"rhubarb" news and stories

Rhubarb grew abundantly in the corner of my granny's garden. I remember getting a sour whiff once of the dark green umbrella-like leaves that my grandmother warned me never to eat, since they are toxic. The reddish-white supertart stem on the other hand makes luscious sweet desserts if combined with sugar and sweet fruits, like apples for example. Cobblers instantly bring warm weather to mind and this one is a version that I have been making since I was in high school. Pouring boiling water over a topping made with cornstarch creates the amazing "shell" that guests at your dinner table will not forget once they've tasted it.

A lot of friends and readers ask why I call for margarine in my baked good recipes instead of butter. I'll admit, that I love the taste of butter but sadly it's extremely high in saturated fat. In just one serving of most butter rich desserts you can max out your saturated fat limits for the entire day, which means bad news for your heart. If you're having trouble preparing baked goods with margarine that melts a lot faster compared to butter, here's an idea. Freeze the margarine before you mix to improve texture of the dough comes out its best. Be sure to look for "trans-fat free.

Find The Skinny Chef's Rhubarb Cobbler recipe after the jump.

Can you identify spring vegetables? Take this spring vegetable identification quiz on Slashfood to find out.

Green Jell-O -- gifrancis/Flickr

• Ever wonder what makes Jell-O jell or popcorn pop? The Tribune finds the answers to such pressing foodie questions.
• An ode to rhubarb love, plus recipes.
• Forget superpowers and chafing tights -- kids apply their hero-worship to celebrity chefs and partake in their own "Iron Chef" cook-offs.
• For those who just don't understand how a tasty brew comes together, there's Randy Mosher's "Tasting Beer: An Insider's Guide to the World's Greatest Drink."
• Rias Baixas is a wine region in Spain that offers great whites like the fruity albarino.
• Culinary video games range from the hot "Cooking Mama" to show spin-offs of "Top Chef" and "Hell's Kitchen."
• A look at the Obama food craze -- food blogs, Twitter storms and newspaper articles, oh my!
• Recipes: Three-Pepper London Broil and Five-Day Beans, Orange-Flavored Shortcakes with Strawberries and Cream, Spicy Thai Crab and Corn Fritters

• Mark Bittman writes about the current woes of everything fishy, and how the consumer can deal with depleted stocks and troublesome farming practices without going nuts ... and then goes Minimalist with sustainable seafood recipes.
• And if that's not enough, experts weigh in on the seafood conundrum.
• Local fruit exchanges in California allow neighbors to share their bounty and let no lemon, plum or persimmon go to waste.

Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things, most recently the owner of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label called Red Hook Rye and been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.

I've been in the mood for tequila of late. Perhaps it's Cinco de Mayo still lingering in the air -- or more likely that week-long vacation in Baja -- but I've got tequila on the brain and on my lips. I love the stuff in my fizzy drinks, and especially in my Dré Fizz Affair.

Ever heard of the Dreyfus Affair? It's a bit of French history involving the wrongful conviction of an officer. The whole ordeal inspired Emile Zola to write "J'Accuse!", a letter addressed to the French President printed on the front page of the newspaper L'Aurore that caused a stir worldwide. And I've got a friend named Dré whom the ladies love almost as much as Dré loves tequila. He is a Numero Uno Tequila Fanatic.

Thus, after the jump, the Dré Fizz Affair, aka Dreyfus, aka what you'll be drinking all summer. You're welcome.