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Organic and agroecological farming methods typically build healthier soils, produce less pollution, and protect ecosystems better than conventional cultivation methods. However, scientists have only recently discovered that organic products are also be…

Brek Nebel lives in Marysville, Washington. He’s a field service technician who works on aircrafts and has a preschool-aged son.

He also happens to be a frying pan genius whose pancake art will knock your socks off.

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Nebel’s pancake creations captured the imaginations of netizens last week, after a friend of his posted photographs of the artful breakfast treats on Reddit.

“This dude is better at making pancakes than most people will ever be at anything in their lives,” quipped one awestruck Redditor.

Nebel told The Huffington Post in an email that he started experimenting with pancake art about a year ago. He said he now makes a different design for his son every single week.

“It took a lot of trial and error and experimentation to get the style I’ve been using for the last 4 months,” he said. “It started out using molds and cookie cutters and has slowly evolved with food coloring and finding the right tools.”

Nebel added that his son, Koen, who happens to be his number-one fan and sous chef, usually provides the inspiration for new designs.

“On average [the pancakes] take about 45 minutes, but he’s very patient for his age and he takes part in most of the process. He pours the ingredients in the bowl, mixes the batter, helps separate and add colors, and even helps flip sometimes,” Nebel said.

He added that while Koen “really enjoys the pancakes and requests them a lot,” the youngster’s favorite part of the process right now seems to be “tearing them apart.”

If the pancakes are as pleasing to the tummy as they are to the eyes, we can probably guess why.

For more of Brek Nebel’s incredible pancake art, check out his Instagram and Tumblr.

Last week a debate over family dinner and home cooking erupted in the blogosphere — and I’m here to tell you that just about everyone involved is ticking me off.

The scuffle began last week when Amanda Marcotte of Slate‘s XX Factor blog wrote “Let’s Stop Idealizing the Home-Cooked Family Dinner,” a post that went viral and also prompted a heated rebuttal from Joel Salatin, writing for Mother Earth News.  (Salatin, for those unfamiliar with him, is a farmer, writer and speaker who promotes sustainable farming and was extensively profiled in The Omnivore’s Dilemma.)  But although Salatin turned his ire on Marcotte, her post did little more than recap a new article by three North Carolina State University sociologists entitled “The Joy of Cooking?”  So let’s go right to the source of the controversy.

The upshot of “The Joy of Cooking?” is that we’ve all been fed an overly-romanticized view of home cooking by people like Michael Pollan and Mark Bittman, but this “emerging standard is a tasty illusion, one that is moralistic, and rather elitist.”  In the real world, according to the authors, mothers who cook family dinner are uniformly beleaguered and exhausted, challenged by lack of time, high food costs, ungrateful family members, picky children and, in some cases, the lack of cooking facilities or even household pests.

As a five-night-a-week slinger-of-the-family-hash, I can certainly relate to many of the complaints relayed by the women interviewed for the article, and I also agree that sometimes the experts urging us to cook conveniently gloss over some of the drudgery involved.  For example, back in 2011 I was annoyed when Jamie Oliver “demonstrated” to a family on his television show that cooking a meal at home is quicker than going out for fast food.  That’s true, up to a point, but Oliver omitted the considerable time it takes to go through recipes, write up a shopping list, buy all of the groceries (we won’t even count the inevitable second trip to the store for that one forgotten but critical ingredient) and then clean up after the meal.  When you add up all of that time, the allure of a trip to Pizza Hut is far more understandable.

But even though I thought “The Joy of Cooking?” made some fair points along these lines, it’s abundantly clear that the researchers went into this project with an agenda — and it wasn’t just finding out what home cooking is like for many American women.  Rather, they seem hell-bent on painting people like Pollan and Bittman as snobby, out-of-touch elitists, illustrated by the fact that they snarkily refer to Pollan not as a “journalist” or “writer,” but instead as “America’s most influential ‘foodie-intellectual.”  

