Although, I often draw inspiration from chefs and cookbooks, I get a ton of ideas simply from browsing TeamSugar. I know I'm not alone: Not too long ago, FinnLover wrote about all the reader recipes she's tried over the last several months. Not only did many recipes (like Twinkle's Tomato and Avocado Salsa above) become part of her new cooking repertoire, but making them also sparked her creativity. For instance, after she made Twinkle's recipe for Finnish pancakes, FinnLover combined her leftovers with asparagus, béchamel, Swiss, and ham to make an entirely different dish.
This year, I know that plenty of you have resolved to cook more frequently and explore new techniques and flavors. Don't forget to post them in the Kitchen Goddess group! To see more of FinnLover's tantalizing masterpieces, read more
In my larder, Kettle Chips are a regularly stocked item. My guy and I eat so many of the thick-cut, ultracrunchy, gourmet-flavored Death Valley Chipotle and Backyard Barbecue bags that I've tried, several times, to put a moratorium on any Kettle Chips in the house. You can probably guess how successful I was.
Then, right after the ultraheavy holidays, I received a package of Kettle's new baked chips. In my attempt to lighten up my diet, I thought the timing couldn't be better. To see what my sweetheart and I thought of them, read more
Fewer restaurant patrons, more recession dining specials: If you've dined out at all in the past year, it's been impossible not to notice the impact that the economy's had on the restaurant industry. The latest development? Establishments have begun charging patrons for bread.
Restaurants such as Momofuku Ssäm Bar in Manhattan, Fog City Diner in San Francisco, and Spring Hill in Seattle are pairing artisan bread with specialty olive oil or butter and charging anywhere from $3 to $8 for bread as an appetizer.
I'm not surprised by this gutsy restaurant move; it makes sense.
The bitter reality is that many restaurants are on the verge of financial collapse, and this strategy may be one way to stay afloat. It's also an effective way to cut down on wasted food. Do you agree with my argument? Would you mind paying to have bread at your meal?
Now that America has become familiar with President-elect Barack Obama's political agenda, the country has taken interest in the soon-to-be president's personal quirks and preferences. A clip surfaced of Obama on Check Please! Chicago, a Chicago series that features locals reviewing restaurants. In the August 2001 episode, the then-Illinois state senator raves about Dixie Kitchen, a Southern-, Cajun-, and Creole-influenced restaurant in his South Side neighborhood of Hyde Park. 
In the clip, Obama sounds surprisingly . . . well, just like us. "It's not gourmet cuisine, but that's not why I go to the Dixie Kitchen," he says. "What I'm looking for is food that tastes good for a good price." Yet his introspective nature is already evident, when he admits the johnnycakes are "dangerous," so "I've learned from my mistakes." Watch the clip when you read more
When a recipe calls for an assortment of diced vegetables, like carrots, celery, garlic, and onions, chop the onions last. This is especially important if you are prone to crying when slicing onions.
The onion's chemicals will leave a natural residue in the air and on the cutting board and knife. The minute diced onions hit the pan, however, the enzymes that produce the tear-inducing gases are destroyed. The less time between dicing and cooking onions the better.
Got a tip for chopping veggies? Share with us below!
A couple of weeks ago I had the wonderful opportunity to speak with Spanish chef, José Andrés. From his recently opened Beverly Hills restaurant, The Bazaar, at the SLS Hotel to his PBS television show to his new cookbook, Made in Spain: Spanish Dishes For the American Kitchen, the chef has had a very busy end of 2008. He's opinionated, proud, and incredibly creative — Spanish master Ferran Adriá was his mentor. To find out what the chef had to say about his book and what he thinks of Mario Batali and Gwyneth Paltrow's televised trip around his native country, read more
Surprise your family tonight with this gift-like meal. The seafood and vegetables are cooked en papillote — inside a parchment paper package — until moist and tender. At the table, your loved ones open the packets to discover a delectable and succulent dinner.
Feel free to get creative with the recipe: this healthy cooking technique is ideal for all types of fish, chicken, and vegetables. To learn how it's done, read more
To kick off the new year in a big way, PopSugar Daily has four weeks of awesome Coach giveaways! Each week we're giving out different fabulous goodies to jump-start 2009 starting with five gorgeous daily planners in black and gold.
To enter, all you have to do is sign up for PopSugar Daily, our newsletter of what's hot to shop, see, or do every day. You'll also get an entry for every friend you invite to sign up for the newsletter. Read the official rules here, keep checking back to see what we're giving away every week and of course, tune in to PopSugar Daily to stay on top of what's hot every day of the week.
