Wire Food & Wine

You loved a lime-sparked gin cocktail perfumed with lavender that refreshed you in New York, and the lemon, mint and verbena mocktail that cooled you in Miami.

More grilling dishes, including recipes for chicken breasts, pork tenderloin and salmon patties

As spring turns into summer, millions of Americans will rush outdoors to light up a grill in celebration. Take some simple steps before, during and after the party to minimize any hangover, gastronomic or otherwise. Here are some simple do's and don'ts from experts who know how to prevent the most common grilling mishaps.

Grilling books are getting a bit much these days, aren't they? Either you're commanded to build a veritable pyre to sear your steak, preferably on a Patagonian plain, or you must search out a whole hog whose bloodlines are bluer than yours, or you have to rassle almost to the death all those barbecue purists trying to slap that jarred sauce out of your hands.

You knew there'd be days like this. The kids are bored. There's nothing to do. Mini-spats are simmering.

Earlier this month at the big James Beard Awards whoop-de-doo in New York, the "Rising Star Chef" award went to a young man named Danny Bowien. He ascended the stage at Lincoln Center in a white tux offset by a pair of Air Jordan 11 Space Jams on his feet and a lime-green ponytail dangling from his variously dyed crown of hair. The crowd erupted in applause.

Don't overlook the lamb when looking for lean meats on the menu.

Not to put too fine a point on it - or encourage excess - but by far the best way to learn about wine is to drink it. And to drink a lot of it.

One of the Bay Area's most famous restaurants is set to reopen June 21, nearly four months after a fire destroyed parts of the building.

Wine of the Week: 2012 La Fenetre A Cote Rose Santa Barbara County

Dear SOS: I read your articles every week, and I am finally writing to ask for a recipe, because my husband and I are crazy about the Bolognese sauce at Cafe Pierre in Manhattan Beach, Calif. Although this is a French restaurant, its sauce puts most Italian restaurants in the L.A. area to shame. I haven't been able to duplicate this one at home, so I need your help.

With barbecue season upon us, chef Patricio Sandoval of Mercadito Midtown shares a recipe quite different from the usual carnitas. Succulent short ribs are slow cooked in a spicy "mole-Q" sauce, Sandoval's take on traditional mole with a barbecue sauce edge. The restaurant serves the short ribs as a special with cauliflower and celery root puree and fried crispy leeks.

The unofficial grilling season is under way, and one of the hottest trends is bringing the kitchen outdoors, literally.

Q: How long will cottage cheese keep in the refrigerator? Shall I discard after the expiration date? Can I freeze it?

Closing in on its 60th anniversary - it opened on E. Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis in 1954 - Kramarczuk's received a memorable early bird birthday present, in the form of a James Beard award.

Long before the 2003 movie "Under the Tuscan Sun," Americans had a love affair with Tuscany, the Italian region that is home to Florence, Siena and a hundred charming less-famous hill towns.

Whatwater?

For more than 20 years, Kristine Kidd tasted what came her way as the food editor at Bon Appetit magazine. But she never felt great.

Pat Arata from Mishawaka, Ind., was looking for a recipe she had lost for making crispy fried salmon patties that she thought was once printed on a can of Crisco. She said the patty puffed up a little when fried, which made her think the recipe likely contained baking powder or soda.

Stepping into a market this summer will show towers of colorful produce begging to be on your picnic table. Picking fresh is best in capturing the height of flavor and nutrition, so it's important to know how to choose the perfectly ripe fruits and veggies. There's nothing more disappointing (or costly) than coming home from a market trip only to discover you've grabbed under- or over-ripe goods.

In the love triangle that is "The Great Gatsby," Champagne is like the hypotenuse, a thread that runs long and strong opposite the namesake star of the new movie. Bottles upon bottles of Moet & Chandon are swilled and spilled at the movie's Jazz Age soirees from Long Island to Manhattan.

Pho (say: fuh), that mesmerizing Vietnamese beef soup, takes time. Even Nancie McDermott's superb recipe in her "Quick & Easy Vietnamese" (Chronicle) - itself an express version - requires first making a broth with a pound of round steak.

Ada Boni's cookbook "Il Talismano della Felicita" is considered to be the Italian "Joy of Cooking."

Q: I hope you can track down a favorite recipe I lost for meat-stuffed cabbage leaves called kohlruladen. I haven't had any luck finding it online.

Steve Frazer from Reisterstown was looking for the recipe for the chocolate chip cake that used to be sold at Miller's Delicatessen in Northwest Baltimore in the 1970s. He remembers that it was a very dense cake and most likely made with sour cream with an abundance of tiny chocolate chips and a sugary crunchy topping.

Wine of the Week: 2008 Tenuta di Trinoro Rosso Toscano "Le Cupole"

With spring lettuce and all variety of greens enjoying their salad days now, it's a good time to think about how to dress them up right.

Perigord, France, many years ago:

These veggie burgers draw their flavor from vegetables, and that's the way it should be.

Where can they do up Sunday dinner better than in the South?