At Leite's Culinaria, we believe a passion for food isn't limited to the kitchen. A person can be as satisfied by eating a good meal as by reading about one. Therefore, our mission is to educate and to entertain cooks and readers of all levels who are interested in the diverse world of food. We accomplish this by offering the following:

• Full-length articles, columns, in-depth interviews, essays — plus slide shows, audio, and video — on a variety of topics, including food and popular culture, history, and humor.

• Now Serving, a three-episode joint podcast project with Eat Feed that brings the world of food, in a mobile format, to a whole new audience.

• LC {blog} featuring the musings of our contributors.

• Culinary resources, cooking tips, and an integrated culinary dictionary.

• An extensive and ever-growing collection of carefully edited recipes from chefs, restaurants, current cookbooks, and home cooks from the United States and abroad, including a large section of Portuguese recipes.

• A monthly giveaway of some of today's most popular cookbooks and narrative food books.

• A newsletter that summarizes the new articles on the site as well as passes along unique, timely information about people, places, and events in the world of food.

• A syndicated service that delivers daily recipes, articles, and news directly to readers who prefer not to receive newsletters/e-mails.

• A recipe-testing program for those individuals interested in learning more about food and cooking. The program, consisting of almost 200 people from around the world, has been the springboard for many young editorial assistants, test-kitchen assistants, and new food writers.

• Sponsorship of new food writers through The Leite's Culinaria Scholarship for Narrative Food Writing to the Symposium for Professional Food Writers at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, WV.

• Creation of "Talking with Your Mouth Full," an ongoing series of readings events throughout the country about food and drink, with the goal of encouraging excellent writers of all levels to share their work with a supportive audience and to lift food writing off the page and onto the stage.

• Creation of “Eating Our Words,” a companion event to “Talking w ith Your Mouth Full,” where a local chef creates a multiple-course menu inspired by the readings. In November, both events traveled to Seattle, WA, where Tom Douglas created a meal inspired by the work of eight talented local writers.