Just the word “smoothie” calls to mind a soothing, cooling sippable meal in a tall, frosty glass. An easy breakfast or expeditious snack, a smoothie is the deliciously healthy cousin to an ice cream shake. The only equipment you need is a good blender. (I can attest that a food processor will leak.)

When I’m far from home, I become a cultural chameleon. I eat and drink regional specialties with gusto, feasting on steak and red wine in Tuscany and stuffing down tapas at midnight in Spain. So when I travel to countries that are known for their beer, I morph into the best beer aficionado I can be.

Fresh, clean, and eco-friendly.

When I hear the words pasta salad, I don’t typically jump for joy. I’ve had — and made — my fair share of mushy pasta, soaked in astringent Italian dressing and tossed with raw, flavorless veggies and cubes of bland cheese.

I’m often slow to pick up on viral trends, as my twin daughters like to remind me. So for better or worse, I’m woefully late on the chicken Caesar pizza recipe that’s been making the rounds on TikTok and Instagram. But like much of America, I wanted to make it as soon as I saw a picture of the dish, despite the fact it would mean buying something I’ve always avoided in the grocery store: canned chicken.

Hearing the word gyro sparks my summer hungers, as well as memories of the years I spent working in a drab office building off 5th Avenue in lower Manhattan, where I’d stop for lunch at a sandwich joint run by a Greek family on the nearby corner. These two-fisted sandwiches are traditionally made with huge cuts of lamb or pork that are skewered on an outdoor rotisserie, fragrantly roasting until crackling crisp on the outside and juicy-tender within. The meat is served thinly shaved, rolled up in a warm pita, and loaded with sliced tomatoes and onions and slathered with tzatziki, the tangy herb-yogurt sauce.

This is a super-fast vegetarian dinner that takes less than 10 minutes to put together. It’s perfect for a warm summer evening during a busy weekday or weekend.

Belfast, Northern Ireland’s capital city, is perhaps best known for the sectarian strife that took place here during the era of the Troubles, and as the birthplace of the Titanic (and many other ships that didn’t sink). While these two claims to fame aren’t too uplifting, Belfast’s story is hardly a downer. This unsinkable city, just two hours away from Dublin by train, makes for a fascinating day trip.

Next to great photography, staging is the single most important marketing tool in a real estate agent’s toolbox. Staging allows potential buyers to truly be able to envision the “lifestyle” that could take place within a home. For most people, purchasing real estate is an emotional transaction, they often experience an emotional trigger when they “feel” that a property is right for them and their family, and that emotional reaction of “this is home,” is what leads to a decision to make an offer on a property. Effective staging allows a potential buyer to want to look, linger, “kick the tires” as opposed to come in for a 10 second glance, before retreating back to their vehicle.

We’ve made it through winter, so let’s celebrate! It’s time for asparagus, snap peas, lettuces and vibrant greens. Time to get to the farmers market and grab rhubarb by the bundle and rush home to make a crisp.

Inflation and high food and housing costs are squeezing millions of families in the United States. At the same time, a designer pineapple priced at nearly $400 sold out within weeks of its launch. The disparity reflects a deepening chasm between luxury food consumers and average American families just scraping by.

With Memorial Day behind us, we’re guessing the cooks among us have already dusted off their grills in anticipation of all the cookouts they’re hosting for family and friends this summer.