What’s an onion stone? It’s a mis-named piece of stainless steel—not a stone—shaped like a small bar of soap that removes the smell of onions from your hands when you wash your hands with it. It also works with garlic and fish odors.

But there’s no need to clutter up the gadget drawer; you don’t need an onion stone. Just wash your hands with a large stainless steel spoon; it will do the same thing. If you have a stainless steel sink, you’ve got a whole lot of stainless steel to rub against.

How does it work?

It is believed that the odor-creating sulfur in the food reacts with the stainless steel, which is made of iron and chromium, and becomes neutralized.

Slice away, then grab a spoon. Photo
courtesy PachD.com.

It’s easy to make a sweet-and-tart fruit
vinaigrette. Photo and recipe courtesy
WildBlueberries.com.

It’s simple to mix oil and vinegar, but not that much more trouble to make a delicious fruit vinaigrette.

While it’s the perfect time to take advantage of high-antioxidant summer blueberries, you can make this recipe year-round with frozen fruit.

BLUEBERRY VINAIGRETTE
Ingredients

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine or cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 2 teaspoons prepared mustard, preferably Dijon or whole-grain)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground pepper
• 1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen/thawed

2. Add blueberries. In this easy recipe, the blueberries are added whole; but if you have extra time, you can purée the fruit for a thicker dressing. Then, add the purée in step one, and garnish the salad with some extra blueberries.

3. Store in refrigerator until ready to use. Makes 1-1/2 cups. Serve with green salad, salad greens with grilled chicken or fish or with fruit salad.

You can use this recipe to make mango, raspberry, strawberry or other fruit vinaigrette as well. Since the fruit is larger, you’ll need to make a small dice or else purée it.

Find more of our favorite salad dressings in our Oil, Vinegar & Dressings Section.

Now, meet Mr. Q. Cumber, a sparkling cucumber beverage. Think of it as sweet, sparkling cucumber water.

Cucumber is actually a fruit—the botanical relative of a watermelon. (Think about it: A watermelon is like a giant cucumber with colored flesh. Watermelon rind tastes like cucumber—try it!)

Back to Mr. Q. Cumber: It tastes like 7-Up with an infusion of fresh cucumber. The vegetal quality of the cucumber plays against the sweetness of the soft drink. We like it!

Buy Mr. Q. Cumber online. For a retailer near you, contact GlobalBeverageEnterprises.com.

What if you want a cucumber soda right now? Make your own! In a collins glass, add 4 slices of cucumber, muddling one at a time. Top with club soda or seltzer; add sweetener to taste. You can use sugar, but agave nectar has one-third the glycemic value and is easier to mix in a cold beverage. Or, use your favorite noncaloric sweetener for a virtually calorie-free drink.

Cucumber soda rocks. Photo by Hannah
Kaminsky | THE NIBBLE.

• Find more of our favorite soft drinks.
• Dry Soda, an elegant line of sophisticated soft drinks in flavors such as Juniper Berry, Kumquat, Lavender, Lemongrass, Rhubarb and Vanilla Bean, now makes a Cucumber soda. Read our review of Dry Soda.