Says David: “In my opinion, it’s really not a barbecue without a side of potato salad. While the classic version is near perfection, sometimes it’s fun to play with the flavors (a sure sign of a confident cook!) This dish mirrors the flavor of your favorite barbecued meats.”

RECIPE: BARBECUE POTATO SALAD

Ingredients

1. COVER the potatoes with water and bring to a boil in a large stockpot over high heat, with 1 tablespoon salt. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes; drain. While the potatoes are cooking…

2. RENDER the bacon until crisp in a large skillet over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes. Drain the bacon on several paper towels and break into small, bite-size pieces. Set aside.

3. MIX the mayonnaise, mustard, barbecue sauce and hard boiled egg in a large bowl. Slowly add the potatoes to the dressing and let them absorb the liquid, about 15 minutes. Add the celery, red onion, thyme, salt and pepper and refrigerate until well chilled.

4. GARNISH with the bacon and chives just before serving.

Find more of David Venable’s recipes at QVC.com.
  

Package the beer with a copy of Craft Beer World by Mark Dredge

With the explosion in the popularity of craft beers across the globe, more must-try beers are available than ever before.

Craft Beer World presents more than 300 of the world’s most innovative and delicious, showcasing the best of each style in 50 different categories.

From an American IPA bursting with citrusy C-hops or an Imperial Stout full of dark roasted malts, the book explains the key characteristics of each, from classic to cutting edge brews.

There are also nuggets of beer information, including how to serve different beers and how to pair beer with food.

Also consider a beer flavor wheel, a shortcut to comparing styles.

Another type of beer flavor wheel provides descriptions of the myriad flavors of beer.

Whether you’re looking for bitter beers or brews with hints of chocolate or coffee, these guides reviews will point you in the right direction. There’s not just one perfect beer to suit your taste buds; there are many!

Check out the different types of beer in our Beer Glossary.

Like the hamburger, the hot dog is a sandwich: meat “sandwiched” in bread. It was invented in the U.S. in 1871, when an enterprising Coney Island sausage vendor thought to serve a Frankfurt-style sausage in a roll. The rest is history.

Over time, fans have created gourmet hot dog recipes, but nowhere to the extent of burger variations.

Even looking at the basics: How many bacon cheeseburger lovers have ever tried a bacon cheese dog? So today’s tip is: serve up bacon cheese dogs along with bacon cheeseburgers in your Memorial Day grillfest.

Start with this from Kraft, which used Oscar Mayer hot dogs, Kraft Singles and Claussen sweet pickle relish.

RECIPE: BACON CHEESE DOGS

Ingredients For 6 Servings

Preparation

1. HEAT grill to medium-high heat.

2. GRILL franks 7 to 9 minutes or until heated through, turning occasionally.

3. PLACE in buns; top with remaining ingredients.

 
Variations

 
Kraft calls this recipe “Steamwhistle Hot Dogs”; but we’re not sure why. Steam whistles are a familiar sound of yore, the “woo woo” of the old locomotive. Steam whistles were also used in factories and elsewhere to signal the start or end of a shift.
 
TIP: The opposite of the bacon cheese dog—all three main ingredients chock full of saturated fat—is the garden hot dog. Wrap the dog in a lettuce leaf before placing it in the bun. Tuck sliced radishes and cucumbers on either side of the dog, and top with diced tomatoes or sliced grape tomatoes.
 
MORE ABOUT HOT DOGS

Functional foods are everyday foods and beverages enhanced with supplements that have a helpful effect on the body. Beyond normal satiation and nutrition, they do something really good for the body (that is to say, they have a specific “function”).

Beyond slaking an athlete’s thirst, for example, sports drinks restore electrolytes, carbohydrates and other nutrients that have been expended during vigorous activity. Relaxation beverages let you chill without alcohol. Energy drinks give you…wings?

Coffee Blenders has launched a line of functional coffee K-cups. Made from a 100% Arabica dark roast, with a blend of beans from Central and South, the coffee is an excellent dark roast—depth of flavor without undue bitterness. We’d buy it with or without the added functionality.

