Photo: Randy Mayor

So many people think vanilla = plain. One dimensional. The career back-up singer in a dessert with stronger, sexier, Tina Turner-like ingredients. The choice to resort to when you’ve got picky eaters with sad, unadventurous palates.

But once you let vanilla go solo, and let it be the best it can be… whoa.

Vanilla is native to tropical America, and it comes from the only orchid plant that produces anything edible. The beans are picked and fermented to develop rich complexity. Real vanilla has so many nuances of flavor and aroma, no lab has been able to make a dead ringer. Get yourself a vanilla bean or two, one that’s fat and flexible, then rub and inhale. Beautiful, right?

You can make vanilla sugar by scraping out the bean and mixing the dark tiny seeds into sugar; I also put the scraped pod in the sugar, too, and leave it for months, adding scraped vanilla beans as I use the seeds in other recipes. (Why throw out a perfectly good and expensive bean?) You can make vanilla salt using the same method as vanilla sugar—I use a grey sea salt (sel gris)—and it’s great on fruit, popcorn, and white-fleshed seafood. Make your own vanilla extract by adding five split pods to a pint of alcohol. I use vodka because it contributes no other flavors; you can also use rum or bourbon. Let it sit in a dark spot for at least two months before using it.

The recipe in Cooking Light Chill for Vanilla Ice is a surprisingly great way to give vanilla the spotlight. It has just three ingredients—low-fat milk, sugar, and vanilla—and you really don’t think it’s going to be much. It won’t have a creamy texture like a custard-based ice cream or even a treat made with real cream. But the vanilla sings, releasing its flavor as the ice crystals melt in your mouth. It reminded us of making snow ice cream.

Give yourself a special treat: Seek out a bottle of vanilla paste and try this ice with an equal amount of paste in place of the vanilla extract. (Buy vanilla paste from specialty food, spice or kitchen retailers, KingArthurFlour.com, or Amazon.com.) The ice will have pretty little flecks of vanilla, and you’ll get to experience vanilla in a way that you might not have before. Bonus: You don’t need an ice-cream maker–just a glass baking dish and a fork, and you’re making wonders in your kitchen.

Vanilla Bean Ice
This ice is reminiscent of making ice cream out of snow. While many commercial vanilla desserts are too cloying to let the vanilla flavor shine through, this three-ingredient recipe will show you that vanilla’s anything but plain. You can use an equal amount of vanilla paste for the extract; it will create an ice flecked with vanilla seeds. 

Hands-on time: 13 min.
Total time: 3 hr. 13 min.

4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stirring with a whisk until sugar dissolves. Pour into an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish. Cover and freeze until partially frozen (about 1 hour). Scrape with a fork, crushing any lumps. Freeze, scraping with a fork every hour, 2 hours or until completely frozen.

Serves 7 (serving size: 1 cup)

CALORIES 127; FAT 2.8g (sat 1.8g, mono 0.8g, poly 0.1g); PROTEIN 4.6g; CARB 21g; FIBER 0g; CHOL 11.2mg; IRON 0mg; SODIUM 57mg; CALC 163mg

1. Chill
By Cooking Light, Oxmoor House, $17.95; 208 pages
New to your bookstore this week is our newest cookbook, Chill. Smoothies, slushes, juices, and ices–just what you need as temperatures start to rise. Find more than 150 recipes for these and other cool treats in Chill. We’re also sharing Chill recipes all month long.

2. Fearless Feeding
By Jill Castle and Maryann Jacobsen, Jossey-Bass, $16.95; 432 pages
Cooking Light Blogger Connection member Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen uses her experience as both a registered dietician and mother of two kids to help parents find a balance between cooking foods kids enjoy and keeping it healthy. Her blog is devoted to the same mission, too.

3. Franny’s
By Andrew Feinberg et al., Artisan, $35; 376 pages
Editor Scott Mowbray had this to say in our June issue: Franny’s was my favorite Brooklyn joint from the moment it opened in 2004—favorite with friends, favorite with my girls. The key was the disciplined, simple flavor principles of the Italian food (the pizzas above all): perfect balance of acid, oil, and herbs, reverence for vegetables. But Lord, we always knew how heavy was the hand that poured the olive oil. Some pasta recipes in this book call for ¾ cup for four people! Still, you can cut back, and the inspirations are many. Roasted Fennel with Lemon, Chiles, and Orange Zest is masterful, using the fronds, bulb, and seeds—a Roman god’s fennel dish. The intensely mushroomy mushroom pizza on two-day pizza dough is, well, the essence of Franny’s: delectable.

4. Bouchon Bakery
By Thomas Keller and Sebastien Rouxel, Artisan Books, $50; 400 pages
Our Dessert Goddess Deb has been walking around with a big grin on her face since yesterday. That’s because she met James Beard Award-winning chef Thomas Keller while he was in our Birmingham offices. His beautiful book, Bouchon Bakery, which was one of three finalists in the baking and dessert category of the 2013 James Beard Foundation Book Awards, is a beauty to behold. It’s filled to the brim with sugary, ingenious spins on childhood favorites (we love the Thomas Keller Oreos, or TKOs) and desserts.

