In ten days I'll be embarking on a trip to Japan. Though I swear I was Japanese in a past life, I have never actually been there. I cannot wait to eat sushi for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! (Yes, I know Japanese cuisine consists of much more than sushi, but I do love it!) If, for some strange reason, I overdose on raw fish, I will resort to eating teriyaki, yakitori and noodles, which is hardly the worst thing in the world. As my father would say, "In heaven, they only serve Japanese food."

I am also eager to try new types of fish, and learn the proper eating etiquette of the Japanese. I have been reading up on it a bit; the last thing I want is to come off as ignorant and disrespectful (Lord knows I have done that before. Read below for an embarrassing story.) For example t is considered bad manners to waste soy sauce, so one should really refrain from over serving him or her self when eating sushi. White rice should not be directly seasoned with soy sauce, and when eating it one should hold the rice bowl in one hand, and chopsticks in another.

Clearly there is a lot to learn, and I will learn it!!! I hate making the same mistake twice which brings me to my embarrassing story. A few years ago I was in Greece with a great friend of mine, we had just savored an incredible meal of grilled octopus, melt-in-your-mouth mild feta and this olive oil drenched white fish salad. It was a gorgeous night, all the locals were out and this place was packed. At the end of the meal we were gifted a small glass of Ouzo (Anise flavored liqueur) and this unappetizing looking dessert chocolate dessert. Now, my dear friend was polite enough to indulge in both. I on the other hand refused. As much as I love Kookaburra Black Australian licorice, I can't say my love translates into all things licorice. So we paid the bill and as we stood up the once noisy veranda went silent. Like radio silent. Awwwwkward. Clearly when given something you should accept it and consume it, I thought to myself. So the two of us nonchalantly walked out of the place, knowing that we could never return again, which was tragic considering it was by far one of the most memorable meals I've had.

Can you relate? Do you have a similar story to share?

Pundits have been declaring that Spain is the new France for years. That modern chefs look to Spanish cuisine for culinary innovation. I wanted to taste some of this revolution so I packed up my bags and flew to Barcelona in late October. I knew my trek was limited: I had neither the time nor the money to go Madrid, Valencia, or Basque country; El Bulli was closed; and wine country would have to wait for another vacation.

My short take: Yes,  I had some terrific food. But I also chowed down on a few truly awful meals. In retrospect, I should have known that not every tapas joint serves up miracle morsels. Barcelona is like any city: You need to know where to go and when to go. Actually, you need reservations, a lot of money, and/or tons of patience because the most critically revered spots are mobbed. Even on Monday nights at 10pm. Below is a partial report, with original photos (like the gorgeous fruit bowl above), as well as tips for anyone thinking about visiting Barcelona.

Trick or Tweet?
Michelin inspectors in San Francisco and New York are Tweeting on Twitter. Expect insider tips, daily restaurant anecdotes, and loads of self-promotion.

Finally, a Reason to Get the Munchies
Amsterdam now has a serious restaurant scene if you believe the folks at the Wall Street Journal.

Someone Tell Popeye Quick!
Canadians (and Americans we just learned) may have to avoid spinach for a while, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Yup, it's another salmonella scare.

Tattoo Eeew!
Hate peeling labels off apples? Fruits and vegetables will soon be laser etched say the wise folk at Slashfood.

The jokes about awful airline food (rubber chicken, a farcical bag of peanuts, or simply nothing at all) may soon be a thing of the past. Recent headlines suggest that airlines and airports are competing for consumer dollars by stepping up their menus. It all comes down to: Where are you going to eat, on the plane or before you get on the plane?

At JFK: The New York Daily News reports that JetBlue terminal, #5 at JFK in NYC, has become an upscale dining hub. Restaurants are open to the public, not just those with boarding passes, and will include the Palm Bar & Grille, as well as fare conceived by celebrity chefs Mark Ladner (of Del Posto) and Roberto Santibanez (of Rosa Mexicano). Steakhouses seem to be a big draw: Gallagher's and Bobby Van's have already arrived at other terminals in the airport.

On American Airlines: I couldn't help but notice that American Airlines is promoting a serious wine program...I accidentally clicked on an ad on Epicurious. But I was thrilled to see that I could conceivably order Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Reserve Particuliere, Joseph Drouhin Rully Chardonnay, Pascal Jolivet Sancerre, Freemark Abbey Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and Grahams 20 Years Old Tawny Port...if only I traveled abroad more often.

On Delta Airlines: The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Delta now offers "new coach food products designed by celebrity chef Todd English, including grilled chicken gyros, and almond-butter-and-grape-jelly sandwiches. Some popular indulgences like $2 cups of Ben & Jerry's ice cream have been added to some flights." 

