I go a bit nuts every spring and summer when fresh produce is at its best. I end up buying things willy nilly, without much thought as to how I'm going to prepare, much less eat, all of it myself. After several valiant dinner parties and late night asparagus binges, I still find myself with far too much produce to even consider finishing everything before it starts to lose quality. More

With thousands of breweries cranking out new beers at a breakneck pace, the reality is that unless you read the beer news blogs religiously and memorize the names of every new label, it can get tricky to know what to order when you're faced with a beer list at your local bar. That's why we're offering a few handy code-cracking tips to help you figure out which options will please your palate. 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

"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

Not long ago, at a wine tasting, my friend John said to me, "If I owned two vineyards, I'd name one Spicy, and the other Smooth. I'd make ten million dollars." Clearly, John has a mind for marketing. But it turns out there's a chemical explanation for some wines tasting spicy. More

These 7 dry rosés were made with an eye toward balance and character, and the results are elegant, refreshing, and just darn delicious. They'll make you want to get out an ice bucket and blow off work for the afternoon. (And since they're all pretty low in alcohol, you can pour yourself another glass or two.) More

A lighter alternative to lasagna, this Mediterranean baked pasta dish calls for tomatoes, tender dark greens and creamy feta cheese. More

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Traditional hollandaise, made by emulsifying melted butter into egg yolks and lemon juice, is notoriously difficult to make. But there's a super easy way to do it at home that requires no whisking, is completely foolproof, and produces a hollandaise that's indistinguishable from one made using traditional methods. Watch the video to see how it's done. More

An asparagus frittata with goat cheese and basil. Perfect for brunch, lunch, or a light dinner. More

A thick, hearty orzo risotto, more foolproof than the rice variety, full of sweet Italian sausage, peas, and Parmesan. More

Tangy chevre, along with a blend of finely ground peppercorns, make this scone a zippy, savory breakfast treat that pairs well with virtually any jam, jelly or marmalade. More

You gotta love a cookbook author bold enough to use the words "hodgepodge" and "depending" in the same recipe title. Yet as Deborah Madison explains in her new book, Vegetable Literacy, "Depending is the operative word when there is a garden or good farmers' market." Indeed, when shopping seasonally, you'll never really know what'll look good until you see it. So, go ahead, embrace the hodgepodge of spring vegetables, and adapt Madison's gentle cooking technique and emphatic use of excellent butter to suit your spring haul. More

Rice studded with cilantro, olive, and sausage gets topped with flavorful tomato-y chickpea sauce. More

Shucking fresh peas is not a quick task, I'll admit. But if you can get your hands on some fresh peas in their pods at a farmers' market in the next couple of weeks, grab them and commit to an extra half hour of meal prep. Deborah Madison's unassuming Peas with Baked Ricotta from her new book Vegetable Literacy is worth it. The bright sweetness of the buttery peas matches perfectly with the creamy richness of fresh ricotta, and baking the ricotta with olive oil and fresh bread crumbs transforms cheese and peas into an actual meal. More

Shrimp, asparagus, and orzo in a one-dish quick meal. More

Delicately poached eggs covered in a delicious fennel and curry leaf gravy, this is the egg dish you should have in your repertoire for a quick dinner. More

Making mole has a reputation for being an arduous process with dozens of steps and even more ingredients, but not all moles are particularly difficult or time consuming. The Yellow Mole with Masa Dumplings from Pati's Mexican Table is one such mole. Pati Jinich's recipe only takes an hour or so, and almost all the ingredients can be found in most grocery stores. The thick brick red sauce is tangy and just a little spicy, a worthy accompaniment to braised chicken. Cute, dimpled masa dumplings make the mole into a full meal. More

Carnitas make for one of the best taco fillings: slow braised pork, shredded and then crisped up before serving, is perfect unadorned in a warm corn tortilla. But what if you're looking to take it up a notch? In Pati's Mexican Table, Pati Jinich presents a different version of braised and shredded pork, this time fancied up with orange juice and a fragrant, tangy ancho chile sauce. With a generous pour of apple cider vinegar, the finished dish tastes almost like Mexican pulled pork—and I wouldn't consider that a bad thing. More

Lately, I've been trying really hard not to do obnoxious things, like quote a wine's pH at the table. If I do, it will be something insane, like 2.8 or 2.7 (!), or whatever. Otherwise, I'm trying to keep it to myself. You don't care about pH, do you? Or do you? More

Peanuts are a natural when it comes to beer-friendly snacks, as are salt and vinegar potato chips. This is an easy recipe that combines the two snacks into one. More

Most commonly, when we use the word oak, we mean to describe the flavor that new (or nearly new) barrels bestow upon wine that has spent time inside them. This flavor can vary, but usually anything that smells like coconut, vanilla, cedar, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, or, well, the split wood of oak trees, is a dead giveaway for aging in new (or newish) oak barrels. Uncertain? Go pour yourself a glass of bourbon, and smell that. There's what oh-so-much oak smells like. Whole splintery planks of it. More

If Yorkshire pudding, cornbread, and soufflé could all get together and have a lovechild, that child's name would be spoonbread. More

Bits of caramelized roasted garlic define in each bite of this stuffed leg of lamb, while a more mild mint pesto adds a touch of freshness and saltiness, making this a worthy holiday roast. More

This little goat cheese, a firm, oily variety that many might pass off as sheep's milk at first glance, is surprisingly un-goat-like. Firm like Pecorino, oily like Manchego, and buttery like Fontina, Naked Goat is an enigmatic treat. More

Pan-roasted chicken, mushrooms and potatoes with a rich chicken jus, all cooked together in one skillet. More