Congratulations to Melinda G from Missouri who won our Picnic Time English-style willow basket sweepstakes! We hope you'll have plenty of opportunity to use it this summer.

Sandy's out on vacation having fun in Japan this week. In her stead, Catherine Pantsios, one of our stellar Special Fork Food Editors is sharing her latest obsession: Thai Cucumber Peanut Salad.

By Catherine Pantsios

I guess it’s pretty obvious where the phrase “cool as a cucumber” comes from—there’s no denying this crisp green fruit (yes, cukes are a fruit, not a vegetable) is a sure-fire refresher on a hot day. Cucumbers have a bright, yet subtle flavor that blends well with many flavor palettes, whether it’s in a Russian salad with sour cream and dill; a Japanese quick pickle with rice vinegar, soy sauce and a touch of sugar; or a fiery Korean kimchi.

By David Hu

I have a standing date night with my wife every Tuesday. Sometimes we’ll eat out, sometimes we’ll catch a movie and sometimes we’ll cook at home. When it’s my turn, I always like to make something special – but because date night is mid-week, whatever I cook can’t take too long.

One of my favorite ingredients is mussels; they’re elegant, require very little prep and the best way to eat them is steamed, which doesn’t take a lot of effort. My favorite mussel dish is Moules Marinière. It’s a classic dish with only five ingredients so prep and cook won’t take more than 30 minutes.

By Marilyn Hunter

Gen Z. Multi-tasking, digital generation born into technology. Bold. Hungry. Curious. They text, walk, talk and even eat simultaneously.

It never ceases to amaze me how much more advanced my kids’ palates are than mine when I was a kid. Truth be told, now they’re probably more discerning with nuanced flavors than Andrew and me.

Reality struck during dinner at a local restaurant known for its molecular gastronomy- inspired menu. Chef José Andrés blends the culinary arts and sciences at The Bazaar. It’s fun, whimsical and experimental…traditional Spanish tapas served alongside “modern” ones, which are molecular versions of small plates. Both traditional and modern tapas are prepared with such genius they can be shared bite by bite. Iberico ham, Manchego cheese and verdial olives are served alongside foie gras lollipops wrapped in spun ivory-colored cotton candy.

By Lori Powell

Get it while you can…as rhubarb is only with us for about 1½ months and is a true signal of spring. The first harvest begins in late May or the beginning of June.

Rhubarb has grown in popularity over the years since it’s easy to grow (it is a perennial), is pretty to look at (jewel-like color when red) and is versatile, since can be used in sweet as well as savory recipes.

Rhubarb is technically a vegetable but is treated more like a fruit. The tart celery-like ribs contain a good dose of vitamin C, K, calcium, potassium and manganese. However the leaves are poisonous so if they are still attached when purchased, remove and discard them before using.

By Katie Barreira

A very generous gift certificate sent me over to one of nyc’s finest meat purveyors. After helping me to select a prime cut of dry-aged porterhouse, the butcher asked, “you know what to do with this?” Well! It was nearly condescending enough to send me out the door, but I swallowed my chego (that’s chef-ego, a powerful brand of pride) and did what I always do, even when I think I know best: I asked the expert how he would prepare the steak. Passionate experts are always happy to offer knowledge about their goods; you’ll almost always learn something new, and if you don’t, you can quietly bask in the knowledge that you would have done it just like the pro.

By Sandy Hu

Last month, I cited a Wall Street Journal article about how much food Americans waste. It struck a chord with one of our Special Fork Food Editors, Debby Goldsmith, a veteran food journalist who was Associate Food Director at Good Housekeeping for many years.

Here’s what she wrote:

“I read that WSJ article at the dentist and I just couldn't fathom how or why people are so wasteful with food and everything else. I compost, I burn paper waste; I recycle.

We now have single stream recycling upstate (New York) so everything from newspapers to every number of plastic (the number in the recycle triangle on disposable plastics) except bags goes in the same giant bin and I lug cans and bottles to the supermarket for my 5-cent wild money.

All this week, Special Fork bloggers will be sharing recipes for vacation cooking. And to celebrate summer vacations, Special Fork is giving away a beautiful, English-style picnic basket fitted with service for four by Picnic Time. It’s easy to enter the sweepstakes.

Does anyone REALLY like to cook on vacation? I do! I love to visit local farmers’ markets, meandering around stalls, sampling regional produce and buying fresh-from-the-farm ingredients to take back to a vacation home or condo.

Cooking on vacation isn’t the same as everyday, after-work cooking. You have more time and greater flexibility. No need to be on a schedule: dinner is ready when it’s ready. If anyone is hungry, pass the wine and cheese!

By Andrew Hunter

All this week, Special Fork bloggers will be sharing recipes for vacation cooking. And to celebrate summer vacations, Special Fork is giving away a beautiful, English-style picnic basket fitted with service for four by Picnic Time. It’s easy to enter the sweepstakes.

We love going on vacation, though we can typically only steal away for a couple of days here and there. Ten minutes west is Santa Monica and an hour up 101 is Santa Barbara. Both quintessential California beach towns are vacation destinations for travelers around the world. Since we don’t have to buy plane tickets or even much gas to vacation in these locales, we justify our splurging on nice hotel rooms and delicious local food.

The other great thing about vacationing close by is friends can pop in for an afternoon play date or even to spend the night. We know where all the great food shops are in each town for picnics and snacks. My favorite snack by far is a casual cheese plate; a variety of soft and hard cheese, olives and fresh fruit all on a quick and easy platter – leave your design aesthetic at home, the goal here is assemblage not presentation.

By Lori Powell

All this week, Special Fork bloggers will be sharing recipes for vacation cooking. And to celebrate summer vacations, Special Fork is giving away a beautiful, English-style picnic basket fitted with service for four by Picnic Time. It’s easy to enter the sweepstakes.

Lucky me, I get to spend a couple of weeks each year in Mid-Coast Maine at a house on a cove that I have rented now for the past six years. It is my Northeast Oasis where I fatten myself up with all that Maine has to offer, including all the seafood, berries and great produce that I can consume in that short period of time.

Of course, all of that cooking (yes, I love to cook on vacation with the indigenous ingredients that surround me), eating and then reading need to be combined with a lot of hiking so that I can do more of the first two things.

Maine, to me, screams seafood and Seafood Chowder in all its glorious forms… whether it is lobster, scallops, shrimp or even clams. To me it generally involves some shellfish, vegetables, herbs, sometimes pork and a creamy, slightly thickened base.

By Katie Barreira

All this week, Special Fork bloggers will be sharing recipes for vacation cooking. And to celebrate summer vacations, Special Fork is giving away a beautiful, English-style picnic basket fitted with service for four by Picnic Time. It’s easy to enter the sweepstakes.

Ever booked a hotel room that claimed to have a kitchenette or some such access to cooking equipment only to find yourself in a bedroom with a mini-fridge and a microwave? No need to give-up and go out for every meal. You can still save big and have a few meals in, even with barest-boned kitchen.