5. Cooking Dirty: A Story of Life, Sex, Love and Death in the Kitchen
Jason Sheehan, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $15; 368 pages; released July 2010
“Philadelphia magazine food editor and former professional kitchen mercenary Jason Sheehan’s memoir of his cooking life is fabulously entertaining. The man is a natural-born storyteller: you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll sing along,” says Senior Food Editor Tim Q. Cebula.

$12, Pottery Barn. Perfect for the closet.

The most important thing to remember when storing wine: “Don’t let it get hot,” says wine expert Scott Atkinson. Atkinson, who is a wine consultant at Western Supermarket in Mountain Brook, Alabama, where he manages over 3,000 wines, says the last place your wine needs to be is in your kitchen. That’s because temperatures tend to fluctuate when you cook, which isn’t good for the wine. Appliances radiate heat, too — the dishwasher releases hot steam, the fridge creates heat staying cold, and the coffee pot, it’s just swimming in steam and heat. Think about your wine like you would a head of lettuce: It would wilt in this type of weather and so will your wine.

If you’re storing wine for a short term, a couple of days or a few weeks, it should be fine on your kitchen counter, soaking up the sun. But if you’re thinking about holding onto it for a little while, you might want to consider putting it in a pantry or closet. That’s right, a closet. Not only are temperatures more even in a closet, they’re cooler, and they don’t often get very much sunlight either. Sunlight,  Wine Spectator magazine says,  prematurely ages wine and dampens its flavor. Also, be sure to store the wine on its side. This helps the cork stay moist so it properly protects the precious liquid inside the bottle.

Once you’ve opened your wine, pop that bottle into the fridge, advises Atkinson. Red or white, it doesn’t matter. Merlot, Pinot Noir, throw it all in. It’ll last longer at these lower temperatures than sitting at room temperature on your counter.

Wine stoppers, $4.99-$7.99 each, Bed Bath and Beyond.

First, though, you’ll want to stick a cork back into it. Keep a few chic wine stoppers around, just in case you misplace the cork — not that you would do that, no one ever does that. Or, splurge and get a vacuum seal for about $10. It’s not necessary, but it will help your wine last longer. Either way, your wine should be good for 4 or 5 days, says Atkinson.

Unless you’re planning to become a wine connoisseur and build an elaborate storage facility in your house, these basics will help you make your bottle of opened vino last a bit longer, Atkinson says.

Wine preserver, $9.99, Target.

Another wonder from this morning’s pick: garlic scapes. Elephant garlic, to be precise. This is more leek-like in size and stature than its garlic cousins, but produces curling Spring scapes as hardneck garlics do. These are a rare treat for sauteéing or making scape pesto for the few fleeting weeks they’re found in fresh markets. Seek them out at farmer’s markets or grow your own garlic to hoard the harvest. This is one of the very best moments in the benefits of gardening, as you eat the garlic plant from root to tip, or rather, bloom to bulb.

Joining the photo fun this morning is another pungent edible bloomer, onion chives. We have a border of these lining the herb beds and they are all abloom with lavender orbs in May. Split apart the purple blossoms to sprinkle over a salad, or chop the hollow stems for garnish.

What’s coming up in your garden?

We’ve been testing out a batch of recipes from Adam Perry Lang, Author of Charred and Scruffed, which feature a number of techniques designed to impart maximum flavor to grilled foods. One of which, “clinching”, involves dispensing with the grill grate (such a modern luxury) altogether and cooking directly on the coals themselves. And the results are revelatory. What you don’t get is a charred lump of former meat, but rather the direct contact of meat on coal (you have to use hardwood charcoal not briquets) actually eliminates the carbonizing flare ups and produces a crackling-on-the-outside and juicy-on-the-inside outcome. Pictured here are double-cut lamb loin chops that are basically fire-forged  umami delivery systems. Believe me, if there were any more smoky flavor, the Surgeon General would put a warning label on the side of these.

The principle is simple: You start with a large cut of meat (e.g. thick steaks, chicken legs, etc.) and get a fire burning hot which you then let mature to the glowing ember level. Fan off the ashes and place your meat down in the belly of the beast. Turn it occasionally until it’s done to your liking, being watchful for flare ups. You want caramelization, not char. You may have to knock off a few bits of charcoal that hang on, but don’t worry: that’s just more flavor and fun. Let the meat rest and dress it with a bit of olive oil and some herbs if you wish.

In addition, it’s fantastic for social gatherings not only for the tantalizing food, but you look like a complete bad-ass as you tame the fire to get it. Let the faint-of-heart man the daiquiri station…there’s “real” cooking to be done over here!!

Grilling

Oops! #1: You don’t preheat the grill.
The result: You incinerate the food.
The Fix: Whether you’re grilling with gas or charcoal, a steady, hot fire is crucial. Once the grill is turned on (or the coals are dumped beneath the grate), always close the lid and allow the grill to get hot. An eager griller may be tempted to skip this step, but if the heat doesn’t have time to stabilize at the correct temperature, food will burn before it cooks through. As a general rule, allow about 10 minutes for a gas grill to heat up and about 30 to 40 minutes for charcoal.

