williams sonoma

These days, pineapples are available year-round at the store, so you may not know that they're actually at their peak between the months of March and July. The best way to enjoy these tropical fruits? Skip the can and select the largest, plumpest specimen you can find, preferably one with a little give. Trim and cut it — then savor its succulence with a fresh fruit salad.

Pineapples have traditionally been employed in tropical fruit salads, where they complement the flavors of papayas, mangoes, and toasted coconut. But don't overlook a savory application. Combine the fruit with cucumbers, tomatoes, and herbs in a fiery Asian vinaigrette for a sweet-hot twist. Make it a full meal by adding shredded rotisserie chicken or garlicky grilled shrimp. Aching for a taste of the tropics? Decide whether to go the sweet or salty route when you read more.

It's the little things in life that make me happy: satin ribbons, painted nails, and crispy melted cheese sandwiches. To kick-start the weekend, I'm treating myself to an oozing and seasonal asparagus panini. I'll even take things up a notch by adding in several slices of paper-thin prosciutto. Of course, I'll enjoy it with a chilled glass of white wine and a lightly dressed mixed green salad. It's a perfect relaxing dinner for one, so get the recipe now.

After a long week of admittedly too much partying, I'm in the mood for an easy, nourishing meal. Tonight, I'll be using my slow cooker to make a bacon-flecked stew with white wine and a whole cut-up chicken, reminiscent of the French countryside favorite coq au vin.

Hours later, when the scent wafting from the crockpot tells me that dinner's ready, I'll enjoy it at the table with the rest of the leftover wine. Sound like a relaxing close to a long, busy week? Then make the recipe yourself when you read more.

Even if you don't have plans to throw a St. Patrick's Day bash, you can still celebrate in your own low-key way. As part of dinner, serve colcannon, an Irish peasant dish of potatoes mashed with leeks, cabbage, and kale. It's a basic, comforting, and traditional staple of Ireland that's easy to prepare with a festive, verdant hue. For a rustic variation, mash potatoes together with sautéed vegetables and aromatics. To step it up, run potatoes through a ricer for a weightless, soufflélike texture. Then, foil that with bits of bacon that have been cooked until crisp. Get your green spirit on with either recipe and read more.

Here's a post from CasaSugar Community member The City Girl from the Su Casa group:

I LOVE Williams-Sonoma Home, and if I were a millionaire I'd happily choose staples from their collection for my home. Sadly, I'm not, so I tend to look at more lowbrow furniture sites when considering a new piece. Still, I do like to fantasize occasionally and view the Williams-Sonoma Home furniture, so imagine my surprise when I saw a chair that looked just like one I'd spied on a cheaper site the day before!

Anderson Wing Chair from Williams-Sonoma Home

As shown, in China Blue classic linen, it's $1,750 plus tax and $160 shipping.

See the more affordable chair when you read more

The Saints' first Super Bowl victory and Mardi Gras in less than a week gives Southerners and Northerners an excuse to celebrate the eclectic Creole culture that is so unique to New Orleans. Want to get crazy? Simmer up a steaming pot of seafood gumbo. Keep things basic with canned chicken broth, frozen okra, and two simple shellfish elements — crab and shrimp. Or, if you're feeling more elaborate, peel your own shrimp, saving the shells for a flavorful stock, and throw in the works, from andouille sausage to fresh oysters. Either way, you'll wind up with a gumbo worth getting jazzed up about. For the recipes, read more.

I used to think cold weather meant the world was relegated to eating apples, pears, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash. But as I grew older I was introduced to a cornucopia of Winter produce, from blood oranges and kumquats to kale and leafy chicories. One of my top picks is übernutritious escarole, a greenish-white chicory that's not quite as bitter as radicchio and frisée.

Escarole is sweeter sautéed, but adds a nice crunch in a seasonal salad. Roughly chop it and toss with Dijon vinaigrette to cut the bitterness. Or, for something a bit more elaborate, make xató, a classic Catalan salad topped with a romesco-like sauce, and served with anchovy, tuna, and salt cod (baccala). Make the most of January's bounty with two different types of escarole salad when you read more.

In continuation of our Best of 2009 coverage, we asked you about your favorite kitchen store of the past 12 months. The vast majority of you — 58 percent — declared Cost Plus World Market tops, for its affordability during tough economic times.

Although we're also fans of the imported sundries sold at Cost Plus, we must respectfully beg to differ: for the second year in a row, we're naming Williams-Sonoma as 2009's best kitchen store. True, the California kitchenware company has partnered with us on some colossal giveaways this year. But more than that, it's been the source of many solid recipes, cocktail ideas, and, of course, covetable kitchen items. Tell us what you love about Williams-Sonoma, or your favorite kitchen store!

From bar tools to gourmet snacks, we've presented you with tons of fabulous gift ideas. While we're all about creating delicious edible items, we understand that not everyone has the time or energy to make edible gifts. That's why we've selected our top four suggestions and rounded them up in today's episode of YumTV. Watch it now to learn what they are!