There's smoked salmon and then there's smoked salmon. Cosmopolitan's Blog brings us the latter. The Hong Kong-based chef smokes his salmon on skewers in a jar that when opened at the table, gives diners a fragrant smoke along with their salmon.

• It's summer, and that means it's time for a good old-fashioned Nantucket clambake.
• Wolfgang Puck on the 25th anniversary of Spago.
• What is White Tea Liqueur?
• Are vegetarians eating more meat these days?
• What's your food personality?
• Here are the best new California chardonnays.
• This month's recipes: Tarragon Lemonade, Goat Cheese-Garlic Toasts, Grilled Shrimp Summer Rolls, Potato Pancakes with Smoked Salmon, Caviar, and Dill Cream, Easy Chicken Fajitas, and Espresso-Chocolate Semifreddo.

Everyone has their Christmas morning traditions. When I was a kid, we couldn't open any of our gifts (OK, maybe our stockings) until mom had had her first cup of coffee. I don't really have any traditions or rules like that anymore, because I have my own place now and I go over to my sister's house later in the day and exchange gifts and she usually cooks, but a lot of people have certain things they always eat or drink on Christmas morning, even beyond the coffee you have in the morning or the turkey you have for dinner.

In the December issue of Bon Appetit, Ted Allen gives his menu for a Christmas brunch that could become a new tradition in your home. He starts with a Citrus Fruit Salad. Actually, maybe he starts with the Gazpacho Bloody Marys! Then you can go on to the Potato Latkes with Smoked Salmon, Caviar, and Tarragon Creme Fraiche, and maybe some Sticky Bun Bread Pudding.

• Some gift ideas for people you work with, including Chocolate Crinkles, Toasted Mixed Nuts, and Cheese Crackers.
• How to make pomanders for the holidays, and how to make the change from a gas stove to an electric one.
• Chef Marcus Samuelsson returns to his roots.
• Everybody loves Amy Sedaris!
• A recipe that combines smoked salmon and cheesecake?! Yup.
• Why farmers eat better in the winter.
• One reason why you should stop bashing Rachael Ray.
• Sassy Sips & Nibbles: a self-published book about snacks and drinks.
• This week's recipes: White Beans, Sausage, and Escarole; 'Lil Smoky Cheese Ball; Piri Piri; Mango Couscous; and Carnitas.

• Many -- nay, most -- major retailers on both coasts and in the Midwest (Wegmans and Costco included) buy their smoked salmon from one source: Brooklyn's Acme Smoked Fish.

• Whereas the industry shifted from nearly exclusive use of wild salmon in the 1980s to farm-raised salmon in the 1990s, recent bad press about farm-raised salmon -- like the aforementioned bumper sticker -- has caused the industry to swing back towards wild salmon.
• Smoked salmon has undergone a remarkable shift of late: unlike most everything else, smoked salmon is less salty than ever before. 

• Food & Wine went to 50 cities around the world and compiled their list of the 376 hottest restaurants in the world.
• Chef Bobby Flay is in love with Savannah, Georgia.
• Pete Wells searches for the world's best chocolate.
• Marcia Kiesel looks for the best home cooking in Vietnam.
• Recipes in the May issue include: Minted Pea Soup with Smoked Salmon, Farro and Green Bead Salad, Corn and Goat Cheese Grits, Scottish Beef Stew, and for dessert, Bananas in Coffee Bean Syrup.

Eggs Benedict is the quintessential brunch food. They're great to order on a Sunday monring in the Dining Room of the Ritz Carlton, but they can be a pain in the you-know-where to do a for a large party at home because off the poached eggs. However, poached eggs have an undeserved reputation for being difficult. In fact, for a group, poached eggs are perfect.

To make Smoke Salmon Benedicts, lay out toasted English muffins, top with a few slices of smoked salmon. Just before serving, you will place a poached egg on top, then drizzle (or drown, as preferred) with Hollandaise sauce. Instructions for poached eggs after the jump.