View Slideshow

Last Friday, couscous stars NY Shuk taught a class on how to make hand-rolled couscous. Follow along, try it for yourself, and see if you can go back to the boxed stuff afterward. More

Last weekend, two of my dearest friends got married. And because I love them very much and don't think before I speak, I offered to make ice cream for their reception. For 110 people. Should you too decide to share your love of homemade ice cream with 100 of your closest friends, it's not too hard once you plan out all the steps. To help you on along the way, here are some tips on making ice cream for a crowd. More

In "Food for Change," we'll profile groups out there connecting people to better food access. We want to applaud the passionate people and organizations doing meaningful work with food in their communities. More

Get Recipe

Last year, I described the shrub syrup, and presented a recipe for making shrubs at home. At the time, I was working with simple shrub syrups, consisting of fruit, sugar, and vinegar. These are always delicious, but they can be a little one-note. Today, I'm going to complicate things a little, by introducing accent ingredients that complement the fruit base and provide a deeper, more complex flavor to the shrub. More

Like summer tomatoes or fall leaves, rosé is seasonal, and once this year's vintage is out, last year's is no more. This ephemeral nature makes it all the more alluring, and it also means now that spring has fully sprung, it's time to dip into the 2012 rosés. Drink them while you can, as if you needed an excuse. There are tons of worthy pink wines out there, and I did my best to taste a lot of them. None were over $16, and while all were perfectly chuggable, especially if you happen to be sitting in the sun somewhere, these were my top six. More

"I've heard that probing meats to test temperatures can be bad because you creates holes that juice leaks out of. Is this true? I've always used the leave in thermometers that stay in and I don't remove it until my meat has rested. Is this an unnecessary step? What if you have to test multiple times, will that cause a difference?" More

Always have a half bag of cornmeal lying around but tired of making cornbread (or just need some awesome new variations?) We've got the answer to using up that stash, from biscotti to pancakes to pudding. More

Get Recipe

I was born in Boston and was raised New York as a kid before going back to live in Boston for another 10 years during and after college. Whenever convenient, I like to consider myself a New Englander. That time is usually in the summer, when the rocky beaches are at their drizzliest and the coastal clam shacks fire up the boilers and fryers.

I still make it a point to make at least one or two New England road trips every summer so that I can get my seafood fix. But even when I can't get up to Yankee-land, I'll do my best to get my fix right at home. You can do it too with these recipes for clam chowder, lobster rolls, blueberry pie, and more.

View Slideshow

Last year we gave you 10 beautiful cakes to make for your spring celebrations (graduations, weddings, showers, and the like). But sometimes you need something that's easy to eat one-handed, or you're cooking for youngins' or prospective youngins'. Or maybe you're just interested in using your CSA box to make tender Yellow Squash Cupcakes topped with fluffy chocolate butter cream or you like the idea of swapping biscuits for cake to make individually portioned Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes. Whatever the reason, these 12 cupcake recipes won't steer you wrong. More

View Slideshow

There are some folks out there who don't like the culture of ramps. I get it. They're seasonal. They're expensive. They're only available on the East Coast to those people who are lucky enough to have them growing in their back yard, or are willing to get up early to beat the crowds at the farmer's market. These are all valid reasons for disliking the culture and mythos built up around something that in the end, is really just another onion. I myself am not a fan of this mythos. At the same time I admit to the hypocrisy of being one of its biggest contributors. Here are just 14 of the ways in which you may also find yourself joining the ranks of ramp lovers. More

If your office is anything like mine, which is to say, offensively freezing given the calendar date, then you likely share my affinity for soup in warm weather. Leeks, fennel, peas and spring onions make this something of a spring vegetable kitchen sink soup, so you can feel like spring while shivering at your desk. More

View Slideshow

Sunday is Mother's Day. Show your love with pancakes. Or crepes covered in caramel sauce. Or maybe some French toast stuffed with Nutella and bananas then fried. We've got 13 sweet ways to say I love you Mom. More

Get Recipe

This Mother's Day, get off your butt, order some flowers, and pamper your mother or perhaps the mother of your children or even the mother of your puppies like she deserves. Here's a menu to help you out. More

Have you finally retired your scarf and gloves and are itching to get in the kitchen to start whipping up some summery delights? Nothing screams humid, dawdling evenings quite like a scarlet strawberry baked good. Before you head out to pick a pint of these supple delights, though, brush up on some tips and tricks to ensure your first toe-dip into summer is a refreshing experience. More

I've been a fan of instant noodles all my life and in 2002, decided to turn this passion into a blog. While living in Seattle, I've found Asian grocery stores aplenty and my love affair with the instant noodle has only increased. Over the years, I've found some pretty amazing varieties; this list represents the best of the best. More

View Slideshow

We are really freaking excited for the first annual Bottle Rock Festival, coming to Napa Valley this week. Featuring an absolutely stellar lineup of musical acts (have I mentioned that The Black Keys are one of my favorite things?) and an equally kick-ass roster of food and drink, Bottle Rock is bringing together the best of the music and Bay Area food worlds. For this special edition of Ask a Chef, we asked some chefs who will be at the festival what tunes get them going in the kitchen. More

The spring harvest is upon us, and in many communities, it's the last call to sign up for a CSA for the full growing season. But before making the leap and joining one, consider whether the program is right for you. There are many pros and cons to weigh, and the summer can be an unexpected time - for you and that farm. Here's a handy list of pros and cons about CSA as opposed to other modes of food-shopping. More

View Slideshow Get Recipe

I have been working on this recipe for longer than any other recipe I've ever worked on. But at long last, I'm pretty darn pleased with the results. Here's how to get the slow-cooked, crisply charred effect of tacos al pastor at home, no rotisserie required. More

Everything we made this week. More

It's an easy assumption, and one we're often told by food writers and ice cream makers: if you want the best ice cream, you have to make it with the best dairy. But what about for the home cook? Does fancy cream and milk make noticeably better ice cream? And is it worth the cost? I put it to the test to find out. More

View Slideshow

Nachos, tortilla soup, refried beans, and more munchies for your Cinco de Mayo fiesta. More

You will watch this animated short featuring a floppy blob of a dog making an omelette for its exhausted, depressed owner, and you will enjoy it. Thank you, Madeline Sharafian (a BFA2 character animator at CalArts) for these two-and-a-half minutes of heartswelling cuteness. More

"Can you start cooking pasta in cold water? If not, why not?" If you're a long-time reader of The Food Lab, you might remember an article I wrote that addresses this very question a few years back. I feel it's important enough to warrant a recap. More

View Slideshow

We who like to mix drinks at home do it for many reasons: First, it's cheaper than drinking out. Second, it's fun to mix your own drinks at home. Third, it's even more fun to mix drinks for other people at home. Any self-respecting home bartender should have a mental Rolodex Excel spreadsheet of favorite classic cocktail recipes. Today, I present the 25 essential drinks that I think everyone should be able to make. More

View Slideshow

We've rounded up our favorite main dishes for your Cinco de Mayo fiesta. More