Do you need a reason to make biscuits at home? Biscuits should have a free pass when it comes to inclusion in a kitchen because they are just too good. Sop up some butter or honey with it...or have it with preserves for breakfast. What's interesting though is how easy it is to make once you consider how few ingredients one needs. Whenever I make biscuits, Duc eats way too many in a day so they never last long! Some people will use buttermilk but if you are like me and don't typically buy just one ingredient when you want to make something (yes, I'm lazy), you can combine milk with cream of tartar from your pantry. Also, I used whole wheat flour to dust and work with the dough instead of all-purpose to give a grittier texture on the outside; it's a preference thing. Let's get started.

[Giveaway is now over - thank you for entering!] We are pretty ready to get sauced this holiday season...but perhaps not in the way that you are thinking of. No, we've been thinking about how we spice up the holiday dishes that fill the days around Thanksgiving and Christmas. Accompaniments and flavor enhancers sometimes help make the sides and main course just a little more special, and what better way to spice up something than to really spice it up? Taco Asylum in Costa Mesa at The Camp has always taken pride in their hot sauces served on a regular basis with their tasty tacos but what you may not know is that they also have limited edition holiday hot sauces. These fruit-forward condiments vary from year to year so getting a taste of one in the season may be your only taste ever for that flavor. We really wanted to get involved in 2014's batch...really involved so we ended up helping Sous Chef Sean Masucci put together their newest: the Jaladay!

It is no secret that Orange County people are into their brunch. It is a weekend affair that many love indulging in so it is no surprise that plenty of the bigger restaurants offer it along with an accompanying menu replete with heavy, savory dishes. The newly opened Del Frisco's Grille in Irvine has hopped onto this trend as well with large plates ready to make you end your day by the end of morning. In addition to their regular lunch menu items being available for ordering, Del Frisco's also provides a few choice dishes on a separate brunch menu that you cannot get any other time. The restaurant also features a handful of libations that can be enjoyed by yourself or shared with others; the most notable is the customizing Bloody Mary "play set" of ingredients to personalize your drink. We visited on invitation one morning to see what else the brunch menu had in store.

It doesn't get all that cold during the fall and winter seasons in southern California but based on the average temperature in this area, it gets relatively cold. It's a good excuse to indulge in soup...and I am a soup fiend, it feels like. I guess it stems from how we used to have some kind of soup or broth with every dinner when I was growing up. It could have been just as simple as a broth made from daikon but without fail, a small bowl to sup from would be the "first" course before we dug into the meal family-style. Soup is comforting but hearty, hefty ones even more so. Combining the trinity of vegetables with some lean ground turkey yields this beautifully savory soup with a medley of components. I hope you'll give it a try and enjoy!

1112 Pike St, Seattle, WA 98101 (Neighborhood: Capitol Hill)
Pricing - $/$$ | Dining - Casual | Cuisine - Caribbean
www.rumbaonpike.com

A rum bar? A RUM BAR? Sign me up! I was not so interested in the fact that it was rum as the spirit of choice but that there was a place focused on one particular alcohol. I first heard of Rumba from a friend who had gone there previously and recommended it. Upon further internet-ing, I saw that it featured shelves upon shelves of the stuff; not only that but it also served Caribbean and Cuban food. Considering the lack of such in Orange County and how much I miss the food from Jamaica, Rumba had me sold. When Duc and I finally went to Seattle, we made sure to put Rumba's Happy Hour on our list of things to do. We met up with friends and were quite pleased by the experience.

The latest Test Kitchen ingredient was fresh dill, and several of you chimed in over on Facebook. Thank you for that! It gives me inspiration but also allows me to know what kinds of foods I ought to be posting to meet your own needs. Circumstances made it difficult to make some of the dishes you suggested but with the cooler nights, a soup seemed most appropriate. The prominent flavors of this carry dill soup are the herbaceous nature of dill and the inherent sweetness of carrots. They work very well together, and I hope you will give this simple and swell recipe that I put together a try!

I made these little egg bites one day just to try out an idea I had in mind...and to finally boil some eggs. I had to admit that I've only really boiled eggs once or twice before because I don't normally eat them like that. For this particular appetizer combination I thought of making, it was necessary. This gave me time to also try to perfect the method. I think it turned out just about right! The bites look beautiful in small dishes/bowls but could also work in spoons. After all, they really are just one bite bites!

The camera seems to affect people in multiple ways but a camera at a restaurant tends to elicit more negative reactions than not. We don't talk too often about what the life is like running a food blog but it does make a huge difference on our experience. That's why I have a section for "Eatery" posts which are our incognito adventures out (and thus, actual reviews) and why media visits are pointed out; you know which are anticipated and not by the restaurant. Well, we visited Bonefish Grill one evening based on an invitation but things went wrong, and there were very notable parts of our dining. To be fair, they did have some pretty good seafood but the rest of the dinner needs a little more explanation.

Every season brings back the flavors and ingredients we've missed year-round, so it's always pleasant to see when restaurants rotate with the months. Fig & Olive at Fashion Island in Newport Beach is one of those places that highlights the colors and tastes of each season and has done so this fall with some autumnal inspirations. Executive Chef Pascal Lorange debuted the new menu items on October 7th but will continue to feature these beauties in the coming months, showcasing the flair of the French Riviera in his dishes and transforming some staples into more seasonally appropriate revisions. You better believe pumpkin is involved! I was invited in to taste some of the delights they have this season, and there was no disappointment here.

With more than 20,000 attendees, 900 exhibitors, and 60 countries represented, the Produce Marketing Association (PMA)'s Fresh Summit 2014 was a significant event which brought together key decision-makers in the produce industry. This convention is the industry's biggest on this coast of the world and demonstrates the power of produce on household habits as well as restaurant and retail businesses. Hosted at the Anaheim Convention Center from October 17-19th this year, Fresh Summit consumed the entire venue with creative displays and booths, bright product arrangements, and overloads of information about their areas of expertise. We were able to attend with passes from Melissa's Produce (thank you!) and were in for quite the treat as we explored more about the trends that have been cropping up in the produce scene.

It may not look like anything special but marinated mushrooms and artichoke hearts are usually an instant hit at gatherings. They are tangy, herb-y, and a good fit for other plates you've got going on, especially an antipasto spread. I somehow managed to put this together as one of the first things I made when I started cooking and keep coming back to it [original post here - this is a revamp of the first version of this dish that I've made.]. It's an appetizer you can start the day before and should, to allow the flavors to meld with each other better. Served cold, the plate of mushrooms and artichoke hearts will definitely fancy up any party, AND the recipe is easy too!