Even if you keep a clean kitchen, there is a good chance harmful bacteria like E. coli and salmonella may be lurking in a few easily-overlooked areas, according to new report from the public health group NSF International. But for the most part, all you need is warm, soapy water and a little elbow grease to keep these areas clean and germ-free.

You don't have to be a farmer or a food scientist to know that genetically-modified food is a heated, divisive issue. Everyone has an opinion on whether it's safe or dangerous, harmful or helpful. But as with most issues that elicit strong reactions on both sides, it can be difficult to cut through the drama and just look at the facts. 

This week Nature, one of the premiere weekly journals of scientific research, devotes their entire issue to discussing GMOs to illuminate what's true, what's false, and what's still unknown about genetically-modified food. If you're new to the GMO debate, this is a great place to start:

Fans of food and science, rejoice! Mary Roach's new book, Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal explores the fascinating, at times bizarre, science behind the process of eating. Embracing the topic with infectious curiosity and her signature sense of humor, Roach enters the world of pet food tasters, plunges her arm into the rumen of a living cow, visits a prison to talk to a man with a talent for smuggling contraband in his — well, let's just call it the end of his alimentary canal — and looks into how Elvis really died. 

After spending a week regaling my friends and loved ones with my favorite surprising facts from the book, I sat down with the author to ask her a little more about her adventures.

With their bright colors and futuristic appeal, Dippin' Dots are a kid favorite at carnivals and beyond, but we're much more interested in this adult-friendly update: alcoholic Dippin' Dots! Gizmodo has the full step-by-step instructions for making your own version at home.

You know what's great? Bringing home an armful of fruits and vegetables from the market, all bright, fresh, and ready to be tossed into salads, soups, and stir fries. You know what's not so great? Having a busy week and realizing later that the produce is wilting and rotting in your refrigerator. Properly storing fruits and vegetables is key to extending their shelf life, yes, but even that only goes so far. 

So when the editor-in-chief of The Cooking Lab, the culinary research team behind the Modernist Cuisine books, said he'd found a better way to preserve fruits and vegetables, we knew we had to listen. (Hint: it doesn't involve any chlorine, irradiation or peroxide baths, and it's not blanching.)

It's Girl Scout cookie season and if you're anything like me, you've been sidetracked at the grocery store by sweet looking Scouts hawking Thin Mints and Samoas. As a former Girl Scout who once did her fair share of hawking, I have trouble saying no. Plus, I like cookies. Last week a little news story brought to my attention a fact I've long known: there's a trick to making them taste even better. More

If you've ever had something to eat or drink right after brushing your teeth, you know what we're talking about. Suddenly that sweet, tangy orange juice tastes... bitter and weird. Most other foods are a little off, too. Why is that?

Sunchokes, also known as Jerusalem artichokes, are a funny-looking tuber with a delicate, artichoke-like flavor, and they have been growing in popularity in recent years, popping up at farmers markets and on restaurant menus around the country. But before you go on a sunchoke binge, you should know its unofficial nickname: the Fartichoke.

Is it true that most of the nutrients in fruits and vegetables are found in the skin? The New York Times recently tackled this question, and if you've been feeling guilty about trimming away carrot peels and apple skins, the answer may surprise you.

Whenever I'm hunting for a movie to watch on a Friday night, I inevitably find myself scrolling through the documentaries on Netflix. Thankfully, there are quite a few great ones, particularly in the food space. Here are 10 food documentaries you should add to your Instant View queue: More