Q: How can I recreate at home Heinz baked beans with the red tomato sauce, typical of english breakfasts? My little brother loves the taste.

Sent by Aurora

I've been hearing the same question for years: "What's the best way to learn about cheese?" The answer will make your taste buds happy.

Not quite wine and not quite vinegar, verjus settles Goldilocks-style somewhere in between. It's made from the pressings of young, unripe grapes cut at the beginning of the grape season to allow other vines more room to grow. Verjus isn't fermented, so there's no alcohol, and the flavor is a gentler, sweeter version of vinegar — though definitely still tart. So, do you drink it? Do you cook with it? Let's discuss.

Do you ever wonder why so many people automatically reach for a beer to go with African, Asian, or Caribbean foods? Answer: Beer is refreshing, and it does not clash with the many feisty, fiery flavors of chilies, herbs, spices and sauces that are the signature of these many and varied cuisines. But don't put away your wine glasses just yet!

Living alone or as a couple can prove to be a challenge come dinner time. When a recipe serves six but there's only two of you, it can be a bore to eat the same thing several days in a row. This is why I wanted to write a recipe today that was the perfect size: a hearty dinner salad just for two.

The first few times I tried kimchi it was not, I must admit, my favorite food. Then I met my Korean-American partner, Gregory, moved in with his mom — a superb cook — and within a few months I was wholly converted. These days my mouth waters at the slightest whiff of pungent, fermented cabbage and I'll eat it with everything from fried rice to dumplings, summer rolls, or, ahem, straight out of the jar. I still have a lot to learn from Mom when it comes to kimchi making (there are over a hundred different kinds!) but this mak kimchi, or simple kimchi, recipe has been a great place to start. 

May is usually the month when your local CSA starts gearing up for the soon-to-come avalanche of summer bounty.  Whether you live in warmer climes and are in the throes of strawberries, peas, asparagus from your year-round box or you're just starting up again after having the winter off, it's an exciting time for fresh, local produce.  But it can be a challenging time, too, especially when unfamiliar or overly abundant vegetables show up.  Read on for a roundup of tips to help you manage your CSA experience.

Don't get me wrong, I love a good green salad. But there is a whole world of quick, easy vegetable side dishes that don't involve lettuce. With recipes like sesame roasted snap peas, baked chili-spiked sweet potato chips and grilled cabbage with spicy lime dressing, you now have no excuse. Get out of that salad rut tonight!

I hadn't been living in California for very long before I felt compelled visit wine country — a common side effect when one has only ever lived in northern climes and sunshine is a novelty. I was not disappointed. It's impossible to visit any California vineyard and not fall in love with the orderly rows of grape vines stretching to touch the distant hills, or the way food tastes when eaten outside in March, or yes, of course, the wine. If you want a little glimpse of what an afternoon in wine country feels like, specifically an afternoon in the Central Coast's "new" wine country, pick up this book and prepare to be transported.

This Key lime pie is full of clean and bright notes, and it's surprisingly simple to make — and easy to love.