CRISPR is a precise gene-editing tool that has potential to treat diseases in humans and animals. Blogger Lynne Feifer of 365 Days of Baking helped Best Food Facts find out more about this technology and how it can be used.

“This is such a powerful, potent promising technology. We have so much at stake here in food and ag for animals and plants, agriculture, biotechnology, biofuels, medicine, the clinic translational medicine to cure disease and feed the world,” said Dr. Rodolphe Barrangou, whom Lynne interviewed at his lab at North Carolina State University.

One possible application for CRISPR is in treating sickle cell, an inherited disease. The disease affects 100,000 people in the United States and is most common among African-Americans. Dr. Nazia Tabassum is a pediatric specialist who treats sickle cell patients.

“Some of the patients come in for severe complications like severe pain crisis which requires IV narcotics and hydration. Some of these kids can also have severe sickling in their lungs which we call acute chest syndrome, which is a medical emergency,” she said.

Lynne had planned to interview Shakir Cannon, who had battled sickle cell disease his entire life and was a passionate advocate for CRISPR technology. However, he passed away in December 2017.

CRISPR also has potential to ease suffering and cure diseases among animals. Lynne talked to Erin Brenneman, a pig farmer in Iowa who said they are interested in how CRISPR might cure a disease called PRRS. “The acronym PRRS stands for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome. It is the most economically and emotionally draining disease for all those raising pigs in North America, Europe and Asia,” Brenneman said.

She said pig farmers are excited about the potential for PRRS to cure the disease.

Check out the other videos in the series What is CRISPR? and How Can CRISPR Improve Food?

The post How Can CRISPR Treat Disease? Part 2 appeared first on Best Food Facts.

There’s no shortage of inspiration here. Read on to learn more about Heather and what inspires her!

What inspired you to start blogging?

I had notebook after notebook of stories, anecdotes, recipes, stories about recipes — and when I had a month off of work in 2008 due to a surgery, I decided to start typing all of this up. Little by little, I showed a few friends and family members. I was then asked to write a column in my local newspaper, which was eventually syndicated. After three years, I started doing weekly and monthly cooking segments from my home kitchen. Later, I started appearing more in local media and weekly on a popular local radio show. At that same time, I started a podcast called Around the Kitchen Sink, which aired for three years — every week. Now I focus more on food choice and agritourism, visiting farms and food producers throughout the Midwest and Indiana, and sharing along the way for my readers.

What is your favorite food to eat?

I could live off of a good dip, hummus or salsa.

What is your favorite food to cook?

I make a lot of stir-fry’s, all-in-one meal skillets and Mediterranean-style foods.

Favorite kitchen/cooking hack?

Gosh, I am not sure. Recently, I perfected the “place a plate on a dozen cherry tomatoes to slice in half” trick and didn’t shoot them all over the floor!

Favorite kitchen gadget?

I am a pretty big fan of any Microplane brand zester.

When it comes to ingredients, what will you always splurge on?

I will always buy good oils, vinegars, chocolate, cheese and herbs/spices.

Can you share with us a #foodfail moment?

I fail almost every time I am on TV. Luckily, no one knows but me! There will always be something that burned, dropped or is raw. It just has to look good on TV!

What is your favorite part of being a food blogger?

I love the interaction with my readers and seeing the good I can do in small ways. It’s like a ripple effect.

Who are some of your favorite food bloggers?

That’s like picking a favorite child!

The post Meet Heather from Basilmomma appeared first on Best Food Facts.

So what inspired Courtney to discover her love of food and blogging in the first place? Read on to find out.

Courtney Rowland. Photo courtesy of Courtney Rowland.

What inspired you to start blogging?

Courtney: “I was a newlywed back in 2009 with just a smidge more than zero cooking experience. I was only working part time at the time, so I started using my free time to pore over food blogs and teach myself how to cook. Much to my surprise, I discovered I LOVED preparing and experimenting with new foods. All the food blogging reading rubbed off on me, and eventually I started a blog of my own to document and share what I was learning.”

Who are some of your favorite food bloggers?

Courtney: “Joy the Baker and Annie’s Eats were two of the food blogs that initially made me fall in love with cooking and blogging. These days, I enjoy reading The Food Charlatan‘s hilarious stories, Gotta Get Baked‘s vulnerable and witty posts, and the visually inspiring Two Red Bowls, Foxes Love Lemons, and One Sweet Mess.”

What is your favorite food to eat?

Courtney: “This is an impossible question! It changes every day, depending on the season and my mood. In the summer, it’s probably ice cream. Columbus has some of the best ice creams and some really unique flavors so I never get tired of it. In the winter, I like a big, hearty soup packed with vegetables and herbs and Italian sausage with a hunk of bread for dipping.

What is your favorite food to cook?

Courtney: “My first love was always baking, and I still find baking really enjoyable. I find the measuring and scooping and stirring relaxing. My favorite thing to bake is probably Banana Bread or Crazy Cake. It took me a long time to be able to cook without measuring everything out, but now I love the freedom that you have to experiment with cooking! My favorite thing to cook is probably any kind of Mexican food. I just love the smell of chopping cilantro, limes, and jalapenos!”

What is your favorite kitchen/cooking hack?

Courtney: “If you get a piece of eggshell in your batter or measuring cup, use the cracked half of the egg shell to fish it out. The jagged edge works so much better than your fingers to pierce through the sticky whites and scoop out the shell!”

What is your favorite kitchen gadget?

