Whether it be a souffle, a spaghetti carbonara or just a perfectly flipped and folded omelet, for many Americans there is that one dish that is their signature one.

Asian and Latin American foods are in the news.

It would be understandable if some companies viewed today’s economy as an excuse to shrink back and simply stay afloat. And it’s no surprise that others are trimming the fat everywhere.  But then there are the optimists; the companies that, for better or worse, committed to projects before the downturn, and plan to see them through.

It’s no secret among friends and family that I don’t really cook. And although marriage usually leads to a modest rise of time spent in the kitchen, it’s had the opposite effect in my household.