Every home cook, whether they are a trained professional or a newlywed new to the kitchen, should have a delicious and decadent cheesecake recipe in their repertoire. Cheesecake is one of those desserts that pleases a crowd time and time again and is better made in advance so it has time to set and chill. There are hundreds of varieties, but the classic combination of cheesecake and strawberries always pleases. I've found two recipes - one for the advanced and one for the novice (or those short on time) - that are equally scrumptious and completely doable in any home kitchen. Champagne pairs perfectly with either of these recipes, so choose the one that suites you, just read more

Over in the Serious Eats Forum, folks want you to fill in the blank with a foodie item: I can't keep __________ in the house. Right now mine would have to be sour gummi bears from Bristol Farms (seriously where do they make these and how can I get a factory tour, and why do they taste so different from regular sour gummi bears?!). How about you, what can't you keep in the house? - Serious Eats

Last week I told you about my brand new shiny KitchenAid mixer. I am so excited that I've already started greasing my baking sheets and pie pans, but the only problem is my pot holders! Right now they are old, dirty, and just plain gross, so I sent you off to market in search of fresh pot holders. You bookmarked a whole bunch of incredibly cute pot holders with the keyword tag Pot Holders. You can take a look at all of the ones you found by scrolling through the images below. My favorite pot holders are these floral ones found by mellie_608. With their oversized pattern, classic shape, and chic colors, I will never feel embarrassed when guests see me remove dishes from the oven again. Awesome find!

Don't know much about the bookmarking feature on TeamSugar? Please check out geeksugar's quick explanation.

Since today is National Cheese Day I thought I'd pull out some of my cheese serving techniques. You may have seen these a while back, but cheese talk is never out of style and besides, that expensive cheese you bought needs to be treated well.

• Cheese should be refrigerated in the original wrapping until ready to use. Keep it in an area where it will be less likely to pick up the other odors/flavors floating around in the fridge.
• Once unwrapped, wrap hard or semi-soft cheese in wax paper (it's better than plastic) and if possible store in a sealed plastic container. Use a fresh piece of wax paper each time. Soft-cheeses do not need the wax paper and should be kept in a sealed container.
• Consider double wrapping potent (aka stinky) cheeses so that their odors do not escape.

To see the rest of my tips, read more

I never got into the first two seasons of "The Next Food Network Star." However, when I heard that the producers were "stepping up their game" this season, I decided to give it another try. Last night's two-hour premiere introduced us to 11 hopeful stars and you know what? It wasn't that bad. As the promos say, it's an all new season, all new rules. And from the look of things, it looks like the producers have taken a page out of Top Chef's rule book. There's more behind the scenes, at the dorms and in the kitchen, as well as faster-paced editing. To see what I thought of last night's premiere, read more

It's National Cheese Day, so I decided to scour the web and highlight a few essential tools to help you enjoy cheese to the fullest. For slicing perfect slices of cheddar and Gruyere, choose a wooden board with an attached metal cutter. For softer cheeses, like Brie, use a special edged knife that allows you to smoothly spread cheese on crackers, toasts, and fruit pieces. Hard cheese such as Parmesan requires a cheese plane to create thick shaved sheets that can be placed onto pastas and salads. For wine and cheese parties, a wooden cheese board is essential for displaying a variety of cheese types. A box grater is useful for pizzas, tacos, gratins, and more. Lastly, for those special occasions, a shiny fondue pot allows you to savor melted cheese - it's an indulgent splurge that you won't use as often as your box grater, but it's one that you'll definitely delight in. To check out all these finds, scroll through the box below.

One of my favorite things to do with leftover chicken is chicken salad. Usually I shred it over tasty beds of lettuce, but sometimes I really enjoy the taste and crunch of a mixed chicken salad. I love the taste and texture that other ingredients bring to the party. In this recipe, crunchy celery, sweet grapes and smooth avocado are just some of the ingredients that blend together to make a great leftover chicken salad. You can serve it over lettuce, or scoop it between slices of your favorite bread. To check out this delicious recipe, read more

If you are in charge of planning a graduation party this year - whether it's for a sixth grader who's heading off to junior high or a medical student who's finishing their PhD - be sure to follow along in this week's party plan. All week I'll be providing you with inspiring ideas, delicious dishes, and much more to help make your grad bash the most memorable party around. Remember it's your party and you can be as traditional or nontraditional as you want. Sure you could spend a bunch of money on formal announcements with matching invitations, but you could also create an equally intriguing invitation on your computer at home like I'm doing for my little sister. To see what I've put together in no time at all read more