enough boneless, skinless chicken breasts and sundried tomatoes, already! (Cook with James)

A study found that buying from locally owned businesses could mean four times as much money staying in the local economy; independent stores in Louisville recirculate 55% of revenues compared to 14% for big retailers, and local restaurants recirculate 67% vs. 30% for big chains: (Fast Company)

An analysis by Consumer Reports found that most store-bought pork tested contains a bacterium that causes food poisoning, plus the samples were often resistant to antibiotics–probably because many farm animals are routinely fed them: (Los Angeles Times)

Wal-Mart accounts for the largest share of groceries bought by U.S. shoppers, and its concentrated buying power allows it to drive down prices paid to suppliers, who therefore have to find ways to cut costs, denying their own workers fair wages and pressuring farmers to do the same: (Food First)

Even though the defeat of Prop 37 means that genetically engineered info won’t be added to labels yet, PLU codes (four digit numbers that identify types of produce) can be revealing; for example, a PLU prefix of 9 signifies an organic item, and 8 signifies that an item is genetically engineered: (Bay Area Bites)

The potential for drilling and fracking to contaminate our food is evidenced by reports from ranchers in heavily fracked regions showing that oil and gas wells introduce chemical compounds and radioactive material into the air, soil and water; secrecy shrouding the hydrofracking process prevents consumers from knowing if their food is safe: (The Nation)