Oops! #2: You grill over flames.
The result: Meat that’s both charred and undercooked, with a sooty residue to boot
The Fix: Maintaining an even, powerful heat is important for great grilling, and cooking over embers is the key to an event heat. As a rule, charcoal and wood fires should be burned down to glowing embers before food ever touches the grate. Allow about 30 minutes from the time you light the fire, and wait until the coals have a bright-red glow with a gray, ashy look. It may take some time, but don’t rush: Cooking over flames will scorch food quickly and unevenly, leaving you with charred and inedible results.

Oops! #3: You don’t clean the grate every time.
The result: The food sticks.
The Fix: Before and after each grill session, clean the grates thoroughly with a wire brush. (A brass-bristle brush is best, since steel bristles can damage the enamel finish of some grates. Make sure the bristles are in good repair — you don’t want wayward bristles making their way into the food.) Each time you grill, preheat the rack with all burners on high for 10 to 15 minutes to incinerate any remaining residue from the last cookout, making it easy to clean off. Then, brush the grate vigorously with a grill brush so they’re smooth and free from any stuck-on food. Finally, make sure to oil both the grates and the food. Cleaning the grill isn’t just to prevent sticking. You’ll also get the best flavors when you’re not incorporating leftover bits from previous cookouts. See other essential grilling tools.

Oops! #4: You thoroughly mix burger patties.
The result: Tough, dense burgers
The Fix: Your own two hands are the ideal tools for shaping burgers, but too much manhandling will leave you with a finished product that’s tough, not tender. For perfect patties, use a light touch and be careful not to compact the meat as you shape the patties. Work the ingredients evenly and lightly, enough to form a sturdy patty but no longer than necessary.

Oops! #5: You shape flat patties.
The result: Your burgers has a bulge.
The Fix: Use your thumb to make a small indentation in the center of each patty before tossing it on the grill. Burgers swell in the middle as they heat up, so this trick will help them hold their shape and cook evenly.

Oops! #6: You start basting with barbecue sauce immediately.
The result: Sugary sauces scorch.
The Fix: Sugar burns very quickly over high heat. When grilling with sweet, sugar-based sauces (several kinds of barbecue sauces fall into this category), always add them at the end of the cooking time (within the last 15 to 20 minutes), or use them when cooking over indirect heat. When using leftover marinade, don’t baste burning the last 5 minutes of grill time, or you might not allow enough time for the heat to kill any bacteria that may be present.

Oops! #7: You check the doneness of meats by cutting into them.
The result: Unattractive presentation and dry meat
The Fix: Put down that knife! Juices settle in the center of a piece of meat as it cooks, and they need time to redistribute after coming off the grill. When you slice into meat to check doneness, all those yummy juices seep right out. Allow at least 5 to 10 minutes for meat to rest before cutting into it, and test for doneness with a meat thermometer instead of a knife. Place the thermometer in the thickest part of the meat, and for an accurate reading, make sure you’re not touching bone, fat, gristle, or the filling in stuffed meat. Always err on the side of undercooking. You can easily throw it back on the grill for a few minutes, but once it’s overcooked, there’s no going back.

The fixes to the most common grilling mistakes — and 202 more other cooking mistakes — can be found in our book, Oops! Get started with your summer grilling plans with our Essential Grilling Guide.

Today is my most favorite day of the food calendar year. More than any other celebrated food… today is my day. It’s national chocolate chip cookie day.

True confession: I am a chocolate chip cookie fanatic. Giving in to my deep dark chocolate desires is not an uncommon practice for me – and these famous cookies certainly fit the bill. But let’s be honest. No two chocolate chip cookies are alike, and I’m a bit of a snob when it comes to “liking.” I don’t settle for just any old chocolate chip cookie. Nope. It’s got to be totally worth it. I want a perfect cookie-to-chip ratio — not so many chips that you can’t taste that buttery-crisp cookie that crumbles just at the right moment – dissolving right on top of those taste buds. Ideally, that cookie will have at least two different kinds of chocolate – semi-sweet and dark – to hit all levels of chocoholic cravings. A little gooey in the middle, buttery crisp on the edges, and a sprinkle of salt to balance all that sweet. And if I’m forced to lick some extra chocolate off my fingers once I’m finished… even better. No nuts, no dried fruit, no coconut, no candies – no monkey business in my cookies.

When making our Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, I set out to create a perfectly desirable cookie and made a few tweaks to highlight and emphasize all things good in this tasty little treat. The butter is browned to draw out a deeper flavor and amps up the richness in the cookie itself. Whole-wheat flour gives a nutty twist, and a pinch of salt balances the sweetness of two sugars. And yes, both semi-sweet and dark chocolate chips take these cookies to the extreme.

See our entire collection of healthy chocolate chip cookies.

Never settle for a less-than-perfect chocolate chip cookie. Life is just too short.

And the best way to eat them? Right out of the oven.

