Hello! If you like playing tabletop games with friends and/or baking I’d like you to know about the Kickstarter for this amazing book, the Edible Games Cookbook. The whole idea is that you make and play and eat the games. This book is a thing I very much want to exist in the world.

I’m lucky enough to know Jenn Sandercock and to have gotten to play a few of the games and they were great fun. She’s taken care to include suggestions for savory, sweet, gluten-free, nut-free, sugar-free, vegetarian and vegan substitutions where applicable (whew). There are store-bought suggestions for those who don’t want to bake. The recipes include weight and volume measurements (yay!).

If you’d like to know more there is a downloadable sample chapter on the Kickstarter page as well as all the information you might want.

The Kickstarter for the Edible Games Cookbook is in it’s last week and the book is nearly funded. Go be the one to get this funded all the way!

Cheese Straws at Smitten Kitchen. I bring these to holiday parties and they are always a crowd favorite. The dough is made entirely in a food processor and it’s easy to make a whole lot of these because you don’t need to wash the food processor between batches.

Cranberry Shrub and Cranberry Shrub Cocktail at David Lebovitz. Note: He uses pumpkin spice bitters. I’m no lover of the PSL but I could get way into these bitters.

Salt-Wilted Brussels Sprout Salad With Hazelnuts and Goat Cheese Recipe at Serious Eats. Better than driving somewhere with stinky hot Brussels sprouts. Trust me on this one.

Cranberry Brie Bites at Delish. Looks pretty and easy.

Mama Stamberg’s Cranberry Relish, at NPR. Will this year be the one where I make The Relish? This recipe calls for being fully frozen and thawed so it’s perfect for those who prefer to plan ahead.

How to Make Stuffing in a Bundt Pan at Baking Bites. I think I miiight just be more delighted with a bundt-shaped stuffing being offered to me rather than a bundt-shaped cake.

Pumpkin Creme Brulee, at Munchies. I wonder how much trouble it would be to make a lot of smaller versions of these.

I think about this photo from Shutterbean’s My Everyday Life series every time my cookbook club is dividing out leftovers. Getting a stack of cheap to-go containers from a restaurant supply company would make me feel very smart, if only I could remember to get them ahead of time.

Also: If you can beg to bring home extra stuffing so you can make these Stuffing Fritters with Cranberry-Jalapeño Sauce, from The Kitchn.

I didn’t get a chance to make any Halloween food this year but here are three of the people who have been inspiring me:

Brave Tart’s amazing gingerbread house in pretty intimidating but she shares a huge amount of information on how to get everything looking just spooky enough. The page includes recipes, templates and instructions on assembly.

Ann Reardon shows us how to make a Gravity Falls themed jar of eyeballs and a horrifying gelatin hand. Her video has all the tools, instructions and recipes you’ll need. Also, her remake of the bleeding Taylor Swift heart cake would work really well for Halloween.

Here is a collection of Christine McConnell’s Halloween party food including this amazing Jack-o-lantern cake, with recipes and assembly instructions. Also check out the caramel spiders, I jump a little every time I see the pictures. Yikes.

Recipe: Ina Garten’s Parmesan Roasted Zucchini | The Kitchn.

Christmas Crack | Culinary Hill. Planning ahead for Christmas pot lucks parties.

Dill Pickle Soup | Noble Pig. The Polish Community Center in Seattle has weekly dinners and their pickle soup is amazing, I hope this recipe will be as good as that version.

Bon Puf Cotton Candy (NOTCOT).

How to Stock Your Home Bar on the Cheap (Yes, We’re Naming Bottles) | Man Made DIY. Very useful list, some of these are brands I’m not familiar with and the others are choices I strongly agree with.

Popcorn Polenta w/ Mushroom Jus – Lady and Pups – an angry food blog.

Ricotta Goat Cheese Polenta Bake with Mushrooms, Greens, and Caramelized Onions, at Gather and Dine.

