Pretzels

You've heard about the "Wheat Belly" diet, right? Well, technically, it doesn't exist. Dr. William Davis points out that the word "diet" does not appear on either the cover of his bestselling "Wheat Belly" book published in 2011 or on the follow-up, "Wheat Belly Cookbook," which was published last month and already tops bestseller lists. And that omission is intentional, Davis said. "Wheat Belly" is about stripping your plate of a substance that contributes to heart disease, causes joint pain, inflammation, foggy thinking, bloating and much more, Davis said.

Crunch meets chocolate! Decorated chocolate-covered pretzel rods are sweet, but not too sweet, and during a holiday season likely to be drenched in colorful sugary decorations. Kids can make them with adult supervision, and it won't take all night. Mix and match the decorated pretzels for gift bags. RECIPES: 25 homemade holiday gift ideas! Colorful chocolate-coated pretzel rods are just one way to get crafty this holiday season with homemade gifts from the kitchen. We've compiled 25 great ideas, ranging from quick and simple gifts (perfect if you're working with kids)

Here is a comparison of some of the different washes that can be used for pretzels: Lye: This is the classic pretzel wash that creates a rich brown sheen with thin crust. To make enough wash for one batch of pretzels, dissolve 1 ounce (about 2 tablespoons) food-grade lye in 1 quart of warm water (add the lye to the water, not the other way around). Wear gloves and goggles while using this wash; lye is caustic and can burn if it comes into contact with your skin or eyes. Place the wash in a shallow glass baking dish and dip the pretzels for about 10 seconds on each side to coat.

The gig: Rick Wetzel and Bill Phelps are the chieftains of pretzel empire Wetzel's Pretzels. As co-founders of the Pasadena chain, the pair oversee a company with 263 franchises worldwide, 3,000 employees and $107 million in annual sales. There's also 12 company-owned stores that employ 150 people. Origin story: In 1994, the two were working in marketing at Nestle USA. On a business trip to Seattle, the colleagues, who weren't friends at the time, started kicking around the idea of pretzels as a new snack-food business.

Like President Bush, I almost fell to the floor (in laughter) as I read your hilarious report ("World Press Tries to Unknot Tale of Bush and the Pretzel," Jan. 16). With an official account as loopy, nay, twisted (forgive the puns) as this, one wonders what the real story (the one they're covering up--wink, wink) might be. As an avid "West Wing" watcher, I must admit that relapsing, remitting multiple sclerosis crossed my mind. Thanks for the comic relief. Diane Krieger Torrance Questions: Who would watch a football game after what happened to Enron?

The fact that Paul Newman's face is now smiling from the front of a pretzel bag is a sign of just how far the pretzel has come. These days, there's dough to be made in pretzels. Besides Newman, whose Newman's Own company recently began marketing "organic" pretzels, a slew of marketers--from tiny start-ups to the snack food giants--have caught pretzelmania. And soft-pretzel franchises, which sell fresh-baked pretzels for about $1.50 a pop, are giving Mrs.

Cinco de Mayo, a Mexican national holiday, is celebrated with parades, festivals and dances. The holiday recognizes the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla, May 5, 1862, in which Mexican troops defeated the invading French forces of Napoleon III. Serve a luscious dessert based on Mexican ingredients, Margarita Pie, as part of this festive occasion. Margaritas are one of the most well-known Mexican drinks--a tasty contrast of sweet and salty.

Coffee Tomo LOCATION 11309 Mississippi Ave., Los Angeles, (310) 444-9390 PRICE Coffee drinks, $2.50 to $6; pretzels, $3 to $5; honey butter bread, $5. DETAILS Open 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Monday to Friday; 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday; 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Espresso, coffee, blended ice drinks, tea. Cash only at present; credit cards accepted soon. Street parking.

Cooks County's Oktoberfest: Each Monday in October, Cooks County offers traditional German dishes paired with a featured beer or wine. On Oct. 8, Schnitzel Time! : rye pretzels with mustard, wiener schnitzel, potato salad, Stiegl Gold beer. On Oct. 15, Oktoberfest, Bavarian Style! : big Bavarian pretzel, house-made weisswurst and apfelspaetzle, Allagash Curieux beer. On Oct. 22, Pot Roast, the Germany Way! : buttery pretzels, sauerbraten with roasted root vegetables, Chouffe beer.

