A can of black beans pulled from the very back of the cupboard has saved dinner more times than we can count. With these beans as our base, we know we can find enough other ingredients in refrigerator drawers and on pantry shelves to pull together a whole meal. More

I ate my first kouign amann from the palm of my hand at a farmers market in Oakland almost two years ago, and I will never in all my life forget the taste of those first buttery, caramelized, incredibly flakey morsels. I dream of traveling to Brittany to try a kouign amann straight from the source. Then again, now that I know that making them at home is not only doable, but just as buttery and flakey as anything coming from a bakery, I may not need to. Kouign amann? At home? I'm not kidding. Here's how you, too, can have a fresh batch of kouign amann cooling on your counter right now.

By now, we’ve all been guilty of doing it. It’s one of the fastest epidemics that not even scientists can explain. Anthropologists and historians hundreds of years from now will find landfills of objects once known as a DSLR camera, lenses, hard drives and memory cards. To their surprise, they will discover that their ancestors and predecessors have been taking pictures, tons of pictures... of food?!  

Shooting food has become one of the fastest growing hobbies for hundreds of thousands of people internationally and many have made the successful leap into the professional side of it. Naturally, everyone wants to get better at it too. 

The moment I stepped into the little neighborhood bakery near the coast of Lebanon, I knew I was someplace special. Furn Al Sabaya ("Bakery of the Ladies") is run by three sisters, Martha, Lorenza and Lucie, who work together behind the counter to sweetly and almost magically churn out an array of unusual breakfast pastries from their fiery oven. The one that captured my heart was a thin egg tart flavored with butter and mint, sort of a cross between a quiche and a pizza. This recipe keeps the buttery goodness of the original, but bakes the egg filling into a flaky, free-form crostata that would make a uniquely tempting addition to a weekend brunch or a special lunch alongside a crunchy green salad.

After dating for three years, Caitlin is moving into Jed's two-story Highlands home just west of downtown Denver, Colorado. I happened to catch them as they were combining their belongings and officially meshing their lives together. The couple's focus is readily apparent by the fact that although there were boxes and clutter around the house, the kitchen was already organized!

Five years ago Johanna and Scott moved from the Pacific Northwest to the Netherlands, and in the process left most of their things behind. After three moves around the Netherlands, they finally settled in a flat in Amsterdam. It was semi-furnished, but the couple still managed to bring their own international, eclectic style to it. The kitchen is simple and minimal, but a few personal touches give it life.

Q: I'm getting to the age where standing at the counter making dinner for very long starts to give me lower back pain. My doctor recommended getting a restaurant floor mat or gel mat. Do these really work? Can anyone recommend a good one?

Sent by Joyce

Although I mentioned that I always have three essentials in my road trip snack stash, I do appreciate a real meal now and again. Sure, peanut butter and jelly is easy enough, but when you want something more satisfying, think of packing some  heartier food in canning jars. With mason jar meals, you can eat all the things! ALL THE THINGS! (Insert evil laughter here!)

Have you had Thai- and Vietnamese-style iced coffee? A combination of strong black coffee, sweetened condensed milk, and plenty of ice makes these drinks a refreshing change from your standard brew. From Girl Versus Dough, here's a frozen version topped with toasted coconut. What a treat! 

I recently moved into a new apartment, and my head is spinning with everything I want to do to make the space my own. I'm especially focused on the kitchen, and plan on painting the room in the next couple of weeks. But while picking a color might seem like the main focus, choosing the right paint finish is equally important, especially when you're dealing with a high-traffic, high-grime place like the kitchen. If you're looking to paint your kitchen, the best paint finish choice is...