Given that most of us come to this site because we love food, it’s probably safe to assume that we all love to sample new dishes and ingredients while traveling. That might mean clam chowder in Boston or it might mean scorpion skewers in Beijing. But we all have our limits! What’s your approach to trying new foods and where do you draw the line? More

It's July and most farmers' markets across the nation are in full swing. I just returned from a visit to the lovely Marin County Farmers' Market in California, which besides being lovely was also rather hot and jam-packed. It occurred to me that we all could use a few helpful hints on how to navigate the crowds and share the market. More

Want fresh breath without resorting to candy mints or ducking into the restroom to brush your teeth? There are some natural solutions, some of which you may already have in your cupboard! More

You can do everything right - great food, great music, great ambiance. But what if your guests just...don't talk to each other? Crickets. Uncomfortable pauses. Wind whistling in the eaves. Any tips for creating good dinner table conversation? More

Have you ever been in a situation where you don't know the social rules and have made a major error so off-the-mark that you want to just crawl under the table and disappear? Or maybe you've had someone come into your life who has no idea how to behave and you find yourself judging and distancing from them, even if you don't want to? Please and thank you, bows and handshakes, who goes first, cellphones at the dinner table: does proper etiquette really matter? More

The date is set, the menu is planned, the guests have all been invited - so is it necessary to send out reminders? Personally, we like a reminder - mostly because our own lives are so hectic that we can almost always use a little check-in! What do you think: are reminders helpful...or annoying?! More

In the old days, dinner parties came with a code of etiquette — it was all about the seating. The hosts sat at opposite ends of the table, and their guests were arranged according to rules of etiquette and with an artful eye to the natural eddies of conversation. I'm fascinated by the old-fashioned attention to seating, and I'm curious: Do you assign seating at your dinner parties? More

An omnivore has invited a vegetarian to a dinner party. Should the vegetarian inform her host of her dietary restrictions, or should she remain silent and hope for the best? Would it be rude to bring a dish? What is the host's duty in this situation? More

Maybe "party favors" isn't quite the right word - that brings to mind cellophane bags of plastic kazoos and bubble wands! What we're thinking of is an adult version: more like party "keepsakes," maybe or a treat for the road. Do you give guests something special at the end of the evening? More

Q: I'm taking my first cooking class this weekend with my beau for Valentine's Day. The class is run by a few ladies — one of whom will be our teacher for the evening.

Does one typically tip a cooking teacher after the lesson, even if he or she is the owner of the business?

Sent by Tanya More