Have you heard of molecular mixology? I hadn't until recently, but apparently it's moving from the high end bars to your kitchen, according to Forbes.com.

According to the article "molecular mixology, the method takes scientific principles and tools and applies them to the construction of alcoholic beverages." Gelatin, flames, freezing and flavored simple syrups are all a very big part of molecular mixology. There are generally a lot of steps involved, so prep time is high, but apparently these beverages translate well to home preparation, except the most "wildly dangerous" of course.

I don't know about you, but if I'm making cocktails at home, they're going to have to be simple. Anything with a lot of prep time can stay at the bar, as far as I'm concerned. Would you put a lot of time into drinks at home?

If ever you wondered how chefs pair wines with their favorite foods, you can stop wondering now. Forbes has put together a list of celebrity chefs and their favorite food and wine pairings with everything from fish tacos with a Viognier to osetra caviar and Champagne. If you don't have the patience to flip through the slideshow, here's the summary:

• Mario Batali - spicy fish tacos with a serrano chili crema with Argentinian Viognier
• Daniel Humm - nutty, cave-aged gruyere cheese with Krug or Dom Perignon Champagne
• Laurent Tourondel - spicy lamb merguez "burger" with rose from Navarra, Spain
• Michael Lomonaco - ancho chili-rubbed prime rib eye with Sonoma Syrah
• Wylie Dufresne - pigeon with smoked cocoa, black truffles and onions, served with a Barolo Chinatto
• Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson - San Daniele prosciuttowith Edi Simcic Tocai
• Anne Gingrass - Bollinger Champagne Brut with osetra caviar
• Tony Esnault - Inniskillin ice wine with a dark chocolate
• Gabriel Kreuther - seared foie gras and litchis with a raspberry-flavored beer
• Will Goldfarb - chocolate parfait with chai, mango ice cream, dairyless coconut ice cream, mini India tuiles and spray-dried coconut with Syrah

Today, the board of health in New York is going to vote on whether or not the city will ban trans fats from restaurants. If the ban passes, eateries will have until July 2008 to eliminate all but 0.5g of trans fats per serving from their food. Restaurateurs are anxious, many worried that the quality of their food - by which they mean the taste - will suffer if the ban is accepted. While we wait to hear the ruling, what are some common sources of trans fats in our food? Forbes has named their five worst offenders in terms of the amount of trans fats they contain. They picked prepared and prepackaged foods; stick margarine; and chips and crackers fried in partially hydrogenated oils. Many breakfast foods, from donuts to pancakes, contain trans fats because they are either fried in type of partially hydrogenated oil or are claiming to be lower in cholesterol, since maybe breakfasters worry about the potential health risks of adding butter to their eggs. The most surprising item on the list is the fact that they name kosher baked goods as being at a high risk. The reason is that they are more likely to use partially hydrogenated shortening in place of dairy ingredients, like butter.

Earlier this year, we saw our own lists of both the worst foods you can eat and the best foods you can eat, and now Forbes is taking a turn with their list of surprisingly healthy foods. Their list is based on the theory that most people still associate healthy foods with things that don't taste good, and while it is true that eating a giant bowl of undressed, unseasoned lettuce is boring, that doesn't mean that there are no foods that both taste good and can be good for you. If you're already into healthy eating, this might not be a complete news flash, but a reminder to keep us on track - especially with the holidays coming up - never hurts. Don't go overboard on any of these, but don't feel guilty for enjoying them, either:

• Chocolate - both milk and dark chocolates have been shown to have health benefits when eaten in moderation.
• Vegetable oil - low in saturated fats and high in vitamin E, which is good for the skin and can help protect against heart disease. The recommended maximum is only a few teaspoons each day.
• Potatoes - they are versatile and one of the foods richest in antioxidants. Frying can cancel out some of the benefits, so try baking them.
• Nuts and nut butters - high in monounsaturated fat and protein. They are also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and are very filling.
• Coffee - it may help the liver, increase brain function and has been linked to a decrease in the risk of type 2 diabetes and Parkinson's disease. Use skim milk , rather than cream.
• Bruschetta - tomatoes, onions, garlic and olive oil, often with a touch of Parmesan, it is a snack that has the benefits of oil (see above) and a lot of lycopene, an antioxidant that has been linked to a decreased risk of heart disease.
• Spices - in large amounts, some have been shown to have healthy benefits, but in general it is hard to argue with anything that makes food taste better without adding fat or calories.
• Tea - both green and black tea can have healthy benefits as long as you aren't loading them up with sugar.
• Soups - vegetable and broth-based soups can pack a lot of nutrients into one serving with relatively few calories. Avoid cream soups, though, as they can be very high in fat and calories.

