Eating chocolate could bring down cholesterol levels -- but only in small amounts and only in some people, according to an analysis of eight studies.

Dr. Rutai Hui of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College in Beijing and colleagues found chocolate only helped people who already had risk factors for heart disease and only when consumed in modest amounts.

You’ve heard the inherited wisdom: “Drink only white wine with seafood.” As with most of the basic guidelines for wine pairing, it’s well-intentioned, a useful way to break down the options for what to drink with dinner.

Some epicurean purists maintain that if you’re not a wine drinker, mineral water is the only fitting beverage for a gourmet meal, and the only question on the matter is whether to drink it sparkling or still. Anything else, the theory goes, would occlude the palate and diminish one’s appreciation of the cuisine.

Brie and Camembert style cheeses found in American stores are made from pasteurized cows milk and have an edible, bloomy rind. Ripened Brie should have a golden color and a paste like texture.

Brie and Camembert style cheeses found in American stores are made from pasteurized cows milk and have an edible, bloomy rind. Ripened Brie should have a golden color and a paste like texture.

Pasta con le Sarde relies on a mix of flavors that you wouldn’t expect to work together, yet manage to balance each other out into a heart-warming, thoroughly enjoyable plate of pasta.

The only thing more tempting than golden chardonnay or grassy Sauvignon Blanc is the fresh seasonal fare to pair with them. These lighter body, lower alcohol and high acidity white wines are inherently food-friendly. Surely, there’s no rule against drinking red wine with a mixed green salad on a spring afternoon, but sun-starved wine fans don’t plan on doing it.

I assure you that, with a little patience and a bit of technique, you can make risotto that will thrill your guests and put you on the road to mastering this preparation.

With the spring season around the corner, we’re already looking forward to more chilled whites. And as much as a Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel jazzes up pizza, so do some white varietals.

This recipe feature ingredients common to the Tuscan countryside. In this land of grapes, olives, and foraged foods, a meal made without olives or mushrooms might come as quite a shock.