In the Navy: Cooking for 4,400 mouths

If you think preparing Thanksgiving dinner is a chore, take a moment to imagine the culinary muscle required to feed more than 4,000 hungry U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen. All at once. Every night!

Liar, liar, pants on fire!

If you want an honest answer from a colleague, try asking the question in a letter rather than e-mail.

Farewell to the Yugo

Why does a Yugo have a defroster on the rear window?

To keep your hands warm while you push it.

That's just one of the "Yugo jokes" about the cheap and much-maligned subcompact that won notoriety for being one of the worst cars ever exported to the United States.

Naomi Campbell ready for retrospective show

Quick everyone, hide your cell phones. Naomi Campbell is coming to town.

Trek Introduces Chainless Bikes!

Pedalers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains. If you've ever been riding down the street and had your pants cuff ripped asunder, there may be a revolution at hand.

Move over, Mojito!

Thanks, mojito, it's been a great five years of your domination of the Latin cocktail menu. You're as delicious as ever, but we're feeling stifled. It's not you, it's us. It's time to move on. And besides, we've met someone else.

The Juice on Gin

Gin was probably first created in 17th-century Holland, but then travelled to England where it became ever-so popular. At the time it was called genever, and didn't taste much like the gin we enjoy today, but more like an herb-infused, unaged whisky.

Infusions are easy!

Friends often assume that my experiments with infusions are complex and technical, and I let them believe that because it makes me sound smarter. But really, infusing flavors into spirits is only just soaking stuff in liquor. You don't need recipes or complicated directions; just some jars and time to experiment.

Vodka Myths and Mysteries

Robots, supermodels, hip-hop stars and designer bottles: Vodka marketers go to great lengths to project aspirational imagery for their products -- but do very little to tell us what we'll be drinking when we put them in our mouths. Very few people know how vodka is made, or even what it's made from. We're here to help clear up some common myths and misperceptions.

Tequila and Margaritas 101

Ordering a margarita in a tequila bar can be a daunting experience to the newbie, especially when the bartender starts asking tough questions. After choosing from about 50 different oddly shaped bottles on the shelves, you have to decide if you want your drink frozen, on the rocks, and with or without salt. And different answers will earn you different amounts of respect in the eyes of your mixologist. Don't sweat it. While there may be a zillion different brands of it on the market, tequila is a highly regulated spirit that is divided into a few categories that make it easy to understand what's available and figure out what you like.