Al Dente

A Bowl of Summer

In many parts, even if the temperatures climb during the day, there's a nip in the air--the first sign of fall. Leave it to my friends in Vermont, Zachary and Clark, for sharing this recipe for summer in a bowl.

We had this soup recently at the home of our friends Tom and Thomas, and we thought this was the best gazpacho we'd ever had. The recipe comes from The Taste of Summer cookbook by Diane Rossen Worthington, and it is indeed a great way to have a delicious bowl of summer.

You can build this soup in several ways. We've adapted the recipe for the food processor, which makes the soup even easier and creates a fun, multi-colored confetti of vegetables in the red soup base. But you could also purée everything, or you could peel, seed, and slice the tomatoes instead of milling them if you'd like pieces of tomato in it. Whatever you do, don't skip the sour cream or crème fraiche--it adds a lovely creamy texture that, together with the anchovy paste, makes this gazpacho special.

Creamy Gazpacho

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons anchovy paste
3 cups tomato juice/low-sodium V8 juice

2-1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled
2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped into large chunks
1/4-1/2 red onion, peeled and chopped into chunks
1 red sweet pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped into chunks
1 yellow sweet pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped into chunks
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoos red wine vinegar

Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Sour cream or crème fraiche

Directions:
1. In large bowl, whisk anchovy paste and tomato juice together until paste is dissolved.

2. In food mill, grind tomatoes through finest mesh (leaving behind skin, seeds, and pulp). Add third group of ingredients to food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add all remaining ingredients except sour cream/crème fraiche to the large bowl and combine; season to taste. Seal tightly and refrigerate until ready to serve.

3. Serve in individual bowls, each garnished with a generous dollop of sour cream or crème fraiche.

--Tracy Schneider

Pack a Picnic with Gateau Basque

Gateau Basque is the name of these adorable little pastries, the signature dessert of the southwest region of France known as Pays Basque. These particular cakes come from Miremont Patisserie, the oldest and finest bakery in the region's resort town of Biarritz. But you'll also find slices of Gateau Basque in cafes, snack bars and upscale restaurants all over the area.

Gateau Basque looks simple enough, but inside its pastry dough lies a custard creme or a cherry jam that turns this Plain Jane cake into a gem of a sweet. Only a few months ago, in December 2009, Dorie Greenspan shared her recipe for Gateau Basque with National Public Radio, positioning it as a perfect holiday treat because the cake is sturdy and easy to transport.

I think it makes great picnic fare for exactly the same reason. And if you bake the dough in small tins rather than as one large cake, you've got hand-pie-sized treats that don't even require a fork or a plate. Now that's perfect for a picnic!

Gateau Basque

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick plus 2 tablespoons (5 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 to 1 cup thick cherry jam or an equal amount of vanilla pastry cream

1 egg beaten with a splash of water, for the glaze

Directions:
1. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt and keep at hand.
Working in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter and both sugars together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until smooth. Add the egg and beat another 2 minutes or so, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. The mixture may look curdled, but that's OK. Add vanilla and mix for about a minute more. Then reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients in two or three additions, mixing only until they're fully incorporated into the dough.

2. Place a large sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper on your work surface and put half of the very soft and sticky dough in the center of the sheet. Cover with another piece of plastic or wax paper, then roll the dough into a circle just a little larger than 8 inches in diameter. As you're rolling, turn the dough over and lift the plastic or paper frequently, so that you don't roll it into the dough and form creases. Repeat with the other half of the dough.

3. Put the dough on a cutting board or baking sheet and refrigerate it for about 3 hours or for up to 3 days.

4. When you're ready to assemble and bake the gateau, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350. Generously butter a 2-inch high, 8-inch round cake pan.

5. Remove the layers from the refrigerator and let them rest on the counter for a couple of minutes before peeling away the plastic or paper. Fit one layer into the pan -- if it breaks, just press the pieces together. If there's a little extra dough running up the sides of the pan, you can either fold it over the bottom layer or cut it so that it's even. Spoon some of the jam or pastry cream onto the dough, starting in the center of the cake and leaving one inch of dough bare around the border. Add more filling if you don't think it will squish out the sides when you press down on it with the top layer of dough. (I find that 3/4 cup is usually just the right amount, but if you're using a very thick jam, you might want a bit more.)

