It's only July 3rd and my foodie forefathers have already dished out plenty of Independence Day eats in such posts as American Flag Cakes and Delicious Foods for July 4th. But let's be honest: There is no food or cake that can rival the great American tradition of getting rip-roaring drunk. Even Uncle Sam's cheeks wear a warm flush!

But tradition aside, I do not condone drinking to excess, so I have devised a list of patriotic cocktails that are too lovely to chug. In the words of the great George Washington as he crossed the Delaware: Take it slow, kids, take it slow.

1. Starfruit and Stripes Daiquiri - The fine folks at MaisonBisson came up with this capital idea: Take a traditional strawberry daiquiri, top it with whipped cream and blueberries, then garnish with a slice of starfruit. Ta da! Liquid flag!
2. Red, White and Blue Sangria - Punctuate some white sangria with blueberries and raspberries for that good ol' U.S. of A. color scheme.
3. Boston Pops Martini - This Massachusetts-made martini celebrates the famed Boston Pops' national independence day broadcast. The true fireworks begin with the rim that's dipped in - what else? - Pop Rocks!
4. Red, White and Blue Shot - Although there are a number of variations on this popular Fourth of July shooter, the key is a careful pour to ensure those colors don't run.
5. Patriotic Margarita - The arbiters of blue vodka put their hued booze to good use with this layered margarita: HPNOTIQ 'rita, topped with strawberry 'rita, dressed up with a coconut rim.
6. Red, White and Blue beers - According to the results of this poll, beer is the bev of choice for cookouts. So if you want to keep with the patriotic theme, stock up on PBR (in the unmistakable red, white, and blue can) or for something a bit classier, invest in an assortment of Chimay Red, Chimay White, and Chimay Blue.

If you are declaring an independence from alcohol, whip up one of these constitutions:

1. Patriotic Tea Punch - Try out this tart punch that boasts an iced tea base, pomegranate juice, and gobs of fresh fruit.
2. Bomb Pop Mocktail - This red, white, and blue pousse-cafe layers cranberry juice, blue Gatorade, and diet 7-up to mimic everyone's favorite patriotic popsicle.

Have a festive Fourth, everyone!

Independence Day, or the Fourth of July, is coming up. It's time to get out the picnic-safe salad recipes and clean the grill. While you're at it, don't forget the patriotic desserts! Here are some ideas on what you can do to end your Fourth of July meal with a bang!

1. Here's a neat idea from Imperial Sugar, with a recipe and everything.
2.I know I said cakes, but these patriotic Jello creations are worth a mention!
3. A beautiful flag from Cakeism.
4. Dish'n'That has a fun example for you.
5.How about flag cupcakes?
6. This one from a Chick Chat contest is awesome. You have to scroll down a bit, but it's the topsy turvy, multi-tiered one from RockStarMommy.
7. No instructions on this rice crispy treat flag, but I'm sure you could figure it out!
8. How about something a little different? An Uncle Sam Ice cream cone, perhaps?

Every July 4th, I find myself at a barbecue eating the usual: a hamburger, a hot dog, some potato chips, guacamole, and a few beers. This year, I want to celebrate Independence Day the same way, but with the best condiments, drinks, and chips. Below are 8 delicious foods that are perfect for July 4rth:

1. Chips d'Allauch - What could be more patriotic than honoring the French who helped us fight the war of independence? These French potato chips are the best I have ever tried. They come from Provence and are made from golden yellow Bintje potatoes that are fried in peanut oil. They're only available at Formaggio Kitchen.
2. June Taylor tomato ketchup - The mixture of rich organic tomatoes, spices, and vinegar make this ketchup the ideal accompaniment with your burger, barbecued chicken, and hot dog. You can purchase it from June Taylor online.
   
3. Bar Harbor blueberry Ale - The Atlantic Brewing Company crafts this beer in Bar Harbor, Maine. Enjoy this creamy fruity American ale that has a blueberry aroma.
   
4. Vegeta's cranberry mango salsa: This zesty sweet and spicy salsa is sure to rock your palate this July 4rth! You can purchase it from Amazon.com.
   
