Food

The National Restaurant Association crowned a new cocktail king this week, naming New York-based bartender Steve Schneider their 2013 Star of the Bar at the International Wine, Spirits, and Beer event in Chicago on Monday.

Also on Shine: 3 Ingredient Cocktails

Schneider and five other finalists mixed their best drinks for some expert judges, including celebrity chef and author Anthony Bourdain. Schneider's creation, dubbed "The Dean," earned him top honors and a $5,000 prize. For his contest entry, he also served up a video of himself mixing the drink while sporting a (really bad) Howard Dean wig and doing a (pretty good) Howard Dean impression.

"I was watching reruns of Dave Chappelle's show when the text came in about the contest," he told Yahoo! Shine in an interview on Tuesday. Rather than submit a run-of-the-mill video of himself making a single drink, he decided to have a little fun. "That's what bartending is, you know? Having a great time."

Also on Shine: 7 Refreshing Cocktails Ju

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Rethink your burger: Tomatoes and fragrant pesto give this sandwich a delicious twist.

Related: 34 Reasons to Eat a Burger Everyday

Pesto Chicken Burgers

1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup baby spinach (1 ounce)
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/4 cup walnuts
4 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for grilling
Coarse salt and pepper
1 pound ground white-meat chicken
2 large tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch slices
3 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
4 pieces focaccia, halved

Related: Hands Down, The 20 Grilling Recipes You Must Try This Summer

1. In a food processor, puree basil, spinach, garlic, walnuts, oil, and 1 tablespoon water. Season pesto with salt and pepper.

2. Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Combine 1 tablespoon pesto, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and chicken and form into 4 patties. Clean and lightly oil hot grill. Brush tomatoes with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill patties, covered, 4 minut

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Cornmeal-Dusted Catfish with Quinoa Sauté

Farmed catfish is an inexpensive, sustainable option. For a kid-friendly dish, omit the jalapeño in the quinoa.

Yield: Serves 4 (serving size: 1 fillet and about 2/3 cup quinoa mixture)

Ingredients

1/3 cup uncooked quinoa
1/2 cup hot water
1/4 cup cornmeal
4 (6-ounce) catfish fillets
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 tablespoon minced jalapeño pepper
2 teaspoons thinly sliced garlic
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
1 cup chopped tomato
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
4 lemon wedges

See More: 5-Ingredient Seafood Recipes

Preparation

1. Place quinoa in a fine sieve; place sieve in a large bowl. Cover quinoa with water. Using your hands, rub grains together for 30 seconds; rinse and drain. Rep

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This easy all-purpose yellow cake takes just a bit longer to make than one from a packaged mix, but is it ever worth it. An instant test-kitchen favorite, it is absolutely delicious and will rise to any occasion.

Cake

1 stick unsalted butter, softened, plus more for cake pans and parchment
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Frosting

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
5 cups confectioner's sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Related: 15 Kitchen Shortcuts That Will Change the Way You Cook

1. Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment; butter parchment as well. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Be

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Are you that person who frantically runs to the grocery store every afternoon because you have nothing for dinner? "Planning is the key to a balanced lifestyle, particularly when it comes to meals," explains Sharon Richter, registered dietician and FITiST expert based in New York City. "When you don't plan, you gravitate towards high fat, processed items," she says.

MORE: Cooking Gadgets That Make Your Life Easier

But if you commit to making your own food-and cook a lot at once-you'll know exactly what ingredients are in your dish, you'll save money and you won't find yourself hard-pressed for a meal at the last minute. Not sure where to start? All you need is a little how-to instruction on big batch cooking. And that's where we come in:

1. Choose One Day a Week To Work
Designate two or three hours on a weekend or a non-busy week day or night to grocery shop and cook your staples for the week's meals, suggests Devin Alexander, celebrity chef of NBC's "The Biggest L

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