6. Moisten the bare ring of dough with a little water and then top with the second piece of dough, pressing down around the edges to seal it. If you'd like, you can work your finger between the top dough and the edge of the pan, so that you tuck the dough under a little. Because of the softness of the dough and the baking powder, even if you only press the layers together very lightly, they'll fuse as they bake. And, no matter how well you press them together, it seems inevitable that a little of the filling will escape.

7. Brush the top of the dough with the egg glaze and use the tips of the tines of a fork to etch a cross-hatch pattern across the top.

8. Bake the cake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and let it rest for 5 minutes before carefully running a blunt knife around the edges of the cake. Turn the cake over onto a cooling rack and then quickly and carefully invert it onto another rack so that it can cool to room temperature right side up.

Make 8 servings.

Dorie Greenspan, "Gateau Basque: A Perfect Cake for the Holiday", National Public Radio (NPR)

--Tracy Schneider

Simply Delicious: Fresh Corn Salad

It's been hot, hot, hot everywhere I've found myself this summer. Not use to such heat, (sometimes days of temperatures at 100 degrees F), I haven't had much of an appetite. But I have been excited by the many easy-to-make and cooling-to-eat dishes I've come across. Here's one from Vermont, courtesy of my friends Zachary and Clark:

It's corn season in New England, and we couldn't be happier. We love corn almost any way. But we give this salad pride of place. We were astonished at how good it was when we first tried it years ago. The combination of blanching the corn and then adding these few ingredients highlights the flavor of the corn beautifully. It's an easy salad, too, an important criterion for a relaxed summer evening.

Be sure to treat your corn carefully. Once it is picked, corn begins to lose its sweetness immediately. So try to buy corn that is as fresh as possible (we know when it's delivered to our local farm stand each day). Then refrigerate it until you're ready to eat it or cook it.

What's your favorite recipe for fresh corn?

Fresh Corn Salad

Ingredients:
5 ears fresh corn, shucked

1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup julienned fresh basil leaves

Directions:

1. In large pot of salted boiling water, cook corn for 3 minutes. While corn is cooking, prepare ice-water bath in large bowl. After 3 minutes, immediately remove and immerse corn in ice water to stop the cooking and set the color. When cobs are cool, remove corn and drain; cut kernels off cobs into large bowl.

2. Add second group of ingredients and mix (add as much olive oil as you like, being careful not to muddy the corn taste or make the salad overly oily).

3. Just before serving, chop and add basil. Serve at room temperature.

--Tracy Schneider

No Ordinary Burgers

My friends in Vermont, Zachary and Clark, are up to their old summertime tricks--grilling something new and totally unexpected on the barbie. They've already shared some favorites, like roasted pork souvlaki and grilled fish tacos. Today, they're making lamb burgers.

We've had this recipe for years, and every summer when we make it for the first time, we wonder why we don't make it much more often. Zachary even braved the 90+ degree F. heat to make these--which if you know Zachary says a lot!

This dish's simplicity is its genius--just lamb, salt and pepper, homemade mint sauce, and soft Butter lettuce. It needs nothing else, as long as you don't overcook the lamb. This time around may have been the best of all, since all the ingredients were local (the mint was even from our garden). As always for simple meat dishes, try to get it freshly ground from your butcher.

Lamb Burgers with Mint Sauce

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons sugar
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons hot water
1/2 cup minced mint leaves

1 pound ground lamb
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 hamburger buns

2 large leaves of Butter or Boston lettuce

Directions:
1. Stir together sugar, vinegar, and hot water until sugar has dissolved; add mint, mix thoroughly, and set aside.

2. Mold lamb into two patties; season liberally with salt and pepper; refrigerate until ready to grill.

3. Over hot charcoal fire, grill lamb 3 minutes per side for medium-rare (to an internal temperature of 120 to 125 degrees F); set aside and quickly toast buns.

4. Garnish burgers only with mint sauce and lettuce.

Serves 2

--Tracy Schneider

Hello, Cupcake!

Back in Vermont, my friends Zachary and Clark have been baking up sweets for their summertime feasts:

One of our favorite homemade treats in the summer is cupcakes. Yes, we could make them anytime, but they somehow just seem to go with summer and picnics and outdoor living. We've tried many recipes over the years, but nothing really grabbed us. Then we tried this one.

