I think the recent heat waves have gone to my head. Normally when the temperatures creep into the nineties-as they often have this summer-I get the urge to eat crisp fruits, popsicles, and water. Pretty much nothing else. But during the recent bouts of sweltering weather all I want to do is bake. Quick breads, cakes, bread-you name it, I wanted to bake it. If I had a bit more sense in me, I’d experiment with my ice cream maker and churn out creamy concoctions. But making ice cream can require slaving over a stove …

Watermelon. Soaked in alcohol. What could be better? Well maybe planning in advance, but we’ll get to that later. A friend had brought one for a party once before and since it’s now summer break, I take any and all excuses to combine alcohol and fruit.

Here’s a little convo that went down once I decided that I wanted to try out what I’ve dubbed the “watermelon bomb.”

Me: Ohmygoodness, I have the best idea EVER. I’m going to make an alcohol-soaked watermelon for her party tonight!

Friend: You know that takes like 24 hours to work and taste good, …

There’s nothing more adorable than a tray full of macarons. If you’re a lucky New Yorker, you can get your French fix at the Bosie Tea Parlor, the recently-opened Ladurée, or any number tasty little bakeries dotted around the city. For most of us, however, they are not as available. We can only dream of rows upon rows of lovely, little jewel-like cookies.

Unless, of course, you are willing to take matters into your own hands. After months of deprivation, the withdrawal symptoms just got to be too much. So I braved the kitchen and took on what felt …

SWEET: Summer Berries Cheesecake
MAIN INGREDIENT: Cream cheese, summer berries
GREAT FOR: Decadent dessert or date night

When I was little I could never understand the idea of cheesecake. In my mind, I imagined a pie stuffed with Brie, Swiss, Cheddar, Parmesan, or other cheeses, and then topped with chocolate or frosting. It didn’t seem right – not even to a 5-year-old from France. Over there cheese is a staple, cheesecake is nonexistent. So when we moved to the States and were introduced to such a curious cake, I refused to take a single bite. I …

True Life: I’m a sucker when it comes to celebrations of all types. I love throwing a party for any and all occasions. My apartment hosted a Thanksgiving feast in the fall, and I have been known to scour Google for obscure holidays, just to have an excuse to throw a party and bake something fantastic. (Get ready for Eat Your Vegetables Day on the 17th, and Waffle Iron Day on the 29th.) Birthdays are no exception to this obsession. In fact, a birthday may be my favorite holiday out of the year. Getting to celebrate the fact that someone …

One of my favorite things to do when I was little was dig through my mom’s recipe box - the one that was full of hand-written index cards with recipes for Grandma’s butter cookies or the neighbor’s zucchini bread.

A few years ago, I moved into my first apartment. Between the Dunkin Donut box with a few stale donuts and the layers of dirt that painted the apartment, the former tenant did leave one redeeming item behind, a stack of similar recipe cards that his mom had sent him. Each recipe contained notes like “very filling” or “great with salad.” I’m …

Dolmeh – stuffed grape leaves – have always been associated with Greek food for me. As it turns out, they’re a generally Middle Eastern dish, and there are multiple ways of making them depending on the country. With only a week left in Israel, my Israeli roommate Ruthy surprisingly showed up with supplies to make dolmeh, but in this case, Lebanese style.

Depending on how many you’re planning to make, dolmeh aren’t hard but they can be time consuming. As amateur dolmeh makers, it took us some time with our first round, but with some practice we were able to …

Temperatures are a risin’. All the while, fresh fruit is making a strong stand at markets all across the country. Rather than torturing yourself by baking a syrupy pie in front of a hot oven, take the cooler route with homemade popsicles. Whether you’re inspired by the heat, the fresh fruit, or Peggy Olsen’s ritualistic campaign on Mad Men (make it, break it, share it, love it), a popsicle mold is a worthy investment - a small kitchen must-have. Compact and inexpensive, this is a kitchen gadget you’ll want around all summer. Here are some tips and recipes from …

While it might not be summer’s anthem, the Beatles song ”Strawberry Fields Forever” is a great tune to hum and sing in the midst of the summer heat. Whether roasted in the oven, drizzled with balsamic vinegar, scooped in an ice cream cone or simply hulled, strawberries are a summer refresher. The warmer temperatures from the year have given rise to an early start to the strawberry season, so why not experiment with the fruit by whipping up some of these sweet and savory dishes?

Bethany Imondi, a rising senior studying Government and English at Georgetown University, is ready …