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You know you'll work up an appetite while riding down the highway with the windows down and the music at full blast, but if you'd rather avoid rest stop burgers and limp French fries, follow these simple guidelines for making the most delicious boxed lunch.

A Non-Squishy Sandwich
The heartier the bread, the more likely it won't get soggy. You can also take a few precautions: spread each slice with butter or mayo, keep meat and vegetables on the inside and cheese on the outside, and make sure lettuce is completely dry before building your sandwich.

Snack Mix That Won't Leave a Trail
Unless you want the car covered in orange fingerprints, save the Doritos and Cheetos for once you reach your destination. Instead, try making your own salty-sweet nosh. This mix from Cat Cora includes cereal (such as Cheerios or shredded wheat), mini pretzels, popcorn, peanuts and wasabi-coated dried peas for a spicy kick.

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Blame it on bacon: smoking food is becoming one of the summer's most popular ways to cook. The Wall Street Journal reported this week on the "explosion of smoked foods on American menus," from high-end restaurants to roadside barbecue joints. It's understandable--who hasn't been captivated by the smell of wood smoke and the intense flavor it injects into meats, fish and other foods?

While you can buy many foods already smoked--chicken, turkey and salmon come to mind--doing it yourself isn't difficult, just time-consuming (you've heard the phrase "low and slow," right?). Smokers run anywhere from $50 to more than $400, but it isn't difficult to turn a basic charcoal grill into one using wood chips you've soaked in water.

To make your own smoker, first remove the grill's grate. Push the charcoal to once side of the grill and light it; the coals are ready when they're glowing red or starting to turn grey. Set a heavy-duty aluminum pan, filled halfway with water, on the other side of the coals. Gently lay a handful of wet hardwood smoking chips over the coals; replace the grate, and place the food on the grate.

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In the one-less-thing-to-obsess-about department, the nonprofit health advocacy organization Environmental Working Group just released its annual Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce--and among the report's most notable takeaways is that we should be concerned about pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables, but not to the point that we stop eating these foods.

NPR's food blog, The Salt, talked to a food science expert who says there isn't much evidence that trace residues--which often show up on foods on EWG's signature "Dirty Dozen" list--are dangerous. For instance, just 1 of 744 apple samples tested had a pesticide residue level higher than the government limit, and most were far below the permissible level. (Check out the post to see other results, including for fruits and vegetables in baby foods).

Unsurprisingly, the guide says you'll lower your exposure to chemicals by eating organic produce--but with summer superfoods like blueberries and bell peppers (which, in their conventional versions, are both on the Dirty Dozen list) now in season, it's a relief to know it's better to eat them than to avoid them.

Keep Reading
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I once read that slicing yourself a wedge of brie and then removing the rind is like eating cake without the frosting or pie without the crust. But I have to admit that when someone recently offered me a slice of what appeared to be a semi-hard cheese the color of white cheddar with a dark brown and strangely dirty-looking rind--and told me to eat the whole thing--I was a little skeptical. My abiding love for fromage overrode my suspicion, though, and I took a bite. It tasted sweet, a little creamy...and kind of like a latte. Turns out the rind had been rubbed with espresso, which, I learned, is just one unique food that creative cheesemongers are covering rinds with to add unique and subtle flavor. The flavor is most prevalent near the rind, but delicately pops up even in the center of the cheese. Look for these (and other varieties) at your cheese shop and enjoy them rind and all.

Espresso BellaVitano from BellaVitano in Wisconsin
The rub: Ground espresso beans
The taste: Nutty, coffee-like
Eat it with: Sweet pastries, bagels, chocolate, nuts, dried apricots

Barely Buzzed from Beehive Cheese Co. in Utah
The rub: A blend of South American, Central American and Indonesian beans, plus French lavender buds
The taste: Slightly sweet, with a faint butterscotch flavor
Eat it with: Espresso, honey, stout beer or Sangiovese wine

Cocoa Cardona from Carr Valley Cheese Co. in Wisconsin
The rub: Cocoa powder
The taste: Milky and sweet (though not overly chocolate-y)
Eat it with: A dab of hot fudge sauce, Shiraz wine, cherries

Keep Reading
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Photo: Erin Kunkel

Aside from slicing cukes and tossing them into a cold glass of seltzer (or over your eyes), here are some never-thought-of-that ways to incorporate the vegetables--which are in season from May through August--into easy summer meals.

Pair them with sesame. As every sushi chef knows, cucumber and sesame seeds are a winning combination. This easy salad incorporates both ingredients. Just don't skimp on the chilling time: part of the dish's charm comes from the cool, juicy texture of the marinated cucumbers. Let the sweet-tart interplay of the vinegar and sugar really sink in.
Get the recipe: Sesame Cucumber Salad

Chop them up for gazpacho. Tomatoes are traditional, but cucumbers and onions also make for a refreshing warm-weather soup. Serve the icy, chunky blend  with crunchy, garlic-rubbed country bread.
Get the recipe: Cucumber and Onion Gazpacho

Eat them with salty cheese. Minerally halloumi cheese comes from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, where locals enjoy it with cold watermelon. Its slight saltiness also makes it a good match for the fresh taste of cucumber and lemon.
Get the recipe: Halloumi Cheese with Cucumber Lentil Salad

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There are moments when we fall flat in finding a solution for afternoon hunger pangs. There may be a bag of almonds in our desk drawers or a bowl of fruit on the kitchen counter, but occasionally, those options feel as uninspiring as a closet full of familiar clothes on a dreary Monday.