We weigh our words carefully here in Vermont, so when we say these are the best cupcakes you will ever eat, we mean it. Just make sure you use the very best vanilla extract, preferably Tahitian. The other elements of success in this recipe are in the details: weighing the flour and sugar, using cake flour instead of all-purpose, and lightening the batter with separately whipped egg whites.

Zachary and Clark told me you had to be a vanilla fan to enjoy these cupcakes, but my chocoholic daughter can't resist them. Sometimes we make them with chocolate frosting, but even when we make them with vanilla icing as they are here, they're the bomb! Try them yourself and let us know if you think you have a better cupcake recipe!

Classic Vanilla Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Have ready at room temperature:

6-1/8 ounces cake flour
1-1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup whole milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar

2 large egg yolks
2 large egg whites

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F; place cupcake papers in pans. Sift together first group of ingredients.

2. Add extracts to milk.

3. Cream butter alone until creamy and smooth, about 45 seconds. Add sugar in steady stream; beat at medium speed until very light in color and texture (2-3 minutes). Add egg yolks one at a time; continue beating until mixture is fluffy. Add flour mixture and alternate with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

4. Beat egg whites to almost-stiff peaks; fold into batter.

5. Fill cups with 1-3/4 inch cookie scoop (amount in scoop should be slightly heaping). Bake 21 to 23 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Let cool on rack 10 to15 minutes, then remove from pan.

Makes 18 cupcakes.

--Tracy Schneider

Not Your Madre's Water Bottle, But Maybe Your Abuela's . . .

Having trouble choosing an eco-friendly water bottle? I've just found one that you may not have heard about.

It's been used for hundreds of years, and it's still used today in the hottest parts of Spain, where temperatures over the summer routinely reach 100 degrees F. and the sun is so bright sunglasses aren't for fashion, they're for survival.

The water bottle I'm referring to is called a botijo, and not only does it keep water cold, it's environmentally friendly too. As soon as the botijo, which is made of unglazed clay, is filled with water, the water will begin to seep out of the porous clay, wetting the outside of the jug. As the water on the surface of the jug evaporates, it cools the water inside. No Freon necessary!

Now the botijo is not a bottle you'll be snapping to your backpack. Even without water it weighs a ton. Keep your botijo in one place, outside in the shade of a tree is best, and you'll have cool water to quench your thirst all day long.

--Tracy Schneider

Tomatoes For Breakfast? Yes!

Pan con tomate is a traditional breakfast dish in Spain, and I'm surprised its popularity isn't more widespread. What a great way to start the day, especially for those who are looking for a quick and healthy breakfast option.

Pan con tomate is simple to make. Toast a baguette. Pour a bit of olive oil over it. Then spread some crushed tomato pulp on top. Sprinkle with a little sea salt. What could be easier?

I've also eaten a pan con tomate that was made by rubbing a bit of garlic and then half of a perfectly ripe tomato onto a piece of grilled bread. It's a perfect pick-me-up in the middle of the afternoon.

With tomatoes now at their peak, why not have some fun at your next barbecue? Set out a basket of sliced bread along a bowl of tomatoes, and turn pan con tomate into a DIY appetizer for a group of friends.

If you give it a try, let me know how it goes! 

--Tracy Schneider

Good Food. Great Atmosphere!

You've no doubt heard the old joke about restaurants on Mars: good food; no atmosphere. Where do you stand on the food versus atmosphere debate? Is one more important than the other?

I've always found myself soundly on the side of food in this equation, preferring to eat at inhospitable dives for the chance to eat the best Italian, Chinese (you fill in the blank) in town.

But recently I've chosen atmosphere irrespective of the food, and that was exactly the case few weeks ago when I found myself at this exquisite dining room at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris. Look at this space!

From the painted ceilings to the immense chandeliers to the gilded decor, dining in this environment was an experience I would never have wanted to miss, and though the cafe food was excellent, it's the atmosphere that was thoroughly four stars. Good food. Great atmosphere. 

Do you have a recommendation for a restaurant with an atmosphere that's not to be missed?