Courtney: “My Kitchen Aid mixer is a workhorse and a staple on my kitchen counter. I also love my Microplane graters and zesters. I use them almost daily!”

“Perfect Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes.” Photo courtesy of Courtney Rowland.

Have you ever experienced a food fail?

Courtney: “The first time I tried to make homemade pizza dough I tried to peel it off of the parchment paper and onto the flaming hot pizza stone with my hands, not realizing I could just slide the entire piece of parchment paper onto the stone and bake it like that. It made a huge mess and I ended up with a very oddly-shaped pizza with toppings squished on one side and big bubbles of dough on the other.”

What is your favorite recipe that you’ve posted on your blog?

Courtney: “Gosh, another impossible question! I really love my recipe for Perfect Fluffy Pancakes. It took me a long time to find a recipe that lived up to my pancake expectations, so once I did it was a big deal. I’m also really proud of this Roasted Tomatoes and Goat Cheese. It’s a very simple recipe, but I talked honestly in the post about my heartbreak over the events in Ferguson, MO. It’s one of the pieces of writing I am most proud of.”

“Roasted Tomatoes and Goat Cheese.” Photo Courtesy of Courtney Rowland.

What is your food philosophy?

Courtney: “I believe food is so much more than lines scribbled on a notecard or calories and facts printed on a box. Food is about community, gratefulness, hospitality, joy. It’s about nourishing our bodies, our loved ones, and our neighborhoods. It’s about faith in God’s provision and the courage to open our homes and our tables to share with others. I believe our true enjoyment of food comes from sharing it with others. It’s at the table, surrounded by sippy cups and spills, laughter and banter and the occasional tear, that we come to connect, enjoy, and love each other well. Food is the avenue for that connection.”

The post Meet Blogger Courtney from NeighborFood appeared first on Best Food Facts.

_{Photo courtesy of Wanda Lopez.}

What’s the best cure for when you’ve moved to a new place and you’re feeling a little homesick? For some it’s phone calls or Skype sessions with a loved one and for others it might be comforting food. For Wanda Lopez from My Sweet Zepol, it was the latter. After she was diagnosed with cancer, Wanda, her husband and their 2-year-old daughter moved from Puerto Rico to Florida. Feeling homesick, Wanda turned to baking to keep herself occupied – cupcakes, cakes, cookies, biscottis, scones — you name it! The idea to start a food blog was actually her husband’s. He thought it would be a great way to share her recipes and meet new people with common interests.

Wanda was pleasantly surprised to learn that the food blogger community in Florida was pretty expansive and full of beautiful people from all around the world. They may be online friends, but they often get together to collaborate and build each other up. We asked Wanda a few questions to get to know her better.

Read on to find out what her favorite kitchen gadget is and who her favorite food bloggers are!

What is your favorite food to eat?

Wanda: “My favorite comfort food is Boeuf Bourguignon, I get so giddy every time I make it. It’s like dancing to your favorite song! It reminds me of a beef stew my mom made for me every time I got sick and as a meal every year for my birthday. The smell takes me back into her kitchen — oh those memories.”

_{“Boeuf Bourguignon.” Photo courtesy of Wanda Lopez}

What is your favorite food to cook?

Wanda: “My favorite food to make is dessert. Especially if chocolate is involved, like these Gooey Salted Caramel Brownies. I always make dessert first. There is just something special about sharing a sweet treat and cup of coffee with a friend. The stories told during that time are always precious.”

_{“Gooey Salted Caramel Brownies.” Photo courtesy of Wanda Lopez}

What is your favorite cooking hack?

Wanda: “Use fresh seasonal ingredients as often as possible and meal plan. Weekly meal planning makes a huge difference; it’s a time saver.”

What is your favorite kitchen gadget?

Wanda: “Zesters. If I am not zesting citrus fruits for fresh salads, baked goods or to top a meal, I am grating nutmeg for hot cocoa or for baked goods.”

When it comes to ingredients, what will you always splurge on?

Wanda: “Good quality chocolate, good quality vanilla extract and fresh ingredients. It makes a huge difference.”

Have you ever had a food fail?

Wanda: “My mom loves meringues and I am always looking for different flavors and colors to make meringues to send to her. I have to say that I think meringues are a treat from another world. If we have a rainy day or even if it’s humid they just don’t bake well. I learned that the hard way. One time I baked as many unsuccessful meringue batches as I could until I called my mom and she highlighted my mystery problem. The humidity will keep the meringues wet and they won’t bake dry and crispy as they should. I was heartbroken to see the many meringue cookies I had to toss.”

_{“Grilled Peach Shortcake.” Photo courtesy of Wanda Lopez}

What’s your most favorite recipe that you’ve posted on your blog?

Wanda: “This is a hard question to answer. I have a big love for every recipe; they all have a reason to be, a story, a memory. I have a few and for different reasons, too. One of my most favorite recipes is Grilled Peach Shortcake drizzled with Raspberry Sauce and topped with chopped Pistachios. This recipe was created to benefit Feeding America and sponsored by Produce for Kids and Publix. As a mom I can’t stand the thought of kids and families going to bed hungry; with such a rich community, there is no reason why that has to happen.

Another favorite is Rich Chocolate Chip Cookies. I know there are hundreds of chocolate chip cookie recipes on the web, but this one is special because it’s my family’s favorite. The smiles these cookies bring to my daughter’s and my husband’s face is priceless.”

The post Meet Wanda from My Sweet Zepol appeared first on Best Food Facts.