I made this recipe for the first time when I was invited to a summertime party at the house of a former coworker and great friend, Patrick. This was back in the day when I was still working at The Grit, where many of my coworkers were just as food-obsessed as I am, especially Patrick. He is one of the few people on the planet with whom I can have a really engaging conversation about food. Our conversations about dream menus, wine pairings, and the merits of oyster mushrooms are works of art in themselves. Of course, my competitive side kicked in when I realized I would be cooking for Patrick and the other employees at The Grit. How could it not? I was going to be cooking for the very people who spend their days making food for others. I decided that comfort food done well would be the way to go.

I found a yummy recipe for BBQ tempeh sandwiches and decided that with a few of my own additions, the sandwiches would be the perfect dish for a Southern summer party. In between taking turns on the Slip 'n Slide and playing rounds of Never Have I Ever, we found the time to scarf down our food, and the sandwiches were a huge success—which was much-needed redemption after the embarrassing truths I revealed during Never Have I Ever. Meat-eaters and vegetarians alike raved that this was the best tempeh they had ever tried. Cooking the tempeh for a long period of time lets it slowly absorb all the liquid until it has a soft texture but isn't mushy. The chipotle powder in the BBQ sauce really has kick—the cool slaw on top provides a perfect balance to the heat and a nice crunchy texture.

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Ruth Reichl has long been one of my idols in the food world. OK, I'll admit that I'm actually mildly obsessed with her writing. She is a former restaurant critic for both the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times, the author of several books, and the current editor in chief of Gourmet magazine. I love her writing because she is able to tell a story with food, outlining her past by tastes. She finds a perfect balance with her use of descriptive words, careful not to go too over the top, as is easy to do when talking about food, yet still painting a clear and delicious picture.

Enough raving about Reichl and on to raves about her magazine, Gourmet. I've been a fan of the publication for quite some time, and I can't express how happy I was when it began publishing a monthly vegetarian column. The column is still fairly new, but so far the recipes sound very promising—both interesting enough for longtime vegetarians and accessible enough for the new ones. The magazine has become so sensitive to vegetarian issues that in June 2007, it featured a cover story on the extreme pain and abuse suffered by chickens raised in factory farms. I couldn't believe that a magazine that always features meat would take the time to address animal welfare. It signifies a significant step in the right direction.

In the April 2007 issue of Gourmet, Reichl summed up the publication's view on vegetarianism when she said, "Isn't it time we realized that eating vegetarian meals is neither penance nor virtue but simply another mealtime option?" Finally! A mainstream magazine that makes vegetarians a part of the culinary world instead of relegating us to "the others."

Thank you, Ruth. And other food editors, take note.

Fritters often seem like a bit of a snooze to me, but after trying corn-and-shiitake fritters based on a recipe I found in Food and Wine , I have completely changed my mind. The beauty of the recipe comes from the corn purée that is stirred into the batter. The combination of the purée and whole kernels leads to a strong corn flavor that perfectly complements the smokiness of the sautéed shiitakes and the sweetness of the onion.

The recipe below calls for fresh corn, but I have to admit that I used canned corn, and it was still delicious. I also topped mine with a dab of guacamole, sliced red onion, and cilantro, but the fritters are just as good on their own.

I'll leave you with a catchy rap I once heard that always pops into my head when I think about shiitake mushrooms. It went a little something like this: "My name is Robin Blake. My name is Robin Blake. I like to drink sake, or is it called sake? Portobellos, chanterelles…no, I like shiitake." (Many more food raps from my wonderful friends to come. I promise.)

A respected chef shared this handy trick with me while we were cooking for an event last year. I was running the sauté station, which had stainless-steel cookware, and the tofu kept sticking to the skillet even though I had added oil to the pan.

Chef came over, took a clean pan, added a small pinch of salt, and heated the pan on the stovetop for a few minutes. He then added just a little oil. Amazingly, the tofu I added to the pan didn't stick even when I was on the third and fourth batch.

If only I had known this trick when visiting my boyfriend's parents for the first time. They were skeptical of the tofu that we were going to make them for breakfast but willing to give it a try. I realized the sad fate of the tofu the moment I saw their stainless-steel pans. Until then, I had only cooked with nonstick, and I had no clue what I was doing with stainless steel. The result was this half-burnt, half-raw crumbled mess that stuck to the pan and resembled what most people end up with the first time they cook tofu, but I've been doing this for more than 11 years! It was a sad, sad site, but thanks to chef's essential tip, I've had a problem-free relationship with stainless steel ever since.

My brain makes two immediate connections when I hear the words "ice cream": Eddie Murphy's ice cream skit from Delirious and a childhood memory of eating a Chipwich at a pirate-ship-themed miniature golf course.

As a child, I thought the Chipwich was the ultimate dessert: ice cream sandwiched between two giant cookies and rolled in chocolate chips. I thought my parents must have temporarily lost their minds when they actually let me have one, but I wasn't about to alert them to the problem. I still look at the ice cream sandwich as the ultimate indulgence, albeit for very, very different reasons.

These days, I like to use soy ice cream to create grown-up, vegan versions of the classic. Sometimes I will take the time to make my own soy ice cream, but when I'm busy (or just being lazy), I'll use Tofutti or So Delicious ice cream. By mixing a few ingredients into the ice cream, you feel like you're getting an extra-special treat.

For my coconut-ginger ice cream sandwiches below, I used vanilla Tofutti and mixed in 1/4 cup of shredded coconut and 1 tsp. of coconut extract. Things got very messy, so here are a few tips to make the process a little easier for you:

• After mixing the coconut and coconut extract into the ice cream, place it in the freezer until it's very firm.