What’s your favorite way to eat a chocolate chip cookie?

So, like me, a lot of people in our team had their own juice and smoothie drama — and loves (several are passionate smoothie drinkers and juice makers). We brought our ideas and experiences to the table, and we wanted to create a book that we’d love so much, it’d be dog-eared and splattered in no time. On the wish list:

* We wanted fun treats, things that reminded us of growing up and going to the drive-thru for a slushy or a creamy shake, or getting a snow-cone from the ice cream truck making rounds in our neighborhoods.

* Everything had to be easy to make. We focused on ingredients you can get anywhere, and we wanted the recipes developed for a regular home blender. You don’t need to buy a pricey blender or juicer to use Chill.

* There had to be something for everyone. We particularly wanted to offer dairy-free options for people who need or want them, and our Test Kitchen tried multiple versions of many of the recipes with different dairy-free ingredients.

* And, of course, we wanted health benefits. We decided to use all-natural sweeteners and ingredients. We created smoothies that are great for a quick breakfast or a post-workout boost. And the recipes meet the same nutrition standards that you find in Cooking Light magazine every month.

One of the recipes we all loved is the Honey-Peanut Butter Shake (page 95). It hits all the notes on our wish list (it’s even dairy-free). It’s got that addictive sweet-salty combo, and it’s wonderfully thick and creamy: just what you want for a dessert to slurp.

Honey-Peanut Butter Shake
Hands-On: 5 min
Total: 5 min

Silken tofu and peanut butter make this shake a thick, dairy-free treat. You can add a teaspoon of ground flaxseed, if you like, or add a drizzle of extra honey on top.

1 cup light vanilla soy milk
1/3 cup cubed soft silken tofu
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon honey
2 cups vanilla frozen tofu yogurt

1. Place first 4 ingredients in a blender; process until smooth. Add frozen tofu yogurt, and process until smooth.

Serves 4 (serving size: 3/4 cup).

CALORIES 276; FAT 16g (sat 2.5g, mono 4g, poly 8.4g); PROTEIN 4.7g; CARB 29.1g; FIBER 0.3g; CHOL 0mg; IRON 0.4mg; SODIUM 179mg; CALC 80mg

Chill is in bookstores this week! Order your copy today.

ANCHOVY GREMOLATA
Combine ½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, 4 teaspoons minced fresh garlic, 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind, and 2 teaspoons anchovy paste in a medium bowl, stirring until well blended. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

SERVES 10
CALORIES 11; FAT 1.1g (sat 0.2g); SODIUM 64mg

Recipe by Tiffany Vickers Davis

By April Hardwick

GOLD DETAILS 22-karat honeycombs on elegantly slim porcelain plates ($58 and $53, dbohome.com)

HONEY POT The silicone dipper makes adding a touch of honey to any dish a cinch ($25, lecreuset.com).

BEE SWEET Honey-kissed salted caramels in a cute candy shell ($29/9 pieces, johnandkiras.com)

DON’T WORRY … Mini magnetic reminder to think positive thoughts ($11/4 magnets, seltzergoods.com)

HONEYCOMB VASES Golden glass so beautiful it’s art even sans flowers ($360/set of 2, arteriorshome.com)

STOP FOR A POP Honey and lavender lollipops that double as tea sweeteners ($7/3 pops, waxingkara.com)

LOCAL BUZZ Pure, unfiltered raw honey harvested from beehives in Seattle’s urban Ballard neighborhood. Sales fund the revitalization and renewal of dwindling honeybee populations in urban areas ($12/12-ounce jar, ballardbeecompany.com).

Trellis Wellness Mat, available from Williams-Sonoma.com

That is, until I began using a comfort mat. After my first whole day of baking (without the mat), my feet were really sore, and the muscles in my legs were aching. The mat was a most welcome bit of relief on day two. I was afraid I’d have a difficult time navigating a squishy surface while rushing around rolling out pie dough and sauteing squash, but the beveled edge made the transition from floor to mat easy and — most importantly for me — hassle free. (No one has time to trip with a pie in their hands.) I noticed a difference both in my longevity of standing and in my overall comfort when I was finished, both for the better.

I used a mat from WellnessMats. Our Test Kitchen uses GelPro mats. Both are great and about equally priced. The mats are more expensive than a fabric mat or rug you might pick up at the store, but they’re made of high-quality materials, are easy to clean, and do not slip or slide on tile or vinyl surfaces. Plus, as they’ve become more popular in home kitchens, decorative versions of these once-utilitarian mats are becoming easier to find. The Antique Trellis Motif from WellnessMats and the Woven Teak from GelPro are two beautiful examples of functional mats that still look great in a home.

The only difference between the two I see: WellnessMats are made of a polyurethane material; GelPro mats are made with a gel insert. How does that translate to your feet? I can’t tell a huge difference, either barefoot or with shoes. Also, WellnessMats offers a 7-year warranty, including a promise that the mat will never compress or roll-up on the edges. GelPro offers a limited 3-year warranty if you buy from them and a limited one-year warranty if you buy through another retailer.

