Perhaps you think you’ve seen it, heard it all before. Hunger in the Horn of Africa. Famine once again spreading in Somalia. It is an old headline, I suppose, it certainly has happened before, but that doesn’t lessen the horror of it: the sickening stench of a hospital room filled with dying children; the shock of seeing row after row of tiny, freshly dug graves.

It is hard to know what to say. There are statistics of course. An estimated 29,000 children under the age of five dead in the last three months. 3.2 million people in Somalia in need of immediate, life saving assistance. Well over two million Somalis have had to flee their homes to the capital Mogadishu or to neighboring countries. The numbers are numbing.

Read - Cooper: 'This famine was preventable'

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.

Someone stole borrowed your stapler at the office, you were in bumper to bumper traffic on the way home, and all you can think of making for dinner is that same ol' chicken tetrazzini recipe - which was delicious, the first 1800 times.

You, my friend, have fallen into a cooking rut.

So, what's a disgruntled and uninspired home cook to do? Chef Aaron Wright from The Tavern at Lark Creek has got you covered with some unique tips to take your Monday night to the next level.

As a chef, Wright might not find himself at home very often for a weeknight dinner - but when he does, he makes it count.

Five Ways to Make a Weeknight Meal Feel Extraordinary: Aaron Wright
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When you're packing your kid's lunchbox in the morning, the ice pack is just as important as the fruit and the sandwich. And new research finds you might need more than one to keep your little one healthy.

Looking at the lunches of preschool age children, Texas researchers found that 98% of the time the food was not as cold or as hot as it should be for safe eating, even if packed in an insulated lunch box or stored in a hot thermos. This means your child may be more likely to come home with a stomach ache.

"This is a red flag. This means that the recommendations for food safety are not being followed," said Dr. Steve Abrams, member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition.

Read the full story: "Secret for a safe kid's lunch: Extra ice"

Sink your teeth into today's top stories from around the globe.

• Dear Abby: My in-laws always take leftover meat from our house for their dog. - Chicago Sun-Times

• French women don't get fat? Seems that's no longer the case. - NPR

• Michigan has removed 30,000 college students from its food stamp program. - Detroit News

• In the world's tallest tower in Dubai, residents on the highest floors must break their Ramadan fast later since they receive more sunlight. - Hurriyet Daily News

• Energy drink sales remain fully energized throughout tough economic times. - Food Navigator

Emily Schultze is a CNN Senior White House Producer.

I’m not an excellent baker. I am, however, an excellent aunt - so I like to be prepared with a project when nieces and nephews come to town.

Today’s project: peach cake.
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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.

Ice cream is so last month - August 8 is National Frozen Custard Day!

Skip the mustard and go straight for the rich, creamy and - like a teenage rockstar - oh-so-dreamy bliss that is frozen custard.
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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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