Check It. Southern Biscuits.

Nathalie Dupree and Cynthia Graubart's new cookbook, Southern Biscuits, is out just in time for strawberry season. Strawberry shortcake is definitely a favorite spring/summer dessert, and fluffy fresh biscuits make all the difference.

In this gorgeous southern cookbook, chapters include Easy Biscuits, Traditional Biscuits, Embellished Biscuits, and even a condiment chapter, "Gilding the Lily", that has recipes for citrus butter, fig jam filling, and sausage-bacon gravy, among others.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: nathaliedupree.com

Do It. Gwyneth Paltrow book signing at Williams-Sonoma.

Gwyneth Paltrow will be signing her new cookbook, My Father's Daughter, on Thursday at Beverly Hills' Williams-Sonoma.

The food lover and loyal gym-goer is featured on Self magazine's May cover, and is rumored to be Bon Appétit's June cover girl.

With a forward by Mario Batali, the book's off to a good start.

Thursday April 21 at 5:00 p.m. at Williams-Sonoma (or you can pre-order now to secure a place in line/"ticket"), 339 North Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills. Info: williams-sonoma.com, (310) 274-9127

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: yourbellalife.com

Check It. Martha Stewart Collection at Macy's.

We enjoy some time in the kitchen here at 'the BEAT' - and part of cooking being fun is having the right tools. Some quality brands can get pricey, but Martha Stewart's line is classic, chic, and affordable.

Last time I was in the Sherman Oaks Macy's, I was speed walking around the home department looking for the restroom, and the Martha Stewart Collection caught my eye. They have an especially wide selection there. The colors are great--creamy teals, deep blues, perfect reds. It's classic with a modern twist, and somehow has an element of kitsch while remaining pretty sleek.

Favorites: the enameled cast iron cookware (that looks quite a bit like Le Creuset but is a fraction of the price), the recipe cocktail shaker (my very similar one is Pottery Barn, but Martha's is actually a more attractive design), and the recipe box (shown above; now available in red).

Los Angeles-area Macy's include: Beverly Center, downtown L.A., and Century City.

Info: shop.marthastewart.com

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: Southern Baker via amazon.com

Eat In. Couscous salad.

This messy-looking medley is a delicious mix of cold couscous with chopped mixed veggies. I discovered this dish when a friend was coming over one day for lunch. He was bringing the couscous, I had a variety of veggies. Now this is a staple in my kitchen for lunches.

Couscous has some amazing properties, high in protein, fiber, and some iron, so I try to add it to my diet as much as possible.

Some vegetables that go well in this dish are chopped tomatoes, green onions, red bell pepper, and avocado and cucumber make this very refreshing and light.

The avocado makes this dish a bit more satisfying, and it's an easy dish to make as a single serving. Just pour out a bit of couscous into a bowl (I think small grain not Israeli couscous works best for this dish) and add hot water. Then when it cools a bit add chopped vegetables. It's a very easy dish to make.

Season as you would any salad with any of the following: lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

-- Lauren Williams