How to Peel Tomatoes (for sauces and stews and ketchup and things like that)

OK, one does not normally need to peel a tomato. The peels are soft and harmless and removing them often seems kind of finicky, like peeling a grape. (Who peels grapes? I mean, honestly.) But when making a tomato sauce for people one wants to impress or for finicky people who for some reason are super opposed to the tomato peel, like my husband Nick, one might on occasion want to get rid of it.

So here's how to peel tomatoes:

Baked Egg in an Avocado

Oops. I've got some unattractive shadows going on in that picture. I was hungry and rushed through my photoshoot so I could eat the star.

This is an egg baked in an avocado.

I Will Acquire All the Succulents

This is probably not the best idea I've ever had, but I've started assembling what will probably turn into a massive collection of succulents. I dunno, they're just cute. Succulents are supposedly hardy, but I recently killed a spider plant, which are supposed to be immortal, and accidentally burned up my "Easy Care" snake plant by leaning it up against the radiator.

I guess what I'm saying is, "Good luck, wall of succulents."

Morning Cocktails: White Wine Spritzer

The white wine spritzer always sounded like such an old-timey joke cocktail. But like many old-timey cocktails, they're kind of awesome. Especially since they're pretty much perfect for morning or early afternoon drinking during the summer.

How to Cook Rice on the Stove

A rice cooker is a great tool to have around if you have the space and like using one, but in my experience it's not at all necessary. We cook rice almost every day, and have on occasion gone years without one. I picked one up back at Christmas, but it's broken now so I'm back to cooking rice on the stove. It's really easy, though, so here's how to cook rice on the stove:

Friday Antipasti: Octopus Salad With Garlic

Hooray for summer! If anyone needs me, I'm just going to be eating octopus and sitting in front of my fan for the next four months.