For a special touch, garnish your
dishes with edible flowers. Photo by
Kelly Cline | IST.

Rose petals, very popular in Middle East cuisines, can be found in the U.S. in preserves, confections and beverages (see Sence Rose Nectar)—and of course, to decorate wedding cakes and other desserts.

And don’t forget stuffed zucchini blossoms, still prized as a delicacy.

Summer is an ideal time to add edible flowers to your recipes. They speak of the season, provide color and are beautiful.

If you see edible flowers in your market’s produce section, pick up a box and have fun with them. They add interest and flavor to everything from salads and pasta to desserts.

• See our article on edible flowers for ideas.
• Two books, The Edible Flower Garden and Edible Flowers, are helpful guides to growing your own (with recipes, of course).

How about a shot of tequila, rum, vodka or liqueur?

The Barclay New York Hotel is helping guests beat the heat with a spiked ice cream soda menu.

Using their recipes, you can give new meaning to the concept of an ice cream social.

Pick a date, choose your “menu” from the six recipes and invite the guests! Those who don’t consume alcohol can enjoy their ice cream soda “virgin.”

• See the recipes.
• Find more ice cream soda recipes.

This vanilla float includes shots of rum and
banana liqueur. Photo courtesy
Intercontinental Hotels.

Add fresh-ground pepper to popcorn for a treat with heat (photo by Katharine Pollak | © The Nibble).

It was Salt-n-Pepper: classic salted, buttered popcorn with a healthy dose of spicy pepper.

The fresh-ground pepper provided both heat and flavor. It’s terrific.

And it’s easy to recreate the experience at home: Just grind fresh pepper over your next batch of popcorn.

We enjoyed all of the flavors of Doc Popcorn:

Better Butter, Caramel Kettle, Classic Kettle, Cheesy Cheddar, Hoppin’ Jalapeño, Sinfully Cinnamon & Sweet Butter Popcorn.

Popcorn is a whole-grain food. Three cups equal one serving of whole grains.

The government’s dietary guidelines recommend six servings of grain per day, of which at least three should be whole grain.

Read our review of Doc Popcorn. Treat yourself, or send someone a gift.

Find more of our favorite gourmet snacks.

• 3 cups popped popcorn
• 1 slice whole wheat bread
• 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal
• 1/2 small (2-ounce) whole wheat bagel
• 1/2 whole wheat English muffin
• 1/2 cup brown rice or whole wheat pasta
• 5 whole wheat crackers
• 6-inch whole wheat flour tortilla

From popular dishes like crab cakes and crab and artichoke dip to crab salads and a savory crab cheesecake, your mouth will water.

• Start with this easy recipe for crab spring rolls. You’ll be able to link to all the other recipes.
• Learn the different types of crab meat: lump, backfin, white and claw. Which should you use for what type of dish?
• You can also take a look at the different types of crab: blue crab, dungeness crab, king crab, snow crab, stone crab and more.
• Check out all the types of seafood in our Seafood Glossary.

Crab rolls are a refreshing summer dish.
Photo courtesy Miller’s Select Crabmeat.

Photo by Sam Disegno | SXC.

If you need to separate eggs but don’t have an egg separator—or the skill to separate eggs by hand without getting pieces of shell into the whites—fear not!

Simply break the eggs into a funnel!

The whites will fall through the chute and the yolks will remain in the bowl of the funnel. If you have a funnel, there’s no need to purchase an egg separator!

• Discover the different types of eggs, how to make perfect hard-cooked eggs, recipes and more in our Eggs Section.