I discovered barberries through a friend who praised their nutritional benefits, especially their berberine content. The dried berries I bought look like tiny, dark red raisins but pack an intense tartness - think nature's Warheads. They make a perfect tangy addition to salads, yogurt, and cereal. — MF

This food and flower seasonality chart is primarily for residents of the SF Bay Area and Northern California, but I'm sharing it anyway in case it inspires you to find a local listing of your own. — CD

If you have any interest in baking bread at home, check out this nerdy, obsessive, gigantic tome, Modernist Bread At Home, by Nathan Myhrvold. Sure, you can find bread recipes online, but this is different. Every possible type of bread in the known world, in all possible variations, tested through all manner of mistakes, are clearly illustrated. There are two volumes ($120), one with astounding images and one spiral bound for the kitchen with recipes, but the two are actually a digest distillation of a larger ultimate 5-volume set aimed and recalibrated for the home. This reference is very good for giving you enough guidance to try new kinds of bread you would not have tried making before. Not every home baker will need this level of expertise, so check it out at your local library. — KK

Ben Braddock offers a devilishly clever tactic for Chipotle aficionados who want to maximize their protein bang-for-buck: “l always wait until after the employee puts the first scoop of chicken on my burrito to ask for double chicken, so the size of the first scoop isn't compromised by the knowledge I'm getting a second scoop and now the employee has shown their hand in terms of their default scoop size, so they can't skimp with my second scoop.” — MF

My wife pre-loads these disposable tea bags with her favorite loose leaf tea before we travel. They have a drawstring closure, like a laundry bag, to seal the tea inside. They are robust enough for multiple uses, too. — MF

Tipped off by a reader (bookofjoe) I’ve been trying out gourmet instant ramens. Nongshim instant noodles from Korea are noticeably better than your average instant ramen, and good enough to repeat. My favorite is the Vegan style, but they come in beef, mushroom, chili, and other flavors. The ones packaged in cups are particularly handy in a pinch. — KK

When it comes to buying produce, I opt for organic whenever possible. However, there are certain non-organic fruits and vegetables that contain negligible traces of pesticides. These are known as the "Clean Fifteen" and are typically cheaper than their organic counterparts. The list includes avocados, sweet corn, pineapple, onions, papaya, frozen sweet peas, asparagus, honeydew melon, kiwi, cabbage, mushrooms, mangoes, watermelon, and carrots. On the other hand, the "Dirty Dozen" refers to produce that, when non-organic, tends to have high levels of pesticides. This list includes strawberries, peaches, spinach, cherries, kale, pears, nectarines, tomatoes, apples, celery, grapes, and potatoes. Choosing organic versions of these can help avoid pesticide exposure. — MF

A couple of weeks ago, my parents introduced me to True Lemon packets, which contain crystallized lemon juice that can be easily added to tea or water. The powder dissolves instantly, and taste even better than fresh lemon juice. I use it to enhance my drinking water and sprinkle a bit on cut strawberries and papaya to bring out their flavors. There are many other ways to use these handy packets. — MF

Instead of having something sweet after dinner every night, I’m eating a small bowl of chia seed pudding. I like its consistency and texture. Here’s a simple recipe. I use the Trader Joe’s brand of chia seeds and oat milk and I add cinnamon, vanilla extract, and roasted sesame seeds. — MF

This might be of interest to only certain parts of the US, but my favorite social media find of the week is @traderjoes5itemsorless on Instagram. The account is not affiliated with Trader Joe’s but every post is an easy recipe using only 5 items or less from TJ’s. It’s one of those rare feel-good social media accounts to follow because it makes me think, “Hey, I can do that!” It’s inspiring and mouth-watering. — CD

I usually like my espresso black, but lately I’ve been adding Peak evaporated full cream milk. Unlike most canned evaporated milk, which has added sugar and thickeners, Peak contains nothing but milk, minus a lot of the water. It tastes delicious, more so than half and half, and a little amount is all I need to lighten my coffee.  — MF

A highly opinionated ranked list of different apple varieties. I enthusiastically agreed with AppleRanking’s opinion of some apples (e.g., Red Delicious: “coffee grinds in a leather glove") and shaking my fist in objection at others (e.g., Fuji: “the taste of used sponge water and the consistency of the dirty leftovers it cleaned”). How does your favorite apple rank here? — MF

I recently ordered a cup of peppermint tea at a restaurant, and it made all the other mint teas I’ve had in the past taste like lawn clippings. I ordered a box on Amazon. It’s called Smith Teamaker’s Peppermint Leaves No. 45. – MF

Here’s a cool visualizer of all the places that Anthony Bourdain has visited in his travels on Parts Unknown and No Reservations. I’m traveling to Cairo next month and someone suggested I go where ever Bourdain ate, so I googled and bookmarked places to check out from here. — CD

My friend Seth Godin, who hosts the terrific Akimbo podcast, recently posted a list of 10 “secret recipes,” including “Very famous tahini cookies,” “Informal cashew dressing,” and “(Mostly) raw brownies.” The one recipe I’m most exited about is his “Almost secret, no-sugar, all fruits and nuts Pacojet chocolate ice ‘cream’ recipe,” but I won’t be making it anytime soon because it requires a $5,000+ appliance I’ve never heard of — a Pacojet machine, which micro-purees solid blocks of frozen food without thawing. — MF

Budge Bytes is a recipe website of delicious meals that cost very little to make, other than your time. The recipes use fresh ingredients and are accompanied by tantalizing photos. Try the Comeback Sauce for roasted vegetables. — MF

Plant-based burgers these days are way better than the veggie burgers of old. My favorite is the new McDonald’s McPlant, which I find the best among the fast-food variety. It contains a Beyond Meat patty and tasty sauces. It satisfies all my modest burger cravings, and is now my fast food of choice. — KK

I love these Roasted White Sesame Seeds by Shirakiku. There’s no salt or any other ingredient. Everything tastes better with a generous shake of the container – scrambled eggs, salads, ice cream, blueberries. Sometimes I’ll have a spoonful of the plain seeds as a snack. — MF

The easiest way I know to boil eggs is with an Instant Pot pressure cooker. Put one cup of water into the pot, add 1-6 eggs (use a steamer basket if you have one), and cook using low pressure for 3 minutes. Let the pressure subside without releasing the valve. You’ll have perfectly boiled eggs. — MF

I avoid sugar if I can help it, but I like to bake cookies and make ice cream. I’ve been using a product from Lakanto that contains erythritol and monk fruit extract. Monk fruit is a fruit indigenous to China (where it’s known as luo han guo) and is similar in appearance to an apple. It’s been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries, but it’s only recently become popular in the U.S. as a sweetener. Erythritol is a sugar alcohol that’s been used in Japan for decades as a sweetener. Unlike other sugar alcohols, it doesn’t cause stomach upset and it doesn’t affect blood sugar. Lakanto looks just like white sugar and can be used 1:1 in place of sugar in recipes. Unlike other non-sugar sweeteners like stevia, there’s no bitter aftertaste. — MF