Remember this Food: Don't Waste It poster that Anjali wrote about back in January? It was created in 1917 by the U.S Food Administration as part of a national effort to get people to reduce their consumption of certain staples during World War I. I've since come across a number of other food public service announcement posters from that time, and it's a fascinating how relevant and, well, modern, some of them sound.

Chicken salad is a favorite treat in my household.  Even though it's a simple recipe with easy to find ingredients, there's still something fancy about it.  So while it makes a nice lunch for guests — either in a sandwich or served on a bed of lettuce — I sometimes make up a batch for when it's just me and I need a pick-me-up.  This recipe is an old favorite, a real a classic that can easily be adapted to all manner of delicious variations and additions.  Perfect for picnics and pot lucks, too!

Q: I'm in the process of starting a food blog and was wondering if I can publish adaptations of recipes I find online, as long as I credit the original author and link back to the original recipe?

Sent by Tracy

If you're an animal lover, you've no doubt shared morsels of "people" food with your furry and feathered friends. Feeding table scraps to animals can even be a good way to prevent food waste. But before you give in to those imploring eyes, it's important to consider safety. 

I live in Los Angeles, which means I'm always hearing about other people's diets. Raw food, $75-per-day juice cleanses, space food, the cookie diet...you name it, and there is a good chance I know someone who has tried it. When the paleo diet swept through my circle of friends, I felt a little like an outcast, still hanging onto my whole grains and legumes. I know I am a healthy eater — yet it was hard to resist the judgement that I was somehow eating a "bad" diet. 

So it was a relief to read a thoughtful, honest article by food writer and former naturopathic doctor Winnie Abramson on why the paleo diet — and diets in general — don't work for her.

One of the dangers of cooking a meal for just yourself is the Why Bother Syndrome. This usually happens on a weeknight when you arrive home from work, exhausted and depleted, and the idea of rustling up a nice, hot, nutritious meal just for you seems like way too much effort. So out come the chips and salsa, and before you know it, you're brushing your teeth before bed without having ingested much more than cornmeal, tomato puree and salt for dinner. Does this sound familiar? More

Q: My husband and I would like to thank our neighbours for watering our plants while we were on vacation in Italy by cooking an Italian meal. Our guests will be a mom and dad, one 5-year old, one 2-year old and a baby, and the meal must be halal. Any recipe ideas for a family-friendly, pork-free, loosely Italian meal?

Have you ever noticed how on a warm day, it seems like half the scoop of ice cream will melt before you even get the bowl to the table? I hate that! Here's how to prevent ice cream puddles from happening.

Memorial Day is this weekend! Break out the grill and kick-off the unofficial beginning of the grilling season with some cauliflower. It just may be the best cauliflower you've ever had.

The more I cook at home, the more critical I am of my own mistakes. More often than not, these mistakes have to do with seasoning a dish. True confession: I'm an under-seasoner, always hearing my mother's voice in the back of my head warning me to avoid using too much salt and remain cautious with herbs. But there's more to bland cooking than simply under-seasoning. So often it also has to do with a lack of acid, or that little bit of oomph!