Take the guesswork out of meal planning with this simple recipe from Marcia Smart.The culinary instructor and cookbook author recently stopped by Houston Life to show us how to make parchment paper fish packets or fish “en papillote” - as the French call it.

Girl Scout cookie season just got even sweeter! We're making an award-winning cheesecake using Trefoils. We'll head to the kitchen with The Cheesecake Queen Elaine Bailey who will show us her recipe -and wait until you see the topping!

Chef Carl Walker, general manager with Brennan's of Houston, shares how to make their seasonal Louisiana Crawfish Cheesecake for your Mardi Gras celebration.

It’s one of the most decadent ingredients in the kitchen – truffles. While they shine on local restaurant menus, you don’t have to be intimidated by cooking with them at home. Tanji Patton of Goodtaste TV recently stopped by Houston Life with a look at some decadent dishes starring truffles and a recipe for mushroom “crab” cakes you can make at home.

Thanksgiving Prep: Turkey Tips and Tricks with a professional! You may switch out your sides each year, but there is no getting around Turkey on Thanksgiving. Follow these tips to help you whip up a feast! With the holiday just around the corner, Chef Colin Shine took Houston Life inside the Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove Houston showroom kitchen to walk us through some turkey tips that will help you prepare an impressive and (maybe less stressful?) Thanksgiving feast.

Food always brings people together. But for one local chef it was the "blueberry lady" who caught his eye delivering berries to the kitchen at Brennan's of Houston.

Houston prides itself on having the most diverse cuisine in the world, but there's always that "authentic" factor that comes into play, that's why KPRC 2 producers show us how to make their favorite dishes THEIR way.

Make entertaining a breeze this summer with help from Tim Laird, America's CEO – that’s chief entertaining officer. He recently stopped by Houston Life to share his party spread to kick off Memorial Day weekend.

We’ve got a new batch of Insider Deals coming your way, and we have a feeling that you’re going to love all of them! Get ready for some amazing deals on items you’ll use that will make life a little easier, and you’ll use on a daily basis!

We’ve got a new batch of Insider Deals coming your way, and we have a feeling that you’re going to love all of them! Get ready for some amazing deals on items you’ll use that will make life a little easier, and you’ll use on a daily basis!

Bravo’s beloved reality TV cooking competition show “Top Chef” is back for another season, and one contestant may look a little familiar to some Houstonians.

Leigh Ann Chatagnier, a cookbook author and blogger, shares her 3-course menu for Valentine's Day - featuring a Strawberry, Basil, and Balsamic Crostini, Easy Skillet Chicken Parmesan, and Gluten Free Chocolate Covered Strawberry Pie.

There's a cooking collaboration class happening this week in Houston, and executive Chef Adam Vero from Guard and Grace is here with the details.

Although the holiday season is one of the busiest times of the year for Chef Tae, she made time to stop by Houston Life to share her delicious pepperjack boudin balls and recipe for Cajun Spiced Shrimp and Smoked Gouda Grits.

Dive into some spooky bites and scary sips this Halloween.

If you're looking for a delicious weeknight recipe, Chef Brandi Key has you covered!

Save those pumpkin seeds this fall season! Cookbook author and blogger with My Diary of Us, Leigh Ann Chatagnier stopped by Houston Life with creative (and EASY) ways to add pumpkin seeds to your everyday recipes.

The things that show up on my TikTok “for you page” is usually videos that are funny, videos of dogs and cooking videos. Recently though, videos of people making homemade ice cream and sorbet have been popping up using a Ninja Cremi, and now I need one.

Marci Smart shows how to cook cod along with cucumber salad and sushi rice for dinner.

Culinary superstar Christine Ha joins Houston Life

The annual World’s Championship Bar-B-Q Cookoff is underway in Houston, and hundreds of teams are hoping to be crowned the winner!

If you’re like me and you cook and bake a lot, sometimes a recipe comes along that is so good you just know you’ll be making it for the rest of your life. This is what happened when I made this chocolate chip cookie recipe for the first time.

Celebrity Chef Kevin Belton is a cookbook author recognized as one of the top Louisiana chefs, He is teaming up with Zatarain’s to share his favorite Mardi Gras recipes.

I’m always looking for an easy and quick weeknight meal, especially if it combines three of my favorite things: pasta, cream and mushrooms.

South Carolina Emergency Management Division has a few things to say about turkeys, food safety and Thanksgiving.

If there’s one thing I love, it’s a hearty sandwich.

Cookbook author and TV host Tregaye Fraser shares tips on planning a holiday get-together

Learn some easy ways you can cut back on the sugar in some of your favorite desserts.

Just in case you're still doing the cooking on Mother's Day, here's a quick and easy recipe the whole family will love.

You can't go wrong with truffles! Find out how to use this ingredient to take your dishes to the next level.

Cooking up a giant ham or turkey might not be as realistic for some -- especially if you live alone or with a roommate or spouse.

