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You would really like to eat more whole grains, but it is way too hot right now to think about even boiling water. And cooking grains is cumbersome to boot, right? Am I reading your mind?

Cooking in summer should feel like a breeze — it shouldn’t zap your energy. Thankfully, people the world over have long ago figured out how to balance hot days with fresh and easy grain salads. Look no further than the Mediterranean, where no-fuss summer cooking is celebrated. Many Mediterranean meals include trendy grains, such as freekeh, bulgur, and couscous; and here’s how to make summery meals with these grains even easier.

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Even if you’ve made them a hundred times, poached eggs can be fickle. From getting the water temperature just right, to pulling the egg out of the pot at just the right time, there are specific factors that help achieve perfectly poached eggs. When done correctly, though, the payoff is something truly delicious.

Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned pro, these five tips are your ticket to better poached eggs every time.

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What do you do when life hands you zucchini? Well, first you make zucchini bread. Then you make zucchini muffins. Then you make some zoodles, plus these roll-ups, followed by more zoodles. And then, because you’ve still barely made a dent in the zucchini pile, you freeze it for winter. Here’s how.

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I never thought I’d find myself reading an instruction manual for a basic appliance like a toaster — I’m more of a trial-and-error kinda gal — but over the past week, I’ve repeatedly paged through, not one, but three such instruction manuals. The highlight of which was putting those machines to work and making a slightly absurd amount of toast.

I put three compact two-slice toasters from Cuisinart, Hamilton Beach, and Black & Decker to the test — so how do they stack up against each other? And which one is right for you?

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Earthy barley gets a refreshing makeover in this summer salad, with crunchy chunks of apples, crisp celery, and an herbal citrus-dressing. Don’t get hung up on the ingredients — swap in soft dried Turkish apricots for the figs and experiment with other fresh herbs, such as basil or marjoram. The grain can also be exchanged; try an ancient wheat variety, such as farro (emmer), spelt, or Kamut.

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How To Line a Round Cake Pan with Parchment

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It seems like such a hassle when a recipe calls for buttering (or greasing) and then flouring a cake pan. And when the author also mentions lining the pan with parchment, that’s yet another step to add to the list of things that need to be done to get that cake in the oven. Are all these precautions really necessary?

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Cooking tonight? Please.

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So, you don’t feel like cooking tonight. Been there, done that! There isn’t a cook alive who hasn’t at one point walked into his or her kitchen and thought, “Nope. Uh-uh. Not happening.” Cooking funks come with the territory, and when you hit one, it’s tempting to just switch off the kitchen light and call your local Thai place.

But wait! Having gone through those cooking-blah bouts many times ourselves, we know the common causes. We also know the cures. Here’s how you can pull yourself out of that rut tonight.

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