Take a vacay filled with "unique" food experiences. First stop, China; next stop, France and Italy. Dining fun with recipes, including--ekh! bear paw--courtesy of this week's book recos: Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper by Brit writer Fuchsia Dunlop and The Saucier's Apprentice by Bob "Mr. Beatle's Book" Spitz.

Now, on to the food sections. San Francisco Chronicle: The story of Super Chef Michael Mina's ascent, with an intriguing seafood bake recipe.
Sweet potatoes and orange chipotle glaze adds zest to your Cinco de Mayo cooking. Resto gossip, and a hearty serving of spring-has-sprung veggies.

Contra Costa (CoCo) Times: Fondant, marzipan... cake talk! Or have a meringue of a time with all those egg whites. Rhubarb, please.

San Jose Mercury News: It's a seasonal thing, yo! More rhubarb. "The Great Steam-off". Downtown SJ finally gets its own farmer's market, starting this Friday.

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