"french 75" news and stories

• Happy Valentine's Day! Chocolate desserts cure everything, you know.
• Next holiday: Mardi Gras. Ready for king cake?
• Speaking of French-inspired traditions, try knocking back a French 75.
• One can always use a refresher course in chicken and dumplings.

One editor and mom rejects "healthy" school lunches in of favor of a little fun.

Infused oils and flavored oils can go beyond the simple salad dressing: Grilled Blood Orange & Ginger Pork Tenderloins, Ensalada de Mango (Spicy Mango Salad), and Recipe: Chicken Braised with Tomatoes and Fig Vinegar.

Oysters and clams are still suffering through the last legs of summer. Shellfish producers can't wait for the cooler waters of autumn.

A new taste sensation, vine-dried raisins, might bring on a new breed of grape-snobs.

In drinks, Maximilien makes a French 75 (Cognac and Champagne), Sauvignon Blanc deserves some praise, and how to keep an opened bottle of wine "vibrant."