If you asked me ten years ago after feasting at a trattoria in Florence on fiocchetti alle pere con salsa di taleggio e asparagi that one day I would be able to replicate the experience, I would have laughed in your face. Back then the only thing I knew how to make was frozen pizza. But time has a way of changing us, and that trip to Florence changed me too. Here I am ten years later, recreating that meal of a lifetime. 

The moment I stepped into the little neighborhood bakery near the coast of Lebanon, I knew I was someplace special. Furn Al Sabaya ("Bakery of the Ladies") is run by three sisters, Martha, Lorenza and Lucie, who work together behind the counter to sweetly and almost magically churn out an array of unusual breakfast pastries from their fiery oven. The one that captured my heart was a thin egg tart flavored with butter and mint, sort of a cross between a quiche and a pizza. This recipe keeps the buttery goodness of the original, but bakes the egg filling into a flaky, free-form crostata that would make a uniquely tempting addition to a weekend brunch or a special lunch alongside a crunchy green salad.

Q: I've been trying to figure out how to recreate gyro meat at home. Most recipes seem to bake it like a meatloaf, but it doesn't have the right texture. So my question is: How can you make gyro meat at home?

Sent by Veronica

Fun fact: I got married at a BJ's Restaurant. During a six-month period when I lived in a Southern California suburb surrounded by giant, generic chain restaurants like Applebee's and Outback Steakhouse, my future husband and I developed an unexpected affection for the doughy deep-dish pizzas and hot-pink strawberry lemonades at the local BJ's. Not to mention the Pizookie, a cookie baked in a small cake pan, served hot and gooey with ice cream scooped on top. The Pizookie had a lot to do with it, come to think of it.

Sometimes food can be so beautiful. These beet and goat cheese "jewels" are simply made by layering those two ingredients. The trick is that the beet coloring — from both golden and red beets — seeps into the goat cheese, which is what gives the terrine that beautiful, varied shading.

Q: How can I recreate at home Heinz baked beans with the red tomato sauce, typical of english breakfasts? My little brother loves the taste.

Sent by Aurora

Making authentic Mexican food can sometimes feel out of my comfort zone, but after discovering delicious carne de puerco at a favorite local joint, I knew it was high time I try. Now that I know how easy it is to achieve this dish of tender pork smothered in a charred tomatillo sauce at home, I may never again need to "go out" for Mexican ever again.

Any trip to Texas will likely include an experience with chicken fried steak and Cholula hot sauce. Chicken fried steak (lovingly called CFS) is a southern classic, while Cholula hot sauce (introduced to the states here in Austin, TX) is a popular condiment that adds a Texas kick. See what happens when these icons get hitched in this new take on a Lone Star tradition.

Sometimes I come across something online and think to myself, "Well, it's about time!" And this is exactly how I felt when I stumbled across a recipe for a simple do-at-home bánh mì sandwich last week featuring ingredients you should be able to track down at your local well-stocked grocery store or Asian food market. Say goodbye to the days of paying for Vietnamese take-out, and hello to economical and delicious do-it-yourself bánh mì. 

Have you ever become so totally obsessed with an ingredient or recipe it completely takes over your life? Because that is exactly what happened when I recently sampled an ethereal Chocolate Hazelnut Torte at a local Atlanta restaurant. That particular sweet and nutty flavor combination is always a favorite, but it was the crispy, creamy wafer crust that had me at hello.