• When baking the cookies, do not overcook them! They need to be very soft, not hard or crunchy. If they are too hard, then all the ice cream will just ooze out the side of the sandwich when you try to bite into it.

• Use a measuring cup to aid in the assembly of the sandwiches. Place one cookie in the bottom of a 1/2 cup measuring utensil, fill it with ice cream until level with the top of the measuring cup, and then place the second cookie on top.

• Wrap the finished sandwiches in plastic wrap and freeze for about 30 minutes before eating.

By definition, ceviche is a citrus-marinated seafood salad. It is commonly served throughout Central and South America, and every country is known for slightly different methods of preparation, whether it's the addition of orange juice vs. sugar or lemon vs. lime, garnishing with cilantro vs. parsley, or serving with corn tortilla chips vs. crackers—or even popcorn. The varieties are endless.

I decided to create a vegetarian version based on Rick Bayless' "Classic Ceviche" recipe in Mexico—One Plate at a Time. The major difference was that, you guessed it, I omitted the seafood and used a combination of mushrooms instead. I love, love, love oyster and shiitake mushrooms because of both their texture and taste, so they became the stars of the dish.

After all the ingredients were combined, I found that I desired more of a sauce to pull the dish together. I remembered seeing the cooks at a Mexican restaurant where I once worked add ketchup and hot sauce to their ceviche, so I decided to try that. I added just a little ketchup at a time, probably a total of 1 or 2 tablespoons, and a touch of hot sauce. It was just enough to coat all the ingredients without overpowering their flavor. Perfect.

I couldn't resist sticking to a theme, so I served my "ceviche" in margarita glasses topped with freshly baked corn tortilla chips—along with a shot of tequila on the side. Corny, yet perfect.

Chile rellenos are probably the hardest food on the planet to take a good picture of. Honestly, they don't even look that good in person. They are often deflated, with soy cheese oozing out the side, and very soft because they've been cooked three times, but that is exactly what makes them taste oh so good.

This had to be a Saturday night meal for me because the recipe was time-consuming — not difficult, just long. I really tried to make chile rellenos that would hold their shape — and avoid the deflated, oozing blob problem I've had in the past — so I added a mashed potato mixture to the filling. It definitely helped with the taste but didn't make the peppers look much better.

I tried different plating techniques, but fancy presentation and adding the roasted red-pepper sauce in different ways didn't make them look any better. I know pepper on top of pepper might sound too spicy, but it wasn't, and the flavors complemented each other perfectly. Again, great taste, but disappointing in the looks department.

This is a little dramatic, but perfecting my chile relleno recipe has long been one of my goals in life (along with meeting Kobe Bryant). With this one pretty darn close to perfect, I guess I can start working on those photographs…

Good knife skills are just as important as learning how to drive or even kiss: If you want to get anywhere, you have to master the basics. For some, these skills come naturally, and others may have to spend years practicing. The key is starting with the right tools. Imagine learning to drive in a 1971 Ford Pinto that has two flat tires, one headlight, and no seat belts. To say it would be scary is an understatement. The same is true of learning good knife skills. If you are using an old, dull blade that came in a 20-piece knife set, chances are you will not have the best experience. In order to develop proper knife skills, you first need to find the best knife for you.

When I was shopping for my first chef's knife, I spent days looking, asking a million questions and annoying the sales staff at most specialty stores. Should I buy an 8-inch French knife—known for its excellent curve that helps create an easy rocking motion—or a Japanese knife with a blade that is sharpened at 15 degrees, giving it a thinner, sharper blade than the French knife? After going to countless shops and digging around online, I found the perfect knife for me.

Through my research, I found that one of the most important things to consider when purchasing a knife is what material the blade is made of. I prefer high carbon stainless steel—such blades stay sharp and do not discolor—but be sure to get something that works best for you. The following are a few of the most popular blade options:

•Carbon steel: stays sharp but can rust or discolor easily

•Stainless steel: does not stay sharp but does not discolor

•Titanium: lighter than steel and holds its edge longer—it's very flexible and not appropriate for chopping or slicing

•Ceramic: more delicate than steel but stays sharp at least 10 times as long

The second most important thing to consider is what material the handle is made of. My knife has a Micarta handle—a synthetic material that is a very popular choice because of its durability. Here are a few more common materials, all of which are very popular for different reasons:

•Wood: pleasing to the touch—wood is high-maintenance and absorbs bacteria (yuck!)

•Stainless steel: does not absorb bacteria and lasts longer than wood handles but can get a bit slippery

•Composition: molded plastic that has a tendency to come loose but is very affordable

I also found that just holding each knife in my hand to see how it feels was a great way to determine which one was right for me. Now that you have found the perfect knife, let's learn the basics. The most common cuts the home cook needs to master are:

•Chop: a larger cut that does not need to be uniform

•Dice: cubes that range from 1/4-inch to 3/4-inch in size—uniform size is very important

•Mince: a very small cut that is uniform in size but not in shape—commonly used for herbs, onions, shallots, and garlic

•Julienne: narrow, fine "matchsticks"—used in recipes with short cook times

•Chiffonade: finely cut strips of leafy vegetables or herbs, commonly used for garnish

Start by learning how to properly hold your new knife, then try the seven basic knife cuts covered in Chow.com's excellent video tutorial.

Now, armed with the right knife and all the basic cuts, your time in the kitchen will be even more enjoyable—like driving a trusty Honda instead of that old Pinto.