Ever heard of the five love languages? You might already be using a few of them without knowing. In his 1995 book, The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate, Gary Chapman outlines five ways that people tend to express and experience love: gift-giving, quality time, words of affirmation, acts of service, and physical touch. Chapman argues that each individual has a primary and a secondary love language, and that people tend to give love the same way they prefer to receive it.

You may be able to easily figure out your own love language, but given that most of us here at Kitchn are in love with food and cooking, why not apply the principles of the five love languages to one of the most important places in our homes? Whether you realize it or not, your kitchen has its own love language that it’s dying for you to figure out.

Take this quiz to find out how to show your kitchen some love. We can’t ask the kitchen itself what it desires, you know, because it’s an inanimate space and all, so you’ll have to answer on its behalf. Think of your kitchen’s vibe and mood when answering.

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(Image credit: Emma Christensen)

I’ve been addicted to kombucha from first sip. It wasn’t really the probiotics or other health promises that did it for me — although I’ll take those, too! It was the way it tasted: like tart green apple mixed with sour stone fruits, but with an underlying sweetness that keeps it all together. And fizzy! I couldn’t believe that something this delicious could actually be made from tea, of all things. Or that I could make it at home with a few very basic ingredients.

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(Image credit: Erin Wengrovius)

The supermarket can be a very not fun place — especially for kids. It’s not like many 6-year-olds care about comparing yogurt options in the dairy case. But I used to love going to the grocery store with my mom because she’d often do one of these three things.

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Sometimes turning on the oven just feels like a chore, yet the desire for something sweet to cap off a meal runs deep. In these instances, no-bake desserts always come to the rescue. Whether it’s a comforting and classic icebox cake, a fruit-filled cheesecake pie, or the perfect chocolate pudding, no-bake treats are easy to assemble and even easier to gobble up. Here are 25 of our most popular recipes perfect for any occasion.

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One-skillet meals are something we turn to often because we know what they promise: a manageable list of ingredients usually full of the foods we often have on hand (eggs, chicken thighs, a can of beans, maybe a few frozen fillets of salmon), a shorter cook time (because longer than an hour on weekdays isn’t often possible), and a delicious dish to share at the family table or to save for tomorrow’s lunch. From comforting pastas, to fast and fancy fish dinners, to pizza, there are so many possibilities. Here are 17 recipes to prove it.

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(Image credit: courtesy of Fox)

There’s a little joke that goes around vegan circles — the concept of the “level-five vegan,” someone who is unflinchingly committed to the plant-based lifestyle. The term is a reference to an episode of The Simpsons, in which Lisa Simpson — one of television’s most celebrated vegetarians — develops a crush on a guy who chuckles dismissively when she says she’s thinking of going vegan. “I’m a level-five vegan,” he says. “I won’t eat anything that casts a shadow.”

There are so many ways to go meatless today that you could be forgiven for falling behind on the terminology. No, veganism doesn’t have “levels” (at least, not that we know of), but it has plenty of variations. Below is your glossary of vegetarianism in its many forms, from the basic meat-abstinent to the purely plant-based.

And what if — despite our trusty guide — you should find a vegetarian at your dinner table, and you’re at a loss for what (not) to serve? When in doubt, ask. Just ask! Ask early and ask often. Ask with genuine curiosity and then actually listen to the answer. It really is that easy.

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When my husband and I got married almost four years ago, we didn’t register for much. We had already lived together for a few years and we were in our 30s, so we had a pretty decent stock of essentials. It wasn’t like we were fresh out of college and looking to replace hand-me-down pots and pans. We also lived in a small New York City apartment and I couldn’t imagine ever needing any more stuff.

Together, we made the executive decision to skip the formal dinnerware and instead asked our families for a set of everyday whites from Crate & Barrel. (Just registering for the plates, bowls, and serving platter. I felt very strongly about keeping the mismatched mugs we already had!)

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This week kicks off what always proves to be a busy month for our family. Between Teacher Appreciation Week and Mother’s Day, and hosting out-of-town guests and finalizing summer camps, we have lots of potluck parties, end-of-the-school-year celebrations, book club meetings, and even a weekend away planned in May.

I’m relishing this week when we only have two things on the calendar as an opportunity to take it easy and stick with some of our family favorites and use up some ingredients languishing in the fridge and freezer.

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“Having the right bar tools isn’t about being fancy-shmancy,” says Elliott Clark, the mastermind behind Apartment Bartender. “It’s about making your life a whole lot easier during the drink-building process.”

Here are the five tools Elliott says you shouldn’t be without if you plan on mixing up a cocktail or three at home.

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Not only has my Instant Pot upped my meal prep routine, but this handy appliance has also been a game-changer on chicken-for-dinner night. Operating as an electric pressure cooker and slow cooker in one, it comes with the potential to speed up dinner, tackle still-frozen meat, and really take charge of the heavy lifting for getting dinner on the table. From weeknight chicken tikka masala to quick cacciatore to slow-simmered soups, here are 10 ways your Instant Pot makes tonight’s chicken dinner even easier.

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