Here’s the first thing you should know, says the author, J. Kenji López-Alt:

Expiration dates are not expiration dates, he notes:

 
One of the ways to extend the shelf life of all food is too keep groceries in cool, dark cupboards or pantries with the doors closed to shut out light.

Similarly, keep the refrigerator door open for the minimal time necessary to remove what you want. Browsing for minutes on end will raise the temperature, which will shorten the shelf life of perishable items.

If your refrigerator is so packed you can’t see items, it’s time to clean it out.

Here are tips from The Container Store on how to organize your refrigerator.

Read the full article on expiration dates in the New York Times.

It will tell you, among other things:

[1] Classico Riserva pasta sauce (photo © Classico).

[2] Cartons of eggs (photo by Rick Payette is licensed under CC-BY-NC-ND-2.0).

 
You’ll even learn how to buy milk that lasts longer!
 
 
> Clean Out Your Refrigerator
 
 
> Refrigerator Air Purifier

[1] How about some beer in your chocolate (photo © Theo Chocolate).

For the person who likes both dark chocolate and beer, here’s a novel gift: The Beer Confection Collection from Theo Chocolates. https://theochocolate.com/beer/

The artisan chocolatier, which uses only Fair Trade and Organic ingredients, has crafted chocolate confections specifically crafted to highlight the flavors of beer—from the smokiness of stout to the bright citrus of an IPA.

The craft beers used are:

 
Get them at TheoChocolate.com.

The summer bounty of ripe, sweet, juicy melons means that we’re having melon daily for breakfast (with berries, cottage cheese, yogurt, or just plain).

Sharon Palmer, a nutritionist who specializes in plant-based food plans, is also a melon fan.

“These fruits are not only delicious;” she says, “they are packed with hydrating fluid, fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidant phytochemicals—all for a skinny little calorie load.

“Each melon has different plant compounds, offering antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action. That’s why I’m sharing these ‘Top 5 Ways to Use Melons.’

“Don’t forget to enjoy these a few times a week while they are in season.”

Sharon, we agree! Melons are our favorite way to enjoy sweetness without the calories.
 
 
SHARON PALMER’S TOP 5 WAYS TO USE MELONS

While Sharon’s recipes are vegan, we’ve added cheese to some of the suggestions. She also recommends sustainable plant-based milk and yogurt (coconut, almond, oat, soy, etc.). Use whatever you enjoy.

In fact, here’s a mini-tip for those who are considering plant-based yogurt:

Buy a container of each plant-based yogurt and have a taste test to see which one(s) you like best.

1. Au Naturel. One of the very best ways to enjoy melons is in their natural form. Just a wedge with breakfast, as a snack, or for dessert is the way to go. (Editor’s Note: If the melon isn’t as flavorful as you’d like, add a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice.)

2. Fruit Skewers. A favorite way to highlight melons is on pretty fruit skewers. Just chop the melon into chunks, and include other summer fruits such as strawberries, peach slices, kiwi, pineapple and grapes; and thread them onto a skewer.

Enjoy the skewers plain, with yogurt or cottage cheese, or with a healthy dip. (Editor’s Note: We use fruit yogurt, or plain yogurt seasoned with cinnamon and your sweetener of choice. We also like the skewers as a side with grilled chicken or fish.)

3. Parfaits. In the summertime, a simple melon parfait is one of the best no-fuss, no-cook, hands-down delicious-and-healthy breakfasts, lunches or snacks. Just layer cubed melon with yogurt, granola, dried fruit (e.g. cranberries, dates, raisins), and nuts or seeds.

4. Smoothies & Refreshing Drinks. Whip up a delicious fruity drink in no time. Just drop a few cubes of melon into a blender with a bit of lemon juice.

Or simply add cubed melon to your favorite smoothie recipe. Here’s one from the Watermelon Board (photo #3):

Smoothie Ingredients Per Serving

 
Preparation: PUREÉ the watermelon, honey and mint quickly; do not over-blend. Pulse in the yogurt and cinnamon just until smooth.

5. Salads. In addition to fruit salads, melons shine in green salads. They provide just the right amount of crunchy, juicy sweetness. Add cantaloupe or honeydew chunks to chicken salad, watermelon and feta salad or goat cheese with arugula or watercress.

Take a look at Sharon’s delicious (and good-looking) Cantaloupe Salad With Radishes & Pumpkin Seeds.
 
 
MORE WATERMELON IDEAS

[1] Just about everyone has had a slice of melon, but there are many more ways to enjoy melon (photo © Burpee).

[2] A honeydew and cucumber salad with mint lives and thin slices of chile (photo © Good Eggs).

