"Indians are alchemists of the vegetarian table," writes Anjum Anand, and her new cookbook merges India's rich culinary traditions with a fresh, modern perspective. Indian Vegetarian Feast should appeal to both vegetarians and omnivores looking for simple, healthy weeknight recipes and beautiful dishes to impress dinner party guests.

If Dan Lepard's new cookbook Short & Sweet is the one-stop shop for homey everyday sweets and baked goods, Patisserie is the one-stop shop for all things classic and French. Want to become the master of puff pastry? Craft your own pulled-sugar roses? Drap petits fours with fondant? With over 3,200 step-by-step photos and 210 recipes in 800 pages, this book will show you exactly how to do all of these things and more. Wowzas.

There’s something exciting about dessert in our house — shocking, even. Dessert rarely appears at the table, even though we have no specific rules about sweets. Every now and then one of the children will make a request — usually cookies, a love they inherited from their dad — or I'll feel nostalgic for something like cobbler, vinegar pie, or homemade Magic Shell over ice cream. Dessert is not a required course and we definitely don’t need it to survive. However, because my husband and I come from different cultures (I am all South Carolina, while he is half Serbian and half French) he’s been known to claim his Gallic heritage as the reason he must have dessert. But he comes by his love of dessert honestly...

Madeleines.  That little French butter cake that most (non-French) people think of more as a cookie.  They have a classy, literary reputation, having served as Proust's muse in his famous Remembrance of Things Past.  Like most muses, however, madeleines appear to be simple but actually require a fair amount of patience and careful following of instructions.  In the end, though,  you are rewarded with a truly unique little cake, browned and crispy on the outside and spongy and soft on the inside.  A perfect accompaniment to your afternoon cup of tea.

Q: I was raised in Hong Kong and grew up eating desserts with Chinese and European/British influences. A lot of the cakes back home had this hard layer at the bottom, almost like a cardboard cake round, but edible. There was a thin jam brushed between the cake and the edible round. 

The word "perfect" is a one-size-fits-all label in the blogosphere, applied to everything from our lipstick du jour or the latest chocolate cookie to blow our minds. So when I use the word perfect to describe the dessert that I think has it all, the dessert that everyone should have memorized and ready to go, I do so with some trepidation. Does perfect go too far? No, it doesn't. Panna cotta can always be the right dessert — whether you're throwing a fancy party or a small one, have lots of time or no time, are gluten-free, dairy-free, allergy-prone, vegan, or simply craving a delicious and creamy sweet. It's perfect. Let me tell you why. 

Have you ever wondered what would happen if Goldilocks jumped down Alice's rabbit hole? Well it might look a little something like my quest for amazing homemade churros. It took some experimenting, you see. The first round of churros? Good but not great. The second batch? Still not quite. Third time? Well you know what they say — third time's the charm!

Q: I recently fell in love with making my own kimchi, which uses a tablespoon of salted shrimp in each batch. While I now have a lot of amazing kimchi, I also have a jar of salted shrimp in my fridge. It's something that I want to use, but I have no clue where to start. Help!

Sent by Amy

I'll be honest with you: I don't care for focaccia that's topped with a lot of stuff. I like my focaccia to be a simple, herby bread with the emphasis on salt and olive oil. I may allow for one or two additions besides the sea salt, olive oil and herbs. But that's it. You may feel differently, and of course, that's just fine. You can use this recipe as a base for all your favorite focaccia toppings. But just for today, try it plain and simple with a glass of deep red wine and maybe a wedge of cheese on the side. It's really quite delicious! More

It was 'polenta party' time at Faith's house last week, and she served it with a delicious dish of beef braised in red wine. My mouth is watering already. So, the big question we pondered was, what wine or rather what wines to serve alongside this robust, meaty, yet creamy dish. Here are some thoughts on how to choose wines to go with this meal, and some specific budget picks.