Food and Drink

File this under everything is related: The rise and decline of oil and wine prices march almost in lockstep.

Starbucks announced that customers can now pay for their coffee with their smart phones. Nancy Marshall Genzer has more.

Crumbs Bake Shop, a national cupcake chain, announced that it will be going public. The company plans on putting the money generated from listing shares on an exchange towards a major expansion. But is this just a fad? Alisa Roth reports.

China's Mid-Autumn Festival and its tradition of eating mooncakes has lent itself to an underground economy worth billions.

The former pesticide of choice, methyl bromide, was banned internationally. The alternative is methyl iodide, which scientists is toxic. But the state of California says its toxicity can be minimized through regulation. Marketplace's Adriene Hill reports.

Michelle Obama will announce a program to put 5,000 salad bars in schools around the country, but is that really the best use of limited resources? Eve Troeh reports.

The maker of the popular caffeinated alcohol drink FourLoko says it will be taking the caffeine out of its beverages, preempting an expected move by the FDA to ban drinks that blend alcohol and caffeine. Stacey Vanek-Smith has more.

When you heard Jeremy Hobson's interview with three-star Chef Daniel Boulud, did your mouth water at his low-budget braised pork shoulder? Listeners asked for the recipe, and Marketplace is happy to oblige.

It seems like everyone's talking about salt these days, and not just any salt — sea salt. The condiment is perceived to be healthier than your basic table salt, and Wendy's is about to add it to its new kind of fries. Jennifer Collins reports on what the craze is all about.

Latinos have been the backbone of the food service industry for decades, but few Hispanic-Americans have gotten their time in the culinary spotlight. That may be about to change, reports David Martin Davies.