This story was originally published in February 2006.

The curious thing, however, is while such high-calorie delights have in recent years become the poster children for soul food cuisine, traditional soul food -- the kind you used to find on the tables of Southern, African-American families every day -- is very much rooted in the land.

Bay Area Vista

Cooking Demonstrations Bloomingdales in SF on Feb. 9th Williams Sonoma in SF on Feb. 16th

B. Smith tour cooks up culture at museum

You can't be a lover of food or style without knowing the name B. Smith. The former fashion model, chef, restaurateur, author, TV personality, lifestyle expert and designer (her own furniture line came out just last year) is now the national spokesperson for Lawry's Cooking Up Culture program, and this week she's coming to the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History to kick off a nationwide tour.

Smith talked with The News by phone about her visit to Detroit.

Mark Hix: Chicken escalope Holstein

Put one breast on a sheet of clingfilm that is at least double its size. Carefully with a meat or cutlet bat (a rolling pin or side of a cleaver will do), bat each breast out into a neat cm- thick escalope. Season with salt and pepper then lightly coat with flour, patting any excess off with your hands, before passing them through the beaten egg and finally the breadcrumbs.

Meanwhile, lightly fry the eggs and place one on each escalope, then arrange the anchovies around the yolk and transfer to warmed plates. Melt the butter in a small frying pan until foaming, add the parsley and capers and spoon over the egg and escalopes.

Ray Stein's Mailbox: 2008 looks promising for OSU, unless desire to ...

Mr. Stein: Having only three seniors in our football starting lineup should mean next year we can look forward to another run at a national title. Or does it? Is there another team in the country that has as many juniors leave year after year as Ohio State? Why does this happen? One reason surely is the amount of talent.

If nothing else, it makes me wonder how Tressel and his staff are able to build such a great team year after year. Ron Zook has done an admirable job at Illinois, but after the talent we have lost the last two years and the superlative job Tressel has done, he gets my vote for coach of the year.

Capital Allocation Part 1: Creating Value via Share Repurchases

Conventional wisdom says that share buybacks, when done appropriately, put money in shareholders' hands, since a reduced share count means an increase in earnings per common share. Yet, as is often the case with Wall Street and many corporate chiefs, this view is long on convention and short on wisdom.

First let's get some facts straight. Share buybacks are only a prudent use of capital when they represent the best possible alternative to other sources of capital. So, for example, a company loaded down with high-rate debt would probably do better using excess cash to pay off the debt, rather than using it to buy back stock. And if a company is blindly buying back stock at any price to soak up share dilution caused by excessive issuance of stock options, buybacks aren't effective.

Financed by the Bank of Ma and Pa

Again, someone has to co-sign so that would be...parents, probably.

Instability in work tends to feed instability in relationships (stress, relocation, repeated unemployment) which means the old way of a young couple working together over time to get established is also missing or fragile. Add 25k debt load for those who bought into the post-secondary education imperative - the sense that it is possible to get ahead on your own steam is definitely in jeopardy.

It's true young people probably benefit from a bit of struggle but a quadruple whammy of job instability, the breakdown of the family, frequent relocation, and real estate speculation is new. Younger people need all the help they can get. Posted 12/02/08 at 2:48 PM EST | Alert an Editor | Link to Comment .

China goes kosher to reassure consumers

Chinese exporters, facing a U.S. backlash over tainted food products, are turning to an unlikely group of inspectors to help clean up their act: Jewish rabbis.

Chinese exporters, eager to gain access to the $11.5 billion U.S. kosher market, had already begun seeking the certifications before the uproar over contaminated seafood, toothpaste and pet food began last year. Now, after a rush of recalls, the rabbis say the companies are paying for the inspections to ease growing concern among U.S.

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I'm dumbfounded, even four years into this thing, that this still happens here. I guess I shouldn't be, considering the venom that's spewed about this team on a daily basis. But what I don't get is why anyone would root against these players? The front office, the coaches and management is understandable. They get clowned in every city. But for the arena to be 80/20 Lakers is just comically sad. You expect the Kobe lovers to be out when he's in town. But I had no idea Luke Walton, Vlad Radmanovic and Jordan Farmar had groupies in the A!