Eating dinner alone

Toasting Chez Panisse's 30th birthday (Photo: Colin Drake)

 does have its charms, but it's nothing like the  feeling of sitting around a table with your favorite people, bellies full, and murmurs of, "Just a half-glass more," going around the room. For 40 years, Alice Waters' storied Berkley, California, restaurant Chez Panisse has nurtured that spirit of conviviality, through Waters' support of the slow-food movement and her continual reminders of the deep connections between food, culture and agriculture.

A new book, 40 Years of Chez Panisse: The Power of Gathering, is a tribute to the ideas and people that have shaped the restaurant, and, in turn, American food. Yes, it's also about the importance of eating locally grown foods (dandelion greens and heritage pork, anyone?), but what really thrills our hearts is the way this book commemorates a shared meal's ability to make us feel loved. As, Waters writes, "Our full humanity is contingent on our hospitality: we can be complete only when we are giving something away; when we sit at the table and pass the peas to the person next to us we see that person in a whole new way."

Photo: Thinkstock

As Labor Day grows ever nearer, we've got the scoop on six imaginative ice creameries that are sure to make these dog days a little more delicious, one coneful of vanilla, chocolate—or Prosciutto—at a time. Whether you're a strictly vanilla-or-chocolate kind of eater, or you prefer your ice cream with a little wackiness mixed in, we've tasted all these flavors and have found one for you.

Salt & Straw, Portland, OR
This newcomer, which just opened in the city's hip Alberta district, packs its small-batch creations with 17% butterfat (most ice creams contain about 10%) to ramp up the richness in each bite, and ships a sampler of flavors nationwide. Portlanders can also book the company’s old-timey ice cream cart to enliven birthdays, weddings and other gatherings in need of sweet treats (and which ones aren’t?).
Safe bet: Chocolate with Gooey Brownies
For the adventurous: Three Berry Barbecue (a strawberry, huckleberry, and Oregon marionberry base, ribboned with sweet barbecue sauce)
Our favorite: Honey Balsamic Strawberry with Cracked Pepper

Photo: Thinkstock

If you come across cranberry beans at your greenmarket this week, make room in your basket alongside the peaches and tomatoes. These are some of the sweetest beans you'll ever find, and they're moist, too, which means they cook fairly quickly, in just 10 to 30 minutes. The beautiful legumes--which look like fat string beans, except they're pink- and white-speckled--are in season right now in many parts of the country. It's true that they will lose their gorgeous markings when you cook them, but they'll still taste vibrant and nutty. Also called shell beans or borlotti, they're delicious dressed simply with olive oil and sea salt, but here are six more seasonal preparations to try.

Cranberry Bean, Cherry Tomato and Cucumber Salad from La Tavola Marche
This pretty salad + crusty bread + a wedge of pecorino = your best lunch of the week.

Borlotti and Ricotta with Whole Wheat Spaghetti from Found While Walking
Barely a recipe--adjust the proportions to your liking, and toss in your favorite herbs--this pasta dish is fresh and hearty.

Cranberry Bean Bruschetta from Fresh Brioche
Simmered with garlic and water (plus bacon, a Parmesan rind and/or tomato) and sprinkled with sage, cranberry beans become a perfect topping for slices of toasted baguette.

Cranberry Bean and Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Gouda from MarcusSamuelsson.com
A no-cook salad dressed in a sweet and salty vinaigrette has an unexpected element: meltingly smooth bites of gouda cheese.

Fresh Shell Beans Over Polenta from Printer & Piemaker
This minimalist recipe allows for plenty of interpretation. The basics: gently boil the beans with some marjoram, slowly cook onions with thyme, and serve them together over creamy polenta drizzled with a little bit of good olive oil.

Cranberry Bean Hummus from The Parsley Thief
A cross between hummus and baba ghanoush (thanks to the addition of zucchini), this is a lovely spread for toasted pita bread triangles.

Keep reading
Halloumi with summer vegetable ragout
Mixed bean soup mix

What would it take to change your life for the better? It may be less than you think—we’ve got mini-makeovers to help you upgrade everything from your workout to your weekend. #6: Customizing your candy.

Photo: Gregor Halenda

Mmm, dark chocolate with yogurt-covered pretzels, rainbow sprinkles, and salty potato chips. Or—oh, God—milk chocolate with pumpkin seeds, dried raspberries, and flaxseeds. No—wait—white chocolate with toffee bits and Fruity Pebbles. Hungry? Sites like chocri.com, chocomize.com, and chocbite.com let you customize your own bar from scratch, with scores of sweet, savory, and spicy add-ons. Chocolate with Pop Rocks, anyone?
 



Keep Reading:
30 days of makeovers
20 favorite childhood desserts (with adult twists)
Perfect wine and chocolate pairings
7 decadent chocolate treats

Photo: Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, BorderGrill.com

It's not just "quinoa" that trips me up every time, no matter how many times a recipe reminds me it's pronounced "keen-wah." Despite my rusty French and food-centric knowledge of Italian, I still puzzle over how to sound out many dishes from those countries, to say nothing of food words in Quechua (that's where "quinoa" comes from) or Nahuatl (the Aztecan dialect responsible for the word "chipotle"). Hiding behind the unusual words, though, are some delicious ingredients and dishes. Here are three, along with their pronunciations and a convincing argument for why I need to master these foreign words once and for all.

Achiote (ah-chee-OH-tay, Spanish)
This common ingredient in Mexican cooking can actually induce an "achoo," since it's a spicy blend of annatto (a peppery pod from the achiote tree), Mexican oregano, cumin, clove, cinnamon, black pepper, allspice, garlic and salt. Achiote often comes in a paste form, where it adds a red color and a little kick to dishes like Yucatan Pork Tacos (pictured).

Clafouti (klah-fu-TEE, French)
For the longest time, whenever I read this word, I pictured someone named Fifi wearing a frilly pink nightgown. But now I know it's an easy, pancake-like dessert, made by pouring a batter over fresh fruit and baking it until it puffs. Pop this bubbly, custardy cherry clafouti into your oven midmeal and 30 minutes later, "clafouti" will be your new favorite word.

Fregola (FRE-go-la, Italian)
Saying the word for these tiny, toothsome balls of pasta--think Israeli couscous--could sound like something you'd say to your worst enemy. But if you roll the "r," add some Parmigiano-Reggiano (roll those r's, too, just to make your dinner companions laugh), plus fresh corn, peas or asparagus, you have a lovely, light summer meal. This recipe from Elaine Louie, who writes the New York Times column "The Temporary Vegetarian," is a cinch.

Photo: Armstrong Pitts Studios

You tuck them in your lunch box or stash them in the freezer (like O's creative director Adam Glassman), but there's another delicious way to enjoy grapes, aside from in a glass at the end of a long day: roast them.

A little sweet, a little sour, roasted grapes are an easy addition to many foods and dishes you're probably already making. Holly Smith, the chef at Cafe Juanita outside Seattle, folds them into risotto with hazelnuts and cheese. Brad Farmerie, of the restaurant Public in New York, spreads creme fraiche on a toasted scone and drizzles it with roasted grapes for a sweet-savory breakfast. Farmerie also spoons the grapes over ice cream, uses them as a finish to grilled chicken or pork, or tosses them with baby spinach, olive oil and crispy pancetta.

And the recipe could not be simpler...

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.