Start with the right meat. These burgers
are from Ottomanelli Brothers.

While most of us love burgers, many of us don’t know how to cook them properly.

For example, making dense patties and pressing down on them as they cook is a sure way to get a less-juicy burger.

And while most experts agree that the best burger comes from sirloin or chuck, not all “ground chuck” is created equal. Your chuck could come from a nine-year-old dairy cow instead of a two-year-old steer.

Take a look at these tips for better burgers, and soon you’ll be grilling like a pro.

While you‘re at it, check out the history of the hamburger, a true American sandwich.

Now, thanks to Melissa Bushell, there are micro-cupcakes: just one inch in diameter, or one bite. If you need more visualization, they’re the size of a quarter—there’s a photo on the website.

We love them!

• You can have just a bite: one cupcake.
• You can have a different cupcake flavor with each bite (true cupcake excitement).
• Both the cake and the frosting are excellent—which, based on everything we taste, is not the easiest feat to pull off.

• There are no crumbs: You just pop the entire teeny cupcake into your mouth.Since 2009, New Yorkers have been flocking to Baked By Melissa, Melissa’s Soho bakery. This year, she opened an uptown location (if you consider Union Square “uptown” from Soho). And now, these adorable cupcakes can be shipped nationwide.

A dozen individual bites. Photo by Leah
Hansen | THE NIBBLE.

The edible pearl-encrusted cupcakes in the photo aren’t on the website; if you’re interested, telephone 1.212.842.0220 or email orders@bakedbymelissa.com.

Serve them after dinner as fun and tasty petit-fours. The bites of bliss are a wonderful surprise for graduation and Father’s Day. And you’ll be the hit of any fête when you show up with a box.

See the miniature cupcake marvels at BakedByMelissa.com.

Find more of our favorite cupcake product reviews and recipes.

Whole grain rice and quinoa are yours
in 45 seconds with Village Harvest. Photo
by Katharine Pollak | THE NIBBLE.

There are plenty of reasons why you should switch to whole grains (digestive fiber, phytonutrients, anti-obesity—see details). But cooking whole grains from scratch is one of the more time-consuming kitchen tasks.

Now, when you walk through the door, just reach into the freezer for a pouch of pourable whole grains from Village Harvest. Measure out what you need and press Start on the microwave. The whole grains will be ready before anything else you prepare. When it comes to eating healthy whole grains, it takes a Village Harvest to make it this easy.

Choices include Brown Rice; Brown, Red, Wild Rice Medley; Quinoa; “Un” Fried Brown Rice; and Spicy Thai Brown Rice.

While each is ready-to-eat from the microwave, you can change them up with different garnishes—herbs, grated cheese or a small dice of tomato, for example. Or add grilled veggies, sliced meats, hard-cooked eggs or tofu to convert a side into a main dish.

• Read the full review—and if you haven’t yet begun your New Year’s resolution to eat healthier, here’s your chance. No one has to know that you started in May.
• Find rice recipes, reviews of other rice and grain products and our rice and grains glossaries.

Why not a beef salad, lamb salad or pork salad?

Americans have not sufficiently mastered the art of blending meats and vegetables into delicious salads.

Take a tip from Thailand and combine lamb (or beef, or pork) and asparagus into a wonderful seasonal salad. Thai Grilled Lamb & Asparagus Salad joins purple cabbage, rice noodles, fresh mint, dry-roasted salted peanuts and red bell pepper—along with the lamb and asparagus—into a hearty, healthy, colorful and flavorful dish with a wonderful lime, chili and mint vinaigrette.

You can serve the salad in smaller portions for a first course with dinner, or as a main course at lunch. And, you can substitute beef or pork for the lamb.

• Get the recipe for Thai Grilled Lamb & Asparagus Salad.
• Find more of our favorite salad recipes.

Grilled lamb makes this salad a heartymeal. Photo courtesy California Asparagus Commission.

Celebrate National Salsa Month with Salsa-
Baked Cheese. Photo courtesy
FronteraFiesta.com.

This is salsa’s answer to baked Brie: fresh goat cheese or cream cheese topped with a flavorful salsa and baked until warm. It’s from Chef Rick Bayless of FronteraFiesta.com.

Serve Salsa-Baked Cheese with Dirty Martinis, Margaritas or beer.

RECIPE: SALSA-BAKED CHEESE

Ingredients

– ¼ cup pine nuts or coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
– 8 ounces soft cream cheese or goat cheese or a combination
– 1 jar (16 ounces) of interesting salsa (suggestions:
Frontera Mango Key Lime, Roasted Tomato or Spanish Olive Salsa)
– Chopped fresh cilantro
– Crackers and/or sliced, toasted baguette

1. Toast nuts in a 350°F oven until fragrant, 7 or 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

2. Stir in cheese. Shape into a disc and lay in an ovenproof baking dish.

3. Pour salsa over cheese and bake until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with crackers or toasted bread.

Find reviews of our favorite salsas, more recipes and our Salsa Glossary.