You know the end of the year is nigh when words of the year are announced. It seems like just about every dictionary has one, but today the Global Language Monitor, an organization that tracks trends in languages, named "spillcam" — the camera that turned into a live feed of the Gulf oil spill — the 2010 Word of the Year. Nominees (all are in the word bubble above) range from Jersey Read more

I admit, I say it. Not in a pathological, valley-girl way, but in a casual, filler way. Sometimes it's unconscious, a nervous tick, and other times it punctuates a thought and just sounds right. It's easy, it's colloquial, and it's so widespread that I thought nobody cared anymore. After all, this is a language where BFF can make it into the dictionary! But this week actress Emma Thompson brought Read more

There's been no greater way to celebrate the season's berry bounty than by dedicating each Summer month to a different berry — May for strawberries, June for cherries, July for blueberries, and now August for blackberries, which are currently at their peak. I'm starting things off with a dessert that treasures blackberries at their freshest. I've got a weakness for whipped English desserts Read more

This month, some dear friends from college will be visiting me in San Francisco. Whenever I have out-of-towners, my favorite way to welcome them is with a small savory or sweet treat — always homemade, for a little personal touch. This time, I'll be making scones. After all, what puts one at ease better than a warm pile of just-baked breakfast breads? Since one of them has a sweet tooth, and Read more

I love any food or drink with a good story behind it, from Singapore Slings to Kentucky Hot Browns. That's why I've been wanting to make the Eton Mess, a strawberry dessert recipe with hundreds of years of English custom behind it, practically forever. This no-cook berry pudding was first created sometime in the 1800s at Eton College, one of Britain's most distinguished public schools. It's Read more