MNN - Mother Nature Network

It’s Friday afternoon, and that means it’s time for me to give you a little weekend reading from around the Web. Here are a few food related items that I thought might interest you.

Anyone saving those extra-special bottles for Christmas and the New Year might want to consult a new biodynamic tasting calendar – and hold off on the corkscrew.

According to a new book, When Wine Tastes Best, by biodynamic gurus Maria and Matthias Thun, optimum times for enjoying wines over the festive season are after 27 December, either before 3 p.m. on New Year's Eve, or after midnight.

In light of the current health care debate in Congress, many food activists and nutrition specialists are drawing attention to the fact that medical costs are soaring due to obesity-related diseases. Why are Americans getting fatter? Two reasons are (1) unhealthy food is cheap and getting cheaper, and (2) healthy food is hard to find, especially in poorer neighborhoods.

From the fields of Idaho to tasting rooms in suburban Chicago, potato farmers, researchers and industry representatives are in the midst of an elusive hunt: finding a new spud for McDonald's french fries.

 

A decade has passed since the fast-food giant last added a new U.S. potato variety to three others approved for its golden fries, something that both irks and motivates potato researchers who hope their progeny will be next.

Photo: Matt Callow