Summer doesn't officially begin for another month, but we all know it's here already. The days are getting warmer (if not hotter, like today in the Boston area) and it's Memorial Day weekend, which is the real start of summer for most people.

So how about some lemonade? Like Kat Kinsman, most of the people I knew growing up used packaged mixes when making lemonade, but she gives a good recipe for real lemonade over at AOL Food. The full recipe after the jump.

All sorts of safety issue plague parents and children these days. Playground equipment and activities are carefully monitored and toys are painstakingly screened, especially if, unlike video games, they involve movable parts that the kids might play with too vigorously, thus injuring themselves, or eat, injuring themselves further. When it comes to food, most safety issues have to do with concerns about food allergies, but perhaps in light of the burns allegedly caused by Starbucks hot chocolate in the hands of a very small child, some groups are looking to ban hot drinks altogether, rather than supervise their consumption.

The Pat-a-Cake Playgroup, which meets at a library in Rawmarsh, South Yorkshire in England, has been "banned from serving tea and toast on health and safety grounds." The risk for burns is, apparently, far to high for the city council's liking, so the parents running the group have been told that they cannot boil water in the room where children are present, and that adults must drink their hot drinks in a separate area, far from the children, if not a separate room entirely.

As you can imagine, the parents are considering disbanding the group to escape from the oversight of the council before they demand that children be outfitted in protective gear at all times to avoid papercuts.

A Mexican man, Manuel Quiroz, loves chilies with a passion. Perhaps disturbingly so. Not only can he "down dozens of Mexico's spiciest chilies," but he can "rub them on his skin and even squeeze their juice into his eyes without so much as blinking." Why on earth anyone would want to do that on a regular basis - or how they came up with such a bizarre idea in the first place - remains to be seen, but Manuel to showcase his unusual... talents. He believes that he can eat more chilies than any person on the planet and wants to prove his claim with a title. Unfortunately, there are no contests to crown the "World Chili-eating Champion" just yet, so Manuel will have to wait. With the popularity of eating contests, however, he many not have to wait long. The International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFCoE) seems like they are always keen to add new events and if they can get any of their current champs to agree to participate, you can bet that they'd be willing to sponsor such a contest.

Kobayashi vs. Quiroz, anyone?

Perhaps calling this bowl "perfect" is a bit of a stretch, but it is designed for both utility and beauty, so it must be getting close. The Udon Noodle Bowl is reminiscent of a giant shell, with spiraling layers that fit perfectly into your hand. At the top, there are grooves to hold the included chopsticks in place when you're not eating. Every bowl is handmade and will vary from the next ever so slightly. All are both microwave and dishwasher safe.

If soup, rather than noodles, is your comfort food of choice, you might want to consider the buddah bowl instead. Also designed to fit ergonomically into the palm of your hand, this bowl can double as a giant mug for large cappuccinos in the morning and a soup cup in the evenings, or even as a dessert bowl for ice cream.

Garlic used to be the go-to ingredient of both pros and of home cooks. If you ask chefs like Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver what their favorite ingredient of the moment is, they might just say chilis, instead. Chilis, as Nigella puts it "are quite exciting... [and] quite apart from the fact that chillies are so red and shiny, I feel they've been fashioned by Santa's elves." It seems unlikely that the first thought that pops into other people's minds when looking at chilis is that they are produced by elves, but their versatile and spicy flavor is just as likely to excite the imagination of a cook as a new toy is to excite a child.

In addition to being tasty, chilis have proven health benefits, which makes them fit neatly into the trend for foods that have to do with wellness and overall good health. Capsaicin, a chemical in chilis that gives them their heat, has been shown to slow the growth of and even kill cancer cells, alleviate inflammation, relieve chronic pain and even help to reduce cholesterol and the risk of heart attacks.

Beets are the new black. Research surveys show that beet salads are one of the biggest new restaurant trends. Whether red, gold, or candy striped, these wholesome and tasty root veggies are showing up on restaurant menus across the country and they are HOT, or cold, as the case may be. Folks these days don't make use of beets as much as our grandparents did, and many people haven't even tasted a beet that didn't come from a can. I know it wasn't until a few years ago that I started cooking up dishes using fresh beets, and I was amazed at how good they are.