[3] Try a watermelon smoothie (recipe at right). There are also light, refreshing drinks that you can serve as mocktails. Check out watermelon agua fresca and watermelon cooler (photo © National Watermelon Promotion Board).

[4] Watermelon, arugula and feta salad (photo © Between The Bread | NYC).

Calling all olive lovers: June 1st is National Olive Day.
 

OLIVE HISTORY

The olive history is an ancient one, following figs as the earliest domesticated fruit tree.

Olives trees were native to Asia Minor. The latest findings show that the olive was first domesticated in the eastern Mediterranean basin between 8,000 and 6,000 years ago.

(Writing itself only began some 5200 years ago, around 3200 B.C.E.)

The olive tree spread from Iran, Palestine and Syria to the rest of the Mediterranean. It was grown on Crete by 3000 BC.E., and the crop of fruit and oil may have been the source of the wealth of the Minoan kingdom.

The Phoenicians brought the olive tree to the north coast of Africa and to southern Europe.

The olive culture arrived in ancient Greece, and from there to Rome. As the Romans extended their empire, they brought the olive with them.

Here’s more on the history of the olive.
 
 
21 USES FOR OLIVES

Our personal favorite recipes are black olive tapenade and green olive tapenade.

Here are 22 more everyday uses for olives:

 
 
OLIVE RECIPES

Thanks to Lindsay olives for these yummy recipes (click links):

 
Find many other olive recipes at ILoveLindsay.com.
 
 
> TYPES OF OLIVES & OLIVE OILS

[1] Castelvetrano olives from Sicily, one of our favorite varieties (photo © DiBruno Brothers | Philadelphia).

[2] Olive & Cheese Cornbread (photos #2, #3, #4 © Lindsay Olives).

[3] Olive & Cherry Tomato Panzanella.

[4] Savory Jalapeño & Olive Margarita.

[1] Koloa 12-Barrel Select Hawaiian Rum: heavenly (photo © Koloa Rum).

[2] Round Barn Winery’s Mint Chocolate Cream is a delight for any chocolate lover [of drinking age] (photo © Round Barn Winery).

We taste lots of spirits, and most of them are delicious. But we’re not a spirits website, so we only write about those that truly stand out.

Just in time for Father’s Day, we have two recommendations.
 
 
1. KOLOA SINGLE-BATCH HAWAIIAN RUM

Rum is typically made from molasses, a by-product of sugar refining. Most rum comes from the Caribbean, where sugar plantations abound.

Koloa rums have a different pedigree. Their handcrafted premium rums are not made with molasses, but with pure sugarcane.

The second ingredient, water, is the pristine rainwater from Mount Waiʻaleʻale and nearby mountain peaks and rainforests. The water is captured after it filters through volcanic strata and into vast underground aquifers.

The Kaua‘i Reserve 12-Barrel Select Hawaiian Rum is artfully crafted in single batches, then carefully aged for at least 3 years in charred American oak barrels.

It is remarkably smooth on the palate. We’re not excessively poetic when we say that every drop is to be cherished.

Take a sip: The first drops introduce you to a natural sweetness that’s profoundly different from the big brands.

It’s not a sugary sweetness, but a profound depth of flavor from the sugarcane, followed by rich and complex flavors that linger throughout the exceptionally clean finish.

This is a special expression that any connoisseur of fine spirits will appreciate. Non-rum drinkers who have only tasted the big brands will discover how wonderful rum can be.

It’s a great sipping rum, straight up or on the rocks, and a wonderful discovery.

Koloa Rum does ship to all 50 states via partnerships with Mel & Rose and Drizly, among others.

> Discover more about the brand at Koala brand at KoloaRum.com.

> Check out the history of rum and the different types of rum.

Round Barn Estate in Baroda, Michigan began in 1997, when the Moersch family discovered a 1912 round barn in northern Indiana, and envisioned it as a place to enter thirsty and leave happy.

Today it is Round Barn Winery, Distillery and Brewery: a lovely home to the family’s handcrafted wines, spirits and brews.

What a contribution to the community: great drink, entertainment, beautiful grounds and event space.

In the liqueur category, they began with Black Walnut Cream Liqueur, then Salted Caramel Cream, and now the latest, Mint Chocolate Cream.

Based on our tasting of the Mint Chocolate Cream, our next liqueur purchases will be the Black Walnut and the Salted Caramel.

The Mint Chocolate Cream liqueur tastes like a chocolate shake with a hint of mint—and a hint of distilled spirits.

Served it after dessert and/or coffee, add it to coffee or hot chocolate, make adult chocolate milk, top off a dish of ice cream.

If you need a gift for a lover of chocolate, this is it!

Discover more at RoundBarn.com.
 
 

[3] A lovely destination in Michigan: Round Barn Estate (photo © Round Barn).