We recently shared six methods for making ice cream without an ice cream maker, but here is one more: Jeni Britton Bauer's very simple method for making creamy ice cream with the help of your food processor.

Whether you're lactose intolerant or just avoiding dairy, ice cream for dessert usually means an empty bowl of sadness or perhaps a serving of sorbet — but it doesn't have to. Here are 10 dairy-free recipes to satisfy any creamy ice cream cravings.

No one can blame you for pushing aside a piece of soft, soggy fish skin, but if cooked until crisp and crackling, the skin on a fillet is not just edible, it can be downright addictive, adding textural contrast and tons of flavor. The LA Times Test Kitchen has a simple method for ensuring the crispest fish skin.

According to the American Diabetes Association, 25.8 million people in the United States have diabetes, and 79 million people are considered prediabetic. With those staggering numbers, it's no wonder many cooks are in search of healthy meal ideas for those living with diabetes. Registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator Angela Ginn gave us some tips for satisfying, diabetic-friendly meals, as well as her recipe for tasty tri-color lentil soup.

Annie Shannon knows all about vegan baking substitutions. The food blogger and author of the upcoming Betty Goes Vegan cookbook spent the last couple years cooking her way through the all-American, decidedly omnivorous Betty Crocker Cookbook, transforming every recipe into a vegan version of the original. Hundreds of cupcakes later, she has a few recommendations for the best vegan substitutions for common baking ingredients.

Building a great meal can sometimes feel like casting a big Hollywood movie: it's easy to pick a starring main dish — it's finding the supporting cast that can be tough. What is the best way to choose side dishes that will complement the main course without distracting from it, will look great on the plate, and won't require more time and energy than you can spare? Consider these six elements the next time you are looking for a good match for your show-stopping main dish.

Growing up, I would always laugh at my dad after he drank a beer or a glass of wine. He is Thai-Chinese and even one drink makes his face turn bright red. "You're red!" I'd say, pointing and laughing. It never stopped being funny.

Until the first time I drank alcohol. My face turned beet-red and felt feverishly hot. It wasn't funny at all.

Over the past couple years, I've slowly been building up a home bar, stocking all the liquor, mixers and tools I need to make my favorite cocktails. But the bar didn't feel complete until I got a trustworthy reference book, one that includes both classic drinks and modern interpretations — a book I could grow old with. The Mr. Boston Official Bartender's Guide is that book.

Fresh, locally-grown asparagus tastes better than sad supermarket stalks, but this flavor often comes at a price: sand, and lots of it. Chef Dan Barber, who knows a thing or two about just-picked produce, recommends blanching gritty asparagus to fully clean it. Here's why:

I blame my recent fixation with breakfast sandwiches on the kale and sausage sandwich at the cafe a few miles from my house. It comes with a runny fried egg balanced on top of the braised kale, so when you cut the sandwich in half, the yolk oozes out and makes the whole sandwich a billion times tastier. I wouldn't mind starting every day with it — or any of these sandwiches, really.