Air Delight Aero Chocolate Bar Recipe – HowToCookThat. She works through a few methods for making bubbly chocolate and finds the best one.

Egg Florentine In Pullman “Bowls”, for Cynthia – Lady and Pups – an angry food blog. Grilled bread boxes!

The Fourneau Bread Oven, via Swissmiss. This is a cast iron cave that you heat in your regular home oven and use to make spectacular bread.

1 Technique, 2 Very Different Cauliflower Purées | Serious Eats.

A Truly Traditional Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie That’s Baked Right Inside the Gourd, at Laughing Squid.

Watch: Amaze Your Guests With Buttery Candles That Double As Sauce – Eater.

Rethinking Swiss Meringue: Lighter, Fluffier, and More Stable | Serious Eats.

Goat Cheese Stuffed Peppers – Food Fanatic.

an easier way to make cookies – smitten kitchen at Smitten Kitchen. This is how I make my gingerbread, pull the excess dough away from the cut shapes and you don’t get any distortion. Also, it’s way, way easier to roll out your dough when it’s still room temperature and chill it afterwards. Ahh, so easy and clean.

Tabletop Moonshine Still | Cool Tools. Table. Top Moon. Shine. Still. Hell yeah.

The Hottest New Variety of Pepper Is Not Hot at All | MUNCHIES. As somebody who loves shishito and padron pepper season I’m happy to see we’ll be getting more non-hot pepper options.

broccoli pizza – smitten kitchen.

How to Clean and Maintain Cast Iron | Serious Eats. We are go for soap.

Love Old Fashioneds? This Spicy, Strong Whiskey Cocktail Is for You | Serious Eats.

Unusual Geometric Cake Designs by Dinara Kasko | Colossal. These are so pretty.

What’s the Difference Between the Bubbles? – Lucky Peach. Seltzer vs. sparkling water vs. club soda. Via The Wirecutter.

Giant Gougeres: French cheese puffs. David Lebovitz.

Barrel Aged Vanilla White Russian | Baking Bites. Something to do while you are aging that nog anyhow.

Hong Kong’s Most Famous Cocktail Is a Tower of Foam and Faux Caviar | MUNCHIES.

Chopped Kale Salad with Peanut-Chili Vinaigrette | Little Broken. Via Brit&Co.

Recipe: Vivian Howard’s Sunday Morning Pancakes – Eater. Made with a mixture of regular and buckwheat flours. I grew up eating buckwheat pancakes and I still prefer them.

Risotto Tips From John Podesta | Epicurious.com. “The most important revelation yet from Hillary’s hacked emails.”

The Mezcal Tour of Oaxaca, The New Yorker.

Spiced Pumpkin Rum Toddy Cocktail  | Mighty Girl.

We Spoke to the Chef Who Has Made 143 Types of Mac and Cheese | MUNCHIES. Mac and cheese in a sausage, nice.

How To Make A Negroni — Cocktail Chemistry. They also include the recipe for a Boulevardier, a drink I’m very fond of but have found few bartenders know. Help me change that, let us make the Boulevardier as commonly known as (but easier to make than) a Margarita, yes?

How to Make a Beautiful Galaxy Mirror Cake Using Reflective Icing, at Laughing Squid. So shiny.

How to pick the perfect watermelon: 5 key tips from an experienced farmer, via Inner Vision.

Someone Probably Revealed KFC’s Top-Secret Chicken Recipe, at Grub Street.

The Best Way to Freeze Pesto Is Not What You Think — Preserve 2.0 | The Kitchn. Yes, more support for freezing things flat and thin for quick access later.

The Legend of the Choco Taco – Eater.

Best Burgers in Seattle, Washington – Burger Quest – Thrillist. The best burger on this list is from an out of the way bar that I was introduced to by the owners of Spinnaker Bay Brewing when I was working there. To this day when I have something small to celebrate we head to Loretta’s Northwesterner for burgers.

