Dining Table Travel.

You've heard of armchair travel, right? You know, sitting around your living room, reading about some faraway place until you virtually transport yourself there for at least one or two Calgon moments. Well, I've got my sights set on a little dining table travel, and my itinerary is exploding with possibilities.

It used to be that if you wanted to take a culinary tour without first stepping onto the tarmac you were limited by the nearest supermarket to Italian, French and maybe a little Mexican cuisine. However, not only have supermarkets started expanding their aisles into areas that were never before available, alternative sources for gourmet, ethnic and healthy foods are more abundant than ever before. Specialty grocers are moving into new neighborhoods everyday, but the greatest resource for food these days isn't even a car ride away…It's right in front of your nose.

Oh, the internet!

(And we thought it was just going to be an information superhighway.) Now it's not only the place to go when you want to find out what the heck harissa is, it's your very own corner store fully stocked with this flavorful Mediterranean pepper paste or whatever else your latest recipe calls for. And a doorstep delivery is just a click away.

But if you think this is only about adding new flavors to your diet, think again. I'm talking about adding nutritious options to our shopping lists; ones that many foreign countries have existed on for years. You know, like whole grains, those nutrient-packed little nuggets that our country's supermarkets replaced with white bread, rice and pasta for the past century or so. Instead of struggling to consume the government's suggested 3 or more servings per day of whole grains through breakfast cereals and energy bars, we can make the most of these flavorful products by cooking with them around the clock, now that they're easy to find.

Oh, I know, it's a little scary to try new things. But where's your sense of adventure? Try this. Season your favorite whole grains with family favorites, like California Ripe Olives. Add these meaty little morsels to any of those toasty, nutty whole grains and you've got yourself a wholesome culinary match that takes you out of this world.