In fact, “foodie” is used throughout the piece (which is rather jarring in a supposedly academic work) to describe those who promote family dinner, implying that their view stems from self-indulgent “food hobbyism” instead of reasoned analysis about how widespread home cooking might affect our food system.  The article is also illustrated with lots of 1950s homemakers in their gleaming kitchens — a device I, too, once used to poke fun at elitist thinking applied to real world problems.  

But the real evidence of the authors’ agenda is their definition of “family dinner,” which completely stacks the deck in favor of the grim conclusions they reached, conclusions which are then used to supposedly knock experts like Pollan and Bittman off their pedestals.  They write:

“Though the mothers we met were squeezed for time, they were still expected to produce elaborate meals cooked from scratch.” [Emphasis mine.]  

In another instance they write:

“Being poor makes it nearly impossible to enact the foodie version of a home-cooked meal. The ingredients that go into meals considered to be healthy —fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats — are expensive.” [Emphasis mine.]

But who says family dinner must be “elaborate,” “from scratch” and/or a “foodie-version of a home-cooked meal?” Are we to believe that when the researchers asked their “150 black, white, and Latina mothers from all walks of life” about “family dinner,” all of them  — right down to the woman living with three other people in a flea- and roach-infested, kitchen-less motel room — were thinking “Martha-Stewart-worthy meal,” instead of, say, a humble box of spaghetti and jar of sauce?  

Or did the researchers first plant the notions of “from scratch,” “elaborate,” “fresh” and “whole grain” into their conversations, subtly or overtly, and then predictably find that many women find it hard to prepare meals reaching that high bar?  Given that the authors (1) don’t share their questioning methodology; (2) offer us only a few choice anecdotes instead of hard data; and (3) have a clear anti-“foodie” agenda, I have no choice but to be skeptical of their sweeping conclusions about women’s dislike of cooking.

But now let’s turn to Salatin. After getting so riled up by “The Joy of Cooking?,” I was just itching for his rebuttal — but I wasn’t expecting Salatin to get on such a high horse to deliver it that it’s a miracle we can hear him from up there.

Salatin kicks things off by positing that “the average American” is “probably far more interested and knowledgeable about the latest belly-button piercing in Hollywood celebrity culture than what will become flesh of their flesh and bone of their bone at 6 p.m.” whereas “In the circles I run in and market to, the home-cooked meal is revered as the ultimate expression of food integrity.”

In the circles I run in, snootily bashing the very people you’re trying to educate is not such a great tactic.  But I digress.

Salatin goes on to weigh down the poor family dinner with such profound significance that it would break the average dinner plate:

The home-cooked meal indicates a reverence for our bodies’ fuel, a respect for biology, and a committed remedial spirit toward all the shenanigans in our industrial, pathogen-laden, nutrient-deficient food-and-farming system.

All kidding aside, I don’t disagree with Salatin here, but if the NC State researchers’ offended me with their anti-elitist bias, it’s almost perfectly mirrored by Salatin’s scathing antipathy for middle America in his piece:

Why doesn’t Marcotte, rather than whining about unappreciated women, write instead about families who seem to think sports leagues and biggest-screen TVs are more important than health? . . . .

Here’s the question I would like to ask these families: “Are you spending time or money on anything unnecessary?” Cigarettes, alcohol, coffee, soft drinks, lottery tickets, PeopleMagazine, TV, cell phone, soccer games, potato chips . . . ?  Show me the household devoid of any of these luxuries, then let’s talk. . . .

Soccer moms driving their kiddos half a day one way to a tournament, stopping at the drive-by for “chicken” nuggets, and then dismissing the kitchen as “too stressful” is an upside-down value system. And how many of the men whining about not liking what they’re being fed spend their Saturdays on the riding mower managing a monoculture, fertilized ecological-dead-zone of a suburban lawn, rather than using their resources to grow something nutritious for their families and wholesome for the planet? When do we start talking about them? Hmmmmm?

Isn’t there a way to say that families short on time or money for cooking might find those resources if they rejiggered their priorities, without letting your obvious contempt for those priorities virtually drip off the page? Meanwhile, someone really needs to tell Salatin that asking Americans to trade in their cell phones for anything is a guaranteed lost cause.

