There are a few reasons I rarely make cheesecake. First and most important, there are just the two of us at home and I can't think of any occasion that would warrant us needing a whole cheesecake sitting around the house. Second, it's not the simplest dessert to make with the fuss of hot water baths and inevitable cracking. That's why I was excited to stumble upon these individual, no-bake cheesecakes last week. 

Last month Megan declared baked ricotta "the best appetizer you haven't met yet." Intrigued (who wouldn't be?), I gave it a try and suddenly baked ricotta is the best appetizer I've only recently met. It's the new thing, the current crush, the little bite that perfectly straddles the divide between old-fashioned, stodgy hot appetizers and fresher, more modern tastes. If you like to have something hot on the table to start a party, then let us convince you to also make baked ricotta's acquaintance. 

Where there's brunch, there are Bloody Marys. So at this Sunday's Cinco de Mayo brunch celebration, it just makes sense that we'll be happily sipping Mary's Mexican cousin: the Bloody Maria.

There's nothing more refreshing than a glass of cool lemonade on a warm day.  Sure there are those cartons of pre-made stuff and cans of concentrate, but if you'd like to avoid preservatives and flavor enhancers, then there's nothing easier than making your own.  It's really not that hard, and if you keep a supply of simple syrup in the refrigerator, it's actually quite fast.  Read on for our classic lemonade recipe, plus five easy and delicious variations.

It's Cinco de Mayo this weekend! The perfect reason to grab a bunch of friends, open the windows (hopefully...), and dig into some good food and drink. If you haven't started planning your fiesta yet, it's not too late: here's a menu plan that will help you put together everything from the guacamole to the margaritas.

My wife and I cook like to cook together in the kitchen. A lot. We meal plan and secure all our groceries on the weekend, effectively pulling together a menu that will feed us, both lunch and dinner, at least four days out of the week. The inspiration for what we put on our dinner plates comes from a variety of books, magazines, and online sources. Each week there is one stand out, and this week the best thing we cooked Bon Appetit's Indian-Spiced Chicken with Chickpeas and Spinach.

Where I come from, the first thing to show up at the market is rhubarb, not strawberries. So as temptingly spring-like as a strawberry rhubarb pie might sound, if I were to make one now, it would be with strawberries flown in from a faraway place. 

Besides, why mess with rhubarb? Have you had it on its own? It's edgy, indeed. Sour and bright, it needs some sweetness, but not too much. 

Making authentic Mexican food can sometimes feel out of my comfort zone, but after discovering delicious carne de puerco at a favorite local joint, I knew it was high time I try. Now that I know how easy it is to achieve this dish of tender pork smothered in a charred tomatillo sauce at home, I may never again need to "go out" for Mexican ever again.

Any trip to Texas will likely include an experience with chicken fried steak and Cholula hot sauce. Chicken fried steak (lovingly called CFS) is a southern classic, while Cholula hot sauce (introduced to the states here in Austin, TX) is a popular condiment that adds a Texas kick. See what happens when these icons get hitched in this new take on a Lone Star tradition.

Q: I got a pound of frozen trout in my CSA this week. I'm a single lady on a tight budget, so I don't really want to share my one pound of meat for the week! The trout is pretty frozen so I can't separate the fillets. Any ideas or recipes that will use the whole pound? Ideally something that can be frozen afterwards?