Favorite March Finds

If April is the cruelest month, surely March is a close second: The weather plays with our emotions, and heartache follows college basketball fans around like a shadow.

But we prefer to play the optimist; indeed, March has brought us a wealth of noteworthy flavors. Here are our highlights:

• Now you can pop the cork on your favorite bottles and still remain eco-conscious thanks to ReCork America, a program that collects and recycles wine corks. Find a collection site near you and keep sipping.

• Whether you're planning a trip below the Mason Dixon Line or just looking for inspiring armchair travel, it's worth checking out Southern Foodways Alliance's new interactive map, which plots out the region's best cuisine, from barbecue to bivalves.

• Martini, meet Pesach: Gin gets a kosher update at No. 209 distillery, which swaps in a sugarcane-based vodka and alternative botanicals to make a Passover-friendly spirit.

• "Breakfast pizza" once referred to an early-hours slice after a late night, or yesterday's cold leftovers eaten in front of the refrigerator. No more. Restaurants have taken to serving bacon-and-eggy iterations well before noon.

• We're all for a local focus, but some things are worth importing, like British chef Skye Gyngell's latest cookbook, My Favorite Ingredients. We'll be stretching out the last of our winter citrus season with her recipe for blood oranges with rosemary and honey.