Photo by Casey Bisson.

Take a break from margaritas and have a daiquiri.

In a city where the margarita tends to monopolize the frozen alcoholic beverage market, one can easily forget there are other cocktails that are just as icy and intoxicating. In the past, I've explored multiple alternatives to the margarita , and this summer I'm homing in America's second most popular (usually) frozen drink: the daiquiri. Here are five to try in Houston:

5. Screwdriver Daiquiri (BB's Cajun Cafe). Available to consume in-house or in a "to geaux" cup, the daiquiris at BB's are indeed wine-based, but surprisingly not shitty and boast a real citrus flavor. They're refreshing, actually, in that "I don't think I could possibly get a hangover from this drink" way. I suggest two for hydration and Vitamin C when you're consuming an entire platter of fries topped with queso and roast beef.

4. Strawberry Daiquiri (Chuy's). Not kidding. Grumble all you want about chain Tex-Mex food, but refrain from spurning Chuy's entirely until you try its frozen strawberry daiquiri. I have spotted chunks of real strawberries in these babies, which is probably why I care less they don't use top-shelf rum (unless you ask).

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Photo by Joanna O'Leary

Lucerne Hot Haberno Cheese.

What goes great with hot weather? Hot cheeses! Well, perhaps not "hot" in terms of temperature since the idea of eating a huge vat of fondue in June would make anyone nauseated. "Hot" in terms of "spicy," "fiery," caliente--a cheese that will give me the kick in the pants I need to do three loads of laundry on a sweltering Saturday afternoon, a cheese that will make me sweat through my third outfit of the day, a cheese that my lazy ass self can find the local supermarket. Here are five options:

5. Alouette Sweet & Spicy Pepper Medley. The mildest "hot" cheese on this list, Alouette Sweet & Spicy Pepper Medley is the perfect cheese to tickle your tongue and add that extra oomph to a cracker. I also recommend spreading it on slice of green pepper or salted peaches for additional sweet-savory contrast.

4. Helluva Good BOLD Chipotle Cheddar. Helluva Good has an entire new line of "bold" cheeses that promise "real flavor." (Am I to infer then, Helluva Good's other cheeses have fake flavor?) Anyway, the chipotle cheddar, which combines the sharp bite of a significantly aged cheese with notes of smoky pepper, is great for souping up those nachos or as snack pairing for an anejo tequila on the rocks.

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Photo from thecandyfan.com

If Mr. T knew what I knew, he'd eat his Snickers frozen.

The heat has managed to squelch my appetite, yet I still hunger for chocolate. Go figure. Usually, I would bake up a batch of brownies to satisfy my craving, but lately I can't bear to turn on the oven. A candy bar is an easy, cheap and even cooling way to appease my sweet tooth, especially if I stick it in the freezer first. Here are five candy "bars" I actually prefer to eat frozen.

5. Snickers. At room temperature, Snickers definitely satisfy, but the individual components tend to blend together into one uniform sugary taste. A few degrees cooler, the nuts are crunchier and saltier, the chocolate sharper in cocoa flavor, and the caramel more buttery than syrupy.

Photo from wikipedia commons

Always better chilled

4. Peanut Butter Cups. Some may argue that cold temperatures mute the nutty flavor of peanut butter cups. A reasonable concern; however, the overall improvement in texture, I believe, trumps the slight change in taste. When eating a frozen PB cup, you appreciate more the hard ridges of the perimeter, the supple chocolate surfaces and the gritty nut interior. Almost makes you slow down to enjoy the experience.

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Photo by Joanna O'Leary

Good bedside as well as beach reading

Given the fact I loathe the word "foodie" and dislike the term "beach read" (for the way in which it relegates potentially good literature into the realm of superficial fluff), I'm surprised I'm so excited about this list. Regardless of your personal opinion on either of these terms, I hope you recognize I mean to refer to interesting, entertaining, and even educational books about food, eating, and cooking that are okay to pick up and put down in between building sandcastles this summer. Seriously, what fun! Here are my Top Five:

5. Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation (Pollan). One may argue that Pollan is a bit too pedantic for the beach, but his latest book is nevertheless an addictive chronicle of how the fire, water, air, and earth transform simple ingredients into spectacular foodstuffs.

4. Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All (Parsons). My friend Amelia gave me this book to celebrate defending my dissertation and since then I've enjoyed reading it off and on lounging on my bed, cocktail in hand. What I love about this history is its compendium, rather than linear narrative, construction; I can read the well-crafted entries will-nilly, without worrying about skipping over 'crucial' information. Another plus are the intoxicating photographs and whimsical vintage illustrations.

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Photo by Molly Dunn

Finish this steak in the oven for the best steak your dad will ever have.

Father's Day is this Sunday, for those of you who may have been living underneath a rock and haven't seen all the buzz about the holiday dedicated to celebrating our dads. This week, Brooke Viggiano gave us five things to do around Houston with Dad, like taking him to lunch, then to top golf, which I completely support.

I asked my dad what he wants for Father's Day, so here are the five dishes he would like to eat on his special day. I'm sure yours would enjoy some of these too.

