Poached pears are the perfect fall dessert: They showcase the flavor (and shape) of whatever kind of pear you choose, and they fill the house with an intoxicating aroma as they steep. I’m making vanilla- and grapefruit-flavored poached pears this week, but don’t stop there — here are five ways to flavor poached pears.

It’s sad when fresh, juicy tomatoes disappear from farmers’ markets, but there is an upside: it’s time for fall salads, with earthy root veggies and hearty greens. Here are 5 of our favorite combinations.

As the weather cools off, I’m craving comfort foods, from gooey mac and cheese to chewy brownies to hearty soups and stews. Luckily, Food Network Kitchens and our chefs lightened up 50 comforting recipes with less fat and more flavor.  Now, my only dilemma: which recipe to make first? See all 50 made-over comfort foodsRead more »

I’m celebrating the return of this all-purpose green with a batch of individually-sized spinach-mushroom quiches.

Potatoes definitely weren’t my favorite veggie as a kid. Give me a pile of mashed potatoes, and I was just in it for the gravy. I turned my nose up at baked potatoes, and forget about French fries. Now that I’m older (and a little wiser) I see what all the fuss is about: Besides being delicious, versatile and cheap, potatoes are packed with nutrients and fiber. Sure, they’re good fried and mashed, but spuds have more to offer. Here’s how to eat potatoes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Back to school means a return to hectic days, and while we always want to cook a wholesome meal at home, sometimes there’s only time for a pit-stop at the drive-through. But wait — that doesn’t mean you have to give up on healthy eating!  Learn what to choose (and what to avoid) at popularRead more »

I absolutely adore stone fruit, from peaches to plums to cherries to apricots to nectarines. Yes, they’re delicious in desserts (and fresh from the bag, juice dripping down the chin), but I don’t discriminate in my kitchen: I love sauteed peaches and plums on salads, peach-marinated pork chops, cherry salsa and grilled nectarines. But theRead more »

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again — herbs are an easy way to give low-cal flavor to many dishes. Better still, you add extra nutrients such as vitamins A and C, fiber and phytochemicals. With herbs overflowing in our backyards and in our patios, we’re celebrating our favorites while they last! We polled all our contributors to find out what’s on the top of their lists, plus our favorite ways to use them.

This year, we’re celebrating our undying affection for fresh produce in the third-annual Summerfest. How it works: summer-loving bloggers like Shauna from Gluten-Free Girl and Todd and Diane from White on Rice Couple are sharing recipes and tips about the same harvest-fresh ingredients each week.

Morel mushrooms are a spring delicacy: rich, meaty and full of flavor. Never tasted morels? Learn where and when to find them, plus get tasty recipes and cooking tips.