Tuesday, July 31, 2012 at 4:00AM 
Ah, August. Time for those dripping hand-held fruits – peaches, nectarines and yes, tomatoes. Ingredients this fresh are best left unadulterated and that’s great, because I sure don’t feel like cooking. Hmmm, it’s as if Mother Nature knew exactly what I needed....
Monday, July 30, 2012 at 4:01AM 
By Sandy Hu
Cue the music! Toss the confetti! Release the balloons!
Special Fork bloggers reached a milestone recently, having each written 100 blog posts. We launched our Special Fork blog on June 1, 2010, and we have blogged nonstop, every weekday, ever since.
If you’re new to our site, you may not know that “Special Fork” is the name of the one mismatched fork in my family’s utensil drawer. My son Chris, a child of few words, would quietly bring it to the table, swapping out his dinner fork for this Special Fork, as an indication that dinner that night was a winner. He kept up this ritual until he went to college.
Special Fork is all about solving the daily dinnertime dilemma, what to cook now, at 4 p.m. Dave (my son and partner) and I picked a mobile website as the way to communicate answers to reach people in transit. You whip out your smartphone and go to www.specialfork.com (this is a website, not an app) to make your dinner selection from our database of recipes. Create a digital shopping list to buy the ingredients on the way home from work. Email the recipe to your home computer to print out when you return and you’re ready to cook! All our recipes take no more than 30 minutes of prep time; cooking time may be extra.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012 at 4:00AM 
I usually prepare this deliciously unusual salsa with roasted beets, but when temps are topping out at 100 degrees, I’m going nowhere near the oven. And thanks to Melissa’s peeled and steamed beets (found in the produce section of your grocery store) there’s no need; the sweet little vacuum packed, ready-to-eat beets are perfect for a no-cook version. Scoop up this colorful condiment with yellow corn chips, toss it into a green salad with crumbled goat cheese or, spoon over grilled fish.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012 at 4:00AM 
Potato salad is an iconic summer side dish that rounds out any picnic plate. Whether you crave buttery Yukon Golds coated with creamy mayo or delicate baby reds tossed in a light and tangy vinaigrette, there’s a potato salad for you.
But why boil water for spuds if you’re going to fire up the grill for your main dish? Keep it cool in the kitchen. Just slice potatoes into grill-friendly planks, brush with oil and set directly onto the hot grates next to your burgers, dogs or tofu pups.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012 at 4:00AM 
Who says pancakes are only to be eaten before noon? Whip up a fluffy stack for dinner with this classic flapjack recipe and step-by-step tips for making the perfect pancake.
5 Ways to Get Your Perfect Pancake:
My mom always separates the egg yolks and whites, adding the yolks to the liquid ingredients, then whipping and folding in the whites just before cooking; her pancakes are always light and airy.
My favorite way to cook pancakes is on an electric griddle. The steady, even temperature makes for fluffy, golden flapjacks and the large surface area means fewer batches.