Anything sparkling turns me into a giddy girl, but I was particularly fond of this 2008 Raumland Blanc de Noirs Vintage Brut ($45) from Germany. I love a Pinot Noir sparkling wine aged to perfection, and this fits the bill.

Creamy, smooth, and packed with crisp bubbles, this wine has a complex and developed flavor that is everything I would expect from a sparkling wine produced in the méthode traditionnelle. This mellow vintage brut should be stored away until a noteworthy celebration calls for its popping. And because it has such a delicate flavor profile, it should be enjoyed on its own.

We've all been there: tired and hungry, we pull out the necessary ingredients for a recipe, only to discover that we ran out of ___. Rather than scrap the meal altogether or make a desperate rush to the store, we'd like to think that with a little ingenuity and a sprinkling of know-how, many potential disasters can be averted.

Before we share a few — dare we say it — simply genius ingredient hacks, we have a little pop quiz for you. What baking and brining superstar can be approximated in a pinch with a mixture of milk and lemon juice?

For the answer (and more kitchen hacks), keep reading.

We're madly jealous of Food Orleans's recent meal at the chef's table in the storied Commander's Palace in New Orleans; a visit to this lavish restaurant has been on our travel bucket list for years!

This is Commander's Palace. If it looks like a fairytale building, that's because it is. It's a place where stories are told, surprises happen at any minute, and everyone works together to entertain you and take care of everything you could possibly want. Prepare to be a princess, in other words.

Any time you eat at Commander's, it's special; from brunch on any Sunday to lunch on Thursday to dinner on Saturday night. But the best times to eat there are on holidays, like Thanksgiving, or special occasions: the birthdays, graduations, and anniversaries that are the most important days in the story of your life. I had a big ol' birthday this month; I turned 40. All I wanted was to eat at the Chef's Table at Commander's, and Paul, my wonderful love, he made it happen.

The Chef's Table is the ultimate experience of what Commander's Palace really does, which is nothing short of magic. The table is in the kitchen, right behind the grill line; you're not sheltered away in a corner — you're right in the middle of it. And the Commander's kitchen is quiet, controlled, and all business. As the sous chef, Jason Wells, who prepared most of our dishes that night explained to us (above), you can easily have a conversation in the Commander's kitchen, because there's no yelling. It's not like any other restaurant kitchen I've ever seen or heard of, save The French Laundry or Daniel or other places in the top tier of restaurants in the world. And the theatre of the kitchen is part of the experience of sitting at the Chef's Table.

Read more about her epic meal.

• The secret to small-batch potato chips at home — Food52
• Who makes the best store-bought ice cream desserts? — Kitchen Daily
• This crazy-hot Summer's scaring farmers and chefs — Grub Street Philly
• You'll never guess who bought an oyster farm — Eater
• One California restaurant gets busted for selling marijuana — Delish
• Yes, folks: there's an actual gravy train — Zagat
• Meet the first chain to create an all-bacon burger — HuffPost Food