Baking a round of brie for a few minutes in the oven makes it all melty and oozy, and transforms it from something already wonderful to completely irresistible. For this baked brie recipe we are making a sweet and sour caramelized honey sauce, and drizzling it over the brie with chopped toasted hazelnuts. The sweet tartness of the sauce helps cut through the richness of the brie. It’s really a perfect way to enjoy this cheese....

Roasting and grilling asparagus certainly have their merits, but there’s something special that happens when asparagus is cooked sous vide. It’s almost as if the asparagus becomes the best version of itself. It rises to the occasion, transforming into picture-perfect asparagus—vibrantly green and intensely flavorful. How Does Sous Vide Cooking Work? How does sous vide work, exactly? Well, an immersion circulator creates a consistent temperature environment that ensures consistent cooking results....

Perfectly Cooked Mushrooms, Less Fat You cook sliced or chopped mushrooms in a hot pan without adding any fat, liquid, or sauce. As the mushrooms heat up in the pan, they release their juices and cook in their own liquid, concentrating the flavor of the mushrooms. Towards the end of cooking (after about 5 to 10 minutes), once the mushrooms have released much of their moisture, you can swirl in some butter for added flavor if you want....

Wrong, as I found out. Having never owned a blender before, I started messing around with my shiny new high-speed blender sight unseen. I didn’t use any special recipes, and I didn’t read the manual. Turns out a high-speed blender is its own beast, with its own quirks. Roll up your sleeves and we’ll learn the key ins-and-outs of these fun, muscular appliances. You’ll be blending up a storm in no time....

Flowers are a sweet gesture, but I don’t have a vase. So they end up sitting on my table in an Indiana Jones Big Gulp cup, and then my cats end up eating them anyway. Gifts and tokens are sweet. And while I may say thank you out loud, in my mind, I’m saying, “Great, now I have more crud in my house and no place to put it!” If you want to make me swoon, then cook for me....

If you like spice, then this is your dish. You can use any dried red chilies and the Szechwan peppercorns are optional, though the dish isn’t the same without them and there isn’t a good substitute. Other key ingredients in this dish are sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and unsalted peanuts. Like any stir-fry, this is quick, cheap, and flavorful. It’s also an exemplary example of Szechwan cuisine due to its combination of sweet, sour, salty, and hot tastes....

Serve a thick slice of cake with your favorite cup of tea and enjoy! Making it in a Bundt pan means it’s well-suited for spring celebrations and gatherings, such as Easter and Mother’s Day—though it’s equally fit for a casual brunch. Get to Know Yogurt Cake If you haven’t had the pleasure of baking a yogurt cake before, allow me to introduce you. Yogurt cake is a humble, pantry-style cake that has origins in France....

Another great pairing with ham is lentils. Make an easy ham broth with the bone, cook the lentils in it, and serve with some leftover ham slices. Inexpensive, easy, and satisfying. Ham Broth—The Secret to Flavorful Lentils Ham is so strongly flavored that you can make the broth in as little as an hour, or you can simmer it all day if you want. The cooking time for the lentils will depend on what kind you use....

Sauté the carrot rounds in butter, and then cook them in a solution of maple syrup and orange juice, until the liquid has almost completely evaporated. Toss in a little orange zest and a pinch of cinnamon, and you’re there. Glazed carrots with a holiday twist!

Along with testing for salt, the thing that can really bring a dish together and makes it sing - er, zing! - is a bit of lemon juice. Just that hint of acidity can coalesce flavors and take a dish from eh to oh yeah. Of course, there are many recipes that call for more than just a simple squeeze of lemon juice. Sometimes whole lemons are called for, and I actually need to pull out my liquid measuring cup and squeeze my way through a couple at a time....

Our favorite book back then was Each Peach Pear Plum, by Janet and Allan Ahlberg. It inspired the combination of fruit in this jam—peaches, pears, and plums. We made it both for immediate consumption and gift-giving throughout the fall and winter. We named it Tom Thumb’s jam based on a character in the book. My holiday gifts were covered, and we feasted on jam and toast in the meantime....

There’s something joyful and magical about making your own marshmallows! Not only is the process fun to do, but you can customize the flavor to your liking. These festive peppermint marshmallows are great for topping hot cocoa or just nibbling when you want a treat. Expect loud proclamations of “You made these?!” and “I didn’t even know that you can make homemade marshmallows!” when you serve them. How do you make marshmallows?...

To this day, If I were forced to choose my last meal, of all the tasty, tantalizing treats I have enjoyed in my entire life, hands down, my first and last choice would be my grandmother’s fried chicken. My grandmother knew how much I loved it and spoiled me. When I lived far away and flew home to visit, it didn’t matter what time of the day or night I arrived—2:00 p....

For me, it’s always a struggle. Must. Make. Up. My. Mind. They all look so appealing. I was raised on refried pinto beans, which mom still makes at home at least once a week. But black beans? They’re so good! There’s something about them, almost a smoky quality. Whole Black Beans or Refried? And then there’s the “whole” or “refried” question to be answered. If the beans are for a burrito, then naturally I’ll want them refried....

I love to eat them shells and all. If they’re properly toasted and are small to medium sized, they are wonderfully crunchy and easy to eat. The larger carving pumpkins will yield large seeds, which are probably best to eat shelled. Don’t throw out your pumpkin seeds! How to Get the Strings Off Pumpkin Seeds When you first scoop the seeds out of the pumpkin, it seems like it will be impossible to separate the sticky, clingy strings from the seeds....

Let’s dive in and make some chicken and rice! A Classic One Pot Meal Many chicken and rice recipes can be made in a single skillet. This version is no different, and one of the major appeals is the very little cleanup! Cook the chicken, add the veggies and rice, nestle the chicken back in, simmer it all together, and dinner is done. The Best Chicken for This Recipe In theory, you can use any chicken to make this dish, but to keep things simple I prefer to use boneless, skinless chicken breast....