When putting together the recipe for yesterday's Beef Stew, I realized that there are some key meat-cooking tips that we can take away and apply to many other favorite foods. Other kinds of stews, braised dishes, and even chili rely on tough cuts of meat that can seem difficult to work with, but all they need is a little love in the kitchen. 

Is duck breast a meal you ever make at home? No? Why? Is it too unfamiliar? Is it associated with fancy restaurant meals — too intimidating to make in your own kitchen? Let me help dispel those fears and say that duck breast is a delicious, special meal to make at home. If you'd like to try something a little different this weekday Valentine's, why not try duck?

Read on for my go-to duck recipe, and step by step photos of cooking duck breast. More

Like a good chili or chicken noodle soup, homemade beef stew is one of those dishes that is just good to have in your back pocket. It's a dish that will serve you well through long winters and family visits and other small moments of need. Making one isn't hard and will surely nourish you through several meals. Here's my tried-and-true method for making a very good beef stew.

Red beans and rice is a true Creole classic! Like many of the best Louisiana dishes, it is made up of humble ingredients that, after a long simmer, are transformed into a bowl of rich, creamy comfort food. It is truly Southern cooking at its core, and perfect for an upcoming Mardi Gras celebration (or even just to ease the early-February chill).

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Chicken breasts form the cornerstone of our weeknight meal repertoire, so much so that it's easy to fall into a rut when cooking them. If it's been a while since you last shook up your routine, what about these sizzling Chicken Fajitas for dinner tonight? Or raid your spice cupboard and try the No Clay-Pot Chicken with Soy and Ginger or the Thai Green Coconut Curry -- both are favorites. Ten recipes, ten different chicken dinners, ten ways to cook something you'll love tonight.

Q: I have been trying to make tender pork chops and despite everything I try- they come out hard and tough? How do you guarantee a tenders, soft moist pork chop? I have a convection oven.

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We're each sharing our kitchen treats with you this week, that special thing that makes our food or time in the kitchen more delicious. My choice might be a little controversial because it's a big no-no for some people, but for others, it's as ordinary and basic as any staple. For me, it's something I only buy once in a while, and when I do, it's a very special treat. Yes, my friends, when I treat myself in the kitchen, I do it with meat. More

I have absolutely zero interest in football, so for me, the annual gathering of friends on Super Bowl Sunday is all about the food. The spread always includes a few of the grubby, nostalgic snacks we grew up with — cheesy queso dip, I'm looking at you — as well as some fresher, lighter snacks that often incorporate flavors from one of the many international cuisines that surround us here in Los Angeles. You're looking at my contribution this year: a Korean take on the usual pulled-meat slider, a juicy sandwich loaded with gingery, chile-spiked shredded chicken and tender kale braised with garlicky kimchi.

There are a million and one ways to make chili. All of them are excellent and all of them are sure to satisfy a large crowd of hungry people. Whether you like your chili with ground meat or chuck roast, pinto beans or no beans at all, the basic method for making it is the same. Want to make a very good pot of chili? Here's how. More

I'm hesitant to admit this, but during my first year of college, I survived almost solely on ham and cheddar hot pockets, with the occasional pepperoni pizza thrown in for good measure. There was a vending machine in my dorm lobby, hot pockets being only one of its many choice selections. (If my parents only really knew where my "meal plan" money was going!) I still love a good ham and cheddar combination, only now I can enjoy it in a much more delicious way.

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