Bitter Brewer is not your typical summer seasonal. Where many summer ales ease off the hops and bring in some wheat for extra lushness, this beer from Surly Brewing Co. embraces cracker-dry malts and adds a good smack of bitterness. What results is a one-of-a-kind session ale for summer that takes you from lawnmower to porch swing without missing a beat.

We know it's important to conserve space when traveling, particularly if you're flying or backpacking and don't have the space luxury of a car. But that doesn't mean you have to give up the supplies you'd need to take advantage of an impromptu picnic opportunity. These five picnic essentials are small, light, and totally portable, so you can be ready for a picnic whenever, wherever!

At the designer showcase for Sunset Magazine's Celebration Weekend, Dana Smith of Dadascope predicted that these cement tiles from LA-based Kismet Tiles could become a "Heath-killer," giving our much-loved tiles from Heath Ceramics some healthy competition. After ogling these beautiful, bold-colored, geometric tiles for myself, I think I can find room in my heart — and in my kitchen — for both.

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

Item: Ankarsrum Original Mixer 
Price: $699 for the basic package, which includes all the mixer attachments; $39 extra for the citrus juicer; $89 extra for the blender.
Overall Impression: Smooth, stylish, incredibly versatile, and especially great for bread bakers. My new favorite stand mixer! (But oh, it's so much more than just a mixer!)

I first heard of Swedish-made Ankarsrum back in March while attending the Home and Housewares Show in Chicago. I was smitten over the array of colors available and intrigued by the unusual design and the promise it could replace, well, practically every other appliance in my kitchen. Could it really live up to all that? I put one to the test recently, and here's what I think about it so far:

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.

This is a cookbook about celebration: celebrating women who have survived war and other conflicts, and celebrating the foods that nourish us and bring us together. With recipes like sweet, cakey Sudanese Baseema and fragrant Burmese tomato fish curry, it's also a cookbook that will lift you right up from your seat and carry you  straight into the kitchen.

Q: I'm getting to the age where standing at the counter making dinner for very long starts to give me lower back pain. My doctor recommended getting a restaurant floor mat or gel mat. Do these really work? Can anyone recommend a good one?

Sent by Joyce

Although it does contain four recipes, Michael Pollan's new book Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation is not a cookbook.  It is, however, a book for cooks, as well as a book for people who would like to cook but don't, or can't, or won't.  In other words, if you eat, then you may be interested in this thoroughly engaging look into past, present, and future of cooking.

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