The Weirdest Things to Eat at the 2016 State Fair of Texas – Eater. “That’s right, in America we use mac and cheese AS A DIP.”

Crazy Crust Cranberry Sauce Pie | Baking Bites. This looks delicious.

Recipe: Rainbow Veggie Noodle Salad — Recipes from The Kitchn | The Kitchn.

I’m A Grown-Up Disney Kid — Obsessed With Hidden Mickeys?. The hidden mickey in the corndog here is adorable.

Braided Cinnamon Bread | Sprinkle Bakes. This is beautiful and delicious looking, I’m adding it to my weekend plans.

Bon Appétempt: Video: California Roll Salad. Also see: Bon Appétempt: Video: Beet and Goat Cheese Terrine.

The Cocktail Every Man Should Be Drinking This Summer | Man Made DIY | Crafts for Men. Spoiler: a real daquari.

A How-To Guide to Making a Silicone LEGO Candy Mold, at Laughing Squid.

How To Make Frosé — Cocktail Chemistry.

How to Combat Soggy Pie Crusts With Epsom Salt | Serious Eats.

Spiralizer Hack: Spiralized Cocktail Garnishes | Inspiralized.

Bon Appétempt: Carrot Ginger Showstopper a.k.a. Grain Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing (and a Fried Egg).

Star Wars Recipe: Rey’s Portion Bread | StarWars.com.

A Four-Story Leap Day Birthday Cake at Food 52. This is delightful.

Banh Tieu Recipe: The Vietnamese Donuts You Never Knew You Loved · i am a food blog.

Toasted Almond Cake, Stewed Rhubarb, Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting – Not Without Salt. The rhubarb rosettes on this cake are really charming.

Beer is Good For Your Health | Wellness | Purewow. “Even more interesting, the hops and flavonoids in beer can actually slow the release of calcium from the bones.”

The Best Easter Traditions Come from Germany | The Kitchn. This is a reminder to myself to make braided breads like the glorious chicken in the last photo.

Chewable Coffee Is Your New Morning Pick-Me-Up | Brit + Co. Gummy coffee cubes, count me in.

Rainbow Steam Cake Recipe – HowToCookThat. How to make a layered rainbow cake that doesn’t involve cutting and stacking.

Giant Ravioli with Egg Yolk, Spinach, and Ricotta. Recipe lookup inspired by Salty Seattle’s Instagram. Yum.

dubosc | Colossal. Edible zoetropes!

Orangette: While you’re not looking. A technique for cooking dried beans, I’ve got to try this because my previous dried bean trials weren’t worth the time put in.

Scientists Say Psychopathic People Really Like Bitter Food | MUNCHIES. Uh oh.

Cooking with Manuela: Rose Shaped Eggplant Parmigiana.

The Politics and Cultishness of Hops – The Sauce – The Stranger. A primer on Washington hops.

Best Value in Booze: What’s the Best Single Malt Scotch Under $30? | Man Made DIY.

Why Cookbook Clubs Should Be the New Way We Entertain | Serious Eats. Yes! (Also, full disclosure, my trusty red dutch oven can be seen in one of these photos.)

The Cocktail at the End of the Universe – Eater. “In search of the Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster, an imaginary 1970’s cocktail from space.” A delightfully thorough look at bars then and now.

This Coconut Cake Is Better Than Your Grandmother’s Recipe | MUNCHIES.

Pulled Pork and Cornbread Make This Slow-Cooker Chili a New Favorite | Serious Eats.

ChefSteps Guide to Pike Place Market – Eater Seattle.

The Cool Way to Brew Good Coffee – The Awl. Oh gosh I had nearly forgotten about Clover machines! Anyhow, this is a good history of coffee hype from pre-aughts to now. Via Kottke.

The Food Lab: Introducing Vegetables Wellington, the Plant-Based Vegan Roast Even Meat Eaters Will Want | Serious Eats.

IDEAS IN FOOD: Sandy (Pretzel) Sticks.

