This year we visited a few incredibly talented food artisans around the country. There was Brooklyn Soda Works, carbonated fruit soda makers from New York, and Salt & Straw, the ice cream innovators in Portland. There was a trip to Middle West Spirits, vodka makers in Columbus, Ohio, and a tour of Jester King, beer brewers extraordinaire from Austin. We even toured a traditional challah bakery in Bnei Brak, Israel. Scroll through a few of the most memorable tours here: More

Whether due to a particularly abundant CSA delivery, an impulse buy at the supermarket, or unexpected leftovers after a party, we've all been there: staring down at a pile of ingredients we don't quite know what to do with. But we can always count on our readers for guidance and a ton of great ideas. Here are 20 ingredients that stumped cooks this year — which you responded to with (literally) hundreds of smart suggestions. More

Small kitchen cooks have a unique set of challenges, and we understand that. Many of us cook in small kitchens as well, which means when we find something cool, useful, or inspirational for our tiny kitchen, we want to share it with you, too! Here are 15 of this year's favorite tips, products, and inspirational ideas for small kitchens: More

We kicked off June 2012 with a whole week celebrating fruit. Here's a look back at some of the tips, ideas, and recipes featuring sweet, summery fruit — from a kiwi gin and tonic, to rhubarb curd, to a fabulous cookbook to help you eat more fruit. More

What was popular in May 2012? Let's see: Pasta carbonara (an authentic recipe!), and 25 food writers' safety drinks to order at bad bars. Plus, flavor variations for magic banana ice cream and why recipe writers lie about caramelizing onions. More

If kitchen eye candy is your thing, we had quite the year for that. A number of our Kitchen Tours upped the ante in the glam department with sleek appliances, custom detailing, and other jaw-dropping elements that had us pinning them to our "Dream Kitchen" board post-haste. Here are 10 favorites to feast your eyes on: More

Want to make the ultimate granola? The cheesecake your friends can't stop raving about? This year we shared a ton of tips for making better versions of 15 favorite foods to help you take your cooking to the next level. From coffee to quiche, we've gathered what you need to master the daily basics and some special occasion treats. More

This past May, we did something really fun that we had never done before: We ran a whole week of posts that were prompted by reader requests. That's right — every single post we wrote had been requested, in some way, by a reader. It was so interesting to see what our readers asked for! Here's a look back at 10 posts from that week, from buttery yellow cake, to a crash course in wine, and what to eat when you get home from the gym, to tips for managing your time when cooking for a party. And let's not forget about vegetarian meals to satisfy even Ron Swanson... More

There is so much talent and expert knowledge available in the food world that sometimes you just have to go to the source. So we did. We spoke to a number of chefs, food writers, cookbook authors, and other experts this year to get their take on everything from diabetic-friendly cooking to budget-friendly kitchen tile. Read on for their advice: More

In April our readers gravitated towards a discussion of "difficult" dinner guests, and embracing the pleasures and challenges of cooking for absolutely everyone (we gave some ideas for good meals that nearly anyone can eat, no matter what the dietary restrictions are). Other popular posts: The best and worst supermarkets, great potluck recipes, and awesome time-saving kitchen tricks! More