Photo by mynameissharsha

All of this watermelon could be vastly improved with the addition of vodka.

Note: This is a reprint from last year.

This almost goes without saying, but very few things complement an afternoon of barbecuing or grilling like a slice of ice-cold watermelon and a pleasant buzz. That's where Drunk Watermelons come in.

A slice of Drunk Watermelon is the best of both worlds: sweet, red flesh that's cooling and delicious, that also comes with a little kick courtesy of a bottle of vodka, which has been allowed to slowly saturate the flesh as it's stored overnight in the fridge. We'll teach you how to make a Drunk Watermelon (or several) for any Memorial Day barbecues you're invited to this weekend; you'll be the hit of the party (certainly more so than if you brought a watermelon basket).

Step One

Buy a watermelon. This seems basic, but there are some considerations to be taken into mind: You want a watermelon that thumps nicely when you hit it. No thump means the fruit isn't ripe. And nothing is worse than a mealy, light-pink slice of watermelon. You also want to consider the size of your party and the size of your bottle of vodka. The general rule of thumb is one liter of vodka per large watermelon. It would also be cool if you could find a square watermelon, but you can't in the United States. We need to teach the Japanese to spike their crazily shaped watermelons, but that's a post for another time.

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Flickr user angeloangelo

Memorial Day is just around the corner. With my brother, a U.S. Marine (oorah!), currently back home from his first deployment in Afghanistan, the holiday is near and dear to my heart.

Wanting to make something special to celebrate and honor all those who have served and who continue to serve in our U.S. Armed Forces, I'm making this Red, White & Blue Fruit Pizza, the perfect sweet treat to share at a Memorial Day barbecue with family and friends.

Here's how to make it:

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Photo by Nicholas L. Hall

Very agro.

Over the years, I've come to appreciate the importance of texture and acidity in food. More than almost anything else, save maybe basic seasoning (salt), these are the components I look for in a dish. All too often, I find myself searching for and not finding them, frequently in dishes that might be perfect if only they had a little bit of citrusy brightness, or a bit of crunch for textural contrast.

Acidity helps to bring out other flavors, lifting and highlighting them. When my food tastes flat and one-dimensional, the first thing I do is check for salt balance. Does it need a pinch to underline the flavors? After that, I turn to acid. A squeeze of lime juice after everything's plated, perhaps. A puree of citrusy ponzu and earthy sweet potato, to add an acidic kick to an underlying component.

Texture is similar in its ability to highlight, via contrast. I've made the mistake, more than a few times, of serving a braised dish with only braised elements. They might have tasted delicious (especially if there's a bit of bright, citrusy salsa verde drizzled across the plate for acidity), but they also had the texture of baby food. That's never a good thing. There's a reason mac and cheese is best served with a crunchy topping of broiled bread crumbs.

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Photo by BBQ Grill Maestro

I love homemade meals with my fiancé, but most of the time, cooking for two proves to be difficult. If I don't have a game plan, I end up running around in circles at the grocery store and wasting half the ingredient's I've bought (and I HATE wasting food). Enter What's Cooking This Week - my weekly meal plan and grocery guide. This way, I can make the most of my ingredients and my leftovers.

In honor of National Burger Month, I'm adding a burger to the mix each week. Last week, I made Shrimp Burgers with a spicy mayo that I reused for Patatas Aioli later in the week. This week, I'm reusing pineapple for Sweet & Sour Pork, Teriyaki Burgers and a Pineapple Salsa.

Here's what else I'm making:

Sweet & Sour Pork over Brown Rice

Teriyaki Burgers w/ Grilled Pineapple & Yam Fries

Grilled Pork w/ Pineapple Salsa

Stuffed Red Peppers

Black Bean & Pepper Fajita Quesadillas

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Tags:

Cooking with leftovers, Dinner, Easy recipes, Healthy meals, Weekday menu plan, Weeknight meals

Photo by Nicholas L. Hall

This was really, really good.

I don't know how much of this is a facet of my fascination with cooking, and my ever-geekening desire to explore new (to me) ideas, and how much of it is an artifact of my cheap-assery. Regardless, I've been on a big kick lately (if lately is the past five years) searching after "full utilization," whatever that means. To me, it's the equivalent of "nose-to-tail," but extended to the totality of my cooking. These days, given my increased focus on vegetables, I've been on a quest to use every last scrap of every last vegetable I use.

