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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Having a few quick dinner recipes in your back pocket is always a good thing. But even better are the recipes that don't use multiple bowls and pans, allowing you to cut down on prep time and dishes. This is why I love a good skillet recipe. More

When I die, I hope they carve these words on my headstone: She always found a way to add more vegetables. (It will be an enormous headstone, naturally.) I'm always looking for a way to add more vegetables to recipes, not only for health reasons, but also because I'm lazy. Why make a grain dish and a vegetable dish for dinner when I can combine them both into one bowl? Especially if that bowl is filled with creamy butternut squash studded with chewy nubs of barley and crunchy toasted pecans.

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I often wonder what would happen if I could pursue all of the ideas and dreams that churned within my brain. I might be a Nobel prize winner, best-selling author, philanthropist, olympic athlete, or a beauty queen by now. I would definitely be a better girlfriend, daughter, sister, and friend. I would listen harder, talk less, and love more. I would do all of these things, if only...

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I speak not as an angry spinster but as a happily married woman when I say: I hate Valentine's Day. It probably stems from my general dislike of anything overly girly or pink, and my feeling that a sweet gesture of love is much more special on a day when society isn't pressuring you into doing it. And don't even get me started on how alienating the holiday is for anyone not in a romantic relationship.

In short, my feelings about Valentine's Day are a lot like this popcorn: salty and a little bitter, but impossible to ignore.

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Like a good chili or chicken noodle soup, homemade beef stew is one of those dishes that is just good to have in your back pocket. It's a dish that will serve you well through long winters and family visits and other small moments of need. Making one isn't hard and will surely nourish you through several meals. Here's my tried-and-true method for making a very good beef stew.

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Red beans and rice is a true Creole classic! Like many of the best Louisiana dishes, it is made up of humble ingredients that, after a long simmer, are transformed into a bowl of rich, creamy comfort food. It is truly Southern cooking at its core, and perfect for an upcoming Mardi Gras celebration (or even just to ease the early-February chill).

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Judging by America's obsession with possessive, moody vampires and young entrepreneurs with a taste for domination, we have a national fascination with the darker side of love. Here's an idea for those not interested in the usual pink, sweet and simple homemade treat: dark and chewy DIY black licorice.

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Somewhere in its past, polenta picked up a reputation for fussiness. I am here to tell you that it is anything but fussy. You can whip up a pot of creamy polenta in about 30 minutes, and it makes a luscious bed for anything from quickly sautéed mushrooms to a hearty slow-cooked meat ragu. Here's how to do it yourself.

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