The most expensive beef in the world is wagyu, or Kobe beef. It comes from cows that are not only genetically predisposed to intensely marbled meat that is very high in fat, but that get fed a special diet that is meant to improve that marbling beyond anything that other beef can achieve. To keep the meat from getting tough, it is said that some producers massage the muscles of their cows, rather than let the cows exercise themselves. With meat like this available and gaining rapidly in popularity, it is hardly a surprise, all of the world's most expensive steaks, as selected by Forbes Traveler, feature wagyu beef. Without further ado, these are the places to go - and how much you'll have to pay - for some of the best and most-expensive steaks in the world:

• "103" Wagyu rib eye at Craftsteak New York (private order item), $2,800 for 20 pounds
• Charbroiled Kobe Filet, Aragawa, Tokyo, $258 for 8-oz.
• Select Special Kobe Filet at the Kobe Renga-tei Steak Restaurant, Kobe, $246 for 160 grams (5.6-oz.)
• Australian Wagyu Striploin at the Al Muntaha restaurant, Burj Al Arab Hotel, Dubai, $169 300 gm
• Japanese Wagyu Rib Eye at Wolfgang Puck's CUT at the Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills , $160, eight-ounce filet
• "Wagyu no sumibiyaki" at Zuma, London, $132 (no size indicated)
• Sendai Sirloin at the Ekki Bar & Grill, Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi The Price: $129 for 150g
• Australian Wagyu Fillet Mignon at the Polo Club, Marriott Royal Aurora, Moscow, $101 for 12-oz.
• Smoked Salt American Kobe Rib Eye Cap Steak at BLT Prime, New York, $95 (no size indicated)

We already took a look at the world's most expensive restaurants for this year, but Forbes has added to their compilation of the priciest restaurants with a list of those located in the US. Unlike the global list, which takes into account the price for only a main course, drink and tip, the US list includes the prices for fixed-price tasting menus, which are definitely the most popular way to eat at top eateries. And those prices are going up. There are new and better ingredients to be used and higher expectations that must be met by these restaurants. "We're seeking out smaller producers with better products, and with that comes a higher expense of preparing them in the kitchen. It creates an upward pressure on menu prices," said one restaurant owner, who also noted that it was fortunate the economy is strong enough to sustain restaurants that serve the such high-priced meals.

At the top of the list is New York City's Masa at $446, followed by California's The French Laundry at $254 and Chicago's Alinea at $168.

The rest of the top ten are after the jump.

Every year, Forbes picks the most expensive restaurants in the world, pinpointing the upper limit on what people are willing to spend for a meal. Their 2006 list is complied with data that the Zagat survey provides and is based on the cost, per person, of one entree, one alcoholic beverage and a tip. Presumably, the entree prices and drink prices are an average amount and, of course, the inclusion of a tip shows the US-bias in the way that the list is set up, since in many places tipping standards would not be set up the same way, if at all. It does not seem to include any restaurants where prix fixe or tasting menus are the standard.

Topping the list, for the second year in a row, is Tokyo's Aragawa at $368 per person for a Kobe beef steak (they basically only have one entree). Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée, in Paris, took second place at $231 per person. The rest of the list included: Gordon Ramsay, London ($183); Acquarello, Munich ($125); Sushi Kaji, Toronto ($109); Queue de Cheval Steak House , Montreal ($85); El Amparo, Madrid ($70); Whampoa Club, Shanghai ($63) and Boeucc, Milan ($62)

A recently completely study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health provided another piece of ammunition in the ongoing battle to get sodas out of schools. After observing kids at 10 middle schools, it was found that 71% buy "sugar-sweetened beverages from school vending machines." Water was the second most popular drink, but soda sales tripled its numbers.

Perhaps the conclusion of the study was that access to soda was too easy and that this is another reasons schools should make them less available, but the study did not compare soda purchases from, say, a machine stocked with non-sweetened drinks. Even though there was water in the machines, if you have even looked at a soda machine on a school campus, you'll notice that water is only one of the 8 or so options, if it is there at all. Yes, students are buying too much soda if the middle school students from the study are drinking it down on a daily basis, but the kids want to buy something and an alternative should be provided - otherwise they'll just wait until school is out and head across the street to buy a soda from the nearest fast food joint or convenience store.

I don't know if it's more disturbing or more reassuring, but it seems that Americans are more likely to trust an actor like Brad Pitt before they trust a Senator like Ted Kennedy.

According to organizational behaviorist James Bailey, we trust actors because we associate them with the characters they play on tv or in movies. Forbes has listed the 10 Most Trustworty Celebrities, as measured by Los Angeles-based Davie-Brown Talent, which measures more than 1,500 celebrities' trustworthiness. Not surprisingly, actors like Tom Hanks appear on the list, as does Oprah Winfrey. And most surprising of all to me?

Rachael Ray was #2.

How cool is that?!?!

When you're out to dinner with your friends, ordering wine can be fun. You have discussions about what to order, negotiate how much you want to spend, and even poke fun at each other by threatening to order "white zin."

