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The vines have already grown up the bamboo trellis that lines the side yard fence, and have reached up and over the fence, meaning my neighbor may get as many beans from my plants as I do. How To Choose Green Beans I never know how the beans are going to cook up, even if they are from my own garden. The most important thing to look for when choosing beans at the market is that they snap when you bend them, versus bending like a rubber band....

Our version includes a ham hock and smoked andouille sausages, but you can leave them out to make a vegetarian gumbo. The tradition for gumbo z’herbes is to include many different kinds of greens in the gumbo—and to always include an odd number. Why? Apparently for every different green you add, you will find a new friend in the coming year. Why and odd number? Not really sure, although I bet it has to do with old West African or French folklore....

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These days I suspect many people are more likely to eat wasabi, a Japanese condiment with a similar effect, than horseradish; I just don’t see it around that much anymore. That said, horseradish sauce, made with prepared horseradish and either whipped cream or sour cream, tastes great with steak or roast pork. Here’s a sour cream version. Make sure you’re buying prepared horseradish and not horseradish sauce. If you’re unsure, look at the ingredients list....

We recommend honing your knife at least a few times a week if you cook regularly, and many chefs hone each time they enter the kitchen. With a proper honing technique, you will only have to sharpen your knife a couple of times a year. Keeping your knife sharp mitigates the likelihood of injury from a dull knife. What Type of Honing Steel Should I Purchase? Honing steels can be made of different materials and sizes....

Light and Fluffy Breadsticks Tell me something that goes better with a good soup like Lasagna Soup, Tomato Basil Soup, or Vegetable Beef Soup than soft, light and fluffy breadsticks. I’ll wait. The center of these breadsticks are light and airy, they will soak up that flavorful soup and melt in your mouth. YUM. Be warned though, these breadsticks are so soft and delicious, you can’t stop at just one (or two… or three)!...

These pork and beef meatballs have a surprise morsel of mozzarella cheese in the center. How to Make Stuffed Meatballs You can whip these meatballs up in as little as 20 minutes. Form the balls, poke a hole in each one with your finger, stuff with a piece of cheese, and re-form the meatball around it. Then into a pan they go to bake in the oven. While the meatballs bake, make a quick tomato sauce on the stovetop....

The dough is dreamy and the Japanese tangzhong method of cooking milk and flour together is the secret to its softness. I confess I almost like it more than brioche! In addition to the tender, delicate dough, these rolls have a robust dose of cinnamon, sugar, and butter spiraled throughout. For the finishing touch, I slather them with buttery vanilla cream cheese icing. Make them once and these rolls will become part of your weekend repertoire too!...

Pear Bourbon Punch is made with classic bourbon, cinnamon-spiced pear liqueur, and fresh pear juice. The vanilla, oaky notes of bourbon and the spiced liqueur give it a warming quality. The pear juice is an appealing alternative to all the apple-infused cocktails that are popular in the fall. Before serving, the punch gets some fizz from a splash of club soda, keeping things light and refreshing. It’s a perfect-for-fall punch that is best shared with friends while snacking on roasted peanuts or smoked almonds....

For this recipe, I add a combination of salty prosciutto (an Italian cured ham), parmesan cheese, and fresh herbs to the puff pastry. It is rolled and sliced into pinwheels, which get crisp and flaky as they bake. These are a real crowd-pleaser! It’s nice to have a warm starter that’s really a breeze to prepare before the big feast. Plus, it’s hard to have just one, trust me, I tried!...

This is a recipe from Cooks Illustrated that we found years ago. In this recipe we are roasting green beans with onion wedges in a hot 450°F oven. About half way through the roasting, we coat the green beans with a balsamic vinegar honey thyme dressing. The natural sugar in the dressing helps the green beans and onions caramelize. So good! We then toss the green beans with chopped toasted walnuts to serve....

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Use corn cobs to make stock for corn chowder The cool thing about this soup is the way the soup base is made—after you strip the kernels from the cobs, you just simmer the cobs for half an hour. You could use this method for any corn or vegetable soup for which you wanted a stronger corn flavor. Tarragon and Corn I love the way tarragon pairs with corn, to me it’s a perfect taste complement....

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These Air Fryer Onion Rings start off with sweet onions, are breaded and air fried, then served with a quick French fry dip. No need to raid your freezer for this bar-food favorite when you have these homemade air fryer onion rings as an option! Why Make Onion Rings in the Air Fryer? There are three great reasons for making these onion rings in the air fryer. It’s perfect for smaller portions!...

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Cheddar Cheese Fondue My family is obsessed with this cheddar cheese fondue!. Not only because it’s delicious but there is so much you can do with this dip recipe. There are fairly few ingredients to this recipe, and it takes about 20 minutes or less to put together. For this cheddar cheese fondue recipe, I like to use the Oster 3-qt Electric Fondue pot because you can control the temperature. This fondue pot is affordable and not too big and is easy to stash away and pull out whenever you are in the mood for a special treat....

The Perfect Holiday Gift These deliciously chewy pecan cookies are a favorite all year round, but I especially love giving this mix to co-workers, teachers, and friends during the holidays. Mixes are especially nice to give and receive. Sometimes, we have more treats laying around the house in December than my family can eat and some things become stale and aren’t as good after a few days. With a mix, I can hold on to it for a time when we can really use it, and the cookies can be eaten when they are fresh and warm right out of the oven....

It’s so rich and luxurious you would think it takes loads of time to prepare, but it doesn’t. Ganache takes only a few minutes of hands-on time and only three ingredients. It’s not only tasty, but also versatile and so simple to make. Use Chocolate Ganache to glaze Bundt cakes, frost cupcakes, whip it to take on a mousse-like consistency, and with few adjustments turn it into your favorite chocolate truffles....