Ross Baker's assertion that "the quality of Democratic congressional candidates is simply better than that of Republicans," is the type of stuff for which high boots and pitchforks are best suited (Op-Ed Page, March 28). Baker as a political science professor should know that gerrymandering by a Congress controlled by Democrats is the ultimate culprit. By tossing the Republicans a few bones in the form a few safe districts, the Democrats were able to stretch districts in the '60s, twist them in the '70s, and turn them into veritable pretzels in the '80s.

Cooks County's Oktoberfest: Each Monday in October, Cooks County offers traditional German dishes paired with a featured beer or wine. On Oct. 8, Schnitzel Time! : rye pretzels with mustard, wiener schnitzel, potato salad, Stiegl Gold beer. On Oct. 15, Oktoberfest, Bavarian Style! : big Bavarian pretzel, house-made weisswurst and apfelspaetzle, Allagash Curieux beer. On Oct. 22, Pot Roast, the Germany Way! : buttery pretzels, sauerbraten with roasted root vegetables, Chouffe beer.

In the land of sushi, ramen and tempura, pretzel sales apparently do gangbusters. After launching its first Asian outpost in Japan, Pasadena-based Wetzel's Pretzels said the store has become its top-selling location worldwide. Photos show snaking lines at the Ario Kameari Mall in Tokyo, with customers carting away armfuls of pretzels. Now the chain is talking to potential franchisees in China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore and other Asian nations. The company plans to open 10 more locations in Japan over the next two years.

" Grammel schmalz ," says our waiter, setting down a small bowl of pristine whipped white pork fat sprinkled with bits of pork crackling. I lift up the napkin wrapped around the bread and pull out a glossy brown braided pretzel. Breaking off a piece, I spread the bread with the lard. I take a bite and the warm, comforting taste of pure pig fat floods my mouth. This is, it turns out, the first of many pleasures at BierBeisl, a modern Austrian restaurant in Beverly Hills, Southern California's first, from Patina alum Bernhard Mairinger, who grew up near Salzburg.

Sometimes the old ways really are the best. When Test Kitchen manager Noelle Carter took a shot at perfecting pretzels, she tried every kind of "wash" in the book — egg whites, whole eggs, baking soda and more. But in the end, she found that the traditional dunking of pretzel dough in a bath made of lye and water created a dark color, a crisp, chewy texture, and deep flavor that none of the others could approach. Be sure to use food-grade lye, which can be ordered online at Essential Depot (www.essentialdepot.com)

Here is a comparison of some of the different washes that can be used for pretzels: Lye: This is the classic pretzel wash that creates a rich brown sheen with thin crust. To make enough wash for one batch of pretzels, dissolve 1 ounce (about 2 tablespoons) food-grade lye in 1 quart of warm water (add the lye to the water, not the other way around). Wear gloves and goggles while using this wash; lye is caustic and can burn if it comes into contact with your skin or eyes. Place the wash in a shallow glass baking dish and dip the pretzels for about 10 seconds on each side to coat.

While you could probably top a pretzel with almost anything, there are certain toppings and combinations that work best. Coarse salt is always a favorite. You can find "pretzel salt" at many cooking and baking supply stores, as well as select gourmet markets. Substitute another coarse salt if you can't locate it, but stay away from fine table salt — the fine grain can melt into the pretzel as it bakes, and you won't get the same wonderful "crunch" you get with coarse salt. You can also try one or a combination of seeds, such as sunflower, pumpkin, poppy and sesame.

As the temperature and humidity climb to their respective hot and sticky seasonal highs, supermarkets tend to lose sales to restaurants. Understandably, the comforts of table service and fast-food convenience become more appealing than a simmering stove during July and August.

I have just read Kathleen Hendrix's article on the peace march ("The Long Thin Line Gets Thinner," March 14) and was moved and impressed by it as I have rarely been by a newspaper account. She has caught the sense of what is happening there as no other reporter has (including herself on March 13). My husband is a marcher and I drove out to the camp on Monday, the 10th, arriving just as they were finishing the day's walk. The rain was getting heavy and we retreated to my van for Scotch and pretzels, most welcome to my husband, as you might imagine.