As summer approaches, so typically do a number of gatherings between family and friends. Memorial Day kicks things off, and then there are a whole host of parties and plans to look forward to -- many of which require a food contribution from you.

One of my favorite dishes to bring is this hearty appetizer from Live Pretty -- Artichoke and Crab Dip. It's rich and satisfying, but it also gets a summery twist with a pretty and delicious topping of fresh tomatoes and basil. Served with tortilla chips, it's always a hit, and it might even be all you need for a main course some nights.

If you're anything like me, there is one thing you look forward to the most on Kentucky Derby day, and it's not whether you hit a 1-20 bet. Well, yes, you look forward to that too. But there is a surer thing at your Derby party. That is, of course, the delectable mint julep.

The mint julep first hit Churchill Downs in 1936, but it's been around since at least the 1700s. The drink was first described in print as:

a dram of spirituous liquor that has mint in it, taken by Virginians in the morning.

Seriously, this was breakfast for Virginian farmers. Nice way to start the day! It's not quite clear if the first juleps were made with bourbon, rye whiskey, rum, or whatever was on hand, but it's now usually made with bourbon. Fresh mint, of course, has always been a staple (except for cranky purists who don't believe in sullying bourbon with mint leaves.)

Here are 5 mint julep recipes for your Derby delight. Bottoms up.

What better way to celebrate 420 (that's National Weed Day, in case you've been hiding under a rock all week) than by knocking back a few shots of hemp-flavored vodka? Oh, don't tell me you're surprised. You can get marshmallow fluff-flavored vodka now, for the love of cripes. All bets are off.

Alaska Distillery picked the perfect day to debut their new hemp seed-infused vodka, to be sure, but don't expect any dope in your drink (the hemp seeds used contain no THC). So what's the point?

Apparently hemp imparts a rather lovely nutty sweetness to vodka. Which I must admit sounds a hell of a lot better than whipped cream/gummy bear/cotton candy-flavored "vodka."

And it must make for some eeeenteresting cocktails! Here are 3 ideas for Hemp-Flavored Vodka Cocktails (along with suggestions for appropriate occasions).

It's almost summer wedding season, people! And you know what that means: Bridal showers around every corner. Bust out your garden party dress, and your taste for champagne because chances are you'll be invited, or throwing, a shower very soon.

Bridal showers are a blast since it's all of the celebration, without the stress of the actual performance. Unless you're planning one, in which case you're going to need some ideas and fast. You can go classy or trashy, but everyone is going to remember the food, above all.

So here are five food themes with recipe ideas that will make your bridal shower a memorable one.

A universal fascination with the Titanic is coming to a head this year as the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the "unsinkable" happens on April 14. Naturally, people are cashing in like crazy. One of the most recent items on the auction block? The last menu of the doomed liner, so we can see what first-class passengers ate before going down with the ship. This last meal for so many of them must be something because the menu went for 76,000 pounds sterling. Whew!

You know, I would have rather had someone serve me the food rather than just a peek at the menu, but maybe not everyone is as food obsessed as I am. In fact, I think I've just figured out the best way to mark this 100th anniversary.

Titanic menu party!

I remember my second date with my husband. He suggested sushi, I picked my favorite East Village joint. We admitted afterwards that we'd both been sick (it was winter in New York, after all), so the time that went into impressing each other with our culinary choices might have been better spent sitting on the couch ordering pizza. But something good came out of all the effort: So much talk about food made me realize he was the one. We've been dining together happily ever since.

Had I met him on food blog Eater's new dating site, where it connects you by activities and food preferences rather than by income/age/randomness, we would have been an instant match. Because if you love food, you don't want to hang out with a guy who thinks there are more important things in life.

It's Super Tuesday everyone, and after tonight, it's possible we'll know who the presidential nominee will likely be for the Republican party. Yahoo? Regardless, if you're Mitt, Newt, Rick S. (remember that other Rick?), or even Ron, you might have big reason to celebrate tonight. Instead of doing it Clinton style, which means vegan, gluten-free, and totally lady-like, these men are going to be eating like cave real men.

Lucky for the nominees, I've got some recipes for red-blooded American white men coming right up.

I have to confess something here: Sometimes I smoke up. I'm not talking about tobacco or, cough cough, "Mary Jane." I mean an herbal blend -- smokable herbal tea, basically. It's a blend of wildcrafted mullein, mugwort, and damiana, plus some organic coltsfoot and lavender. Just some friendly little herbs gathered to help me get my smooth on.

I'd never heard of this stuff until my friend Liz Neves started making and selling it. I've been buying her botanical-based lotions and potions, but this was totally unexpected! I had to try it.