One of my favorite dishes to make is a simple and absolutely wonderful roasted root vegetable soup. I think it may have been in Food & Wine magazine where I came across the original recipe, but after making it a few times and tweaking it I came up with the following. I like to serve this creamy, rich soup in coffee cups or tiny espresso cups as the first dish when I have a sit down dinner, or pass them around during a cocktail hour for a quick pick me up with a different twist.

I really like hot chocolate and cocoa, now that the weather here in the northeast has started to turn chilly I'm ready to make myself a huge steaming cup for a mid-day pick me up. I've tried all the regular powders and syrups like Swiss Miss and Hershey's and find them lacking in real flavor. Slashfood has covered some of the premium hot chocolates before and written up Real Simples best picks. I've even tried some of the high end mixes like Jacques Torres Wicked Hot Chocolate which is quite good, but at around $18 for 8 servings it's more than I like to pay, especially since my large antique cocoa mug holds three servings.

My hot chocolates of choice are the myriad of excellent and affordable Latin American products. They aren't powders or syrups but instead specially made blocks of melting chocolate with a hint of salt and sugar crystals and spices like cinnamon. They don't taste too great eaten out of hand, but when you melt them in hot milk or water they are superb. Try them both ways for a completely different experience. I heat up the milk or water and drop the chocolate into the blender and add the liquid, then blend until mixed and foamy. I also like to make them Mexican style with the addition of a dash of cayenne and maybe some Penzy's real Ceylon or Vietnamese cinnamon. (The cinnamon sold in the US is in actuality Cassia, a similar spice but with a slightly different taste than true cinnamon.) More after the jump.

When I want to keep my coffee or tea warm, I do one of three things: I drink it quickly, keep it in an insulated mug or stay reasonably close to the microwave so I can reheat it if necessary. I don't think that I would ever get to the point where I needed a drink warmer like the one pictured here. This set has two main components: a frosted glass mug and a zinc cup holder/warmer, which has a space for a tea light. It also includes the stainless steel stirring spoon/drinking straw pictured with it.

It looks a bit like a fondue set, doesn't it? Clearly, you would have to regularly stir your drink to prevent the bottom from scalding, particularly if you're drinking a dairy-based beverage.

I would rather just drink my hot cocoa quickly if the only reheating option seemed like a fire hazard.

"There's nothing like putting yourself through a lot of pain for no reason."

Truer words were never spoken - especially not if you're an amateur about to enter a Jalapeño-eating contest sponsored by the International Federation of Competitive eating, pitting yourself against professional gurgitators. The contest was held on Sunday at the State Fair of Texas and included 6 amateurs against pros Rich LeFevre, Sonya Thomas, Pat Bertoletti and Erik Denmark. Jalapeños are a particularly difficult food to eat because, although they are small, they can be quite painful. Some eaters reported a loss of feeling in their faces and a general dizziness, in addition to sickness, after the competition was over. The pros used some tricks that they picked up on the circuit, including drinking Pepto Bismol before the competition and using milk, rather than water, to dull the burn of the peppers' oils. Unsurprisingly, the well-prepared pros came out on top:

• First place: Rich "The Locust" LeFevre, 247 jalapeños
• Second: Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas, 239
• Third: Pat "Deep Dish" Bertoletti, 226

For comparison, the amateurs seemed to average around 50 or so.

The expression that "it's hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk" is a common one, but have you ever heard of someone baking cookies in their car? A woman in New Hampshire did just that, taking advantage of the extremely high heat that her area had been experiencing. With outdoor temperatures in the mid to upper 90s, the temperature in her RAV4 reached about 200F. She placed trays of prepared dough on her dashboard and went inside to wait with her coworkers for the cookies to be done.

The chef, Sandi Fontaine, has actually been doing these car cookies for about 3 years now, whenever the temperature climbs about 95F. She notes that an additional benefit of in-car baking is that the fresh cookie smell lingers in the car for many days after a batch has been completed.

Update: View photo here.

