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Sourdough loaves made by Fromartz with a bolted white flour from Anson Mills in South Carolina that he says reminded him of the wheat he'd tasted in southern France.

Sourdough loaves made by Fromartz with a bolted white flour from Anson Mills in South Carolina that he says reminded him of the wheat he'd tasted in southern France. Samuel Fromartz hide caption

itoggle caption Samuel Fromartz

The Salt

To Make Bread, Watch The Dough, Not The Recipe

One man's quest for the perfect loaf took him to Paris, Berlin, California and Kansas. What he learned can't easily be captured in words. It's a feeling in your fingers that comes from experience.

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Author Mimi Thorisson and her husband, photographer Oddur Thorisson, moved their six children and dogs from a Parisian apartment to a farmhouse in the Médoc region of France.

Author Mimi Thorisson and her husband, photographer Oddur Thorisson, moved their six children and dogs from a Parisian apartment to a farmhouse in the Médoc region of France. Oddur Thorisson hide caption

itoggle caption Oddur Thorisson

The Salt

A Family's Fall Harvest Blooms In 'A Kitchen In France'

Since moving her large family from a Paris apartment to a historic farmhouse in the French countryside, author Mimi Thorisson has found a way to merge the best of the different worlds she has known.

IBM's Watson supercomputer is most famous for winning at Jeopardy! Now it's been called in to come up with recipe ideas.

IBM's Watson supercomputer is most famous for winning at Jeopardy! Now it's been called in to come up with recipe ideas. Bob Goldberg/AP/IBM hide caption

itoggle caption Bob Goldberg/AP/IBM

All Tech Considered

I've Got The Ingredients. What Should I Cook? Ask IBM's Watson

IBM's supercomputer has crushed Jeopardy! Now chefs are using Watson to come up with new kinds of recipes that work around dietary restrictions and other limitations.

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Proponents of the taxes say that if the measures pass, the money would be directed, in San Francisco, toward childhood nutrition and recreation and, in Berkeley, into the city's general fund.

Proponents of the taxes say that if the measures pass, the money would be directed, in San Francisco, toward childhood nutrition and recreation and, in Berkeley, into the city's general fund. Joel Saget /AFP/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Joel Saget /AFP/Getty Images

The Salt

Soda-Makers Try To Take Fizz Out Of Bay Area Tax Campaigns

Voters will decide on a penny-per-ounce tax on sugary drinks in Berkeley and a 2-cent-per-ounce tax in San Francisco. But the soda industry's lobbying group has spent millions blasting the measures.

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After a hard day of bruising battle, ancient gladiators reached for a post-workout drink, according to an ancient account. New research backs that up.

After a hard day of bruising battle, ancient gladiators reached for a post-workout drink, according to an ancient account. New research backs that up. Stefano Bianchetti/Corbis hide caption

itoggle caption Stefano Bianchetti/Corbis

The Salt

Gladiator Gatorade? Ancient Athletes Had A Recovery Drink, Too

Gladiators guzzled a drink made from plant ash to help their bodies recover after a hard day of sword fighting, according to Roman accounts. New tests of old bones back up that idea.

At Moriah Pie in Norwood, Ohio, Erin and Robert Lockridge serve homemade pizza and diners pay what they can.

At Moriah Pie in Norwood, Ohio, Erin and Robert Lockridge serve homemade pizza and diners pay what they can. Christopher Kuettner hide caption

itoggle caption Christopher Kuettner

The Salt

An Unlikely Friday Night Pizza Cafe Has A Big Heart

One night a week, Erin and Robert Lockridge serve homemade pizza out of an empty corner cafe in Cincinnati, and diners pay what they can. The couple sees their work as God's mission in the community.

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Say you want to make creme brulee, but don't own a kitchen blowtorch. What to do? In Toronto, there's a new solution: a start-up offering a library just for kitchen tools and appliances.

Say you want to make creme brulee, but don't own a kitchen blowtorch. What to do? In Toronto, there's a new solution: a start-up offering a library just for kitchen tools and appliances. Radius Images/Corbis hide caption

itoggle caption Radius Images/Corbis

The Salt

A New Lending Library — For Your Kitchen

Fondue sets, ice cream makers and juicers are fun to have, but they take up a lot of cash — and counter space. A new Toronto start-up offers subscription-based access to borrowed appliances.

America's Test Kitchen recommends cooking meat, like this pan-seared steak, at a moderate temperature to seal in the juices.

America's Test Kitchen recommends cooking meat, like this pan-seared steak, at a moderate temperature to seal in the juices. Carl Tremblay/Courtesy of America's Test Kitchen hide caption

itoggle caption Carl Tremblay/Courtesy of America's Test Kitchen

The Salt

'Test Kitchen': How To Buy The Safest Meat And Make The Juiciest Steaks

The Cook's Illustrated Meat Book gives tips on how to shop for, store, season and cook meat. Why shouldn't you pack your burgers too tight? Two America's Test Kitchen editors explain.

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The homeless and others in need enjoy lunch at the Los Angeles Mission on Nov. 23, 2011, in celebration of Thanksgiving. Legislation to ban organizations from serving food to homeless people in public places has been proposed in Los Angeles.

The homeless and others in need enjoy lunch at the Los Angeles Mission on Nov. 23, 2011, in celebration of Thanksgiving. Legislation to ban organizations from serving food to homeless people in public places has been proposed in Los Angeles. Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images

The Salt

More Cities Are Making It Illegal To Hand Out Food To The Homeless

Lots of groups and individuals try to help the homeless in their communities by offering them food. But a report finds that cities are increasingly passing measures to restrict these efforts.

A Haitian woman holds cherries from a coffee tree. Haiti's coffee trade was once a flourishing industry, but it has been crippled by decades of deforestation, political chaos and now, climate change.

A Haitian woman holds cherries from a coffee tree. Haiti's coffee trade was once a flourishing industry, but it has been crippled by decades of deforestation, political chaos and now, climate change. Patrick Farrell /MCT /Landov hide caption

itoggle caption Patrick Farrell /MCT /Landov

The Salt

Climate Change Has Coffee Growers In Haiti Seeking Higher Ground

Haiti's once-flourishing coffee trade has been badly battered. The latest threat: climate change. Locals who still rely on coffee for their livelihood must learn to grow it in changing climes.

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