Blog Posts by Epicurious.com

At home I was known for baking desserts, especially Key lime pie, and I loved helping to make dinner for my family. When I left for college three years ago, I expected to continue to cook for myself and my friends. Cooking, however, required a piece of equipment that my university did not provide: an oven.

I was shocked and dismayed to find that my dorm room was equipped with only a microwave and a mini-fridge. To get to the communal kitchen that the university advertised, I had to go outside the building. The kitchen smelled vaguely of meat, was crusty, dirty, and in the study lounge. The one attempt I made to cook there practically led to a revolt by my fellow classmates, whose attempts to study were disturbed by the smell and the noise of my culinary adventure. I decided to learn how to use my microwave; after all, I couldn't eat in the dining hall for every meal.

I looked for microwave recipes in cookbooks written for students, but instead of providing ideas for students

Let me start off by shamelessly telling you that my book just came out: It's Real Food for Healthy Kids, a kind of Joy of Cooking for parents that covers more than 200 wholesome, healthy, delicious recipes that will appeal to every age, from babies to teenagers.

Each recipe was tasted and vetted by kids around the country, from Maine to California, and each has a nutritional analysis so you can decide which foods are perfect for your child. And while we do include cookies and cakes, because my coauthor and I believe in teaching moderation, we have removed as much sugar, fat, and white flour as possible. But my book is not why I am posting today, well, not the only reason.

Two parent cookbooks came out last year touting the philosophy of hiding good-for-you-foods in not-so-good-for-you-foods, like adding spinach puree to brownies. As a mother of twins and a food professional, I was appalled by this deceptive and sneaky idea. Not only are we teaching our kids to "eat your

Pasta is one of those dishes that can be as simple or as dressed up as you'd like, and with countless possible varieties to choose from-spaghetti, fusilli, lasagna, farfalle, and cavatelli, just to name a few-pasta is incredibly versatile. It's easy to prepare, mixes well with different ingredients, and inexpensive to buy, making it a popular choice. And while pasta's ties with Italian cuisine may be strong, noodles come from all over the map. In the Western world, noodles are typically made from wheat flour, water, and egg. In Asian cuisine, they can be wheat-based, as in chow mein and udon, or made from buckwheat (soba), beans (cellophane), rice (rice vermicelli), and sweet potato (Korean vermicelli). For more information on some of the most popular types of pasta, check out our visual guide to pasta.

Recipes:

Strings and Ribbons
Fresh-Tasting Tomato Sauce and Spaghetti

Linguine Ai Frutti Di Mare

Fettuccine with Brussels Sprouts and Pine Nuts

Tubes

It's summer, and throughout the land there are tall stalks waving in the breeze, sweet kernels ready for harvest. To make the most of the golden ears filling the markets, we've got dozens of recipe ideas.

Recipes:

Soups and Salads
Cold Avocado Corn Soup with Cilantro Oil

Summer Corn Chowder with Bacon

Grilled Corn and Shrimp Salad

Potato, Corn, and Cherry Tomato Salad with Basil Dressing

Toasted Corn and Cumin Salsa

On the Cob
Corn on the Cob with Cheese and Lime

Corn on the Cob with Garlic-Ancho Butter

Corn on the Cob with Shallot-Thyme Butter

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Maple-Chipotle Glaze

Veggie Delights
Corn Fritters with Salsa

Corn and Zucchini Saute

Corn Flan

Corn Pancakes

Southwestern Succotash

Recipe Tips:

Shop for the Best
When selecting ears of corn, look for bright green husks with damp, light yellow silk poking out.

Prep Easily
To wipe silk off an ear of corn,

Few meals are as comforting as a hearty homemade lasagna. Master some basic techniques, and this impressive casserole will become an especially versatile favorite for family-style dining and entertaining. While the traditional baked pasta dish is made up of alternating layers of Bolognese sauce, thin sheets of pasta, and béchamel, the layers, fillings, and variations are infinite. Take inspiration from these recipes, and use the tips below to make the dishes your own.

Recipes:

For Meat Lovers
Three-Cheese Lasagna with Italian Sausage

Roasted Portobello and Prosciutto Lasagna

Turkey Sausage-Spinach Lasagna with Spicy Tomato Sauce

Sausage and Wild Mushroom Lasagne with Red Pepper Tomato Sauce

Lean Lasagna

For Vegetarians
Super-Fast Spinach, Pesto and Cheese Lasagna

Sweet Pea and Artichoke Lasagna

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Wild Mushroom Lasagne

Butternut Squash and Hazelnut Lasagne

Tempting Twists & Cannelloni
Lasagne

According to several news sources, jellyfish are invading beaches around the world in record numbers: in Africa, Japan, the Mediterranean, and the USA. ABC says 30 people were stung at one beach alone recently. The reasons are unclear: global warming, overfishing, pollution. The solution? I propose a concentrated effort to promote jellyfish cuisine.

Here's the cooking info you need from our food dictionary:

jellyfish
An invertebrate marine animal with a soft, gelatinous, umbrella-like anatomy and long, thin tentacles. Jellyfish is popular in CHINESE CUISINES. Asian markets sell it in a dried, salted form, which must be reconstituted by soaking overnight in warm water. The red matter must then be cut away. Jellyfish toughens if excessively cooked, so it's generally quickly blanched in boiling water for only about 15 seconds. It's customarily shredded and served cold in salads for a crunchy texture.

Anyone know of any good recipes?

Let's assume it's time to celebrate another one of life's many milestones-a birthday, wedding anniversary, graduation, job promotion-or the holidays have crept up again and you're pressed for gift-giving ideas. Instead of the usual-generic gift card, a tie, or flowers-why not express yourself with the gift of food? Even if you're separated from the one you love by many miles, your edible gift can be transported easily with proper planning and packing, and should be appreciated by your hungry recipient.

Below, Judith Choate, author of Homemade, shares some of her edible-gift tips. For basic information and helpful tips on how to can, as well as additional canning recipes, check out our guide to canning.

Recipes:

Three from Homemade
Carrot-Ginger Tea Bread

My Never-Ever-Fail Chocolate Fudge

Tapenade

Baked Goods
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Toffee Brownies

Rosemary Shortbread

Parmesan Black-Pepper Biscotti

Carrot-Ginger Tea Bread

It has come to this, as the plummeting dollar, in its continuing free-fall, passes the rapidly escalating price of that last thankless seat in the back row of the overstuffed plane. Even bona fide travelers driven by wanderlust, and serious culinary adventurers who want to taste the world, have had to stop and consider how much international border-hopping and global grazing they can still afford to do.

The answer has a lot to do with the questions we ask. What would induce you to travel now? What cities and countries are you willing to give up? What places are still worth the profound costs of a trip? And how do we maximize that trip, so we get the most out of the trans-Atlantic seat next to the slamming bathroom door, and a doddering dollar that has become international comic relief?

I'm interested in hearing your answers. And I'll be offering a series of future posts that will offer some tentative tips, some ideas on how to travel now, based on my own ongoing trips. That