With the heat wave continuing on, with little relief from the high temperatures in sight, we need to think of things to do that will cool us down. And by "things to do," I mean "things to eat." When it's hot out, it's hard to muster up the energy to cook and air-conditioned restaurants start to look very tempting, especially if you live in an area that is dealing with a power crunch.

With temperatures well over 100F, even reaching above 110F, I've been relying on salads and cold drinks, like iced tea and blended coffee drinks, though I have gone through quite a bit of very spicy salsa (on the cooling down by heating up theory), too.

What are some of the foods that you're eating that keep you cool when it gets hot out? Gazpacho or another chilled soup? Refreshing agua fresca? Watermelon?

Hot food may not be the first thing that springs to mind in hot weather, but believe it or not, sweating will cool you off faster than you might think. Some Like It Hot: Spicy Favorites from the World's Hot Zones serves up some of the spiciest foods in the world, all in one cookbook. Author Clifford Wright provides lots of information on the origin and uses of various chiles and spices in the book. The recipes range from the familiar, like Enchiladas Verdes, to the more exotic, with recipes from countries like Bolivia and Africa, where the cuisine is less familiar to most diners. The recipes also do cover a range on the spicy scale, so those with slightly more sensitive palates can work their way up to the more fiery dishes.

The recipes are organized by type of dish and include salads, sauces, seafood, meats, vegetables and - most intriguingly - eggs, which are not often made into their own category. Check out the recipe for Indian Chile Eggs before trying any of the others.

And remember to drink plenty of water (or the other cooling drinks Wright provides), too.

Don't spend all your time thinking about what you're going to barbecue for the 4th of July – what about dessert? After all, you're going to want more than just a beer to wash down all those hot dogs and potato chips when you are out with friends and family, waiting for the fireworks display to begin.

Anything with Jello – as one of the few foods that actually comes in the color blue, Jello is the perfect choice for making red, white and blue desserts, not to mention that it's always a kid favorite. Try a patriotic Jello pie, red white and blue terrine or an All-american trifle.

Shortcake – there is something classic about shortcake after a barbecue. You can use almost any fruit, but opt for strawberries, blueberries or raspberries on the 4th. For the cake, make a traditional biscuit base or just use a slice of pound cake. Try this recipe or this one.

Chocolate chip cookies – maybe the expression should have been "as American as chocolate chip cookies," because not only were these invented in the US, but they're a favorite with everyone. And you can't go wrong with the famous Tollhouse recipe, which started it all.

I recall once reading a book where the main character liked to choose unusual sundae toppings. She might have pineapple, butterscotch and whipped cream on top of two scoops of chocolate fudge and blueberry ice cream. Inevitably, the staff would cringe as she ordered, but I couldn't help but wonder if she was on top something. Is there a certain point at which more flavors just taste better? The number of ingredients is probably a matter of personal preference, and the ultimate sundae might even be defined by its price tag, but these are eight of our top sundae combinations and you won't go wrong with any of them:

A classic sundae starts with vanilla ice cream and is topped with hot fudge sauce, whipped cream, chopped nuts and a cherry. Don't forget to put some sauce on the bottom, too!

A peanut butter cup sundae should begin with chocolate ice cream, followed by swirls of softened peanut butter, lots of hot fudge and a topping of crushed Butterfingers, for added texture and crunch.

If you have ever been to one of these ice cream parlors that allows you to "mix in" toppings with your ice cream, you know that it can be a great deal of fun to create your own blends and that fresh toppings make better additions than whatever already comes in packaged ice creams. Vanilla ice cream with fresh strawberries, for example, is much more interesting than store-bought strawberry ice cream. There is no need to go out to make your own creations, though - you can do it at home! David Lebovitz's homemade rocky road ice cream, which was found on Flickr, is made simply by mixing mini marshmallows and almonds (though some of those nuts look suspiciously peanutty to me) into high quality chocolate ice cream. I have no doubt that this concoction tastes better than prepacked rocky road ice creams, which never seem to have quite enough marshmallows.

For something a little lighter, I like to mix things into frozen yogurt - like brownies. Yum!