We got an early jump on our weekend cooking and made two kinds of icebox cookies last night. We also have a pile of new recipes and tips to try - this was a good week here at The Kitchn for learning new things! We plan to curl up with a pile of books and stay snowbound all weekend.

See our roundup of good things to cook, below, including links to recipes for fig and date anise swirls, and our own Earl Grey tea cookies...

New How-Tos
• How to Make Hollandaise Sauce
• How to Cook Rice on the Stove
• How To Cure Your Own Corned Beef in Time For St. Patrick's Day

New recipes to try out this weekend
• Tart Lemon Tart - Sunshine in a pie pan!
• No-Boil Chunky Cheese Lasagna
• Lemon Spongettes - Gooey pudding and more sunshine.

What we're cooking...
• Sexy, Spicy Broccoli - Really!
• Anise-Scented Fig And Date Swirls - Full of anise spice, and gooey with figs and dates. One of our favorite cookies ever.
• Earl Grey tea cookies - So quick - you whip up the dough in the food processor.

We're still pondering our list of the best (and worst) foods to eat while reading, as well as the best sorts of books to read while eating. We have comfort reading (classics, mysteries, and Laurie Colwin) lined up. Any suggestions? What are you reading and cooking this weekend, and do you read while eating?