What’s Cooking – Monday, November 23rd

Here's what's cooking around town today...

Soil degradation because of increased salinity has provoked a scientist to create a new strain of rice that is designed to resist salt. But wouldn't controlling the use of pesticide, fertilizer, and water be a better place to start? Do we need more GM foods? [Globe and Mail]

Coca-Cola has plans to launch a "green" bottle at the 2010 Olympics - but how eco-friendly is it really? [Toronto Star]

US chef Thomas Keller spreads himself thin with a number of restaurants and cookbooks, but it turns out that his latest book is his most accessible yet. [Inside Toronto: Menumental]

Cupcakes... are not the same as "cake in a cup". [T.O. Bites]

While we're super-excited about the African part of the menu at newly-opened Harlem Underground (because aside from Ethiopian and Moroccan restaurants and maybe Afrofest, when was the last time you had any kind of African food?), we're not so keen on their decision to serve shark, which is endangered. [Toronto Tasting Notes]

I've come across a dozen or so recaps of the Gourmet Food and Wine Expo, and while I personally always have a great time, the consensus seems to be that the "gourmet" part needs to come out of the name of the event. Or that they need more food vendors, particularly of the high-end variety. [Foodpr0n.com]

Ah, potlucks. I don't see them happening in homes very often anymore, but they are the bane of the holiday office party. I used to work in an office that had a staff potluck lunch once a month and attendance was mandatory - it was always godawful, with the de rigeur pot of stanky chili in a slow cooker, and the lazy contributor's bag of cheezy poofs. The worst was the one that fell during Ramadan, where the crazy Christian lady told the Muslim data entry temp that his religion was "stupid" for fasting and that he should really eat her casserole. So I'm with Catherine Jheon - unless you're amongst gourmets, down with the potluck. [Foodtv.ca: Food For Thought]