Recipe for success

'Peppermint' Jim experiences miracle on a mint farm

Earlier this spring, the Greenstone Farm Credit Service's billboard along U.S. 27 in St. Johns, Mich., read: "Michigan Agriculture: We're Growing for You." But "Peppermint" Jim Crosby and his sister, Linette Crosby, owners of a Clinton County mint farm only a few miles down the road, may beg to differ with that claim. - 07/29/2010

Good stuff

Read on for one good cookbook, one good tool, one good sweet and one good promotion: The new Ben & Jerry's flavors -- Berry Voluntary and Brownie Chew Gooder -- that are on sale exclusively at Target. - 07/29/2010

Molly Abraham Restaurant Review: Redsmoke Barbeque -- 3 stars

Redsmoke Barbeque adds American sizzle to Greektown

Open for just three weeks, Redsmoke Barbeque offers hickory- and applewood-smoked American classics from ribs and pulled pork to Amish chicken, in one of the most attractive two-story buildings still left on Monroe Street in Greektown. - 07/29/2010

Lynne Rossetto Kasper

Simplified curry still has Thai flavors

Dear Lynne: Thai vegetable curry is my goal and I am not getting there. I started with a packaged curry paste -- that was pure hellfire. And I don't want a recipe that'll take days. Right now it's hot, humid and I need a killer recipe that's not going to kill the cook. I hope you can help. - 07/29/2010

Olive oil-based dips taste great with bread, meats

While butter hasn't exactly been overthrown as the preferred bread accompaniment, more and more people are moving on to olive oil, either for health reasons or because they prefer the fruity flavor. Even more delicious are the olive oil-based dips that blend different flavors together. - 07/29/2010

Seasoning the secret to delicious shrimp

Looking for a casual dinner cooked on the grill? Here is one of those simple recipes that never goes out of style. Old Bay is the secret ingredient here and works magic on many foods, but is particularly delicious on seafood. - 07/29/2010

Mangos lighten up grilled cheese

Grilled cheese is comfort food to many folks, but straightforward grilled cheese toasted in butter seemed too heavy for this time of year. My hankering for a more summery sandwich honed in on my mango craving. In the mix? Watercress, hummus and almonds. - 07/29/2010

Fish and tomatoes need little else

You've probably eaten fish baked in tomato sauce, a dish on the menu of most Greek restaurants in the United States. There are dozens of versions, but all seem too complicated. - 07/29/2010

'The bushes are loaded'

Bumper blueberry crop for Michigan

Despite projections that Michigan's blueberry crop would be much smaller this year as a result of a spring cold snap, growers and agriculture experts say the crop will be plentiful, if not possibly a little bit better than last year in some parts of the state. An unusually early and warm spring gave the blueberry crop a jump-start, said Bob Tritten, a fruit educator at the Michigan State University Extension. - 07/24/2010

Greektown's Pegasus Taverna expands to St. Clair Shores

Nautical Mile is getting a new restaurant. Long-standing Greektown restaurant Pegasus Taverna is opening a second location on Jefferson just south of 10 Mile in St. Clair Shores. The new Pegasus, which will offer traditional Greek dishes, flaming saganaki and an extensive wine list, is set to open Thursday. - 07/24/2010

Pegasus Taverna to open second location in St. Clair Shores

Nautical Mile, the stretch of Jefferson Ave. between 10 and Nine Mile Roads, is getting a new restaurant. Long-standing Greektown restaurant Pegasus Taverna is opening a second location on Jefferson just south of 10 Mile Road in St. Clair Shores. - 07/23/2010

Food

Chinese salad will soon be summer staple

One of my culinary assistants mentioned recently that, when summer arrives, the dish she turns to for easy entertaining is a colorful, Chinese-style layered chicken salad. It is so light and refreshing that she often makes it the centerpiece of warm weather lunches and suppers. - 07/23/2010

Good stuff

Cool off from the summer heat with a sparkling gin and tonic but don't let the melted ice spoil the flavor. Make these lime ice cubes using fresh limes and you'll always have a refreshing drink. - 07/22/2010

Kate Lawson: Simply the Best

Angelcot apricots make heavenly tarts

I recently had a conversation with a fellow shopper in the produce department over peaches. We were prodding and checking for soft spots and talking about the sweetness of the white peaches. It was then that I noticed that none of the names of any of the fruit were familiar to me. Sure, they looked like peaches, plums and nectarines, but because they were bred with other stone fruits (i.e. apricots), they had unusual names and were confusingly marked. - 07/22/2010