Bread And Cheese, Coal-Fired Pizza, Instagram: 10 Hot Topics On Food Republic

Molding candles and soaps out of meat fats? Alternating between emergency response and whiskey distilling? Making beer-infused chili in just 90 minutes? It wasn't the most conventional week here at Food Republic, but we certainly learned a lot. Do you know what makes a good knife? Or why everyone is suddenly freaking out about coal-fired pizza? Can you believe that Instagram is already five years old? We've got those answers here, along with an infographic on 30 ways the world combines bread and cheese. It would appear that 29 countries other than our own can't get enough cheesy bread either. All that and more on this week's Hot Topics on Food Republic.

  • This infographic shows 30 ways the world combines bread and cheese.
  • Why, oh why, is everybody freaking out about coal-fired pizza?
  • How — and why — to make candles, soaps and balms with meat fats.
  • What makes a good knife? We asked chef Michael Symon.
  • Headed for a skiing trip to Aspen, Colorado? Here's where to eat really well.
  • Make this hopped-up 90-minute chili recipe — it's perfect for a fall evening.
  • Here's everything you need to know about wild Alaskan salmon.
  • The man who pumped NYC's tunnels post-Sandy now makes great whiskey.
  • Happy fifth, Instagram! Here are our five favorite photos from the past year.
  • Learn how to make lime-marinated fish with Erik Bruner-Young.