I don't often prepare carb-heavy meals for dinner. Most nights, I'm happy with a giant salad and some simply roasted fish or chicken. But in the late fall when the temperature drops, I start craving things like pasta, mashed potatoes, heaping bowls of couscous, and above all else, risotto. More

A hearty, creamy bowl of soup makes a great cold weather meal. This mix--made entirely of freeze-dried and powdered ingredients--promised to be a "rich fall harvest blend of squash, apple and pumpkin with a touch of brown sugar." Could it pack any real vegetable flavor without any fresh vegetables? More

This year Rosh Hashanah falls smack in the middle of the week. Between work, recipe testing, and taking care of our new puppy, I just don't have time to prepare a lavish holiday feast from scratch. Williams-Sonoma recently released a jarred brisket starter made from tomatoes, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar. All you have to do is pour it over the beef and braise in the oven or slow cooker. But would it be as good as a Jewish bubbe's? More

While ingredient lists for crab cakes need not be long, a lot of recipes call for things like homemade mayonnaise, a bevy of aromatics, or spices you don't necessarily have on hand. Would Crate & Barrel's Chesapeake Crab Cake Mix ($3.95) streamline the process without compromising flavor? More

The flatbreads were tender and easy to pull apart, pleasingly chewy, and perfect for sopping up leftover olive oil or grilling sauces. While I couldn't detect any significant sundried tomato flavor, the flatbreads were garlicky and spicy, and had a nice hint of salt. I would definitely recommend them as an accompaniment to grilled fish, eggplant, or saucy chicken. More

Gluten-free baking mixes have been available for a long time at health food and specialty stores, but it's only recently that everyday supermarkets have gotten into the game. Betty Crocker now has a line of easy, inexpensive, and readily available gluten free mixes. This week I baked a batch of the chocolate chip cookies. More

I tried out Rick Bayless's Frontera Guacamole Mix last weekend, when I was hosting a barbeque and didn't have time to make guac from scratch. Normally I don't mind all the mashing, mincing, and dicing, but in the summer I'm all about easy entertaining. Was it worth the price? And, more importantly, were my guests fooled into thinking I made it myself? More

I like to start my day off on a healthy note, which means I don't often indulge at breakfast. But I do have a weakness for pancakes—fluffy golden-brown stacks topped with a fat pat of butter and dripping with pure maple syrup. Needless to say, I was excited to try out Kodiak Cakes Whole Wheat, Oat and Honey Flapjack Mix ($7.95). They mix is made with 100% whole grains and egg whites, and has no added fat or sugar. And the pancakes came out so perfectly you might think I was a short order cook. More

Justin Esch and Dave Lefkow believe that "everything should taste like bacon." To that end, they have developed a successful line of bacon flavored products that includes microwave popcorn, mayonnaise, seasoned salts, lip balm, and even baby formula. But here's the thing: none of them contain any actual bacon. If it's possible for something to taste like bacon without being meaty or porky, this dressing achieved it. More

Irish soda bread comes in many varieties. It can be sprinkled with caraway seeds or studded with raisins or currants. The hallmark of a good loaf is a crunchy, crumbly crust and a moist, tender interior. It's dead simple to bake from scratch, but in case you're short on time this St. Patrick's Day, I tested out Sticky Fingers Bakeries Irish Soda Bread Mix ($5.99). More