• PartySugar's put together everything you need to host your own Mardi Gras Party - complete with invitations, menu and the ever important drinks.
• Valentine's Day meant romantic meals, fun facts and gift guides.
• If you're looking for something for dinner why not try Moroccan-Rubbed Steaks?
• If steak's not your thing, then be sure not to miss out on these eggplant sandwiches.
• Want to make hot chocolate that can melt an old dame's heart (as seen in the movie Chocolat)?
• This week, we wondered what kind of wine you drank, as well as how much you know about it.
• Don't forget, the Lunar New Year begins this weekend. You could try making a batch of potstickers or bake a Western take on traditional Chinese New Year Cake.



• Reader mandiesoh spoils us rotten with her recipe for Dark Chocolate Puds, while TeamSugar shares her delectable Caprese Salad Skewers.
• And finally, mutant potatoes took over Shanghai, while Gordon Ramsay decides to conquer America's kitchens.

I have a younger cousin, Alli, who is learning how to cook. She recently showed a great interest in food and baking and I am very proud of her - as is her mom. To encourage her experimentation in the kitchen in a positive way, I want to get her a chic, cute apron. Something young, fun, and colorful but not tacky. An apron she's not afraid to wear when entertaining her girlfriends, or take with her when she goes away to college. Let's head off to market in search of awesome aprons for Alli. Her style is classic, preppy, and young so keep that in mind when you look for aprons. Save your findings in the Yum Market and tag them with the keyword Apron.

If you don't know how to participate and would like to learn, read geeksugar's guide to saving on TeamSugar.

Chinese New Year's Eve is tomorrow and it wouldn't be right if I didn't devote a little party planning to ring in the lunar calendar's first day of the year! Luckily Chinese New Year celebrations last for 15 whole days, so if you don't have time to throw an impromptu last minute party this weekend you can host one next week or weekend. Invite all of your friends to watch the local Chinese New Year parade (the one here in SF is March 3) and then head over to your house for a little fiesta afterwards. For the 411 on throwing this shin-dig, including invites, drinks, decorations and everything else you'll need, read more

Today I was feeling in the mood for a Chinese inspired cocktail. So I started to browse the gazillions of drink recipes out there when I stumbled across something called a Chinese Cocktail! Score, just what I was looking for! I'm not exactly sure what about this cocktail makes it Chinese (since none of the ingredients are at all related to China), but I assume the name has something to do with the vibrant, beautiful color of the drink. The color could be called Chinese red. I can't wait to try it this weekend when I eat Jon Ching's Chinese New Year feast. To make this at your own little Chinese New Year fete, read more

For the last six years, the South Beach Wine & Food Festival is a big deal in the foodie world. It's a "star-studded" event that keeps growing year after year. This year the event, which is sponsored by the Food Network, has a new feature to offer: the "first-ever Food Network Awards." The event, which takes place on February 23, will be hosted by Emeril Lagasse and will honor "achievements in the world of food and entertaining."

Some of the presenters include Catherine Zeta Jones & Aaron Eckhart (they're in an upcoming film called "No Reservations" a remake of "Mostly Martha," a European film about a chef) as well as all the usual Food Network stars (Rachael, Giada, Bobby, Paula, Alton, and everyone's favorite Sandra Lee).

To learn more, including what kind of awards they're giving - and surprisingly they're actually food awards and not just Food Network based awards - read more

When I was a kid, our house was always full of yummy food and our freezer was always full of trays of frozen homemade potstickers. You see, every few months my mom would go on a huge potsticker making spree and we would have enough of them to feed an army for months. Growing up it was almost frustrating, there was never any room in the freezer for anything else (like ice cream!), but now, many years later, I really wish that my freezer was always full of these delectable little dumplings. Unfortunately, the only way that is going to happen is if I do it myself. So the other day I called up my sister and had her come over and help me (it's way more fun with someone else!). We used my mom's general recipe (she never does the same thing twice, making it up as she goes along) and cooked them as we went. In fact we were stuffed before we were even finished. Full step-by-step pictures and instructions for Homemade Pork Potstickers after the jump, and here's a video of my sister showing off her mad-potsticker making skills.

To check out the recipe, including step-by-step pictures, read more

Boy is it my lucky week: two holidays = two lists of fun facts... Woo-hoo! I am jumping for joy at my desk right now. I enjoy collecting random bits of useless knowledge about traditional holidays and festivals. It's my secret weapon: when I'm at a party and suddenly find myself at a loss for words, I simply state one of my fun facts. If you get nervous about attending parties where you don't know a lot of people, I highly recommend memorizing a few interesting, yet completely pointless facts. The Chinese are very superstitious and there are lots of little things you should and should not do on and around the New Year. Did you know that to cry on New Year's Day is to cry all year long, so children are indulged and never spanked on Chinese New Year? Or that Chinese New Year is actually celebrated over a 15 day long period? To learn the politically correct name of Chinese New Year and much more, read more

It's no secret, my mom really enjoys cooking up a huge feast, and come Chinese New Year it's no different. When possible, we all get together as a family and stuff our faces with delicious food. If we can't all make it, my mom is sure to call each one of her absentee children and remind them to eat fish on New Year's Eve. Why fish? Well, the Chinese word for fish is actually very similar to the word for surplus. So you prepare fish in order to symbolize the fact that you have surplus food. However, you never actually finish the fish as it's important to leave some behind (to ensure "surplus" for the new year). Don't throw it out, just put it away for the night. This year, I unfortunately won't be able to make it to my mom's house (I'm a terrible daughter and didn't pay attention to the date and made expensive non-refundable plans), so I'm going to have to make my own fish. I'd make my mom's fish, but she never uses recipes and cooks so fast, I'm not sure where to begin. Luckily my gal PartySugar found this recipe for a nice light and easy steamed fish. It definitely sounds like a must try. To check out the recipe, read more

The next secret ingredient is Tofu.
So join the Secret Ingredient Group and post your best tofu recipe there!

This week's winning Secret Ingredient recipe comes from reader mandiesoh. Just in time for the Lunar New Year, mandiesoh has provided us with a fantastic recipe for Singapore Chili Crab. It looks absolutely great and I can't wait to try it. Thanks for posting! Next week it could be your recipe here for everyone to see.

To learn how to post to the Secret Ingredient Group, read more

There is less then 36 hours to go until my Mardi Gras party and I believe I have everything basically under control. The invitations were sent and the RSVP texts have been vibrating on my phone all morning (why does everyone wait until the last minute to rsvp???), my house is already set into party mode, the keg will be picked up in the morning, and later today I'll start making sweet and savory appetizers. I hope that everyone comes in the mood to dance and that is why the music is a very important part of this party. The music at an event should never be overlooked (sometimes I get so caught up in the cooking I forget until the last minute!) and if you are not a super DJ, ask a trusted, musically inclined friend to help you. To see what I've compiled on my playlist, read more