Crazy for Cukes

Congratulations to Melinda G from Missouri who won our Picnic Time English-style willow basket sweepstakes! We hope you'll have plenty of opportunity to use it this summer.

Sandy's out on vacation having fun in Japan this week. In her stead, Catherine Pantsios, one of our stellar Special Fork Food Editors is sharing her latest obsession: Thai Cucumber Peanut Salad.

By Catherine Pantsios

I guess it’s pretty obvious where the phrase “cool as a cucumber” comes from—there’s no denying this crisp green fruit (yes, cukes are a fruit, not a vegetable) is a sure-fire refresher on a hot day. Cucumbers have a bright, yet subtle flavor that blends well with many flavor palettes, whether it’s in a Russian salad with sour cream and dill; a Japanese quick pickle with rice vinegar, soy sauce and a touch of sugar; or a fiery Korean kimchi.

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Thai in 20 Minutes

By David Hu

Like most people, I love Thai food. And I’m lucky enough to have a girlfriend from Thailand to show me how to cook it myself.

Kra Prao, a stir-fried mixture of ground meat, chiles and fresh basil leaves, is my favorite. I learned to make it from Lynn’s mom, who will be checking out this video from Thailand to see if I’ve cooked in correctly, so the pressure is on!

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