Don’t Let Your Shrimp Dawdle

Shrimp, snow peas and bell pepper: three simple ingredients that cook quickly to create sweet, crunchy, salty, tender goodness. Swap out the vegetables if you prefer. Try zucchini or boy choy.

Keep it simple but be certain not to overcook the shrimp; keep them moving until they just turn tender and pink.

This easy, one-dish meal takes about 20 minutes to make (10 to prep and another 10 to cook) so you can be out of the kitchen in no time.

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Make your Own Vietnamese Sandwiches

By Marilyn Hunter

Years ago when I worked in downtown San Francisco, my friend Thuy and I would often meet for lunch. We would take a $10 cab ride all the way across town to get a $2 sandwich. Sounds crazy, I know, but this sandwich was worth it.

There’s something very addictive about Vietnamese sandwiches (bánh mì) – a crusty baguette filled with sweet and salty pork, pickled vegetables, fresh herbs and slivered jalapeño. Drizzle a little soy sauce over it and it becomes a crave-able masterpiece.

We always ordered two each: one to eat and one to take home. This made us feel like we were getting our money’s worth out of the taxi fare.

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Taming the Wild Fiddlehead Fern

By Katie Barreira

A fiddlehead is the curled tip of a wild ostrich fern leaf in its first weeks of life. This fleeting spring delicacy is in peak season at a farmers’ market near you (psssst – even Fresh Direct is carrying them this year!) and while they may sound (and look) wildly exotic, they have the familiar fresh flavor of verdant veggies and are a cinch to prepare.

A quick scan of fiddlehead fern recipes uncovered an almost unanimous call for blanching the ferns before further cooking, but Pamela Mitchell, a very well-eaten pal and Executive Food Editor of Rachael Ray Mag, told me that she likes to snack on raw fiddleheads, which proved a delectable way to enjoy the fern tips. (Caution: technically speaking, raw fiddleheads are safe to eat, but tummy troubles have been reported. I’ve had no such problem, and it’s a risk along the lines of runny egg yolks and oysters. But if you prefer zero-risk eating, steam or boil fiddleheads 10 minutes before stir-frying.)

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Impromptu Date Night

By Andrew Hunter

Ever wish you could have a date night but you don’t have a sitter? We started a new tradition that the boys enjoy as much as we do. It’s a date night for the grown-ups and kids!

All you have to do is ask for two tables separated by a few feet. This way, the kids feel grown up by placing their own orders and talking to the servers, while we enjoy a grown up conversation. It works even better when there’s counter seating, which our boys love!

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Salad Days

By Lori Powell

Simple days and salad days. The best days….

On the heels of company, it’s nice to make a simple, seasonal salad to set your body right. It helps to remedy the lack of sleep from having entertained your guests and having overindulged yourself, along with your company.

It’s sad that the guests are gone but it’s happy as well to have time just to yourself again…the balance of things in everyday life.

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