Eat

Springtime is quickly approaching and with warmer temperatures just around the corner and thoughts are turning to warm afternoons in the backyard grilling juicy steaks, delicious hamburgers or seasonal vegetables. But you want to make sure you can get the most out of your grill. To make it last and improve its performance, take a few minutes to ensure your grill is clean and ready to go. Your taste buds will thank you!

There are a few things you will want to do before you take the cover off and ­get cooking your favorite cuts of meat. After a long winter in storage—or a winter where you have been grilling throughout the cold—follow a few simple steps to improve the life and performance of your grill.

Nine years ago my husband was diagnosed with celiac disease. The diagnosis was a godsend as his symptoms displayed evidence of something much worse. When the test results were in, we celebrated. We were also quite giddy that he would become well again with the elimination of gluten. What a fabulous prognosis—no drugs, just elimination.

In an interesting twist of fate, our Icelandic mare, Valkyrie, had birthed a foal on the same day as Jim's diagnosis. We named her Gaefa, which means good luck and good fortune, both of which we felt were in ample supply.

Many people have heard that chocolate is for lovers. But it’s not just because women love chocolate and get excited about opening a red heart-shaped box. There’s a biological basis for chocolate’s sexy effects. Dark chocolate possesses substances that affect our moods, energy, and sexual function in truly remarkable ways. Dark chocolate also has fantastic health benefits for the heart.

Here are four ways chocolate can help you feel healthier and sexier.

With the frost temps of winter upon us, there’s nothing more comforting than a tasty bowl of warm soup.  To celebrate National Soup Month we’ve simplified homemade soup to make it "so easy." All you have to do is start with store-bought chicken stock, add fresh veggies and cooked chicken, and in less than 15 minutes you’ll have a great bowl of soup seven delicious ways and have leftovers to enjoy all over again. Take advantage of National Soup Month, because there is nothing so soothing as soup!

These days, many of us are weighing the impacts and ethics of meat eating in general. So the prospect of buying and cooking a holiday roast is more daunting than ever. Here's a guide to navigating today’s meat markets and making a centerpiece roast worth celebrating.

Source Quality Beef

The single most important decision to make is what beef to buy, because flavor is largely predetermined before the roast goes into the oven.

You're standing on a rooftop in Portland, Ore., Aperol spritz in hand. The bubbly orange cocktail matches the summer sky at sunset. Prosciutto-wrapped grissini—long, crispy breadsticks enveloped in buttery ham—appear as if by magic for snacking. City lights sparkle below and bridges reach across the Willamette River as you dine on a salad of juicy peaches, creamy burrata and fresh basil, followed by succulent roast pork with green garlic sauce. Dessert is zabaglione with ripe berries. When the sun goes down, all eyes turn to the crisp white sheet taped to the wall, where a projector beams Stanley Tucci's "Big Night," a film about two brothers from Italy who open a restaurant in New Jersey. You sigh contentedly as you munch on a bowl of Pecorino popcorn.

There's nothing sadder than dumping even part of a bottle of Champagne that's lost its fizz the day after New Year's. So don't do it.

If you didn't remember to stop up your leftover Champagne and put it in the fridge, plan to incorporate the rest of your sparkling into a couple of easy dishes and start 2016 with a burst of creativity in the kitchen. You can rest easy knowing one of the highlights of your holiday revelry did not go to waste.