Getting friends together for an intimate gathering of great food, wine and conversation has been one of the highlights of my life. It should be an enjoyable time for everyone, including me (the hostess, chef and cleanup crew) but that wasn’t always the case.

Forget the tablecloths and worrying if you have enough chairs. To keep relationships healthy (neighbors, colleagues, heck--even family, for that matter) you need to spend quality time with one another.

Kenya has become a shrimp addict. Every time I take him to the grocery with me (which is often), we stop by the seafood counter and as soon as he sees the beautifully arranged shrimp he barks, “I want shrimp!”

Nutella, chocolate hazelnut spread, is all the rage in Italy; "Nutellaphiles" eat it by the spoonful right out of the jar. And that may be as good tasting as it gets unless you decide to make these puff pastry tartlets.

An anticipated 1,375 potatoes will be used to prepare latkes (potato pancakes) that will be served on flights from New York (JFK/Newark) this holiday season.

Need something to get you in the mood—for the holidays, that is? Or perhaps you're planning a get-together and want to set just the right mood for holiday guest. Here, are top three seasonal candles to get everyone in the spirit.

Not to appear to be a Scrooge, but the holidays are coming faster than the next app for the iPhone and for many, the nemesis of the holidays is simply procrastination. There is just so much to juggle to make the merriest time of the year . . . merry.

The mailing of the holiday cards. You're one of two types of people: You love it and start post-Thanksgiving or hate it and procrastinate so long that you're rushing to make it to the mailbox.

These baked shells are always a hit and remind me of the foods my mother prepared when I was young. When I make them I double the recipe so we can eat one batch that night and have another tucked away in the freezer for the nights that I’m too tired to cook.

Roast chicken is my favorite comfort foods. I usually make it for our family at least twice a week. It’s healthy, delicious, everyone in our house loves it, there’s always plenty left over for lunch the next day and it only takes me a few minutes to prepare it for cooking.