Blog Posts by Saveur

Why should a great, healthy and portable lunch be confined to a school cafeteria? And who says that sandwiches are just for your kids? Bringing your lunch to work is a great, healthy alternative to eating out and buying every day.

We're in love with pesto right now and pasta is a great no-heat solution for work lunches. And for our recent Sandwich Issue we made tons of sandwiches, and learned how to wrap them up deli-style with parchment paper, and pack them in brown bags. But the brown bag is long overdue for an update.

To solve the problem of bringing your lunch like a grownup, we went out in search of the perfect lunch totes and reusable sandwich containers and found some great, eco-friendly and very chic options. Here are our nine favorite lunch containers in which to pack your next lunch for work.

Do you bring your lunch to work? If so, how do you tote it?

From SAVEUR.com
Planning on a barbecue this Labor Day weekend? These eight skills are essential for great barbecue, whether you're an amateur or professional. Need some inspiration on what to cook? Get 18 classic American barbecue recipes »

1. Mopping
The Mopping Technique
Mopping is a technique that involves slathering sauce onto the cooking meat with a large basting brush, which adds flavor, makes skin crisp, and, when layered over the rub, creates a nice bar-the flavorsome crust that develops during the cooking process. According to Amy Mills Tunnicliffe, co-author of Peace, Love & Barbecue (Rodale, 2005), "Mopping adds surface flavor, it's not penetrating. But when you pull pork butt, you're mixing the bark with the internal meat, which is fabulous."

2. Crisping Chicken SkinCrisping Chicken Skin
We learned this method of removing fat from chicken skin in order to produce a remarkably crisp result from competition barbecue champion George "Tuffy" Stone. "Peel the skin carefully from the thigh or breast, and use a knife

Photo by: Todd ColemanBy Leah Koenig

No other vegetable (or fruit, botanically speaking) is awaited with such eagerness or eaten with more reverence than the tomato. Every summer, things go a little crazy when the first tomatoes begin to blush on the vine, and then again when they appear at the farmers market. It's as if the rest of the growing season, with its virtuous leafy greens and heads of spicy garlic, is little more than a dress rehearsal leading up to that one rapturous, pulpy bite of tomato.

Get inspired with 28 recipe ideas here »

Equally delicious simply sliced and dripping with a sprinkle of salt, or perched atop a thick piece of bread slathered with butter, tomatoes are the edible definition of summer.

Want to throw an ingredient-themed dinner party? Get our menu for a Spanish-inspired tomato feast »

These 9 recipes capture the tomato's elegance and versatility:

5 SAVORY WAYS

Tomato and Cheese Pie
This rustic, layered pie may not be a looker, but the satisfying combination of crushed

Have you ever heard of making ice cream with a coffee can? Or a ball that doubles as a kid's toy? What about the old Ziploc bag trick? All of this talk about ice cream had us wondering about the best ways to churn out the chilly and yummy dessert favorites.

And it turns out you don't need to spend tons of money on a fancy ice cream maker to crank out delicious homemade ice cream. We found six low-tech and easy ways to make your next batch of the best ice cream right in your own kitchen. For best results, try starting out any recipe with Jeni's ice cream base.

Whidbey Lavender Field on Whidbey Island, Washington. Photo by Todd Coleman.
Getting a gorgeous bouquet delivered to work or home is the best feeling. But have you ever thought about cooking with those signs of appreciation? Flowers are a great and surprising ingredient in many dishes, but be careful! Not all of those lovely buds are good for cooking.

If you're going to use flowers in the kitchen, be sure that they're untreated and free of pesticides or other harmful chemicals. Once you do, try using lavender on some roasted potatoes. Or throw some squash blossoms on homemade pizza. Need a quick and easy dessert? Whip up rose water pudding for a light and aromatic sweet surprise or use some of your leftover lavender in a light and delicious lavender honey ice cream.

However you choose to use the blossoms, flowers can make a delicious addition to your dinner plate. Have you tried cooking with flowers? What recipes have you tried?

Roasted Potatoes with Lavender

Ingredients
2 lb. baby Yukon Gold, fingerling, or tricolor potatoes, scrubbed
6 tbsp. olive oil

Sweet corn ice cream

Move over, vanilla. This month, we turn to a few sweet vegetables-corn and beets-to flavor our favorite new ice cream recipes from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams of Ohio. Her Sweet Corn and Black Raspberry Ice Cream recipe combines the silky flavor of corn with the tartness of black raspberries. It may seem strange to make ice cream with corn on the cob, but it really works-think of the milky satisfaction in a bowl of corn-based Cap'n Crunch or a sweet, buttery corn pudding. We also love the festive, hot pink hue and earthy crunch of her Beet Ice Cream with Mascarpone, Orange Zest, and Poppy Seeds. Both of these recipes use a simple base made with cream cheese and no eggs. (Here are step-by-step instructions on how to quickly mix, cook, and cool the mixture.Don't have an ice cream maker? Here are 6 Low-Tech Ways to Make Ice Cream.)

Have you tried corn or beet ice cream? What's the weirdest ice cream flavor you've tried?

Most cookies and cakes, which are often made with wheat, must be avoided by those wishing to remove gluten from their diet. Fortunately, there are plenty of naturally gluten-free desserts to enjoy without having to buy expensive flour substitutes and mixes. Here are 10 of our favorite flourless sweets from around the world. Because there is no flour to be leavened, they're also perfect for Passover. With gorgeous treats like these, we promise that none of your guests will notice that anything is missing.

More Gluten-Free Content From SAVEUR:

Homemade Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread

Tasting Notes: Gluten-Free Sandwich Breads

Test your kitchen knowledge against what we've learned in the SAVEUR test kitchen!