5. Peter Luger Steakhouse old-fashioned steak sauce: This classic sauce for chicken and hamburgers is also great over fresh tomatoes.
6. Fentimans Victorian lemonade: I know this is not an American lemonade, but it's so good! This British refreshment is mildly sweet and acidic and will definitely cool you off.
   
7. Grafton three year cheddar: This American cheddar from Grafton, Vermont is great melted on your burger.
   
8. Heritage burgers: Heritage Foods sells grass-fed beef burgers on their website. They're a must try this July 4rth at your barbecue.
   

If you're entertaining this July 4rth, I highly suggest the foods above. What items will you be eating this Independence Day?

And to blog about it. And to share it with your friends. Don't believe me? Check out these recent items from around the interweb. As I said: All the cool kids are doing it.

Grilled pizza...

With caramelized fennel and olives from 101 Cookbooks

Margarita from Mario Batali on the Food Network. It's also in his new book, Mario Batali: Italian Grill

With minimal toppings from the Washington Post and toppings of your choice from the Boston Globe

Tips from Serious Eats

With bacon, brie, garlic and arugula from House Spouse, a blog I recently discovered

Without sauce (White) from Andrea's Recipes, another blog I recently discovered

With herbed mascarpone, asparagus, and smoked salmon from Napa Style

The Book: Grilled Pizza and Piadinas by Craig Priebe

You're cool too? Share your grilled pizza recipe with us!

There has been an overwhelming response to AOL's round up of America's Most Hated Foods. I mean, people are vomiting through their computers and damning foods to illegality (poor cooked carrots). I've gotta admit, I don't have any aversions that strong. Sure, I have foods I dislike (I'm lookin at you, Mr. Sun-Dried Tomato), but nothing that is going to make me weep into my dinner plate.

That said, I do have a pretty serious issue with seasonal food hatred. Certain foods that I enthusiastically eat all winter long just cannot cross my plate during the summer.

1. Mint-Chocolate. As stated in this M&M review, mint-chocolate means wintry warmth. Although there has been accusation that I got this association from Starbucks (damn you, Grande Soy Mint Mocha!), I maintain that this comes from Christmas' candy cane cataclysm.
2. Potato Soup. Obviously, it's hot. But what's worse, it's dense, and starchy, and thick, and kinda fuzzy. These are not acceptable adjectives for summer outerwear, let alone my internal organs.
3. Breakfast sausage. Now, I'm all about a sausage on a bun; toss on some spicy mustard and it's a par-tay. But a girthy link of meat just sitting on my plate first thing in the morning, waiting for a greasy, snappy bite to set it free? Hell no.

I had a pretty hectic day yesterday. Once I got home, all I wanted to do was sit on the back porch, enjoy the beautiful weather, and relax with a beer. These are some of my favorite beers to drink while winding down from a busy day. What are some of yours?

1. Woodchuck Draft Cider has such a sweet, crisp taste.
2. Woodchuck Pear Cider is also light and refreshing.
3. Stella Artois: one of my favorites any time, but especially nice to sip on a lovely afternoon.
4. Hefeweizen is simply delicious. I don't have a favorite, but Paulaner and Sam Adams are both good and easy to find.
5. Dogfish Head Black and Blue: a recently discovered treat that (apparently) is only occasionally brewed.
6. Honey Brown Ale is easy to drink and has a lot of nostalgic pull for me.
7. A nice Pilsner, like Reality Czeck, is great for an easy afternoon.
8. I could drink Lindeman's Framboise Lambic all day, every day: it's like drinking carbonated, lightly alcoholic raspberry juice.

Ah, the cheese plate! What would a party be without it? People gravitate towards the plate and it becomes the focal point of conversation at the party: "Have you tried this one? I highly recommend it!" There are many different methods to building this exquisite platter of tasty cheese.

Before putting together the perfect combination of cheeses, you'll need to figure out the aesthetics. To show off your cheese choices a slab of marble works best, as it highlights the bright cheeses sitting upon it. Something about cheeses displayed on marble feels reminiscent of an ancient Greco-Roman feast. In short, it's civilized and elegant. For those without a slab of marble at home, arrange the cheese on your best wooden board.

