We focus on ingredients a lot here at The Kitchn. Sometimes we are explaining offbeat ingredients, or we're discussing readers' questions about using something up (buttermilk, we're looking at you). This post takes a look at a few items you might still have lingering questions about.

• 1 Is Bone Marrow Considered Offal?
• 2 What Can I Do With Leftover Buttermilk?
• 3 Can I Freeze Beer for Cooking?
• 4 Recipe Resources for Wild Game?
• 5 Can I Reuse Pasta Water? More

It doesn't matter what type of chocolate you like: we had you covered this year. Maybe you're looking for something extra dark and salty? Something light like a muffin? There's a recipe for every chocolate craving in existence after the jump. More

The Kitchn's readers and writers shared so many valuable tips for frugal cooking and shopping this year that we've gathered them up in one handy post. Check out the links below for ways to save money, reduce food waste, and entertain on a budget.

• 1 Danny Seo's 5 Tips for Saving Money at the Organic Grocery
• 2 Why You Should Invest in Cheap Wine
• 3 How Can I Save Money or Find Coupons for Healthy Foods?
• 4 It's True! Farmers Markets Are Cheaper Than Supermarkets
• 5 5 Ways To Throw a Party Without Blowing Your Budget More

In October our readers' favorite recipes included pasta dishes, like a vegetarian lasagna with a surprise ingredient, and a quick pasta bake that doesn't require boiling the pasta ahead of time. There was a sweet and lovely cuatro leches cake, egg drop soup, spiced pear muffins and more.

TOP ROW
• 1 Cuatro Leches Cake
• 2 The Apple Pancake
• 3 Vegetarian Lasagna with a Surprise Ingredient
• 4 Chicken & Tomato No-Boil Pasta Bake
• 5 Orzo with Caramelized Fall Vegetables & Ginger More

In September we had a peek into vegan chef and cookbook author Ann Gentry's Los Angeles kitchen, and a look at a sleek yet warm Seattle kitchen. Read on for these and more from September 2011.

TOP ROW
• 1 Lauren and Kyle's Sleek, Warm Seattle Kitchen
• 2 A Visit to Vegan Chef Ann Gentry's Los Angeles Kitchen
• 3 Laura's Cool Green City Kitchen
• 4 Chef Brandon Boudet's Charming Cottage Kitchen
• 5 Food Writer Carla Snyder's Warm Red and Green Kitchen More

The adventures of baking are founded in tried and trusted know-how. We're always learning better, easier ways to get things done with the best results and here are a few of those nuggets of baking wisdom from the last year: More

A good salad can be many things. It can be a side dish, a whole meal on its own, or a crowd-friendly dish to bring to a family gathering. Here are 15 of our favorites from this past year that are sure to have your friends and family asking for seconds. More

2011 was the unofficial year of the avocado here at The Kitchn. With help from our readers, we learned the best ways to store and cut these creamy green fruits and dined on avocados for breakfast, lunch, and even dessert. Read on for the year's worth of tips, tricks, and recipes. (No avocados in your area? We reviewed a mail order source, too.)

• 1 Best Place to Store Avocados? In the Refrigerator
• 2 What Is the Best Way to Store Half an Avocado?
• 3 A Surplus Of Avocados: Should We Freeze Them?
• 4 What's the Best Way to Remove the Pit From an Avocado?
• 5 A Better Way to Dice an Avocado More

Our readers' favorite recipes in September included a very simple, very easy recipe for chewy banana-oat bars, and another for classic cream of tomato soup. There was a dark molasses cake, and a slow-roasted lamb stew too.

TOP ROW
• 1 4-Ingredient Banana Oat Bars
• 2 Banana Bread Scones with Brown Sugar Glaze
• 3 Extra-Creamy Cooked Cream Cheese Icing
• 4 Cream of Tomato Soup
• 5 Spatchcocked Ricotta Chicken More

In August we had tours from some especially interesting food professionals, like Piper of Grand Central Bakery, and Vikram and Meeru of Vij's in Vancouver. Read on for these and more from August 2011.

TOP ROW
• 1 Piper's Dream-to-Reality Kitchen
• 2 Vikram & Meeru of Vij's in Vancouver
• 3 Ginnie and Janie's Warm, Colorful Kitchen
• 4 Johanna and Dennis' Minimalism
• 5 Jessica's Soulful Rental Kitchen More