Photo: Mason Jars by Perch modern ceramics

With the holiday gift guide and “best of” extravaganza behind us, the Weekly Digest is back! Read on for this week’s Food News, Things I Crave, Green Your Eats, Tips, Tools & Techniques, and Weekly Roundtable (a roundup of the most recent ChowMama posts).

Food News

• Is the Obama administration a friend to foodies? A closer look makes you wonder (via Grist)
• Michael Pollan Offers 64 Ways to Eat Food (via NYT Well Blog)
• Oh boy. A doozie. Atlantic writer blames school gardens for California’s failing schools. Seriously? (via Chews Wise)
• A response to the Atlantic writer on Civil Eats
• If you don’t already get Saveur magazine (you should!) be sure to at least read this year’s Saveur 100, the first every reader generated list, in the latest issue (via Serious Eats)

Things I Crave

• My two favorite holiday gifts: Slightly sweet, delightfully salty, utterly delicious bacon jam (it was in the gift guide and worth repeating—I LOVE this stuff) and smoked black pepper (perfectly pungent and smokey flavor that works on anything from hardboiled eggs, to a cheese sandwich—with avocado and bacon jam!–to seared tuna). Two pantry must-haves.
• I so do not crave this, but it’s a product… and you MUST see it. A Barbie “I Can Be A TV Chef” play set. What?! Would you buy this for your budding cooks? (via SlashFood)
• Beautifully designed tableware, including these mason jars, from Perch modern ceramics (via Oh Joy)

Green Your Eats

• Supermarket news predicts that more and more consumers will demand non-GMO products (via Cooking Up  a Story). Do you avoid GMO foods?
• Love this! (And perfect for the same week as the Atlantic story mentioned in Food News.) School Produce Stand Feeds Families in Oakland (via Lettuce Eat Kale)

Tips, Tools & Techniques

• Awesome (and pretty) DIY project for a grocery planner complete with downloadable grocery list and menu planner (via Design*Sponge)
• The Kitchn serves up 5 great ideas for seasonal smoothie add ins—great inspiration for healthy winter drinks
• Alton Brown on eating at home and eating light (Thank you, Alton!) (via The Kitchn)

Weekly Roundtable

• I decided to eat more fish. (But don’t want you to call it a resolution.): Cod with Leeks, Tomatoes & Olives
• Then I flipped the script, from eating light to some of the best cheesecake I’ve ever eaten: Honey Ricotta Cheesecake
• I closed out the week with one more sweets recipe for this other holiday favorite (that’s great all year around): Chocolate Espresso Pecan Pie