Renowned wine and food experts, chefs, vintners, authors and celebrities, including Emeril Lagasse, Robert Parker, Cat Cora, John Besh, Susan Spicer and Julia Reed, will gather in New Orleans for the Viking Grand Cru Summit to support the rebirth of the New Orleans culinary community.

This first annual signature wine and food event will be held at The Hotel Monteleone in the French Quarter, February 9 - 12, 2006. Presented by Viking Range Corporation in support of the culinary industry and its huge economic impact in New Orleans, the inaugural Grand Cru Summit will be an unforgettable experience of great wine, great food, and the people who create them.

"We have been planning to hold the first annual Viking Grand Cru Summit in the city of New Orleans for quite some time," said Fred Carl, Jr., president and CEO of Viking Range Corporation. "Now more than ever, following the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, Viking remains committed to supporting the fine chefs, restaurants and rich culinary traditions that make New Orleans unique."

For more detailed information and to register, visit www.grandcrusummit.com.

Frank's Sauerkraut sales have soared a record 50 percent this season, based on reports that it has had a beneficial effect on treating avian flu. In response to the demand for new recipes, Frank's, the leading national producer of sauerkraut, is offering 12 holiday recipes.

"Our sauerkraut.com website is receiving many email requests for recipes and carries pages of recipes posted by consumers," says Chris Smith, VP of marketing for Frank's Sauerkraut. "If you look at a 19th century Old Farmer's Almanac, you'll find recipes for sauerkraut prepared in numerous ways. It was literally served in meals throughout the week. I think today's modern consumer is rediscovering this and taking advantage of sauerkraut's convenience, flavor and versatility," he adds.

"The Old Farmer's Almanac has featured recipes and remedies based on sauerkraut for a couple of hundred years. It's historically been a very important food for our reading audience," says Sarah Perreault, one of the editors of The Old Farmer's Almanac (www.almanac.com)

Visitors to the Frank's sauerkraut website www.sauerkraut.com will be able to sign up for an email to receive 12 free recipes to help them prepare sauerkraut for their holiday parties.

"Most people are amazed at the number of ways that sauerkraut easily integrates into a daily diet. You'll find recipes from everything from sauerkraut cake to our personal favorite, the K'tini. This is a food that's been eaten for over 2,000 years; there are clearly enough recipes to go around," says Chris Smith.

A new study from the Monell Chemical Senses Center may shed light on why some people like salt more than others. The results suggest that a person's liking for salty taste may be related to how much they weighed when they were born.

In a paper published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the Monell researchers report that individual differences in salty taste acceptance by two-month old infants are inversely related to birth weight: lighter birth weight infants show greater acceptance of salt-water solutions than do babies who were heavier at birth.

According to lead author Leslie Stein, Ph.D., "The early appearance of this relationship suggests that developmental events occurring in utero may have a lasting influence on an individual's preference for salty taste."

It's hard for the everyday cook to transform into a gourmet chef during the holiday season. With so many recipes and websites to choose from, it's hard to know where to turn.

LookSmart Food (www.looksmartfood.com) has categories ranging from baking desserts to how to host a meal to cooking Vegan - all in one place.

But it's not all recipes - it's everything to do with cooking. For instance, can find useful information on how to set the table, what to serve for appetizers, everything you wanted to know about napkin folding, and more.

So pull off the information super highway this holiday season and take a more direct route. Take the high road to vertical search using LookSmart.