As a carnivore whose foodie philosophy is "make things as delicious as possible, whatever it takes," I used to see vegan dinner guests as something I had to work around, and for that, I apologise. Vegan foodies can go on about how delicious soy bacon is, but as a cook who eats meat, I tended to think they were using a different measurement stick for "delicious."

I was selfishly aggravated at having to "dumb down" dishes and sacrifice taste for accommodation.

The kitchen is truly the heart of the home, and anyone who's lived with roommates has, shall we say, a more nuanced understanding of that old cliche. Kitchens feed resentment and bitterness just as easily as they produce joy and, unless you and your roommates communicate directly, you're in for a very bad time. Here are some guidelines to help you get off on the right foot.

Most leftovers last four days in the fridge, but do you really remember whether that takeaway is from Friday or from Saturday? And here are the meatballs from yesterday — or wait, are they from the batch you made last week? Get in the habit of dating your food, and you can stop wondering.

We love roasted vegetables around here, and we’re always interested in simple ways to make this already-versatile technique even more appealing. A recent oven fries bender got me thinking: if a little cornflour can turn sad, limp, roasted potato sticks into crunchy, basically fried goodness, can it do the same for other vegetables?

If you're cooking in someone else's kitchen this long weekend, here's how to make it less stressful. My first piece of advice, glib as it sounds, is to avoid it if you possibly can, especially if you have a strained relationship with the kitchen's owner.

There are a lot of "correct" ways to cook vegetables but -- though I'm not a huge fan of culinary presciptivism -- I'm going to go ahead and say that roasting is the most correct. Everything from tender green asparagus to hearty root vegetables tastes phenomenal when prepared this way, and it's super easy to execute.

Stocking up on staples is a great way to stretch a budget and minimise waste, so a good chest freezer is a boon to the budget-minded home cook. Sadly, common misconceptions about their energy usage and footprint size discourage the people who would benefit the most from a chest freezer — apartment-dwellers with decrepit, barely-functional appliances — from buying one.

Every party spread, no matter how fancy the shindig, should contain a dip or two. Dips are easy to make, fun to eat, and much loved by pretty much everyone. French onion dip is never a bad choice — you can learn to make an excellent one here — but there are other options. Below you will find three luscious, creamy, flavour-packed dips and spreads to make, take and serve.

Saladas are more than a mere cracker. In fact, I might go so far as to call them an icon. The seemingly humble cracker may lack the pizzazz of flavour-blasted, modern-day snack foods, but it's the salada's simple nature that makes it infinitely adaptable to all sort of culinary applications, from appetisers to dessert.

Video: Don’t know how to plunge a toilet? Still taping Scarface posters to your wall? Not sure whether that shirt really needs to be washed or if it can last another few days? We’ve been there, and we’re here for you. This is Lifehacker’s Adulting series, where we’ll guide you through some real-world basics to help you take charge of your life. Now clear away those beer pong cups — we have work to do.

Renowned chef/forest sprite René Redzepi has released an app called VILD MAD to help you find "delicious edibles" by using your phone. As someone who enjoys a good forage (and looking at her phone), VILD MAD seemed like an app that could definitely improve my quality of life, so I downloaded it onto said phone and set off into the wilds of Southeast Portland.

There are some things that will never be replaced by an app and a sturdy, hand-cranked can opener is one of them. Unfortunately, we're all too busy learning to code or whatever to practice our domestic skills and no one knows how to use them.

Video: Freezing unused whipped cream is a great way to store it for later use, but it also allows you to cut it into adorable, fun shapes - perfect for topping warm, rich mugs of cocoa.

Dear Lifehacker, I've heard cow's milk is actually bad for you, or at least not beneficial when compared to the many alternative options. But if I shouldn't drink milk, what's the best alternative? Are any of them good? I've heard good and bad things about most, so how do I decide?

Most of us have a knife block in our kitchen, but not everyone has the knowledge of a master chef. When you need to peel, chop or serate something, it pays to use a knife that was designed for the task at hand. This graphic explains the proper use of the nine main types of kitchen knife, along with a few useful tips.

We Indians love our fermented food, from the crumbly steamed dhokla and fluffy white idlis, to the fried wadas and the flavourful kadhi. One of the staples, preferred in the southern part of the country but relished all over, is the humble dosa. This protein-rich crepe is made from a fermented batter of urad dal (split black gram) and rice.

I spent a semester in Italy as a 19-year-old reprobate and thought I have many wonderful food-related memories, drunkenly consuming kebabs at four in the morning is probably the most visceral. (Hilariously, the word Italian word for "onions" and the Italian word for "horses" are very similar. Guess which one I always ordered?).

The best-tasting food is the kind that comes from your own efforts, because victory tastes oh-so-sweet. Conquer KFC-style fried chicken, smoky barbecue, wood-fired pizza, five-minute bread and other DIY delicacies with these great food-focused projects.

There are many ways to enjoy the sweet treat that is corn, but did you know that you don't even need to cook it? It's true. Fresh, sweet corn tastes fantastic right off of the cob, no heat required.