Anderson Cooper reports live from Somalia and talks with U2's Bono about the disturbing hunger situation there and how you can help. Tune into "AC360º" at 8 and 10 p.m. ET Wednesday on CNN.

There is no way to dignify the description of death by starvation. It is neither quick nor painless. Not too long after the food is cut off, the body resorts to fuel reserves in the liver and fatty tissues. Once the fat is all gone, and the person is a skeleton of what he or she once was, the body searches for protein, and finds it in muscle tissue. Even the muscle of the heart is consumed, leaving someone drained and listless.

The body shuts down. The pulse, the blood pressure and body temperature all precipitously drop. Little kids such as Ahmed (a six year old boy at the Dadaab refugee camp) completely stop growing and become stunted in time.

Read more at Saving Ahmed from starvation

Previously - The funny sounding nut paste that's saving children's lives in Somalia

Apropos of our post on the Tomato and Mayonnaise Sandwich - A.K.A. The Finest Sandwich in the Known Universe, we present some passages from Louise Fitzhugh's 1964 'Harriet the Spy'.

"There is nothing that makes me sicker than watching Harriet M. Welsch eat a tomato sandwich. Pinky Whitehead"

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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.

As kids across America prepare (read: drag their feet) for the start of another school year, teachers are just as busy preparing for their imminent arrival - including hanging that ubiquitous poster outlining the class rules of "treat others like you'd like to be treated" and "keeps hands, feet and objects to yourself."

Speaking of rules, chef Linton Hopkins has a few of his own to contribute to the rest of the class - though his are more applicable in the lunchroom than in the library.

Hopkins is chef and co-owner of Restaurant Eugene and Holeman & Finch Public House in Atlanta, Georgia. He is also the Southern Foodways Alliance Board President, a multi James Beard Award nominee, a Food & Wine magazine "Best New Chef" and co-founder of the Peachtree Road Farmers Market.

Five Good Food Values: Linton Hopkins
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Sink your teeth into today's top stories from around the globe.

• You shouldn't cried over spilled milk, but $2.5 million in smoked sturgeon? You can shed a tear. - Smithsonian

• Make a peanut butter pie on Friday for Mikey. - In Jennie's Kitchen

• Can you dig it? Putting up food, that is. - Ecocentric

• One woman's dysfunctional relationship with food growing up, and how she managed to function it. - xoJane

• Eating healthy can actually cost less in some cases. - Globe and Mail

Scorpacciata is a term that means consuming large amounts of a particular local ingredient while it's in season. It's a good way to eat. Here's how to pronounce it.

A tomato and mayonnaise sandwich on store-bought white bread is the finest sandwich known to mankind.

This is not up for debate, and the ingredients are not negotiable. Salt and pepper are permissible, but if you try to get schmancier than that, you'll screw it all up, and your sandwich should be taken away from you until you learn to properly appreciate the simple perfection of this combination.

You will not have the opportunity to eat one between, say, mid-September and the beginning of next August, so it's best that you consume them as frequently as humanly possible while tomatoes are in season. One a day would not be overkill and you and your physician should just devise a plan for counteracting any potential over-mayonnaising you may encounter during this period of your gastronomic life.
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Photo credit: Aminu Abubakar/AFP/Getty Images

Dr. Sanjay Gupta is reporting live from Somalia with more on the disturbing hunger situation. "AC360º" is now at 8 and 10 ET weeknights on CNN.

It has a funny sounding name. So funny in fact, that you might be tempted to not take it seriously. It's called Plumpy’Nut.

The kids here in Somalia just call it Plumpy. If you have never heard of it, you probably have never truly been hungry or lived in a country where malnutrition is prevalent. It has been called a magic potion, as big a development as penicillin, and is widely credited with single-handedly lowering mortality rates from famine in Africa.
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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.

Get on the banana boat bandwagon - August 10 is National Banana Split Day!

Split a 'nanner down the middle, pile on the chocolate, strawberry and vanilla ice cream and don't forget to dig out your hot fudge sauce and pineapple topping! Salute today with a flavor party in your mouth (and a wee bit of brain freeze).
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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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