Slow cooker lamb dinner that needs no slow cooker

At heart, these conical cooking pots from Morocco are similar to a Dutch oven, at least in terms of how they are intended to be used.

Just try to imagine a Super Bowl without guacamole

Imagine for a moment a Super Bowl without the avocado. If that's hard to picture, it's because the avocado has so completely, and so quickly, attached itself to this utterly unrelated sporting event.

Poached eggs for breakfast, lunch or dinner

The beauty of poached eggs is their versatility. Depending on what you pair them with, they can be breakfast, lunch or even dinner.

A breakfast showdown: Which rice cereal is tops?

Snap!, Crackle! and Pop! are proud to be loud at the breakfast table, but do they fizzle or sizzle in the cereal bowl? And how about in that most ubiquitous of bake sale items: Rice Krispies Treats?

A salted fish produces a very savory dinner

It actually sounds like something you spread on an icy walkway to keep people from slipping. But salt cod actually has a rich history, especially in Portuguese and Spanish cuisines, which treat this simple ingredient with near reverence.

Learning to love bison as the other red meat

Nothing says "Yum!" like a bit of nomenclatural confusion... Especially with a side of near extinction.

What happens if Twinkies really do go away

Let's not panic. We all know that Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Wonder bread and the rest of Hostess Brands' oddly everlasting foods aren't going away any time soon, even if the food culture that created them is gasping its last.

Nutritional yeast flakes a healthy way to add flavor

It's awfully hard to get excited about a food called "nutritional yeast flakes." It sounds like something you either need a prescription to get. Or a prescription to get rid of. Even worse, it resembles yellow flaked fish food. But trust me, this is an ingredient worth looking beyond its nam…

Make a weeknight impression with puff pastry tart

Weeknight cooking generally is pretty utilitarian. It may not be very pretty or impressive, but it usually is tasty and gets the job done. Which tends to throw everything for a loop on those rare weeknights when something special is needed.

More than just another sausage: a chorizo primer

Chorizo is a bit like pornography. You'll know it when you see it, but it's a bit hard to define in the abstract.

Perfect pizza: Bacon, maple sugar and butter

Until recently, I was convinced the triumvirate of perfect pizza toppings was tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil. Simple. Classic. Delicious.

Taking the slowly out of slowly simmered beef stew

Almost by definition, beef stew isn't a weeknight-friendly dish.

Massive flavor in a little bottle: A hoisin primer

Mmmm. Nothing says good eats like soy residue.

A small, but still sweet, take on caramel apples

Have you seen the size of caramel apples lately?

Creme fraiche looks like sour cream, tastes better

Not sure what creme fraiche is or why you should care?

High heat brings children and vegetables together

For two weeks this summer I made it my mission to improve my 8-year-old son's tolerance of vegetables. I called it "veggie boot camp." He called it torture.

Give pork big flavor without a long shopping list

Weeknight cooking is all about getting gobs of flavor from just a few ingredients, no special techniques and as little effort as possible.

Hominy: What it is and how to use it

Hominy is one of those foods you might think you've never tried, yet almost certainly have. Or at least a close relative of it.

Finally, a zucchini recipe to get excited about!

The trouble with late summer's bounty of zucchini isn't in the volume of the vegetable itself. Rather, it is in the lack of creative recipes for using it.

Finally, a zucchini recipe to get excited about!

The trouble with late summer's bounty of zucchini isn't in the volume of the vegetable itself. Rather, it is in the lack of creative recipes for using it.

Nori: What it is and how to use it

If you've ever had a California roll, you've had nori.

Chill out this summer with homemade slushies

Slushies have taken on a surprisingly critical role in my family's summer. And it's my 7-year-old's fault.

Tortellini as croutons in a robust Caesar salad

My 7-year-old son has made me an expert at Caesar salad. Though to be fair, some credit goes to April Bloomfield, too.

Garam masala: What it is and how to use it

First lesson of Indian cooking — not all brown powders are curry powder.

Wonton skins: What they are and how to use them

There's nothing wrong with showing a bit of skin. Especially if it's steamy.

A blueberry muffin that thinks it's a pancake

What do you do when you are hankering for blueberry muffins, but don't have a muffin pan handy? Or maybe you just don't feel like cranking up the oven on a hot summer day.

Bring together best of salads and summer grilling

Summer is prime time for salads and grilling. So why not bring them together in one delicious dish?

Agave nectar: What it is and how to use it

Finally ... A way to enjoy agave without the hangover!

Part paella, part panzanella, all good for summer

My idea was simple — combine the best attributes of bready panzanella salad with the briny goodness of seafood paella. And I wanted it all done on the grill.

A quick, easy and fresh pasta salad that's healthy

In summer I really crave pasta salads. And I crave them bursting with fatty mayo and carb-rich pasta. So I was inspired to create this lower-carb pasta salad.

Dad is worth finding hard-to-find ingredients

It's not often that I urge people to hunt down hard-to-find ingredients. But sometimes it's worth it. This is one of those times.

Pomegranate Molasses: What it is and how to use it

Are you about over the pomegranate trend yet?

A little heat adds a lot of flavor to a milkshake

A hot skillet might seem out of place in a recipe for an icy, creamy milkshake. But stay with me on this one, because it turns out to be an amazing way to add tons of flavor.

Roast a chicken for a bit of outdoor romance

My recipe for a romantic picnic? A roasted chicken with sandwich trimmings.

Two new books tell Nelson Mandela's story through the prism of food

What do you feed a man who spent decades eating prison food in the name of freedom and reconciliation?

Jicama: What it is and how to use it

Imagine crossing a monster potato with a water chestnut.

Koshary: A filling vegetarian dish courtesy of Egypt

To enjoy authentic koshary, you'll need to travel to Egypt. Or spend a couple hours in your kitchen.

Don't toss the pineapple skin; use it on the grill

As I stood at the cutting board slicing slabs of thick skin off a fresh pineapple, a thought occurred to me — the strips of skin were an awful lot like the cedar planks some people use to add flavor to food on the grill. Perhaps they could be used the same way.

Berbere: What it is and how to use it

Imagine the best Southern barbecue, cooked up in northern Africa.

Wake Mom to freshly baked pastries on Mother's Day

No matter how much she would appreciate it, and no matter how much you love your mom — or the mother of your children — you aren't likely to make her croissants from scratch.

Anchovies: What they are and how to use them

If anchovies gross you out, know this — compared to what people ate before there were anchovies, they're practically cake and ice cream.

Fast and from-scratch chicken enchiladas

The goal was simple — a recipe for mole chicken enchiladas that tastes authentic, but doesn't take an authentic amount of time to prepare. And thanks to two easy time-saving tricks, it turned out to be easier than I expected.