Last month Megan declared baked ricotta "the best appetizer you haven't met yet." Intrigued (who wouldn't be?), I gave it a try and suddenly baked ricotta is the best appetizer I've only recently met. It's the new thing, the current crush, the little bite that perfectly straddles the divide between old-fashioned, stodgy hot appetizers and fresher, more modern tastes. If you like to have something hot on the table to start a party, then let us convince you to also make baked ricotta's acquaintance. 

Q: We had an unopened bottle of extra-light olive oil in a cool dark place. When we went to use it, we noticed many small white beads clinging to the inside of the bottle. Does this mean the oil had gone bad or is this just fat deposits from sitting so long? There is no expiration date on bottle.

Sent by Kathy

I found myself working in the yard today, dedicating a few hours to digging up dandelions by the root. It's the best way for us to get rid of them without chemical sprays. Plus, it turns out that the oft-damned "weed" is useful:

Making authentic Mexican food can sometimes feel out of my comfort zone, but after discovering delicious carne de puerco at a favorite local joint, I knew it was high time I try. Now that I know how easy it is to achieve this dish of tender pork smothered in a charred tomatillo sauce at home, I may never again need to "go out" for Mexican ever again.

Any trip to Texas will likely include an experience with chicken fried steak and Cholula hot sauce. Chicken fried steak (lovingly called CFS) is a southern classic, while Cholula hot sauce (introduced to the states here in Austin, TX) is a popular condiment that adds a Texas kick. See what happens when these icons get hitched in this new take on a Lone Star tradition.

Q: I got a pound of frozen trout in my CSA this week. I'm a single lady on a tight budget, so I don't really want to share my one pound of meat for the week! The trout is pretty frozen so I can't separate the fillets. Any ideas or recipes that will use the whole pound? Ideally something that can be frozen afterwards?

Miso is often seen as more of a savory ingredient — mixed into salad dressings, rubbed on salmon or chicken, stirred into a soup, or used as a simple sandwich spread. But how about adding it to some of your favorite desserts instead? 

How do you take your water? Straight up? With a lemon twist? Maybe strawberries are your thing. Yes, water is always refreshing on its own, but it enters ahhhh-inducing territory when you throw in some fruit or herbs. These pitchers make it easy. They all have a special compartment to hold the fruit, which means you just lift it up and out when you're done infusing. Say hello to summer sipping on the porch!

I'll grant you that we've become a little coconut obsessed lately, what with the coconut chips and the coconut cooking spray and all the reasons we love coconut water. But before you declare coconut overload, you have to give this coconut sugar a try. For starters, I bet you'll never guess what part of the coconut it's made from!

It's that time of year: last call for the CSA programs in your area! Have you ever done a CSA? Community Supported Agriculture lets you pay a membership fee to a farm, and then receive a box of seasonal produce throughout the growing season. It's a great way to participate in the life of a farm, and to get spectacularly good produce. Are you doing one this year?