Ok, your Christmas tree will probably do better decked out in lights than it would on your plate, but pine needles are indeed edible and they can be a really fun ingredient to play with this time of year. Pine needles have a minty, fresh, and yes, pine-like flavor that make an intriguing component to everything from a roast to a round of cocktails. Have you ever experimented with this ingredient? More

Mulling spices make a wonderful hostess gift or addition to a holiday basket, and we love the idea of bottling a concentrated syrup version that can be easily added to wine or cider. More

Even here in Los Angeles, the evenings are finally chilly enough to warrant a mug of something warm and spiced. I've been dressing up plain apple cider with cranberries, which give this seasonal drink a lovely, rosy tartness. More

Did you notice that all three of our previous Expert Essentials posts mentioned working with dried herbs and spices? That's because spices are an absolutely foundational ingredient for every cook the world over, whether you're working in a shiny new kitchen high on the hill or on a simple wood fire and packed-dirt floor. Today's expert, John Beaver, knows a thing or two about herbs and spices. Read on for his tips and recommendations! More

You might be familiar with cardamom in baked goods or tea (think masala chai), but have you ever had cardamom-infused coffee? More

We love seeing our readers' kitchen organization projects! Here's the latest to roll in: a neat, cute spice shelf from reader Sabine. Here's how she lined up her spices with a little help from IKEA. More

Perhaps due to the popularity of Starbucks' seasonal Pumpkin Spice Latte, we are inundated with pumpkin spice products this fall. From pumpkin spice Oreos to pumpkin spice beer and everything in between (air freshener!), we cannot escape this seasonal taste sensation. What do you think? Are you scarfing it all up while you can or is it getting a little old? More

We're always looking for ways to improve kitchen organization — especially when it comes to spices, which can easily get cluttered and disorganized. Personally, I love stashing my spices away in a drawer, but my spice drawer never looked this good. Take a look at reader Kavita's freshly-organized spice drawer — isn't this inspiring? More

I had a forehead-slapping moment at the grocery store this week. It's finally turned a bit blustery and rainy in Seattle, and so many of us have been welcoming the fall weather with open arms. So I found myself gravitating towards the bulk tea aisle, where I picked up a jug of apple cider and got sucked into buying an over-priced satchel of mulling spices. When I returned home, my boyfriend chided me for falling into the "mulling spice trap." More

Q: I recently purchased pink peppercorns and the flavor is delicious! I tried grinding them in a pepper mill, but since they're much softer than black peppercorns, they aren't dense enough to push through the grinding mechanism. Does anyone know of a pepper mill that will grind pink peppercorns only? More