honey

• Jamie Oliver will fund a school food revolution out of his own pocket.— Eater
• An Australian publishing company has accidentally printed a cookbook with a recipe that calls for "salt and freshly ground black people." — Huffington Post Food
• Five things you need to know about grass-fed beef. — The Daily Beast
• Can honey help alleviate allergies? — Chow
• The latest economic rebound is good news to restauranteurs. — The Epi-Log
• Burger King is currently testing a highbrow brunch menu. — Grub Street Boston
• Twitter character Ruth Bourdain has launched a new advice column, Ask RuBo. — Feast
• Find out what Alice Waters's pantry essentials are. — Serious Eats

Although I've eaten rhubarb plenty of times in restaurants, I don't have that much experience cooking it. Since it's in season now, during Spring, I've vowed to use rhubarb in all sorts of applications, from savory to sweet.

First up? This well-balanced salad with arugula, fennel, and goat cheese. Raw rhubarb tastes like crunchy, unripe strawberries, but a rapid roast with a glaze of honey results in soft, juicy, and slightly sweetened rhubarb stalks.

I love this salad because it combines so many textures: creamy, tender, and crisp. An easy and tangy balsamic vinaigrette lets the pure flavor of the vegetables shine. Enjoy for lunch or serve as a part of a dinner menu. Get the recipe for this elegant and delicious salad now.

Hoisin sauce is a Chinese dipping sauce that contains no fish and is thickened with sweet potatoes. It's used in a number of classic preparations like mu shu pork, and it's the main flavoring ingredient in this simple, yet savory roast recipe.

When mixed with honey and rice vinegar, the hoisin makes a sticky-sweet glaze for pork tenderloin. It's baked with thick-cut sweet potatoes and tender asparagus, resulting in a hearty and healthy meal with Chinese undertones.

Interested in learning the technique? Read more.

My allergies are horrible this year, probably the worse they've ever been. I am not alone either. According to the Associated Press, experts are saying pollen is at an all-time high, and the words "allergy" and "pollen" are constantly trending on Twitter:

"It's wicked bad this year," said Dr. Mona Mangat, an allergy specialist in St. Petersburg, FL., who can't recall a worse year in the six she's worked there. "We're just overwhelmed with patients right now. We're double- and triple-booked with new patients, trying to work people in because we know how much people are suffering."

If you suffer from allergies then you know how bad it can be: sneezing, itchy eyes, runny nose, and constant headaches are just some of the symptoms. And for many, taking a Claritin or something of the like just doesn't cut it. If you're having an especially bad time this year, my first piece of advice is to visit an allergist and find out what your specific allergies are, and the best way to treat them. There are however, some home remedies you can also try.

• Local honey. Many folks I know take a tablespoon of honey a day to combat allergies. The belief is that ingesting the bit of local pollen from honey builds resistance to the surrounding fauna.
• Heat therapy. Warmer temperature is a great way to relieve congestion. Try exercising more or investing in a humidifier.
• Buy a neti pot. Neti pots are a natural way to get the same benefits as a Sudafed gives but without the side effects. It's a small container that you fill with warm salt water, and use to flush out your nasal passages. Caution: don't rely on a neti pot too much, it can cause problems if used for a prolonged period.

This post comes to us from the Natural Beauties group, where member Baigneuse published an awesome DIY recipe.

While olive oil and honey have been used in natural beauty concoctions throughout history, it seems as though they've just recently received the spotlight that they deserve.  Honey, a natural antioxidant known for reducing inflammation, is antibacterial and antifungal, making it great for acne-prone skin, and due to its ability to stimulate cytokine production it is also capable of speeding up the healing process.  It's great for lightening scarring and, as a natural humectant, attracting water to the skin, leaving it hydrated and soft.  Olive oil is rich in polyphenols and hydroxytrosol, one of nature's most powerful antioxidants, which strengthens the skin's immune system and protects it from oxidation.  Hydroxytrosol also slows aging by stabilizing the cell plasma membrane.  Olive oil is rich in oleic acid and is a natural emollient and excellent moisturizer. 

While you may already know the amazing benefits that these ingredients have in masks, cleansers, and moisturizers, you should also be aware that they can make one banging body scrub.  Get silky smooth skin this Valentine's Day by using the following recipe one day prior to the big event (and as always, perform a patch test first). To find out more, keep reading.

It's that time of year when dry coughs begin to interfere with sleep. You lie down and start coughing, and the coughing keeps you up. Never fear, there's a natural fix for the problem: honey.

The amber liquid has been found to ease nighttime coughs. It is believed that honey helps ease coughs for a variety of reasons. Not only does it soothe sore throats because it is a humectant, helping trap moisture where it is needed, but honey is also high in antioxidants and has antimicrobial effects. Try a teaspoon before bed and see if it helps.

Source: Flickr User biskuit

Just because Summer is long gone but that doesn't mean you have to stop enjoying sangria. Depending on the ingredients you employ, the wine-based punch can be sipped all year round. Instead of using a warm-weather fruit like peaches, this sangria is infused with Fall's most woody herb, sage. The recipe is simple, but the resulting drink is complex and earthy, perfect for sipping in front of a roaring fire. Honey adds a subtle sweetness and the sage makes this concoction an ideal pairing for any Autumnal dinner. Want the easy recipe? Keep reading.

From making your own bubble bath to a wide variety of ideas for creating your own body scrubs, isn't it apparent that I love me some DIY formulations? Recently I came across this Cucumber Honey Eye Nourisher recipe from celebrity esthetician Christopher Watt for Honey.com, and immediately realized it was a perfect addition to our DIY coverage. Not only does this four-ingredient mask help reduce puffiness around the eye area, but it also soothes and cools the delicate skin surrounding your peepers.
To make, first steep chamomile tea in boiling water and set aside until cooled. Blend together one tablespoon aloe vera gel, two teaspoons peeled and seeded cucumber, and 1/2 teaspoon of honey in a blender or food processor. Next, add 1/2 teaspoon of chamomile tea and blend until smooth. Each batch makes four treatments and can be stored in an air-tight container for up to a week.

Do you love saving a buck (or several) with your own homemade recipes as much as I do? I've got just the place for you to go. The Do-It-Yourself Beauty group is dedicated to finding fun and unique ways of using household items in your daily beauty regimens.

While I've had the classic pairing of pork and apples, and the more unconventional combination of pork and peaches, I've yet to try pork with melons. However, this enticing recipe brings the two ingredients together expertly with Jamaican jerk seasoning and honey.

One can only imagine that the spices provide a nice heat and the honey adds a subtle sweetness. Serving this meal on skewers appeals to children and makes it fun to eat, so get the recipe when you read more

I'm always reminded of the change in the seasons with the arrival of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which begins at sundown this Friday. It seems to straddle the end of Summer and the beginning of Fall. For Jews around the world, it's a time to come together with family, contemplate the past year, and hope for good deeds in the months ahead.Rosh Hashanah's food customs echo these sentiments. One ingredient that plays a recurring role is honey, which symbolizes sweetness for the new year. As a child, I remember counting on apples and honey, but honeyed cake is an equally traditional and more gratifying end to a meal. It's not too sweet, has a gingerbread quality, and would be the perfect finish (or start) to the day, whether or not you're observing the holiday. See the recipe when you read more