5@5 is a food-related list from chefs, writers, political pundits, musicians, actors, and all manner of opinionated people from around the globe.

This Sunday is Mother's Day, but you knew that. The card is in the mail, the bouquet is pre-ordered, the brunch reservation is in the book...

Right?

If the holiday did just happen to slip your mind, fret not: Elizabeth Blau of Honey Salt restaurant in Las Vegas has some tips on showing Mom you care the homemade way - all while keeping your sanity intact.

Five Stress-Reducing Tips for Mother's Day Brunch: Elizabeth Blau
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5@5 is a food-related list from chefs, writers, political pundits, musicians, actors, and all manner of opinionated people from around the globe.

Editor's Note: Matt Gross is the author of the new memoir "The Turk Who Loved Apples." Follow him on Twitter @worldmattworld.

For most of the past decade, I was on the road. I was a travel writer, working primarily for the New York Times (where I was the Frugal Traveler), and also for several other publications, including Saveur and Afar magazines. As I ranged from Buenos Aires to Gdansk to Chongqing, I was so hungry for the experience of new, great food that I quickly realized I couldn't just return to my nominal home in Brooklyn, without bringing back a taste of my adventures.

Flouting U.S. Customs regulations (or, really, just not bothering to find out what they might be) I sought out these five essential ingredients that travel well, last long and offer up pungent memories of far-flung lands.

Five Essential Foods to "Smuggle" Home: Matt Gross
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5@5 is a food-related list from chefs, writers, political pundits, musicians, actors, and all manner of opinionated people from around the globe.

Jacob Griffin doesn't want maple syrup to be stuck as a pancake staple; there's a lot more sweetness to tap.

Griffin is the chef at The Farm Stand Cafe at Madava Farms, an organic maple farm in New York’s Hudson Valley that is the home of Crown Maple Syrup.

Five Unlikely Uses for Real Maple Syrup: Jacob Griffin
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5@5 is a food-related list from chefs, writers, political pundits, musicians, actors, and all manner of opinionated people from around the globe.

Editor's Note: Dan Latimer is the general manager of HUSK Restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina. HUSK is the second restaurant under the helm of James Beard Award-winning Chef Sean Brock and is often regarded as one of the best restaurants in America.

Hiring a team is one of the most integral points in a restaurant manager’s life; a well-thought-out and executed regiment in hiring can save countless hours of “managing” in the future. I remember waaay back in school learning about the Marriott Management Philosophy on hiring. There were many snippets, but the one that has stayed with me the most is: “If you don’t hire the right people, we can never make anything out of them."

One of the biggest keys to success in hiring is understanding the culture of your company and finding people who fit that culture. I have encountered many candidates who had plenty of experience and knowledge, but just not the right personality. If we brought that person in, we would be doing ourselves - and that person - a disservice (and this is the service industry after all).

The environment during an interview is important to keep in mind. We all have to remember that every potential team member is also a potential guest. Even if they aren’t the right fit for an employee, they are still the right fit for a guest. We try to make everyone feel welcome and warm; it is hospitality no matter what the outcome might be.

I have highlighted key aspects of this nuanced practice in the following five points. Remember, there was a lot more in the stockpot when I began. And, I am not going to give you all my secrets because then all of my future candidates would have a leg up on me.
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5@5 is a food-related list from chefs, writers, political pundits, musicians, actors, and all manner of opinionated people from around the globe.

Since the Harlem Shake has jumped the shark, let’s get back to a shake that really matters - we're talking about the good ol’ fashioned milkshake.

Mark Robert Turner is here to make the transition a smooth one. Turner is the Operations Manager - and resident milkshake magician - of Bareburger, a micro-chain of organic burger restaurants.

If you don’t own a blender, you can use an immersion or stick blender, which works just as effectively. If you don’t have either one of those, grab a stainless steel bowl and a whisk; you should never deny yourself a milkshake because you don’t have the right equipment.

Five Tips To Make a Marvelous Milkshake: Mark Robert Turner
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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.

Daniel Vaughn may be the most envied man in America right now. Not only is his book "The Prophets of Smoked Meat: A Journey Through Texas Barbecue" coming out next month as the debut title in the Anthony Bourdain Books line, he's also taking up a post as the barbecue editor of Texas Monthly magazine. It's the first position of its kind in the country, and the 35-year-old Ohio-born Vaughn left his job as an architect to pursue his fiery passion for smoked meat full time.

The self-proclaimed "BBQ snob" has eaten at over 600 barbecue joints across the nation. He makes it his business to sniff out the best of the best and help his carnivorous brethren avoid potential pitfalls along the way with reviews on his website Full Custom Gospel BBQ.

As such, Mr. Vaughn has a bone to pick with some commonly-held barbecue beliefs.

Five Barbecue Myths That Should Be Dispelled: Daniel Vaughn
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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.

Tradition!

The week-long Passover holiday kicks off at sundown tonight with the ritual Seder meal. The centerpiece of the feast is the Seder plate, brimming with symbolic foods that commemorate the exodus of Israelites from slavery in Egypt. The plate includes:

• bitter herbs, typically freshly grated horseradish

• a lamb shankbone

• a roasted, hard-boiled egg

• a vegetable, usually parsley, dipped in salt water

• charoset/haroset, a sweet mixture of apples, nuts, wine and spices

• a bitter vegetable, like romaine lettuce

Founder Nick Wiseman and chef Barry Koslow of DGS Delicatessen in Washington, D.C., have a few tips to help freshen up the traditional Passover Seder menu without upsetting your bubbe too much.

Five Ways to Modernize Your Seder: Barry Koslow
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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.

Spring may have sprung (Ok Punxsutawney Phil, whatever you say), and that means outdoor party season is just around the corner.

Refreshing, tiki-inspired cocktails are in order, whether it actually feels like spring or you just want it to. Throw the ultimate tiki party with these tips and easy libations by mixologist Nate Howell of Cusp Dining & Drinks and Hiatus Lounge in La Jolla, California.

How to Throw a Tiki Party: Nate Howell
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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.

Last week, a nationwide study was released that drew attention to the amount of seafood being labeled, sold and served as a species it is not.

Out of the 1,215 samples tested by ocean conservation group Oceana, 401 were determined to be mislabeled.

Amid the seafood sleuthing, Wayne Samiere says consumer knowledge is power. Samiere is the founder and CEO of Honolulu Fish Company and a trained marine biologist; he has also worked for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

"Information about various types of seafood is not as familiar to consumers as the basic facts about beef, chicken and pork," Samiere said. "Reputable seafood vendors make an effort to educate their customers about products they are selling. However, there are vendors who want to label their seafood products with a name that consumers know and find appealing."

With a few easy tricks, Samiere says you can feel empowered to avoid the old “bait and switch” problem next time you visit your local seafood counter or restaurant.

Five Ways to Knowledgeably Buy Seafood: Wayne Samiere
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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.

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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