Masah Habibeh is the Founder and Baker of Beytooti, a Long Beach, California–based bakery built around Levantine flavors. She also serves as Pastry Chef and member of the management team at her family’s restaurant, Ammatoli, a celebrated destination for Levantine cuisine in downtown Long Beach.

June marks the start of summer cooking. Produce turns brighter and sweeter, techniques become lighter and timing matters more than complexity.

With Mother’s Day meals and seasonal gatherings in mind, chefs rely on May’s fruits and vegetables to deliver flavor without excessive preparation.

By April, spring produce is fully in play. While early-season fruits and vegetables may look familiar, small differences in maturity can affect how they cook — making attention and restraint essential.

For many veterans, the end of military service isn’t just a career change — it’s a reckoning with their identity. The structure, camaraderie and shared work that defined daily life are gone, and the next step isn’t always clear.

In the kitchen, March sits between seasons: winter cooking techniques are still prevalent, but early spring produce marks a shift in flavor, texture and application.

At the start of 2026, The New York Times named vinegar the ingredient of the year — predicting its use would expand beyond salad dressings and shrubs. If you haven’t yet incorporated vinegar into your cooking, baking or beverages, this recipe for Blackberry-Honey Vinegar Gelee Chocolates is a great place to start.

For many veterans, the challenge after leaving the military isn’t just finding a job — it’s finding a sense of belonging. The transition to civilian life is often accompanied by loss: of mentorship opportunities, a close-knit team, and purpose-driven work.

Fermentation doesn’t always mean pickles and kraut — it can turn humble alliums into dramatic, flavor-packed centerpieces.

Few restaurants and bars become “destination venues” — the kinds of places patrons love so much that they’ll travel to dine there. Venturing a guess, I’d estimate one in every 10 restaurants could claim this distinction.