Lemon

LEMON LOVE Why do lemons make everything taste better ? Lemon is as good as salt in bringing out flavor. [Slate] EXPLODING COOKWARE  A study of glass cookware provides a scientific explanation of why some glass cookware sold in the U.S. is more susceptible than others to "explosive" shattering. It turns out soda lime silicate glass is more sensitive to rapid changes in temperature than borosilicate glass. [Bulletin of the American Ceramic Society] CHEF DOES FASHION WEEK " I'm pretty sure I groomed my nubuck Timberlands during Earth Space Science class in 1996, but as a pimple-faced 14-year-old with microwaveable char-siu bao and grape quarter-water for lunch, never did I ever think I'd willingly attend a Max Azria BCBG fashion show," pens Eddie Huang.

For the last 28 years, MTV's Video Music Awards have provided a wealth of zeitgeist pop culture moments and delicious train wrecks. Sure, they dole out cute trophies in the shape of astronauts, but people don't tune in for the ridiculously uncontentious races celebrating the music videos they likely watched on YouTube or Vevo. Viewers want drama and the show serves up a heaping helping of tension, whether onstage or in the audience.   The VMA stage is where Britney Spears has equally sparkled and crumbled, Courtney Love upstaged Madonna and Kanye West ruined Taylor Swift's moment (West and Swift returned, seperately, to address their feelings through song)

  Total time: About 1 hour Servings: 4 to 6 2 pounds zucchini 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup finely diced onion 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced Zest of 1/2 lemon Salt 1 tablespoon chopped mint, divided 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts 1. Cut the ends from each zucchini, slice the zucchini in quarters lengthwise and then cut the quarters in half crosswise. You'll have large pieces of zucchini about 2 to 3 inches long.

If you buy a dog from a pet store or commercial breeder, California's so-called Puppy Lemon Law gives you some protections in case the animal becomes ill shortly after purchase. The law, officially known as the Pet Breeder Warranty Act, applies to cases in which the purchased dog gets sick due to an illness or disease that existed within 15 days of purchase. It also applies if problems arise in the first year after the sale because of a congenital or hereditary condition. If you want to keep the dog, the law entitles you get your money back from the seller plus up to an additional 50% of the purchase price for veterinary costs.

  Servings: 1 Total time: 10 minutes, plus freezing time for the ice cream Note: Adapted from Giovanni Martinez of Sadie LA. Sanbitter soda is available at select gourmet and Italian markets such as Guidi Marcello in Santa Monica and at Galco's Soda Pop Stop in Highland Park. Peychaud's bitters ice cream 1 1/2 cups of whole milk 1 1/4 cups sugar sugar 3 cups heavy cream 8 1/2 ounces Peychaud's bitters In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, sugar, cream and bitters.

New bars and restaurants headlined competition Thursday in the annual Roses and Lemon Awards handed out by the venerable Downtown Breakfast Club, a group of real estate professionals. A rose went to the Perch, a whimsical French-inspired rooftop bistro on the top two floors of the Pershing Square Building. The 16-story office tower was built in the mid-1920s at 448 Hill St. Other nominees for the restaurant rose were the Spice Table, 112 Central Ave., and Artisan House, 600 S. Main St. Snagging the rose for drinking establishments was Silo Vodka Bar, which includes a walk-in freezer where guests imbibe under arctic conditions.

The gig: Rosemary Shahan is the founder and president of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety (CARS). The Sacramento organization has been the driver of some of the most important advances in auto-related safety and financial protection regulation on the books today. Shahan, 62, championed the nation's first lemon law in California, which has since been copied in every state. She was a major force behind the federal air bag mandate and laws protecting military service members from abusive car loans.

Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes plus cooling time Servings: 8 Note: Adapted from "The Food52 Cookbook" by Amanda Hesser, Merrill Stubbs and the Food 52 community. 1 unbaked (9-inch) tart shell 1 large Meyer lemon (about 6 ounces), cut into 8 pieces and seeded 1 1/2 cups superfine sugar 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 eggs 1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Prick the bottom of the tart shell lightly with a fork, line it with parchment paper or aluminum foil and fill it with pie weights (you can use dried beans and save them to use as weights the next time you bake)

A former California Highway Patrol officer fell to the floor overcome by emotion in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom Monday as a jury convicted her of murder in the shooting death of her husband. In a case filled with allegations of anger management and domestic violence, the verdict in the rare prosecution of a law enforcement officer on murder charges proved to be dramatic. As the guilty verdict was read, veteran CHP Officer Tomiekia Johnson shook, then slid under the table where she had been seated alongside her attorneys.