Susannah Chen
Editor, Food
Susannah Chen

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Cooking Basics

Add-Ins to Take Your Grilled Cheese From Good to Great

Making homemade manicotti or mixing up your own molé is noble and all, but with all due respect to from-scratch cooking, sometimes you just want to get dinner done — and in those moments, nothing fits the bill better than an elemental grilled cheese sandwich.

Making homemade manicotti or mixing up your own molé is noble and all, but with all due respect to from-scratch cooking, sometimes you just want to get dinner done — and in those moments, nothing fits the bill better than an elemental grilled cheese sandwich. April is the perfect time to test your skills, as it is National Grilled Cheese Month!

While a basic grilled cheese is just about the greatest thing since, well, sliced bread, there are a few additions that are guaranteed to take your sandwich to the next level. Click through for our top 10 suggestions.

party planning

How-To: A Mad Men-Inspired Cocktail Bash

Throwing a Mad Men-inspired cocktail party?

Throwing a Mad Men-inspired cocktail party? Then you'll want to tune in to this video for a little '60s inspiration. Watch Theme My Party host Brandi Milloy to learn how to set the mood just right, from the themed invitations and the inviting labels (who'll be able to resist Don Draper's old fashioned?) to vintage barware and colorful centerpieces. Your guests will be so charmed, they won't want to return to 2013!

Food News

Dishes That Re-Create Damien Hirst and Other Art

Dishes that re-create Damien Hirst and other artwork — HuffPost Arts & Culture The most common misconception about Los Angeles dining — Zagat Deer cheese: the next big thing?

POPSUGAR Food

Filipino Tacos Made With Your Leftover Roasted Chicken!

It goes without saying that leftovers can get stale and boring.


It goes without saying that leftovers can get stale and boring. In our new show Freshedovers, cooking expert Aida Mollenkamp demonstrates how to give your leftovers a much-needed makeover, starting with shredded roast chicken. Earlier she showed us how to transform chicken into a Jamaican jerk chicken salad, and now she takes shredded rotisserie chicken for a totally different kind of spin: as the filling for Filipino-inspired tacos.

In this episode, Aida creates a garlic, ginger, and pineapple sisig — a Filipino sour marinade — to inject flavor into shredded rotisserie chicken. The result? A make-ahead, spicy-sweet taco filling that's unlike one you've ever had before. Keep watching to find out how to give your chicken a Freshedover, and then get the recipe.

Food News

Link Time: Meet Food & Wine's 2013 Best New Chefs

Food & Wine announces its 2013 best new chefs — Food & Wine The most iconic restaurants in 15 American cities — Zagat Bravo announces Top Chef Masters 5, Top Chef 11, and a new show, Eat, Drink, Love — Eater One Tufts student is using food from dumpsters at his new café — Delish 9 celebrity wedding menus — HuffPost Taste Watch Fabio Viviani make a Chicago favorite, deep dish pizza — Yahoo!

Spring

Check Out Our Must Haves For April

Shower the start of 2013's second quarter with a handful of favorites that are sure to give your month a little lift.

Shower the start of 2013's second quarter with a handful of favorites that are sure to give your month a little lift. From Mad Men-era barware to April must-see TV to a new book on edible flowers, see the nine food-related items that we're obsessed with this month.

Food News

Link Time: April's Food TV Premieres

A guide to April's food TV premieres — Zagat Bacon Scope and other April Fools' pranks across the food world — Eater Dunkin' Donuts launches Baskin-Robbins-inspired coffee flavors — Delish Coffee makers: they aren't just for coffee — America's Test Kitchen And the winner of Worst Cooks in America is .

Source: CNN
Cocktails

Throw a Mad Men-Inspired Cocktail Party!

Chances are, you'll be tuning in to watch the season premiere of Mad Men on April 7, so if you're getting together with friends for a viewing, why not take things to the next level with a Mad Men-inspired cocktail party?

Chances are, you'll be tuning in to watch the season premiere of Mad Men on April 7, so if you're getting together with friends for a viewing, why not take things to the next level with a Mad Men-inspired cocktail party? The fun begins, of course, at the bar, from Don's go-to cocktail to Betty Draper's drink of choice to a cocktail favorite that takes us to the tropics (and back in time).

Of course, it wouldn't be the swinging '60s without a throwback to the finger foods of that era. We'll show you how to re-create provisions like pigs in a blanket with a twist. Just wait until you see our take on the Jell-O mold!

Download the Mad Men cocktail party invitations, food flags and table cards seen in this video for free at Paper & Pigtails.

Special thanks to Kori Clark of Paper & Pigtails.

Food News

Link Time: The Bacon Trend's Out of Control

The bacon trend is officially out of control — Zagat This Greek salad sandwich is the best of both worlds — HuffPost Taste A new Julia Child book is on its way — Eater How to host a Game of Thrones dinner party — Yahoo!

fast and easy

Don't Pass Over This Matzo Brei With Lox

Ruth Reichl has described matzo brei as "one of life's perfect foods," and I couldn't agree more.