From oxtails to corn bread and Cajun pasta, Esther's will have your mouth watering for everything on the menu!

A great fall tradition is roasting all the pumpkin seeds that you scoop out of your soon-to-be jack-o’-lantern -- and you’ve more than likely done it in the oven.

There is no better way to celebrate the red, white and blue than with red, white and blueberries, right?

Houstonian and 2000 Olympian Dawn Burrell has earned her way to the season finale of Bravo's "Top Chef."

As a mother and an avid cook, Clarissa Montgomery has made tortilla chips countless times, but while in the kitchen just over a week ago, she suffered a very serious accident. Now, the mother is healing at Memorial Hermann’s burn unit and sending a strong message to others from her hospital bed.

Dixon II, President-Elect, NAACP (KPRC)Dr. James W.E. Dixon II is poised to be sworn in as the new President of the Houston Branch of the NAACP. “My vision is to make this organization more relevant, more resourceful and more relatable,” he said in his appearance on Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall. See much more on this week’s Houston Newsmakers EXTRA when he says :“The authentic message of the Gospel is a social justice message”“We need more than a poetic message that inspires. Dixon II, President-Elect Houston Branch, NAACP· Website: https://naacphouston.org/· Twitter: @NAACPHOUDee Dee Dochen, Producer ReelAbilities Virtual Concert· Website: https://www.reelabilitieshouston.org/· Website: http://www.dddmc.com/· Twitter: @ReelAbilityHouRhonda Abbott, Sr. VP & CEO TIRR Memorial Hermann· Website: https://www.reelabilitieshouston.org/· Website: https://memorialhermann.org/services/specialties/tirrAd· Twitter: @ReelAbilityHouVernita Harris, Co-Author Pinch-Dash-Done· Website: https://pinch-dash-done.com/· Facebook & Instagram: Pinch-Dash-DoneBeatrice Moore, Co-Author Pinch-Dash-Done· Website: https://pinch-dash-done.com/· Facebook & Instagram: Pinch-Dash-Done

Tanji Patton of Goodtaste TV shares her wine finds for Valentine's Day. Tanji Patton of Goodtaste TV shares her favorite meal ideas for Valentine's Day. Tanji Patton of Goodtaste TV shares her favorite meal ideas for Valentine's Day. Tanji Patton of Goodtaste TV shares her favorite meal ideas for Valentine's Day. Tanji Patton of Goodtaste TV shares her favorite meal ideas for Valentine's Day.

The 6 Hour Bowl that claims it can do both jobs. It says it keeps hot food hot and cold food cold with no electricity required. Claims: Keeps hot food hot and cold food coldSummary of testFood temperature is very important to food safety. The FDA says the safe holding temperature for hot food is 140 degrees or higher. We tested the 6 Hour Bowl three times:We poured piping hot soup into the bowl at 7:19 p.m.

Mary Ellen Phipps, RDN shares healthy and easy recipe ideas to help manage diabetes and blood sugars. Mary Ellen Phipps, RDN shares healthy and easy recipe ideas to help manage diabetes and blood sugars. Mary Ellen Phipps, RDN shares healthy and easy recipe ideas to help manage diabetes and blood sugars. Mary Ellen Phipps, RDN shares healthy and easy recipe ideas to help manage diabetes and blood sugars. Mary Ellen Phipps, RDN shares healthy and easy recipe ideas to help manage diabetes and blood sugars.

We’re sharing a kid-approved recipe your little ones will love to help cook and eat. “I love it, nothing makes me happier than having him in the kitchen with me. Check it out below:GREEN MONSTER MINI “PIZZAS” (ON ENGLISH MUFFINS)INGREDIENTS:For the pesto:1 Cup Baby Spinach1 Cup Fresh Basil1 Tsp. Her love of cooking came from being in the kitchen with her mom from an early age. She later fell in love with creating her own recipes as she moved away from home and started experimenting in her own kitchen.

Up first, Skillet Monkey BreadTanji Patton with Goodtaste TV shares her favorite recipes using store-bought pizza dough. First, she starts by cutting up her ready-made dough into “knots.”Tanji Patton with Goodtaste TV shares her favorite recipes using store-bought pizza dough. Tanji Patton with Goodtaste TV shares her favorite recipes using store-bought pizza dough. And for dessert, colorful donutsTanji Patton with Goodtaste TV shares her favorite recipes using store-bought pizza dough. Tanji’s Wine FindsTanji Patton with Goodtaste TV shares her favorite recipes using store-bought pizza dough.

NEW YORK – After Christopher Hughey tweeted that he’s tackling his first Thanksgiving turkey this year, the advice started rolling in. As for the meal itself, experts say to get started well before the big day. Contrary to the advice many offered to Hughey, experts aren’t fans of the pop-up thermometers that come stuck in some birds. Molina, who works at a screen printing firm in Portland, Oregon, knows how badly first attempts can go; years ago, her aunt ended up burning the Thanksgiving bird. She’s cooked turkey breasts in her slow cooker before, but hasn’t yet figured out what she’ll do for Thanksgiving.