Now, the most thrilling part of putting together the cheese plate is selecting diverse cheeses that complement each other. Below are 8 different approaches to creating the perfect cheese plate:

1. Choose a variety: This is the classic way to prepare a cheese plate. It usually includes 4 cheeses, each made from a different milk (cow, goat, sheep, a mixed milk and/or a cheese made with buffalo milk). This plate consists of cheese with varying textures made in different styles.
2. Select a milk: You can demonstrate the diversity of either goat's milk, sheep's milk, or cow's milk cheeses by focusing on one. For example, you can display 5 goat's milk cheeses with varying textures and levels of piquancy from 5 different countries.
3. Pick out a style: Rather than focus on milk, you can pick out your favorite style of cheese, such as semi-hard cheeses. Within this category, you can choose 4 or 5 cheeses made with different milks but in the same style.
4. Focus on a region or country: It's always interesting to show how diverse different cheeses could be from one region or country. One cheese plate I love making concentrates on goat's milk cheeses from the Loire Valley.
5. Showcase the standard classics: Choose 4 or 5 different classics, such as Stilton, Appenzeller, Camembert, Valençay, and Manchego.
6. Highlight the unknown: Pick cheeses that are obscure. It's always fun trying something new.
7. Focus on the guests: There are cheeses that suit everyone's palate. Consider cheeses that your guests will appreciate.
   
8. Opt for quality over quantity: A small selection of fine cheese is always more memorable than a plate with several average flavored cheeses.
   

It seems like every other post on my favorite food blogs these days involves some sort of jam -- fruit, spice, anything! Here's a round-up of some particularly fetching jam finds on the blog circuit:

Tomato Jam from Habeas Brulee, who serves it with hearty dishes.

Oatmeal Cookie Rasberry Jam Bars from Cookie Madness. Jam is in the cookie, so it counts.

Strawberry Freezer Jam from Apronista, a newly discovered blog that it just gorgeous.

Strawberry Bay Leaf Jam from Mac and Cheese. Phenomenal strawberry photos.

Rhubarb Jam from Sugarlaws. Catch this while rhubarb's in season.

Spicy Fig Orange Microwave Jam from Simply Recipes. A post from last year, but how could I exclude?

Blackberry Jam Cake from Salt and Chocolate. Jam AND cake.

Mixed Berry Jam from Epicurious. Sometimes it's too hard to pick just one berry.

Have a favorite jam recipe? Send it over.

Ice cream is the great equalizer. Every person from every walk of life loves ice cream. (Except for lactose intolerant people, but they're obviously being punished by God.)

While it's perfectly acceptable to march into Baskin-Robbins and demand a triple cone of Jamoca Almond Fudge (you weirdos), or dive head-first into the Haagen-Dazs freezer for a pint of Sticky Toffee Pudding (you English people), wouldn't it feel exponentially more gratifying to make your own?

With a little bit of patience (or an ice cream maker), you can stop begrudging that Sesame, Soybean and Dried Kelp Ice Cream that you couldn't afford to have dry-frozen and shipped from Japan - and just make your own!

Here, eight ice cream recipes worth a whip:

1. Thomas Keller's Red Beet Ice Cream
2. Fig & Rosewater Ice-Cream with Crushed Pistachios & Dark Chocolate
3. Candied Bacon Ice Cream
4. Fennel Ice Cream
5. Key Lime Pie Ice Cream
6. Cherry Ice Cream with Chocolate Chips
7. Tamarind Coconut Ice Cream
8. Roasted Peach Ice Cream

An informal poll: Whether homemade, store bought, or imaginary, what is your ultimate ice cream flavor?

I've recently become pretty good frinds with someone from Georgia (the one in Eastern Europe, not the one in Southern US). Of course, he's very proud of where he came from, and my friend has been busy educating me on food from his native country. These are eight of my favorite things so far.

