There are very few savory recipes that don't begin with a chopped onion or that contain minced herbs or garlic.  For a new cook, terms like "medium chop" or "small dice" can be confusing.  Medium compared to what?  How small is small?  And how much trouble can you get into if you small chop something when the recipe says to mince?

If you feel like you've mastered Pasta 101: Make Pasta from Scratch, then it's time to graduate to Pasta 201: Tortellini Edition. In today's class, you will learn the fine art of rolling, stuffing, and shaping these fetching little dumplings, all for the eventual goal of serving them to your adoring fans. No matter how tricky these tortellini look right now, I guarantee you will feel like a serious pasta-making pro once you step up to the pasta roller and turn out your first tray.

Grenadine is that bright red, super sweet syrup that helps put the sun in a Tequila Sunrise and makes a Shirley Temple blush. It also occasionally puts the cherry in cherry cokes, but actually, grenadine is traditionally made from pomegranates (grenadine is French for pomegranate) and has a lot more going for it when you make your own. This quick, simple method for making homemade grenadine allows the tartness of the pomegranate to really come through and is a big improvement over the commercial versions.

I consider caramel popcorn to be the ultimate party treat — beloved by the attendees of children's birthday parties and grown-up cocktail hours alike. It's crunchy, it's deeply caramelized, and it's utterly addictive. If your only experience with caramel popcorn is the sticky-sweet stuff that comes Christmas tins, then I insist that you drop whatever you are currently doing and make yourself a batch this afternoon.

Here on the West Coast, the fruit trees are blooming and the asparagus has arrived in the markets, so there's no doubt about it: spring is here. Hooray! Let's take a look at one of the most basic ways of cooking this springtime treat: blanching.

When I decided to throw a weekend brunch for my book club, the one aspect of the party that was a big question mark was the coffee. Ever since I ditched my drip coffee maker for a Chemex, making coffee for more than four people has meant a lot of me standing around in the kitchen slowly pouring hot water over coffee grounds while everyone else is having fun in the other room. I didn't want that to happen at this party.

Instead I experimented with using a coffee concentrate — the same type I had used in the past to make stellar iced coffee — and discovered the process turns out a cup of hot coffee that is just as good: rich, flavorful and mellow. Even better, making a pot of coffee for a crowd of people with this method is literally as easy as boiling water.

What's a dinner party without a basket of warm rolls on the table? The softer and fluffier the better, I say. All the better to sop up those last bits of sauce. Here's how I make my absolute favorite, foolproof dinner rolls, a perfect addition to any table.

I just love a good egg salad sandwich: the creaminess of the eggs and mayo, the crunch of celery, the faint but not overwhelming tang of raw onion.  So perfect!  I go for egg salad when I want the simple, unchallenging comfort of nursery food.  Unless of course I'm feeling a little reckless, in which case out comes the curry powder. But I'm getting ahead of myself.  Let's nail the classic, uncomplicated egg salad recipe first.

Does reading "fold the egg whites into the batter" strike fear into your heart? So many recipes take it for granted that we know how to do this basic technique, but in reality, "folding" batter isn't exactly the easiest idea to grasp. This is why we're taking a three-pronged approach to showing you exactly how it's done: detailed written instructions, a photo gallery, and a short video. No more fear! After today, you can add a new technique to your repertoire of kitchen skills. More

Madeleines.  That little French butter cake that most (non-French) people think of more as a cookie.  They have a classy, literary reputation, having served as Proust's muse in his famous Remembrance of Things Past.  Like most muses, however, madeleines appear to be simple but actually require a fair amount of patience and careful following of instructions.  In the end, though,  you are rewarded with a truly unique little cake, browned and crispy on the outside and spongy and soft on the inside.  A perfect accompaniment to your afternoon cup of tea.