This year, several friends and I started an informal dinner party club. Each month, we take turns hosting; the hostess makes the entrée, and everyone else is assigned a supplementary dish like a salad, appetizer, or dessert. Most recently, I was assigned the appetizer to go with a baked cheese and sausage ziti.

What to serve, I pondered, with a hearty pasta and a rich frozen dessert? The answer turned out to be a hot, creamy spinach dip, made healthier with the addition of reduced-fat sour cream and a greater proportion of spinach. Light yet indulgent, it was a nice, green start to what would be a filling meal. I can't wait to serve it again during March Madness playoffs. Want a killer app that's at once both sinful and guiltless? Just keep reading.

• A collection of sweet and savory snacks for your desk drawer. — Chow
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• Was it the Noma book that cost René Redzepi a third Michelin star? — Grub Street SF
• Food trucks have officially jumped the shark: even Jack in the Box has one. — Eater
• How foodies are raising money for Japan. — Epi-Log
• As food prices soar, so will your restaurant tab. — Walletpop
• Amidst Japan's nuclear crisis, Chinese shoppers are stockpiling iodized salt. — Eatocracy
• Must make: Middle Eastern lamb pizza. — Serious Eats

If you're taking the time to make your own hummus, why not go the extra mile and serve it with homemade pita chips? They're so easy to make, you practically don't even need a recipe! The best thing about baking pita until it's toasted and crunchy is that you control the seasonings. Depending on what you serve it with (spinach artichoke dip, Greek salsa, etc.), adjust the spices to mimic the flavors in the dip. I offered these chips with red pepper hummus packed with lots of garlic, so before baking, I dusted the triangles of pita with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Get the uncomplicated method now.

When I separate an egg for a Ramos gin fizz, I do so the good old-fashioned, pour-from-one-shell-to-the-other way. But what about when you're making, say, a homemade ice cream, and need to separate a dozen eggs? When bulk separation is necessary, here's my more efficient method:

1. I crack each egg, one at a time, into a small bowl. If it's A-OK, I transfer that egg to a large mixing bowl — this way, one bad egg won't ruin the whole mix.
2. With another medium-size mixing bowl nearby, I reach in with clean hands, and gently cradle each yolk, allowing the whites to slip through my fingers while being careful not to burst the yolk's membrane.
3. I then place each separated yolk, one at a time, into the medium mixing bowl.

Et voilà! I'm left with one bowl of yolks and a separate bowl of the remaining whites. How do you separate a bunch of eggs?

Good morning! Here's an idea: why not be like Dice215 and make mascarpone-stuffed French toast over the weekend?French toast made from Challah bread stuffed with mascarpone cheese and topped with warm brown sugar banana sauce.

Be sure to check out her blog for the recipe, and if you have a delicious photo to share, put it in the Savory Sights group. It could be featured here on YumSugar!