We get a lot of questions about menus from our readers. What goes with this chicken? How do I craft a menu for my spring cookout? What dessert should I serve with this meal? We all have different approaches to building a menu, especially one for a dinner with friends. Here's a peek inside my own dinner party journal, where I keep track of what meals I've served, and when, and with what and for whom. It's a look back at a list of real-life menus over the course of a year — now updated with recipe links! More

It's the first day back from a long weekend. There are a pile of emails that need answering and several meetings that will shortly need attending. It's hard to believe a three-day weekend could be over that fast. Let us ease your workday transition with some adorable cats and kittens that require your attention. More

Melody is an architect and an avid home cook, so when she and her husband set out to build a new home in the hills of Portland, Oregon, they put a lot of energy into the cooking and dining spaces. The resulting kitchen is open, airy and perfect for hanging out with guests who can relax at the counter or the stunning reclaimed wood table at the adjoining dining room. Here's an extended peek into that rare, beautiful thing: A kitchen designed precisely for a home cook's taste and desires.

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We are always trying to eat more vegetables, more greens! A quick stir-fry is one of the fastest, easiest, tastiest ways to make a last-minute vegetable side dish to suit any meal. Grace Young proved this to be true when she demonstrated a basic stir-fry recipe for us: Romaine lettuce leaves, warm and slightly wilted, tumbled in a sauce of garlic and chilies. After that — the same recipe and method, but this time with halved baby bok choy. We couldn't stop eating either of these.

Here is a recipe and a stir-fry technique that any of us can take into our kitchens and adapt to just about any vegetable we find in the fridge. More

Do you own a wok? If you listen to Grace Young talk about stir-frying for long enough, you'll certainly start wanting one! The high sides of the wok are perfect for stir-frying meat and vegetables without crowding the pan or dumping ingredients over the side. Carbon steel woks also become naturally nonstick the longer you use them, meaning less oil needed for cooking.

Ready to take the plunge? Here's how to pick a wok and season it for the first time. Also, Grace shows us how to give an adolescent wok a "facial" to keep it looking good until its true patina develops. More

Cacao nibs are the perfect addition to most morning recipes because they're not too sweet and add a complexity difficult to achieve with other more common flavors like maple syrup, nuts or fresh fruit. Here are a few tips to get you started on cacao nibs in the morning. More

Q: What are some good recipes that use harissa? My husband and I usually buy it in tubes from France, but recently at a market I snapped some up that is packaged in a can. We have a few recipes, but probably not enough to use an entire can before it goes off. Any ideas?

Sent by Amanda More

Last year we wrote about Wendy MacNaughton's illustrated farmer's market series, inspired by her visits to the San Francisco Civic Center Farmers' Market. Now two illustrations from that series—the mushrooms and vegetables—are available for purchase. Wouldn't they be perfect hanging in the kitchen? More

There are many ways to heat a tortilla: my friends of Mexican heritage wrap them in a damp cloth and pop them in the microwave. Other people use the oven (but that can feel wasteful unless the oven is already being used for another dish) or pan fry them in a skillet. But I have another strategy which I believe is the most fun and flavorful way to accomplish this task. Hint: see picture above! More

How do you feel about beer in cans? What about craft beer in cans? This past year has seen the release of several new canned beers from some of our favorite craft breweries. But it's more than just a trendy move for hipster beer drinkers; there are some good arguments for shifting to the can. More