A Parade of Pestos

By Katie Barreira

The classic Italian pesto is a mixture of fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan cheese and olive oil that is crushed together (pesto is Italian for “pounded”) to make a fresh sauce. Since its inception in Genoa, Italy, pesto has taken many forms; these riffs, known as “pestos” are, along with the original, a fabulously easy, no-cook way to add big flavor to your summer cooking.

Here’s a recipe for my new favorite pesto and a few ideas for fun combinations that you can experiment with, whirring-up at home.

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Breakfast at the Morningstar Inn

By Sandy Hu

Love it or hate it, travel comes with the territory in the PR business, an occupation that has taken up the greater part of my career. Most times the destination is a big city, where we stay at very nice, but impersonal hotels.

Recently, however, a visit to Rodale publishing brought me to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and the Morningstar Inn, a delightful B&B run by affable proprietors Virginia Hadam and her husband, Tim Nickel.

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Crepes – it’s Easier than you Think!

By David Hu

I love bacon and eggs for a weekend breakfast but sometimes I like to change it up. Crepes are one of my favorite standbys – they’re quick and easy to make, and just a little special. I like my crepes with apricot or strawberry jam. But don’t forget Nutella or bananas and sugar.

If you have extra crepes, just put them in a plastic bag and refrigerate; they’ll keep for a few days. Reheat them in a warm pan or zap them for a few seconds in a microwave oven. For longer storage, stack crepes between wax paper squares to keep them from sticking together, wrap airtight and freeze. They thaw quickly at room temperature.

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City Boy, Country Boy

By Andrew Hunter

Sometimes I wonder how two boys from the same family could choose such different paths in life. This time, I’m not talking about Ben and Nick, but my brother Tony and me.

I live in a densely populated urban center. My view at night is houses and bright lights. Tony lives in a sparsely populated rural sprawl that can’t be found on GPS. His view at night is trees and moon shadows. Tony’s a pharmacist and I’m a chef, but we both love cooking with family and friends in our chosen locales.

He’s the kind of guy who digs a deep hole every Thanksgiving in frozen earth to cook a giant ham with hot rocks buried in dirt. While I prefer stirring Arborio rice and butternut squash together over a giant propane burner from the Chinese hardware store to make creamy risotto.

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Shishito Peppers – the New Hot Thing

By Lori Powell

I’m kind of on a vegetable kick at the moment but then, isn’t that what summer is all about? Before we know it, fall’s chill will be in the air and the summer harvest will disappear. Not that I am lamenting summer just yet but I’m really embracing the last two months of the earth’s seasonal bounty.

Every weekend I go to the farmers’ market, whether I’m in Pennsylvania, New York City, Upstate New York or even while on vacation. It is my kind of candy shop.

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