Have you ever stashed a Coke in the freezer, hoping to chill it quickly, then forgotten all about it, only to have it explode all over your frozen peas?

I have a weakness for great gourmet oils, vinegars, and spices. This makes every trip to my favorite foodie store that specializes in these three things divine torture, and an exercise in failing restraint. I try a million different flavors, and I have even been known to finish off a small cup of vinegar like a shot. I go into a foodie haze and I can't be stopped.

Last week, I met up with a friend to go to that sinisterly tasty place and made a new discovery: Halen Mon Sea Salt with Taha Vanilla, which merges sea salt from Wales with Tahitian vanilla. (Details) It's delicious -- and I say this as someone who steers clear of flavored salts. The mixture offers the sharpness of the salt with the sweetness of super-tasty vanilla. I couldn't help but buy some.

I'm not a big fan of the book Eat This, Not That. It purports to tell you which foods you should be eating in restaurants instead of other foods. Sometimes the comparison is good, but other times it just seems to save a person 100 calories here or a few grams of fat there and doesn't seem worth the bother (and sometimes the "eat this" choice has more carbs or salt). But I guess it's good to have the info.

Now Men's Health editor Dave Zinczenko exposes some restaurant secrets. Why don't some chains want us to know the nutritional numbers of their foods? What foods are often cooked with other foods in the kitchen? Do some fast food chains actually have healthier options than sit down restaurants?

A recent study found that cherry tomatoes grown in salt water can turn out tastier and heartier than ones grown normally, partially because the plants have to fight harder to fight the environmental stress and produce more compounds to help them cope. These compounds contain antioxidants like Vitamins C and E, which have healthy effects on those who consume the fruit.

The solution only contains 20% seawater. Unfortunately, not all genotypes of tomatoes react in the same way to the salt water. Some die because they cannot counteract the free radicals from the solution, so don't try to do this with larger tomatoes; it probably won't work. In the study, the water was constantly circulated and the pH controlled by a computer, so the researchers promise that the tomatoes won't taste salty.

The researchers, based at the University of Pisaone in Italy, are encouraging the growth of tomatoes in brackish water, because it will not only lead to juicier, healthier tomatoes, but will help to preserve our freshwater supplies.

According to Lauren Murrow of Men's Health magazine, processed-food purveyors and restaurants add salt to dishes so we don't miss natural flavors and fresh ingredients. I, for one, still miss them.

Lauren has come up with a list of the 20 saltiest foods in America. As you check out the list, keep in mind that our daily recommended amount of salt is about one teaspoon (2,300 milligrams).

One of the most surprising dishes on the list was number 16, "The Saltiest 'Healthy' food", Chili's Guiltless Grill Chicken Platter with 2,780 mg sodium. This platter actually has more sodium than Chili's 1,890-calorie Country Fried Steak with sides, toast, and gravy.

The number one saltiest dish in America: Romano's Macaroni Grill's Chicken Portobello at 7,300 mg sodium. That's over three days worth of sodium!

View the whole list on MSNBC.

I know. Could we get over the eggs already? You already know I can't because I love hard boiled eggs, plus, I have this "thing" for salt and pepper shakers.

The egg-shaped salt and pepper shakers are by Primal Design. Together, the egg measures W3.7 xD2.6 xH1.7" and is made of ceramic. It's available from MollaSpace for $12.

More salt and pepper shakers:
Flashy Mini Lanterns
Weeble Wobble
Ice cream cones
Sleek and magnetic
Pretty little pigs
Self-shaking shakers for the lazy
Peugeot's electric pepper mill

It's been a while since I've cooed over a set of salt and pepper shakers, so it's about time.

The Mini Lantern Salt and Pepper Shakers don't actually effect an "Ohmigod, how cute!" but they do get points for being totally functional, doing double duty as shakers as well as lights for the table. Each shaker has three white LED bulbs with built-in reflectors for even more brightness.

Because you always want to be prepared for a power outage just as you're about to reach for that salt shaker.

The set of shakers is available from HomeWetBar for $24.99

We've already heard all the reasons why soda is bad for kids, so we won't go into them. Again.

However, we will say that just as bad as soda is the thing that makes kids thirsty for soda in the first place: salt. According to a British study published in an American Heart Association journal, kids who eat salty snacks and meals get thirsty and often turn to sodas to quench their thirst. Researchers go on to say that the salt isn't coming from the salt shaker, but from manufactured food.

The solution? Cut back on salty, processed snacks.

As if we needed to say that.

The last thing to add to Slow Cooker Chili before you turn the dial and set it on its long slow journey to chili awesomeness is seasoning. Like any slow cooked dish, using fresh herbs to season is a waste of fresh herbs. Stick with dried herbs and spices, which have more concentrated flavor.

