Shirley Corriher, the doyenne of all things food science, divulges her secrets for foolproof secrets to gloriously golden popovers.

• 35 M
• 2 H, 35 M
• 5

Christmas cookies that are as dramatic to behold as they are delicious to nosh. Swear. From everyone’s favorite food scientist, Shirley O. Corriher

• Quick Glance
• 1 H
• 1 H, 30 M
• 0

Known as maionese de leite in Portuguese, milk mayonnaise–you heard us–is an incredibly creamy, eggless emulsion held together by oil, milk (natch), and a lotta love.

• 5 M
• 5 M
• 199

Pasteis de nata, Portugal’s creamy custard cups wrapped in a crackly pastry, have no equal. David visits the Confeitaria de Belem, where they originated.

Here are the best 20 cookbooks and food books of 2008 as compiled by Leite’s Culinaria.

For these ultimate chocolate chip cookies, our ever-persistent David researched for three months and ate plenty of cookies in the process. Here he shares his discoveries.

Wondering what to do with the abundance of late-spring sprigs, shoots, and stalks, oh my? Wonder not. We have solutions both simple and surprising for you.

David details how he HATES to fly—save for those quiet and contemplative moments when he flies off into the sunrise.

Signing his first cookbook, David Leite is unsure of where to place his John Hancock. A frantic search through books in his library turns up the answer.

Corn dogs, that ubiquitous county fair food, played a crucial, almost divine role, in keeping David alive during a detour in Dallas. Recipe included.

• 25 M
• 25 M
• 54