--Tracy Schneider

Beignets at the Beach and Other Hawker Food

I've been a bit obsessed with doughnuts these last several months, seeking them out in neighborhood cafes or out-of-the-way bakeries just to get my hands on an elusive Italian zeppole, a Portuguese malasada or even some Polish paczki.

If you're on the beach in Biarritz, France, you don't have to seek out your doughnuts at all, they come to you via the beignet hawker who walks up and down the Grande Plage every afternoon.

Beignets, the French word for doughnuts, take many forms in France, but the beignets on the beach in Biarritz begin as soft and puffy deep fried buns that are split in half, slathered with either Nutella or abricot jam, and then dusted with powdered sugar.

I would never have guessed that beignets would make fine beach food, but after an afternoon of bodyboarding, it's just the sustenance you need.

What hawker food have you found at the beach? I'd love to know!

--Tracy Schneider

Mustard or Ketchup? What Do You Slather on Your Dog?

You may think that hot dogs are as American as apple pie, but in Iceland they're practically the national food. You can buy hot dogs at stands all over Reykjavik, but the place to try them is Baejarins Beztu Pylsur, a tiny kiosk down by the waterfront that has been in business since 1937.

When you order a pylsa (hot dog) with the works, you get ketchup, dark brown, slightly sweet Icelandic mustard, chopped raw and fried onions, and remoulade, a sweet mayonnaise. The dog itself produces a wonderful snap, thanks to its casing, and the fried onions add a delicious crunch. It's music in your mouth!

Like most hot dogs with "the works", whatever they may be (chili, kraut, slaw, etc.), this hot dogs requires several napkins and is very messy business. What do slather on your dog?

--Tracy Schneider

It's All Skyr Here

I tried Icelandic yogurt, skyr, almost eight months ago when it was on sale at my neighborhood grocery store. Siggi's skyr stood out from the other yogurt on the shelf because of its intriguing name, fabulous graphics and elevated price.

In Reykjavik, skyr is what you'll find in every grocery store and even the 10-11 (just like a 7-Eleven down to the Slurpees, which are called Polar Krush). The packaging is phenomenal here as well--colorful, eye-catching and fun.

Small containers of skyr come with their own folding spoon, so skyr is easy to eat on the run. There's blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, vanilla, and the list goes on. Some skyr comes with muesli, packed in its own compartment, so you can mix it in just before you're ready to eat it. Great for breakfast or as a late night treat, I'm thrilled that in Reykjavik, I can find skyr everywhere.

--Tracy Schneider

Great Grilling: Roasted Pork Souvlaki

From my unofficial test kitchen in Vermont, my friends Zachary and Clark are again grilling up something just a little bit out of the ordinary--pork souvlaki.

It promised to be a hot weekend, and with friends who appreciate food coming over Sunday afternoon, we turned to one of our favorite hot-weather crowd-pleasers, Greek, or to be more exact, Cypriot, food. We got these recipes originally from a Saveur magazine article about the food of Cyprus, adapting them for outdoor grilling.

We've all had souvlaki in one form or another, but this is the first recipe we'd seen for making it with roasted pork. And it is delicious. It's hard to go wrong with almost any meat marinated in red wine and wonderful spices for 24 hours and then grilled, but this is especially flavorful, as is this version of tzatziki, which gets a great kick from using Greek-style yogurt and lots of garlic.

We want to try this with cubes of marinated lamb next. Any other suggestions?

Souvlaki with Tzatziki

Ingredients:
2 cups red wine
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

2-3 pounds pork shoulder, sirloin, or butt, cut into 1-1/2-inch cubes

Tzatziki

Ingredients:
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely diced (pulsing in food processor works well)
1-1/2 cups (500 grams or 18 ounces) plain Greek-style yogurt
1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
Kosher salt to taste

Pita bread

Chopped scallions
Chopped parsley

Directions:
1. Mix the first group of ingredients together, add the pork, cover with plastic, and refrigerate overnight.

2. Mix ingredients for tzatziki together and refrigerate (can be made several days ahead).

3. When ready to serve, build a hot charcoal fire; remove meat from marinade and thread onto metal skewers; pour marinade into sturdy metal saucepan and heat on grill.

