Food in the Field gives a sneak peek into what CNN's team is eating, and the food culture they encounter as they travel the globe.

Hey, journalism students and folks who assume food writers have Perrier-Jouet's 2000 Belle Epoque Champagne and Beluga borne about on silver platters by butlers several steps behind - that's a bunch of bananas. Well, actually a LOT of bunches of bananas.
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5@5 is a daily, food-related list from chefs, writers, political pundits, musicians, actors, and all manner of opinionated people from around the globe.

If you're ever out to eat with the Eatocracy editors (and seriously, we wish all of you were),  you'll probably notice we're not afraid to ask questions. We fancy ourselves pretty knowledgeable when it comes to food, but we certainly don't know everything. If you meet somebody who claims such - give them a gold star for us.

In terms of wine, two of our favorite questions are: "What grape needs some loving?" and "which one tastes most like a barnyard?" ... OK, so we like our wine a little funky, but the point is this: Sommeliers like Joe Campanale are not only there to help you, they want to help you.

Campanale is the co-owner and beverage director of dell'anima, L'Artusi and Anfora restaurants in New York City - he is also Certified Sommelier by the Court of Master Sommeliers.

Five Questions You Should Not Be Afraid to Ask Your Sommelier: Joe Campanale
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Sink your teeth into today's top stories from around the globe.

• Pepsi fizzles out as the second most popular soda. Diet Coke takes its place. - Wall Street Journal

• Saving some green at the salad bar. - New York Times

• A peek behind Oz's curtain at Patrick Roger Chocolate, along with a lesson in describing things as "good" in French. - David Lebovitz

• Peet's might be added to the Starbucks cup of morning Joe. - Reuters

• A guide to South by Southwest barbecue/barbeque/BBQ/etc. - Man Up: Tales of Texas BBQ

Spring is the season for new beginnings and budding romances. There are couples canoodling as they dine alfresco outside restaurants everywhere. You can practically smell the sizzling steaks as you stroll down the street. And you can't walk in the park without stumbling on a romantic picnic.

Spring is all about dining in the great outdoors. It's about love and it's about barbecue sauce.

As someone who has dated any number of men who make Al Bundy look like Mario Batali, I should know. My dyspeptic dating disasters inspired me to conduct a study of the male species via their stomachs. I interviewed more than 200 men and women about the connection between a man's wining and dining style and his mating style. I discovered you can divine a man's essence from his culinary style.

Read the rest of "Pick a man by his winning culinary style" on CNN Living.

While you're frying up some eggs and bacon, we're cooking up something else: a way to celebrate today's food holiday and the most delicious finds on TV.

Lovely day for a Guinness, no? March 17 is St. Patrick's Day, also unofficially known as "Wear Green and Get Drunk Day."

Pad your stomach with all sorts of Irish fare, from sweet scones to potato cakes, corned beef to soda bread - after a few green beers, you'll be lucky you did.

What's on TV?
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Emily Schultze is a CNN Senior White House Producer

First Lady Michelle Obama joined two dozen local elementary schools kids on the South Lawn for the third spring planting of the White House garden. Assistant White House Chef Sam Kass oversaw this year’s seedlings which included spinach, broccoli, turnips and swiss chard.

According to Kass the 1500 square foot garden has produced over 2000 pounds of food in the 3 years. He noted most of the food is used in the White House but a full third of it goes to Miriam’s Kitchen, a local mission that provides food to the homeless.

The 1600 Report has Obama....no beets about it

Get gardening at home with this easy-start guide

Pssst! Got a sec to chat?

We are utterly thrilled when readers want to hang out and talk – whether it's amongst themselves or in response to pieces we've posted. We want Eatocracy to be a cozy, spirited online home for those who find their way here.

Consider the daily Coffee klatsch post as your VIP lounge – the primary comments thread for readers who'd like to chat about topics not related to the articles we're running. That way, everyone knows where to find each other, and each post's comments section remains on topic.
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