As many barbecue pros know, injecting is the most efficient way to add flavor and moisture to smoked, barbecued, or grilled food. Think of injecting as marinating from the inside out.

Little did I know, I would grow to love my mother's homemade ravioli and many other ingredients I could not stand to look at as a child.

Capsaicin's positive effects are modest. But they are real. All of this is to say, the obsession with chili pepper heat may be a fad. Or a form of masochism. But it may also reflect -- for once -- popular taste and nutrition in a happy alliance.

Can I interest you in some pork shoulder?

Consistency is a highly desired and even required attribute in a wide variety of contexts.