Joel Berg, 12/05/12

Executive Director, New York City Coalition Against Hunger

The most vulnerable Americans often have little left other than hope, and they again placed that hope in the president. Obama owes them -- and indeed, owes the entire nation -- a renewed national commitment to increasing economic opportunity for the most vulnerable.

Alli Sosna, 12/05/12

Founder, MicroGreens

If more people would realize how challenging it is to live healthfully off of food stamps that would be the beginning of a real dialogue in America about food costs, hunger and how to eat healthfully on a limited budget.

Christina Pesoli, 12/05/12

Writer, Founder "Emotional Hardbody Divorce Boot Camp"

Refusing to update either of these texts with information we learn along the way damns them to obsolescence. But keeping them current offers them new life and enables them to continue to inspire us by connecting us with our past, present and future.

The Stir, 12/05/12

CafeMom blog

You know what smells awesome? Pizza. You know who's taking advantage of that? Pizza Hut.

Andrew Gunther, 12/05/12

Program Director, Animal Welfare Approved

If you haven't heard of the drug ractopamine before, you're probably not alone. But if you've eaten intensively reared pork, beef or turkey, then you will almost certainly have consumed meat from an animal that's been fed the drug -- and probably eaten ractopamine yourself.

Carl Safina, 12/04/12

Author, 'The View From Lazy Point; A Natural Year in an Unnatural World'

We all want to just eat and not worry too much about it. That's hard if you're confused about GMOs, mercury, other toxic chemicals, antibiotics, and radioactivity.

Sea to Table, 12/04/12

Sea to Table partners with local fishermen from small-scale sustainable wild fisheries, finding better markets for their catch, connecting fishermen with chefs.

Though we do need better regulation, the real issue is the supply chain. It's constructed around an outdated model in which suppliers hide their sources, dealers hide their markets, and fish becomes a commodity whose value is lost from the people and communities who harvest them.

Stacy Mitchell, 12/04/12

Senior Researcher, Institute for Local Self-Reliance

Here's a look at how Walmart has dramatically altered the food system -- triggering massive consolidation, driving down prices to farmers, and leaving more families struggling to afford healthy food.

Rebecca Gerendasy, 12/05/12

Co-founder, Cooking Up a Story

Chef Melinda Casady, co-founder of Portland's Culinary Workshop, demonstrates an "a to z" host of knife techniques working with a 10″ chef knife.

Ellen Kanner, 12/03/12

Syndicated columnist, the Edgy Veggie

What does produce have going for it? Everything. But it's saddled with the geeky rep of being good for you. We've shown time and time again we just don't care. Considering how eager vegetables are to make friends and get along well with others, though, it seems kind of cruel to keep dismissing them.

Maria Rodale, 12/05/12

CEO and Chairman of Rodale, Inc. and book author

I decided to try and re-create the Cubano sandwich I had a very long time ago when I was in Puerto Rico, at this very casual restaurant on a side street in Old San Juan.

Christopher Webb, 12/03/12

Founder of ChowNow, a tech lab for restaurants

Restaurant owners are either at the cutting edge or they're stuck in the 1970s. There's really no middle ground.

Sarah Dajani, 12/03/12

Writer and photographer, devourblog.com and windowdining.com

Honey always seemed boring to me. It's sticky and highly caloric and hey, doesn't sugar do the job just fine? But when I heard about Balqees, I got curious. Riath Hamed, founder of Balqees Honey, is the industry's answer to Indiana Jones.

Laura Kumin, 12/03/12

Blogger, Mother Would Know

Those who carefully plan every meal and shop as if it were a chess game hardly need my advice. These tips are for the rest of us.

Dan Garblik and Lalit Kalani, 12/03/12

Co-founders of Bandar Foods

Indian food has creeped into the weekly rotation of Taco Tuesdays, Take-Out Chinese Wednesdays and Trendy Thai Fusion Fridays -- all once misunderstood exotic cuisines that have secured spots on the carousel of accepted foods by mainstream America.

Jenna Goldring, 12/03/12

Duke University Senior, Cultural Anthropology Major, McKinney Advertising Intern

One would think that having killed a chicken and seen it previously alive and kicking, that it would be difficult to actually eat it. Strangely, however, it had the opposite effect.

Julie Elsdon-Height, 12/03/12

www.soberjulie.com

As a host during the holiday season, you must provide alternatives for people who don't drink alcohol. There are countless reasons why people abstain, and having a non-alcoholic choice will allow the guest to feel included in your event.