Leave your manners at the door when attending a coffee tasting or "cupping." Slurping is a vital part of the process.

The Italians call them cicchetti, the Spanish call them tapas. We call them appetizers, and many restaurants are serving them in lieu of entrees. What's annoying is that many of these "little plates" are priced as if they were "big plates."

If you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen. Jim Burke is in the kitchen all the time, as chef of Caffe Storico, the new eatery in the New-York Historical Society.

Salt cod is a preserved food favored by everyone from Vikings to modern day Italians. Chef Jim Burke of Caffe Storico explains the advantages of using salt cod versus fresh fillets. Also, try his recipe for Baccala Mantecato.

Reverend Devanie Jackson, of the Brooklyn Rescue Mission's Bed-Stuy Farm, explains how she's growing, harvesting, and feeding her community fresh bok choy right now. Also, try a recipe for Hot-and-Sour Cold Cabbage and Baby Bok Choy Salad.

I love cooking for the masses. My husband and I host a Palm Sunday brunch in our little apartment for 20 to 25 people every year, and I've got it down to a science. How many pounds of salmon per person, how many minutes in the oven per pound, how many side dishes, how many heads of lettuce for a salad. It's cooking for the two of us that is still a challenge.

I usually travel the same, well-worn route with salmon, letting it cure briefly with a rub of salt, sugar, crushed coriander and zests — a mix of lemon, orange and lime. Then I bake it in the oven. But I decided to steer a different course this time.

I decided to make my own gravlax.

Butcher Ben Turley of The Meat Hook explains why he uses nitrates in bacon making. Registered dietician Samantha Heller also weighs in on how concerned adults should be about nitrates in meat.

If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen. Or away from the steam wand. Barista Katie Cargiulo, my guest this week on Last Chance Foods, submits to a lightning round of questions.

Award-winning barista Katie Carguilo discusses the best ways to brew coffee and explains why coffee is seasonal.

'Have we gone too far?' That was the theme of a panel discussion Tuesday night at the Housing Works Bookstore and Cafe in NoLiTa, timed to coincide with the launch of Tracie McMillan's well-received book, "The American Way of Eating: Undercover at Walmart, Applebee's, Farm Fields and the Dinner Table." 

Learn to love Brussels sprouts by trying out Amy Eddings's recipe for Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Raisins and Pecans.

Chef Sara Moulton talks about why Brussels sprouts used to get a bad rap and shares her easy recipe for Sautéed Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta.

A story this week on "All Things Considered" on why the best chocolate is the one you eat last has me thinking about my own personal food preferences.  Feel free to chime in with yours.

More is better -- that's my mantra, especially when it comes to chocolate. But it doesn't hold true for citrus.

Citrus is in season now, and it's a great way to brighten up heavy winter dishes, according to chef Rienne Martinez. Try her recipe for Cara Cara Orange and Fennel Salad.

Nothing Says "I Love You" Like a Chocolate Madagascar Hissing Cockroach.

The weather has been warm enough to fool the irises and daffodils, which have sent up three inches of growth in the gardens on my block. But the calendar still says February, and my kitchen still says winter, with all the celery root and butternut squash stacked up on the counter.

Which is why I decided to give rutabagas a try.

Chef Jesse Schenker demystifies the homely rutabaga and shares a number uses for the versatile root vegetable. One example is his recipe for Baked and Broiled Rutabagas.