Help Me Replicate the Texture of Boxed Mac and Cheese! Good Questions

Q: Everyone loves creamy mac and cheese, but I'm the opposite — I love boxed mac and cheese because I can have a "dry" mac and cheese that still tastes cheesy. Is there anyway to replicate that "dry but cheesy" pasta with real foods?

Sent by Celeste

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A reader recently expressed her frustration with the available selection of ugly, plastic cake keepers. She wanted something pretty she could display on her countertop, but also something with a lid to keep things fresh. Well, there are plenty of options that marry those two functions! Here are 10 lovely places to start:

What Should I Make With My Leftover Cotija Cheese? Good Questions

Q: I bought a rather expensive hunk of cotija cheese for our Cinco de Mayo tacos. What else can I do with it besides add to salads?

Sent by Diane

Questions About Pairing Food & Wine?
6 Helpful Starting Tips

Wine Pairing is a more of a wine term or a concept than a wine word. It is also a term that can be controversial, ambiguous and even cause anxiety. I am not one for imposing rigid rules when it comes to wine pairing, so what I offer are tips and guidelines rather than hard and fast rules.

Craving a (Not Too) Sweet Dessert?
7 Desserts Without White Sugar

Dessert is one of my favorite meals. Let's face it: I have a pretty fierce sweet tooth. But many of us are trying to watch our sugar intake or, at least, cut down on the pure white stuff. Here are seven desserts that satisfy a sweet tooth without using any white sugar at all.

Chowing Down on Bok Choy! 10 Ways to Love This Asian Green Ingredient Spotlight

Bok choy was not even on my radar before it started showing up in my first-ever CSA a few years back. At first I was baffled. What was this crunchy bulb-bottomed vegetable with its tender greens? But then me and bok choy? We hit our stride. Oh, boy, did we.

How to Bake a Potato in the Slow Cooker Cooking Lessons from The Kitchn

How would you like to come home tonight to the aroma of roasting potatoes and know that all you have to do is pull out a foil package and add the butter? Oh, yes, this kind of instant dinner gratification is totally possible. All you have to do is grab some potatoes and take your slow cooker down from the shelf.

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Rice often gets relegated into the "side dish" category, which is the food equivalent of always playing wingman while flashier, more winsome ingredients get to chat up the cook. Today, we're showing a little love for this humble grain. Here are ten of our favorite dinners where rice gets to be the star.

Wine with Chicken Fingers or Fish Sticks: Tips on Choosing the Right Wine When You're Eating a Kid-Friendly Meal

While you might not drink wine with every meal (or maybe you do!), there are times when a glass or two hits the spot, even if the menu includes chicken fingers. No matter how low-key the fare, wine advice from an expert brings it up a notch. With mac and cheese on the menu recently, I got in touch with one of my favorite wine pros for a recommendation.

Recipe: Pasta Salad with Smoked Gouda, Roasted Red Peppers & Artichoke Hearts Recipes from The Kitchn

I am always hunting for new warm weather recipes, whether I am hosting a barbecue, attending a potluck, or just filling my fridge with a simple salad for the week. Pasta salad is a particular favorite of mine (you can never have too many in your arsenal), so when a reader requested "copycat" recipes from the Whole Food's salad bar, I jumped at the chance. This version — with smoked gouda, roasted red peppers, and artichoke hearts — is rich, creamy, and one of the best I've made yet.