However, in a business situation, ordering wine is a whole different ball-game. In fact, it's not a game at all. If you are wining and dining a client and are in charge, then take charge, and keep in mind a few guidelines. Forbes has consulted with some of America's top sommeliers and "The rules for handling wine at an important business dinner are pretty much commonsense and not very different from the rules for any kind of successful entertaining--be prepared, plan ahead and use the resources at your disposal." Here are their tips in brief:

• Call ahead to the restaurant
• Don't dawdle with the list
• Think back to examples of wines you actually liked
• Go for the lowest common denominator
• Go with what you know
• Dont' start too big with a Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel
• Be direct about price with the server
• Don't wait too long before ordering
• Expensive is not always the best
• Consider the whole picture

Greetings dear reader if you're perusing this post while slumped over your desk at your day job then it's probably time for a snack to boost the old blood sugar. Of course there's a right way and a wrong way to get your munch on as a recent Forbes article points out.

Forbes "Snacking Survival Guide" notes that the junk food in that office snack machine is bad for two reasons. It's crammed full of calories and often trans-fats, but more important while it may give you a temporary lift, you're bound to feel a crash once your blood sugar falls from its peak. Better options include fruits, vegetables and nuts.

The article also includes a 10-item slide show with a suggested item for various types of snackers and the benefits of the treat. The reccomendation for athletes is pomegranate juice because it contains loads of nutrients and antioxidants. For those on the go, the suggestion is protein bars. And for the bachelor it's eggs because of their ease of preparation and high protein content. That reminds me I've been meaning to rewatch Cool Hand Luke.

Like true coffee addicts, the guys over at Forbes have scoured the globe looking for the most expensive coffees in the world. And we're not talking about specialty coffee drinks, but about the beans themselves. Starting off the list at $160 per pound is Kopi Luwak, which we have already heard about, since the berries are digested by civets before the bean is extracted and brewed. This is followed by Hacienda La Esmeralda (Panama, $104/lb), Island of St. Helena Coffee Company ($79/lb), El Injerto (Guatemala, $25-50/lb), Fazenda Santa Ines (Brazil, $50/lb), Jamaica Blue Mountain ($49/lb), Los Planes (El Salvador, $40/lb), Kona ($34/lb), Starbucks Rwanda Blue Bourbon ($24/lb), Yauco Selecto AA (Puerto Rico, $22/lb), Fazenda Sao Benedito (Brazil, $21/lb).

Keep in mind that many beans in supermarkets (and cafes) are "Blue Mountain-style" or "Kona-style" and do not necessarily contain all of the beans that the name suggests, which is why prices in some venues appear to be lower. The Starbucks blend is worth noting because it is part of the company's Black Apron line, a selection of frequently changing premium coffees. Premium, however, doesn't always mean better, especially because several of the prices given here are for the green beans, and a good or bad roast is vital to achieving a quality cup of coffee from high quality beans.

A $38,000 bottle of Scotch whiskey, The Macallan Fine and Rare Collection, 1926, made the top of Forbes Magazine's list of the most expensive whiskies in the world. Bottles of the stuff are sold out, but apparently you can still get a $3,000 dram in some restaurants and bars. Coming in second, at a perfectly respectable $10,000 a bottle, is a 1939 Macallan. Forbes' resident boozehound Nick Passmore tries to put some of these outrageously priced bottles in context by describing the current movement towards not only collecting, but actually drinking and appreciating ultra-premium spirits. Unfortunately, like other Forbes lists, you have to use a painfully clunky separate browser window to view information on each bottle.

Forbes' resident wine and spirits guy, Nick Passmore, recently posted a list of 20 of his favorite beers. The list, which it seems can only be viewed via a clunky slideshow, has a decent scattering of English and German imports, as well as some American craft brews. Passmore does a good job of making a roster of beers that aren't terribly hard to find. Still, don't expect to see them at your local gas station. Lists like these are bound to leave something out and upset someone. So, while I wasn't surprised to see an ale by Chimay, I was a little surprised it wasn't the blue label. My qualms aside, this is a decent place to take a few notes if you're looking to explore the beer aisle.

Forbes magazine recently announced their top 10 healthiest candies. Chosen for taste and nutritional benefit, some of their picks are not really candies at all. An apple, which might be considered to be a treat by many people, is not and never will be candy.  A candy is a sweet, a confection and something that should not be confused with a piece of fruit, as the Pop'ems chosen by Forbes surely are; the combination of fruit and nuts, even if called a treat, should never be confused with candy. Taste-wise, a Larabar is a better option if you are going to count fruit as candy, because at least the spicy, complex, adult-tasting Cocoa Mole flavor has a good amount of cocoa powder in it.

Forbes is not off base on all of their choices, but candy still needs to be something at least a little special. Here are Slashfood’s 8 picks for healthiest (or least unhealthy) candies:

• Cocoa Via - Formulated to promote a healthy heart and even lower cholesterol, Cocoa Via chocolate bars are also fortified with nutrients like calcium, folic acid, B6, B12, C and E. The fruits and nuts in the bars make them a little something different, too.
• Adora – Sure, it has fifty percent of your daily recommended calcium, but that doesn’t mean that Adora tastes like it’s healthy. The smooth, rich chocolate comes in dark and milk flavors and will satisfy any sweet tooth in addition to strengthening bones.