Lumberjack cake: tartan batter? / Boing Boing. This is neato.

15 Edible Cocktail Garnishes to Snack on During Happy Hour | Brit + Co. Some good ideas in here, I like the pretzel stick as an option.

A Cadbury Creme Egg Cafe is Coming to London | Nerdist.

The Crazy History Of Your Cocktail Cherry – The Daily Beast. I got to watch as Scott discovered the superiority of Luxardo cherries this year.

The Best No-Carb Cloud Rosemary Bread with only 4 Ingredients. While I’m not looking for a no-carb thing, these do look good as a party appetizer for my celiac friends.

spaghetti pie with pecorino and black pepper | smitten kitchen. This is perfection.

Smoke Signals – Bon Appétit. All about Tara Jenson and her amazing pies and loaves of bread.

A Dozen Rose Cupcakes | Sprinkle Bakes. A cookie cutter that makes creating a sugar rose more like assembling a paper flower, very clever.

The Ringer Cast Iron Cleaner | Cool Tools. It’s a square of chain mail!

Play Food « bakerella.com. I’m bookmarking this because the recipe doesn’t need to be chilled before rolling, but also because the tiny cookies are absolutely adorable.

Make Matchstick Cookies This Valentine’s Day | The Etsy Blog.

Valentine’s Magic Heart Dessert – HowToCookThat. A hidden heart in the lid, really clever. Does anybody know where this idea originated?

chocolate peanut and pretzel brittle | smitten kitchen.

What’s the Right Way To Make A Hot Toddy? | Mental Floss.

Cocktail Party Gingerbread Folk | Sprinkle Bakes. They include little foil wrapped booze filled chocolate bottles, what a splendid idea. See also: Gift This! Santa’s Candy Bark.

Brunch Cocktails- Cranberry Ramos Gin Fizz – Craft and Cocktails. Via Design Crush.

SANDY OLD MAN ON X’MAS | Lady and Pups – an angry food blog.

eggnog waffles + a few favorite kitchen things | smitten kitchen. I’m bookmarking this for #4: a deeply dark Dutched cocoa that has an Oreo taste. Interesting!

The Best Cut-Out Sugar Cookies Recipe | The Kitchn. See also: Roll Out Sugar Cookie Dough Before Chilling It.

Everything Bagel Bombs, at the Amateur Gourmet. I used Adam’s instructions for Momofuku’s bagel bombs last year and it became an instant tradition. You can freeze these before baking and put them into the oven right from the freezer, perfect for a low fuss fancy breakfast option when the focus is on opening presents.

How to: Hanging Twig Christmas Tree » Curbly.

NORAD’s Santa Tracker Began With A Typo And A Good Sport : NPR. This is an amazing story.

Ovenly’s Gluten-Free Salted Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe | MUNCHIES. There is no flour of any kind in these and I must try them.

maple-candied bacon – The Clever Carrot. It’s so beautiful. Via The Wirecutter.

DIY Gelatin Confetti Sprinkles | Sprinkle Bakes.

A Chocoholic’s Dream – Seven Different Kinds of Chocolate in One Wonderous Bar | Nerdist. They are only making 50 of these. I think it’s time for a DIY right here.

Geeky cake pan will turn you into a Mother of Dragons – CNET.

How to Make Rainbow Unicorn Piñata Cookies That Poop Star Sprinkles at Laughing Squid. This is a very smart mashing together of geeky/crafty worlds.

Adorable and Edible Panda Tapioca Milk Tea | Nerdist.

How to Line a Baking Pan with Aluminum Foil | David Lebovitz. Clever!

Easter Eggs! | Flickr – Jen Cooper. Chocolate Faberge! These are fantastic.

Orangette: June 26. Delicious watermelon popsicles.

A Quick Way to Make an Oreo Ice Cream Sandwich, at Laughing Squid. Simple and smart.

IDEAS IN FOOD: Rice Krispy Treat Lace Cookies.

