Part of the joy of cooking is coming across a new ingredient and then learning exactly what you can do with it. If you've ever wondered about malted milk powder, prickly pears, quark cheese, or salad burnet, wonder no more. We have ingredient spotlights on all these below, plus many more. It's time to get a little adventurous. Goose eggs? Argan oil? Svaneti salt? Bring it on! More

We love getting glimpses into the lives of some of our favorite writers, especially when it comes to their tastes in food! Did you know that Walt Whitman loved oysters and meat for breakfast? Or that Allen Ginsberg had a famous and "uncompromising" Borsch recipe? Read on for these secrets and more, including a roundup of terrific food journals, a peek inside a literary food-themed dinner party, and Beatrix Potter's recipe for gingerbread. More

We all want a kitchen that's better organized, right? Of course right! Last February we focused kitchen essentials and organizing them well. Here are some of our favorite kitchen storage tips and advice that came up that month, from hanging a Julia Child-style pegboard, to the best magnetic spice jars, to some unexpected tools for keeping things clean and tidy! More

We are a bunch of eaters on the go — not only during the busy holiday travel season, but also during the rest of the year as we rushing off to classes, meetings, and who knows what else. Our schedules don't have to mean resorting to take-out or scarfing handfuls of trail mix every day. Here are all our best recipes from 2012 that can be made ahead, packed up, and eaten on your schedule. More

What was popular in January 2012? Well, let's start with these amazing smörgåstårta — savory sandwich cakes! There were weeknight dinners with chickpeas, and the best chocolate mousse you've ever had (just 2 ingredients!). Read on for these and more — our readers' favorite posts of January 2012. More

When we bring a new product in the kitchen, we don't go easy on it. Our writers use it every which way before writing up their thoughts, the good and bad. This year our product reviews ran the gamut from pans and iPad stands to food dehydrators and ice cream makers. Scroll through and discover which products we loved (and didn't love) this year. More

We're rounding up our favorite posts from the past year — and today we're looking all the way back to January. We started January with a seriously fresh start: We launched an all-new site design! This was a great way to start the year, and we jumped right into fresh cooking and lighter eating. Here's a look back at 15 of our best posts on eating lighter, packing more vegetables into meals, and making the kitchen a more refreshing place to cook. More

We are always looking for smart tips that help us save time and be a little more efficient in the kitchen. This year we shared some great ideas for choosing the fastest lane at the supermarket, prepping and cooking a week's worth of vegetables in one afternoon, and freezing smoothies in muffin tins for healthy sipping in minutes — plus 12 more tips to make cooking healthy, tasty meals a little more convenient. More

This past year we really took to heart the plight of the newbie cook: how do I set up my kitchen? What are the essential tools, appliances, and cookware to have at the ready? To help with this, we put together our own guides to cookware, bakeware, tools, and all the essential non-food products one needs to start off successfully in the kitchen, which we've included here. Rounding out this list is a post on great chef's knives, the best multi-tasking tool every kitchen should have (but especially small ones), and why it's worth it to splurge on one particular cooking thermometer. More

On my short jaunt last week to CERSAIE, the massive European tile show, I saw plenty of gorgeous understated tile. But the designs that really left an impression were more colorful and geometry-inspired — especially the new designs by Patricia Urquiola for luxury tile maker Mutina. Here's a peek at this lovely stuff! More