I haven't tried any of this fancy fare. Have you? Would you pay extra for a decent meal on a flight or before a flight? Restaurant prices? And what do you prefer: Eatng before boarding or on the plane?

I've been playing with statistical analysis software recently (wait, stay with me!) attempting to answer all kinds of questions about who visits Epicurious and when and how long they stay. Far more interesting than the demographics, however, are the geographics (i.e. where our readers come from).

I knew that New York, Chicago, and San Francisco would appear high on the list. But I was surprised to see Atlanta, Denver, Houston, and Minneapolis in the top 20. Not that these cities don't have thriving culinary heritages. Just that they beat out London, Montreal, Portland, Las Vegas, New Orleans, and other regions that boast some serious eats. . . and eaters.

I must also admit: I'm going to Minneapolis this weekend. So rather than ask for restaurant recommendations (which Rapahel Kadushin did once before in this blog), I've opted to study the contenders for the title of world's best food city.

See my survey of what other food sites say after the jump.

But first, my proposed list in no particular order:
New York
Paris
Barcelona
Vancouver
San Francisco
Chicago
Tokyo
Hong Kong
Rome
London

Should I have included Sydney, Toronto, Los Angeles, or Brussels? If so, which cities to nix?

A coworker just sent me this link to the gorgeous and hilarious promotional campaign for the Sydney International Food Festival. I just love how the edible flags are not only beautifully put together, but also use ingredients from each country's cuisine. My favorite is this iconically Greek arrangement of Kalamatas and feta. But there are a ton of other adorable creations as well, and it's fun to try to guess where they're all from. Once you've made your guess, hold your mouse over each flag to reveal the image name, which contains the country.

Anyone have other ideas for edible flags? What would you use for the U.S.?

And if you're planning a trip to Sydney (which I've heard is a lovely city), the festival starts in October.

Last week I returned from a family trip to Japan and China. Those countries' culture, history and, of course, cuisine have long intrigued me and it proved to be as fascinating as I'd envisioned. In the off chance you will be in either country; to inspire you to take your own dream trip; or to simply give you a morsel of armchair travel, I will write a few posts about the cuisine we encountered in Japan and China.

One of the reasons I've always dreamed of visiting Japan is that I've never met a tuna maki roll I didn't liked, a sentiment shared by my family. I'm happy to report we did justice to our sushi obsession in Japan and even in China (the sushi pictured is from Bei restaurant in Beijing's super-trendy and beautiful Opposite House hotel). Our sushi consumption became reminiscent of Dr. Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham...would you eat sushi in a box, would you eat it with a fox? The answer was always yes. See where else we ate top-grade sushi after the jump.

Editor in chief Tanya Wenman Steel reports from Japan:

My family and I are on our maiden trip to Japan and while I've long eaten Japanese food in the U.S., nothing prepared me for the difference in the way the food tastes and the manner in which food is sold.

Examples: Plastic food (pictured above) sits outside many restaurants as a way to entice potential customers inside and sushi is sold in the subway.

We've had incredible katsu (breaded pork cutlets) in a hidden restaurant in Tokyo's Ginza district, tofu the consistency and color of custard at Tokyo's Mandarin Oriental, and black-sesame soft-serve ice cream from a store that also sells fans near Kyoto's Kiyomizudera Temple.

Tomorrow we will venture out about 4 am to visit the Tsukiji fish market, one of the world's biggest (we will be up anyway due to "flight lag" as my kids call it) to watch as the enormous tunas get weighed and we can then take a bite of sunrise sushi. And then dinner in Beijing. 'Tis truly a trip of a lifetime.

As I mentioned in my last post, I recently traveled to Greece on my honeymoon. Needless to say, we had some fantastic food—below are some of the culinary highlights. And here's a tip: September or October is actually a better time to visit than in the heat of the summer like we did. (While we didn't let it stop us, it was insanely hot—above 100°F—some days.) So if you're planning an upcoming trip, here are some things you'll definitely want to try:

1). Smoked eggplant mousse at Varoulko restaurant in Athens.The first Greek chef to earn a Michelin star for his native cuisine, Lefteris Lazarou is known for his top-notch seafood dishes, and we had several stunners. But it was this deceptively simple mousse that stood out for its pristine, intense flavor and refined texture. The amazing view of the floodlit Acropolis certainly didn't hurt, either.

So I'll be making my annual pilgrimage to Cape Cod, Mass., this summer, and though we're definitely going to do our traditional clambake at the beach, come rain, cold or sandflies, a friend who's coming up asked me a stumper.

What are the best places to eat in Cape Cod?