Lighter fluid is one option to restart the flames, but it has the nasty habit of flavoring the food with petroleum.

We haven’t personally tried the Looflighter yet, but those grillmasters who raced to acquire one attest that the it takes the headache out of lighting grills and smokers. Starting the fire is as simple as touching the tip of the tool to wood or coals for 15 seconds.

The only catch is that you need an electrical outlet to plug in the device. But hey, if you don’t have one adjacent to your grill, that’s what extension cords are for.

The Looftlighter may be the firestarter that
grillmasters have been waiting for. !

The Looftlighter isn’t inexpensive—it’s about $80.00. But it pays for itself as a grilling (or fireplace) headache remedy. You can purchase it on Amazon.com.

We’re sorry we didn’t know about this handy device before Father’s Day, but if you still owe Dad a gift, we’d put it on the list.

We’re maaad for Delicieuse goat’s milk
ice cream. Photo by Daniela Cuevas | THE
NIBBLE.

Pints of goat’s milk ice cream are a happy solution.

Goat’s milk contains less lactose than cow’s milk, and can generally be enjoyed by the lactose intolerant. In fact, goat’s milk is more digestible for everyone. The fat globules in goat’s milk are much finer than those in cow’s milk, making it easier for enzymes to break down. There’s also less fat than in cow’s milk.

LaLoo’s Goat Milk Ice Cream has been a palate-pleaser for both goat cheese lovers and the lactose-intolerant. It is sold at fine food stores nationally (see the store locator), and you can order it online.

As much as we like LaLoo’s, we’re even crazier about Delicieuse French Ice Cream Artisanal—goat’s milk ice cream in gourmet flavors that can pass for cow’s milk (that is to say, you might not even notice any goaty flavors). It is available online. Delicieuse also makes magnificent cow’s milk ice cream and sorbet as well.

For goat cheese lovers, here’s a goat cheese ice cream recipe from Charlie Trotter—served with whole roasted figs. It is made with goat cheese plus cow’s milk and cream, but you can tweak the recipe with goat’s milk.

The density enables fruit bread to be used as sandwich bread—mascarpone, cream cheese or nutted cream cheese is an excellent partner (serve fingers or triangles at brunch, at tea or for snacks). The great chef Larry Forgione uses banana bread, chocolate bread and other flavors to make memorable ice cream sandwiches.

St. Lucia Bread Company, an artisan bakery in Dallas, ships its fruit breads nationwide in keepsake tins. They’re a welcome gift—and the red, white and blue tin (the Texas flag) makes a perfect thank-you for your July 4th hosts. There’s also a fruit bread-of-the-month club, a gift that keeps on giving.

There are seven flavors of fruit bread plus seasonal specialties, which can be had with or without nuts. Take a bite of Apple Cinnamon, Banana, Blueberry, Chocolate, Cranberry, Pear or Pumpkin Bread.

Fruit breads arrive in keepsake tins. Photo
by Katharine Pollak | THE NIBBLE.

Accessories make grilled fruit easier. This
fruit grill rack is from SurLaTable.com.

As long as the grill is hot, make grilled fruit for dessert!

Ingredients

Preparation
1. Select firm fruits: apples, pears, and pineapples hold their shape well. Softer fruits like bananas, mangoes and stone fruit (nectarines, peaches, plums) become even softer. If the fruit is too ripe, you can grill individual portions in foil.

2. Cut fruits in half or in thick slices, as appropriate (cut juicy fruits into thick slices and split bananas, but leave them in the peel). Keep the skins on.

3. Cover cut fruit in cold water with spices plus 1 teaspoon of lemon juice per cup of water, and soak for 20 to 30 minutes in the fridge (if there’s no room, you can leave the container on the counter, but add ice to keep the water cold).

4. If you want to add rum, you can marinate the fruit in it or add rum to the melted butter. (The alcohol may cause flames to flare.)

5. Clean the grill so that no meat or other food bits attach to the fruit. Lightly spray the grill with a bland vegetable cooking oil (not olive oil, which will add flavor to the fruit); or brush with melted butter.

6. Place large pieces directly on the grill, basted with butter to keep them from sticking. Smaller pieces can be grilled on skewers or a grill pan.

7. Close the top and cook for 10-12 minutes, turning at midpoint. Serve plain or with ice cream or whipped cream.

Energy drinks generally contain caffeine plus other energy enhancers such as carnitine, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, glucuronolactone, guarana, and taurine—often made palatable by a large dose of sugar.

Energy and enhanced cognitive activity are benefits. But drinking too much of a typical energy drink can result in anxiety and irritability, stomach cramps, even cardiac arrhythmia (an irregular heartbeat). Not to mention something resembling energy drink addiction (actually, it’s caffeine addiction).

Maté Sencha Shot, a fusion of yerba maté and sencha green tea, combines the energizing power of South American yerba maté with the antioxidants of Japanese green tea. There’s no sugar, it’s calorie-free and a healthy drink.

It’s our favorite new energy drink.

• Read the full review.
• Learn more about yerba maté.

You won’t get the jitters from Maté Sencha
Shot. Photo by Katharine Pollak | THE NIBBLE.