Ruth Reichl has described matzo brei as "one of life's perfect foods," and I couldn't agree more. After all, what's more comforting than a meal composed of reassuring ingredients like butter, eggs, and crackers? Still better is this nontraditional version of the Ashkenazi dish that's inspired by yet another Passover favorite: lox, eggs, and onions. Even if you don't observe the holiday, consider this scramble of sorts for your next breakfast. It's ideal with sweet (try drizzling it with a bit of honey) and savory (topped with a dollop of sour cream) — and it takes 10 minutes to make. Want the recipe? Then read on.

recipes

Cinnamon Rolls: Sinfully Sweet and Simple

There's nothing better in the morning than a warm, gooey cinnamon roll, but traditionally these pastries take forever to make, thanks to yeast and rising time.

There's nothing better in the morning than a warm, gooey cinnamon roll, but traditionally these pastries take forever to make, thanks to yeast and rising time. Skip the overnight process and try our recipe for cinnamon rolls, which taste just as good as the original but only require 30 minutes of time from start to finish. We promise they're so good, it'll be hard to stop at just one.

Get the Dish

Get the Dish: Carnegie Deli's Matzo Ball Soup

Regardless of your religious inclinations, it's impossible to ignore the warm revelation that is a good matzo ball soup.



Regardless of your religious inclinations, it's impossible to ignore the warm revelation that is a good matzo ball soup. Referred to by many as "the Jewish penicillin," matzo ball soup is known for its cold-curing properties — and no one can attest to this more than the folks behind the Carnegie Deli. This midtown Manhattan institution, which has been open for 75 years, serves up a whopping 1,500 matzo balls daily! Find out the secrets to making a great matzo ball (hint: it's all in how you roll it!), and keep watching for the recipe.

Food News

Link Time: Flavor Flav Is Casting For a New Food Show

Flavor Flav is casting for his restaurant reality-TV show — Eater A North Carolina restaurant serves iguana, camel, and llama burgers — Delish Must-visit craft-beer destinations around the world — Zagat How to get the best seat at dinner, every time — HuffPost Taste A Sicilian sauce that makes any vegetable better — Tasting Table Momofuku Ko temporarily reverses its photography ban — The Braiser See the lineup for this year's Great Googa Mooga Festival — Grub Street New York

Cooking Basics

The French Omelet: A Classic Breakfast Made Easy

Take your love of cooking eggs to the next level by trying your hand at a classic French omelet.

Take your love of cooking eggs to the next level by trying your hand at a classic French omelet. If you've never had one before, the difference between a French version and its American counterpart is simple: the French version is rolled, and thanks to a light hand and a shorter cooking time, it also has an oozy custard interior.

The basic recipe — which is little more than eggs cooked in butter with salt, pepper, and a garnish of chives — is so elemental that perfect execution is key. Learn how to make these fluffy, silky eggs when you watch our video, then print out the recipe and give it a try on your own.

Food News

Link Time: Fro Yo Without an Ice Cream Maker

Homemade frozen yogurt without an ice cream maker — Refinery29 Sandra Lee's first novel sounds familiar and ends in a proposal — Eater Learn how to make Korean fried chicken — Zagat Bloody Marys gone too far — HuffPost Taste Create hot foamed milk with a mason jar – America's Test Kitchen The chocolate Easter egg that'll set you back $1,000 — Delish Another big food critic's reviews go behind a paywall — Grub Street San Francisco

party planning

How to Create a Chic and Unique Easter Basket

Why should kids have all the fun?

Why should kids have all the fun? This Easter, surprise your nearest and dearest with a sophisticated twist on the traditional Easter basket. For a grown-up twist, swap out those plastic eggs and cellophane grass in favor of a few handcrafted marshmallows, a rainbow of macarons, and an elegant bottle of bubbly. Watch the video to learn how to dress up a basket of your own.

Food Video

How-To: Stock Your Home Bar

Want to build your home bar, but don't know where to begin?

Want to build your home bar, but don't know where to begin? We'll show you how to start from scratch with the cocktail essentials. First, we tackle the must-have liquors and what to make with them, and the mixers that are (and aren't!) staples for tipples both classic and contemporary. Of course, don't forget the garnishes, glassware, and gear — including our go-to cocktail book. Watch our video to become a master behind the bar in no time.

Food News

Link Time: McDonald's Adds Chicken McWrap to Its Menu

McDonald's adds the Chicken McWrap to its permanent menu — Zagat One simple step makes grating cheese so much easier — Chow A lot of famous chefs are on diets these days — Eater How to make the best ricotta in the world — HuffPost Taste Debuting at Baconfest: a 50-foot, 500-pound "hog log" — Grub Street New York This ain't your mama's chicken salad sandwich — Tasting Table Giada De Laurentiis will author a children's series about food — Delish