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Eating well

Melon: the perfect summer refresher

In the heat of Summer, it’s easy to become parched. Drinking lots of water is the ideal way to stay hydrated but many turn to sweetened beverages instead. Oftentimes though, those sugary drinks only make us thirstier. A great alternative is summer melon. Cantaloupe, watermelon and honeydew, with their naturally sweet and juicy qualities, are a refreshing and tasty thirst-quencher. Eaten plain, in a salad, or as a main entree, melon is the perfect summer refresher. To select a sweet, juicy melon, pick it up, hold it, smell it and inspect it. The melon should feel heavy and have no ...

Orange creamsicle or minty watermelon? Homemade popsicles are healthier than in the freezer aisle

One sweltering summer in Southern California, Jessica Gavin was looking for a healthy, cooling treat for her then 2-year-old son. Gavin, a food science expert who wrote “Easy Culinary Science for Better Cooking,” knew that even brands of healthy-looking popsicles often come filled with artificial colors and flavors, stabilizers and preservatives. So she made her own. Seven years and one daughter later, it’s become a family tradition. “It’s fun because you can make it with your kids,” said Gavin. “It’s something that you could kind of just throw together and enjoy ...

A simple recipe for Caesar salad for its 100th birthday

It's now been 100 years since the Caesar salad was invented, it's said, on the Fourth of July at a restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico. And it's had staying power. The original is credited to Italian immigrant Caesar Cardini, who tossed it in the dining room of his restaurant, Caesar's Place, in 1924. Since then, the salad's been flexible enough to accommodate a wide variety of toppings and ingredients. My recipe takes its lead from an ingenious Caesar dressing created by Brooklyn restaurateur Frank Falcinelli. It relies on mayonnaise, which has cooked eggs built right in, so if you have ...

A feast to freedom

Tomorrow flags will wave and people all over America will celebrate the Fourth of July holiday. And, as is the American way, families and friends everywhere will enjoy picnics and backyard barbecues to celebrate our freedoms. I thought it would be appropriate to come up with a barbecue menu of American favorites guaranteed to keep cooks out of the kitchen. The idea is to let the grill do most of the work, allowing even the grill master to take part in the festivities. Everyone loves barbecued chicken, but it does require turning and basting. Well, not Cola Barbecued Chicken. With a ...