Wow! I wish I had thought of this story idea: a taste off to determine if local ingredients improve a dish. The Boston Globe had a chef create two versions of 12 dishes, one with local ingredients and one without. Read about the results in the "Local Smackdown" story.

At 7 p.m. Thursday, Helios is hosting a latte art competition for artistic baristas.

A co-worker just sent me a link to this Web site called This is why you are fat. 

The Silly Rabbit is my favorite of the moment: Trix-covered French Toast. But there's plenty here to make your jaw drop.

Go to page 3 and view the baconado: a bacon-wrapped avocado stuffed with goat cheese. And please direct us to ones that make your jaw drop in the comments area. 

Sue Stock just sent me this great link to a Miami Herald story about a genetics professor who proves that snapper you ordered is actually cheaper catfish or tilapia.

This is too funny. Check out this new KFC sandwich at foodgeekery.

If you would like a chance to win a $50 gift card from Lowes Foods, here's a link to the contest running over at Triangle Mom2Mom. I wish I could enter.

Readers, I need your help. I will soon be leaving for 2 weeks for a belated honeymoon at the Outer Banks. (I eloped last year.) We've rented a house on Ocracoke, which has one grocery store/convenience store/clothing store. That means I need to bring as much food as I can.

In case you missed Greg's Epicurean column, he writes about Dos Perros, Charlie Deal's new Mexican place in Durham. And his Hot List is Takeout Treasures.

And this story just amused me to no end because the writer got porkasmic in the lede. It's about bacon desserts. 

The menus just came out for tonight's Green Plate Specials where the chefs from Solas and Mo's Diner will be cooking what they buy at the Moore Square Farmers Market.

Each Wednesday, I offer a recipe based on what's on sale at the grocery stores. I'm headed back to Food Lion this week because a dozen eggs are 99 cents and a loaf of Food Lion brand whole grain white bread is also 99 cents. That says breakfast for supper to me. 

I found this recipe in Bon Appetit's latest cookbook, "Fast Easy Fresh," for Fried Eggs on Toast with Pepper Jack cheese and Avocado. That sounds delicious. You can be frugal and stick to the store-brand bread or splurge and buy some crusty bread for your sandwiches.