It took me a long while to make puttanesca sauce, the feisty Italian tomato sauce packed with sharp, pungent and briny flavors.

I am not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Or in this case, turn down a gift of fresh pears from a friend who, yes, grows her own pears.

My inspiration for making soup is often a convergence of too many vegetables in the refrigerator with homemade stock and leftovers from a roast chicken.

I can't think of a better way to prepare a potato than Hasselback-style.

Sometimes, all we need is a cookie.

The end of summer means many things to me: Labor Day barbecues, back-to-school excitement, shorter days and ... loads of tomatoes. 

Here's the thing: It's fun to eat with your fingers. Skewering puts the fun in food, taking ordinary recipes and sticking it to them (pun intended), along with an assortment of dipping sauces -- because dipping a stick in a sauce is half the fun of eating food on a skewer. It's a lively pres…

There is a magical window of time when fresh figs are abundant, and now is the time. Soft and fragrant, fresh figs are oh-so-ethereal to eat. Their flavor is delicate yet nuanced. Depending on the variety, they can be sweet and winey, honeyed or grassy.

When it comes to baking, I like to keep it simple, preferring presentations that are not too fussy, but fresh and light. This especially applies to cake.

When it's super-hot outside, who wants to cook? In the heat of summer, dinner prep should be low-maintenance. Appetites are limp in high temperatures, and fresh salads filled with juicy ingredients are cool and nourishing. For a whole meal, salads can reach beyond the garden while remaining …

It’s Nacho Night at our house. Yes, I confess. Foodie I may be, parent I certainly am, and health-minded ... almost without fail. But there is always a time and place for nachos. We can all do with a little cheesy nacho goodness from time to time to balance out a healthy diet, to dig into wi…

I discovered this fresh and light-handed salad years ago when I lived in Denmark. Most likely it was at one of our frequent family gatherings, seated outdoors at a long wooden picnic table in the shadow of a thatched roof farmhouse with the summer sun hanging, as if caught on the hook of the…

Who doesn't like fresh berries and whipped cream for a simple summer dessert? 

Now that it's summer, it's time to dig into spicy, meaty, two-fisted pork carnitas. Carnitas are perfect party food. They are easy to assemble and messy to eat, best washed down with a cold beer while eaten outdoors. What could be more fun?

This salad does not hold back on herbs and spice.

Pots de creme are a perfect do-ahead dessert.

Father's Day is here, so get ready to fire up the grill and break out the big guns -- or in this case, the big paella pan. Paella is always fun to make and, of course, to eat. It's a perfect way to feed a crowd and your family, and the best way to make it is over a fire. When it's ready to s…

Avocados are a healthy staple in the kitchen. Packed with vitamins, minerals and fiber, and high in monounsaturated fat, their creamy texture and mild flavor lend well to dips, smoothies, even ice cream, while their coolness provides a foil to spice and heat in salsas and salads. Having said…

There's no better way to enjoy ripe fruit than in a good old-fashioned crisp. 

If you enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables straight from the farm, Georgia Farm Bureau wants to make the state your “stampin’ ground.”

When I was young, one of my favorite side dishes was rice pilaf.

If you are searching for an easy and rewarding family dinner, then look no further than a chicken.

Over the years, Bob Westerfield has compiled a lot of tricks of the trade to share with both novice and advanced gardeners.

Who doesn't like a buttery, rich pound cake? Simple and pleasingly plain, it's comfort food for adults and kids alike.

Whether you use your oven or the grill, this healthy one-dish meal is bright and satisfying. I use my go-to marinade for the salmon. With a balance of bright citrus, sweet chili heat and piquant mustard, it hits all of the flavor categories, and provides a welcome bite to cut through the but…

With warmer days on the way, chilled soups are a bright and refreshing alternative to a steaming bowl of soup. And while cool soups are certainly a solution to the heat of summer, they are also delicious year-round. In fact, the slightly chilled temperature often amplifies the flavor and fre…

Porcini mushroom dust is a magical elixir, fragrant with umami-rich aroma and flavor, and a gorgeous ingredient to add to rubs and marinades.

This salad shows off the season's new asparagus, while ticking the boxes for fresh, gluten-free and crowd-pleasing, with a visual wow-factor worthy of a buffet spread.

The bane of my childhood candy experience was a Mounds bar. I just didn't get it.

Cool, clean salads may not seem appropriate for March, when the weather wobbles between the tentative spring rays of sunshine and the stubborn gray remnants of winter.

When it comes to baking, I like my desserts messy, which is to say that I like desserts that are free-form, imprecise and often referred to as “rustic.”

When I crave a comforting weeknight meal that’s guaranteed to please the entire family and can be whipped up in less than 30 minutes, I make a pasta carbonara.

The real star of this salmon dish is the green olive and almond tapenade.