Which is a good thing, because understanding exactly how much of the functional ingredient you need to achieve the desired result can be tough to figure out. It’s true even in the simplest case of drinking conventional coffee to stay alert. What may work for you likely differs from the person next to you. Some people need one or two cups, some people five or ten cups, from the same pot of coffee.

Coffee Blenders Lean is fortified with Svetol®, a safe, all-natural plant extract of decaffeinated green coffee that has been clinically proven to burn fat and help with weight loss. Components in Svetol inhibit specific enzymes and shut down the glucose pathway in the body. Each cup includes 400 mg of Svetol.

Coffee Blenders Focus contains Cereboost™, a safe, fast-acting, all-natural plant extract derived from American Ginseng. Cereboost™ is clinically proven to improve brain function, especially in the cognitive areas of working memory and alertness. Each cup contains 200 mg of Cereboost.

Coffee Blenders Escape is blended with L-Tea Active™, more commonly know as L-Theanine, a safe all-natural amino acid found in green tea leaves. L-Tea Active is safe, all natural and clinically proven to induce relaxation without drowsiness while improving mental clarity. Some athletes take supplements to relax and focus before a big competition. Each cup contains “a full serving” of L-Tea Active.
 
WHERE TO BUY

Coffee Blenders Coffee, in boxes of 15 count, are $19.95 on the company website.

The company is currently running a special while supplies last: The “Lean Bundle,” consisting of four boxes (15 K-cups per box) for $71.96—a 10% savings on the coffee, plus a free French Press K-cup brewer.

The brewer, My French Press by Cafejo, is a portable, single-cup brewing system that brews K-cups and pods as well as ground coffee. It’s BPA Free, microwave- and dishwasher-safe.

Gift a box of K-cups to a friend who shares your goals (focus, stress reduction, weight loss).

Meatless Monday is a global movement that began in 2003, launched in association with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. It is now active in 34 countries and growing, with appeal to different constituencies:

 
But it doesn’t go far enough. Eating “meatless” still allows the consumption of dairy products including cheese, which are part of the same cycle of environmental damage and cholesterol.

Instead, go vegan. You don’t give up much more, and the options are equally delicious.

Just a few examples:

 
Here’s a tasty family recipe from Hannah Kaminsky: vegan cheesesteaks.

All you need are vegan cheese and vegan steak. Given the growth of top-quality vegan foods, that’s not hard to find.

Hannah favors Daiya vegan cheese for the burger. “A pivotal player in the vegan cheese game,” she writes, “no other dairy-free shreds have achieved mainstream approval, initially making a splash back in 2009 as the very first meltable vegan cheese option.” Today, the company sells vegan slices that imitate the flavors of cheddar, Swiss and provolone.

In her recipe, soy curls—available in natural foods stores—soaked in mushroom broth stand in for the steak, “tossed with lightly charred onions and roasted peppers, all smothered under a blanket of that prize-worthy provolone cheese. Altogether, it’s the kind of dish you could use to convert meat-lovers, cheese-lovers, and generally picky omnivores alike.”
 
RECIPE: VEGAN CHEESECAKE

Ingredients For 3 Sandwiches

Preparation

1. PLACE the dry soy curls in a large bowl; cover with warm mushroom broth and let soak for 15-20 minutes, until the soy curls are fully re-hydrated and tender. Pour off (but reserve) any excess liquid.

2. HEAT the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onion and sauté, stirring often, until aromatic browned around the edges. Add the bell pepper, oregano and pepper and continue cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are wilted and soft; about 5 minutes.

3. REDUCE the heat to low, sprinkle the vegetables with flour and stir to coat. Gently pour in 1/4 cup of the reserved broth along with the soy sauce, bringing the mixture up to a simmer. After another two minutes, remove the pan from the heat.

4. ASSEMBLE: Divide the soy curl filling between the three toasted rolls and lay three provolone slices on top of each. Run them all under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, until the cheese is perfectly melted and gooey all over. Dig in immediately!