All-American Favorites for the Fourth of July

By Sandy Hu

I love a good barbecue for the Fourth of July. But this year, we are settling into our Special Fork office and will be busy making Ikea runs, setting up our food reference library and getting our new digs in shape. We can hardly wait!

Despite the workload, we’ll still be grilling in honor of the holiday, and if weather permits, enjoying our meals on the deck as we take a break from moving boxes and sorting papers.

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Swiss Chard Stars in this Easy Fettuccine

By David Hu

If you’ve ever wanted to try Swiss chard but weren’t sure what to do with it, this recipe is a good starting point. The chard is easy to cook, the goat cheese adds a nice tang and walnuts add a contrasting crunch. You’ll even learn how to chiffonade!

To get the recipe and shopping list on your smartphone (iPhone, BlackBerry, Android device) or PC, click here.

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Chinese Scallion Pancakes –One of My Favorite Things

By Andrew Hunter

Chinese scallion pancakes are one of my favorite things on earth to eat. If given an ultimatum, I would give up potatoes, rice and yes, even traditional bread in favor of my beloved pancakes. I love them so much that last night I made them for dinner and woke up early to eat the leftovers before Benny got up. Imagine, stealing food from my own child… yes, they’re that good.

They’re like Chinese quesadillas, but instead of cheese and beans, they’re filled with ginger, garlic, sesame seeds and lots of green onions. If I’m really ambitious, I’ll stuff them with sticky slivers of hoisin-glazed short ribs and top that with a tall pile of cilantro, fried ginger threads and even more green onions. The boys eat them by the stack too, and don’t even realize they’re loaded with garlic.

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Double Dipping

By Lori Powell

Double Dippers are a must-have to beat the heat. I don’t own a pool so for me, “dipper” means dips to have on hand at this time of the year when the days are long and hot, and BBQ smoke is permeating everyone’s backyard.

My go-to dips are freshly made guacamole and salsa. Each time I make them I change it up a bit depending on what I might have on hand and what looks good at the grocery store or farmers’ market.

For the guacamole, seek out avocados that yield slightly to pressure but are not too soft. Simply halve them, remove the pit and with a large spoon, scoop out the flesh into a bowl.

Just recently I discovered another use for my pastry blender that has sharp steel blades. It’s the perfect tool to chop and mash avocados.

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Time for Squash Blossoms – Three Easy Uses for Edible Flowers

By Katie Barreira

Zucchini, yellow crooknecks, pattypans…the coming season promises a deluge of thin-skinned gourds. But before the onslaught of summer squash there are squash blossoms, the flowering buds of a squash vine.

These delicate blossoms are entirely edible and usually seen on restaurants’ seasonal menus. Like Jean Georges’s fabled “Peekytoe Crab and Squash Blossom Beignet,” a simple crab salad stuffed into squash blossoms, coated in tempura batter and fried. But the flowers don’t require such flourish.

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