The mats would make a great gift if you have a loved one who spends a lot of time in the kitchen, but I’d suggest you go ahead and spoil yourself with one while you’re at it, especially if you spend any length of time in front of a stove or sink. Like I said, they’re a bit pricey, but your back and your feet will want to give you a giant, squishy hug for the relief.

The June issue has just hit newsstands, and it’s a real beauty—full of fresh, fast, summer-rific recipes. I’ve chosen some of my favorites that take advantage of all the goodies showing up now at farmers’ markets. Here’s a week’s worth of healthy, delicious, quick meals.

Monday: For all you moms out there, I hope yesterday was the best Mother’s Day ever! I have a feeling many of you are the primary cooks in the house, so let’s make this Meatless Monday a super-easy meal so that it almost feels like (another) night off. Penne with Herbs, Tomatoes, and Peas is the ticket. I simply adore this dish, where loads of cherry tomatoes are barely warmed and then tossed with pasta, herbs, and cheese. Add some nice bread (try ciabatta—tomorrow night’s meal uses it) or a simple side salad, and you’ve got dinner in 20 minutes. Oh, and a crisp white wine wouldn’t hurt, either. This time of year, I’m all about vinho verde—inexpensive, zippy, and delicious.

Penne with Herbs, Tomatoes, and Peas

Tuesday: For some reason, I typically shy away from sandwich night—I guess I feel that sandwiches aren’t good enough for dinner. Or, put another way, they often seem lame. But our Sautéed Greens, Smoked Turkey, and Provolone Panini, ready in only 15 minutes, has turned me around. It’s a crunchy, tasty handful that’s full of earthy kale. (There’s a reason kale is so trendy, by the way; it’s simply tastes good.) To balance the heartiness of the sandwich, serve with crisp, cool Cucumber Salad, which comes together in only 10 minutes, or maybe even faster if you use a mandoline or food processer for slicing. Pick up the biggest green bell pepper you can find; you’ll use the rest in Friday’s dinner. The remainder of the red bell and much of the parsley will go in tomorrow’s meal.

Sautéed Greens, Smoked Turkey, and Provolone Panini

Cucumber Salad

Wednesday: An Israeli salad mingles with Southern ingredients in chef Hugh Acheson’s Southern Fattoush, a clever, herbaceous dish of black-eyed peas, cukes, tomato, and toasted pita. Though we have it as a side dish, honestly, I’d help myself to a larger portion and call it dinner (in 24 minutes!). If you’d rather keep it a side, serve alongside grilled lamb chops or grilled chicken. This is fine, fresh eating! 

Southern Fattoush

Thursday: Now is the point in the week where my husband and two boys demand something truly meaty. Bring on Grilled Pork Chops with Nectarines! If nectarines aren’t your thing, try apricots or plums, which would be equally delicious. And serve with Bacon-Herb Salad for more meaty hits. It’s a great meal that’s ready in about a half-hour. (If you’re making the bonus dessert, and the nectarines are aplenty, grab extras.) 

Grilled Pork Chops with Nectarines

Bacon-Herb Salad

Friday: Time for a Southern fish “fry,” y’all! Toast the end of the workweek with our Sweet Tea Mint Juleps; you can have it ready to serve in only 25 minutes if you serve over ice and skip the chilling step. The main event is Cornmeal-Dusted Catfish with Quinoa Sauté, an impressive 20-minute dish that’s nearly a full meal. If you find nice, fat tomatoes at your market, make an instant side dish by slicing them and sprinkling with salt and pepper; if it’s too early for beefsteak tomatoes in your area, just toss halved cherry or grape tomatoes with salt and pepper.

Sweet Tea Mint Juleps

Cornmeal-Dusted Catfish with Quinoa Sauté

Dessert bonus: Well, this dessert does take some pre-planning, and it breaks our time limit rules. But holy cow is it good! Peach Cobbler Ice Cream with Bourbon-Caramel Sauce is wildly delicious and super-easy to make. You don’t even need an ice-cream maker! One bite, and you’ll swoon: Peaches (or nectarines if you can’t find good peaches), peach schnapps, and bits of baked pie dough are loaded into every bite, and a whiskey-soaked drizzle is the finishing touch. Your eyes will roll back in your head when you taste this. Trust.

Peach Cobbler Ice Cream with Bourbon-Caramel Sauce

The Plan

Monday: Penne with Herbs, Tomatoes, and Peas
Tuesday: Sautéed Greens, Smoked Turkey, and Provolone Panini and Cucumber Salad
Wednesday: Southern Fattoush with grilled chicken or grilled lamb chops
Thursday: Grilled Pork Chops with Nectarines with Bacon-Herb Salad
Friday: Sweet Tea Mint Juleps and Cornmeal-Dusted Catfish with Quinoa Sauté
Dessert Bonus: Peach Cobbler Ice Cream with Bourbon-Caramel Sauce

Ready to start shopping?

View this week’s menu, which includes every recipe you see mentioned here. From there, you can create a shopping list when you sign into your MyRecipes account.

