Blog Posts by Epicurious.com

Grab your hamper and head outside with these healthy, easy, and scrumptious recipes and tips

Picnics create memories: The food, the company, the vibe-everything seems better in the open air. Even ants and strawberry stains are okay when you're sharing a meal with friends on a sunny day.

Eating well outside takes only a little extra planning. Almost anything can be portable if you pack it in a tightly sealed container. Instead of trying to put together a complete menu that will appeal to everyone, fill your picnic basket with a variety of good, light choices, such as the ones we've gathered here.

Surprised to see some of the items in this collection? Eggs are low in calories (about 75 for a large one) and loaded with protein and nutrients such as vitamin B12 and selenium. Plus, these deviled ones are made with olive oil, not mayo-simple substitutions like that figure into many of our hearty-but-wholesome hamper picks. Want to up the health factor even more? Try using

Slim down for summer with healthy recipes, plus diet advice from the authors of Bikini Bootcamp and The Skinny

We admit it: The phrase "bikini body" is a little groan-inducing (and we're just not talking about all the sit-ups you might feel compelled to do to get a swimsuit-ready figure). Cheesy terminology aside, the fact is that a lot of people are trying to slim down for summer right now, both to look better in their two pieces or trunks and to have more stamina for activities like swimming.

So to help those looking to trim a few pounds without giving up good food, we got tips and recipes from the authors of two diet and lifestyle books: The Skinny: How to Fit Into Your Little Black Dress Forever and Bikini Bootcamp: Two Weeks to Your Ultimate Beach Body. The former was coauthored by journalist Robin Aronson and food writer Melissa Clark (who has written numerous books with and about chefs, and whose articles and recipes have appeared in many publications, including The

In our ongoing video series Chef Michael Skibitcky, from The Culinary Institute of America, demonstrates how to make a recipe for the classic Middle Eastern eggplant dip Baba Ghanouj

Baba ghanouj is one of those Middle Eastern dishes like hummus and falafel that seems pretty straightforward until you start to consider all of the variations in different countries and communities, and even from household to household.

At its most basic, this dip or spread is a purée of eggplant, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic. It can be chunky or silky-smooth; sometimes the flavor is quite smoky, while other times it's mild. The garnishes can include mint, parsley, paprika, cumin, chili powder, pomegranate seeds, and chopped pistachios or other nuts. Even the spelling of the dish varies: It can be baba ghanouj, baba ghanoush, baba ghannouj, baba gannoujh, or baba ghanoug.

Baba ghanouj can be found throughout the Middle East, as well as in some Mediterranean countries (such as

Yesterday, the first day of Summer, also marked the start of Giving Through Growing, a partnership between Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi and the American Community Gardening Association (ACGA) to support the development of community gardens throughout the U.S.

The program, which runs through the end of the year, allows you to send "e-seeds" to friends and family, and for every seed sent, Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi will donate $1 to the ACGA to a total of $40,000. The funds will be used to create garden education seminars in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York, helping to further the growing community garden movement. The photo above shows part of the community garden at La Plaza Cultural in New York's East Village (photo by Sara Jaye Weiss).

To send "e-seeds" and to learn more about the Giving Through Growing program and the ACGA, go to woodbridgewines.com/garden.

Don't have a lot of space for a garden? Learn how to grow a windowsill garden

by Lauren Salkeld

I've been in Cornwall, England for the past few days, where I've had the pleasure of stuffing my face with as many Cornish pasties as I can lay my paws on.

A pasty is a round piece of flaky pastry folded and baked around some kind of filling, so that the finished product resembles a well-stuffed half-moon. My English hosts explained to me that pasties were originally devised as an all-in-one, lunch-plus-lunch-transport-unit for miners.

Traditional pasties were supposed to contain at least two compartments of filling, one savory and one sweet. Miners would hold the pasty by the "seam" and eat it end to end, so that they got their lunch first and their dessert last. A complete lunch in one handy package: It definitely appeals to my love of order and efficiency. Until you bite into it, of course, and all that order and efficiency tumbles out into your napkin.

After devouring one particularly tasty pasty, we got to talking about how many of the world's great snack foods are

There are two types of booze-loving dads: Those who long ago established a favorite drink (and couldn't care less about how Sherry affects the Scotch aging process) and those eager to taste something new (but which might cost more than a meal for four).

In the last year, the whiskey world has seen extra-aged Scotches, anniversary editions, and small-batch surprises from respected makers like the Balvenie, Glenlivet, Laphroaig, Ardmore, Canadian Club, and Highland Park. Plus lesser-known whiskeys like the rye from Iowa producer (!) Templeton.

The price range of these new releases is $35 to $500. Exorbitant, yes. Ludicrous in this economy? Sure. But remember: The more you pay, the more likely you're getting something that's aged (and mellowed) for decades, is tremendously scarce, and tastes pretty darn good. Consider these novelties, as you would a $10,000 cocktail.

And if your dad doesn't drink, or doesn't want you get him a drink, you can always peruse our more

The season of barbecues is in full swing, and that means...lots of trash. I know, we're all trying not to be wasteful, but let's be honest: The last time you had an outdoor get-together, didn't you end up with multiple bags of garbage at the end of the party?

I know I did, which is why I was happy to hear about a newish line of disposable plates and cups. Solo, makers of the colorful plastic plates ubiquitous at summer gatherings, has introduced a more "eco-forward" line (their term): Bare by Solo.

So what exactly does "eco-forward" mean? They're still disposable, which of course is not ideal: probably a more earth-friendly option would be the reusable plates made by Bambu. But those are more than a dollar each, whereas the Bare plates run about 21 cents each, just slightly more than conventional disposable plates. And of course, sometimes even the most eco-conscious host just can't deal with washing dishes.

Bare offers several options, so you can choose how you want to

I have a problem with cookbooks devoted to baking, desserts, and anything sweet. The problem is that I buy too many. In fact, my small Manhattan apartment contains so many baking cookbooks that I've had to put myself on a strict no-baking-book-diet. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending how you look at it) two new confectionary titles have caught my eye and may force me to break my own rules.

Babycakes

by Erin McKenna
Babycakes is a beloved bakery on Manhattan's Lower East Side specializing in vegan, gluten-free (and often sugar-free) baked goods. It's a bit of a godsend for anyone with food allergies, wheat-intolerance, or strict ethics (in the case of vegans), but it's also wildly popular with folks who regularly enjoy dairy, wheat, etc.

In her new cookbook, Babycakes chef and owner Erin McKenna shares the secrets to her sweets. In addition to recipes for her beloved cupcakes, cookies, pies, cobblers, crumbles, muffins, scones, biscuits, brownies, teacakes, and