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Last night, my mom called me just as I was sitting down to eat some dinner. She asked me what I was having and I rattled off the food sitting in front of me, "a big salad, a pear and some olives." Sounding shocked, she said, "But I thought you didn't like olives!" I confessed that I crossed over to the olive loving side several years ago and have no intention of going back. She was so pleased to discover that I could now be counted among the olive loving crowd, as she has never met an olive that she didn't like and had been afraid I had inherited my father's dislike of the cured fruit.

These days, my favorite olives for straight eating are these Cerignola olives that I buy at DiBruno Bros. (their huge, gorgeous store is only a block from my apartment, which is both wonderful and extremely dangerous). I have also gone through phases where I prefer the tiny, salty Nicoise olives or the painfully sharp pitted Calamata olives.

So which camp are you in? Do you love or hate olives? If you love them, what's your favorite variety? Have you ever tried home curing olives?

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This quiz is from TIME magazine and it's a short one: only 6 questions. It's about eating smart and it actually covers a few interesting topics, with a bit of information to support each of the answers. Questions cover allergies, health and nutrition. Unlike some other quizzes, it doesn't intend to trick the person answering the questions!

The best part about quizzes is that we can all participate. I got 5 out of 6 when I took it, so take 2 minutes to click through the questions and post your scores in the comments section.

And has anyone tried Zsweet, which is mentioned in the last question? I've never seen it in stores, but according to their website, it's available at a handful of stores around the country.

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Last week, Nicole posted about San Francisco Chronicle food editor Michael Bauer's new food blog, Between Meals. If you haven't already, by all means check out his post about the factors he takes into consideration upon reviewing a restaurant. Whether you're a fledgling restaurant critic, an involved diner or just someone who wants more insight into the mind of a food writer, Bauer's list is a great glimpse. It should also serve as a helpful reminder to restaurant staff, especially the front of the house, that in many cases, not a single detail goes unnoticed.

[Via Amuse-Bouche, which was equally fond of Bauer's post.]

2 2/3 cup flour, divided
1 1/2 cup sugar, divided

When a recipe calls for an ingredient to be "divided", it means that the ingredient is not going to be used all at once. Instead, it will be divided into more than one portion or part of the recipe. The reason for stating this in the ingredient list is that many people don't pay very close attention when reading the recipe's instructions. If 1/2 cup of sugar is used at one point in the recipe and another cup is used later, the full amount will often be mistakenly added when sugar is first mentioned. When the ingredient list says "divided," people take notice and become more aware while they work the recipe.

Eggs are commonly listed as "separated" on ingredient lists, which amounts to the same thing. The difference is that eggs, unlike flour, have two distinct components - the white and the yolk - that inspire fewer questions from cooks.

Popular British chef Jamie Oliver is starting a new series, but he won’t be seen on your TV. Jamie will be doing podcasts that deal with advice and cooking how-tos. Every topic tackled during the podcast will be in response to a query from a real cook who needs help in their kitchen. To get your question to Jamie, all you have to do is dial the dedicated phone line that takes podcast messages: 44 (0)207 043 8223. There is a 30 second time limit for messages and, as it is a standard London number, standard rates apply from wherever in the world you are calling. The best and funniest questions will make it on the air when the podcast launches later this year.

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