I have been thinking for a long time about all the voices that tell us we’re Doing It Wrong in the kitchen. We wanted to bring you a column about the ways that you’ve actually been doing it right all along. My friend Cheryl Sternman Rule is bringing us this occasional dose of reassurance. — Faith

More fruits, more vegetables, less processed food. Homemade, wholesome, whole family around the table. The directives – from society, from the media, from other parents — come in constant, sometimes oppressive waves, and the message usually boils down to this: there’s a right way to feed your family and a wrong way, and even those who make the best choices they can still feel like they’re coming up short.

So let’s do this.

Let’s relax the reins on each other.

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Last week I took a look at whether or not adding baking soda to the boiling water makes hard-boiled eggs easier to peel and found that, unfortunately, it didn’t seem to make a difference. So are there any tricks that do work?

You had plenty of ideas in the comments and on Facebook, but the one that intrigued me most was the suggestion to use a pressure cooker. Several readers mentioned that hard-boiled eggs cook faster in the pressure cooker and that even fresh eggs peel perfectly every time. I had to give the technique a try.

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The angle: The food and flavors of Rio, direct to your kitchen — no plane ticket required.

Recipes for right now: Salt Cod and White Bean Salad with Red Onions, Sweet Cocoa Popcorn, Moqueca Blinis with Shrimp, Rolled Sausage Bread with Rosemary, Steak with Fried Garlic, Hearts of Palm Soup, Caipirinha Coconut Cake

Who would enjoy this book? Anyone who has fallen in love (or wants to fall in love!) with Brazilian cuisine and craves it in their kitchen

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From Apartment Therapy → Tiny Kitchens With Big Style

“Check out a few inspiring kitchens that made good use of their limited space…”

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Ever since Faith shared her favorite rippled coupe glass (sadly no longer available), I’ve been thinking about these elegant, delicate glasses, traditionally used for serving Champagne but now are frequently found holding classic cocktails. I find the prettiest ones have a long, slender stem and a shallow bowl. Cut glass designs give some a vintage, Gatsby-esque feel, while others shimmer lightly in pink and gold — truly a lovely way to sip a little bubbly.

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Aaron and John’s Chelsea, New York kitchen was dingy and cramped, with rickety appliances and sad cabinets. There wasn’t even room for the fridge which, along with the microwave, had to sit outside the kitchen. Desperate for help and a serious redesign, the couple called upon Susan Hughes of Modify Interiors to transform the kitchen into a beautiful, usable space. See what this kitchen looks like now:

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