Arts & Life

Women And Children Caught In Middle Of Potato War

Eliza Barclay — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:01:00 +0000

We didn't plan it, but somehow, it has turned into Potato Week here at The Salt. The latest twist in the tater tales takes us to Capitol Hill.

Americans love to pile on the potatoes – we consumed a whopping 112 pounds per capita last year. But lately, the potato industry has been playing the part of jilted lover and taking its heartache to Congress.

According to the National Potato Council, the U.S.

The Martini: This American Cocktail May Have An International Twist

April Fulton — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:28:00 +0000

There's no cocktail more distinctly American than the martini. It's strong, sophisticated and sexy. It's everything we hope to project while ordering one.

Baltimore-born satirist H.L. Mencken is said to have called the martini "the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet." But is the martini perfectly American? Maybe not entirely.

So in honor of National Martini Day on Wednesday, we decided to dig into the drink's muddled past.

The history of the martini is a murky one.

The Mystery Of the Ridiculously Pricey Bag Of Potatoes

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:06:00 +0000

On Monday we told you about allegations that America's potato growers had banded together in a price-fixing Potato Cartel.

The allegations we described come from a civil lawsuit filed by the Associated Wholesale Grocers against the United Potato Growers of America, a group whose members produce the vast majority of the country's spuds.

Hot Dogs, Bacon And Red Meat Tied To Increased Diabetes Risk

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 07:06:00 +0000

You've likely heard about the link between sugar consumption and Type 2 diabetes. But fresh research ties another dietary pattern to increased risk of the disease, too: eating too much red meat.

It's not that we are trying to pick on meat (I'm a meat-eater, in moderation), but the recent studies linking carnivorous habits to health problems seem to be piling up.

Dirty Spuds? Alleged Potato Cartel Accused Of Price Fixing

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 22:24:00 +0000

Editor's Note: Many of you noted that the price for a 10-pound bag of potatoes cited in the lawsuit seems ridiculously high. So we look into the matter further — you can read what we found in this follow-up post.

High-tech spying with satellites. Intimidation. Price fixing.

Sound like the makings of a Hollywood thriller?