Fresh oregano has a robust, woodsy flavor that makes it one of our go-to herbs in the kitchen — particularly in the summer when we can buy big bundles at the farmers market or step out on the porch to gather our own! Here are five of my favorite ways to use it right now.

Q: I've been helping my mother clean up her kitchen. Because her kitchen was so disorganized before, she would buy groceries she already had. For the most part, I've been able to use up all the excess, except for one ingredient: powdered sugar. 

Mexico City is my second home. I lived there for four years up until January, and I fell in love with its wild, chaotic energy. I fell even harder for the food — so much so that I went to Mexican cooking school and started my own culinary tourism business there.

In a few weeks I’ll make my third trip back so far this year. I pack lightly as a rule, but when traveling to DF, I always take a second fold-up bag to fit all my purchases. (They’re almost always food-related.)

I have a confession to make: I'm not sold on bay leaves. I'm not convinced they actually do much to change the flavor of a dish. We make a lot of lentils around here — and soups in the winter — and whenever I break out the bay leaves as instructed, I never notice a major change one way or another. 

If you do one thing this summer, pick up a package of grains of paradise. Your grilled steaks will thank you. Also your fish. Also your potato salads. In fact, I think the warm, spicy, woodsy flavor of this little known West African spice is going to make a top-notch addition to just about all our favorite summer picnic foods. Now that I've discovered it, I can get enough.

Q: My mom, who is no longer here to ask, planted an herb a couple of years ago that I can't identify. It has a fresh scent and a flavor that I don't totally recognize. Can anyone help solve the mystery? 

Sent by Tessa

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Q: I recently returned from a trip to Turkey, along with 250g of Turkish coffee (about 2 cups). I have an ibrik and love making Turkish coffee, but wondered if there was anything else I could do with it considering how finely ground it is. Thoughts on recipes?

Sent by Hillary

Candied rose petals on cakes and stuffed squash blossoms are yesterday's news! Here are five edible flowers that will make you look at your flower bed in a new and delicious light.

Q: I recently purchased some fresh chamomile from the farmers market. The flower buds are present and the greens and roots are also still attached. They smelled so amazing I couldn't resist. I can only find recipes for making tea with the flowers. Any ideas for using the whole plant?

Sent by Laura

We know that fresh fava beans can be a pain to prepare (...or maybe not), but once we've got the pesky little things, what do we do with them? I've got an idea or two that will make shelling a bunch of fava beans worth the trouble.