Score one for government transparency: after much prodding, the President, in cooperation with Assistant Chef and the Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass, has released the recipes for White House Honey Ale and White House Honey Porter. The beers use honey from the White House's own hives, and may very possibly be the first alcoholic beverages ever brewed on premises:

Coming Soon!

A complete guide to choosing the right cheese for your fondue!

Over at the Walrus, writer Sasha Chapman takes a fascinating look at the long history of boxed mac 'n cheese in Canada:

The point is, it’s nearly impossible to live in Canada without forming an opinion about one of the world’s first and most successful convenience foods. In 1997, sixty years after the first box promised “dinner in seven minutes — no baking required,” we celebrated by making Kraft Dinner the top-selling grocery item in the country.

This makes KD, not poutine, our de facto national dish. We eat 3.2 boxes each in an average year, about 55 percent more than Americans do. We are also the only people to refer to Kraft Dinner as a generic for instant mac and cheese.

These mini tarts made with fresh peaches and mascarpone might steal your heart. Or at least a glance of yearning. Because really, they look irresistible.

When my sister and I were little, my mother would often make jam tartlets with us, using her collection of tiny stainless steel tart molds -- in diamond, oval, triangle shapes. For this challenge against Amanda, I decided to create a hybrid of these jam tartlets and the classic fresh fruit tarts you see at good French patisseries (and which I made countless times at culinary school). I incorporated some ground almonds into the crust and Instead of pastry cream, which would have been too sweet with the jam, I dolloped on some mascarpone, and finished the peaches with a light glaze, all French-like.

Get the recipe at Food52

It’s no secret that Pennsylvania is considered to have one of the most diversified agricultural economies in the nation. The state ranks first in mushroom production, with sweet corn, potatoes, tomatoes, beans and cabbage also making large contributions to the economy, along with a variety of fruits and field crops.

But even with this abundance of produce, almost 70 percent of Pennsylvania’s agricultural income is generated by livestock and livestock products, with milk making up the lion’s share of the market. And when people want to purchase any of the state’s high-quality fresh, organic, chemical-free agricultural products, be it milk or meat or vegetables, one destination comes to mind: Lancaster County in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, the breadbasket of Pennsylvania.

Ají de Quinoa is a flavorful Peruvian stew that pairs two iconic Andean ingredients, quinoa and potatoes, in a rich peppery quesillo-based sauce. The sauce is typically made with Peruvian yellow peppers, called ají amarillo. However, since they can be difficult to find outside of Peru, this recipe uses orange bell peppers, a touch of ground cayenne, and turmeric to recreate the color and heat of Peruvian ají amarillo. Nutritionally, Ají de Quinoa is a very complete dish that can stand on its own or with a small green salad for vegetarians. It also makes a great side to Peruvian-style meats like roasted chicken or pan-fried trout.

Nona Brooklyn brings us this great, in-depth piece on Consider Bardwell in Pawlet, Vermont, covering everything you need and want to know about the farm's cheesemaking operation:

Our day at Consider Bardwell began early on a drizzly morning with farm managers Margot Brooks and Alex Eaton, as they led the goats, waiting eagerly by the pasture gate for their morning milking, to the barn. Margot and Alex fell in love in college, and now collaborate on the neverending work of managing the farm’s animals and fields.

So Margot, Alex, how did you guys end up here, doing this?

Yvette Van Boven's book, Home Made, inspired food blogger Palate/Palette to create these wonderful mini frittatas using kale, pecorino and lime. We're ever-so glad:

A creative host of ingredients grace chapters devoted to techniques on everything from homemade cheese-making to smoking meat and beyond. It's the type of book that inspires you to be fearless in the kitchen; just the kind of tool I need in my armory. Unable to take it with me at that moment, I was nonetheless inspired by a simple frittata recipe with a unique combination of mint, spinach and pecorino. Already equipped with a bounty of fresh mint, and intrigued by its use in an egg dish, I created my own version using kale and pepitas.

Get the recipe here

Sometimes crepes are everything you need on a Sunday morning, and this recipe from Food52 is a nice blend of sweet and savory. An added convenience is that everything can be made in advance:

When I was in school a few years ago, one of my favorite desserts we made that took me completely by surprise was a ricotta pie topped with a tangle of candied kumquats. It was that perfect balance of sweet and well, not so sweet, for me. So when I taught a crepe - making class last winter I decided to turn it into a crepe. It's since gone through a few different permutations, and this is my favorite. The kumquats are simmered in a mixture of Lillet, honey, agave nectar, cardamom seeds and cinnamon, and perfectly set off the crepe and its ricotta orange filling.

Get the recipe

A group of sixth graders in a Manhattan public school has created a "smart pitcher" that alerts consumers when milk has gone bad. Who needs adults when these kids are taking care of business? Inhabitat has the story:

Normal milk has a pH that sits in between 6.5 and 7.2, but once harmful bacteria are introduced, they change the pH, increasing its acidity from the waste they produce. When the jug detects that the milk has reached a certain level of acidity, a light flashes near the top of the handle. The jug also features a color-coded thermometer and a well-insulated body. Future modifications to the prototype include adding an audible alarm and a sensor that only activates the warning lights when the container is outside the refrigerator.