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.

The world is your oyster - especially seeing that August 5 is National Oyster Day.

In preparation for the molluscan merrymaking, we've recruited Executive Chef Eric Woods of Blue Water Grill to drop the bivalve 411.

Cracking the Code (and Shells) on Oysters: Eric Woods
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Sink your teeth into today's top stories from around the globe.

• From Ron-Ron Juice to Snooki's pickles, eat and drink like the cast of "The Jersey Shore" during tonight's season premiere. - Food & Wine

• A love letter to Austin and its food trailer scene. - Appetite

• Cornmeal wears many a delicious chapeau. - Seattle Weekly

• For science! Turning Samoas and Tagalongs into nanomaterials. - Techonology Review

• Three arrests made as the government cracks down on raw dairy products. - LA Times

iReport above courtesy of hluu410

A trip to Hong Kong is about extreme capitalism - or extreme dining.

A visitor is usually here to cut a deal or, better yet, cut through all the wheeling and dealing and devour a decent meal. Thankfully, you are spoiled for choice in the city.

Among my favorite local delights (and there are many!) is Hee Kee's spicy Typhoon Shelter crab, the long-celebrated egg tarts at Tai Cheong Bakery, and a scoop of "Hong Kong milk tea" gelato at XTC.

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

Chip, chip hooray! - August 4 is National Chocolate Chips Day!

Chopping up a chocolate bar into little morsels and putting them in a batch of cookie dough may be one of the best ideas Ruth Graves Wakefield of the Toll House Inn ever had. Since we don't know dear Ruth, it's safe to say that chocolate chip cookies are one of the best American creations to date.
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Yaaaawn. Strrreeetch. You've been clacking away at your TPS report, manning the register or stuck on a conference call for what seems like an eternity, and it's time for a little java jolt.

You trudge to the communal break room for a cup of whatever brownish liquid they're passing off as coffee and...oh shoot! The darned thing is leaking everywhere.

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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