There's something slightly cheeky about making our take-out favorites at home. We get all the fried, noodle-y, cheese-filled, and sauced-up foods we love, all while saving money and probably eating a little healthier than we would otherwise. Here are some of our favorite take-out classics to make at home. More

While spending time in Santiago, Chile I had the opportunity to learn a simple, elegant dessert from Chef Mauricio Valdovino. His recipe for chilled papaya soup utilizes ingredients the country is known for; it's bursting with fresh, tropical flavors. The chilled soup also comes together in less than ten minutes and would be perfect for a spring gathering. Join Chef Mauricio in making this quick, easy dessert.
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Q: I love Trader Joe's falafel chips. Do you know of a copycat recipe?

Sent by Jennifer More

Q: A friend of mine loves Edy's Peanut Butter Cup ice cream, but she doesn't live in the U.S. Has anyone re-created it or have any ideas on what ingredients to use? Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

Sent by Heidi More

Q: I had sabzi at an Afghan restaurant and I'd like to replicate it at home. It had chopped spinach, green onions, and garlic spiced with hot red pepper flakes, little seeds (cumin?), and other mysterious spices (dill? mint?). Know a recipe?

Sent by Jen More

Last summer my husband made a vegetarian version of steamed buns and I'm still dreaming about the meal! Recently while eating at a new neighborhood restaurant, I noticed their take on traditional buns was also a little different. More

When I think of boxed cookies, Nilla Wafers are the most iconic and representative example that come to mind. These crisp, airy little wafers were a staple of kindergarten snacks and the base of more elaborate grown-up desserts (like homey banana pudding). But these classic wafers don't have to come out of a cardboard box; you can make them yourself! More

Q: I'm looking for a recipe or a tip on how to make homemade pirouette cookies similar to Pepperidge Farm's version.

I've found several recipes for the thin rolled wafers, but I don't know how I'd go about getting the chocolate cream and nuts in the middle. Any ideas?

Sent by Lily More

Home cooks have to be a careful when it comes to a cookbook written by a restaurant chef. There often can be a disconnect between what it takes to get restaurant food onto our home tables when we don't have exotic ingredients flown to our doors and a dozen employees to prep them, not to mention years of professional training and the extraordinarily high btu's of a huge, multi-burner professional stove. So when I picked up San Francisco chef Mitch Rosenthal's new cookbook Cooking My Way Back Home, I'll admit I was a little cautious. Was this going to be one of those books that frustrated me with hours of prep work, and too many ingredients and complicated techniques? Read on for what I discovered. More

When you dine at WoodSpoon restaurant in Los Angeles, the waiter often brings a carafe of ice water with a cinnamon stick inside. It's an unusually refreshing beverage – and one that's easy to make at home, too. More