Weekend Reading: Super Bowl Edition

Shredded beer-braised beef sandwich (Photo by Cooking Channel)

Let's be honest — how much do you really care about football? Yea, that's what I thought. So we'll focus instead on the more important things, like what you're going to eat.

Cooking Channel pulled together an awesome package of game day fare, complete with chilis, dips and my contribution, foods with beer.

Comic book fans, this one's for you — Marvel teamed up with a few chefs to turn out superhero-inspired snacks.

Looking to grab something at the last minute? Zagat's got your ultimate takeout guide.

Here are the 10 commandments of nacho-making, according to the experts at First We Feast.

Finally, wings, wings and more wings.

Have a delicious weekend!

Weekend Reading: Chinese New Year Edition

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Shrimp and snow pea leaf dumplings at Nom Wah Tea Parlor

We're still a week away from Chinese New Year and I'm already thinking about all the delicious things to be devoured, from the reunion feast to the turnip cake and nian gao that my aunt and grandma whip up just once a year. To get in the spirit, here are some festive posts — both new and old.

First We Feast gathered some fantastic black and white photos of old Chinatown from the New-York Historical Society.

Do you know the difference between har gow and fun kor? YumSugar breaks it all down in their ultimate dim sum guide.

Speaking of dim sum, Nom Wah Tea Parlor — home to the amazing dumplings above — was my pick as one of the best Chinese restaurants in New York City back in 2012.

New York's Chinatowns keep on expanding. Check out the good eats in one of the newest: Elmhurst.

Last year, I interviewed food bloggers Jessica Lee Binder (Food Mayhem), Kian Lam Kho (Red Cook) and Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan (A Tiger in the Kitchen), who all shared delicious and auspicious recipes to ring in the new year.

If you want to let others do the cooking, Pok Pok and Xi'an Famous Foods are joining forces for a five-course Thai and Chinese dinner.

Gong hay fat choy!

Currently Loving: Lunar New Year Chocolates

Photo by Godiva

A few years ago, I was in China right before Lunar New Year and watched all the festive decorations go up across Guangzhou and Beijing. I was particularly impressed by how "Western" businesses got in the spirit — the way they gussied up their storefronts, rolled out exclusive products, etc. — and also surprised that many of them had yet to tap into the Chinese market back at home.

As I learned growing up, Lunar New Year was one of the rare times when my sweets-avoiding parents would stock up on towers of Ferrero Rocher and Almond Roca as gifts for friends and family. So even though this is a bit pricey, it's nice to see Godiva bring their Lunar New Year chocolates to New York City for the first time, especially in flavors that were obviously well-thought-out. All three contain auspicious ingredients — pear, almond, pineapple — and if there's anything that matters to (and therefore, sells to) the Chinese, it's good luck.

L.A. Burdick has also gotten in the game with some equally delicious-sounding confections — in green tea, plum wine brandy and lemongrass — though I bet my family would more likely munch on their cocoa-dipped fruit. It'll be interesting to see if more sweets-makers will debut their exclusives stateside — I, for one, am crossing my fingers for Ladurée's stunning New Year's box.

Weekend Reading: Trip to the Tropics

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Coconut panna cotta

I've made coconut panna cotta two weeks in a row now — using a ridiculously easy recipe from Gourmet — as a way to inject a bit of summer into this brutal New York winter. To help fend off the cold-weather blues, try these tropical recipes from some of my favorite food bloggers.

Smitten Kitchen doubled down on island flavors for her coconut tapioca pudding with mango.

This passion fruit tart by Little Box Brownie looks truly exquisite.

In an extra summer-y twist, Aliya adds pomegranate and mint to a classic warm-weather drink, the Arnold Palmer.

Kayley of the Kitchen MacCabe calls key lime the "queen of all citrus pies" — do you agree?

I eat ice cream no matter how cold gets (what polar vortex?) and the pineapple gauva sorbet from Insatiable Munchies sounds absolutely refreshing.

Have a great weekend!

Marbled Red Velvet Cheesecake

Marbled red velvet cheesecake

I've been putting my weekends — and stand mixer — to good use by taking dessert requests from friends and family. Most recently, they voted for cheesecake, which I love, but isn't the most exciting thing to make. I wanted to do something a little less straightforward and decided to give this Food Network recipe a try. It was still pretty easy to whip together, but thanks to the marbled design, looks a ton fancier. The cake was tangy, creamy and not too dense, with a hint of cocoa flavor from the red velvet swirls. My favorite part? The graham cracker crust stayed perfectly crunchy, even after a night in the fridge.