And the National Beef Cook-Off Category Winners Are…

By Sandy Hu

How do judges keep mum after a major national contest? Judging is personally so all-involving – it’s hard to keep the results to yourself afterwards.

Having been sworn to secrecy after judging the 2011 National Beef Cook-Off earlier this month, I am now free to discuss the category winners, since they were announced last Wednesday. Whew.

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Strawberries in a Jam

By Sandy Hu

In the summer, when strawberries are at their peak, I always buy a few extra pints to make fresh strawberry jam. This jam is so quick and easy, it shouldn’t take you more than 20 minutes from start to finish.

Because the berries aren’t cooked, the jam maintains an intense, fresh strawberry flavor. It’s perfect topping buttered bread or toast. But it’s also delicious mixed with yogurt, topping oatmeal or spooned on vanilla ice cream.

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Grilled Peach Sundaes

By Andrew Hunter

If the true test of food is how it stands the test of time, then Chef Auguste Escoffier’s Peach Melba is iconic. Still on fine dining menus around the world, Peach Melba is actually a simple combination of fruit and ice cream.

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A Taste of Summer…Shellfish!

By Lori Powell

Here’s a quick take on dinner with super-fresh littleneck clams. Having these juicy morsels in my fridge is sheer joy!

Real little littlenecks are about1 ½ inches in diameter. Larger than that, they are appropriately called middle necks! Love that name – it makes total sense, at least to me.

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Being Decisive About Corn

By Katie Barreira

Among cooks, when it comes to grilling corn, there are many ways and little consensus. In the past, I’ve been of no help, tossing ears onto the grill any which way, with the only goal being to produce a platter of relatively cooked corn on the cob to be done at the same time as the main event meat. It’s an insult to maize everywhere.

So today, with fresh native corn and a charcoal grill at my disposal, I decided it was time to be decisive about my corn.

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