So if the NC State researchers and Salatin both annoyed me in this debate, who comes out smelling like a rose?

That would be Megan McArdle, a Bloomberg opinion columnist who has her own issues with “The Joy of Cooking?” and takes them on with terrific writing, a lot of humor — even a few recipe ideas. I hadn’t heard of McArdle before Michael Pollan tweeted her piece over the weekend, but I might just have a new girl crush.

Check out McArdle’s “Feminism Starts in the Kitchen” and see what you think.

This post originally appeared on The Lunch Tray.

NEW YORK (AP) — Packaged food giant General Mills plans to buy Annie’s, the maker of rabbit-shaped mac and cheese, for $820 million, adding more natural and organic packaged offerings as consumers’ tastes change.

General Mills Inc., the company behind classic food brands such as Pillsbury dough, Progresso soups, Yoplait yogurts and Cheerios and Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, has been trying to cut cost and has tweaked its recipes as sales stagnate.

Sales have suffered as Greek yogurt and breakfast sandwiches became popular options for the morning meal. General Mills was slow to realize the growing demand for Greek yogurt, which has more protein than regular yogurt, but it has been adding some other options that it hopes consumers will consider healthier. Those include new Fiber One cookies with 5 grams of fiber and 120 calories.

Annie’s sales, on the other hand, grew 20 percent in its latest fiscal year. General Mills said Monday that Annie’s “convenient meals” and snacks businesses were particularly attractive. Annie’s also makes other pastas, frozen pizzas, and snacks like crackers and fruit snacks.

The Minneapolis-based company is paying $46 per share for Annie’s Inc., which is based in Berkeley, California.

Annie’s board endorsed the offer, which is expected to close later this year. The company went public in March 2012 at $19 per share.

Annie’s stock jumped 37 percent in aftermarket trading to $45.97. Its shares have dropped 25 percent over the past 12 months. It has dealt with rising costs for organic wheat and noted “material weaknesses” in its financial reporting. Its auditor, PricewaterhouseCoopers, said in June that it would resign.

General Mills stock rose 99 cents, or 1.9 percent, to $54.50 in after-hours trading. Its shares have gained 8.8 percent in the last 12 months.

I wish the Modern Honolulu hotel had managed my high school. At Newport Harbor High, Study Hall was a drag. At the Modern Honolulu, I can sit back, have a cocktail and be educated and entertained amongst a bevy of Honolulu’s finest. Their Study Hall is a monthly arts and culture confab hosted by the charming Passion Jennison. This month’s entertainment was a tribute to one of the world’s most recognized cocktail mixologists Tony Abou-Ganim. He frequently visits Honolulu, this time in honor of the Fourth Annual Hawai’i Food & Wine Festival.

“We are living in the Second Coming of the Golden Age of Cocktails,” decrees Abou-Ganim. He should know. The dapper gentleman is one of America’s foremost authorities on the art and manner of fine libation. “Today, we have passionate bartenders, craft distillers and wise customers. The art of the cocktail is sexy, gracious and romantic.”

At the Modern Honolulu, Study Hall guests were first served a Negroni, a classic yet difficult cocktail. Their hospitality was laced with evangelism. Adou-Ganim leapt to the pulpit and converted the flock with his passion and enthusiasm for the 1919 Italian creation. “When I die, before they put me in the box,” raves Abou-Ganim, “All I want is a Negroni.” In 1985, he moved to San Francisco where he had his first in a North Beach boite. The Negroni is a complicated cocktail. The beautiful girl next to me, a Japanese media correspondent, was clearly having a hard time finding pleasure in the curious blend of bitter and sweet. “You may not like it at first,” Abou-Ganim preached, “Try it three times and you will fall in love.” I think he may be right. If sophistication has a flavor, a Negroni is it.

Three times has the bare-knuckled cooking competition Iron Chef featured a mixologist and three times has Adou-Ganim been a competitor. Not often does the hit show pair a chef’s creation with a custom cocktail. Adou-Ganim’s career is proof that talent recognizes and hires talent. His ascension has been stepped by the finest names in hospitality. In San Francisco, he moved from the hip Balboa Café to the classic Harry Denton’s. In New York, celebrity chef Mario Batali hired him for his first restaurant Po. The young bartender then moved up to the glamorous Rainbow Room. There he studied the technique of legendary master mixologist Dale DeGroff. DeGroff later recommended Adou-Ganim to Steve Wynn who scored him to design drinks at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Fine credits and illustrious awards kept pouring.

