Japanese for deep-frying breaded foods such as tempura in a steel pan resembling a wok.

Over the past few years, Dogfish Head owner Sam Calagione and his brewers have been working in conjunction with the University of Pennsylvania’s molecular archaeology department on finding – and recreating – recipes for beers of from bygone eras. The latest offering, available in September, is Theobroma, which translates to “food of the gods,” in Greek. Far removed from Greece, however, the beer is a recreation of a central American recipe for the earliest chocolate drink in existence, consumed by the Aztecs.

One of the smallest entries won the biggest prize in the Calling All Chocolates culinary contest last week at the Illinois State Fair. Rachael McMullin Eden’s Dark Chocolate Raspberry Truffles, a petite confection with a burst of raspberry flavor, took first place in the contest sponsored by The State Journal-Register.

Talk about a vegetable with a split personality. That would be green beans, a veggie that is as much uptown as it is down home.

After a visit to the region in 2000, I aimed to infuse Tuscan flavor into my residential lot in Alliance, Ohio. No, I did not surround my yard with a hand-stacked stone wall or rip up my lawn to plant an olive grove. But I did cut in more flowerbeds, expand my veggie and herb garden, and planted several dwarf fruit trees, including a wildly successful plum tree.

Progressive Hamburger Press Set
$5, www.kitchenstuffplus.com

Our ancestors celebrated arrival of the late-summer fruit and berry harvests with strange-sounding desserts called slumps, grunts, pandowdies, buckles, crumbles and crisps. All are based on the American cobbler.

Drinking Rogue Brewery beer is almost like revisiting an old friend.

For me, the simple approach to grilling is the preferred method. The ingredients of chimichurri sauce: garlic, fresh cilantro, fresh parsley, olive oil, a dash of vinegar, salt and red wine vinegar, and a sprinkle of chilies may seem sublime but the effect on a steak can be ethereal.

Getting the kids out of bed with enough time to catch the bus can be tricky when school starts. But consider whipping up this hearty breakfast to get the family going in the morning.

Peach-themed recipes.

When we cannot stand another spoonful of rice or dollop of potato, I haul out the crepe pan and build a pile of thin French pancakes.

The Mad River Brewing Company is a welcome reminder that not all the beers coming out of California are big, bold and hoppy.

Some of these columns stir primary cravings in me, touching off old obsessions better left brain buried. This is the way it is with the ocean. Each summer, I pine for that first breath of salt air. There’s something about the waves, perhaps a mental massage.

Old Bay Seafood Steamers, $2.89 for a one-time use bag with seasoning.