As a teenager I was that type of finicky eater who'd eat heaps of his own mother's cooking but who could hardly look at a morsel of somebody else's without shuddering. When my friends and I would go out to Taco Bell or McDonald's or someplace, I'd skip on the food and just order a soda. A teenager who doesn't eat McDonald's! — can you even imagine?

With the first days of autumn just around the corner, college football seasons are officially in full swing, and another year of tailgate parties is quickly rising on the horizon. Whether big or small, every good tailgating event is likely backed by a collection of various tools and equipment geared towards outdoor cooking. Here is a quick list of recommended items for making your next tailgate a great time for both you and your friends.

Hamburgers and hotdogs aren’t the only things suited for the grill. A touch of smoke and caramelizing flames do wonders for fresh vegetables. Grilling vegetables instead of cooking them in other conventional ways often changes the taste and texture and brings out their natural flavors. It can be a great way to get picky, primarily carnivorous friends and family members to enjoy a variety of different foods. Not to mention grilled vegetables make great side dishes for steaks and pork chop dinners to jazz up your meal instead of the traditional french fries or baked potatoes.

We’ve discussed wine pairing in previous posts, but sometimes a more handy, visual guide can be very useful when making those quick dinner decisions. Here is a comprehensive chart of wine pairing advice, courtesy of winefolly.com.

Most of you probably only know this day as February 3rd—the day after Groundhog’s Day— but for all the foodies in the restaurant realm, this day is known as National Carrot Cake Day. This unofficial food holiday comes around annually and is a time when chef’s experiment with a variety of ways to use carrot cake in their recipes. The question is where did this holiday get started?

A Bundt® cake is great for almost any occasion whether it be a holiday, wedding, or just a complementary dessert to go with your favorite meal. For years Nordic Ware, a leader in residential kitchen equipment, has been making great Bundt® pans in all shapes and sizes.

A fresh and healthy twist on something that was already wonderful.

One of life's greatest joys is introducing a new generation to your love of the kitchen. Long before they're old enough to bake, they can conquer worlds more impressive than the toaster. Preparation of this dessert requires under-age assistance and is greatly enhanced by the use of cooking gloves.

Serves: 10 to 12 Difficulty level: 1 (of 5) Prep Time: 30 Minutes Ready In: 30 Minutes

This is savory and a little "dark", but it's also healthy, with a "comfort food" feeling.   It works beautifully as a side dish or a simple meal.

Named for the fact that this is the way Mom made it. Will cause you to “swear off” canned tomato soup forever.

This is delicious, can be made in any size pan, and couldn't be any easier to make.

A great combination of ingredients give this a pie a nice sweet/tart flavor.

An old TV show suggested "Father Knows Best", but when it comes to baking biscuits, it was mom who knew best.

Take some inexpensive ingredients and make them taste like a million dollars!

Fresh strawberries are one of late spring's annual recurring joys.  This cool parfait is easily prepared without turning on any heated appliance,  and can be customized to the age of your guests.

Depending on where you are on the East coast this early American staple is called by many different names. Jonnycake, ashcake, battercake, corn cake, cornpone, hoecake, and journey cake are all regional names for this cornmeal flatbread.