When (and Why) You Should Spring for the Good Champagne — New Year’s Eve

Bubbly makes everything better: a night becomes an evening, and lunch becomes a rendezvous; a gathering is a celebration, and an intimate dinner for two becomes a pronouncement of intention. Bubbly is, in all its forms (Prosecco, Cava and Champagne), magical in its ability to enliven and uplift every occasion — but never quite as much as when the bubbly is Champagne.

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A South Indian New Year’s Eve: 5 Festive Recipes to Welcome the New Year — South Indian New Year’s Eve

Our goal for ringing in the new year? Do it with a flash of color, vibrant flavor, heat, soulfulness, and, of course, sparkle. And no food said that for me this year like the creations coming out of Asha Gomez’s kitchen. Last year year, the chef and restaurateur became a cookbook author and published one of the year’s most celebrated cookbooks: My Two Souths.

Asha shared a few recipes with us for a New Year’s Eve menu inspired by her two souths — Kerala, the southern-most Indian state where she was born, and the American South, the region she now calls home. I chatted with Asha about the power of spice in her cooking, why fusion is considered the “F word,” and how food is always about celebration.

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How To Cook Tender & Juicy Pork Chops in the Oven — Cooking Lessons from The Kitchn

What if I told you that I could guarantee perfectly cooked, perfectly tender pork chops, every time? Would you believe me? Or have too many dinners of overcooked shoe-leather pork chops turned you off from this easy addition to the weeknight meal rotation? Let me convince you to try them one more time. Let me convince you to try roasting your pork chops in the oven.

Here is our step-by-step recipe for perfectly cooked, perfectly juicy pork chops.

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The Little Detail That Makes a Big Difference in Your Kitchen — Kitchen Design

This is a story about a part of your kitchen that you may probably pay zero attention to. You might not even know its actual name: The little cove at the bottom of your cabinets is called a “toe kick.” And it turns out that giving a little TLC to this humble spot can make a huge difference in the look and feel of your kitchen.

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Everything We Bought from Trader Joe’s in 2017 — The Best of 2017

If we could have our paychecks sent directly to Trader Joe’s, we would. There are tons of unique (and delicious!) finds to be picked up at there that can’t be found anywhere else. These groceries are not all that expensive, either, so there’d be plenty of cash left for the little things like, um, rent.

Here’s a roundup of everything we bought from Trader Joe’s this year.

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5 Tips for Celebrating New Year’s Eve When You Have Kids — New Year’s Eve

Every year, my friends and I come together to celebrate the new year in the Hudson Valley. There are eight of us in total, and this four-family sleepover is my very favorite event of the year. With delicious food, lots of downtime, and a chance to sit and talk for hours, it’s a perfect way to start each year feeling refreshed.

As kids have entered into the equation — there are now six between us! — things have gotten a bit trickier. But we’ve continued to hold onto this tradition of gathering around the table, telling stories, and eating and drinking good food and wine.

I know this year will be no different. The music may compete with the low hum of white noise coming in through dueling baby monitors, but we’ll be too busy enjoying a gourmet dinner to mind.

Here’s how we pull it off.

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Our Best Tips and Recipes for a Make-Ahead New Year’s Day Brunch — Recipes from The Kitchn

It’s wonderful that you decided to host New Year’s Day brunch this year, but maybe you’re starting to resent the thought of having to get up at the crack of dawn (or perhaps never even going to sleep!) on New Year’s Day to pull it off? Well, with a little planning ahead, you can host a crowd and still get your beauty sleep!

Here are all our favorite tips, hints, and tricks, and our most popular make-ahead recipes that will let you sleep in a little and still wow your friends with something delicious on January 1.

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10 Times the Internet Freaked Out Over Food This Year — Best of 2017

The internet can be a wonderful place filled with stories of kids reacting with pure joy when getting bananas for Christmas or using their piggy bank savings to pay for their classmates’ milk. But it can also be a dark place, where strange food pairings are born and people argue over the way food emojis should look.

In 2017 there were a lot of things on the internet that caused people to freak out, whether it was in a good way, in a bad way, or just in a very confused way. Did you miss any? Don’t worry — we rounded up the top 10 freak-outs of the year.

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Everything We Learned About Coffee in 2017 — On Trend

2017 was a good year in coffee, and 2018 promises to be even better. Pinterest even said “super coffee” was on the rise for next year. But before we look forward, let’s take a second to review everything we learned in 2017. People were really into adding collagen to their coffee, and found great grocery store coffee, and looked into if coffee is, in fact, good for you.

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10 of the Most Beautiful Cakes We Made in 2017 — Cake Recipes from The Kitchn

Beautiful cakes can make you stop everything you’re doing just to catch a long stare. They can warrant applause at birthdays and make just about any celebration even more special. We baked a whole lot of pretty cakes this year, fit for all of life’s festive moments. Here are 10 favorites.

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20 of Our Favorite Recipes for New Year’s Morning — Recipes from The Kitchn

There is really no better way to start 2018 on the right foot than with a solid breakfast spread on New Year’s morning. Even when it falls on a weekday, there’s no rush to get out the door, so I always take this opportunity to go beyond my usual oatmeal or yogurt and granola. My plan for this year is to start with something light, like a simple and tropical fruit salad, followed by a loaded frittata and crispy bacon from the oven.

Here are 20 of our favorite breakfast recipes to inspire your New Year’s morning plans.

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5 Quick Holiday Mocktails for Last-Minute Festivities — Recipes From The Kitchn

The holidays are all about partying — but whether you’re honoring a recovering friend or just providing options for those who may be avoiding booze, it’s great to have non-alcoholic drink ingredients on hand. Here are five new favorites, inspired by a friend who is relearning how to entertain after giving up alcohol.

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Recipe: Caesar Cocktail — Brunch Cocktails from Kitchn

A few years ago I visited Tofino, a remote surfing town on the west coast of Vancouver Island. One Sunday morning, I headed to one of the town’s best restaurants. Perched on a bar stool in a packed room, I spotted the bartender assembling the telltale ingredients for a Caesar: Clamato juice, vodka, Worcestershire, hot sauce. As a server took that lone drink to the other end of the room, heads turned. For the next hour, the bartender tended to an assembly line of Caesars. As he got started, he stared right at me and said, “It only takes one.”

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