When I found out that The Jazz Ministry (featuring guitarist Michael Landau) would have a gig at The Baked Potato on January 17 while I was in the area, I knew that no matter what else was going on that night, I would need to catch one of their sets.

The press lifted him up before Iowa, afterwords, he was dropped quicker than a 50 pound bag of baked potatoes. CNN didn't give him half the airtime as the two "front runners." How many states does he have to win to stay in the race?

Sometimes nothing beats classic nachos with lots of cheese, spicy peppers and lots of tasty toppings such as homemade guacamole, salsa and sour cream. This kind of food is perfect to serve with buffalo chicken wings, twice-baked potatoes and a nice crisp beer during a game or a movie. Nachos happen to be really simple to make...

These twice-baked potatoes from America’s Test Kitchen are easy to make and absolutely delicious. They are perfect plain with some sour cream and salsa for an appetizer (in which case they go perfectly with some crispy bacon bits), or as a side dish next to a piece of meat or fish. These potatoes are also easy to prepare in advance...

Baked potatoes are a real powerhouse of vitamins and minerals, all locked in one package.

Lithuanian cuisine features the products suited to its cool and moist northern climate: barley, potatoes, rye, beets, greens, berries, and mushrooms are locally grown, and dairy products are one of its specialities. Since it shares its climate and agricultural practices with Eastern Europe, Lithuanian cuisine has much in common with other Eastern European and Ashkenazi cuisines. Nevertheless, it has its own distinguishing features, which were formed by a variety of influences during the country's long and difficult history.Because of their common heritage, Lithuanians, Poles, and Ashkenazi Jews share many dishes and beverages. Thus there are similar Polish, Lithuanian, and Litvak versions of dumplings (koldūnai, kreplach or pierogi, ), doughnuts spurgos or (pączki ), and blynai crepes, (bliny, , or blintzes). German traditions also influenced Lithuanian cuisine, introducing pork and potato dishes, such as potato pudding (kugelis or kugel) and potato sausages (vėdarai), as well as the baroque tree cake known as Šakotis. The most exotic of all the influences is Eastern (Karaite) cuisine, and the dishes kibinai and čeburekai are popular in Lithuania. "Torte Napoleon" was introduced during Napoleon's passage through Lithuania in the 19th century.The Soviet occupation badly damaged Lithuanian cuisine. As elsewhere in the Soviet Union, however, its people were allowed to maintain their own small garden plots; these were, and are, lovingly tended. After the restoration of independence in 1990, traditional cuisine became one of the ways to celebrate Lithuanian identity.Despite the apparent richness of the cuisine, Lithuanians are among the thinnest people in the developed countries of the world.