CL: How much of an increase in craft beer production have we seen this year?
Julia Herz: We’ve seen craft beer continue to grow. 2012 craft beer was up 15% by volume. That’s not something you can say for the overall beer category, which was just up a little more than 1%.

Julia Herz, program director the the Brewers Association

CL: So you think we’ll see a brewery in every local neighborhood soon?
JH: That’s the kind of movement that beer lovers would applaud. And what we’re talking about here is a localization-of-beer movement that’s going on in the United States and that movement could support breweries in many more nooks and crannies for sure. There is more demand and supply right now.

CL: What are some of your favorite newer breweries right now?
JH: Shmaltz Brewing Co., who distributes in many states, is formally opening doors on a multiple-barrel brewhouse that will increase their production exponentially.

I also just came back from Chicago and there’s a great new brewery called Revolution. They started just in the past 3 years and are doing more than they ever expected. They started as a brew pub and now have a packaging facility as well.

CL: When and why was craft beer week started?
JH: Every year in the middle of May, tens of thousand of beer lovers, in whatever informal or formal fashion, toast American craft brewers and our advancing beer revolution. And hundreds of craft breweries also celebrate with events in their tasting rooms.

American Craft Beer Week is 8 years old. It’s an annual week organized by CraftBeer.com, published by the Brewers Association. This is the largest national week for beer lovers and craft brewers. For 3 years in a row, we have had celebrations in all 50 states. I mean, how many events do you know that have celebrations in all 50 states? So this is a really big sign of the craft beer revolution that people keep hearing about.

CL: What is your favorite beer to drink right now?
JH: Whatever is handed to me! But if you want to get specific, I love English-style ESB’s and American pale ales and IPAs.

We are also happy to announce the Cooking Light’s home state of Alabama has legalized homebrewing just in time for Craft Beer Week, which makes homebrewing legal in all 50 states! 

One is based on an old-fashioned concoction that’s making a comeback among foodies and drink enthusiasts: A shrub, made of fruit juice and vinegar. Throughout time and around the world, drinking vinegar has been thought to have health benefits. (Andy Ricker, chef at Pok Pok in Portland, Oregon, sells some tasty drinking vinegars called Pok Pok Som at his restaurant and online, if you’re curious—try it mixed with soda water.) In centuries past, people preserved fruit juice by adding sugar and letting it ferment, sometimes into alcohol, sometimes into vinegar. One of today’s food trends is driven by people who are tapping into the ancient wisdom of taking in fermented foods: Yogurt and the benefits of probiotics are huge now, and people are also interested in kimchi, miso, pickles, cheeses, and more.

Whether or not drinking vinegar boosts your health, sweet fruit juice balanced with vinegar’s tang is mighty tasty. I can’t blame our progenitors for loving this.

Pomegranate Apple Shrub

Hands-On Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour and 2 minutes

This old-fashioned I’m-sitting-on-the-porch-it’s-too-hot-to-move drink is tangy and thirst quenching. Originally shrubs were prepared with lots of sugar, but this one is made healthier with only the natural sugars from the fruit.

1 1/4 cups unsweetened pomegranate juice
1 1/4 cups unsweetened apple cider
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Ice cubes

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a pitcher. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or until thoroughly chilled.

2. Fill 3 glasses with ice; pour shrub evenly over ice. Serve immediately.

Serves 3 (serving size: about 1 cup).

CALORIES 117; FAT 0g (sat 0g, mono 0g, poly 0g); PROTEIN 0.8g; CARB 29.3g; FIBER 0g; CHOL 0mg; IRON 0.2mg; SODIUM 15mg; CALC 17mg

1. We’re still elated over the two James Beard Foundation Awards Cooking Light won last Friday night. The first award was for our cookbook, The New Way to Cook Light. We wrote this book in order to capture what we call “the golden age of healthy cooking in America.” In it, we explore the easy concepts that guide Cooking Light today: great ingredients, reliable recipes, and, when possible, smart shortcuts that can open up a world of healthy cooking for both weeknights and weekends. The second award went to Executive Editor Ann Taylor Pittman for her touching piece, “Mississippi Chinese Lady Goes Home to Korea.” The article chronicled her journey to Korea for the first time to meet her relatives and cook with them. (Have the tissues ready when you read it.)

2. We think food should be both beautiful and delicious, but when it’s just beautiful, well, that’s great too. NBC News has a lovely slideshow of edible artwork created by Malaysian artist Hong Yi. An owl made entirely from a red onion? Color us amazed!

3. Clothes come in many sizes — why not food? Leave it to hip foodies in the heart of London’s Soho district to bring the idea of one-size-does-not-fit-all to a restaurant. Size Matters Soho, a pop-up restaurant by Criterion Restaurant, offers their mini hot dog selections, starters, main courses, sides, and desserts all in Small, Medium, or Large. That’s a strategy we’d like to see restaurants stateside adopt.

4. Ramps are elusive — only available for a short window each spring — but they pack a punch. These garlicky, earthy onion cousins are at their peak right about now, and they’re worth the hassle of a hunt. However, their popularity might have a high price: Ramps may quickly become endangered. NPR shares a story of how the ramp’s increasing popularity could be putting it at risk.

