Licorice seems to be one of those “love it” or “hate it” flavors – probably because it has such a strong and distinct taste. Licorice is not just a candy, it is actually an extract from the Glycyrrhiza Glabra plant, which means sweet root.

Want to the freshest fare this summer or maybe find out how to grow Martha Stewart’s culinary herb garden? The New York Botanical Garden will present “The Edible Garden”, a summer-long celebration of growing great food. Visit June 27 & 28 for a special local food festival!

Mint has a refreshing taste that almost everyone likes. It goes well with savories and sweets alike – fruit, frozen yogurt, chocolate pudding, lamb, peas, cucumbers and tea. In my latest post on AOL Food, I reveal one of my favorite Mediterranean flavor combos – mint and tomato!

The holiday season is a wonderful opportunity to connect with friends and family, and to celebrate and share the big and small events of the year. If you love entertaining, but wonder how to pull it off smoothly, download my latest digital booklet on Healthy Holiday Entertaining with how-to tips and recipes for five holiday cookies...