The heaviest, most awkwardly wrapped and cautiously placed gift under my Christmas tree this year was a bowl full of homegrown Meyer lemons. While here in New York we're fully ensconced in cellared vegetable season (turnips! beets! potatoes!) my family in California is kicking off citrus season, so I was lucky to have some beautiful Meyers brought straight from Los Angeles.

We blew through a few of them right away — squirted into cocktails and squeezed over ricotta pancakes — but to clear out the rest, I needed a quick solution, ideally one that would keep well and get me through the rough patches of an east coast winter.

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Home cooks have to be a careful when it comes to a cookbook written by a restaurant chef. There often can be a disconnect between what it takes to get restaurant food onto our home tables when we don't have exotic ingredients flown to our doors and a dozen employees to prep them, not to mention years of professional training and the extraordinarily high btu's of a huge, multi-burner professional stove. So when I picked up San Francisco chef Mitch Rosenthal's new cookbook Cooking My Way Back Home, I'll admit I was a little cautious. Was this going to be one of those books that frustrated me with hours of prep work, and too many ingredients and complicated techniques? Read on for what I discovered. More

When it comes to sweets, one flavor I cannot resist is golden, nutty toasted coconut, so when I spotted a jar of toasted coconut sugar for sale at a local shop, I knew I had to experiment with making my own. Stored in a pretty jar, it looks special, yet the two-ingredient recipe is a snap to make. More

I love making homemade condiments, but not everyone has the time or inclination to make their own ketchup, mustard or hot sauce from scratch. That's why whipping up a big batch of your favorite condiment and bottling it to give as hostess gifts is a gesture that's sure to be appreciated. My pick? Garlicky, spicy and bright Thai sweet chili sauce. More

Growing up, there were two kinds of cranberry sauce people: canned or homemade . We always had a little of both to appease everyone. As my sisters and I have grown older, the debate has changed. Now, cans aren't even in the picture although the argument between relish or sauce seems to start the second Halloween is over. More

For the last several months I've had one staple in my diet. Call me boring, call me what you will, but I really love salsa. It can be chunky, it can be blended, it can be hot or just fresh and mild, it doesn't much matter. I love them all. In fact, I love salsa so much I've eaten it with almost every meal recently. And did you know you can eat salsa with more than chips? Here are 15 things you may or may not have thought to try it out on! More

There is one product I buy in multiples when it hits the shelves around this time of year: Trader Joe's Pumpkin Butter. This spiced and lightly sweetened spread adds a warm, autumnal flavor to everything from yogurt to pound cake, and transforms buttered toast into a special treat. More

Q: Here in the northeast a lot of us have been without power for days. My power just returned on this morning after being out for more than 85 hours. My question is this: what open condiments would you still keep after this period of time and what would you throw out? I've already disposed of any dairy based condiments, but I'm hesitant to toss my jams, mustards, vinegar-based dressings and sauces such as BBQ sauce.

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Happy Halloween! Having people over this evening? We have a simple appetizer idea that kids and adults alike will love. Or, if you're laying low tonight, this is perfect for tomorrow morning's breakfast. More

Grapeseed oil seems to be gaining popularity lately. It has been showing up a lot in recipes that call for a neutral oil, especially those that come from chefs and restaurants. What is grapeseed oil? Why and when should you use it? More