HOW TO MAKE CRUFFIN WITH PASTA MACHINE | Lady and Pups – an angry food blog. I’ve made a few attempts at this an my results have been varied, it’s fun to eat the failures though.

This Waffle Recipe Will Change Brunch Forever – Eater.

Roasted Cabbage Wedges Recipe | Martha Stewart.

Yogurt Worth Waiting For – Edible Seattle. On how the best yogurt in Seattle came to be.

Manhattan Drink Recipe – How to Make a Manhattan, at Esquire. Lately I’ve been loving the drink histories and variations offered by Esquire. See also: the Old Fashioned, Daquari, and the Martini.

How to Have Your Drink and Drink It, Too | A Cup of Jo. On session beers and session cocktails for lazy summer afternoons.

Hazy Whiskey Cocktail – Gather Journal. Using smoke created by lighting cinnamon and cloves.

Cocktail IN an Ice Sphere | Molecular Recipes.

Meet the Flower That Naturally Colors Drinks Blue – Eater.

Ginger Beer Business Is Booming in Seattle | Seattle Bars | Seattle Met.

A Menu of Gin Tonics & A Feast For Juniper at Cask Strength. This is how other countries do gin and tonics right.

Make Perfectly Clear Ice Balls Using Insulated Mugs – Alcademics.com. I found this on Facebook somewhere, if it was you let me know!

Welcome to Booze Science, Our Drunkest Video Series Ever | WIRED. The first video is about ice and dilution with Jennifer Colliau of the Interval at The Long Now who shows off some ice with less surface area than an ice sphere. Yup.

Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur Cocktails | Chilled magazine. The first cocktail here looks great, it includes Lillet Rouge and Hendricks.

We Experimented With Powdered Alcohol So You Don’t Have To | WIRED.

Jim Meehan’s Cocktail Primer: Terminology, Essential Equipment and Recommended Reading | Food & Wine. I added one kind of shaker and two types of ice after reading this, a concise breakdown of the how/why of cocktailing.

The Only Reason Why Your Scotch Doesn’t Taste Like Meat And Bad Eggs, at io9.

Spiked Watermelon Popsicles – Lulus.com Fashion Blog. Clever and easy.

Ardbeg’s space whisky tastes “noticeably different” from Earth-matured whisky | Ars Technica. It spent three years ageing on the ISS.

Club-Mate: The Favorite Drink of German Hackers and Club Kids Is Here – Eater.

The Delicious Secret Behind Your Favorite Whiskey: The Best Spirits from MGP | Serious Eats. Your small batch artisanal spirit might come from a huge warehouse, but that doesn’t mean it tastes bad. While I’d love to say that small batch is always better there is a growing distillery business in Seattle and I’ve had plenty of bad whiskeys from them.

Jamie Oliver’s Chicken in Milk Is Probably the Best Chicken Recipe of All Time — Recipe Review | The Kitchn. I will be trying this soon.

How to Make a Pizza Decorated to Look Like Captain America’s Shield at Laughing Squid.

Compact Charcoal Grills — Shoebox Dwelling.

crunchy cabbage salad with spicy peanut dressing | Scaling Back. Yum, via Whoorl.

How to Cook Spanish-Style Pimientos de Padrón | Serious Eats. I’m excited for Padron pepper season to return.

Genius Kale Salad Recipe – 101 Cookbooks.

Heirloom Seeds – Vegetable Seeds and Plants, Melon, Charentais. This is a note to myself to plant these in our garden next year. We had one of these melons from a local market and it was absolutely delicious. Wait, maybe it was the Vedrantais. In any case, it’s worth seeking out.

Roasted Broccoli Rabe with Lemon Vinaigrette and Grilled Chicken – Not Without Salt. After a trip to Vegas we had a few weeks of dinners with lots of deep greens, this option looks delicious.