5. Cast-Iron Steak

While we do like to grill steaks throughout the summer, there's something special about making a steak in a cast-iron skillet; that's always a guarantee that it will come out perfectly seared, crispy and tender. My mom and I work together to make my dad the perfect steak in a cast-iron skillet. Simply choose the cut of meat your dad loves, whether that's a NY Strip, porterhouse, T-bone or a filet mignon, then follow these instructions for making steak in a cast-iron skillet. My dad loves a NY Strip because to him it has the best flavor. Finish with a pat of butter, the way they do in restaurants, and your dad will absolutely love the salty accent to the delicious caramelization on the steak.

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There's nothing quite as refreshing in summer as a tall, icy Arnold Palmer. So popular is this hybrid beverage (ice tea and lemonade, with some debate as to the exact proportions) that many supermarkets now offer their own premixed varieties. I prefer, however, to mix my own Arnold Palmer at home and while the classic version is still my favorite, here are five variations that are also satisfying.

Photo by Andrew Miller

Arnold Palmer on the Rocks

5. Peachy Palmer. (Lemonade, Peach Iced Tea). You can brew your own peach iced tea, or if in a time crunch, pick up a bottle of Sweet Leaf. Either way, you'll end up with a sweeter drink that's closer to juice than tea. Perhaps a more appealing and appropriate way to introduce the Palmer family of beverages to younger children.

4. The Tom Arnold. (Lemonade, Iced Tea, Vodka). So named, I guess, because we think of Tom Arnold as a brash boozer and Arnold Palmer as a classy teetotaler? I dunno. A shot of hard alcohol definitely transforms this lunchtime libation into a potential party drink. Plain vodka is a-okay, but a citrus-flavored spirit will smooth out the harsh edge of the alcohol.

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Don't settle for stadium or ballpark food. Eat at one of these five places before and after any baseball or soccer game.

Sometimes you just don't want to eat ballpark or stadium food when attending a sporting event, and I don't blame you for not wanting to eat a mediocre hot dog piled with chili that will just make your heart burn by the middle of the game.

BBVA Compass Stadium and Minute Maid Park are quite close to one another, so I have created a Top 5 list of places to eat before either game. For any of these places, you can most certainly park your car in the lot at the stadium, then walk to the restaurant.

Here are five places you should catch a bite to eat before and after any game at Minute Maid Park or BBVA Compass Stadium when cheering on your Houston teams.

5. Irma's Southwest Grill

You definitely can't pass up Irma's Southwest Grill on game day for either the Astros or the Dynamo. It's super close to Minute Maid and it's not terribly far from BBVA Compass Stadium; not to mention it's open three hours before every Astros game for a Home Game Meal. Fill up on classic Mexican dishes such as fajitas, shrimp tacos, homemade pork tamales and Larry's Special, one cheese enchilada, one chicken enchilada and one beef enchilada covered in a chile ancho sauce. Wash it all down with Irma's famous fresh-fruit bottomless lemonade and you're ready to suit up with your team.

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Photo from Dreyers

Go for the one on the right.

A terrific ice cream treat is an easy and satisfying end to a summer supper, but while you're at the store, scan the frozen cases for new ice cream flavors. Again lured by the "limited edition" label, I have been exploring the world of seasonal ice creams. Here are five to try:

5. Peaches 'N' Cream (Turkey Hill). On my list of favored fruits, peaches fall somewhere in the middle. Add any sort of fatty sweet dairy to them and they significantly improve in ranking. With peach ice cream as well as peach slices, Turkey Hill's Peaches 'N' Cream seems at risk of peach overload, but surprisingly, it works quite well. Pick up a half gallon for June 21, National Peaches and Cream Day.

4. Triple Vanilla (Baskin-Robbins). Yes, yes, you can't find this at the grocery store. Also, the limits to this summer edition are far shorter than for other seasonal flavors: It's available only in June. So hurry! The trifecta of premium vanilla, vanilla bean and French vanilla (which provides those sunny yellow streaks) is a vanilla addict's dream and makes a wonderful base for sundaes.

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Photo by klwatts

Ties, shoehorns and handcrafted paper weights, BEGONE! This year, we have some gift ideas that'll really put a smile on Dad's face.

From growlers to porchetta, check out 5 Houston-centric Gifts That Dads (and You) Will Really Want:

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Image by Joanna O'Leary

An example of a good food portmanteau

I have no objection to a clever and useful portmanteau. Tween, hazmat and Spanglish come to mind, not to mention less obvious ones embedded in everyday parlance such as dumbfound (dumb + confound) and goodbye (God + be(with) +ye). In the food world, however, there are many, many portmanteaux that are stupid, unnecessary and/or just plain obnoxious. Here are five in particular that annoy me:

5. Spork (spoon + fork). Not the worst but not the best either. There's risk of mistaking the fused elements as "spam" and "pork" or "sausage" and "pork." Plus, its necessity is dubious: Are people really using these things anymore? Hopefully, the term's extinction will follow as the utensil's popularity declines.

4. Turducken (turkey + duck + chicken). I know I'll get some pushback on this one given that turduckens can be quite tasty. My main issue with this word is its sound, specifically the scatological allusion with the initial morpheme turd. Poop does not get me in the mood for Thanksgiving.

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