If you're a huge fan of farmers markets and you love the experience of dining out, it's time to check out a farm-to-table restaurant. These eateries are associated with the local food movement, a social campaign concerned with connecting people to what they eat and, more importantly, the farmers who grow it. Farm-to-table chefs seek out the very best ingredients from the best local farmers and dream up gorgeous recipes on the fly, before they grace your plate with all of that goodness. Sound like this is up your alley? Here are five reasons to try the farm-to-table experience.

1. It's local and sustainable. Everything on the menu at a farm-to-table restaurant will be locally sourced when possible. Instead of cooking for a recipe, these restaurants cook for the ingredients. Much like the practices of a CSA box, you have to be creative with what you're working with. Farm-to-table restaurants are up for the task.
2. It supports a community. Farm-to-table spots strive to connect the customer to the source of the food, a practice that's unheard of in the majority of restaurants worldwide. Less than one percent of the population in the US is made up farmers. Restaurants with locally sourced food gives these farmers a chance to create a quality product and thrive in the local economy. Instead of falling victim to conventional farming methods that go against ancient tradition, the people who are creating your food are treated with dignity and respect. And all that love pours out onto the plate.
3. It provides inspiration in your home kitchen. One of the most amazing things about eating in a farm-to-table restaurant is that you see ingredients that you may never have considered tasting, or using, before. You can pick up the same produce from your local farmers market and re-create a dish at home with the same ingredients. Or you can get creative and think up new ways to use what's in season.
4. It's an adventure. You never know what you're going to get on a given day. With many farm-to-table restaurants, the menu changes weekly, or even daily. Farmers harvest depending on what looked perfectly ripe on a specific day, not for whatever a big company needs. The mantra of many of these farmers? Grow for flavor.
5. It tastes better. Really. It's true. You can't imagine the decadent flavor until you've tasted freshly picked produce straight from the farm. Your taste buds will sing your praises! At these restaurants, the chefs don't need to cover up or mask anything on the plate. The ingredients speak volumes for themselves.

Have you ever eaten at a farm-to-table restaurant? What was your experience like?

Source: Flickr User healthmankirkland

Breadsticks aren't something that I think about very often. What I mean by that is often I overlook them for other, more exciting snacks or appetizers. But I've recently come to realize that a fresh batch of breadsticks is simple, uncomplicated, and completely addictive.


As far as bread goes, this definitely can be considered a fast and easy recipe. It takes just minutes to come together, followed by one hour of resting, then about 30 minutes of baking.

There are a few things that I think could really enhance this recipe: a sprinkling of sesame seeds or good kosher salt. I also upped the temperature a bit to 375° F (or you could roll your breadsticks thinner) because I found that they weren't crunching up as much as I would have liked.

Find this incredibly straightforward recipe when you read on.

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• Have the Wall Street bankers forgiven Mario Batali? — Grub Street NY
• Start with a bagel, then add these toppings — Real Simple
• Twinkie production's in danger once again — The Daily Meal
• Must make: eggplant involtini — Big Girls Small Kitchen

This year's a lucky one for American taxpayers — not only do we get two extra days to file our taxes due to a Sunday and a less-than-widely-known holiday, we also have more opportunities than ever to snag deals at some of the country's most popular restaurants. Taxing? We think not. Here, we bring you a compilation of Tax Day's best nationwide deals.

Tax Day Deals

• Bruegger's: Download a Facebook coupon for a $10.40 Big Bagel Bundle (a baker's dozen of bagels and two containers of cream cheese).
• Chevys: Stop by participating Chevys locations today and have two premium Herradura margaritas for $10.40 — then have the Mexican restaurant pick up the tax on your meal.
• Hooters: Wing it with 20 boneless wings for $9.99.
• McCormick & Schmick's: Enjoy an extended happy hour — complete with special-edition tax-themed cocktails — that lasts through 11 p.m. Bloody Mary tax code, anyone?
• P.F. Chang's: Score a discount of 15 percent off everything, excluding drinks or happy hour menu items.
• Sonic: Half-priced fountain drinks and slushies all day.

To see more deals — including stuff that's entirely free, no purchase required! — keep reading