A moist brown sugar cake soaked with a buttery glaze. More

All the flavor of a bacon-wrapped jalapeño popper in a grilled cheese sandwich. More

A grilled cheese sandwich layered with sliced meats and olive salad. More

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Strata's are a great vehicle for a lot of different ingredients, which makes them an ideal dish for getting rid of the odds and ends in your fridge as well as feeding a group of hungry people. More

Like malted milkshakes? This simple and creamy dessert is a blast of milk chocolate and malt, with crunchy malt candy on top. More

Let's forget the strange synthetic lime-dust powders or the neon-orange glow of Doritos for a second. For this tasting, we were looking for a good, crunchy, sturdy, salty chip that tastes of corn. We tried 12 nationally available brands to find the very best. More

A quick and hearty stew made with kale, white beans, and Italian sausage. More

In Texas, whipping up a bowl of the cheesy dip known as Chili Con Queso can be as simple as melting a block of everyone's favorite shelf stable "cheese food" (read: Velveeta) with a can of Ro*Tel diced tomatoes with green chiles. But things weren't quite so easy for Lisa Fain, AKA The Homesick Texan when she moved to Manhattan. Unable to locate the tomatoes that give this party favorite its distinct zing, she took it upon herself to make over this Texan dip. More

Crunchy stuffing crumbs coat baked chicken with mushrooms in this vintage version of a Campbell's Soup recipe. More

If you're thinking of buying gravy-in-a-jar, wait! This recipe is about as simple as it gets, and will give you results that are vastly superior to the store-bought sludge. To improve your gravy even further, just follow the simple guidelines... More

Creamy, chocolatey, and a snap to make, this chocolate lover's tiramisu gets an extra pick me up with a shot of coffee liquor. More

Crisp and colorful vegetables, crunchy cashews, and roasted chicken in a punchy sesame ginger vinaigrette make a light yet satisfying summer meal. More

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What if I told you that there's a technique that not only virtually guarantees perfectly cooked salmon, but can also be done in just a few minutes, with no stinking up of the apartment, in the toaster oven? And on top of that, what if I told you that the same technique produces salmon that is, by my tastes, not just as good, but better than any other recipe or technique I know? More

There are as many versions of jambalaya as there are cooks. In my house, the essential ingredients are green peppers, celery, onion, okra, rice, tomato and some sort of pork; but feel free to experiment and create your own list of essentials. If fresh okra is not in season use frozen cut okra, but be sure to use a brand you trust—some frozen okra can be distastefully fibrous. As always, homemade stock is best, but a grocery store version always works in a pinch. Coleslaw is a great side with this dinner, as is cold beer. More

I don't need much of an excuse to make another version of shrimp and grits. It's one of my favorite dishes. But I was really interested in this variation from Nathalie Dupree in Cooking with Les Dames D'Escofier. The recipe is not light, as it features whole milk and heavy cream. Oh, and did I mention the butter and cheese? More

Mention "beef tenderloin" around most people and those salivary glands instantly start to kick in. No cut has such a reputation as being "high-end" as the tenderloin, and it carries a price tag to match. With summer now upon us, we have a the best device to tackle the entire cut at once, the grill, and boy will you ever be loved by the backyard crowds when they see one of these over the flames. More

It doesn't matter what you call them. Scallions, spring onions, green onions—the skinny guys with green shoots start looking really good when spring is springing. Fluffy spring lettuce and asparagus are also harbingers of the season, but those onions deserve just as much glory. More

The slow-cooking of fish is meant to turn the flesh particularly succulent—even custardy—so that it doesn't become dry or crumbly, which happens at higher heats. Poaching in oil is meant to accomplish the same thing, but I'm sure of one thing: Throwing it in a low oven is a lot easier than using cups and cups of oil. More

Filled with tart Granny Smith apples, juicy raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and a healthy shot of dark rum, this jam tastes exactly like my favorite holiday apple pie. It's insanely good on cornbread and pretty darn delicious on plain old... More

It's always exciting when someone presents you with a new way to prepare a dish that had never crossed your mind before. This was the case while I was interviewing Chattanooga resident and chef Kent Whitaker for an upcoming article in on tailgating. He mentioned his favorite way to eat jalapenos—battered and fried a la okra and dipped in a creamy horseradish sauce. More

At Good Stuff Eatery in D.C. Spike has a variety of wedge options but I think the Classic Wedge is the best place to start the iceberg comeback. Basically a quartered head of iceberg lettuce, the Classic Wedge is topped with a fantastic Blue Cheese Dressing, chopped red onions, crumbled bacon, and even more blue cheese. We all know that adding bacon is an easy way to amp up the deliciousness factor but in this case it's the homemade blue cheese dressing that really makes the salad. More

Plain grits are a fine thing, yes, but grits plus bacon and cheese will win over anyone. The Lee brothers suggest serving these grits with scrambled eggs, but also imply that after a rough night you might want nothing more than a big bowl of grits, a spoon, and a tall mimosa. They also advise against instant grits, urging us to look instead for the label "stone-ground" or "old-fashioned." More

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I've recovered from early pie-making traumas to make crusts that are both flaky and tender. For me, the key was in the technique—working quickly with cold ingredients, keeping some of the fat in little solid chunks, giving the dough a good rest in the fridge, and handling the dough gently. Maybe it sounds like a long list of things to keep in mind, but I promise it's not complicated. Check out the step-by-step slideshow so you can become a crust-making pro too. More

I'm going to go out on a limb here and declare that this Candied Pecan Bacon from Pig: King of the Southern Table by James Villas might very well be the best cocktail hour snack ever. I realize that this is a bold statement but once you've tried these crisp, sweet and salty strips of pecan-crusted bacon you'll surely be on board. Making this might require a little more effort than, say, putting out a bowl of olives or nuts, but the payoff is worth it. Paired with some bourbon-based cocktails, it doesn't really get any better. More

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True, making breadcrumbs from scratch is nothing fancier than pulverizing, toasting, and maybe seasoning old bread. The real charm of the homemade stuff: A spare half a loaf could inspire new dinner ideas on the spot—if you know how to use it. Read on for tips on custom-making crumbs to suit your meatloaf, pan-fried cutlets, baked chicken fingers, mac and cheeses, and other meals. More