4. Grill meat for about 10 minutes, brushing with marinade and turning regularly.

5. Grill pita breads until hot.

6. Garnish pork with scallions and parsley if desired, serve with pita breads and tzatziki.

Serves 4

"Pork Kebabs with Cucumber-Mint Yogurt Sauce", Saveur, April 2010 (Issue 111)

--Tracy Schneider

The Marshmallow Fork:
No Ordinary Stick

Soda or Pop? What Are You Drinking This Summer?

Do you call it soda or pop? And when the heat is on, what will you be drinking this summer?

I was surprised a few weeks ago, when I went to my local drug store and found bottles of Mexican Coca-Cola on the shelf. Lots of people go out of their way for a Mexican Coke--made with real cane sugar--and there it was just at my fingertips.

I wondered if this was a growing trend, and at Costco just the other day, I got my answer. There was Mexican Coca-Cola, again, but this time there were cases and cases of it for sale.

While U.S. bottled Coke is made with high fructose corn syrup, many people prefer the real cane sugar taste of Mexican bottled Coke. How about you?

--Tracy Schneider

What to Eat With Watermelon? Onions and Olives!

I've been racking my brains for an unusual side to bring to my next potluck barbecue. What a surprise, when without prompting, my friends in Vermont, Zachary and Clark, sent me a recipe that combines watermelon, onions and olives in an unusual but delicious summertime salad. What do you think? Will you give it a try?

One of our favorite hot-weather salads is this one, an unexpectedly brilliant combination of flavors that is quite refreshing. The original version of this recipe called for serving the watermelon mixture on top of salad greens, but we quickly dispensed with that as a distraction. We love the trick of soaking the onion slices in ice water (to remove their sting). And we love the fact that the watermelon does not have to be the best in order for this salad to work well; in fact, the other flavors enhance the watermelon flavor. We do, however, recommend using a seedless watermelon!

Watermelon, Feta, and Olive Salad

Ingredients:
1/4 to 1/2 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced, then soaked in ice water for 30 minutes

2-3 pounds of seedless watermelon, rind removed and cut into 1-inch cubes
20-30 Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
1/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 2 limes
Fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Fresh mint leaves, chopped very roughly
Coarse sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. While onion is soaking, prepare and mix together remaining ingredients; incorporate onion.

2. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate

--Tracy Schneider

Gelato With That Hot Dog? Costco Gets a New Frozen Treat!

There's a good chance you'll be in for a fun surprise the next time you stop into your local Costco. Now, in addition to that buck fifty hot dog, you'll find a new treat on the menu: gelato! Yes, a gelato stand serving pistachio, mixed berry and stracciatella (Italian chocolate chip) is being unveiled at my local Costco tomorrow, and apparently they're coming to a Costco near you as well.

Successful testing at stores in Puerto Rico and San Diego convinced the company it was time to expand their frozen treat section, which now includes a berry smoothie, a Latte (or Mocha) Freeze, a Very Berry Sundae, chocolate, vanilla or twist nonfat frozen yogurt, and an ice cream bar hand dipped in chocolate and nuts.

The combination of pizza and ice cream has always been a favorite of mine, and a local chain of pizzerias began what I consider a match made in heaven when they started selling (and delivering) gelato from a local gelateria some years ago. Now Costco is in. How about you?

What's your favorite Costco menu item? And what do you think of their new addition?

--Tracy Schneider

"Who's Got the Scoop
on Ice Cream Scoopers?"

Farmers Market Finds, and Don't Forget the Nutmeg!

Are you going to a Farmers Market this weekend? My friends in Vermont, Zachary and Clark, have come back with a big bunch of Baby Swiss Chard.

It's still early in the season here in Vermont, but our favorite farmer had Baby Swiss Chard, which we couldn't resist. Jacques Pepin, in his Happy Cooking, has the simplest and best way to cook this type of green. Our only note is not to stint on the nutmeg. Most recipes warn you about nutmeg as if using too much of it would poison the entire block. But it really has a wonderful flavor and is delicious with robustly flavored vegetables such as Swiss chard and spinach.

Sauteed Spinach or Swiss Chard

Ingredients:
1 pound or so fresh spinach or Swiss Chard

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil

Pinch kosher salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
Generous pinch freshly grated nutmeg

Directions:
1. Wash spinach/chard and let drain in colander (do not spin).

