Last month, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack broke ground (with a jackhammer, literally) on The People’s Garden, which was formerly 1250 square feet of pavement at USDA headquarters. But this act of showmanship, which coincided with Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday celebration, was derided as a publicity stunt. Critics, already skeptical of Vilsack’s appointment as the [...]

The word “brace” is something you don’t often see on a menu. It was stumping me as a culinary term, until I remembered that it was simply an arcane synonym for the word “pair.” I recalled this definition from my high school days, back when I was cramming for the SAT, but I hadn’t really [...]

I sincerely hope that the Obamas plant a vegetable garden at the White House. Frankly, I’m a little appalled that there isn’t one already on the property, and I view this as a tremendous shortcoming on many different levels. Without a doubt, I place a lot of the blame on the White House executive chef, [...]