The Better Letter

Make It Better contributor Galit Greenfield recently launched one of the first macaron trucks in the nation.

All these are easy, family friendly Mexican recipes. Guaranteed to banish the winter blues and transport you to a warmer, sunnier clime—at least for dinner!

The farmers markets have just opened, and we finally have fresh, local vegetables. It’s time to eat in a new, seasonal way-and the bookshelves are filled with works by experts who want to influence how and what we eat.

Forget depriving yourself. Try a new tactic this year: adding to your diet.

Who doesn't love to come home to dinner just minutes from the table? Say hello to beef stew.

This warm, delicious and nourishing soup is a regular in my menu rotation. It can be made ahead of time or as the hungry are grumbling.

Classic Italian comfort food, stracotto, is as easy as pot roast and the leftovers are terrific with pasta—if you have leftovers—that is. You can make this in a dutch oven or a slow cooker.

My summer motto is: Entertain more, stress less. Summer dinner parties are less about matching china and more about the backyard. Forget starched white napkins, printed invitations and planning every last detail. Instead, pick up the phone, call a few friends, and let everyone bring something.

These are elegant and easy. The batter is a variation on chocolate chip cookies, but with fresh raspberries and pecans. Best of all, no shaping or scooping. Just bake into bars, then serve in decadent squares.

When it's just you, the kids and the beach, it's easy to throw a few PB&Js in a backpack and go. But sometimes we want to make it special, and by the time you draft a menu, the grocery list is a mile long and is going to cost more than any respectable picnic should.

Kathryn Guylay of Nurture teaches youth simple and healthy cooking. This super-easy, highly affordable recipe comes from Kathryn Guylay, executive director of the nonprofit Nurture.

Maybe you have an ice cream maker. But it's probably in the basement or the garage or that cabinet that's out-of-reach, never been used.

This recipe can be made year-round, but it's best in early summer with sugar snap peas and basil from the farmers market.

Most families have a hell day. Each kid is going in a different direction, and dinner isn’t going to be a sit-down meal … unless everyone’s willing to eat late and tolerate cranky kids.

On our last vacation, we ate at an outdoor café that featured stuffed crêpes and grilled burritos. Taking a wrap and browning it changes the dish from a sandwich to a meal, but it’s still super simple. Here’s a family friendly burrito variation. Use cilantro from your new herb garden to make the creamy salsa.

Any recipe that asks you to “open a can of beer and drink half” deserves a place on the menu for Father’s Day. Steven Raichlen, author of “The Barbecue! Bible,” made the Beer Can Chicken famous.

This good-for-you and good-for-the-planet dinner combines hot food trends: local ingredients, less meat, international flavors and more produce. You can feel virtuous making it, and your family will happily eat it because it’s delish.

You’re ready to grill burgers or chicken this weekend and need the perfect side dish. Wilmette resident Katie Hauser made this salad for a potluck once. Gracious friend that she is, she gave me the recipe.

Whether you're looking for an easy activity to do with your kids or a way to wow guests at a dinner party, let these ice cream recipes—Fresh Peach or Rum (for adults only)—be your guide.

Here are two dips that are perfect for backyard entertaining. A little exotic, but not too crazy different, and both are a snap to make.