The Basics: How to Make Mashed Potatoes

Creamy, buttery, and good with Thanksgiving gravy.

Are recipes copyrighted? And what if you modify them? The question dogs the blogosphere again. (By Traci Vogel)

Booze-Flavored Munchies

This week’s mission: potato chips flavored like beer and Bloody Marys, and fancier M&M’s. (By James Norton)

Put Away the Darn Camera

How to politely photograph restaurant food. (By Helena Echlin)

A-List Dropout

Henry Adaniya goes from haute fusion to haute hot dog. (By Mark J. Miller)

Ditching an Annoying Guest

She came last year, must she again? (By Helena Echlin)

Hold the Cream of Mushroom Soup

From Bismarck to St. Paul to Madison, new high-end restaurants are embracing such local cuisine as fried walleye and wild-rice porridge. Call it the birth of northwoods chic. (By James Norton)

French-Fried Nirvana

CHOW reviews two great pieces of deep-frying equipment for the home chef. (By Louisa Chu)

Common Appliances, Uncommon Uses

Dust off your underused equipment and discover new applications.

Outta the Back of a Truck

Some of the best food in Salinas, California, is found on the street. Why would the city take it away? (By Davina Baum and Kate Ramos)

Vote for Your Favorite Fake Fruit

This week’s mission: frozen veggies and fake meat to add to eggs, plus new Mountain Dew sodas. (By James Norton)

Fork Etiquette

Does using the right utensil even matter anymore? (By Helena Echlin)

Chronicles from a Pig Party

Our associate food editor goes to the Southern Foodways Alliance conference to celebrate the year of the pig and other Southern delights. (By Kate Ramos)

Steppin' Up Your Cheese Game

This week’s mission: frozen diet dinners featuring fruit, and classy cheese vehicles. (By James Norton)

You Want Fries on That?

Hold the ketchup and try one of these twists on the old familiar french fry. (By Kathryn Hawkins)