Flavor

HAMMONTON, N.J. - Marilu Saldana leaned through the window of her Tacos y Tortas La Carreta truck. " ¡Díganme, muchachos! " she called out, asking three Latino landscape workers for their lunch orders of hand-pressed sopes and quesadillas. " ¡Toda la Vida! " belted Mexican balladeer Emmanuel to the dinner crowd at El Mariachi Loco restaurant just up the street, his vintage pop anthem blaring from the karaoke machine that shakes the pinewood walls and guacamole bowls on weekend nights.

Bradley Cooper . The Eagles. Ben Franklin House. The Linc. Jeweler's Row. There could not be a more perfect opening-night entry for the Philadelphia Film Festival, which begins Oct. 18 with a gala screening, promises about 100 features and 20 shorts playing on screens all around town, and ends 10 days later, leaving the city sated from a huge cinema feast. And what is that opening night film? Silver Linings Playbook , fresh from its Audience Award for best picture at the Toronto International Film Festival, and set to begin a theatrical run (and a run for the Oscars)

With cans of specialty imported sardines in hand, I thought to make something a little different, instead of just eating them my usual way, plain. Pasta came to mind, as it often does. The Sicilians have a classic dish pairing sardines with golden raisins and wild fennel, for a sweet and sour combination that plays beautifully against the rich fish. But the traditional dish calls for fresh sardines. And wild fennel, while apparently abundant on the Italian island, is nearly impossible to find here.

Here is an excerpt from Craig LaBan's online chat: Craig LaBan: After writing my fall dining preview for last Sunday's paper, I am seriously excited for what's about to land in the coming months, from glatt kosher in the burbs by the Zahav crew to three promising barbecue projects, more South Philly contenders, and a potential South Street revival thanks to Stephen Starr and his latest New York import: Peter Serpico of Momofuko Ko...

Mustard comes in many varieties and flavors, and there can be, as a recent blind tasting proved, an equally wide range of tastes and colors even within a specific type of mustard. Ditto for the wording on the labels, which can read "Düsseldorf," "Düsseldorf style," or say nothing at all, even when the mustard is made in Düsseldorf. You may need to linger in the condiments aisle and read labels to get some idea of what you're buying. Tasters sampled a variety of mustards in the Düsseldorf style.

Raymond Soriano has just made a declaration that would cause a rumble at a horticulture convention: "You're a lazy gardener if your garden's full of weeds. " His judgment sounds particularly harsh during a summer like this one, with record-setting heat and drought. But Soriano is no hypocrite. Go ahead, try and find a weed in his Burlington County garden! This pristine state of affairs is even more shocking when you learn that the shirtless, overall-clad gardener in question is 80 years old and dogged by heart problems, three types of arthritis, and difficulty walking and kneeling.

CANTON, Ohio - Willie Roaf was in an unfamiliar role - the center of attention in front of a large crowd, being singled out for something good. No, make that something great. With current Saints players standing and cheering, the former New Orleans offensive tackle led a charge of linemen into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday night. Four linemen were included - Roaf, Chris Doleman, Cortez Kennedy, and Dermontti Dawson - along with running back Curtis Martin and 1950s cornerback Jack Butler.

TODAY IS IPA Day, or — since it's mainly a social-media phenomenon — #IPADay. Which is to say it's an occasion to drain a pint or three of India pale ale, then tell the world all about it. Right now, there are thousands of beer drinkers at IPA tap takeovers and other events across the country, entertaining themselves by taking photographs of foam-filled glassware. It sounds silly, especially when you consider that, according to the Brewers Association, last year's inaugural event generated roughly 10,000 tweets with the official #IPADay hashtag.

FOR MY MONEY, gazpacho is the king of cold soups. Vichyssoise lovers may beg to differ, preferring their bowls filled with a refined blend of cream, potatoes and leeks. And that's good, don't get me wrong. But when it comes to in-your-face flavor and full-on summer seasonal refreshment, the tomato-based vegetable soup from the Andalusian region of Spain gets my vote. Chilled gazpacho, which is popular in Spain and Portugal, actually comes in three types: red, made with tomatoes and cucumbers, garlic, onion and vinegar; white, which borrows its color from ground almonds and is garnished with grapes; and green, an herb-infused concoction that is sometimes served with shredded lettuce.

Salads can be a great way to pile on the vegetables, not to mention serving as a fine canvas for showing off summer's bounty. But sometimes eating a plate full of greens can be a bit boring. Then there are the toppings. Too often, we are tempted to pile on fatty toppings - cheese, bacon, seeds and nuts, or rich dressings, all in an attempt to amp up the flavor. So we decided to create a salad that is both jammed with healthy vegetables, including a lot of greens, but also has tons of flavor (without tons of fat)