"Da Vinci code" news and stories

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that the movie version of Dan Brown's mega-seller The Da Vinci Code arrives in theatres today.

What you don't know, however, is that the success of Dan Brown's novel has inspired me to write a pastry-related religion/art history/murder thriller, The Da Vinci Scone. An excerpt is below and a real scone (like our Pumpkin-Cranberry, Dried Fruit or White Chocolate Buttermilk recipes) might help set the mood:


What did it mean, this baked good in the Grand Gallery of the Louvre?

The security doors were slammed shut. There had been no way out for whoever had left the scone in front of the Caravaggio painting.

"Is this some sort of biscuit?" Sofie asked.

"It's what we call a scone," Langdorn replied.  "A scone is bread product made with baking powder as a leavening agent. It's a component of the ancient English ceremony of high tea. "

Langdorn stared at the currants flecking the scone. They formed a strange shape. A star? A pentagram? An asterisk?

What message was contained within the elaborate pattern of the currants?

What sinister truth did this scone hold?

If you don't know already, then we're here to tell you that the DaVinci Code movie starring tom Hanks, based on the book by Dan Brown that everyone has read, is scheduled to be released in theaters on May 19, 2006.

With the heightened interest in all things DaVinci Code, there has been renewed interest in a "diet" called the The Diet Code. The book is the work of Steven Lanzalotta, a one-time baker whose business suffered under the popularity of the Atkins and other low-carb diets.

Just like in the DaVinci Code, Lanzalotta uses "The Golden Ratio" as the magic formula that is the secret to optimal health and weight loss. The Diet Code is a supposed "revolutionary" diet program that is based on a Mediterranean diet. The Golden Ratio is a balance of carbs, protein, and fat.

Eating a balanced diet. What's so revolutionary about that? Has anyone read and/or tried this diet? Has it worked? Is it really as "revolutionary" as it claims?