I ate my first kouign amann from the palm of my hand at a farmers market in Oakland almost two years ago, and I will never in all my life forget the taste of those first buttery, caramelized, incredibly flakey morsels. I dream of traveling to Brittany to try a kouign amann straight from the source. Then again, now that I know that making them at home is not only doable, but just as buttery and flakey as anything coming from a bakery, I may not need to. Kouign amann? At home? I'm not kidding. Here's how you, too, can have a fresh batch of kouign amann cooling on your counter right now.

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The moment I stepped into the little neighborhood bakery near the coast of Lebanon, I knew I was someplace special. Furn Al Sabaya ("Bakery of the Ladies") is run by three sisters, Martha, Lorenza and Lucie, who work together behind the counter to sweetly and almost magically churn out an array of unusual breakfast pastries from their fiery oven. The one that captured my heart was a thin egg tart flavored with butter and mint, sort of a cross between a quiche and a pizza. This recipe keeps the buttery goodness of the original, but bakes the egg filling into a flaky, free-form crostata that would make a uniquely tempting addition to a weekend brunch or a special lunch alongside a crunchy green salad.

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Sponge cake is rumored to have been the very first non-yeasted cake. It's created by trapping a good bit of air in the batter while beating the eggs and sugar together, which makes for a light, delicate dessert. If you've had a jellyroll cake or a slice of tiramisu, you've likely had sponge cake. So why do I think it will be a summertime hit this year?

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A big slice of pie is always nice in the summer, but sometimes a few small bites is all you need. That's why there's a lot to love about hand pies. They're portable, which makes them a great candidate for summer picnics or impromptu backyard lunches; they're an excellent excuse to buy more summer fruit at the market; and there's a wide variety of interesting flavor combinations you can try!

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I had only been living in the Bay Area for a few weeks — boxes still unpacked, favorite shoes still missing — when I boarded a puddle-jumper plane bound for San Diego to be with an old and dear friend while she got married. She met me at the airport with two other friends, and before heading to the hotel, before diving into pre-wedding prep, and before even catching our breath, we were off to get tacos.

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Summertime is all about easy entertaining and easier food: bountiful produce allows us to spend less time fussing in the kitchen and more time al fresco with friends. I'm all about quick recipes that produce big flavor, and these marinated mozzarella balls do just that. The best part? They get better the longer they sit, so make a triple batch and you'll always be ready for unannounced guests that come your way. 

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Tabbouleh is one of those dishes that lends itself towards improvisation, which is both a blessing and a curse. The blessing is that we can feel free to throw it together without a lot of stress and worry, which has resulted in many delicious, creative variations. The curse is that this kind of abandon can lead to the essence of an herb-intense tabbouleh getting lost. My favorite version of tabbouleh straddles tradition and innovation: it's heavy on the traditional herbs but brings the bulgur more forward as well. Here's how I make it!

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Airline food has never been anyone's favorite dining experience, but lately it's gotten downright ridiculous to have to eat bad food and pay for it, too. The upside is that so many people are now bringing homemade food on flights. This makes me happy not just because it's usually more healthy, but because it brings a sense of originality and creativity to what is otherwise a pretty cold and impersonal experience. I find myself peeking over rows of seats to see what people are eating.

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Ever since I was a little girl, I've had a pretty fierce sweet tooth. I love a good cookie, and ice cream in the summer always becomes more of a routine than it should. But now that I'm older, I bake more with whole grain flours and experiment a great deal with natural sugars. So while it's still dessert, I don't feel quite as guilty. 

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Last week my husband and I packed up the car and drove nearly 500 miles to Atlanta to celebrate my sister's wedding. I love a good road trip. It gives you time to think and to talk, and to watch the landscape of mountains and fields roll by. 

While free of the discomforts of plane travel, car travel does carry its own pitfalls, like the lure of fast food and gas station Slurpees. My strategy is to be prepared with something delicious and easy, like this couscous salad — a refreshing lunch at any time, but especially on a long summer road trip. 

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