Food and Drink

Cheap, legal and everywhere: How food companies get us 'hooked' on junk
Reporter Michael Moss says processed foods can be as alluring in some ways as cocaine or cigarettes. His new book explains how companies keep us snacking by appealing to nostalgia and brain chemistry.
Heinz promises to catch up to demand amid ketchup packet shortage
The pandemic is causing another new, yet uniquely American, shortage — ketchup. Heinz says it will increase its production by 25 percent to meet the demand for packets of the popular condiment.
How Rodney Scott learned to cook – and went for it, whole hog
Pitmaster Rodney Scott describes his lifelong journey as a chef and his hope for the future. "I want to take over the world with barbecue," the James Beard Award winner tells NPR.
The sting that cuts through numbness: Horseradish on pandemic Passover tables
Horseradish will be on many Seder tables for the start of Passover, symbolizing the bitterness ancient Hebrews experienced during slavery in Egypt. Harshness and pain isn't a feeling many people need much help accessing right now, on this second pandemic Passover.
When your fad diet fails, and it probably will, 'Just Eat'
Diets often fail in the long term because they're too strict or require unnatural eating habits. In a new book, Barry Estabrook turns to science and history to find a weight-loss regimen that works.
There are so many flavors of potato chips; 'Hooked' looks at why
Investigative reporter Michael Moss explores how some food companies tweak their products to take advantage of evolved biology, creating room for novelty that triggers the brain to make us want more.