If you've never had a pain d'epi, this pull-apart baguette is intended to mimic the appearance of the flower of the wheat stalk, or "epi" in French. Each little ear of wheat can be easily pulled apart, which makes this bread shape ideal to pass around the table at dinner parties or picnics. If you don't have time to create a sourdough bread starter, this overnight dough is the next best thing. Read more

If you're already a fan of making your own snacks, then why not start preparing your own condiments, too? One of the easiest in my book is balsamic glaze: all you really need is a bottle of balsamic vinegar and 10 minutes. Here's how you do it: Pour a cup of balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring the heat to a boil without reducing the heat on the stove. At this point, turn Read more

We all get hungry throughout the day, and while it's easy to pop into the nearest café or corner store to pick up something to nibble on, it's much more rewarding, and satisfying, to make your own snacks. The good news is if you spend a little time on the weekend preparing some tasty treats, you'll be able to toss them in a bag and throw them into your purse to enjoy for the week ahead. Note: Read more

What if you could simply conjure ingredients out of thin air? It sounds like something out of a Star Trek episode, but it's absolutely possible in one instance: sourdough. This tangy, fluffy bread gets its start as a simple fermented flour and water mixture that pulls its yeast fungi straight from the air! While you can certainly bake delicious bread using the dry active yeast that comes in Read more

If bread is the staff of life, then this cook has been wobbling on shaky legs for much of her culinary career. What is it about baking bread that's so daunting? I suppose I've rationalized my bread-baking evasion by telling myself it takes too long and my spaghetti-noodle arms can't knead well enough. But I recognize those are silly excuses, so this week I set about tackling the easiest bread Read more

Good things come to those who wait. And by "good things" I mean a loaf of bread so delicious, you may find yourself daydreaming about it long after it's been gobbled up. The key ingredients for bread-making are patience, precision, a little bit of luck, and, in most cases, a strong arm for working the dough. But if that last bit turns you off, then you've come to the right place. Jim Lahey's Read more

While in Miami, we had the chance to nurse our hangovers, Italian style. Chef Fabio Viviani's Bertolli demo was filled with laughs, mispronunciations, and homemade, fresh fettuccine. All in all, it was great fun, and we were surprised to learn that making pasta at home doesn't have to be the headache that it's made out to be. With a food processor, a pasta press, and a few staple ingredients, Read more

Strawberry-infused tequila, Irish cream, limoncello, and gin: if ever there's been a DIY spirit, we've made it. What, I pondered, could we tackle next? When the Scandinavian food trend hit tables this year, the answer dawned on me: aquavit! This time-honored Norwegian spirit — infused with the flavors of spices such as coriander, caraway, fennel, and dill seed — seems oh-so-festive for the Read more