Photo: Cristina Ferrare

Cookbook author Cristina Ferrare is determined to enjoy the last of summer's bounty, combing farmers' markets and supermarkets for fresh corn on the cob. She eats it raw, boiled, grilled or in this creamy corn soup, which is topped with fresh herbs and crispy bacon bits. Now's the time to make a few batches of this hearty dish to enjoy some now and freeze more for later.

If you aren't exactly in the mood for a heavy casserole or hearty stew tonight, Cristina Ferrare's right there with you. "Eating heavy meals when the heat outside is oppressive can make you feel even more lethargic and uncomfortable," says Oprah's friend and cookbook author. Cristina's advice is to stay away from sugary drinks and diet sodas, and try making your own flavored water instead, using slices of cucumber, lemon, fresh mint and other brighteners. Read all about her ideas for flavored water here, and also check out her recipe for a beautiful summer salad with three options for dressings--each one perfect for steamy days.

Photo: Diane Cu and Todd Porter

As anyone who's experienced first-hand the sweetness of grilled peppers and onions knows, putting vegetables on a grate over flames turns them into soft and delicious condiments, perfect for burgers, sausage or, if Cristina Ferrare is cooking, fajitas. This week, the cook and author of Cristina's Big Bowl of Love shares a list of ways to enjoy grilled veggies, as well as her recipe for fajitas--which includes grilled peppers, onions and flank steak, plus guacamole and salsa.

Photo: Diane Cu and Todd Porter

Eating a cold slice of watermelon on a hot day is pretty high on our list of things to love about summer, right up there with catching fireflies and feeling the sand between our toes. Cristina Ferrare has always been a fan of eating plain slices of the thirst-quenching fruit, but lately she's found two new ways to enjoy it: a watermelon salad with a few surprising ingredients and a refreshing watermelon cocktail.

Photo: BLiS

Cooking expert Cristina Ferrare was so excited to try out BLiS maple syrups that she spent the day in the kitchen making her special Sunday Cinnamon French Toast—and it wasn't even Sunday. Follow her easy recipe and use whichever syrup you like. You can't go wrong: One's aged in old Kentucky bourbon barrels, another's infused with Tahitian vanilla beans and a third is simply maple, made in Michigan.

By the way, Cristina just launched her new website, which has tons of delicious recipes.

Photo: Cristina Ferrare

It seems everyone has an opinion when it comes to hot dogs, whether to grill them or boil them, slather them in the works or keep it simple with a quick drizzle of mustard. OWN star Cristina Ferrare is no exception: She prefers the beef franks from Beverly Hills institution Nate 'n Al (thankfully, they ship nationwide). Here's Cristina's recipe for preparing them in her own special way, with a sauerkraut that you can make ahead and break out once your grill is fired up.

Photo: Todd Porter and Diane Cu

The sweet, little, red berries hitting greenmarkets right now look nothing like those freakishly large, hard, white-on-the-inside berries sold in supermarkets during the rest of the year. Now's the time to enjoy them, and chef and strawberry lover Cristina Ferrare has a ton of ideas. Her Strawberry Pie and Strawberry Shortcake (pictured) are both dazzling crowd-pleasers, and if you aren't up for doing some baking, she has plenty of simple suggestions for incorporating strawberries into breakfasts and snacks.

Photo: Cristina Ferrare

Although exact figures are hard to come by, we are fairly certain that at least 92 percent of people who try making artichokes either get pricked, sliced or so frustrated they give up. Best-selling author and television host (most recently you saw her on OWN), Cristina Ferrare has been on the receiving end of more than a few mean-spirited thistles, yet now that they're in season, she can't resist. She's come up with a multitude of ways to prepare artichokes, from grilling them and putting them in a salad, to marinating them and tossing them with pasta, to boiling them for a summer dish known simply as Artichokes with a Cucumber Vinaigrette.

Photo: Thinkstock

The fact that Father's Day just happens to fall at the beginning of the barbecue season sure does work out nicely for dads who love a barbecue (and really, what dad doesn't like an easygoing, outdoor eating extravaganza?). Cristina Ferrare, whose risotto Oprah has happily made, shares her recipes for Baby Back Ribs and Barbecued Baked Beans. They're sweet and savory, thanks to a tasty new barbecue sauce Cristina found recently. Make them this Sunday for Dad, but keep the recipes handy for barbecues all summer long.