I've been making a lot of caramel popcorn recently — talk about the perfect treat for everything from Teacher Appreciation Day to a birthday potluck! But the unpopped kernels always bug me. Nothing worse than munching a handful of caramel popcorn clusters and suddenly biting into a hard kernel. I finally figured out an easy way to eliminate nearly all those unpopped kernels before they ruin the batch.

Ever since cooking through Indian Vegetarian Feast, we've been inspired to add a tablespoon of panch phoron to everything from sautéed broccoli to a pot of beans or a jar of refrigerator pickles. This five spice mix is so easy to make yet adds tremendous flavor and aroma to Bengali dishes and anything else you can think of. 

Hearts of romaine are one of those kitchen workhorse ingredients that rarely get the attention they deserve. We use them to fill out our salads and perhaps add some crunch to a sandwich, and...don't think much of them beyond that. So what can you do with them beyond the usual? I have a few ideas! What about you?

Where I live on the West Coast, the roses are in the peak of their first bloom, and their heady, delicious scent and bright blossoms are everywhere!  Soon this lovely, intoxicating event will spread across the country. While roses are pretty to look at and sweet to smell, they also can be delicious to taste. Used in many Middle Eastern and Indian cuisines, roses make sweet, floral preserves and vibrant garnishes. Read on for 12 ways you can use fresh rose petals in the kitchen.

If you have a carton of leftover cream in your fridge and are wondering what to do with it, you are in luck. Tender cream biscuits, the creamiest scrambled eggs, strawberry panna cotta and salted coffee caramel sauce are just a few of ways you can solve the "problem" of leftover cream.

"It's the most powerful food in the landscape of American culinary experience," according to Glenn Roberts, founder of Anson Mills, producer of handmade milled goods from organic heirloom grains. Glenn is a purist. His favorite way to enjoy the delicious milled corn dish is plain, eaten alone and with reverence. I can't say that most of us southerners are so calm around our grits, but we do love them. 

Gelatin is made from animal collagen, but that doesn't mean vegetarians and vegans have to miss out on gelatin-based sweets like panna cotta, mousse, and jellies. Here are some great alternatives and tips for cooking with them. 

Want to expand your horizons beyond the standard herbs like basil, rosemary, and mint? Here are 12 lesser-known herbs to try this spring and summer. Not all of them will be available in grocery stores, but you might find them at farmers' markets, growing in parks, or in your own garden if you're inspired to plant something new! 

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.

Want to thicken your morning smoothie? If you're out of bananas, don't like bananas, or are just looking to reduce the sugar content of your smoothie a bit, add a tablespoon of chia seeds instead!