Kitchen Diva

Over a decade ago, I was given the wonderful opportunity to work with King Features Weekly Service to create “The Kitchen Diva” food and lifestyle column.

If you’re looking for a way to change your favorite fish recipe, try adding salsa. The word “salsa” really just means “sauce” in Spanish.

Camping! Just the word evokes many feelings. If you already love it, you might fondly remember trips of the past — recreation with friends and family, or quiet time communing with nature. If you’re new to it, you might be excited about the mysterious forest or vast ocean vistas you’ll see.

Entertaining in the summer often means finding ways to keep cool while feeding a crowd. The best way to feed a large number of people is to find recipes with simple preparation and low-cost ingredients.

I don’t know why fried chicken tastes better when it’s served on a picnic table. The beauty of deep-fried yard bird is that if it’s cooked properly, you don’t need silverware, a plate or a napkin.

A Fourth of July picnic, an ice-cold watermelon, patriotic songs and lots of loud, brilliantly hued fireworks are my idea of a wonderful holiday celebration. Watermelons serve two purposes on a hot July day — they’re a sweet finish to a meal, and a source of nutritious hydration.

Do you love potatoes, but think they’re fattening? Potatoes are good for you and have one of the highest nutritional values in the produce department. At just 25 cents per serving, a medium potato, 5.3 ounces, eaten with its skin on, has just 110 calories.

While Betty Crocker is often associated with 1950s happy homemaking, she originally belonged to a different generation. Created in 1921 as a “friend to homemakers” for the Washburn Crosby Company — a forerunner to General Mills — in Minneapolis, her purpose was to answer consumer mail. “She” was actually the women of the Home Service Department who signed Betty’s name.

Fajitas were invented by the vaqueros and cowboys of the Southwest and northern Mexico. During cattle roundups, they were given the less-desirable parts of the cow — the head, hide, entrails and meat trimmings such as the skirt steak — as part of their weekly pay.

Nothing says spring like a beautiful bunch of crisp asparagus. While asparagus is available year-round, it’s much better when purchased locally.

If you’re bored with the same vegetable and tuber routine, it’s time to try something new — like Jerusalem artichokes, also known as sunchokes. Think of it as a culinary treasure hunt with a delicious reward for your palate.

My favorite comfort meal, no matter what the season, is a vegetable-packed bowl of homemade soup. Soup is a simple, unapologetic dish that is a culinary classic with primitive roots.

My husband’s culinary skills begin and end with making a great pot of coffee. With that in mind, I’ve created a simple Mother’s Day dinner recipe that even a non-cook can successfully follow.

Artichokes are strange and lovely. It’s a thistle, a flower and its pale green blossoms are one of the first signs of spring. Artichokes are in season, so it’s time to go to the market and get some thorny deliciousness for yourself.

I was looking for a new spring vegetable to explore — move over asparagus and spring peas — and discovered a wealth of information about radishes. I should have titled this article “Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about radishes but were afraid to ask.”