We are sorry to report that Kevin D. Weeks, the About.com Guide to Cooking for Two, passed away on April 5, 2012. Kevin was a talented food writer and photographer, who also had a keen understanding of computer programming. These combined skills made him a valuable contributor, and he was always willing to share his knowledge and insights.  Kevin will be greatly missed by his readers and by About.com Staff and Guides, some of who described him as someone who "loved his job," a "wonderful colleague," and "my favorite curmudgeon."

Kevin was an innovator as well. He was one of the first About.com writers to start the Wordless Wednesday blog posts and newsletters, and he became known for his weekly Mental Munchie blogs - wonderful, quirky quotes about food and eating.

From Kevin, "Cooking has always been an integral part of my life and even when I was working 60- and 70-hour weeks in other jobs, I always found time to cook. These days I'm lucky enough to be paid for doing it." And we at About were lucky enough to be a part of it.

Kevin's full obituary can be read here.

Please share your memories of Kevin in the comments.

What is sauce for the goose may be sauce for the gander but is not necessarily sauce for the chicken, the duck, the turkey or the guinea hen.
~ Alice B. Toklas

Hot Cross Buns
© 2012 Kevin D Weeks

Hot Cross Buns are a slightly sweet yeast roll containing currants or raisins and traditionally eaten in the UK on Good Friday. Protestant English monarchs considered them a hold-over of Catholic beliefs and attempted to ban them. When this failed Queen Elizabeth I passed a law permitting them to be made and sold only at Christmas and Easter. Fortunately we can now enjoy them year round - and they really are worth the effort. Recipe here...

Caramel Banana Pudding
© 2012 Kevin D Weeks

I had an urge for banana pudding but wanted something different, then I thought, "Why not make a caramel banana pudding?" Banana pudding is hugely popular in the South. It's a standard in most Southern cafeterias where it sometimes appears as a vegetable, not a dessert, alongside that other popular Southern vegetable, macaroni and cheese. Yeah, I know, Southerners are weird. Rather than make caramel from scratch, I decided to use caramelized milk - dulce de leche - which you can probably find either with the condensed milk or in the Hispanic section of your supermarket. Recipe here...