Baking Powder

One would expect Michael Phelps' coach Bob Bowman to know how to trim seconds from a race and how to perfect the butterfly stroke. But that's not all the famed swim coach is good for. He's got culinary advice too. Fellow swim coach Fernando Buenrostro asked Bowman today on Twitter: "What am I doing wrong if the chocolate cake I'm baking isn't fluffy? It looks like brownies. " Bowman immediately wrote back. "You may be over beating the batter," the next Food Network star answered.

Early summer is the peak time in many regions of the country for cherries and for a variety of berries, including strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and boysenberries. The inspiration for bubbly cobblers, glittering molded salads and other fresh fruit specialties, these sparkling jewels adorn summer meals with their sweetness and vibrant color. Dish up a homey cobbler for breakfast or dessert -- or both; it's hard to overdo during berry season. This version has a cake-like topping in place of the biscuit dough used in some recipes.

King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking By King Arthur Flour Bob's Red Mill Baking Book By John Ettinger and the Bob's Red Mill Family Running Press / 2006 / $29.95 Bob's Red Mill Baking Book takes a less academic, more laid-back approach to whole-grain baking. Produced by the people behind Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods, this easygoing, informative book covers all the basics and is even slightly more adventurous in including several recipes for less well-known grains such as triticale, teff and Kamut.

CHILDREN WILL LOVE decorating these edible flowers for a favorite lady this Mother's Day. Flower-shaped cookies, baked on wooden stems, can be gussied-up with sprinkles, tiny candies or colored icing. The finished cookies are then inserted in a block of florist's foam set into a decorative basket.We made our cookies look like giant daisies by spreading them with canned white icing and placing a yellow candy coating piece in the center. Candy coating is available at cake decorating stores.

Care packages of goodies are a time-honored prescription for college kids suffering attacks of the freshmen blues.These brownies have a traditional to-die-for chocolate taste but are low in fat, cholesterol and calories.Chewy Gooey Brownies 1 1/2 cups flour1 cup sugar3/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa1 teaspoon baking powder1 teaspoon salt1/2 cup canola oil1/4 cup skim milk1/2 cup corn syrup1 whole egg2 egg whites1 teaspoon vanilla1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecansNon-stick cooking sprayBittersweet Frosting and Snow Dust (recipe follows)

It's easy to fall in love with the lemon bars at Joan's on Third in Los Angeles - all lined up in the glass bakery case, prettily dusted with sugar. A recipe for lemon bars with the right balance of tart and sweet isn't so easy to come by. But these are both sweet and citrusy-bright, with fresh lemon curd over a rich shortbread crust. Noelle Carter writes for the Los Angeles Times, which provided the recipe analysis. Joan's on Third's Lemon Bars Makes 9 bars 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour (divided use)

Most fruits and vegetables come into season quietly, on cat's feet. One day you look and there is asparagus. Or you're out shopping and realize artichokes are finally coming down in price.The exception to this is strawberries. Strawberries come into season accompanied by waving flags and blaring brass bands.Although you can find something called a strawberry in the market year-round these days, trucked in from Mexico or flown in from Chile, at this time of year, it pays to stop at a farmers market and pick up the real thing.

Americans still want muffins and cupcakes on their dinner plates, according to a list of ten most requested "Cooking Light" magazine recipes.Here are favorites:Pumpkin-Oat Bran Muffins1 1/2 cups oat bran2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar1/2 cup all-purpose flour2 teaspoons baking powder1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice1/4 teaspoon salt1 cup mashed cooked pumpkin1/2 cup skim milk2 egg whites, beaten2 tablespoons vegetable oilVegetable cooking sprayCombine oat...

Muffins may be the perfect gift for that hard-to-please person on your list. Sweet or savory, muffins freeze very well. Wrap them in foil and keep them in the freezer for up three months. Advise the recipient to keep the muffins frozen and be sure to tell them the last day the muffins can be enjoyed. Once thawed, the muffins will keep in the refrigerator for about five days.Frozen muffins can be reheated by wrapping them loosely in foil. Heat frozen muffins for 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

One of my dreaded childhood chores was having to dust the living room furniture. The end tables were completely covered with English bone china teacups. I had no idea what bone china was -- the very name brought ghoulish visions to my mind. What I did know was that if I exhaled too forcefully, it would break. But I dusted the dishes every week. It was my job to make sure the tea cups, like the living room itself, were ready for the Sunday-afternoon tea ritual. This was an adult affair.