Food & Drink

Clearly the best way to use aluminum foil is to fashion it into a cone-shaped hat to block aliens or the "Government" from reading your thoughts. However, aluminum foil has other uses -- even beyond cooking.

Here are a few ways to transform a cheap and durable kitchen staple into a marvel of home economy.




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I'm sorry to tell you this waitstaff, but a lot of people hate tipping.

It's confusing, with people inevitably hemming and hawing over how much to tip and how much is fair, it's awkward, as it's not like you have to, and it's extremely random. How much is enough? How much is too much? Why do some service industries expect to be tipped in some areas, while it's perfectly acceptable not to even think of tipping others in different parts of the same industry?

After all, we're expected to tip the baggage handler at a hotel, but not the person at the front desk. Plus, some people believe that tipping is downright discriminatory, since data shows that blondes are tipped more than brunettes and black customers actually do tip less than white customers, which has caused discriminatory blowback for black customers by the restaurant industry.

Stephen Dubner and Steve Levitt, of Freakonomics fame, recently tackled this issue in their newest podcast.

By Matt Brownell
Daily Finance

Pretty much any Father's Day gift guide you see is going to include at least one entry advising you to buy him a bottle of brown liquor. America's fathers, we're told, would like nothing more than an expensive bottle of scotch, or perhaps a more modestly-priced bottle of bourbon.

For many men, that's absolutely true. But just because dad enjoys his booze doesn't mean a bottle of Laphroaig or Maker's Mark is necessarily the best Father's Day gift. Perhaps he's already got way more liquor in the cabinet than he's ever going to be able to drink. Perhaps he's become more of a wine or martini guy in his old age. Perhaps he's building a home bar, and would rather get some tools for mixing his own cocktails.

Or maybe you'd just prefer to get him something a bit more creative than another bottle of hard liquor. Whatever, the case, we've gathered some clever gift ideas for the dad who likes the occasional drink, but wants to have a bit more fun with it.

By Molly McCluskey
Daily Finance

The Hilton Midtown made headlines last week when the famed New York City hotel opted out of room service. Beginning in August, the 2,000-room establishment will cease all round-the-clock food and beverage delivery service.

The hotel has said that the reason for the change is that fewer customers are taking advantage of the service. But industry experts have noted that there might be other reasons, such as the high cost of labor on a low-profit service.

Travelers shouldn't let woes about low-profit food and beverage services distract them; the hospitality industry is doing just fine. According to the recently released 2013 HOST Almanac, which studied the income and expense statements of nearly 6,000 U.S. hotels, the industry had income of nearly $162 billion, with house profit of $58 billion and operating expenses of $40 billion. The average nightly rate per room in 2012 was $159.52, and each occupied room generated an average of $244.76 in total revenue for the hotel.

Coffee may be King, but tea is certainly becoming the Queen.

The official drink of England since 1790, tea has always been the preferred hot drink in many countries, but in the past years, has gained a strong following in North America, thanks to the knowledge of its many health benefits.

Not just a drink made from orange pekoe, there's now many options to be had when asking for tea - green, white, black and even red (aka roiboos), let alone the endless combinations thanks to herbs, flowers and spices.

So for those devoted to the beverage, here's 10 things you didn't know - like what's the most expensive tea available?

By Rick Aristotle Munarriz
Motley Fool

If we're in an economic recovery, good luck trying to convince the country's largest casual dining chains -- they're sputtering.

• Darden Restaurants (DRI) suffered a combined same-restaurant sales decline of 4.6 percent for Olive Garden, Red Lobster, and LongHorn Steakhouse in its latest quarter, and analysts predict a sharp drop in earnings for its fiscal year that ends this week.
• DineEquity (DIN) also posted negative comps at Applebee's and IHOP in its latest quarter. DineEquity is in the process of unloading company-owned Applebee's to franchisees, so it's not a surprise to see revenue falling sharply. But profitability is also sliding.
• Ruby Tuesday (RT) checked in with a 2.8 percent drop in same-restaurant sales at its company-owned namesake eateries. Investors have been feeling the pain. The stock has been meandering about in the single digits for nearly two years.

And it's not as if hungry customers are flocking to cheaper fast food. After nearly a decade of positive comps, McDonald's (MCD) saw its domestic same-restaurant sales decline last October. It wasn't a fluke. Comps have gone on to slip in three different months after that.

If casual dining establishments and fast food joints are smarting for traffic, where are people getting fed?

By Eamon Murphy
Daily Finance

Last week, the United States Supreme Court delivered a unanimous decision that was hailed by some as a major victory for intellectual property rights. Others worried about the implications for agriculture, the very foundation of civilization; and in the background -- not raised by the nine justices, whom a recent study called "friendlier to corporate interests" than any court since 1946 -- was the question of prices for farmers and consumers.

The case was Bowman v. Monsanto Co. (MON), in which the court held that an Indiana farmer infringed on the biotech giant's patents when he planted genetically-modified soybean seeds not purchased from the company.

The seeds had been designed to withstand application of the herbicide glyphosate, which Monsanto markets as Roundup. Farmers who plant such "Roundup Ready" crops are required to sign an agreement with Monsanto stipulating that they will buy new seeds from the company each year, rather than using the products of the plants' reproduction.

By Matt Brownell
Daily Finance

Even by Taco Bell's (YUM) wacky standards, its latest product is a head-scratcher: The "Mexican-inspired" fast-food chain is currently in the midst of testing a waffle taco.

The waffle taco -- which is exactly what it sounds like -- is part of Taco Bell's recent test of breakfast offerings, which for now is restricted to locations on the West Coast. But Taco Bell is not the only chain trying to challenge McDonald's (MCD) in the fast-food breakfast game. A number of other quick-serve chains have dipped their toes in the water in recent years: Now Subway, Wendy's and even Popeyes are aiming to be your first stop of the day.

You're tired of dreading summer because it means more time in shorts and a swimsuit so you've made a commitment to get back into shape. That's great but... How? Unless you're part of the one per cent, personal trainers may be out of the question. Gyms are fine but at $60-$100 a month they add up too. Even purchasing home exercise equipment can mean spending a large sum of money at first. Here are five ways you can re-discover your best bod without having monthly fees or investing big money into a home gym.

By Bruce Watson
Daily Finance

Have you ever wondered what happened to the great heartthrobs of the 1970s and 1980s? In some cases, it's an easy question to answer, as they managed to stay in the public eye, making the transition from hot young hero to mature TV father figure. In other cases, they disappeared, taking their TV residuals and riding off into the sunset.

Over the last few years, though, a third option has emerged: TV pitchman. After all, while casting agents might have forgotten yesterday's hunks, the women of America haven't: The young women who once tuned in to watch "Dallas" and "Hart to Hart" every week are still out there, still buying things, and still looking for a glimpse of the men who stole their hearts all those years ago.

So, in honor of Mother's Day, we're rolling back the clock to see who's trading on '70s stardom to sell things to Mom in 2013. Here are a few of our favorites: