I will go ahead and admit that this attempt at focaccia turned out to be kind of a disaster. I don't think it's a bad recipe—I just think I'm a little impatient. OK, I can be very impatient.

Focaccia needs to be thick and spongy, almost doughy, so you have to allow it time to rise properly. The end result can ideally stand on its own, with no need for an olive oil dipping sauce—which I love to need—because the flavor is so rich. What I was left with—after only an hour in the kitchen—more closely resembled, let's say, cardboard. It looked OK but was dense and flavorless.

Next time I try this recipe—and there will be a next time, because I refuse to give up—I will ignore the timer and allow the dough the time it needs to rise. I learned this as rule number one working in a bakery in Athens, Georgia, so I should have known better. But as I said, I'm just a little impatient.

On a recent trip to a Norfolk gas station, I encountered the infamous Kool-Aid pickle—we can refer to him as Tuco. This was a pickling experiment gone very wrong. Tuco, the grotesque and non-edible red pickle, would be more appropriate starring in a B-horror flick than sitting proudly on a counter.

After trying the Kool-Aid pickle, I needed to reassure myself that pickling can actually be good. My grandmother used to make the most amazing pickled garlic, so I decided to find her recipe and try it myself.

The result was crisp and spicy. I used a large dried chili, but if you can't take the heat, use the smallest dried chili you can find. The garlic was perfect on salads, in wraps, and all by itself as an appetizer. An added perk to pickling is that it takes minimal effort to make and keeps for up to a year.

Your pickling ways don't have to end with garlic and cucumbers. Try kimchi—the Korean staple usually made of cabbage—or giardiniera, the Italian topping often served on Chicago-style sandwiches. Or keep it simple and try pickled okra, ginger, or asparagus. I promise that none of these will look quite as scary as Tuco the Kool-Aid pickle.

I've seen several vegan mayonnaise recipes online; most use a soy milk and oil base, and others use tofu. Since I'm a Vegenaise-lovin' fool, I've been skeptical that I would be able to whip up anything quite as tasty in my own kitchen. Just this morning, I decided that now is the time to put my theory to the test.

For my first homemade-mayo experiment, I decided to try the soy milk and oil base because a) it was the easiest recipe to find and b) it received the best reviews online. Like any good scientist, I followed the directions exactly, carefully measuring each ingredient so I could be sure the results truly reflected the recipe.

First I blended all of the ingredients, except the oil, which I then added in slowly. I continued to blend on a slow speed so that the mixture would thicken—that never happened. I would say it became less runny, but it definitely never thickened. If you like a thin mayo that's more like a sauce than a spread, then this one's for you, but I was not pleased.

That's exactly when I diverted from the recipe and added my own touches. A little more oil. Why not? A dash of cornstarch. Why not? The result looked a little more like my beloved, especially after chilling in the fridge for about an hour, but the taste wasn't even close. The cornstarch made it slightly chalky, and the flavor was bland.

Looks like I'll be sticking with my Vegenaise for now, but if anyone has a better recipe or some advice on how to improve this one, please share!