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• See SNL pick apart the iPhone5
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Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi

You'd be hard-pressed to find pair of busier chefs than Rich Torrisi and Mario Carbone: in the past few years, they've opened two of New York's most sought-after restaurants, Torrisi Italian Specialties and Parm, and racked up countless nods, including the Food & Wine best new chefs award this Summer. At their flagship restaurant, Torrisi, they became known for innovative twists on American classics, from potato gnocchi with pastrami ragù (inspired by deli meat) to Champagne-foam-topped oysters Rocafella (inspired by Jay-Z).

Mario Carbone, Ray Isle, and Rich Torrisi at the NYC Wine & Food Festival

As the hosts of a New York City Wine & Food Festival seminar, Torrisi Family Dinner, the two showcased reinvented dishes like "fresh" polenta (polenta made with sweet, peak-season pure-corn cornmeal, milk, butter, local cheese, and fresh thyme) and French country-style pâté made with Italian beef sausage and burnt onions in lieu of pork. Over wine pairings from Ray Isle of Food & Wine, the culinary tour de force had an opportunity to talk about the inspiration behind their restaurants, what keeps them going, and what's next.

In January, Southern cooking queen Paula Deen — who's known for recipes like deep-fried butter and burgers with doughnuts as buns — revealed that she'd been living with type 2 diabetes for years. Public outrage ensued. Since then, she's stayed busy trying to help confused fans reconcile her famous lowcountry cooking with a healthier way of living. She addressed this at a recent New York City Wine & Food Festival event, a TimesTalk hosted by The New York Times and moderated by Kim Severson. During the forthright (and at times bizarre) conversation, I was surprised to learn a number of surprising facts about Paula.

• You'll never guess who's on the next season of Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off — Eater
• Making scallops the Christopher Walken way — HuffPost Taste
• Is it OK to text at the table? — Zagat
• Coming soon: a drive-through or walk-up-only Starbucks location — Delish
• A new film, Spinning Plates, journeys into the mind of Grant Achatz — Grub Street NY
• From chips to biscuits, the best ways to enjoy beets — Refinery29
• This Doritos hack will change your life — BuzzFeed Food

Karen from Toasted Head Wine visits two artists who share their inspired artistic talents from supercool quilts infused with Nintendo nostalgia to the comical crew of Leroy's Place full of crazy monsters, goofy unicorns, and other quirky characters that artist Serene Bacigalupi hand-draws onto vintage, thrift-store paintings.

Shrimp's briny-sweet flavor, satisfyingly snappy texture, and ease of preparation (few foods cook up faster) make it a perennial favorite. Whether the crustacean's final destination is an easy appetizer or expedited étouffée, keep these crucial guidelines in mind the next time you hit the seafood counter.

What to Know About Shrimp

• Avoid purchasing shrimp from Southeast Asia, as the regulations on shrimp farming and harvesting are far less stringent than American standards. Look for sustainably farmed US shrimp or those that are wild caught using traps in Canada or the US. For an in-depth look at the sustainability of different shrimp options, consult the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch guide.
• Like all seafood, shrimp should smell of the ocean — briny and sweet, like seaweed — and not off-putting or "fishy" in any way. Particularly avoid any that smell of ammonia.
• Eschew labels such as "jumbo" and "large," as these are often inconsistent. Instead, refer to the count number: this is presented as two numbers that indicate the range of how many shrimp of this size will make up one pound. For example: 16/20 indicates that there are 16 to 20 shrimp in one pound. Keep in mind that the smaller the count number is, the larger the shrimp will be (16/20s are among the largest).

Keep reading for three more tips