"London. You know: fish, chips, cup 'o tea, bad food, worse weather, Mary (expletive) Poppins. ...London!"

That line, delivered by Dennis Farina's fast-talking, diamond-dealing character Avi in Guy Richie's 2000 hit film "Snatch," sums up the long-held convention that English food is rather bleak. However, such stereotypes are fortunately antiquated.

London, with its cultural vibrancy and burgeoning international food scene, has become a destination for gastronomes seeking modern, exotic dishes with a touch of old-world charm. In today’s London, you can grab a good old-fashioned pint and shepherd’s pie at the pub for lunch and feast on top-notch curry for dinner.

Here are a few suggestions for a flavor-filled weekend in the Olympics host city:
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During the month of Ramadan, which began July 19 and continues through August 18, from dawn to dusk observant Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex in order to purify themselves, learn humility, pray and concentrate on Allah's teachings.
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Kate Krader (@kkrader on Twitter) is Food & Wine's restaurant editor. When she tells us where to find our culinary heart's desire, we listen up.

Now that we’ve celebrated Opening Day, it’s time to start talking about the real news this baseball season. No, nothing about Marlins' manager Ozzie Guillen’s political opinions, or how long it will take the Boston Red Sox to have a winning record.

The real news is how exponentially better it is to eat and drink in baseball stadiums than ever before. No doubt, ballpark food has been steadily improving for years (credit Boog’s BBQ in Camden Yards in the 90s with starting the trend). But this is the best time ever to be eating and drinking while you keep your eyes on home plate.
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Ashley Strickland is an associate producer with CNN.com. She likes tackling English toffee, sharing people-pleasin' pizza dip and green soup, cajoling recipes from athletes and studying up on food holidays.

It’s the cookbook we don’t have to pull off the shelf, because it’s already open on the counter, turned to the beginnings of the next awe-inspiring meal.

It is also the book that provides the Augusta hostess with a week of recipes for the Masters Tournament. But for golfers, restaurants, resorts and families all across Georgia, it’s a scrapbook of the dishes that bookmark our lives.

In January 1988, my Aunt Edna gifted Mom with the green, plastic spiral comb-bound cookbook compiled by the Junior League of Augusta, Georgia, in 1977, creatively titled “Tea-Time at the Masters.” My mother not only rediscovered her favorite squash casserole within its pages (once thought lost forever), but recipes to start and build a family with - apropos, because I was born just a few months later in April.
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Cue the “Mission: Impossible” music.

“Your mission, Mr. Lendon, should you accept it, is to attend one of the world’s foremost sporting events and eat from the concessions all day for under $15.”

This is crazy, I say to myself. Can’t be done. For the 2011 Super Bowl, a single beer was $10, a soda $6.  At a regular season L.A. Dodgers game, a hot dog sets you back $5.

And this is Augusta National Golf Club, the best of the best for golf. Nevertheless, I set off on my mission.

Mission log follows.
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This is it. We've entered the final countdown. You've practiced all year for the knock-down, drag-out, take-no-prisoners game on Sunday. Every scoop, every chug, every bite has led you to this moment - your moment - to bask in the glory of pigskin (both on your plate and on television).

Still got a case of the pregame jitters? Iron Chef Michael Symon has some last-minute strategy to offer for the guacamole gridiron. The goal: sending you into your Super Bowl soiree with your game face on, and seeing you emerge victorious as MVPP (that's Most Valuable Party Planner to you).

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Ray Isle (@islewine on Twitter) is Food & Wine's executive wine editor. We trust his every cork pop and decant – and the man can sniff out a bargain to boot. Take it away, Ray.

Not to beat a dead horse, or a major national sporting event, but a few more Super Bowl beer recommendations seem necessary in order to avoid tragedy this weekend. I mean, what if, for instance, you went to the store Saturday night and they were out of your favorite brand? Rather than going berserk and hurling yourself into the chip display, perhaps one of the following might be an option.

And in order to make life even easier, these suggestions - primarily American craft beers and imports, i.e. breweries that aren’t apt to spend $3 million on a 30-second ad during the game - are matched up to some of the most popular Super Bowl snacks.

There actually is some sense to this, though I’m fully aware that anyone whose team is winning is going to be too maniacally psyched to care what they’re eating, and anyone whose team is losing, well, in that case it’s all going to taste like dust and ashes anyway.
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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.

Editor's Note: Patrick Connolly is the Executive Chef at The Kitchen NYC. Patrick’s brother, Dan Connolly, is a starting offensive lineman for the New England Patriots.

Generally speaking, the Super Bowl is about three things: food, drink and excessive partaking of each (for a Sunday). This year is a little different for me as my youngest brother Daniel is the starting center for the Patriots (he’s the guy who hikes the ball to Gisele Bundchen’s husband).

Normally, I’d be spending the day in the kitchen then plopping myself on the couch with a sandwich the size of a coffee table just in time for a butchered rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" by an American Idol. This year, however, I’ll be spending the day with my family on the heated streets of Indianapolis and plopping myself on a cool plastic seat in Lucas Oil Stadium.

So, as I lose my voice during yet another big championship game I’ve road-tripped to, I hope you will enjoy two or 20 cold beers, something nice between pieces of bread and a big ol’ plate of nachos. Perhaps Doritos and shredded cheddar in the microwave is your style? Or maybe you’re a nacho overachiever and pull off a nine-layer dip? But if you’re looking for something a little outside the box, may I suggest one of the following:

Five Nacho Variations
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Ray Isle (@islewine on Twitter) is Food & Wine's executive wine editor. We trust his every cork pop and decant – and the man can sniff out a bargain to boot. Take it away, Ray.

Yes, it is once again upon us, the gladiatorial apex of American sports, the most exciting game of the year (well, not usually, but it’s supposed to be), the day that drives sales of more than 51 million cases of beer (not to mention 53 million pounds of avocados, which brings to mind a disconcerting image of millions of Americans sitting in front of their TV with a Bud in one hand and an avocado in the other).

Yes, that day, the day of days, the Super Bowl. And when it comes to wine pairings for the Super Bowl, well, forget that craziness. The Super Bowl means beer.

Now, you could drink some sort of generic "lite" hogwash, but why would you do that when the two competing teams come from places that are littered with terrific regional breweries? Show some support! Drink your team’s hometown - or home pretty-much-the-same-region - brew. Here’s a selection of excellent Patriots or Giants-oriented possibilities.
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Drew Robinson is the pitmaster at Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q. He previously wrote about serving up gratitude in trouble times and why barbecue matters and the the sacred ritual of the tailgate.

There are old traditions and then there are old football traditions. I had the fortune of witnessing one resurrected in my lifetime two years ago when Alabama played Texas in the Rose Bowl for the National Championship. But there are new traditions too.

Alabama vs LSU is not a historic rivalry, it is only really a new tradition because they both have become superpowers in the same division of the same conference. So much so that they have beaten away all of college football for a rematch in the BCS game.

How important is this game to each fan base? My grandfather was born and raised in New Orleans. He loved LSU. He loved Alabama too because that became his adopted home, but he never put the Crimson Tide above the Bengal Tigers.
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