Melissa Maedgen

There's chocolate bark and then there's chocolate bark. This bark is the latter sort, a sort that intrigues and surprises, that both starts and stops conversations, a bark that knows no boundaries.

A richly porky, nicely salted, slightly peppery, pleasantly sweet taste with a lingering maple syrup flavor. That's what you can expect from this crazy easy homemade bacon.

Make veggies less yawn-inducing by stealthily sneaking them into this good-for-you grilled cheese sammie. Eating your veggies never tasted so sinful.

The spiciness of red curry paste and the sweetness of sweet potatoes and heartiness of lentils and the tanginess of lime in a single beautiful bowl of deliciousness.

Inexpensive everyday ingredients become incredibly satiating and comforting with very little effort. You know, in that rustic French home cooking sorta way.

Easy. Economical. On the table in 45 minutes. And essentially pork wrapped in more pork and roasted until crisp outside and juicily tender inside. Comfort food for when you need it.

Our go-to approach for slightly-less-than-stellar fruit when we want exponentially-better-than-average results.

This Mexican carnitas recipe is authentic braised and fried pork that makes for conversation-stopping, fall-apart-tender awesomeness.

Grown-up grilled cheese to the nth degree. That's our impression of this really rather regal approach to downing your vegetables.

Our recipe for fabulous ketchup made at home. Oh yes, you can. And it'll have a flavor unlike anything you can find at the store.

Not too dark. Not too sweet. Simply bittersweet. Luxuriantly so. So long, chocolate ice creams of your childhood.

We can certainly understand why street food catapulted into trendiness. Assuming, that is, it all tastes as soulful as these skewers that are hawked on seemingly every street in Thailand.

Roast beets until sweet enough to be considered dirt candy. Plonk on a place with tangy goat cheese, peppery greens, and a generous drizzle of honey. Lunch is done.

Whatever the occasion, whether game day or late-night craving, these unconventionally spiced wings will handle your hankering.

Or, as we like to say, quickles. And we mean quick not just in terms of how little time they take to make. But also in terms of how quickly they'll disappear as you're blissing out on them.

Got leftover coffee in that pot? Don’t toss it in the sink. Pour it into ice cube trays, freeze, and simple as that, no more watered down iced coffee EVER.

Tart rhubarb and sweet peaches collide in this ode to early summer that helps you recall better days even during the doldrums of winter...provided you can make it last that long.

Say the word "bayou," and we conjure romantic notions of swampy marshlands and, natch, Cajun fried shrimp.

Embarrassingly easy. Enticingly aromatic. And unbelievably satisfying in terms of that beguiling umami-ness that defines mushrooms. Curious? You should be.

Tasting is one thing. Believing it's vegan? Entirely another thing. You'll never guess the ingredients in this surprise summer sleeper of a vegan ice cream.