Do you have an ice dispenser in your refrigerator? If so, here's a rather magical little Valentine's trick: Turn that dispenser into a surprise candy machine, as demonstrated by the blogger at Foodinese. Want a see a video of this in action? Read on! More

I have a small passion for spiced doughnuts. Sure they're great from local bakeries, but when you're frying them at home, they are one of the most forgiving doughnuts you can make. Why? Because of their color. More

It's about this time of year that I start getting antsy, culinarily speaking. It's still winter and my body craves those hearty dishes of squash and legumes. But I'm also ready for the bright, fresh flavors of spring. This couscous salad with its roasted squash and citrusy vinaigrette bridges the gap. More

Crème brûlée seems to be a dessert locked in step with Valentine's Day: It's classic, easy, and impressive. But what is crème brûlée without its crisp top of just-burnt sugar? Just custard, that's what. Here are the three most common ways to melt sugar on crème brûlée, including one that's newer to us. More

When I first conceived of these bright little tarts, I imagined them as dessert. Later I decided that they were even better as a fancy, yet healthy (gluten-free and sugar-free), breakfast. Either way, they are a luscious pairing of two winter gems: kumquats and dates. More

Last month I had the pleasure of spending two days with my friend and colleague Faith Durand at her home in Columbus, Ohio. I landed in Columbus at the beginning of what would end up being one of the coldest weekends of the season thus far, and as I waited for Faith outside the airport terminal, the snow was just beginning to fall. More

Valentine's Day has always struck me as a holiday more for children than for lovers; children get sweet crafts and candy hearts while we adults get kitsch and overpriced roses. Here are five sweet treats and crafts that really point out how charming and sweet it can be to celebrate Valentine's Day affection with a little one. More

When I set out to write my first book, one of the first recipes I knew I wanted to include was one for individual steamed pudding cakes. I ended up doing a lemon cakelet after a pregnancy-inspired double-order at a neighborhood eatery called Mary's Fish Camp. The chef there walked me through the magic of a pudding cake; how, thanks to an imbalance of wet to dry ingredients, a creamy smooth pudding layer forms on the bottom and a layer of fluffy sponge cake blossoms on top. More

Kate of the lovely food blog Cookie + Kate wrote to us last week to share this homemade pecan butter she made. It was something of a revelation — we've tried peanut, cashew, almond, and pistachio butters — why not pecan too? More

It's almost Valentine's Day, so let's take a moment to appreciate one of food's great partnerships: avocado and eggs. We've tried adding avocado to scrambled eggs or using mashed avocado in place of mayonnaise in an egg salad, but this idea is a new one: baking an egg directly in an avocado half! More