Ah, bacon. We use it in every meal, from breakfast straight through to dinner and even on into dessert. While it can seem like a messy endeavor, cooking bacon on the stovetop is the classic way to crisp up those delicious strips of smokey goodness and it's dead simple to boot. Read on for our step by step guide, including tips for choosing a good pan, dealing with splattering, and getting rid of that lingering fried bacon smell. More

Growing up in the middle of Alabama did not encourage too much cross-cultural eating. On the weekends, my mother served country ham biscuits, breakfast casserole, and cheesy stone-ground grits (sometimes all at the same time!). Back then I'd never heard of migas or scrapple, congee or crêpes. I'd certainly never heard of a blintz, and boy was this Southern girl missing out! More

I first had Shakshuka at Eltana, a wood-fired bagel shop in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle. They offered it as an option among their handful of soups, as something hearty to go along with your toasty bagel. That day, the love affair began with this tomato-based saucy egg dish that's now become a favorite in our house for slower weekend breakfasts and brunch. Have you ever tried it? More

Poached eggs sure do cause a lot of anxiety. Ostensibly, this is a quick and easy breakfast to go with a side of toast. But when confronted with a pot of boiling water and a raw egg, things can start to feel a little...squirrely. Don't be intimidated! Poaching eggs is easier than you think.

Avocado. Fried eggs. Pizza dough. I probably don't have to tell you that combining three of the world's greatest foods gives you one fine breakfast: a warm round of chewy crust topped with a bright, cilantro-speckled avocado mash and the perfect oozy egg.

"Begin by cooking the onions ..." is perhaps the most common phrases in savory recipes the world over. But what does this mean exactly, and what if you have to 'sweat' your onions instead, or cook them 'until translucent'? Read on for our handy guide (with pictures!) on how to cook an onion. More

Q: I have a silly fear of frying foods. I would love some occasional fried foods in my life, but the thought of heating up oil to an exact temperature on my glass top stove scares me. How exact does the temperature need to be for frying? Will I burn everything if I go too high? Will my food just sit and soak in the oil if too low? 

I've never in my life come across bad mashed potatoes. (I take that back. Potato flakes and a blender are coming to mind.) But usually my taste buds do not discriminate: cream, buttermilk, garlic, and Parmesan are all welcome additions to my favorite spuds, and I will never turn my nose up at cream cheese, truffle oil, even powdered ranch. I can assure you that I will eat any mashed potatoes — all mashed potatoes — with joyful glee. However after devouring these gouda smashed potatoes for the second time, my standards may have just changed. More

Lemon curd is one of those things that I always like to have in my refrigerator. It has saved me more than once when I've had to rustle up a last minute dessert or had an unexpected guest stop by at tea time. I love how lemon curd is tart (at least the way I make it!) and yet rich and smooth. Honestly, I could just eat spoonfuls of it straight from the jar! More

Every now and then a recipe comes along that just about slaps you in the face it's so good. (Bonus points when it's lightning fast and incredibly easy.) That's what happened when I first sampled this Mission fig jam. My mind was completely blown!

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