When my colleague, Kat informed me that July 29th was the 25th anniversary of Diet Coke, I thought "Cool, I'll write about how this bubby invasion defined 'liquid' and 'diet' all through my teen years." Then I realized, "Holy crap, I'm so old I was more than halfway through my teens when Diet Coke was even invented!" I have to admit, I was a little depressed. So I went to see 'The Simpsons' and ordered a medium-sized, ice cold half bucket of Diet Coke to buoy my mood and infuse me with some much-need youthful vigor. My friend had a few sips, but otherwise I drank the whole thing by myself.

Needless to say, I was stoked. And floating.

This is why, although I'm typically an earth-first type of eater and drinker with a preference for locally grown produce and stuff labeled 'artisanal' and 'fresh-squeezed,' I have never been able to give up my Diet Coke. Its got that refreshing balance of fake sweet, bubbly goodness that comforts me, paired with a foundation-shaking jolt the size of a small seismic tremor that may or may not cause residual damage.

My diet cola affinity started with Tab. I went to a fancy Manhattan public school where even the teachers judged you based on body type. The de riguer lunch was not salisbury steak but rather, a Tab and an apple. The thing about Tab, though, is that the saccharine taste was so disgusting you could feel the cancer eating right through the carbonation and away at your gut. But you drank it because, of course, to be thin was to sacrifice.

Then, in 1982 came Diet Coke. This was a revolutionary concept -- the soda (that's what we New Yorkers call it) most people besides me actually wanted to drink, but with NO CALORIES! As Coke's genius advertising campaign summed it up, you could drink Diet Coke 'Just for the Taste of It.' And so, 23 years after I gave up dieting for good, I still loves me some Diet Coke. I don't care when Diet Pepsi -- with it's no backbone bubble -- came to pass. I can be promiscuous with regard to my allegiance for Yanks vs. Mets depending which side of my family is present, but I'm utterly loyal to Diet Coke.

Read more about the 25th anniversary of Diet Coke

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Special to AOL Food From Sherri Brooks Vinton

Rhubarb Crumble
This is a comfort food staple in British homes. Easy to do, tasty to
eat. Top it with a little vanilla ice cream for added goodness. Add a
little ginger, if you like, to spice it up a bit.

Crumble:
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick cold butter, cut into pieces
• 2 tablespoons finely diced crystallized ginger (optional)

Filling:
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 cups chopped rhubarb
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger (optional)

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease an 8 x 8 inch Pyrex dish with
butter. In a medium bowl combine dry crumble ingredients. Add butter
and crystallized ginger, if using, and rub the butter pieces and flour
between your thumb and fingertips or cut them together with a pastry
blender until coarse crumbs the size of peas form. Cool in the
refrigerator while you prepare the filling. In a medium saucepan melt
butter over medium heat. Add remaining filling ingredients and cook
until fruit begins to break down, about 10 minutes. Pour filling into
buttered dish, top with crumble and bake until lightly browned on top,
about 45 minutes. Serves 6-8.

Rhubarb Fizz
This is a refreshing alternative to sweet colas and a great addition to
a sunny Spring picnic.

• 2 stalks fresh rhubarb, chopped, about 2 cups
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 vanilla bean or 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• ice
• 1 liter seltzer

Add 2 cups of water, chopped rhubarb, vanilla, and sugar to a small
saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced by
half and rhubarb falls apart, about 15 minutes. Strain and cool
resulting syrup. Fill a pitcher or four glasses with ice, pour in
seltzer and add syrup. Stir to combine and enjoy. Makes 4 drinks.

Pork Chops with Rhubarb Glaze
The tangy rhubarb cuts the richness of the pork in this dish. Heritage
breed pigs yield the most flavorful chops-check with the farmers at
your local market –they're worth finding.

• 3 cups diced rhubarb
• 2 tablespoons orange juice or water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 bone-in pork chops, preferably heritage breed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon five spice powder or 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, optional

In a medium saucepan combine first three ingredients. Cook over medium
heat until rhubarb completely breaks down 15-20 minutes. Strain liquid
though a fine mesh sieve, discard solids. Heat a large sauté pan over
medium high heat. Sprinkle chops with salt, pepper, and spice and dust
with flour. Add two tablespoons butter to pan and, after it stops
foaming, add chops to pan. Saute until brown, about 5-7 minutes. Turn
chops, turn heat down to medium and cook through, about 7 minutes more.

Remove chops from pan. Deglaze pan by pouring strained rhubarb liquid
into it and, after liquid boils, scraping up brown bits from bottom of
pan. Add remaining tablespoon of butter to pan, stirring to
incorporate it into sauce. Pour sauce over chops, sprinkle with
parsley, if using, and serve. Serves 4.