Aida Mollenkamp

• Aida Mollenkamp will star in a second show called Foodcrafters. — Eater SF
• An interview with the authors of Shut Up, Foodies. — Eat Me Daily
• Recipes that make the most of Spring ingredients. — Chow
• What to eat when traveling in Argentina. — The Epi-Log
• Find out who made the cut on this year's Top 100 Bay Area restaurants list. — Grub Street SF
• How fabulous is this Grumpy Old Men-themed birthday party? — Hostess With the Mostess
• What to do with leftover Easter eggs. — Serious Eats
• Congratulations to the winners of Saveur's first annual Best Food Blog Awards. — Saveur

When I was 21 and would raid my dad's liquor cabinet, I was always intrigued by a tall thin bottle filled with a bright yellow liquor. Called Galliano, I wondered if the spirit was named for John Galliano, the designer at Dior.

It's not: Galliano is actually named after an Italian hero, Giuseppe Galliano. The sweet liqueur has a complex vanilla-anise-citrus flavor and is most commonly used in a cocktail called Harvey Wallbanger.

However, Galliano can be used in many other cocktails, like this one, named for the town where it's made. An elegant combination of Galliano, sparkling apple juice, and Prosecco, it's a refreshing bubbly beverage. It makes a great start to the weekend, so get the recipe after the jump.

You love pesto, I love pesto! I have to admit I was giddy when I found a recipe that combines the comfort of mac and cheese with pesto. It also uses another one of my favorites, goat cheese. Since I had already eaten a lot of elbow macaroni, I picked up a box of orecchiette. They are said to be shaped like small ears, but I think they look more like little bowls; a perfect vessel to fill with sauce!

The combination of goat cheese, Parmesan, and pesto is insanely creamy. For a great crunch and texture, the mac and cheese is topped with panko. Rather than make a big pan, I cooked it in easy-to-serve individual ramekins. With a little planning this recipe won't take much longer than a box of Kraft — except it's a million times more rewarding. If you want to wow your friends and family with scrumptious mac and cheese, keep reading!

Hey football fans, get excited: this week I'm putting together a tailgate! Cal's my alma mater, and while Stanford is their biggest rival, on Saturday they face USC. It's the homecoming game, and a bunch of friends and I will be in attendance, so a pregame fiesta is in order. To kick things off, I'll throw an artichoke shrimp dip on the grill. Since this takes 20 minutes to heat up, I'll keep the crowd satisfied with store bought chips and guacamole. Then I'll make a round of grilled quesadillas with jack and spicy sauteed peppers. Finally, for the main course, I'll offer everyone a grilled sausage sandwich with caramelized red onions. To serve these tantalizing recipes at your next tailgate, read more