I asked what was going on there, especially since she had green onions already growing in her garden. It turns out that my friend was right, and after a few days, the little green onions started to grow back. Here are a few photos of my green onion’s journey. They are starting to look like actual green onions. It was even more shocking when I found out that green onions weren’t the only thing you could regrow.

You can get them all on Amazon, and since it’s Prime Day, why not treat yourself to something special for your kitchen? Instant Pots are insanely popular, so if you already have one, you know just how versatile this kitchen appliance can be. It’s really great for steaming veggies, too. Really nice Dutch ovens can get really expensive, but this one on Amazon is a reasonable price, and it’s a great quality. Having both of these items in your kitchen will be great additions.

It’s Hispanic Heritage Month, and what a better way to celebrate than with some flavorful and easy recipes that can be made in an Instant Pot or an air fryer?

Growing up in a South Texas household of outdoor enthusiasts made fishing along the Gulf Coast a routine family affair. A disco and dependable heat source like a propane grill allow controllable beachside cooking without the hassle of charcoal or wood. Cooking fresh Gulf fish is a relatively straightforward task, but catching them can be a challenge. Heat additional olive oil in the center of the disco on low. Place fillets skin down in olive oil at the center of the disco.

This is the ultimate comfort food, right? Comfort foods are all about the casseroles (if you haven’t noticed, this is the third casserole on this list), and there is nothing better than this classic tuna noodle casserole. Subs are unequivocally considered comfort food, and the granddaddy of them all has to be a meatball sub. We haven’t had any breakfast foods featured yet, but there is no denying that breakfast is comfort food. Will you be making any of these comfort foods while enjoying the rest of 2020?

“Cooking With Pixar” is a new series featured on the Pixar YouTube channel. Each video shows a step-by-step process for making easy recipes that kids of all ages can help out with. Cook alongside Forkey from “Toy Story 4” as you create a Pizza Planet pepperoni pizza with bell pepper rings. It’s important to note that Pixar’s cooking videos don’t include ingredient portions or measurements. So, if you aren’t comfortable cooking that way, it might be a good idea to keep a similar recipe handy to compare.

Houston – Let Mom take a break from cooking this Mother’s Day with a home cooking kit from State Fare Kitchen & Bar. This kit comes with everything you would need to make your favorite restaurant-style breakfast at home, including instructions and ingredients. Chef Justin Yoakum from State Fare Kitchen & Bar cooks up a restaurant-style breakfast at home. You can pre-order those Mother’s Day cooking kits from State Fare by next Wednesday (May 6) for pick-up next weekend. They’re also partnering up with Massage Heights, so you can even add a gift certificate for a massage for Mom to your cooking kit.

No, it’s just not you -- it seems that everyone is making banana bread during quarantine, and if you haven’t done so already, it’s time to jump on the bandwagon. Banana bread is really more of a cake than a bread, but regardless, it’s the perfect thing to make if you’re wanting to dip your toes into the wonderful world of baking bread. Most bread recipes are generally the same, but we searched the internet high and low to find the easiest-looking banana bread recipes, so you can impress your friends and family with your new-found baking skills. This is another easy banana bread recipe. It combines two of the greatest breads that have ever existed: cinnamon swirl bread, and obviously, banana bread.

But there are some other grocery store items that you should take note of -- items that will help get you through this time of social distancing, lockdowns and self-quarantine. Make sure you have the following:PastaWe all know that a box of pasta (it doesn’t matter if it’s spaghetti or penne) is always pretty cheap at the grocery store, and its shelf life is pretty long, too. These are inexpensive, quite filling and have a pretty long shelf life. In addition to the nostalgia, jars of peanut butter are pretty cheap at the grocery store, it has a decent shelf life and it’s a fantastic source of protein. Three recipes you should make:Mushroom zucchini frittata from Taste of HomeCountry-style scrambled eggs from Taste of HomeAvocado toast with a sunny-side egg from Skinny Taste

St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, and since most of us will be spending the holiday indoors instead of heading to our favorite pub, why not have yourself a delicious Irish meal straight from your Instant Pot?

HOUSTON – Looking for a little help with that Thanksgiving turkey of yours? Butterball, the largest producer of turkey products in the country, has more than 50 representatives ready to answer all your turkey-related questions through its Butterball Talk-Line. Butterball has an online site full of turkey recipes, how to’s, coupons and products that can come in handy when preparing your holiday dinner. You can ask them your questions by calling 1-800-BUTTERBALL (1-800-288-8372) or you can text your questions to 844-877-3456. They have also expanded to accommodate the “modern holiday cooker” by connecting to an expert via Amazon Alexa.