I will be frank with you. If I am making chili during the week when I am busy with life, then I resort to store-bought chili powder along with an extra hit of ground cumin. I realize that there could be all kinds of strange and unusual ingredients that have been ground into that bottle of chili powder, but I don't mind being ignorant to them for the sake of convenience. If I'm making chili on a lazy weekend afternoon, then I add dried spices individually. If you're ambitious, you can grind the spices yourself and make your own chili powder to use in the future. Chili powders include, but are not limited to: ground chili, oregano, cumin, cayenne pepper, paprika, and garlic powder.

Seasoning the Chili:
Add ½ c chili powder to the beef, vegetables (and beans if you added them) in the crock pot. I like heat in my chili, so I throw in some additional cayenne pepper (about 2-3 additional Tbsp) as well as cumin (additional 1 tsp) for a smokier flavor. Add salt and pepper to taste, though salt is something you can always add when you serve it.

Designboom, a mod blog devoted to the latest and greatest in product design, recently came out with the winners of its 2006 Dining in 2015 contest. The challenge was exactly as it sounds: to design a food-related product that would be useful in 2015 at work, in travel, or at home.

Chefs and designers from Italy and Japan judged the entires and came up with the top three and an honorable mention.

Let's start from the bottom and work up. The honorable mention [ed. note: shown in photo] was an eco-friendly solution to dinner prep: silicone and nylon triangle-shaped buckets that allow the cook to boil three different foods all in one pot, thereby saving energy, time, and water. I totally expect it to be selling out on QVC in no time.

Third place? A creative ceramic salt and pepper shaker that forces you to physically break open the canister to access the spices inside. The goal of the project? There isn't any, really, but we bet it's really, really fun to break open. Save it for a day when you're really pissed off at someone, and then smash away. (But don't get carried away - - then you'll just have a mess of salt, pepper, and white ceramic shards to clean up).

I'm trying to eat more sustainably, choosing "pastured" meats and dairy, free-range eggs, and local, organic produce from small farms; I'm also trying to virtually eliminate processed foods from my family's diet. I have three small boys and a husband who grew up on Fruit Loops and KFC. I live in the city (Portland, Oregon); I work full-time; and I'm learning to garden. This is my story.

I don't think I have an addictive personality, but it's true: I'm addicted to caffeine. Not only am I an addict, I'm something of a snob, pooh-poohing Starbucks and supermarket brands for single-estate coffee beans and PG Tips tea. It's ok: as luxuries go, my choices aren't terribly draining on family finances. At about $10 a 12-ounce bag, my coffee habit runs me less than $20 a week.

But. I'm trying to eat local, honoring as much of the spirit of the 100-mile diet and the locavores as I can (though my range is probably more like 300 miles, given how huge is my home state of Oregon).

I typically have at least four or five different types of salt in my kitchen. There's a container of kosher salt next to the stove as well as some big grained sea salt. I also have lavender salt, smoked salt and some pink Hawaiian salt. I seem to be something of a salt lightweight when you compare my collection to this Artisanal Salt Sampler. It come with 24 varieties of salt and can be ordered over at Red Envelope.

This would make a terrific gift for the salt-crazed foodie in your life. Although if they are someone who often cooks for you, be prepared for taste tests and side-by-side comparisons.

[via Baking Bites]

No wonder people are confused about diets and health. One week coffee is bad for you, the next it's good for you. One week fat is bad for you, but then we find out it depends on what kind of fat it is. One week it's bad to have too many carbs, the next week we find out we need carbs but they have to be the "good" kind.

Now it's salt in the news again. I think salt has always been called "bad" for you, especially if you have high blood pressure or other medical problems. And now the FDA is going to hold hearings on the white stuff.

It's not really the salt you shake on your foods (something I never do anymore) it's the salt already in the packaged foods we buy. According to statistics, 75% of the salt we get comes from packaged foods and not the stuff we add ourselves.

While I am not passionate about bacon the way some people are, I will readily admit that there's nothing like a good BLT, where the bacon is nice, crisp and plentiful. I rarely make bacon for myself however, as I can't deal with how gross it looks as it cooks (we all have our food quirks). I learned about something today that may revolutionize my bacon eating habits.

Bacon Salt.

Once, not very long ago, two guys named Dave and Justin discovered that they shared a mutual love of bacon. One night over dinner, they stumbled upon the idea of shakeable bacon and thus a product model was born. They have a very basic philosophy, which is that "Everything should taste like bacon." You can get your bacon salt in one of three flavors, Original, Peppered and Hickory. Best of all? It's Kosher!

Via Wide Lawns and Narrow Minds

Well, this is the oddest food holiday I've found, next to Dress Up Like An Ear Of Corn Day*, but let's see what we can do with it.

It's always good to use less salt, especially if you have high blood pressure (and a lot more people in the country have high blood pressure than anyone realizes - what used to be "borderline" is now too high). I haven't added salt to food in over 10 years (no joke), usually substituting pepper if I need a little seasoning. I also like those no-salt seasoning like Mrs. Dash. Go check out that aisle in your supermarket. I think you'll be surprised at what you'll find there.

Here's some info on using less salt. Here's a recipe for Linguine with Fresh Herbs you might want to try, and how about some tips on drying fresh herbs?

* This doesn't actually exist.