HAWLEY — If you arrived by the Settlers Inn by the road you would be likely to take, from the place you would be likely to come from, you just might miss it, despite the lavish gardens and English-style architecture.  During the summer months, you might hear the jazz music emanating from it and think that the Lackawaxen river were playing a song.  These are not the only outstanding things about the Settlers Inn.  Nor is the food, though exquisite, the most outstanding.  What sets this restaurant (and its chefs) apart from any other is its attitude toward the land it sits on.

Owner and executive chef Grant Genzlinger, and his restaurant, were voted the Pocono Mountain Vacation Bureau’s Green Business of the Year for 2008.  Grant and his cooking partner, chef Ben Sutter, are wholly dedicated to cuisine prepared from locally grown products.

Each year, the Rochester (Ill.) Public Library sponsors a baking contest — inspired by a book — at the city’s Sparks in the Park Independence Day celebration. This year’s competition, which called for chocolate chip cookies, was based on Laura Joffe Numerof’s “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.”

Yöghund: Organic frozen yogurt for dogs. Flavors of peanut butter and bananas; blueberry and vanilla beans. 4-pack, $5.99

In a big move, Harpoon is introducing a new series of extreme beers, the Leviathan Series.

Readers test the new A&W Float.

Red, white and blue food lends a dramatic touch to a July 4 buffet or party table. The flag colors also can be displayed through beverages.

Evaluating McDonald's Southern Style Chicken Sandwich.

HONESDALE — Fred Chalmers, tall, direct, and cheery man who greets customers looking down and over the top of his  glasses, has been in the food business his entire adult life.  He has worked every position in the restaurant, “from dishwasher to owner”.  As the In--flight feeding manager for a major airline, he has tasted food all over the world.  However, his establishment, the Town House Diner, is nothing but pure Americana, plain and simple.

With kids on the go and playing hard, they need snacks that taste good but are healthful as well. Instead of chips, cookies or an ice cream novelty, serve Peachsicles for a quick cold and nutritious treat.

When I was a teenager, the huge status symbol was to have a stereo system worth more than your car. This was the definition of coolness. These days, if you’re searching for such cultural indicators, how about a coffee machine worth more than your life-insurance policy?

There are so many places in the world that produce unique styles of beers that are hard to find in the United States. Unfortunately, I can't afford to visit them all, to try a couple of Finnish sahtis or a beer brewed with rice and sake yeast in Japan.

It’s easy to find patriotic food recipes, but what about celebratory cocktails for the Fourth of July?

Looking for a red-white-and blue dessert for Independence Day? Here’s a patriotic treat that won’t make you feel like a traitor to your diet.

As Americans drink more and better wines today, we confront the dilemma of making sense of it all. There are so many wines, so many grape varieties, so many producers, and so much to learn. It can be confusing and, for many, even downright intimidating. So, how do you find wines you'll enjoy?