Malaysian green mango salad. Photo: Valisa, Flickr.

• Hot Southern Florida weather pairs well with fresh vegetarian and Asian fare: Malaysian restaurant Parc 28 in Weston offers "boldly spiced fare" in a cuisine that takes inspiration from Malay, Chinese, Indonesian, Indian, Thai and European influences; "fresh and vibrant" vegan cuisine is offered at Miami's Om Garden; Lauderdale-by-the-Sea offers "light, fragrant, healthful" Vietnamese food at Basilic.
• Culinary historian Maricel E. Presilla discusses the honor of cooking a feast for Fiesta Latina at the White House and her attempts to "convey that the allure of Latin food is as irresistible as the rhythms that pulled President Obama out of his chair to dance" that night.
• The "Desperation Dinners" feature raves about infused vinegar and its ability to "excite the palate" and elevate otherwise simple dishes.
• Once incorrectly reputed to have a correlation with breast cancer, the grapefruit has been expunged -- and is even suggested as the perfect pink fruit for Breast Cancer Awareness month.
• Cabernets are the quintessential U.S. wine: "big and brash, supremely self-confident, a little loud, even rude at times."
• Recipes: Maricel Presilla's Milk Chocolate-Coffee "Cortadito" Brulées, Pink Grapefruit and Fennel Salad, a complex Vermouth Molasses Marinade, Corn Tortilla and Mixed-Bean Lasagna.
• Calendar highlights include a silent auction for painted pumpkins, $35 prix-fixe meals for Dine Out Lauderdale, Rosa Mexicano's Chocolate festival and a "Top Chef" Talent Hunt.

If I were a famous musician who went on tour a lot, I'm not quite sure what special demands I'd have. I think I'd want a TV in my dressing room and maybe a few snacks and drinks for me and my friends, but I can't really think of anything outrageous. Remember when Van Halen demanded no brown M&Ms?

Now take a look at what Diana Krall wants. This is a wine list that would make the Gallos jealous. This isn't what she has in her wine cellar; this is what she wants in her dressing room when she's on tour in North America. Obviously, she doesn't want all of them, it's just a list of wines she'll accept. There's Clos Pegase Cabernet Sauvignon, Falesco from Italy, D'Arenberg Shirz "The Laughing Magpipe," Landmark Chardonnay (2001, 2002, and 2003) and a ton more.

Here's a clever idea: online wine videos! It's The Winery Channel, and they have everything from instructional videos that teach you what foods go with what wine to visits to various vineyards and vacation spots.

The site has a sense of humor too. Make sure you watch Rex Havoc (and his horse "Brokeback"), who shows you the best wine bottles to use for shooting practice, and Dave in Los Angeles, who rants about his neighbor Walter, a wine snob. The stuff he says...well, you know people like Walter (and not just when it comes to wine). You'll be quoting a couple of Dave's lines to your friends later this week.

There are many "shows" to watch, including "Hot Legs," "The Wine Bar Show," and "Got Wine?" (the videos can be kinda glitchy - took me a few clicks to get each video working, but it's worth it).

• This summer, how about a Cuban barbecue (and I don't mean Mark)?
• Boston gets into Pocky and Onigiri, thanks to Dice-K.
• Speaking of Fenway, a chef is trying to bring more restaurant-quality foods to the ballpark.
• An interview with chef and author Marco Pierre White (right).
• A taste test: are these cabernet-based red wines from California or Bourdeaux?
• This week's recipes: Sweet Potato Fries, Salmon Mousse with Sour Cream Dill Sauce, Zucchini Carpaccio with Avocado, Lemon, Thyme, and Pistachio Oil, and Fennel, Treviso, and Prosciutto Salad with Anchovy-Date Vinagrette.

The world of wine can be intimidating, so you have to go into it with a few rules, and David LeClaire, the sommelier at The Tasting Room in Seattle, has some advice, including:

1. There's no such thing as peanut greg-io. Learn how to pronounce the big names, or you're going to sound like a big geek. You don't need to know everything - and it's OK to stumble on the obscure French boutiques - but do yourself a favor and take "Gewurztraminer" out for a spin before your big date.

7. Move over, Scrooge McDuck. More expensive wine is not always better, especially in the store (bottom-shelf shoppers, rejoice!). But, since a bottle of wine in a restaurant is marked up, by up to three times its retail price (four times for wines by the glass), the cheapest bottle you'll want to buy in a restaurant is $30, says LeClaire. If you're watching pennies, go for wines from Spain, Chile, Argentina or Australia - they're good and half the price.