While it's great to buy specialty products in-person from the maker, sometimes it's just not possible. (We don't all live near a food or farmer's market.) So to appreciate the full scale and variety of today's artisanal offerings, you have to go online. These nine marketplaces have you covered: More

Q: What are some good uses for dark or black soy sauce? And what's the difference between dark and light soy sauce?

Sent by Leilani More

Q: My family kept peanut butter in the fridge, but in college all my roommates kept peanut butter at room temperature and I loved how easy it was to spread! Now I keep my peanut butter at room temp too but I recently read you need to keep it in the fridge. Why? Is there a difference between PB with/without preservatives? Is my Jif OK on the shelf?

Sent by Tiffany More

Chips and salsa are my go-to appetizer in the summer. While I make a pretty mean picco de gallo with summer tomatoes, onions and cilantro, summer is the time to experiment with different seasonal salsas. And why not take advantage of all of the juicy ripe fruit in season right now? More

If any week were the week, this is most surely the one for macaroni, coleslaw and potato salad, those classic American side dishes that signal summer to so many. And while there are uncountable variations and favorite ways to fix each, a few simple tweaks can turn an average side dish into something quite extraordinary. More

A simple way to add an extra layer of flavor (and fanciness) to everyday sandwiches is by using a little flavored mayonnaise. Pre-made versions abound, but it's almost as convenient — and a whole lot tastier — to make your own by just adding a few ingredients to store-bought mayonnaise. More

Man, I love a good vinaigrette. The best ones elevate a simple pile of greens into a salad. So I was pretty jazzed to see Amanda Hesser's recipe for the best French vinaigrette ever at Cup of Jo today. This is vinaigrette French-style, "perfectly peppery, garlic-y, lemon-y." Yes please. More

There are many ways to play this thing called summer. You can ride it out passively for all its worth, tagging along to picnics and barbecues. Or you can dive in deliberately, with big plans to tackle a few cooking projects you haven't had a chance to get to all year. For me, that involves condiments. Lots of condiments. More

Being the primary cook in my household, I was shocked to realize recently that I had no idea how to make one of my favorite marinades. My partner always handles the grilling of galbi (Korean short ribs) plus tofu or tempeh for me, but it seemed silly not to know what went into the sauce for this deeply flavored, salty and sweet Korean-style barbecue. Fortunately, it's pretty simple and now that I know, I can share it with you, too. More