Nothing beats the taste (and the smell) of home baked bread. A chunk of bread, some cheese, and a glass of wine — a meal to savor.

But who’s got the time to bake bread at home?

You have.

Here’s how to make artisan bread with just a few minutes of work reports:

“Cook’s Illustrated magazine later tinkered with the no-knead breakthrough, producing a loaf that was more flavorful and virtually foolproof.

With the recipes developed by a doctor and a baker – and a little advance work – you can have a crusty loaf of fresh bread on the dinner table even on busy weeknights.

All the while, Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois were developing ‘Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day’ (St. Martin’s Press, $27.95). Their doughs can be assembled in a flash, loaves-worth at a time and stored for days in the refrigerator to bake on-demand. They’ve built the concept into an instructional Web site (artisanbreadinfive.com) and are working on a new cookbook on quick and easy whole-grain breads.”

I can’t wait to try it.

Barbeque grills come in three main categories - charcoal, gas and electric - and each type will appeal to a slightly different customer.

For decades the only type available was a charcoal grill, and this style is still very popular. Chunks of black carbon are arrayed in a familiar pyramid and ignited, usually with the help of BBQ lighter fluid. Once the briquettes start to glow red, they’re spread around and they make for a hot fire that adds a special taste to the meal.

Though they require a bit more effort to prepare, use and clean there’s no denying that the taste of meat cooked with charcoal has a unique flavor. The coals can be flavored themselves to add a special wood and smoky aroma that makes its way into the food. But they have drawbacks.

Charcoal grills usually require some kind of gasoline-like fluid to assist the briquettes in heating to the point that the fire becomes self-sustaining. That can easily put a foul taste into the food if the fluid doesn’t burn off completely before you start to cook. The coals also require a long cool-down period and have to be replaced after one or two uses. Clean up is often messy.

Gas grills took over in popularity 20 years ago and dominate the market now. They come in two main types: natural gas and propane.

Natural gas grills burn, as the name suggests, natural gas (a type of methane chiefly). They produce high heat and an even temperature. Clean up is relatively easy and some grills are even self-cleaning to a degree, like indoor ovens.

But natural gas grills require you to have or create an outlet to hook the stove up to. Many homes already have them, so that’s seldom a problem. But it does limit the mobility of the grill. Once in place, you have a fairly short hose connection and the grill has to stay near the outlet. In rare cases that can present a fire hazard, but for most homeowners natural gas grills are a great option.

The other type of gas grill uses propane, usually from a refillable metal tank. Tanks come in various sizes, with 20 gallons a common amount. Propane grills produce a high temperature, only slightly less than methane. They’ll cook a thick steak just as well, requiring only a slightly longer cooking time.

Propane grills are convenient because they can be moved around. If you cook at different times of the day that can be a big advantage. If the sun is too hot in one spot (or you happen to be doing some yard re-modeling) the grill can be moved to another location.

But the tanks do run out, slower or faster depending on how long each cooking session is and how often the grill is used. Refilling them isn’t very expensive, though propane prices have risen sharply in the past few years. The hassle factor can be considerable or trivial depending on who your supplier is. Some suppliers just do a quick exchange of the tank and you’re on your way. Others make you wait in line, fill out paperwork and more.

Many natural gas models can be converted into propane and vice versa. The kits are simple to use and range in price, with some representing a third of the original cost of the grill.

Electric grills are another, newer option. They are in essence electric ovens set on wheels and can have a number of advantages. They have no fuel requirement, just a cord and an electric outlet. They can be self-cleaning, just as many interior ovens are. The temperature can be very precisely controlled. They do tend to be a little more expensive than other styles, though.

With the technological improvements made in grills over the past 20 years, you can hardly go wrong if you select a major brand. Consider your budget, your preferred cooking circumstances, and go for it!

A white sauce (you’ll often see it in recipe books as a “Béchamel” sauce) is an essential for your cooking repertoire.

White sauces form the basis of many recipes, and you can trick up left-overs by adding them to a white sauce. Flavorings for white sauces can be anything you choose: simple pepper and bay leaves, curry spices, nutmeg - it’s entirely up to you.

Your white sauce is made up of butter and flour in equal proportions, with milk.

For a standard white sauce, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat.

Add 2 tablespoons of flour when the butter’s melted, and stir over a very low heat for a few minutes. The cooking ensures that your white sauce won’t taste of flour.

Slowly add a cup of milk to the sauce, stirring as you add the milk. Your aim is to have a completely lump-free sauce.

Add whatever seasonings you prefer to your white sauce.

White sauce traditional recipe

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup scalded milk
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Few grains pepper

Put butter in saucepan, stir until melted and bubbling; add flour mixed with seasonings, and stir until thoroughly blended; then pour on gradually while stirring constantly the milk, bring to the boiling-point and let boil two minutes. If a wire whisk is used, all the milk may be added at once.