The University of Guelph and Cuisine Canada recognized the range and expertise of Canadian cookbook authors, publishers and food culture by hosting and sponsoring the ninth annual Canadian Culinary Book Contest in Winnipeg Saturday.

“We see in culinary writing an expression of our country and its people,” said Michael Ridley, U of G’s chief information officer and chief librarian. “Food and drink are deeply felt in a culture. Through our food you can understand much of where we have been, where we are and where we are going.”

The winning cookbooks will enter U of G’s culinary archives — the most complete collection of Canadian cookbooks in the world. It contains 5,000 volumes ranging from the 17th to the 20th centuries and also contains culinary books from other countries, including Britain, the United States, France and Holland.

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LEAVE heirloom tomatoes to the organic farmers and pork belly to the chefs. In the chemistry department at Rutgers University and other laboratories like it, the real action is in less trendy ingredients like oregano, crab shells and milk.

In a handful of food science labs around the country, people who talk about food in terms of microbes and polymers have been turning the natural pathogen fighters found in everyday food into edible films and powders.

If their work pans out, thin films woven with a thyme derivative that can kill E. coli could line bags of fresh spinach. The same material in powder form might be sprinkled on packages of chicken to stop salmonella.

Strawberries could be dipped in a soup made from egg proteins and shrimp shells. The resulting film — invisible, edible and, ideally, flavorless — would fight mold, kill pathogens and keep the fruit ripe longer.

For average eaters who are still scratching their heads over trans fat, food coated with invisible films that lure bad microorganisms to their death might as well be nuclear fusion. But food scientists believe the potential for using these everyday ingredients to make a safer food supply is huge.

“These natural films are really a very hot topic these days,” said Michael Chikindas, a food scientist working with the team at Rutgers. “The range of applications is endless, from very delicate foods to Army rations and space missions.”

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GENEVA - Chinese and international health experts will meet in Beijing next month to discuss strengthening food safety rules, the head of the World Health Organization said on Thursday.

The Sept. 12-13 talks, which WHO officials said had been planned for a year, follow a string of embarrassing product recalls in China, which has been plagued by safety problems with toothpaste, tires, seafood and toys.

“I’m happy to note that there will be an upcoming meeting in Beijing on food safety issues in September,” WHO Director-General Margaret Chan told a news conference mainly devoted to WHO’s annual report on infectious diseases. “The government of China is committed to improving their system.”

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WASHINGTON — China Wednesday called for global cooperation to improve food safety, noting that it along with product quality are an international problem.

“No country’s products are immune to problems,” said Zhao Baoqing, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington.

But Zhao added that China will intensify food safety supervision and punish all those responsible for supplying tainted food.

“Food safety and product quality is an international problem, and is also something that all countries pay attention to,” said Zhao, who previously worked for China’s product quality watchdog, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ).

Zhao admitted that China’s food safety needs improving, but said that the vast majority of Chinese exports to United States are of high quality.

“During 2004 to 2006, more than 99 percent of Chinese food to the US met the US safety and quality standards,” he said.

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It’s too bad zucchini can’t just stop growing when it reaches about 6 inches long. Almost overnight, zucchini can grow to about 12 inches, and it’s not nearly as easy to cook.

Right now, most farmers have more zucchini than they know what to do with, and it was probably a farmer who came up with the idea to designate Aug. 8 as “National Sneak Some Zucchini on Your Neighbor’s Porch Night.”

If someone leaves an armload of zucchini on your porch, or you buy too much at the farmers market, here are some reasons to be thankful for zucchini.

Zucchini is low in calories and contains useful amounts of folate, potassium and vitamin A. It’s also an excellent source of vitamin C. Dark green zucchini also has some beta carotene, and all types provide small quantities of minerals. Skin colors include almost black, dark green, pale green, pale green with gray, and yellow.

Here are some recipes from The Spice Hunter.

Zucchini boats

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

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Common dishes Adobo A vinegar-tart stew of meat, seafood or vegetables flavored with garlic and soy sauce.

Dinuguan A pork stew thickened with pig’s blood and flavored with tamarind.

Halo-halo Meaning “mix-mix,” it’s the traditional icy dessert of the Philippines. Served in a parfait glass, the layers usually consist of sweetened red beans, fresh fruits, ice, ice cream, whole milk or condensed or evaporated milk.

Kakanin A generic term for all native desserts. The word is derived from the word kanin, which means cooked rice. The majority of native desserts are made with rice, but cassava, saba (a cooking banana similar to plantain), taro and sweet potato also are used. These usually are eaten as a snack, seldom for dessert after meals. They are steamed, boiled or baked.

Kare kare A stew made with oxtail or calf’s feet with…

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New York, June 29, 2007 — Americans today are embracing the bold and aromatic spices that have been accenting global foods for centuries. Thanks to emerging ethnic cuisines, like North African and Vietnamese, as well as our continued quest for bigger flavors, consumers are turning to new spices, chiles and blends in homes, supermarkets, fast-food and fine dining restaurants across the country, according to new market research…

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In the wake of health warnings about Teflon and non-stick cookware, health-conscious consumers are increasingly seeking safer, alternative cookware products that offer non-stick cooking without the worries of Teflon. As part of an investigative story for NewsTarget, I searched the web for Teflon alternatives and eventually stumbled across a line of cookware from a company called Swiss Diamond, which claimed their pans were made of diamonds and contained no Teflon. I purchased one of the pans and put it to the test.

This article is about what I discovered with the Swiss Diamond pans. Based on what I have learned and will share with you here through photographs, web page snapshots, videos and microscopic evidence, it is my personal opinion that the Swiss Diamond company is engaged in deceptive marketing based on false and misleading claims about the chemical composition and durability of their non-stick cookware products. I believe that consumers are being fooled into buying Swiss Diamond pans based on the false impression that these pans are Teflon free and that the non-stick surface is made primarily of diamonds. As you will learn here, this is far from the truth.

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Not all trans fat is created equally, but to the FDA and for labeling purposes, natural and artificial trans fats are all the same, forcing a lot of bakers to actually use artificial instead of natural ingredients to hit the “trans fat free” label that chains like Starbucks are demanding from their foods.

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Kefi, with its immensely appealing menu of affordable and approachable Greek cuisine, should be an Upper West Side favorite….