It's not for nothing that couscous is one of our biggest staples for quick weeknight dinners. This grain-like pasta cooks in the blink of an eye and is absolutely foolproof. If you can boil water, I guarantee you can make couscous. More

Don't be fooled; my pantry and refrigerator are also full of peanut butter, hot dogs, and Goldfish crackers. And, oh, so much pasta. But here are four healthy, possibly-offbeat-for-parents-of-young-children ingredients I rely on to feed my toddler, plus one I'm almost too embarrassed to share. More

Pastry scrapers really need their own infomercial. It slices! It dices! It cleans up gunked-on messes! I use mine for all of the above. More

I spent this past weekend cooking for a large party, which meant six- to eight-hour stretches on my feet on a hard kitchen floor. Yet at the end of it all, I had very little back and leg pain thanks to my trusty Dansko clogs. More

This post is timely for me because I just moved into a new house and spent all last week setting up our kitchen and pantry, organizing the basement, painting, and making a few dump runs. Moving, as most of you already know, has a way of forcing you to think about what you really use and reevaluating the rest. The pantry is no exception. More

Q: I recently received a bag of "Schokonudeln" (chocolate noodles). I hate to let anything go to waste, so I'm determined to make something out of these.

I don't think they're sweet. The ingredient list is simply durum semolina, eggs-20%, and cocoa powder-6%. I thought about making some variation of Cincinnati chili, although these aren't spaghetti noodles. Of course, if they turn out to be sweetened, it may be hard to do a savory dish. Any thoughts?

Sent by Crystal More

Item: Nobel Glass Travel Thermos
Price: 16oz thermos: $34.50, 12oz thermos: $29.50
Overall Impression: A stylish and functional way to tote your tea!

I have to admit that I was initially drawn to the Nobel Glass Travel Thermos on looks alone. Sleek and elegant, the thermos consists of a simple double-walled glass column topped with a bamboo lid. Even the small etched logo is unobtrusive and sits quietly towards the bottom. But my superficial admiration was quickly followed by curiosity. I had of course seen double-walled glass used in cups and glasses but never in a travel mug. And the little brew basket tucked into the top meant they were pitching it towards people interested in loose leaf, quality tea. This definitely called for further investigation. More

Call them cacao nibs or cocoa nibs or chocolate nibs or just plain old nibs. We will happily sprinkle them on oatmeal, bake them into muffins, and stir them into ice cream regardless of name. There's just so much we can do with this crunchy, bitter-sweet ingredient. More

When I pared down my kitchen tools last year, the Breville Smart Oven was among those that stayed firmly in place. It's a counter hog, no doubt about it, but I use this appliance nearly every day. More

Jicama is one cool customer. It hides out with the other vegetables, looking totally plain and unremarkable. But peel away its papery skin and get it in a salad, and suddenly this crunchy sweet tuber takes on a whole new dimension. More