Chefs with Issues is a platform for chefs and farmers we love, fired up for causes about which they're passionate. Virginia Willis, a graduate of L'Academie de Cuisine and Ecole de Cuisine LaVarenne, is the author of "Bon Appétit, Y’all" and "Basic to Brilliant, Y'all."

I opened up a veritable bucket of bait, not a mere can of worms, back in January with my blog post titled "Wicked Tuna: A Deal with the Devil."

"Wicked Tuna" is a reality series that premiered April 1 on the National Geographic Channel. It follows the lives of bluefin tuna fishermen in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and is produced by the same folks that produce the hit TV shows "Dirty Jobs" and "Swamp Loggers."

By many accounts, including the National Geographic website, bluefin tuna are overfished. This is where I find a huge disconnect with the National Geographic channel hosting a show about Atlantic bluefin tuna fishing.
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Breakfast at Burger King is about to get more humane.

The nation's No. 2 fast food chain announced an agreement Wednesday with the Humane Society of the United States to switch to eggs from hens not kept in cages, and to only use pork products from pigs also not kept and bred in small cages.

While rivals McDonald's, Wendy's and other food-service companies already have policies or agreements with the Humane Society on the humane treatment of pigs, Wednesday's announcement was the first by a major chain that it would switch to cage-free eggs.

"What this does is send a clear message to these industries that their customers and the public don't want animals confined for their entire lives in cages. They will have to make changes," said Matt Prescott, food policy director for the Humane Society.

Read - Burger King to use eggs from cage-free hens

Previously - Egg-splained: Free-range, cage-free and organic

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

• Cinco margarita recipes for Cinco de Mayo, and summer in general. - Serious Eats

• Harking back to the legendary Vegas steakhouse. - Saveur

• Yogurtgate: One college student had the unfortunate pleasure of accidentally spilling fro-yo on the President's trousers. - Bites on TODAY

• Burger King will transition to cage-free eggs and pork by 2017. - Gawker

• The life and times of a restaurant regular. - Wall Street Journal

The first U.S. case of mad cow disease in six years sparked fears of illness that prompted at least one major South Korean retailer to suspend the sale of American beef.

However, public health officials said the risk for disease for Americans is extremely low given that the affected dairy cow in central California was not part of the human food chain and was not exposed to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) through animal feed.

"It was never presented for slaughter for human consumption, so at no time presented a risk to the food supply or human health," said John Clifford, the Agriculture Department's chief veterinarian.

Read the full story: "S. Korea curbs U.S. beef sales after confirmation of mad cow disease"

After Tuesday's announcement confirming a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), sometimes referred to as "mad cow disease," in a dairy cow in California, you may want a refresher course in mad cow basics.

It's important to keep in mind that U.S. health officials said the public risk posed by BSE is extremely low, and that residents don't need to take any specific precautions.

Here are the facts:
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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.

April 25 is National Zucchini Bread Day! Knead we say more?

When you're craving a quick snack, shredding up some zucchini may not be the first thing that comes to mind, but zucchini bread is just the treat to satisfy your taste buds.

Like banana bread, this dish is classified as a quick bread. These breads don't use yeast as a leavening agent; there is no fermentation period so the dough can be immediately baked as soon as it's created. Before their creation, all baked goods used yeast or mixed dough with eggs to get their lift.
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