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.

Confused about what terms like "local," "green" and "sustainable" mean? You're not the only one trying to weed through it.

Luckily for us, Nate Appleman has an answer or five. He's the Culinary Manager of Chipotle Mexican Grill, a 2009 James Beard Rising Star Chef and a Food & Wine magazine Best New Chef and he's here to clear things up.

"There are a lot of great things happening in food right now as it relates to local and more sustainable. And a lot of food companies that would like for you to think they are part of that," Appleman said.

"When dealing with vague words like 'local' or 'fresh' or 'natural' that have no standard definition, it's important for people to understand what claims are being made, as there are many who try to benefit from using them."

Five Food Words and What They Really Mean - Or Don't: Nate Appleman
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French-inspired, Tokyo-based restaurant Ne Quittez Pas has been serving a soil-themed menu, but chef Toshio Tanabe is hardly the first person to dish up dirt to his clientele. Watch the video for a brief history of dirt eating, from gargouillou to geophagy.

Read more about blood, horsemeat, testicles, bugs and other daring and taboo foods

Chick-fil-A restaurants' philanthropic WinShape Foundation no longer funds the most controversial and politically charged anti-same-sex-marriage groups and has not since 2011, according to Campus Pride, a leading national LGBT campus organization.

Campus Pride issued a statement Monday claiming that Chick-fil-A gave the organization's executive director, Shane Windmeyer, access to WinShape's 2011 "990" tax documents.

He said they show that the nearly $6 million in outside grant funding "focuses on youth, education, marriage enrichment and local communities" and that in the list of the foundation's beneficiaries, "the most divisive, anti-LGBT groups are no longer listed." Among those groups were the Family Research Council, Eagle Forum and Exodus International.

Read the full story - Pride group: Chick-fil-A doesn't fund most divisive groups

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

Hut, hut, crunch! January 29 is National Corn Chip Day.

This Sunday, some of you might be sitting around a big TV watching men in shoulder pads and tight pants run around chasing an oblong ball.

At your gatherings, there will likely be any combination of dips - seven layer, guacamole, salsa, French onion, you name it. It's also very likely that when you eat those delicious dips, you’ll reach into a bowl of corn chips.
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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.
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Editor's Note: Mark Hill is Director of Photography for Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. He's very worth following on Instagram @photomark16

I read an article in the New York Times Dining section last week that filled me with dismay. Helene Stapinski wrote an intriguing piece discussing restaurants that ban photography because it’s a disruption of the dining experience.

But wait, am I really a bummer just because I love shooting my beautifully prepared food before digging in?
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A Mississippi teenager is taking a victory lap after Gatorade announced it will change a minor ingredient in some of its popular sports drinks.

Sarah Kavanagh, a fifteen-year-old volleyball player and Gatorade lover, was drinking an orange Gatorade at home when she read about one of the ingredients in it. She dumped out the rest of the bottle right then and there, and began an online campaign to lobby the company to change formulas. The petition eventually drew over 200,000 signatures.
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Ashton Kutcher might think twice before trying method acting again.

While preparing to play Steve Jobs in Joshua Michael Stern’s biopic, “Jobs,” the actor said he adopted the late Apple co-founder’s fruit-only diet.
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This is the seventh installment of "Eat This List" - a regularly recurring list of things chefs, farmers, writers and other food experts think you ought to know about.

Last week, I found myself hanging out with five whole hogs, three briskets and a whole lot of barbecue legends (and their faithful disciples) near some fire pits in freezing cold Murphysboro, Illinois. We'd congregated there for the second annual Whole Hog Extravaganza and BBQ MBA program, and when I wasn't stuffing my mouth with some of the best pork and brisket on the planet, I was slamming it shut and soaking up what these venerable pitmasters had to say.

Here's a taste.
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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.

Time to flip out! January 28 is National Blueberry Pancake Day.
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