Want something refreshing and non-alcoholic to serve at your next barbecue or family gathering? How about one of these colorful, frosty drinks? Just grab your blender.

Why limit yourself to cherries and chocolate sauce? The world of ice cream toppings is wide open to your imagination and pantry. Here are five somewhat unusual toppings that add fun color, texture, and flavor to a scoop of ice cream.

For those with a permanent or temporary physical disability involving mobility impairment, cooking can present challenges as well as opportunities for creative problem solving. Not all disabilities or people are the same, but some of the common issues include limitations in standing, reaching, or using one side of the body.

Sometimes the simplest dishes are the most satisfying. This is certainly true in the case of sinangag, a garlicky Filipino-style fried rice. Making this comfort food requires just a handful of ingredients – leftover rice, oil, garlic – and if you add an egg, it can even be a meal in itself.

When reader babygrace requested a post about silken tofu, I knew we would have to consult Andrea Nguyen, author of the outstanding new cookbook Asian Tofu: Discover the Best, Make Your Own, and Cook It at Home. Andrea happily obliged, explaining what makes silken tofu different from regular tofu and sharing plenty of tips for buying, storing, and cooking this versatile ingredient.

There are few better comfort foods than Vietnamese phở. When I'm on the verge of a cold or in need of a culinary pick-me-up, I sit down to a restorative bowl of aromatic broth, slippery rice noodles, and fresh, customizable garnishes.

Canning isn't the only way to preserve seasonal fruits and vegetables. Spring favorites like strawberries, peas, and rhubarb may be frozen, dried, made into vinegar, and more. Read on for tips and share your own ideas in the comments.

Foraging 15 pounds of loquats can inspire a person to come up with all sorts of new dishes and drinks – some successful, others not so much. But this loquat bourbon smash? It's a keeper.

At the farmers' market last week, we overheard someone complain rather sharply that a vendor was selling "unripe plums." By the time we turned around he was gone, doomed to miss out on the true delicacy of sour plums. While it is true that these cherry-sized fruits are unripe, in the case of green plums that's not necessarily a bad thing.

When non-drinking customers approach bartender Julian Cox, they don't have to settle for a boring club soda or ginger ale. "That wouldn't really make their day," says the award-winning mixologist. "I want them to feel happy, to have fun." Known for designing the cocktail programs at some of the best restaurants in Los Angeles, he considers the alcohol-free cocktail an opportunity for creativity – and says it's something people can have fun with at home, too.