2. Heat butter and olive oil in large sauté pan until hot.

3. Add half of spinach/chard; stir until wilting; then add remaining spinach/chard; cover and cook for 1 minute.

4. Uncover and add salt, pepper, and nutmeg (don’t stint on the nutmeg); cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring, until water is almost gone and/or stems are tender.

Jacques Pepin, Happy Cooking, Kqed Books, 1994

--Tracy Schneider

The Chef'n StemGem: It's a Hell of a Huller

Thank goodness it's strawberry season--finally! Strawberries are the first fresh local fruit, after rhubarb, that makes its way to my table, and we eat quarts at a time.

My daughter loves strawberries, but has yet to find an efficient way to eat around the stem. It's no problem for me to pull out my paring knife and carve it out, but she doesn't yet have that dexterity with a knife.

I've never thought much of strawberry hullers, that is, until the StemGem Strawberry Huller by Chef'n caught my eye. What a nifty gadget!

Press the green button on the top of the StemGem, and the stainless steel claw at the tip opens. Push the claw into your strawberry, release the button, and pull the huller out. Out comes the hull with it. It couldn't be simpler. And I know my daughter would love it! Whatever will they think of next?

Do you have a favorite strawberry huller? And if you give the StemGem a try, will you let us know what you think?

--Tracy Schneider

The Marshmallow Fork--No Ordinary Stick

I can't imagine summer camp without s'mores, the ideal late night sandwich treat made of graham crackers, Hershey's chocolate squares and perfectly toasted marshmallows. Seeking out a green stick to roast those marshmallows was supposed to be part of the fun back then--and perhaps it was for some--but not for me. If only marshmallow roasting forks had been invented!

When I came across my first steel roasting fork, I couldn't believe my eyes. The idea was just too ludicrous. I couldn't imagine actually buying a stick just to roast marshmallows. But buy it I did, and I have no regrets.

I can't tell you how many times we use our marshmallow roasting stick over the summer. S'mores make such a fabulous finale to any barbecue, and they're so much a family favorite for both young and old, we eat them all season long. With my s'mores stick I can roast marshmallows (two, even four, at a time) to a turn, without burning the hair off my arms (thank goodness). And best of all, well, it sure beats looking for that green stick.

--Tracy Schneider

The Growing Popularity of Shaved Ice

Is it serendipity that the day I feasted on my second shaved ice of the season (a few weeks ago I went in search of Filipino Halo-halo and this afternoon I downed a Malaysian ABC Ice Kachang) an article on shaved ice appeared in the New York Times?

Clearly I'm not the only one who has shaved ice on her mind, because Julia Moskin wrote a delicious piece, "Putting the Fresh in Refreshment" today about the growing popularity of shaved ice, a subject I took up in nine posts last summer.

Yes, from June through September of last year, I ate Japanese Kakigori, Thai Nam Kang Sai, Korean Bingsoo, Chinese Baobing, Vietnamese Che Bau Mau, Indonesian Es Cendol, and Hawaiian Shave Ice in addition to Halo-halo and ABC Ice Kachang. (You can read about them all here.)

Want to make shaved ice in your own home? Moskin recommends a few option, including this Hamilton Beach Snowman Ice Shaver. I've never made shaved ice at home. Have you? Are your ready to give it a try?

--Tracy Schneider

Jell-O to the Rescue

It's no fun getting sick any time of year, but on the first nice day of summer, it's really the pits. When Leslie Kelly got the chills and a fever a few weeks ago, pho helped her conquer that nasty bug. But pho wasn't going to help us this weekend, when my daughter was hit with a stomach flu that was making the rounds.

Keeping any food down was practically impossible, so the doctor told us to focus on keeping her hydrated with a clear liquid diet. Popsicles and Jell-O. Ginger ale and bouillon. "If you can't see through it," our ER nurse, Katherine, said, "it's not clear. Ginger ale, clear. Sprite, clear. Coca Cola, (much to my daughter's dismay) not clear.

At first, blue ice pops perked her up, but even they lost their luster and nothing interested her again until the Jello-O, finally set and at it's wiggly best, was placed on a bowl on her lap. Jell-O to the rescue!

--Tracy Schneider

Mini Silicone Mold