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• Learn how to prep and shell fava beans
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Welcome to our new series Kitchen Hacks, where we take ordinary household objects and transform them into useful kitchen tools. We know it's difficult to stock a kitchen with every gizmo and gadget, especially if you live in tight quarters. So instead of junking up your drawers with unused items, try make-shifting kitchen tools with our tips.

Have you ever been ready to roll out your dough only to realize you've misplaced your rolling pin? No problem! Rolling pins are incredibly easy to makeshift using an empty wine bottle. Since glass stays cold, the wine bottle keeps the dough firm and malleable, so the dough won't warm up and start sticking to surfaces. The perfectly round shape and long body of the bottle also contribute to making this an amazing substitution for a rolling pin.

Before you begin rolling, remove the bottle's label, scrape off the sticky glue residue, and wash the outside to disinfect it. Or, for a quick fix, simply cover the bottle in saran wrap (although it should be noted, the saran wrap may leave tiny line indentations in the dough). Once the bottle is washed or wrapped, sprinkle it with flour all around. Then roll out the dough by keeping your hands on the top of the bottle's body and pressing down firmly as you slowly rotate the bottle. Ta-da! It's as simple as that.

Have you ever tried this technique out before? Were your results successful?

Source: Nicole Hamaker for Pinch My Salt

Lately, we've been dishing on what constitutes some of the country's most popular — and hotly debated — dishes. We tackled the topic of chili, and now we're curious about another comfort food: mac and cheese.

The name clearly states two ingredients essential to the dish, and early renditions didn't add much more. In the 1824 cookbook titled The Virginia Housewife written by Thomas Jefferson's cousin Mary Randolph, the recipe called merely for macaroni, cheese, and butter. But these days, the process has evolved to make macaroni and cheese richer and creamier through the use of a flour and butter roux, cream, and gooey melting cheeses.

As a self-proclaimed mac and cheese addict, I believed this type of mac and cheese — popularized today by the likes of Ina Garten and America's Test Kitchen — to be the one true recipe. That is, until I tried Michelle Obama's cauliflower-puree-based version. And now I'm questioning my long-held definition. What do you think? Can pureed vegetables substitute for cream and still be considered a true mac and cheese? What pastas are acceptable? Are there any mix-ins that are off limits?

One of the most essential grating tools to have in the kitchen is the Classic Microplane ($15), yet most people don't realize all of the fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and spices that can be grated — all using only one tool. From hard cheeses to spices to even fruit, here's a comprehensive list of foods that can be transformed, thanks to the humble Microplane.

1. Hard cheeses: Turn hard, dry cheeses like parmesan-reggiano, asiago, and pecorino romano into fluffy, pillowy, snow-like flakes.
2. Root vegetables: Beets, carrots, and potatoes are just a few root vegetables to start zesting atop salads, in baked goods, or even on precious amuse-bouches.
3. Garlic: Nancy Silverton shared her brilliant trick: zesting garlic rather than chopping it.

Find out more foods to zest.

• Nine unique twists on the crepe cake — Kitchen Daily
• Bobby Flay's Manhattan Mesa Grill space is on the market — Zagat
• One artist re-creates famous paintings on . . . bananas? — Delish
• Wolfgang Puck's Spago is temporarily shuttering — Eater
• Lazy nicoise salad for the time-strapped — Food52
• Thomas Keller clarifies his stance on local, sustainable eating — The Braiser
• Kosher, table, and sea salt: not interchangeable — MyRecipes
• Meet Google+ Local, the marriage of Google and Zagat — Grub Street SF

After all the talk of chili last week, the dish was in my dreams over the long weekend. It's no surprise that this all-American concoction is a White House favorite, so I went in search of other presidential interpretations. The Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum boasts a plethora of Lady Bird's recipes, and among them one for her Pedernales River Chili. Named for the former first couple's Texas Hill Country ranch, the recipe was apparently so popular that Mrs. Johnson had it printed and mailed to satisfy the thousands of requests fielded from around the country.

While chili is terrific on cold Winter nights or at crisp Fall tailgates, I find it's also right at home at Summer barbecues and backyard parties. It's a great accompaniment to dogs and patties, but if you're having trouble balancing all those dishes, you can invert that bowl right on top of your bunned delight.

I trust that the former first lady's brew was delicious in its own right, but I found myself making a few modifications, namely reducing the recipe to a more manageable household size but maintaining the original spice measurements to boost the heat and flavor. This chili packs a punch, much like my California-bred self believes that Texas chili should. For the recipe, just keep reading