Chef Ming Tsai stopped by the Modern event to salute his old pal. The star of PBS’s “Simply Ming” said, “I’ve known Tony for many years. Dale DeGroff introduced us. Tony is such a humble guy; he calls himself a bartender, not a mixologist! You can see his passion.”

What does a mixologist do? Adou-Ganim is on the road for three quarters of the year, traveling an average of 130,000 air miles. When he is not headlining a food and wine festival, he is training staff and designing menus and cocktail programs for some of the world’s finest hotels. He grins, “When a resort has seventy bartenders, you need consistency.”

“Prohibition killed the cocktail,” laments Tony. The first two decades of the Twentieth Century were the Golden Age of the Cocktail. As W. C. Fields explained, “(Americans) may go to Europe for our chefs, but Europe comes to us for its bartenders.” Suddenly, sophisticated and pleasurable became illegal and a tawdry. No one had time for a “Pink Lady,” just a quick shot before the Feds smashed up the Speakeasy.

After the repeal of Prohibition, Tony Abou-Ganim’s beloved aunt Helen David opened The Brass Rail in Michigan. There he got his first taste of the bar life. Aunt Helen advocated gracious hospitality, sophistication and attention to detail. These principles made a big impact on the young bartender. He began to revere the cocktail as “liquid satin” and “Fred Astaire in a glass.” He was so possessed, he wrote about it. Abou-Ganim is the author of “The Modern Mixologist” and “Vodka Distilled,” two beautiful books for the modern libertine.

We truly are living in the Second Coming of the Golden Age of the Cocktail. Many small distilleries are innovating new product. Liquors are infused, smoked and organically flavored with discriminating fruits and vegetables. The wide selection of contemporary barware and glassware offer hard choices. In our lifetime, I believe that we shall witness the Aquarius Age of the Cocktail when they perfect the driverless car.

Tony Abou-Ganim loves everything about Hawai’i. Growing up in Lake Huron, Michigan, he fantasized the sandy beaches and sparkling blue waters. His love of the food and culture is inspiring him to call a realtor. To celebrate his Hawai’ian romance, the Modern Honolulu served Tony’s famous creation, the Monkey Shine to the Study Hall guests. It is beautiful to look at and tastes like Hawai’i.

Monkey Shine by Tony Abou-Ganim

1 ounce (45 ml) Vodka
1/2 ounce (15 ml) Campari
1/2 ounce (15 ml) Cointreau
1 ounce (30 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 ounce (60 ml) pink guava nectar
1/2 ounce (15 ml) light agave nectar (simple syrup)
Lemon slices and mint sprig garnish

In a mixing glass add vodka, Campari, Cointreau, lemon juice, guava nectar and simple syrup; shake with ice until well mixed. Strain into an ice filled Collins glass. Garnish with a mint sprig and lemon fan.

The Modern Honolulu’s Passion Jennison and Brian Berusch of Hawaii Polo Life magazine founded the monthly Study Hall. The events I have attended have been sterling. The speakers showcase the best of Hawai’i’s creative talent and community leaders. The tony crowd is peopled with filmmakers, rap stars, moguls and artists. School has never been so much fun.

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Gordy Grundy is a Waikiki-based artist and arts writer. His new book “Artist’s Pants” is available on Amazon Books. His visual and literary work can be found at www.GordyGrundy.com.

The Sandwich: The Half-Smoke Where: Meats & Foods, 247 Florida Ave. NW Price: $6 Bread: White sausage roll Stuffings: Half-smoke sausage, grilled onions and green peppers Thickness: 2.5 inches Pros: Sorry, Ben Ali, but this is the best half-smoke I’ve ever tasted. It’s juicy, spicy, and, yes, smoky, and because it’s cooked to order, it […]