On New Years, I discovered a new favorite cocktail called the salty dog. No, it's not a strange concoction with hot dogs, but the cousin to the classic greyhound! Both the greyhound and salty dog combine fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice with vodka. However, the salty dog is served in a salt-rimmed glass similar to a margarita. With citrus in season, I rolled up my sleeves and pulled out my old-fashioned glass juicer. Although manual juicing is time consuming, the refreshingly rewarding, tangy drink is worth it.

To start sipping your own salty dog, read more

Bobby Flay isn't the only celebrity chef to expand his brand in tough times. UK celebrity chef Jamie Oliver is launching a new chain of food stores that allow customers to create their own dishes under the guidance of professionals.

Chefs at the aptly-titled Recipease will teach eager home cooks how to prepare and assemble set dishes. Customers will also be able to purchase ready-made meals. The first outpost of the chain will open at the end of February in South London.

Oliver, who is also launching Jamie's Italian restaurant this year, has long wanted to develop this restaurant store, as he thinks it will inspire others to take an interest in cooking.

He believes the concept offers "solutions in the neighborhood that people need these days, as so many people were never taught to cook at home or in school." The food personality added, "By having trained chefs helping the customers I think we can really get people excited about food. . . . I really believe that if the produce and product is exceptional and good value, then people will find this service dead handy."

Do you think the young chef's new store concept will take off? Would you be drawn to a do-it-yourself restaurant if it offered expert guidance?

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Sheila Lukins, food editor for Parade magazine and author of the The New Basics and The Silver Palate Cookbook, is known for her all-encompassing books, which are packed with reliable recipes for traditional American fare. Her seventh recipe collection, entitled Ten: All the Foods We Love and Ten Recipes For Each ($19.95), combines cooking expertise with an unconventional format: 32 chapters on her favorite foods, with 10 recipes for each. See what I thought of it when you read more

This weekend's Saturday Night Live featured a spoof of the controversy Whopper Virgin ads by Burger King. In the mock version of the commercial host Neil Patrick Harris acts as a spokesperson for Burger King. It's hilarious, crazy, and kind of sad watching the rural European farmers take apart the burgers, act out an American-style game show, and beg to take the burgers home because it's enough "food to feed his village for the whole month." Check out the skit's video below and tell me what you think. Now that it's being made fun of by SNL, should Burger King pull the ad?

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In the last six months, we've witnessed many brands — for some reason in particular, cookie labels — go kaput. We're barely into the new year, and at least one source predicts that media companies will be going next, and food publications won't be excepted.

New York financial media company 24/7 Wall St. reports that things are looking glum for Gourmet magazine:

Gourmet will probably not see the end of the year. Its parent company, Condé Nast, can no longer rely on the huge profits of the newspaper portion of the Newhouse family business.

The magazine operation needs to go on a diet. Condé Nast . . . owns Gourmet, Bon Appétit, and epicurious.com. Condé Nast simply owns too many titles in this category. From 2004 to 2008, Gourmet's ad pages have dropped from 1,364 to 955, with a 24 percent drop last year. January's ad pages were down another 32 percent according to MIN. Gourmet can survive since it has a competitive audience of web visitors to its food site, but it will have to migrate totally to its website.

Although, Gourmet wasn't our favorite food magazine of the year, and you prefer Bon Appétit, I am an enormous fan of the magazine's editor, Ruth Reichl. I frequently read the glossy for its reliable and creative recipes, and would be sad if I no longer had a subscription. Do you subscribe to the magazine, and would you be disappointed to see it go?

Although there was much speculation over who the Obamas would appoint head chef at the White House, the President-elect and first lady-to-be have chosen to keep the current executive chef in the kitchen. Chef since 2005, Cristeta Comerford is the first woman to hold the coveted position. In a statement released last Friday, Michelle Obama praised the female chef:

Cristeta Comerford brings such incredible talent to the White House operation and came very highly regarded from the Bush family. Also the mom of a young daughter, I appreciate our shared perspective on the importance of healthy eating and healthy families. I look forward to working with her in the years to come.

Despite pressure from prominent foodies such as Alice Waters, Michael Pollan, and Ruth Reichl, the Obamas have shied away from using the executive chef position to make a political statement about the state of food and agriculture in America. What do you think about the news? Are you surprised they're keeping the Bush's chef? Should they have chosen a more well-known one?

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