Which is why I was happy to stumble upon the Snack Database, which launched in April and now has close to 200 entries. In an interview with Bon Appetit, the site's creator, Beau Johnson, says he would like the tool to be "ever-growing, documenting all snacks and perhaps aiding in the development of new ones." Clicking through the foods, from apples to banana pudding, is inspiring, though not because the photos are necessarily drool-worthy (they're simple graphic images) or the descriptions and tasting notes are enticing (though they're funny; about a peach, for instance, Johnson writes, "It has a very light orange colored interior and a seed in the center that resembles what the core of earth would look like if it were sliced in half.").

Johnson describes the database as "contemporary art, except with a grain of craft and usefulness." Or, as I prefer to think of it, a lookbook for snacks.

Keep Reading
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Finally, the fun stuff is starting to hit greenmarkets (nothing against asparagus and spinach, but they're not exactly foods you can snack on raw), and the weather's warm enough to warrant a two- or three-times weekly batch of home-brewed iced tea. And while there isn't exactly a cookie dough season per se, a new book on the beloved treat hits stores this month, raising the fascinating question: what can't you do with cookie dough?

Cookie Dough Cream Pie. Or cookie dough doughnuts, popsicles, wontons, fudge or pizza. Food blogger Lindsay Landis' recipe for the addictive sweet is egg-free (and thus safe to eat raw), and in her new book, The Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook, she explains how to use it to make cakes, custards, pies, candies, brownies and more.

Apricots. If you've ever been seduced by an apricot's soft, barely fuzzy skin and rosy peach glow only to take a bite and find the inside flavorless, it's time to (re)introduce the unripened fruit's best friend: a plain paper bag. It may be the oldest trick in the book, but the humble sandwich bag seems to have even more magical powers when it comes to apricots, which are in season now. After two or three days in a loosely folded paper sack, they turn amazingly sweet, a feat we have yet to accomplish by letting them sit in a bowl on the counter.

Pea Shots. These crisp tendrils are just the young leaves of a pea plant, but their delicate, fresh flavor perks up boring salads and stir-fries (or just snack on them alone). Find them at farmers' markets now or grow your own; within two or three weeks of planting pea seeds (which you can even do in a window box), you'll have edible shoots.

Iced Tea. Although it seems every summer brings a new crop of bottled teas, there's nothing like home-brewed. This version gets an herbaceous kick from kaffir lime leaves, mint, lemongrass and lots of citrus; while this one combines tea with bits of fresh berries and sparkling water. Depending on how much of the stuff you're guzzling, you may want to invest in Bodum's Ceylon Iced Tea Jug, which Oprah's a fan of, both for both tea and flavor-enhanced water.

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Photo: Sift Cupcakes and Dessert Bar

There are certain things dads tend to say, from "I didn't make the rules" to "Go ask your mother" (and it's both comforting and slightly disarming when you hear your own husband utter the same words to your kid). In honor of Father's Day (June 17), we've found edible gifts that match some of the most classic dad-isms. And they're all under $40. Because, you know, money doesn't grow on trees.

"I will turn this car around": A cupcake that actually will make him hit the brakes and do a 180. Sift Cupcakes and Dessert Bar, which has 3 locations in northern California and ships nationally, includes among its stable of treats The Studmuffin. It's a beer and brown sugar cake topped with salted caramel frosting with fleur de sel and spicy cayenne-dusted bacon bits crumbled on top.

"This lawn isn't going to mow itself": A shrub that needs no care other than some sunlight and water. Hirt's Top Hat Dwarf Blueberry Plant is perfect for containers and small spaces (it's about 8 inches tall), and will yield hundreds of delicious full-size blueberries.

"You sleep when you're dead": A breakfast treat that will get anyone out of bed early on a Saturday morning. Vermont company Tonewood Maple's goodies are all fantastic, from the syrup to the candies. But it's the maple cream we're most taken with; it tastes so good it threatens to unseat butter as king of the toast toppers.

"It builds character": Spices that will elevate anything he cooks, whether burgers or scrambled eggs. Chicago-based Lezzet Spices has an exotic but approachable roster, including Red Stamp Pepper, Mediterranean Oregano, Sweet Purple Basil and Alaea Hawaiian Sea Salt.

Keep Reading
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What to grill for Father's Day this year
Cool new ice cream combos to try at your next party

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When it comes to ice cream trends, there's the weird flavor movement (prosciutto, foie gras, olive oil), the ice pop craze (honey peach popsicles, anyone?)...and now, the "wait a minute, what?" combination: pairing two seemingly pedestrian--but unlikely--flavors. Two new ice cream cookbooks from San Francisco shops with cult followings have opened our eyes to such craziness as strawberry and olive, for starters. Whether you're into making your own frozen desserts or just want to pick up a pint, here are some of the blends we're most intrigued with.

From Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones by Kris Hoogerhyde, Anne Walker and Dabney Gough, based on ice creams from Bi-Rite Creamery:

Vanilla and tangerine. A scoop of tangerine granita (or just whole tangerine sections) on top of plain old vanilla results in a smooth and tangy Creamsicle-like effect.

Chocolate and blackberry. The darker and more intense the chocolate ice cream, the better this duo tastes.

Cookies & cream and mint chip. There's a reason Nabisco created a spin-off of Double Stuf Oreos in "cool mint"; this kid's dream combo is a winner.