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Who: Nina Compton, chef-owner of Compère Lapin
Where: New Orleans, Louisiana

You might already know about Nina Compton from BRAVO’s hit television show Top Chef; the 38-year-old St. Lucia native was the Season 11 runner-up and the fan favorite. But if you don’t, my guess is you will soon.

Less than two years ago, Nina and her husband, Larry Miller, moved from Miami, where she worked at Scott Conant’s Scarpetta, to New Orleans to open a restaurant of their own: Compère Lapin in the Old 77 Hotel & Chandlery. With Nina in the kitchen, turning out Caribbean-inspired dishes like conch croquettes with pickled pineapple tartar sauce, tuna tartare with crispy bananas, and curried goat with sweet potato gnocchi and cashews, and Larry running the dining room, the restaurant quickly got attention.

(Image credit: Tara Donne)

Local restaurant critic Brett Anderson tapped it as one of the top five openings of 2015 and named it Restaurant of the Year in 2016. Not bad for someone who isn’t from New Orleans and isn’t serving gumbo or étouffée!

Right now, her job is pretty much her life: Last year, the couple had taken off for Mardi Gras to watch the parades and the restaurant was so busy Nina jumped into the kitchen — with her purple wig on. Her apartment in the Rice Mill Lofts in the Bywater is her retreat — and her kitchen is, she admits, mostly for making coffee and eating takeout.

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(Image credit: Brit + Co)

From Apartment Therapy → The Often Neglected Small Detail that Could Make a Big Difference in Your Kitchen

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When homeowners Judy and Don sat down with their architect, Gary Tran of Tran Architecture, to redesign their Houston abode, they made one huge (and surprising) decision: to flip the layout. They put the kitchen and living room on the second floor and all the bedrooms on the first floor. This way, the public spaces would have a view over the treetops. They also kept the bedrooms on the smaller side to force the family to hang out together in the common rooms. (Sneaky!)

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Leftover popcorn? I know, I know, but it happens. So if you somehow find yourself staring down half a bowl of popcorn at the end of movie night (or even a few handfuls), don’t be so quick to toss it. That snack still has plenty of life left in it, and it’s totally worth saving. Here are a few smart ways to give it a second chance to curve your salty, crunchy cravings.

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(Image credit: Lauren Volo)

Chex Mix is sometimes referred to as party mix, which honestly might be the most obvious name for any food ever, given it pretty much feels like a party whenever you dig into some.

So why even upgrade something that’s so genuinely tasty already? Well, because of just how much more fun classic party mix can be. There is so much room for extra zing and pizzazz — be it in the form of spicy or sweet stir-ins. And the best part is that you don’t even need to make Chex Mix from scratch: All of these fun new combos and flavors can start with a bag of purchased Chex Mix. So get the party started with one of these 10 awesome tiny recipes.

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The power of suggestion is so very strong. Whenever I watch a movie with food in it, whether it’s truly appetizing or just evocative, chances are I will be craving it in a major way. So before you watch any of the following films, consider stocking up on these heavily featured foods. Hint: This list goes far beyond the usual pizza.

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Does the toughest part of making a cake come at the end, just when you think you’re done? That cake is out of the oven, cooled, and frosted — but how to finish it off in a pretty way? For those of us with all thumbs and no pastry school degree, this is the last hill to climb. If you don’t care to decorate with artificially colored icing or candy, then it’s all the more challenging.

Southern bakers have a little trick that I’d love to teach you — a lovely, all-natural garnish for the classic hummingbird cake, but one that can also pretty up so many other things from cupcakes to cocktails. Here’s how to make dried pineapple flowers — the sweetest way to decorate a cake.

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