Gear up for the big game with meatball recipes and tips from New York's Meatball Shop
by Carolina Santos-Neves, Epicurious

From left: Michael Chernow and Daniel Holzman at their restaurant, The Meatball Shop. It's that time of year again, when you start thinking about what to make for your Super Bowl party. Last year you probably made wings. The year before that you probably made…wings. Those tasty nuggets have been a go-to for football parties since the early 1960s, when a Buffalo bar purportedly invented the Buffalo chicken wing. Well, it's 2012, for goodness' sake, time for a change!

What to make instead? Meatballs are riding a popularity wave again, so we turned to the Meatball Shop's chefs, Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow, for advice. After successfully opening three restaurants in the New York area, the duo published The Meatball Shop Cookbook, and they have a thing or a hundred to say about how best to feed feisty football fans.

So this year, go about game-day business as usual. Chill some beers, put out bowls of chips and guac, and follow these meatball

Dreams of summer. They're inevitable this time of year, when memories of sun and warmth are fuzzy at best, and it's hard to believe that you'll ever be able to step outside without a coat again. Moorish Paella, warm with spice and color, is a ticket out of this greyness. It tastes of warm nights in faraway places. Tartine's genius lemon cream is equally transporting: soft, breezy and positively luscious. Dinner is indeed a good time to escape.

Moorish Paella by NWB

Serves 4

4 bone-in skin on chicken thighs
4 small or 2 large links of Merguez sausage (chorizo is fine if you can't find the lamb sausage)
1/2 head of cauliflower cut into pieces
1 teaspoon caraway, ground
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon harissa
2 cups Arborio (or other short grain) rice
8 ounces tomato sauce
3 cups chicken stock
Salt to taste
1 small onion, diced
1 garlic clove, diced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Are you paying more for fake food? (Photo: Thinkstock)Does that fish taste funny? A new report on food fraud shows that American consumers may be getting ripped off, since many of the items on their grocery lists -- including olive oil, honey, coffee, and fish -- may be full of fillers and fake ingredients.

WATCH: How to Spot Counterfeit Food

The report by the nonprofit United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) lists 1,300 incidents of "food fraud" going back to 1980 -- and 800 of them were added in the last two years alone.

Related: Is Your Ketchup the Real Thing?

"While food fraud has been around for centuries, with a handful of notorious cases well documented, we suspect that what we know about the topic is just the tip of the iceberg," Dr. Jeffrey Moore, senior scientific liaison for USP and the database's creator and lead analyst, said in the report.

According to the USP database at Foodfraud.org, spices like chili powder, saffron, and black pepper are often cut with cheaper spices in order to maximize profits. Less-expensive

By Amy Rushlow, Men's Health

Bacon Wrapped California Omelet Bites

It was 11 a.m., and I was starving. I plowed my eager mitts into the trail mix buried in my office drawer. Just a handful, I told myself. Twenty handfuls later, and I tossed the empty bag in the trash. I was still hungry.

Something had to be done.

I've been training for triathlons this summer and fall, and thanks to the pool's hours and the length of my workouts, I've been forced into exercising in the morning. But since I'm already crawling out of bed at 5:30 a.m., the last thing I want to do is wake up even earlier to scramble up some eggs. If I don't, though, I tend to eat everything in sight-no matter how unhealthy the available food may be-later in the day.

As a fan of the inventive protein-packed recipes created by trainer and nutrition coach Jen Comas Keck, C.P.T., I thought Comas Keck might have a solution. (Her blog, Beauty Lies in Strength, posts gems like protein ice cream and almond flour banana bread.) Her task: Create

These 10 decadent, cravable, dreamy vegan cupcakes are ready to put a smile on your face. If you think a "vegan" cupcake cannot hold its own next to a traditional cupcake, check out these recipes and be amazed! From creamy chocolate frosting and white fluffy cake to peanut butter and chocolate cupcakes, these lovely, luscious cupcakes are the perfect treat to brighten your day. For special events or everyday baking, these treats are ready to be yours! - By Kathy Patalsky

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lavender shortbreadShortbread isn't strictly reserved for the holiday season; simple and buttery, it's a great cookie to pull into service for any number of occasions. It also takes on flavors well - anything from citrus zest to chocolate can be added to a basic shortbread recipe. If you're looking for something a little different, reminiscent of spring, dried lavender is perfect in shortbread, adding a distinct floral flavor to the simple, crisp, melt-in-your-mouth cookie.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1-3 tsp. food grade lavender pinch salt

Related: 10 sweet and spicy ways to enjoy cinnamon for breakfast

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy. Add the flour, lavender and salt and beat on low or stir until you have a soft dough. Press the dough into an ungreased 8 or 9-inch round pan and poke a few times with a fork.

By Lynn Andriani

Eating your vegetables has never been easier (and neither has polishing off a bowl of rice), thanks to these fuss-free dishes.

One of my favorite things to do on a cold winter day is hole up inside and make cookies. It warms up the kitchen, makes the whole house smell yummy, and is a great way to spend a few hours when it's too cold to go outside. Lately I've started branching out from traditional chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies into more creative, visually appealing (but also delicious!) options inspired by my son's favorite movies and characters. Whether you're planning a themed party or you just have a cookie-loving movie fan at home, here are 10 character-inspired cookie recipes that will be as impressive as they are delicious: - By Michelle Horton

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