Lately, it seems like people are willing to do anything — including serve jail time — over food. Earlier this month, a Florida man was arrested for trying to pay for his McDonald's meal with pot. This week, two cooks were put behind bars for intentionally contaminating a police chief's food. Now, a man has been arrested for letting his girlfriend eat off his buffet plate while refusing to pay for two meals.
On Oct. 21, Dan Linscomb and his girlfriend dined at the Iron Skillet restaurant in Atlanta. While he admitted in a police report that his girlfriend "ate a couple bites from his plate," Linscomb defended his position, saying, "there were no signs in the restaurant that said someone could not have some food off your plate." The restaurant staff called local police, who arrested Linscomb on theft. Two days later, he was released after pleading guilty to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct.

In today's tough times, should restaurants charge both parties regardless of how much they eat, or do establishments need to go easy on customers like Linscomb, who may simply be trying to scrape by? Have you ever eaten "two-for-one" at a buffet before?

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Elixir, the bar where LibertySugar and I are hosting our town-hall style election-night bash, is offering guests a selection of drinking specials for the party. With fabulous names like "Bye Bye Miss American Rye," the menu will feature only American brands like Bluecoat gin, Square One vodka, and Sam Adams brew. I plan on ordering the "Red, White, and Night" a potent, sangria-like concoction made with vodka, red wine, and lemonade. To serve up this slinger at your own election-night soirée, get the recipe and read more

We know that apples are in season, and we can even identify one variety from the next, but how do you use apples? They're delicious raw and equally tasty cooked down to butter. The versatile fruit adds crunch to salads and classically fills a pie. But I want to know: If you were given a bushel of fresh-picked apples, what would you make? I'll start off by saying I've been dying to make this apple cake! How about you? Leave your ideas or your favorite recipe below.

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Rice isn't just for dinner; the staple grain also makes a delicious lunch salad. In this healthy recipe the rice is mixed with roasted chicken and nuts. A fresh cranberry vinaigrette brightens up the flavor of the dish. Although this salad takes time, it makes a huge batch. Put it together while you cook Sunday dinner and the entire family can eat it for lunch during the week. It's a versatile recipe that's easily adaptable to your needs. Don't like hazelnuts? Stir in almonds. The day after Thanksgiving it would be an excellent way to use leftover turkey and cranberry sauce. To look at the recipe, read more

Happy National Candy Corn Day! This Halloween, grocery aisles have been stocked with two distinct types of my favorite seasonal candy: the traditional version made by Brach's, as well as a newer Hershey's rendition.

Last year, when I first tried the Hershey's candy corn, I thought it had a cloying aftertaste, and despite giving them a second chance, I still didn't care for them. Just to make sure I was giving the candy a fair assessment, I sought out some other Sugar gals for a second opinion. To see what they had to say, read more

Like the grilled cheese, a quesadilla is the ultimate quick-cooking meal. Toss in leftovers and whatever cheese you have on hand and the results are miraculously and consistently scrumptious. In this vegetarian version, the Tex-Mex staple goes gourmet. Yukon gold potatoes provide a richness while pepper jack cheese packs a spicy punch.

To create a flavorful, healthy sauce, a store-bought tomatillo salsa is pureed with mustard greens. Serve this delicious dish to your family this evening: read more