5. Mother’s Day is this Sunday, and we’ve got plenty of ideas to help you celebrate your mom. From champagne cocktails to bunches of breakfast ideas, we’ll have you spoiling mom on her special day in delicious fashion.

For wine lovers like myself, that’s a huge relief. There aren’t many things more satisfying than enjoying my favorite red with an Italian-inspired pasta dish or curling up on the couch to watch a movie with friends while sipping on a glass of sweet white.

So as you partake of your favorite vino, why not enjoy it in a fun or flirty wine glass? We’ve rounded up a few of our favorites, ranging from hand-crafted pieces of art to clever “measuring cups” for simultaneous cooking and drinking. Cheers!

Mikasa Swirl Goblet ($19, Macy’s)

Four Seasons Wine Glasses, Set of 4 and Decanter ($110.00, Mary Elizabeth Arts)

Rednek Wine Glass ($15.99, Bass Pro Shops)

River Rocks Stemless Wine Glasses, Set of 4 ($99.00, Woodeye Studios)

Sauced Wine Glass/Measuring Cup ($17.95, Gadgets and Gear)

There’s a lot of mystery in these next three weeks: some eggs aren’t marked with a breed I.D., and we don’t know if they’ll be waddling hens or proud and loud roosters. It’s a lot like the wonder of starting our many heirloom seeds in the Cooking Light garden. Seed catalogs seduced us with pictures and promises, like the Emerald Gem melon, touted as “altogether unapproached in delicious flavor and luscious beyond description.” How could you not plant that? Phillip, our Executive Managing Editor, is on the hunt to find a melon similar to one he fell in love with at the market last summer — which brings it all back to our dinner table and why we are growing fresh foods for our recipes. It’s not about how you say to-may-toe or ta-mah-to. It’s about enjoying and reviving the hundreds of varieties that aren’t commonly seen on store shelves.

Get lost in a few of these heritage and heirloom sources:
www.seedsavers.org
www.rareseeds.com
www.heritagepoulry.org
www.southernexposure.com

Emerald Gem melon, photo from Seed Savers Exchange

P. Allen Smith

GO FOR A SPIN Stainless steel Aero pinwheels from Torre & Tagus catch every breeze. Available in six colors ($16.50, 800-423-4417).

HOSE HUES You’ll never misplace Dramm’s rainbow collection of watering hoses. Kink-free, with premium rubber. Matching sprinklers and sprayers available, too ($70, nybg.org).

HELLO, YELLOW! After a day of weeding, pruning, and harvesting, fall into the waiting arms of the Bend wire deck chair with cushion ($274, westelm.com).

SUN POWER Weather-resistant solar lanterns shed light on your garden at night. Built-in sensors automatically illuminate ($30 for two, http://www.allsopgarden.com).

MEAL IN A WHEEL For the birds, that is. Each feeder is handmade in St. Louis. Also available in blue ($95, uncommongoods.com).

DIG WITH FLOWERS Irish designer Orla Kiely brings her signature floral patterns to Wild & Wolf’s fashionably handy wood-handled trowel ($30, burkedecor.com)

SM: People who buy their produce at farmers’ markets often forget the hard work that goes into all this. What are the pests, varmints, and predators that have appeared in or done damage to the garden in the past year? Have you had to dispatch any?

MBS: Luckily, no deer. We’ve had to outsmart pesky cutworms as they feasted on tiny bean and pea seedlings with their guillotine ways. The third planting was the charm: Mini tinfoil collars on the seedlings deterred any repeat performances. Something attacked our perfectly ripe White Wonder watermelons, and we have those insane tomato hornworms, which will eat the hell out of a tomato plant in one day flat. They do turn into a spectacular hummingbird moth, though. The most vile and frustrating have been the pine voles—little rodent tunnelers with long, yellow teeth, lured into the pillowy soil of our raised beds by the scents of carrots, chicory roots, and Swiss chard. They are infinitely happy. Like in a cartoon, we see the carrot top wiggle from above as they eat in the cover of darkness underground, pulling the whole thing into a perfect little hole in the soil.

SM: I’ve seen snakes even on our office property here in Alabama. I assume you have scads of them.

MBS: Last summer in July, possibly delirious from heat exhaustion and carrying heavy baskets of tomato harvests, I finally sat down to pick what seemed like hundreds of golden cherry tomatoes. In my stupor, I nearly sat on a 7-foot—and very fat—black snake. I think I made some sort of squeal perceptible only to dog ears. The snake immediately slithered and curled into the tiniest of holes under the wooden bed border. As much as the sensible part of me should have prevailed, I grabbed the tail end of this fat guy and tried to pull him out. Do not ask why. Maybe I didn’t want him to escape before David ran to the rescue. As soon as I got a good look at him, I realized he was the very sort of snake that should be welcome in a garden or farm. This king snake had found his mecca: our frustrating colony of voles. I will crown him if he defeats the vile voles!

SM: How many snake species have you seen?

