Sarah posted that she was surprised to see such large globe artichokes when she was out shopping, but as an artichoke fan, I have been enjoying these for some time. They are significantly larger than your average 'choke - that is my chef's knife in the photo below for a size comparison - and they are so satisfying that they can actually serve as a light meal. The only downside is that you have to dedicate a whole, large pot to steaming one, so it's best to either only prepare one at a time as an appetizer for a group or a snack for yourself.

Sarah J. Gim already mentioned that one of the food traditions for Chinese New Year is to have dumplings, which are meant to bring good fortune in the next year. She didn't mention that they also make a delicious snack or a quick lunch and, with some rice and vegetables, can make an exceptionally tasty dinner. Soft, fluffy "bao" are steamed buns that are typically served as dim sum or yum cha in Chinese restaurants and they'll be on my Chinese New Year menu. You can make them yourself, using any filling you wish, or pick up a few at your local asian market. Good luck and a good lunch? How can you go wrong!

[Photo by Nicole Weston]

Slow cookers are one of the most useful appliances you can have in your kitchen, even more so if you don't enjoy cooking or you have a busy schedule that keeps you running around and not working over the stove. You can toss together a soup or meat dish in the morning in about five minutes and when you return from work in the evening, you'll have a hot, home cooked meal waiting for you. In addition, everything cooks together, which means that you'll only have one pot to clean. Some recipes will call for the meat (or even vegetables) to be browned before adding them in, but this is almost never really necessary.

Slow cookers cook foods for long periods of time at low temperatures. Modern slow cookers often have an automatic shutoff or a super-low "warm" setting that will protect both your food and your home when you are not around to watch, so they are safe to use any time, unlike the stove or the oven. They are ideal for cooking lean or inexpensive pieces of meat because they trap juice and steam as they cook the meat, allowing the meat to become moist and tender, preventing it from shrinking or toughening. The long, slow cooking process also allows flavors to meld and blend, making it an ideal way to cook soups and stews, too.