This year to commemorate Hanukkah, I am breaking out of my usual latke habit and shaking things up a bit with savory and sweet fritters. Fritters are defined as a wide variety of fried foods, usually consisting of a portion of batter or breading which has been filled with bits of meat, seafood, fruit, or other ingredients. Sounds good right?

Tailgating with friends or hosting a game day party at home doesn’t need to be stressful. I’ve compiled a great list of all my favorite game-day recipes. And don’t worry about tweaking them to fit them to your hookup lifestyle — they’re all kosher!

Most of us think us think of apples as an “eat out of hand snack,” a delicious pie filling, or as a mostly-pastry kitchen ingredient. However, apples are actually one of the most versatile ingredients being used in savory and pastry applications around the world.

I start every meal with a salad. I love the textures and flavors. I also like the way the vinaigrette plays off of each ingredient and makes the flavors POP. The trick to keeping salad interesting is to add a variety of textures and flavors.

Whenever I write a menu, whether for home or work, I agonize over the sauce for the entrée. The sauce not only moistens the entrée, but it also gives the entire dish more character and heightens flavor. If you think about it, the sauce is really the most important part of the meal.

As a snack this Shabbat, I am serving guacamole in honor of Cinco de Mayo. I love this creamy, healthy condiment and look for any excuse to shmear it on challah, tortillas and my favorite enchiladas.

Eggs are one of most versatile ingredients in the kitchen. From savory to sweet, eggs are not only an essential ingredient in baked goods, custards and sauces, but, also play the starring role in many dishes. Eggs take on a whole new importance during Passover. They seem to be in every dish, and lots of them! I think it essential to have a game plan for the holiday and a slew of egg dishes in your repertoire. Here are some of my favorite recipes for the holiday and every day. They are simple and crowd pleasing. Be sure to choose the freshest eggs possible. Check not only to make sure the eggs are not broken or cracked, but also to be sure the eggs are fresh.

Every February 14th love-struck men and women spend more than 1 billion dollars on chocolate products. Our infatuation with chocolate first began 2,000 years ago when it was discovered in Latin America. The Maya and Aztec elites infused cocoa beans with water to form frothy chocolate drinks for special occasions and as sacrifices to the gods. The Aztec ruler Montezuma believed that chocolate was an aphrodisiac and routinely drank it before entering his harem, thus increasing chocolate’s popularity and its association with love and romance. Modern-day scientists have linked the chemical phenylethylamine in chocolate to feelings of excitement, attraction and even pleasure.

There is nothing more fragrant and sensuous than roasted pineapple. I am sort of iffy about pineapple when sliced in a fruit salad, but when pineapple is bathed and basted in dark rum and vanilla, it becomes a sweet and exotic treat. Roasted pineapple gives off its juices which are thick and perfumed with pineapple essence and a pureed banana. For all the non-bakers out there, this dessert is for you. Simple and requiring minimal kitchen skills, roasted pineapple will make you look like a dessert genius. Save the juices and drizzle on ice cream or pound cake.