MBS: Three: king, garter (cute, tiny green snake = harmless), and a baby copperhead (extremely poisonous, especially due to his age and concentrated venom). I left that experience out of the blog last year. I stepped on the baby copperhead while wearing flip-flops. I did not realize it, obviously; I thought a stick or limb had brushed my anklebone. When I looked down, though, I saw his wide-open, bluish white mouth and could see that I was standing on him. Luckily he did not successfully strike with full fang action, as I think my shoes collared him too tightly to get a nice coil for striking. I shook for about seven days afterward.

SM: Those purple martin nests that David made populate your property like little gourd-shaped condominiums. How many nests do you now have?

MBS: David tried for seven years to carry on the practice of hosting purple martins, learning from his grandfather’s example 30 years ago. He remembers his grandfather Shaddix’s huge vegetable garden and gourd houses for purple martins and vowed to uphold the tradition. In 2011, we had our first two pairs. We named the first couple George (after first president George Washington) and Martha. They are seasonal inhabitants from February to midsummer, migrating to South America for the other months. In 2012, we had 22 pairs who each reared two to five offspring. Watching them fledge—leave the nest to learn to fly—is a momentous day at Maple Valley. These birds are our happy-hour entertainment. David planted seeds for homegrown birdhouses made from hollow gourds. We have more than 100 houses and have had 20 pairs nest here thus far. More arrive daily, and we currently have the northernmost subadult sighting in the U.S. (David’s addicted and tracks their migration with thousands of other Purple Martin Conservation Association folks at purplemartin.org.)

SM: Tell me about your gorgeous flock of very fashionable chickens.

MBS: It’s too big. We got seduced by the romantic and colorful descriptions of the heritage breeds and wanted to have them all. Last year, we bought 25 one-day-old chicks and crossed our fingers that they were not cockerels. It’s hard to tell when they are powder puffs with beaks. Blue Laced Red Wyandottes, Silver Laced Wyandottes, Buff Orpingtons, Buff Laced Polish, Australorps, Araucanas … too many breeds to count. We have about 30 birds in all, including four big, beautiful, boastful roosters. In the height of sunny seasons with long daylight hours, we get about 18 eggs a day, some pink, splotched brown, speckled, tiny white, and blue. A few older gals just lay an egg when it suits them. Only two have names: Henrietta, a Columbian Wyandotte, and Peaches. She’s the Buff Polish with the perfect Phyllis Diller hairdo.

SM: What was the most delicious dish you made in the past year using garden produce?

Glazed Baby Carrots

MBS: David’s vote is baked stuffed sweet peppers. We used Chocolate Bell and Golden Treasure, an Italian roasting pepper with few seeds, as the base for goat cheese, basil, Georgia olive oil, and golden raisins. My absolute favorite has been using the plethora of hot peppers for sambal oelek, recipe courtesy of Charmaine Solomon (passed on by Scott from his favorite Asian cookbook). Prior to growing all of these hot peppers, I couldn’t withstand a jalapeño on a pizza slice. Now I crave it and use our stash of jarred sambal oelek and our homemade (HOT!) crushed red pepper flakes on everything, even in the base for pizza sauce. I made crushed red pepper flakes and another batch of yellow flakes from Lemon Drop peppers, which have a more palatable, sweet, citrusy heat. The Cooking Light recipes that we’ve used are too numerous to name. I tested so many from issues past and for the CL Pick Fresh cookbook. I love the Spicy Basil-Beef Salad, I regularly make arugula pesto, and one bite of simple glazed carrots explains why I nicknamed them “soil candy.”

SM: What is your absolute favorite new variety of anything?

MBS: Can’t do it! Who’s your favorite child?! I’m enamored with Golden Treasure sweet pepper, Lemon Drop hot pepper, and the gorgeous Fish pepper and have vowed to always have them as part of our garden. We will always have fresh carrots, too. David’s all-time favorite from 2012 was Yellow Brandywine tomato. Big, big fruits—easily more than a pound—and amazing tomato flavor.

SM: I’ve walked and picked in the CL garden, but I really don’t know how big it is.

MBS: We use a space about 45 x 60 feet, plus 10 raised beds that are 5 x 8. The herb garden is about 5 x 60 feet but not fully planted. We also spread out on a long hill overlooking the duck pond for “Pumpkin Hill”—about 100 feet long. Of course, no one needs that kind of space to grow their own herbs or veggies. A few containers by a back door is a great start.

SM: You seem born to the green thumb profession.

MBS: I am having the time of my life sharing our experiences and making the passion for gardening and garden food contagious through Cooking Light’s kitchen and pages. It’s incredible how popular knowing the source of one’s food has become, whether for nutrition, flavor, local and ecofriendly, or health motivations. I hope that beginning gardeners approach it much like they do cooking, in that you might not get it perfect the first time, but learning how to adapt to your soil and weather (just like your finicky oven temps or thinking on your feet with ingredient substitutions) yields both an enjoyable process and a tasty result. When at first you don’t succeed, plant, plant again. And, on a serious note, one gets an incredible respect for food from this process.

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