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As a quick snack or light meal, the flatbreads of Spain are a favorite of food writer Deena Prichep. Catalonia's cocas start with handmade yeasted dough, pulled into a thin oval like a pizza. They're topped with a flourish of veggies, herbs, meats or sweets.

The president laughed and stuck the pea in his nose again. The first time he had done it, he had gotten such a big laugh that he simply had to do it again. After all, it was Christmas Eve! No war, no unemployment. Just a little dinnertime fun for the leader of the free world and his family.

These skewered arrangements of preserved and fresh meats, cheeses and vegetables are a Basque contribution to the regional tradition of tapas, or small plates. Creating colorful patterns and explosive flavors in one bite, pixtos facilitate mingling, talking and sharing among guests.

Savory fillings are rolled up in dough to form half-moons, narrow cigars, coiled snails or ornate roses, or cut into dainty squares from a large pan. It's like a little gift-wrapped package with a delicious surprise inside, built for enjoying slowly.

NPR's Susan Stamberg reads an excerpt of one of the best submissions for Round 11 of our short story contest. She reads Plum Baby by Carmiel Banasky of Portland, Ore.

The souffle has a reputation for being finicky in the kitchen: a billowy, golden masterpiece that collapses as soon as it's out of the oven. But home cooks should have no fear, says food writer Nicole Spiridakis. The key to success, she says, is fresh eggs — and a pinch of moxie.

English professor Natasha Trethewey has been named the 19th U.S. poet laureate. Poetry, she says, is something people can turn to for celebrating joys and mourning losses.

These aren't just treats to be served alongside a strong cuppa — they have tea leaves baked right in. Food writer Monica Bhide asks chefs which teas to try and how to use them.

This vegetable suffers all sorts of indignities. People say beets taste like metal, mud, wood — even dirty socks (that's hard-core beet hate). But despite their detractors, beets are experiencing a culinary heyday. Try them in soup, salad, rice or even a smoothie.

NPR's Bob Mondello and Susan Stamberg read excerpts of two of the best submissions for Round 11 of our short story contest. They read The Art of Compromise by Lindsey Appleford of Boerne, Texas, and Claudia Who Found the F by Sean Enfield of Denton, Texas.