Blog Posts by Epicurious.com

Another sign that Spring has sprung: We're tasting ice cream. Specifically, the editors here sampled three out of the four new coffee flavors from Starbucks: Mocha Frappuccino, Java Chip Frappuccino, and Caramel Macchiato (each is $3.99 per pint). What about the old flavors including Mud Pie, Coffee Almond Fudge, Low Fat Latte, and Caramel Cappuccino Swirl? They're doneski. No longer available.

So which of the new releases was the staff favorite? The Caramel Macchiato had the boldest and most intense coffee flavor, as well as luscious thick swirls of sweet caramel, which contrasted nicely with the creamy vanilla ice cream.

The Java Chip Frappuccino, which was a touch creamier than the others, had nice bittersweet chocolate chunks. But there were criticisms: "This is not as coffee flavored as I would have imagined," announced one editor. Many agreed that this would be the ideal choice for someone who likes their coffee mild and not too sweet.

The Mocha Frappucino, comprising

Fresh herbs boost flavor and nutrition in these healthy recipes-without adding extra fat, calories, or sodium

"I believe that if ever I had to practice cannibalism, I might manage if there were enough tarragon around."-James Beard

Things may not be quite so desperate for the everyday cook, but Beard has a point. Joining parsley, chives, and chervil in the traditional French seasoning known as fines herbes, sweet and delicate tarragon is also a popular complement on its own in chicken, fish, and egg dishes. It is even said to provide temporary relief from pain.

But let's not stop at tarragon. Other herbs that sprout up in spring, such as dill, mint, or parsley, can instantly put an end to the doldrums of winter cooking. Plus, herbs have powerful antioxidant properties (with oregano, dill, thyme, rosemary, and sage among the most potent). They've been used for centuries to ward off disease (and evil). And for those of us on a perpetual path to better eating, herbs

Wholesome recipes for the season's best vegetables and fruits

Healthful eating is never so easy as it is in the spring. With fresh fruits and vegetables flourishing, you only need minimal preparation to bring out maximum flavor. From salads to sides, entrées to desserts, here is a collection of our wholesome springtime favorites.

Preventive Medicine

Fresh fruits and vegetables are healthy in part because they contain phytochemicals, or beneficial compounds, such as beta-carotene, folate, and lycopene, which aid in the prevention of cancer.

An Apple a Day

There is truth to the old "apple a day" adage, though this time of year, think seasonally and make it a "strawberry" or "artichoke" a day.... Beyond having weight-watching benefits, a diet plentiful in fruits and vegetables decreases your risk of stroke and heart attack, helps lower blood pressure, and even guards against eye disease.

Rich and Thin

Spring favorites asparagus and artichokes are often

In our videos, eco-lifestyle expert Danny Seo shares tips for making your favorite room more environmentally friendly

One of the many great things about "going green" is that your efforts benefit both you and the environment. One example: Choosing organic produce not only keeps chemical pesticides out of our bodies, it helps prevent them from entering our waterways. A green kitchen works the same way-and the importance of this becomes clear when you think about how much time you and your family spend in the kitchen, preparing and enjoying your meals.

To help transform your kitchen into an ecologically friendly space, we turned to eco-lifestyle guru Danny Seo. In addition to his Simply Green book series, Seo is a contributing editor at Better Homes and Gardens, and an environmental lifestyle contributor for CBS's The Early Show.

In our five-part video series, Seo explains how to disinfect household sponges, what kind of paint to buy, and how to keep your

Hot dogs. Pretzels. Cracker Jacks. Beer. This is stadium food. Has been for generations. But times changes and so do people's taste. Today, the New York Yankees announced their "general concessions lineup" and it's a peek inside the future of ball-field dining. Sure, they kept the classics (nuts and ice cream too). But they've added foods in a dizzying array of categories (see below).

1) Healthy/Kosher
Include " farmers market" fresh fruits and veggies. They don't say exactly which members of the produce family will be featured.

2) Name Brand Debuts
Lots of opportunity to eat higher-end comfort foods, as exemplified by the partners: Boar's Head made-to-order deli sandwiches, Brother Jimmy's BBQ, Johnny Rockets, Lobel's of New York , Moe's Southwest Grill, and Otis Spunkmeyer. To drink: Dunkin' Donuts Coffee or Tommy Bahama's mixed drinks.

3) Child-Friendly
Not especially exciting to hear that they'll serve "candy, caramel and chocolate-dipped apples" as well as

On the first day of spring, in this corner of the Epi office, thoughts are turning to deck-, backyard- and rooftop-based urban farming. Some of us have a headstart.

Last winter my boyfriend and I bought an indoor composter. I was skeptical.

But the NatureMill is pretty straightforward, and makes composting in one-bedroom apartments both easier (it heats and mixes the compost to help it break down faster) and safer (it's meant to seal tightly, and has a charcoal air filter to keep the smell down).

There have, however, been ups and downs.

We learned, for example, that the device could jam, but only after spending a half hour on our knees, elbow-deep in eerily familiar food scraps while quartering a few-dozen Brussels sprouts with a pair of scissors (this was also when we realized we were in it for good).

We've also been a bit surprised, in an enjoyable, science-project kind of way, by the variety of smells emanating from gray, PC-sized box. Before becoming

Here's a two-part question:

What are you making for dinner tonight?

And, are you using a recipe to make it?

If you answered "yes" to the second question, you're in the minority, it seems.

(And if you answered "sloppy Joes" to the first question, you're just awesome.)

According to a study by the NPD Group, a marketing-research company, only four out of 10 people who regularly cook their family's meals use recipes at least once a week to do so.

NPD theorizes that a big reason may be that the most common meal people eat for dinner is sandwiches. Not exactly recipe material for most.

But there have go to be other factors, such as the fact that most people tend to cook family meals from a basic stable of a few standard dinners that are familiar, easy, and keep everyone happy; the fact that people are working longer hours and have less time to go "fancy"; and the proliferation of ready-made meals.

The study also found that 90 percent of the 3,000