We are always looking for ways to save time in the kitchen. There aren't many real shortcuts to great food, but you can save time and take your meals to another level by doubling-up on your time in smart, practical ways. Here are 3 habits that, once developed, will help you create faster, better-tasting meals week in and week out. More

Finding the perfect brownie recipe is as personal as driving a manual versus an automatic, or choosing boxers over briefs. Some people like their brownies gooey, fudgy, and on the cusp of raw. Others like them fluffy, cakelike, and cooked all the way through. But part of the beauty in finding your favorite is not in the actual brownie but in the quest. You've got to kiss a lot of frogs to land the prince; you've got to bake a lot of brownies to find "the one." More

It took me well into adolescence to attempt my first bite of cheesecake. When I glanced over dessert menus as a child, my vivid imagination conjured up incongruous images of Gouda cakes and gorgonzola pies. No one ever explained to me the difference between cream cheese and all the rest. You can bet that once I figured out the distinction, though, I never looked back! More

We've all heard that old saying before, "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade." Well why not lemonade tarts instead? That's what happened when I found myself with a whole bag of lemons and nothing to do with them. More

Have you ever renovated a kitchen? If so, you know that it can be one of the more stressful processes you can experience as a homeowner. My husband and I are currently preparing for a major renovation — and because we don't seem to do things by halves, we're not just renovating a kitchen. More

Next week The Kitchn will publish the first of what will be a recurring series on farming and the people who devote their lives to it. A Year in the Life of the Farm will chronicle the monthly and seasonal changes at Quail Hill Farm, one of the oldest CSA farms in the country. Quail Hill is run by "poet farmer" Scott Chaskey, and as you'll hear in this video, it's clear Scott combines acute intelligence for the issues and responsibilities surrounding the modern day organic farmer with a romantic's love of the land. Enjoy this special sneak peek of both Scott and the farm! More

Have you seen Agrarian, the new line of home gardening and preserving resources from Williams-Sonoma? Yes, Williams-Sonoma has branched out into the world of supplying home gardeners, picklers, preservers, beekeepers and kombucha-makers. This is a world we're very familiar with, of course, here at The Kitchn, so we took a look through their new offerings to find 10 products we thought you might like. From handsome fermentation crocks to kits for cheese-making, here are practical products for home preservers. More

If you didn't eat yourself silly over the holidays you're definitely in the minority and also extremely lucky. I definitely gained a few unwanted pounds over the past month and now I'm looking to eat a little lighter. Salads are just the perfect thing. More

Item: 3 signed copies of Poulet: More than 50 Remarkable Meals That Exalt the Honest Chicken by Cree LeFavour
Store: Chronicle Books
Value: $27.50.

Description: American cuisine has come a long way since 1991, when the novelist and food writer Jim Harrison's wrote his beautiful essay, "What Have We Done with the Thighs." Alas, his question remains relevant: too many eaters avoid the finest part of a chicken. That's where Cree LeFavour's smart, irresistible new book, "Poulet," comes in. More

When it comes to adding zing to a meal, we all know it's all in the side dishes you choose. So, isn't it time to go from basic to fabulous, to match your passion for gourmet cooking - and eating?!Thanks to Alexia Foods, which offers an array of simple side dishes that make a simple meal extraordinary, you can complement any homemade meal in true culinary-masterpiece style.

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