California continues to demonstrate that it’s ahead of the curve — make that bleeding edge. As of July 1, 2010 (why so long?), LA — the second-largest city in the country — will ban all plastic bags from retail stores. Is this the true makings of a nationwide trend? Anyone want to take bets on how long until major national chains pick up on the idea and actually implement it?

What’s the difference between sweet potatoes and yams? I often get asked this question and I almost always get the answer backwards, so I thought I’d write it down. Sweet potatoes are the tubers you can buy here in the U.S. Pale yellow sweet potatoes, which aren’t really sweet (even after cooking), act more like a regular russet potato. Where it gets confusing is with the dark-skinned, orange-fleshed ones — it’s these that are often erroneously called (and labeled, even in cans) “yams” — including in some DL recipes, such as this really good one more