A couple of weeks ago, Conde Nast Traveler hosted its 8th Annual Hot List party in New York City. One of the desserts on the menu, which was catered by Mary Guilani, were these jalapeño brownies. I thought they would make an exceptionally original dessert for Cinco de Mayo, so I whipped up a batch and brought them to work. The recipe is simple — it's basically a classic brownie recipe with minced jalapeños folded in — and interestingly complex. The result is a spicy meets sweet flavor explosion. Although the office had mixed feelings about these brownies, I thought they were innovative and exciting. To take a look at the recipe, read more

I spent a good chunk of this weekend geeking out with geeksugar at the 2008 Maker Faire. While there I noticed a booth called "Secret Eating Society" and told geek she'd know where to find me if we got separated.

The Secret Eating Society is a group of Bay Area foodie hipsters who are putting out a quarterly journal of adventurous eats. (There's no word on where you can buy the journals, but you can send them an email and I'm sure they'll let you know.) They also have events around the area, including this booth at Maker Faire. Their booth was selling offal tacos — whole roasted pig and braised lamb cheeks — as well as hibiscus-mint coolers.

To celebrate the fact that Cinco de Mayo was just around the corner — not to mention the fact that I actually love weird meats — I ordered one of their tacos. And as much as I hate to say the pun you're all thinking, the braised lamb cheeks taco was indeed "offally" good.

So tell me, what do you think of a secret eating society? Would you join if it was in your area?

This Cinco de Mayo, you could serve your guests a pitcher of classic margaritas, the more adventurous michelada, or something a little bit different.

The Orange Mojo-ito is a nice twist on an old favorite, and while mojitos aren't Mexican, the new variation makes it worthy of your fiesta! To find out how to create this sublime mix of mandarin vodka, rum, and mint, please read more

If you're looking for a unique way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, then take a page from TeamSugar's book and host your very own tequila tasting party. She held one last year, and recommends that we all do the same! — TeamSugar

I love taco trucks. At my old job, there was one I would flock to at any given chance. It seems my taco truck — aka "roach coach" — love puts me in great company. Los Angeles-based food critic Jonathan Gold — the only food critic to have received a Pulitzer Prize — is also a big fan of the taco truck. However unlike myself, who knows where her favorite taco truck is at all times, Gold may now have to hunt down his faves. Starting May 15, the city of Los Angeles is enacting a new law that will prohibit taco trucks from staying in one spot for longer than one hour at a time. The law carries a fine of up to $1,000, or six months in jail. And considering that LA actually jailed a hot dog vendor for breaking one of their new food laws, it wouldn't be a surprise if they set an example by cracking down on a taco truck as well.

So why have they written the new law? The ordinance started due to complaints from other businesses. They claim the taco trucks deliberately choose popular restaurants and park in front of them, causing the restaurants to lose business. While this may be the case for some, I can't imagine it's the case for all. Some of these taco trucks — like Tacos El Galuzo — actually pay rent to the businesses they're parked in front of.

To fight the new law, more than 150 taco truck owners are vowing a "taco resistance" and plan to stay parked exactly where they are. If you're interested in learning more on how you can help visit SaveOurTacoTrucks.org.

Would you save the taco trucks? Or should they pack their tacos and go?

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Whether you dread or embrace it, turning 30 is definitely a milestone worth celebrating. Later this month it's DearSugar's 30th birthday. To ensure she commemorates the occasion in style, I'm helping her plan the party. These ideas can easily be applied to any important birthday so take my tips and make them your own. DearSugar requested a simple, classic invitation in her favorite color: purple. To see how I made the one shown here, read more