Quick Fig Jam

By Ben Mims
For Cooking Newbie, a blog for beginner cooks

For my last post before our summer break, I wanted to leave you with one of the best things I’m eating right now: my quick fig jam. Not only because the figs at the market right now are bursting with sweetness and color, but this is just a great condiment to have on hand.

It couldn’t be simpler to make either. I stir the figs together with sugar, honey, and lemon juice and let them macerate for an hour or so to let the sugar bring out the juices in the figs. Then I gently heat it and cook it down until it’s naturally reduced and thickened; no fooling around with pectin or other gelling ingredients. It’s all-natural, and when refrigerated, will last for weeks, although I doubt you’ll have it around that long.

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See you After Labor Day!

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

Special Fork is going on hiatus after Friday; we’ll return on Tuesday after Labor Day. Posting a blog a day, Monday through Friday, is ambitious for any site, and all Special Fork bloggers are looking forward to this summer break.

In the meantime, just like on TV, we will be posting “reruns” that you might have missed. Given that we’ve begun our fourth season, we have a large repertoire of good posts to choose from to share with you again.

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What to do with Zucchini

By Sandy Hu
A new video for Video Friday

Zucchini is the poster child for summer‘s largesse. There’s so much of it that you begin to wonder, what else is left to do with this prolific ingredient?

For an easy side dish, I like to cut zucchini in half lengthwise, cook in olive oil on both sides until softened, then season with sea salt, a few grindings of black pepper, and top with grated lemon peel or Parmesan cheese. I dice it to incorporate into Chinese fried rice and slice it for pizzas or green salads.

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Entrepreneurial Spirit

By Andrew Hunter
For The Family Table, a blog for busy families

Last week, I wrote about the premiere of Lifetime’s all-new competition series, Supermarket Superstar and my role coaching the contestants as R&D Mentor. This week, I’d like to tell you a little bit more about the process.

Shooting a TV show is an exhausting and exhilarating process. Even when the pilot’s been “picked up,” there’s doubt about whether the network will like the series and if viewers will watch. So it’s hard to believe that the Supermarket Superstar premiere aired and episode two is in a few days … I think the season will be over before I know it!

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No Cooking Tonight

By Lori Powell
For One or Two Bites, a blog for singles and couples

Hot, hot, hot is all I have to say! We have so much amazing produce and fruit in the market, there is simply no reason to get hot in the kitchen. The stuff that is coming out of the ground right now is super-sweet and needs no heat intervention.

Okay, call me crazy but go ahead and blanch your beans, if necessary. But there is simply no quicker way to heat up a room than to set a saucepot of water to boil. Take my word for it. I live in the kitchen and just one of the reasons I love my refrigerator…instant air conditioning.

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