We never would've thought of fried green tomato parmesan (that credit goes to Food Orleans), but now that the idea's entered our minds, there's only one real way to resolve our craving. Because I love them so, I've written a couple of love letters to fried green tomatoes over the years: the fried green tomato caprese "salad" I made without remorse, and fried green tomato BLTs, a longtime Read more

Historically, walnuts haven't been an ingredient that comes to mind often when I'm cooking — I typically eat them out of my hand and in banana bread, but that's about it. But recently, I attended a seminar with cooking host Joanne Weir and the California Walnut Board and Commission, where we enjoyed a walnut-centered lunch. From that broadening meal, I learned so many new ways to incorporate Read more

Simple syrup is one hot ingredient right now, and what's so great about it is that it takes minimal effort to create something special and useful. We've been noticing unique and exciting flavor combinations and recipes, like rhubarb and rosewater syrup, popping up all over the place. To make your own flavored simple syrup, all you need to do is add whatever flavoring component (citrus zest, Read more

What do backyard chickens and 11 Olympic medals have in common? Natalie Coughlin, that's what. The gold medalist and world champion is gearing up for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, while cultivating a healthy interest in all things food-related. From growing vegetables in her own backyard in Lafayette, CA to her highly effective method of kitchen organization, Natalie gives us the scoop on Read more

We couldn't agree more with Food Orleans: the sight of grass-green asparagus is a sure sign of Spring. Do you love asparagus like I do? 'Cause I really, really love it. I also love that it's a harbinger of spring eating, and even though we can technically buy it at the store year-round, I try not to. Waiting until the spring for asparagus is one of the first seasonal-buying lessons I learned Read more

Photo: Camilla Salem Recently, we had the chance to spend some quality time with Italian charmer Fabio Viviani. After homemade pasta and cappuccinos for breakfast, and a series of hilarious one-liners, we grabbed a table at Casa Tua in Miami, and got to dishing. Even though he'd been out until 4 a.m. the night before, he had plenty to say about reality TV, the world of vegan cuisine, and his Read more

Translated: spaghetti with garlic, oil, and chili pepper flakes. This is the kind of meal that makes you stop and think that the simplest foods are often the most wonderful. With only a few ingredients that are staples in most pantries, you can create a beautiful, flavorful, heartwarming meal from scratch. Spaghetti aglio, olio, e peperoncino is a traditional Italian pasta dish. It's well loved Read more

There are some commonplace Italian pasta recipes that are so simple yet stunning that I'll find myself on a streak of making them two, three, six times a month. Spaghetti cacio e pepe falls under this category. So do pasta carbonara and spaghetti aglio e olio. But after years of making these dishes, I didn't think there were many more minimalist pasta combinations to discover. Then I stumbled Read more

We're excited to bring you a new post from mother and actress Tori Spelling! Every other week, we're bringing you the best parenting and lifestyle advice from ediTORIal by Tori Spelling, which is Tori's daily blog about everything from food and fashion to parenting and relationships. This week, Tori shares her favorite lasagna recipe. I've been making my lasagna recipe since my early 20s. When I Read more

We've got a new partnership with Padma Lakshmi! The host of the Emmy-winning Top Chef, writer, and designer started Padma Lakshmi, a social-networking site that celebrates our favorite topics including food adventures, recipes, and party planning. She'll be dishing up goodies for us here on YumSugar monthly. Today Padma offers creative ideas for cooking with pumpkin during the Winter Read more