Carrot tops go into pesto or gremolata; squash peel gets roasted, dehydrated and employed in a variety of ways (more on that later); melon rinds get pickled or salt-preserved (an ongoing project whose success is still an unknown); bean and pea-shells get burned. That's right. I burn my beans. On purpose.

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I love homemade meals with my fiancé, but most of the time, cooking for two can be difficult. If I don't have a game plan, I end up running around in circles at the grocery store and wasting half the ingredients I've bought (and I HATE wasting food). Enter What's Cooking This Week -- my weekly meal plan and grocery guide. This way, I can make the most of my ingredients and my leftovers.

In honor of National Burger Month, I'm adding a burger to the mix each week. Last week, I made delicious Lamb Sliders and used the extra meat for a Springtime Lamb Ragu. This week, I'm making Shrimp Burgers with a spicy mayo that I'll reuse for Patatas Aioli later in the week.

Here's what else I'm making:

Shrimp Burgers w/ Spicy Mayo

Soba Noodle & Cucumber Salad

Garlic Shrimp & Patatas Aioli

Shaved Steak & Manchego over Arugula

Steak & Potato Hash w/ Fried Eggs

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Tags:

burgers, cooking for two, easy recipes, menu plan, national burger month, shrimp, steak, weekday meals, weeknight cooking, what's for dinner

Photo by ReeseCLloyd

Get that special mama in your life nice and toasted for Mother's Day.

If you're skipping the restaurant rush and looking for a way to jazz up your annual Mother's Day Brunch, look no further. Two words. Bellini Bar. I know my mama would appreciate the morning buzz more than she would my not-so-famous quiche Lorraine (by the way, when did quiche become the official Mother's Day food?). Nothing says "I love you" like some bubbly. You can thank me later.

Here are a few tips to make getting your mom drunk before noon totally appropriate:

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Photo by karendotcom127

Lamb Sliders in honor of National Burger Month.

I love cooking for my fiancé and myself, but most of the time, cooking for two proves to be difficult. If I don't make a plan, I end up running around in circles at the grocery store and wasting half the ingredients I've bought (and I HATE wasting food). Enter What's Cooking This Week -- my weekly meal plan and grocery guide. This way, I can make the most of my ingredients and my leftovers.

Last week, I used avocados on a delicious Shrimp Cobb Salad and a creamy Linguine in Avocado Sauce. This week, I'm making a springtime favorite, Lamb Ragu with Fresh Mint, and using the leftover ingredients to make adorable Lamb Sliders. (It's National Burger Month, after all.)

Here's what's cooking:

Ginger Chicken Thighs over Sautéed Spinach

Pappardelle w/ Spring Lamb Ragu

Spiced Couscous w/ Shredded Chicken

Lamb Sliders w/ Feta Mint Tzatziki

Mediterranean Frittata

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Tags:

cooking for two, easy cooking, Greek yogurt, healthy, lamb, recipes, weekday menu plan, weeknight meals

Photo by Lynn Gardner

You could do this yourself...or you could just buy them already chopped.

Don't call it cheating; call it a shortcut.

Very few of us these days have the time or energy to make phyllo dough from scratch or even to simply chop vegetables. And if you're trying to host a nice dinner for friends or cook a good meal for your loved ones, there's absolutely nothing wrong with using the shortcuts available to you if you're pinched for time.

I'm not talking about going full-on Sandra Lee, of course, but rather knowing how to pick out the right items in the store that will cut your gourmet cooking time in half without sacrificing flavor or presentation. Sure, you'll pay more for the convenience -- and I wouldn't recommend shopping like this on a daily basis -- but it's good to know the shortcuts are there when you need them.

Shortcut: Vegetables

Most grocery stores these days have pre-chopped vegetables for nearly every occasion, ready to go in the produce department. You can get portobello mushroom caps pre-stuffed for the grill, bell peppers and onions pre-sliced for fajitas, even containers of diced onions, celery and carrots for a ready-made mirepoix. Sure, the cuts are rougher than you'd probably make yourself, but the time saved is worth it. You can find similar mixes in the frozen section, where some vegetables -- like green peas -- are typically better than the fresh ones in the produce department.

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Illustration credit: tabletinfographics.com

You don't need Triple Sec or fancy ingredients to make a good, basic margarita. That's exactly what a good margarita is, after all: basic. If you decided not to brave the Cinco de Mayo crowds this year, just follow the simple diagram above to make the perfect margarita at home.

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