Culinary Arts (CULA): Websites & Podcasts

Food & Foodways Web Archive -- This searchable collection of websites was organized by the Library of Congress. It contains photographs, drawings, audio recordings, videos, and text about the history and culture of food in America.

Food Timeline -- This chronological list of foods is maintained by Virginia Tech University Libraries. It shows when various food ingredients and recipes came into use, and links to a variety of other cooking-related websites. If you've ever wondered what Shakespeare ate after a day at the theater, or when marshmallows were invented, or why caramel-coated popcorn is called "cracker jack," this is the website for you!

The Internet provides access to a variety of information, but not all of it is accurate, reliable or current. The websites listed below are maintained by reputable organizations and contain trustworthy information.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

• FoodData Central -- This searchable database helps you find the nutritional elements in a variety of foods, including vegetables, fruits, grains, meats, and commercially prepared products listed by brand name.
• FoodSafety.gov -- Visit this site for advice on safe food preparation and storage, as well as the latest product recall announcements.
• Local Foods, a report by USDA's Economic Research Service, includes data on how much people are spending on food in the United States, broken down into categories such as the dollar amounts spent on food cooked at home, and prepared food purchased away from home. An interactive map allows you to focus on a particular state, and compare it to the national average.
• Nutrition.gov -- This consumer-oriented site helps with planning healthy meals, nutritional advice for different life stages and health conditions, sustainable eating, finding recipes for seasonal ingredients, and more.

U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

• FDA Food Code -- Includes a series of educational videos about preventing foodborne illness in retail food service settings.
• HACCP Principles & Application Guidelines
• Managing Food Safety: A Manual for the Voluntary Use of HACCP Principles for Operators of Food Service & Retail Establishments
• Retail & Food Service HACCP

Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture

• Retail Food Inspection Reports
• Food Employee Certification

In each episode of How the Sausage Is Made, chef Chris Cosentino talks to chefs, restaurateurs, and others who have inspired him. Cosentino has won the Top Chef Masters competition, and appeared on many cooking programs, including Iron Chef America and The Best Thing I Ever Ate.

Each year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a public interest research and advocacy organization, publishes two lists that reveal which fruits and vegetables contain the most (or least) pesticide residue. Here are the latest reports:

Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce

The "Dirty Dozen"

The "Clean Fifteen"

Frequently Asked Questions About Produce & Pesticides

H = Hazard

A = Analysis

C = Critical

C = Control

P = Point