Baked Sweet Potato Falafel recipe from the Leon cookbook -made from mashed sweet potatoes, chickpea flour, spices, a nice amount of garlic and plenty of chopped cilantro.

Monica Bhide's Chile Pea Puff recipe - crispy-skinned baked snacks stuffed with peas, paneer cheese, chiles, and garlic. From her new cookbook - Modern Spice: Inspired Indian Flavors for the Contemporary Kitchen.

A classic cheese fondue recipe. I've included dozens of my favorite things to dunk - don't limit yourself to just bread!

A grown-up remake of the onion dip I loved as a kid. This one features lots of deeply caramelized onions, sour cream and Greek yogurt.

A beautiful, spicy hummus recipe made from pureed garbanzo beans, toasted walnuts, and spicy crushed red pepper oil finished with a few chopped olives and a bit of cilantro.

Inspired by a trip to Argentina, small crackers topped with an apple-zucchini relish, a tiny kiss of goat cheese, and a couple flecks of black pepper.

Grilled pizza recipe with an outline of techniques and considerations about the technique it takes to get grilled pizzas right - with topping ideas.

A vegetarian dumpling recipe featuring a simple pea, lemon, ricotta filling. Bright flavors and delicious steamed or pan-fried.

This cracker recipe makes thin, snappy, rustic crackers - sturdy enough to stand up to a hearty dip. The technique is simple and straightforward (utilizing just a few ingredients) and the dough is a welcoming canvas to all manner of seeds, salts, cheeses, spices, or flavored oils that you might want to use as accents.

An updated, healthier version of my favorite artichoke dip recipe. Artichokes pureed with yogurt, tofu, Parmesan cheese, and garlic and baked until golden.

Made from polenta, buttermilk, cayenne pepper, and Parmesan cheese, this is a perfect party cracker recipe.

My dad shares his oft-requested garlic bread recipe - garlic, lots of butter, chives, and lemon zest slathered on a wide baguette. A garlic-studded, golden crusted masterpiece.

Don't let all those pumpkin seeds go to waste, toasting pumpkin seeds is easy! This year I tried some different flavor combinations: Sweet & Spicy Toasted Pumpkin Seeds, Black Tea & Butter Toasted Pumpkin Seeds, and Curried Toasted Pumpkin Seeds.

Halloumi cheese won't melt when you are grilling it. Here is a recipe for Grilled Halloumi with Sauteed Green Beans, as well as other ideas.

Great party finger food. A thick slab of polenta is sliced into the shape of a french fry and baked off.

One-inch wide slabs of toasted, cheesy, heirloom tomato filled deliciousness slathered with a basil-chive ricotta spread.

Make crispy crackers from wonton wrappers. The great thing about this cracker recipe is the way the wrappers provide a quick and easy blank canvas to experiment with - sweet or savory, spicy or seedy - there are countless directions to explore.

The tanginess of the goat cheese works nicely with the bite of jalapeno, and strength of cilantro. A great party recipe, you can make it well ahead of time and bake it off at the last minute.

Great for dipping with olive oil, this dukkah recipe is a crumbly nut and spice blend typically associated with Egypt - hazelnuts, cariander seeds, sesame seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, fennel seeds, dried mint leaves, and salt.

Actually two different takes on hummus. One with an Italian twist, and one a lovely shade of green from the incorporation of a bit of sauteed spinach.

This candied walnut recipe was is the perfect solution to a New Years Eve hors d'oeuvres dilemma. Made with walnuts, sea salt, black pepper, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and powdered sugar.

A knock-out tomato tart recipe - it highlights the flavor and vibrancy of the tomatoes while remaining mush-free.

This has become one of my favorite crostini recipes - goat cheese, black beluga lentils, and chives on garlic-rubbed crostini.

Artichoke pancake recipe that is delicious, fun, and not-time consuming. Make them small, blini-sized, and you'll have a perfect, finger food treat for friends at your next party.

I went to the market and came back with fresh peas - here's how I cooked them. Pea recipes, time four.

A Paula Wolfert recipe - this is a fantastic Moroccan spread made of a thick mash of herbs and greens, accented with smokey spices, chopped olives, and lemon.

The seasoning from this popcorn recipe hits you in waves - the smell of the dill, the tang of the buttermilk powder, a bit of kick from the onion and garlic powder. You'll never go back to the movie theatre variety.