Don’t let asparagus season pass you by! The delicious vegetable is in season for only another month or so.

Watch Alton Brown demonstrate how easy it is to steam asparagus in the microwave. (In the video, is he hanging upside down, or is that trick photography?)

Steamed fresh asparagus don’t even need butter: A sprinkle of salt and a squeeze of lemon or lime makes a delectable, low-calorie dish. When we’re cutting back on cholesterol, we use fat-free Greek yogurt with lemon zest and a bit of garlic salt as a side dip.

Find more of our favorite vegetable recipes.

We always order skate when we see it on a menu—invariably at a French or seafood restaurant. Often, it is served in brown butter with capers; but however it is prepared, it is always a treat.

Because skate isn’t the easiest fish to find at the market, we never cooked it at home—until this super-easy recipe sent us on a skate wing hunt. The recipe is from Brooklyn Wok Shop, a New York restaurant that has reinterpreted Cantonese cuisine using classic French techniques.

Chef Edric Har worked at some of New York City’s great restaurants (Le Bernardin, Veritas, Cru) and his wife, Melissa, grew up in her family’s Chinese restaurants in Orlando. They call their concept Chinese Food 2.0.

We enjoyed the recipe so much, we’ve made skate our tip Of The Day. It may not be easy to find, so call around to your local fish stores.

Skate with Ginger and Scallions

Serves 2-3 with a side of rice.

Ingredients

Preparation

1. Cut each skate wing in half to create two palm sized pieces.

2. In a pot large enough to fit all the fillets, fill with water about 5 inches deep and bring to a boil. Note: The skate will curl as it cooks, so allow enough water to cover.

3. Once the water is boiling, season with salt and add the skate. Turn off the heat and cover with a tight fitting lid. Cook 3-4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the skate.

4. Remove fish to a plate with a slotted spoon and top with scallions and ginger.

5. Heat canola oil until just smoking and pour over the ginger and scallions. Drizzle soy sauce over the fish and season with white pepper. Serve with rice and a side of your favorite greens (broccoli rabe or conventional broccoli go nicely).

 
Find more of our favorite fish and seafood recipes.

But there are other burgers, equally delicious: bison, grain (usually sprouted), lamb, legume (black beans, lentils), turkey and veggie burgers.

The next time you cook burgers, try a “burger bar” with an assortment of proteins. We’ve become converts to lamb burgers—plain, curried or topped with feta cheese. Lamb lovers will find them so much tastier than beef.

With so many burgers consumed, there’s lots of room for creativity. Check out:

Take beer. The New York Historical Society has just opened an exhibit called Beer Here, Brewing New York’s History. Chock full of artifacts, the exhibit runs through September 2, 2012.

At the conclusion of the exhibit, you step into a “tavern” to taste some outstanding craft beers from New York brewers. The selection varies daily. We happened to catch the new Small Batch IPA from Heartland Brewery, a brewpub with seven Manhattan locations. The IPA’s complex layering of herbal and floral flavors and aromas is simply thrilling.

But you don’t have to be in Manhattan to find an exhibit on beer, hot dogs, tacos and other favorite foods. Check with your local museums, historical societies and academic institutions to see what they may be cooking up.

As cities grew and local water supplies became polluted, microbes in the water caused disease in the population. People could not safely consume water that had not been boiled.

But beer making boils the water and kills the pathogens. Plus, in the 19th centuries it was discovered that the hops used to flavor beer had antipathogenic and preservative properties (and were even made into medicines).

Beer was one of the most common beverages in the Middle Ages, consumed daily by all social classes in the northern and eastern parts of Europe. Beer also provided a considerable amount of the daily calorie intake. Until clean municipal water supplies were developed in the 19th century, even young children drank beer.

In addition to serving as a vital source of nourishment, beer was a steady source of tax revenue.

As you enjoy a cold one, consider brewing your own. We really enjoyed making beer with a Mr. Beer kit.
 
 
> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BEER

  

Small, brown cremini mushrooms, the size of white button mushrooms, grow up into more complex-flavored portabellas. Meaty in both taste and appearance, they grow from three inches to an enormous 10 inches in diameter, with firm flesh. Like meat, they even release juices when cooked.

Scrumptious on their own, portabellas are also a food of choice for dieters, vegans, vegetarians and those watching their cholesterol. They can be grilled in lieu of beef, and they make wonderful grilled vegetable sandwiches.

Served them whole or sliced, stuffed or as “burgers.” For a simple yet elegant starter, serve sliced grilled portobellas drizzled with a balsamic reduction (recipe below), with some greens on the side (we love a feisty arugula-fennel-watercress combination with a few grape tomatoes).

Get the recipe for a portabella Philly Cheese “Steak” (photo below) and this beautiful portabella recipe, stuffed with a salad of microgreens and sprinkled with goat cheese.

1. Remove stems and save for another purpose (omelet, salad, etc.). Wipe the portabella caps with a damp paper towel.

2. Brush the tops with olive oil or canola oil. Cook portabellas gills down for the first 10 minutes to allow moisture to escape. Flip and grill tops.

3. Season as desired before serving.
PORTABELLA, PORTOBELLO or PORTOBELLO?

How can one mushroom, Agaricus bisporus, be known by so many names?

When young, the mushroom is variously called a baby portobello, baby bella, brown mushroom, crimini, Italian mushroom, mini bella, portabellini, Roman mushroom, Italian mushroom, or brown mushroom.

When mature, the mushroom portabella, portobella or portobello. We prefer portabella because it flows easiest off the tongue.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. Combine balsamic vinegar and garlic in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

2. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until the vinegar has reduced to 1/4 cup. Cool to room temperature.

3. Drizzle over grilled portabellas.

DO YOU KNOW YOUR MUSHROOMS?

Check out the different types in our Mushroom Glossary.