By Audrey van Petegem, Technical Writer
If you have never heard of Lekue you’re in for a treat. This company was one of the first to embrace the wide use of silicone. Silicone, an odorless, colorless substance that is found naturally in sand, quartz and rocks, has been around for decades, but it is just within the last five years that we are seeing it everywhere. And for obvious reasons.
Silicone is light, flexible and comes in a variety of bright, delicious colors. It can withstand extreme heat and cold and therefore can be used in ovens, freezers and microwaves (it’s BPA-free, [...]

By Audrey van Petegem, Chief Editor
Did you know that the number one New Year’s resolution this year was to lose weight*? Did you also know that almost half of Americans make a resolution every year and only about 8% succeed to reach their goal? If you are one of the many whose New Year’s resolution was to lose weight – or at least not gain any, there are some great products available to help you reach your goal.
Here is a list of my favorites:

Hapi Fork - Introduced at this year’s CES (Consumer Electronic Show), the Hapi Fork is getting a lot of [...]

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor
The efficient kitchen is all about multifunctional cookware – meaning they can go from oven/microwave to table to fridge or freezer to dishwasher. I am all about efficiency and with a small kitchen, I love when I can use one product for different purposes. I feel that designer Christian Bjorn’s Stackable Oven Dishes has taken this multifunctional concept to a whole new level.
These dishes can be stacked both inside and outside the oven. The openings on the sides allow warmth in the oven to circulate freely and thereby, to heat food in all the dishes [...]

By Anne-Marie Kovacs, Chief Wife
My husband always says that everything has been invented already. Most oftentimes, I disagree vehemently because that’s just a depressing thought. That there would be nothing new for us to discover? If something is completely REinvented, does it have to count as something that was already invented… Hummmm, that’s a philosophical discussion for another time. At the moment, I want to share with you my favorite reinvention of the season.
The Pressure Cooker. Yes! Remember that scary device that was in our mothers’ kitchen and threatened to explode if you so much as looked at it, not even [...]

By Greg Patent – Guest Contributor and Baking Wizard
Here’s a perfect light and airy dessert for summer.  Over forty years ago I fell in love with a recipe called Praline Soufflé Fifi, a creation of the late and great Michael Field.  You beat egg whites with sugar to make a meringue and fold in a homemade powdered pecan praline. After baking the soufflé in a hot water bath and letting it cool, you upend it onto a platter and decorate it with raspberry sauce, whipped cream, and fresh raspberries. The recipe appeared in the November 28, 1971, issue of The [...]

By Amie Valpone, Culinary Marketing Consultant & CEO of the gluten-free blog, The Healthy Apple.
Summer is truly the time to enjoy the outdoors and organize impromptu gatherings and salads make it easy to feed a hungry crowd. Here’s a refreshing gluten-free and vegetarian pasta salad for those summer BBQ or picnics that would satisfy anyone’s palate.
FRESH PARSLEY ASPARAGUS PENNE SALAD

Ingredients
1/4 cup macadamia nuts
1 pound gluten-free penne pasta
1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and cut crosswise into thirds
4 ounces goat cheese, broken into pieces
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon zest
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
¼ tsp. smoked paprika
½ tsp. [...]

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor
When Anne-Marie and I went to Rancho La Puerta to celebrate my 50th we had the opportunity to attend a cooking class at the Ranch’s La Cocina que Canta (The Kitchen That Sings) with famed chef Greg Patent. This hands-on cooking class started in the plentiful gardens of the Ranch where all the vegetables for the recipes were gathered.
Twenty guests prepared seven recipes together. Although all of them were amazing, my favorite was the Greek Greens Pie. It is similar to a spinach spanakopita but made with a variety of healthy greens in a typical [...]

By Amie Valpone, Culinary Marketing Consultant & CEO of the gluten-free blog, The Healthy Apple.
Here’s a fun summer snack for your summer gatherings; perfect for your BBQ or picnic!
BLACK RICE N’ QUINOA STUFFED MUSHROOMS 
Gluten-Free and Vegan

Ingredients
24 large button mushrooms
1/4 cup white onion, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup cooked black rice
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1/2 cup cashews, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. organic salsa
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 chives, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a baking dish with nonstick baking spray.
- Clean mushrooms and remove stems. Set mushroom caps aside; discard stems.
- In a small [...]

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor
In our home we try not to be gender specific, but clearly the BBQ is my husband Scott’s domain (as mentioned in a previous article). Very early into our marriage, I was using our BBQ and I did not completely fasten on the gas tank. When I lit the grill, flames started spewing out of the tank also. Let’s just say I almost burned down the house and have been traumatized ever since. But, since it is one of Scott’s passions I am always looking for products that will enhance the barbecuing experience.
(PS: Photo at [...]

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor
Just in time for Father’s Day, a do-it-yourself kit beer making kit from Brooklyn Brew Shop. Whether your patriarch is familiar in the kitchen or not, this no-brainer, easy-to-follow process allows even the I-can’t- boil-water type to make high quality and complex beers on top of the stove.
Brooklyn Brew Shop’s user-friendly beer making kit uses only fresh, whole ingredients, such as cracked barley, hops, spices and yeast, and follows the traditional brewery method to producing beer that has been used for centuries. This kit includes a one gallon reusable glass fermenter, chambered airlock, thermometer, tubing, [...]