In 1936, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints formally organized its approach to taking care of members' physical needs: employment services, food banks (known as the bishop's storehouse) and canneries that help stock the food bank and are available for individual use. Volunteers supply...

-- COOKING CLASS: Jules E.D. Shepard demonstrates from her book, "Nearly Normal Cooking for Gluten-Free Eating." Free. 10 a.m. Whole Foods Fairfax, 4501 Market Commons Dr. Registration required. 703-222-2058 or jessica.baer@wholefoods.com .

Does preserving food save you money? When considering the economics of canning, the key pieces of the equation are the costs of the equipment and the produce you are canning. Pat Kendall, professor and extension specialist with the Colorado State University Extension Office, suggests starting with...

There's one week left to enter the Food section's 2009 Top Tomato recipe contest.

The first thing Stefano Frigerio does when he makes jam, before he even starts to cook, is taste. He takes a bite of a strawberry, deems it on the tart side and knows what he will do: Increase the sugar. The same goes for the apricots, the figs, the peaches. The only way he can be sure to get the...

One early Friday morning last August, Clay Dunn and Zach Patton stood in a Prince George's County farm field surrounded by tomatoes so ripe they were almost falling off the vine.

When I was growing up, canning involved my mom sealing fruits and vegetables into glass jars with metal lids. To me, the process was hot, time-consuming and a little scary because it involved a pressure cooker or, at a minimum, boiling water and the risk of botulism. (The possibility of incorrectly...

The spunky writers behind Washington's newest restaurant guide, "Fearless Critic" (Workman, June 2009), purport to be different from most reviewers. They brag that they are brutally honest, totally independent and always anonymous. And editor in chief Robin Goldstein can rightfully claim that he is...

The umbrella-shaded tables outside Pizza Autentica (1331 L St. NW; 202-898-1480) are hard to pass up on a fine summer day, so I join a long lunch line inside the freshly minted pizzeria in hopes of finding a new place to eat near the office.

Looks like the third time's the charm: What once was Dairy World and then a Chinese takeout joint has emerged as a good place to pick up tender pupusas and a hearty Desayuno Tipico breakfast, served all day.

An edited excerpt from the Going Out Gurus blog ( http://voices.washingtonpost. com/goingoutgurus) :

These are tough times to be a winemaker. Consumers are buying but overall sales are down, and the demand for the higher-priced wines has nearly evaporated. The larger producers are better positioned to withstand the economic downturn, but even the giant wine conglomerates are laying off employees....

To come up with new beers, study old brewing techniques.