I was born into a family that loves sweets. In the summer, I crave ice cream or sorbet, and in the winter I often reach for a cup of cocoa in the evening. But those packets of store-bought hot chocolate are filled with sugar and hydrogenated oils and making your own is so very simple. Making your own healthier version? Just as easy. More

Nine times out of ten, when you see fennel salad on a restaurant menu, it is simply shaved with lemon, olive oil and Parmesan cheese — a classic, foolproof combination to be sure, but if I'm going to pay $9 for a side salad, it had better not be something I can make perfectly well at home on a Wednesday night. So when I spotted an unusual fennel salad with roasted tomatoes, pistachios and cream on the menu of Seattle's The Walrus and the Carpenter, I knew I had to order it. And once I tasted it, I knew I had to make a version of my own. More

Here's a fun, simple, very rewarding DIY project to help lift the January doldrums: make your own Earl Grey (or Lady Grey) tea! I can personally attest that this tea will win over even those of you who, like me, usually don't care for Earl Grey. The process itself is easy but it does offer one challenge: sourcing fresh bergamot fruit. Read on for my very simple homemade Earl Grey tea recipe. More

In many ways, I think this is the best time of winter for cooking. There's no holiday pressure. Our guests have all gone home. We have no real obligations at all. Which means that we get to cook exactly what we want, when we want to, and eat at our leisure. If you're at home today, I'd say this is the perfect time to drag out a heavy soup pot, pick some spices, and get something warm and comforting simmering on the back burner. More

A few friends of mine have been having a tough time with the gray days of January, claiming they're really taking a toll on their mood. They're napping more, drinking more coffee, and having a hard time getting to the gym. We had lunch the other day, and all got to talking about what foods could actually help boost energy and moods in the winter. It turns out there are quite a few good bets! More

It's been months since I yanked basil from the ground and whizzed up some pesto. When basil is in season, I'm slathering it on everything from pasta to crostini to eggs, to the point where it is a kitchen staple. What happens when that pesto-craving hits, but your window-box is bare and the market only has sad limp little bouquets of basil? Get creative.
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It's an unfortunate winter truth that when the tender lettuces of spring seem farthest away, I begin to crave all things green. The rich foods of December leave me with a strong desire to bury my face in a huge bowl of perfect salad all January long. But while the green leaves of spring lettuce are indeed a season off, that doesn't mean my cravings have to wait too. Here, just in time for the January blues, are 15 ways to eat the greens you crave. More

How does a warm and creamy squash curry sound to you right now? Good, right?! This vegan curry is made with rich coconut milk and infused with enough spices to make your tongue tingle. It's the kind of dish that makes you look forward to dinner all day long. More

Crisp, hardy cauliflower has a mild sweetness we love whether roasted simply or simmered with spices in a warming curry. During the cold days of winter, it's a bright spot in a sea of winter greens and squashes. If you're looking for a new recipe to change up your usual cauliflower routine, here are 12 great ones, including a comforting (yet surprisingly light) cauliflower and sausage casserole, a cauliflower and potato soup with dill whipped cream, and a Middle Eastern roasted cauliflower dressed with tahini and date syrup. More

I first came across "Aunt Cleo's Chicken Pie" while digging through my fiancé's tattered purple recipe folder, filled to the brim with handwritten index cards that his mother, Tina, had originally sent with him to college. We were only in the beginning phases of dating when I rummaged through the file, but I figured out pretty early that he was a sucker for his mom's home cooking. More