10 Easy Molecular Gastronomy Recipes :: Paste.

19 Easy, Travel-Friendly Bean and Grain Salad Recipes We Love | Serious Eats.

Discovering The Small Miracle Of The Soup Dumpling | KUNC. I think the first time I heard about soup dumplings it was from Megnut and since then I moved to Seattle and Din Tai Fung has two (always packed) restaurants here. My favorite, though are at Long’s in Vancouver, BC. More tasting needs to be done!

The Food Lab: The Best Way To Grill Sausages | Serious Eats.

Chopped Asian Zucchini Salad – iFOODreal | Delicious Clean Eating Recipes.

French Mushroom Lentil Paté – Vegetarian Foie Gras, at David Lebovitz.

15 Homemade Fast Food and Takeout Favorites (That Are at Least as Good as the Originals) | Serious Eats. Shamrock Shake! Also, beef and broccoli and a Double Double Animal Style.

takeout-style sesame noodles with cucumber | smitten kitchen.

KFC Plans to Roll Out Edible Coffee Cups in the U.K. | TIME. Eee! Via The Morning News.

The Makings of Beecher’s Amazing Flagship Cheese | Serious Eats.

The Food Lab: For the Best Sichuan Dry-Fried Green Beans, Ditch the Wok and Turn on the Broiler | Serious Eats.

Sprinkle Bakes: Rainbow Spiral Cookies.

How to Make Uovo in Raviolo: Showstopping Runny Egg Yolk Ravioli | Serious Eats.

The Session Beer Project™: SESSION BEER DAY 2015. I am all for this proliferation of lower alcohol beers, keep bringing it on.

magic chocolat flower dessert – YouTube. It’s a chocolate flower! That opens! Ohmigosh! Thanks to juv for pointing it out. That page on YouTube suggests a whole lot of great edible amazingness.

Orangette: Doing it right. An excellent recipe for an easy to throw together cake made with frozen raspberries.

The Seven-Minute Egg | SAVEUR. Article by Molly Wizenberg, aka Orangette.

Snazzy 3D Printer Creates Stunning Works of Pancake Art – Eater.

Sweden’s Attempt to Preserve the Pastry That Could Break Your Teeth | MUNCHIES. I am fascinated by spettkaka.

How to: Make Your Own DIY Smoked Cocktails | Man Made DIY.

Stir-Fried Beef With Chinese Broccoli | Serious Eats : Recipes.

butterscotch pudding | smitten kitchen. I am mostly linking to this because it introduced me to Valrhona’s Dulcey Chocolate crunchy pearls. I’m already a fan of dark chocolate crunchy pearls and keep them in the house to sprinkle on ice cream and, you know, just eat.

A 24 ‘Carrot’ Cake Packed With Baby Carrots and Shaped Like a Gold Bar.

8 Nonalcoholic Drinks That’ll Satisfy When You’re Craving a Cocktail | Serious Eats. These all go far beyond fizzy lemonade.

How to Make a World-Class Cocktail Out of Berlin’s Convenience Store Booze | MUNCHIES.

Freeze Fresh Herbs for Long-Term Storage | Serious Eats.

The Food Lab: The Easiest Way to Make April Bloomfield’s Ricotta Gnudi at Home | Serious Eats.

Bon Appétempt: Upside-Down Lemon Meringue Pie.

The Food Lab: Why Chicken With Pan Sauce Is Always Better at Restaurants (and How to Make Yours Just as Good at Home) | Serious Eats.

57 Best Cooking Tips of All Time | Epicurious.com.

The “Food Babe” Blogger Is Full of Shit – Gawker.

Make Powdered Nutella for Snack and Dessert Toppings with Maltodextrin, at Lifehacker.

How Do I Butter Popcorn Without Making It Soggy? Includes another maltodextrine hack, via Lifehacker.

Use Liquid Nitrogen to Make Modern Ice Garnishes – Eater.

These Are Probably The Most Exciting Ice Cubes You’ll Ever See, And It’s Thanks To 3D Printing. Well, sort of, it’s more of a super detailed 3D router.