For starters, what is stone fruit? I've always thought that it must have something to do with the rock-hard pit in the middle of my peaches, but it seemed too obvious. Turns out, I was exactly right. Stone fruits -- like peaches, nectari…
I have to admit that at the beginning of summer I take advantage of the bounty. I put off cooking and, after a long winter (and lame spring) of long-cooked stews and comfort foods, I find solace in serving deliciously fresh fruits and ve…
It's that point in the summer when I realized the season is coming to an end sooner than I think and even sooner than I want. But we're not there yet. I know we've got to start thinking back-to-school and taking our final vacation days, …
As a lover of baked fruit desserts, I’ve always been happy to spy a crisp or cobbler, crumble or slump on a menu or at a cookout. When you’re eating these heavenly desserts, the technicalities between them hardly matter. When you’re the …
The glorious thing about summer produce—besides the fact that it tastes so damn good—is that it hardly needs adornment. Fresh and gently cooked fruits and vegetables are perfect without fanfare, especially in simple summer salads. Even s…
During the summer, I love to have some fix-ahead meals that I can take with me to the pool or park for dinner. While a juicy burger is delicious on the back porch, when it's this hot outside I crave something cold and refreshing. These g…
I'm not typically one for food holidays, but a few get me. I just can't be a scrooge about World Nutella Day , National Donut Day or, today, National Ice Cream Day . It would be wrong, especially given the trend of businesses giving away…
On some summer days, it's just too hot to turn on the oven, especially to bake desserts. Even if your house is air-conditioned to the point of being chilly, the ease of no-bake sweets still makes them irresistible. With just a few simple…
One of the big parenting challenges of summer is keeping our kids hydrated. It may sound like a small thing but it can actually be harder than you think, and dehydration is no joke. Even kids who aren’t playing center halfback in 95-degr…
I have a love-hate relationship with camping. There’s something really wonderful about it: The kids have an unimaginably good time, we sleep cozy together in a tent (air mattresses are a must), and we spend the whole day outdoors. The do…
Hey, you there! Yes you with the timer set to 12 minutes and the canister of sugar out on the counter next to that big pot? You're not boiling your corn right. Wait...I know we all have methods we swear by but I'm telling you, after year…
I've been looking around for some fun 4th of July treats, because my daughter has the honor of having a birthday the same week so we often turn the day into a double celebration. However, I'm an apartment dweller; a hot oven in the summe…
If you've got grilling on the brain for family dinners, Father's Day or summer entertaining overall -- because who doesn't, really -- we've gone through our archives over the years to pull together enough summer grilling ideas to get you…
When the temperature starts to climb, I have no problem reaching for something frozen on a stick to cool all of us off. And I especially love when that popsicle treat is actually pretty good for our bodies, too, with healthier ingredient…
If your family is anything like mine, you eat a lot of chicken. It’s among the most popular main dishes, especially for families, because it’s so versatile and because lots of kids will actually eat it unlike other protein—but chicken ca…
These 9 amazing fall salad recipes are enough to keep us from missing summer salads. For me, fall is all about stews, chili, roasts, and salads. Yes, salads! Roasted veggies are delicious, but roasted veggies tossed with greens and a del…
We've hit that sweltering time of summer when it feels like we're about to melt here in the south, so I'm pulling out my popsicle molds and making the desserts my kids beg for on really hot days. Even though the flavors of these gourmet …
As much as we love margaritas , mojitos and skinny cocktail recipes , sometimes summer calls for a glass of wine. Not just any glass of wine, but a refreshing, chilled, fruit-filled glass of wine, better known as sangria. Check out these…
I grew up in New Jersey, where hanging in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven slipping on a Slurpee was, like, totally cool. So, yeah, I come by my love of slushies honestly, and now that I'm legally of age, I can drink boozy versions too. In …
At the end of these long summer days at the pool and kids being bored and me trying to cram work in whenever I can, I'd love to kick back in front of the TV or with friends and sip a cold, delicious drink--umbrella optional. My favorite …
Summer is whizzing by and before you know it, the peaches, tomatoes and corn will be gone. Before summer produce makes its sad exit, you'll want to be sure to get in all the great summer cooking you can. The good news is that summer cook…
Hot dogs are a simple pleasure, I know, but even the classics can use a little jazzing up sometimes. Not that there's anything wrong with yellow mustard (okay, there kind of is, but still...) but I suggest you ditch it for a moment and k…
Friday July 11th is National Mojito Day, which, if you ask me, is as good an excuse as any to whip up a batch and raise a glass to the classic Cuban cocktail. Traditional mojitos are excellent - you really can't go wrong with white rum, …
When I first started writing about food , seasonal eating was mostly a concept for food geeks. The idea of summer pies was laughable to all but those farmer's market shoppers and serious gardeners. So I couldn't be happier that only five…