Gomasio. [Photograph: Sage Trifle] For last week's Weekend Cook and Tell challenge we wanted to know what all of you were eating to keep healthy. We were curious to see what types of vitamin rich, antioxidant filled superfoods all of you were incorporating into your diets that are both delicious and beneficial. Healthy eating seems to be weighing heavily on everyone's minds and this was one of our most popular Weekend Cook and Tell topics yet. Let's take a look at some of our favorite responses.... More

Chicken empanadas. [Photograph: Sarah @ Short Stop] Last week on the Weekend Cook and Tell challenge we asked all of you to forgo your ideas about pies being sweet and fruity confections. We wanted you to think outside the pastry box and create savory pies, quiches, emapanadas, pasties, and turnovers. Winter months proved to be the perfect time for all of you to test out your non dessert baking skills. Our responses were full of crusty and flaky goodness. Check them out, after the jump.... More

orchid girl's broccoli and olives For last week's Weekend Cook and Tell challenge we asked all of you to get adventurous with vegetables. Either by trying a fruit or vegetable you hadn't eaten or cooked with before, or facing a produce-related fear by embracing a vegetable you might not particularly like. This week the results were a mixed bag—some of you made life-changing discoveries while others realized, well, you still don't like those veggies. For better or for worse, reading about all of your experiences made this one fun Weekend Cook and Tell. Here are some of our favorite responses, after the jump.... More

Photograph: Hawk Krall Last week for our Weekend Cook and Tell challenge we asked all of you to share your top home-cooked meals of 2009 and it seems like everyone was on the same page. Lots of wonderful holiday meals and homemade pizzas. For me, 2009 was a blur of wonderful home-cooked meals, thanks to all of the great cookbooks I have the pleasure of trying out for Cook the Book. But I have to say, some of my most memorable meals were breakfasts cooked by Hot Dog of the Week contributor Hawk Krall. Just take a look at the incredible post-New Year's breakfast of eggs benedict, kielbasa, and goetta in the photo above.... More

Kirbie's soft sugar cookies. [Photograph: kirbiecravings.com] For last week's Weekend Cook and Tell challenge we wanted to know what kinds of goodies all of you were bringing along to your holiday festivities. Judging by the responses, it sounds like you guys make wonderful guests. Here are some of our favorite holiday bringalongs: Onepot brought along baked goat cheese topped with roasted tomatoes and capers. The dish was met with breathless raves—not bad for an 11-minute appetizer. lemonfair always has a few homemade gifts to bring along when invited to someone's home. Her apple jelly is a gift you can be sure no one else brought the hostess. This pine cone appetizer is always a big crowd-pleaser, especially around the... More

Onepot's colcannon. [Photograph: onepot.wordpress.com] Last week over on the Weekend Cook and Tell we wanted to know how all of you were faring with the limited selection of produce available this time of year. Thankfully, no one has gotten scurvy, and all of your responses seem like everyone is cooking incredible meals with the limited fruits and vegetables that winter brings. Here are some of our cold weather favorites: Onepot made a loosely interpreted version of colcannon, an Irish dish for the winter solstice. Topping off this warm plate of cabbage, leeks, kale, and potatoes with a runny egg looks like an ideal cold weather meal. Using kale as a mere garnish seems like a waste to scotter who... More

Last week's Weekend Cook and Tell challenge wasn't much of a challenge at all, at least not in the cooking department. We asked all of you to share your favorite cookbooks of 2009, and the biggest challenge seemed to be picking a favorite. Here are some of the books that proved to be the most popular, useful, and fun: LetThemEatQueso won Seven Fires in one of our Cook the Book contests, the handsome gaucho chef/author and wonderful Argentine grilling recipe made this book a quick favorite. CatBoy's number one book of this year is Sheila Lukin's Ten, her final book devoted to America's favorite foods. Both HJR and Both mcwolfe chose Jim Lahey's My Bread for that no-knead bread... More

Onepot's baklava. [Photograph: onepot.wordpress.com] For last week's Weekend Cook and Tell challenge we asked you what kinds of homemade gifts you were baking, making, canning, and wrapping up to share with friends and family this year. Everyone offered amazing gift ideas. Here are some of our most creative and generous responses. Onepot has made a holiday tradition out of baking baklava for friends and family. This year the lucky gift recipients will also be getting hazelnut, chocolate, black lava salt cookies. Taking a cue from the smoking at home without a smoker thread over in Talk, dmcavanagh is smoking different cheeses. therealchiffonade likes to give mixes as gifts complete with helpful instructions. She's also a big fan of these... More

Sweet Potato Cupcake Roses, one of kirbie's seven desserts. [Photograph: kirbiecravings.com] Now that Thanksgiving is behind us and the leftovers have been creatively dealt with or discarded, let's talk about our Thanksgiving meals objectively. Last week for our Weekend Cook and Tell challenge we asked all of you to share your Thanksgiving successes and do-overs for next year. Here are some of our favorite stories: Trilby's Thanksgiving for three didn't warrant an entire turkey, so J. Kenji Lopez-Alt's Turkey Stuffed Turkey was the perfect solution. The bird-within-a-bird was a success and the carcass was simmered for perfect gravy. kirbie has never been one to shy away from a cooking challenge. She was put in charge of desserts for her... More

[Flickr: riptheskull] Last week we asked you to break down your Thanksgiving pregame plans for our Weekend Cook and Tell Challenge. We wanted to know what all of you were doing to save time and valuable stove and oven space. Here are some of the responses we are the most thankful for: 10956bbq spent the days leading up to Thanksgiving eating the fridge contents. Also, grabbing a drink at the kick-off of the first football game will make things run smoothly. avaryne has a few tricks for alleviating the stress of cooking for a crowd: helpful in-laws and a keg of beer. terplinz's sister-in-law hosts Thanksgiving and sends out an email to all of her guests with a set... More