Bettina Elias Siegel, 1/27/12

Former lawyer, freelance writer and blogger at The Lunch Tray

Are the new school food standards ideal?  No.  Are districts being given enough money to really get the job done?  No, again.  But do we have some cause for celebration?  Absolutely.

Imbibe, 1/27/12

Imbibe is the ultimate guide to liquid culture

Looking for a little added warmth this winter? Skip the snuggie and wrap yourself up in the wintry blanket of a soul-soothing hot cocktail.

Noli Taylor, 1/27/12

Program coordinator, Island Grown Schools

These changes help our kids see that we aren't just telling them to eat better -- we as a community are willing to invest in the food they are served at school to help them grow up as healthy, smart, and strong as they can.

Robin Hoffman, 1/26/12

Private chef and nutritionist

This is the feeling I have been missing the past 10 years -- the feeling of soul alignment, and the feeling of home. All of my creativity and quirks and silliness and talents -- all have a place when I am in the kitchen.

Charlotte Safavi, 1/27/12

Anglo-Iranian-American Journalist

In addition to being a serious cookbook with more than 50 Polish recipes (from pierogi to poppy-seed cake) taken from Beata's grandmother's handwritten notes, Rose Petal Jam is also part memoir and part travelogue.

Daniel Bortz, 1/24/12

Editorial assistant, The Huffington Post

The city has more than 70 brewpubs and microbreweries, as it continues to lead the world of craft beer.

Food & Wine, 1/26/12

foodandwine.com

While Magnolia's cupcakes can arrive literally overnight, Lloyd is happy to encourage baking at home. Here, she shares six mistakes that home bakers make when trying to create the perfect cupcake.

Nancy Huehnergarth, 1/26/12

Co-founder and executive director, New York State Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Alliance

There are 32 million reasons why the USDA's new school meal standards are good news. That's the number of children in the U.S. and who will soon be served far more nutritious, and hopefully delicious school meals.

Mary Orlin, 1/26/12

The WineFashionista

The fashion house best known for bottling Chanel No. 5, not wine, owns three wineries in the Bordeaux region of France.

Rozanne Gold, 1/26/12

Chef and author

Beer seems to be moving the same way wine did 20 years ago: Lots of new entrants, the emergence of "beer geekery"... and the growing popularity of monster, high-alcohol beers.

Nancy Berk, Ph.D., 1/23/12

Clinical Psychologist, Comic, Author

The fact is, medical crises jeopardize careers every day. Some people make wise decisions, others make foolish ones. And none of these choices are ever easy.

Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff, 1/26/12

Executive Director and CEO, Healthy Child Healthy World

When is a salmon not a salmon? It sounds ridiculous, but that's one of the most important issues in the food world, where the gloves are off in the fight about genetically engineered foods.

Rebecca Dolan, 1/26/12

Assistant editor, Huffington Post Travel

After years of frequent trips to Disney World, visits have become less about hitting the rides as enjoying the restaurants. But, on my most recent trip, I was curious to see how my favorite attractions would fare as this time I'd be working with a more restricted diet.

Richard Jennings, 1/25/12

Wine writer and reviewer

The standard joke in the wine business the past couple years has been, "What's the difference between syphilis and Syrah? You can get rid of a case of syphilis." I, for one, think it's high time that Syrah got some love.

Carole Carson, 1/25/12

Fitness advocate

As I gathered and shelled acorns under our tree, it was easy to imagine Maidu women in the same place, doing the same thing many years ago. It gave me a great feeling of kinship with the Native Americans.

Jenny Rosenstrach, 1/25/12

Author, 'Dinner: A Love Story'

These are exactly the questions I asked when I was her age, when I wouldn't have been able to identify a Dutch oven; when I bypassed recipes because they called for an exotic ingredient called chicken stock; when I almost ordered sweetbreads thinking they were some form of pastries.

Kristin Kirkpatrick, M.S., R.D., L.D., 1/25/12

Dietitian and wellness manager, The Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute and the Cleveland Clinic Lifestyle 180 program

Today, I often get questions from parents regarding the healthiest foods to give their children. More often than not, they don't like my answers. Do you ever wonder about how the foods you're giving your child today may affect him or her tomorrow? Here are five to steer clear of.