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.

Ready or not, here the holidays come. And that means people - friends, in-laws, carolers, cousins twice removed –  will be merrily rolling into your house. Some of them you will like; some of them you will not. Either way, you might as well ease the potential awkwardness and give them a drink.

Bryan Dayton, the owner of Boulder's Oak at Fourteenth and this year's "most inspired bartender in the country" according to GQ Magazine, offers all the bare necessities to make spirits brighter in the comfort of your own home.

Five Essential Bar Tools for the Holidays: Bryan Dayton
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Kansas City rapper Mac Lethal took the internet by storm last week with a one-two punch of a blistering rendition of "Look at Me Now" and a Tumblr called "Texts from Bennett."

While the authenticity of "Bennett" is a matter of some dispute, the 30-year-old Mac Lethal (a.k.a. David Sheldon) brooks no argument over his skills as an MC or as a home chef. As Lethal spits mad rhymes in an uninterrupted take, he cooks up what looks to be flawless pancakes in his home kitchen, suggesting his comfort serving up both beats that are fresh and beets that are tasty.

As longstanding fans of the intersection of hip-hop and cuisine, we asked Mac Lethal to drop some knowledge about his culinary life.
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Sink your teeth into today's top stories from around the globe.

• Did a fan's cry of "mashed potatoes!" help Tiger Woods win his first title in two years? - Larry Brown Sports

• Speaking of golf, the one and only Arnold Palmer is stirring up the drink market. - Ad Age

• Brazilian football legend Socrates passed away over the weekend because of food poisoning from beef stroganoff. - Daily Mail

• Some doctors are urging young athletes to keep energy drinks out of the locker room. - USA Today

• The evolution of dessert. - New York Times

So, how do you eat sushi, the quintessential Japanese delicacy of vinegared rice topped with raw fish and other ingredients? With your fingers? With chopsticks? Dipped into soy sauce; daubed with wasabi? One mouthful or two?

The only certainty, it seems, is that its proper consumption demands both etiquette and practicality. To put the matter to rest, we enquired at the top: Sushi Sawada, on Tokyo’s most prestigious intersection of Ginza 4-chome.

With two Michelin stars and only seven seats, Sawada is a shrine to this single wondrous dish - and to straight-talking master Koji Sawada’s constant quest for perfection.

Read - How to eat sushi

On CNNGo: The best sushi restaurants in Tokyo | Tsukiji's sushi paradise

See all our Japan Eats coverage and get more on CNNGo

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

Vienna waits for you - December 5 is National Sachertorte Day!

If you're craving this highly exclusive cake, you'd better put your order in early to ensure delivery by Christmas! The Original Sachertorte, created in 1832, is only made in Vienna and Salzburg, but they're kind enough to ship globally.

The cake itself is made up of two layers of dense chocolate sponge cake, separated by a layer of apricot conserve in the middle and covered with a lush, dark chocolate icing, whipped cream optional. While not overly sweet, the dessert is rich with powerful flavors.
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