Photograph by John Wilwol

One of the best perks about working at a magazine is the sheer number of diet books that get sent our way (one of the not-so-great perks is having to get rid of all the five-pound political biographies). I'm absolutely fascinated with them; not because I'm any good at going on a diet, but because I find the disparity of advice absolutely hysterical, and there's usually at least one reliable recipe if you ignore calls for non-fat cooking spray, Splenda, and soy products. Here's what I've gleaned from the diet books I've read over the last year: If you cut out carbs, fat, meat, dairy, animal products, fruit, and sugar, and exist on a high-fat, non-fat, vegan, meat-based, exercise-heavy diet of vegetables, you'll manage to not only lose weight but also keep it off. Astonishing.

From left: the White Russian, Grasshopper, and Nutty Professor shakes. Photograph by Chris Leaman

In this oppressive summer heat, ice cream and cold booze are two chilly mood-lifters—and at Capitol Hill’s Ted’s Bulletin, you can get both in one glass. For his "adult" milkshakes, chef Eric Brannon blends vanilla-bean ice cream with vodka and flavored liqueurs such as Bailey’s and Kahlúa, and he gave us the formula for three of our favorites. (Note: these recipes call for 1 ounce of certain ingredients—that’s equal to one shot in most standard shot glasses—but feel free to up the booze to your taste and tolerance.)

For the milkshake that features vodka—the White Russian—Brannon says to save money by using a lower-end brand. Splurge instead on a good vanilla-bean ice cream, such as Edy’s—he says the varieties with beans impart a better flavor than versions that use vanilla extract—and high-end liqueurs. One more thing: Don’t fill your blender more than halfway, and keep your hand over the lid when mixing.

“Otherwise you’ll have the milkshake party all over you,” says Brannon.

Have a recipe you'd like sniffed out? E-mail recipesleuth@washingtonian.com.

Memorial Day weekend is all about celebrating the start of summer, which means getting outside. Whether your plans call for standing over a grill or walking through the woods, we've got you covered. We've even got ways to find the right bathing suit and how to keep your skin safe while basking in the sun. And don't forget: Come Tuesday, you can officially break out those white pants.

Photograph by Erik Uecke

When chef Sarah Smith put waffles on the brunch menu at Cashion’s Eat Place eight years ago, she wanted an unconventional twist on a standard dish. A cup of masa harina—finely ground corn flour often used to make tortillas—did the trick. The ground cornmeal gives the waffles an added crunch that pairs nicely with smooth, macerated summer strawberries, maple syrup, and a dash of powered sugar.

Thankfully, you don’t need to empty your wallet for an expensive Belgian waffle maker or search hard for masa harina: Smith says she uses a machine from Target, and the corn flour is available at most supermarkets in the Hispanic-foods aisle. All that’s missing: fresh mimosas.

>>Have a recipe you'd like sniffed out? E-mail recipesleuth@washingtonian.com.

Sophie's quiche, made with fond memories of a months-long stint in Paris. Photograph by John Wilwol

There comes a time in almost every soon-to-be-college-grad’s life when impending unemployment and months of subsisting on Red Bull and Subway sandwiches (gotta love finals) commingle to produce some very creative ideas on how to escape adulthood. Some quarter-life-crisis sufferers go on to grad school; some suck it up and get real jobs; some—like me—take drastic steps to avoid the crushing banality of a 9-to-5. In my case, I persuaded my dad that my language skills could use some improvement, enrolled at summer school at the Sorbonne, and moved to Paris.

I think mon pauvre père rapidly realized that this Paris ruse was less a way to refine my grasp of le subjonctif and more a way to spend a few months in a wine-and-macarons-based stupor, but he went along with it pretty decently (I think it was as good an excuse as any for him to spend a few weekends propping up the bar in Les Deux Magots himself).

Cava's eggplant caponata is incredibly easy to make. Photograph by Erik Uecke

Until recently, eggplant caponata was one of Cava’s most popular Mediterranean small plates. Fans of the dish—punched up with chopped olives, capers, and a scattering of mint—may be dismayed to see it gone from the list of vegetable mezze. But chef Dimitri Moshovitis isn’t removing it from the company's repertoire completely: The Sicilian flavors fit perfectly for the lineup of Italian dishes that the Cava owners will debut with their new restaurant, Sugo Macaroni and Pizza Bar in Rockville, scheduled to open in late summer (read more about it here). In the meantime, we secured the recipe so you can make it all summer long.

As with many Italian preparations, prime produce and good olive oil are the keys to the dish. Eggplant and mint are more abundant at farmers markets as the weather warms, and the rest of the ingredients can be found in grocery stores. The dish can be served as is or with pita for dipping.

>>Have a recipe you'd like sniffed out? E-mail recipesleuth@washingtonian.com.

Pastry chef Cicely Austin's cheesecake is brightened up with lemon zest and anchored by a graham-cracker crust. Photograph by Erik Uecke.

Pastry chef Cicely Austin has influence over three dessert menus at three restaurants—the Oval Room, Bombay Club, and Ardeo + Bardeo—but when it comes to inspiration, she often looks to home. Her creamy cheesecake at Ardeo is one such example.

“Cheesecake is one of my mom’s favorite desserts,” says Austin, who grew up in Fort Washington. “When we were creating the new menu for [the recently renovated] Ardeo, I wanted something classic with a spin.”

The spin in Austin’s recipe, which she calls “really forgiving,” is a sweet-tart compote made of cassis (a fruit similar to black currant). Like the cheesecake itself, the topping should be made in advance. But if time is short, the versatile cake goes with anything from freshly cut cherries and strawberries to caramel sauce. A tip from Austin: Take care when beating the cream cheese and sugar to make sure the mixture is smooth. As she says, if you have lumps in the beginning, you’ll have lumps in the end.

Have a recipe you'd like sniffed out? E-mail recipesleuth@washingtonian.com.