1. Sulguni is a famous cheese that you can literally peel layer by layer. Unfortunately, we were only able to get a "sulguni-style" cheese from New York, so it wasn't exactly the same.
2. Tkemali is a sour plum sauce that can be purple or yellow, used as a condiment for grilled meats, and very yummy.
3. Adjika is another condiment sauce, but made from red peppers, vinegar and spices. I was assured that the brand we got wasn't like homemade, but I liked it anyway.
4. Hinkali, which is Georgia's version of a boiled, meat filled dumpling.
5. Khachapuri (pictured above) is Georgian comfort food, made of bread that has cheese and eggs baked in it.
6. Mzhave niori, or pickled garlic, is a great side dish or snack in a Georgian meal.
7. Pakhlava is a walnut pastry similar to Bhaklava but made with dough instead of phyllo.
8. Did I mention Georgian wine? I don't know how many times I've been told how great is Georgian wine, but sadly haven't gotten any yet.

Pairing cheeses with condiments and/or drinks is all about creating a harmony of flavors. For example, you would want to match a pungent creamy blue cheese with a sweet condiment that would balance out some of the cheese's piquancy. It's all about unifying two foods that bring out each other's strengths.

One suggestion might be to focus on region. Many times, the perfect pairing involves cheese and wine from the same region. Also, there's a school of thought that says you must match a cheese and a condiment with equal intensities. This rule is not entirely universal, however. In fact, many of my favorite combinations involve stronger cheeses with lighter more delicate jams.

Below is a quick cheat sheet of 8 fool-proof pairings that are guaranteed to make your taste buds happy:

1. Stilton and port
   
2. Gorgonzola Piccante and chestnut honey
3. Fresh ricotta and berries
   
4. Roquefort and chestnut spread
   
5. Manchego and quince paste or jam
6. Aged goat's milk cheeses with olive oil
7. Cheddar and wholegrain mustard
8. Comté and mirabelle or strawberry jam

Lavender: So hot right now. Lavender.

1. Lavender Cupcakes from Chockylit (who sadly is no longer blogging). That makes this recipe worth more, right?

2. Pound Cake with Blueberries and Lavender Syrup from Epicurious

3. Amazing lavender cookies, jelly, cinnamon buns and more from Happy Valley Lavender

4. Lavender and Honey Salad Dressing from Sonoma Lavender.

5. Lavender Lemon Bars from recipezaar

6. Lavender Ice Cream from Philly food blog Straight from the Farm

7. Lavender Pizza dough, breakfast rolls and other sweet recipes from Napa Valley Lavender Co.

8. Lavender Limeade from Jardin du Soleil

As a child, I never enjoyed eating peas. I associated them with split pea soup which I almost always found to be a nauseatingly mushy green mess. So, I was pleasantly surprised when I recently tried pea salad with radishes and feta cheese. The peas were vibrant green and had the perfect texture, not too soft or too hard. The peas were bursting with flavor.

Currently, peas are in season. Restaurants all over Manhattan have peas somewhere on the menu. Here are 8 heavenly recipes involving peas:

1. Ham and Pea Pasta
2. Fresh Pea, Baby Potato, and Sweet Onion Soup
3. Chicken with Sugar Snap Peas & Spring Herbs
4. Pea and lettuce puree with tarragon
5. Pea and Mint Couscous
6. Pea tendrils with crimini mushrooms and leeks
7. Curried Tuna Salad with Snow Peas and Avocado
8. Sugar Snap Peas With Lemon and Toasted Almonds

Yes, I hate bbq, summer, and Memorial Day. I'm a terrible person.

Of course, I don't hate Memorial Day itself, what it represents, I hate that it signals the start of summer, my least favorite season. I hate summer the way Lost fans hated Nikki and Paolo (yes, everything I do comes back to television). Maybe even more.

Here are the 8 reasons I hate about Memorial Day and summer in general.

I'm a sucker for TV commercials. I even think they should be put on TV DVDs, though I bet some people would hate that idea.

But it got me thinking about all of the great TV commercials we've had for food over the years. After the jump, eight classics. I'm not saying that these eight are the "best" (though some could be), but they're eight that I really enjoy.