Eduardo Pittol

If you use a git repository, you can maintain two wp-config files. One to tests and other to production. And ignore it in git.

You can create a script in the domain one that create a JSON, XML or other format and the domain two access this information.

Can you put the code of the part where have one edit link?

Check the WordPress files are in the FTP.

You need config your database connection. You can do it through of the wp-config.php file.

With the function get_terms tou take all terms of a taxomy in a array. In your case the categories of recipes.

https://codex.www.ads-software.com/Function_Reference/get_terms

After this, you can iterate over this array and take the last posts with the WP_Query object.

https://codex.www.ads-software.com/Class_Reference/WP_Query

Try this SQL Query

UPDATE wp_posts SET post_content = '' WHERE post_type ='post'

I don’t know if the theme create a specific post type for photos. If yes, change post for the correct post type.

Backup your data before execute it.

I think that occurs because the user that you put to update the plugin don’t have permissions to write in that directories. Try create a file through of the FTP in the plugin directory to see if have permission.

If have, is strange. Maybe with permission 777.

The user of the FTP. Other thing, you updated the plugin through the admin?

Sorry, I didn’t specify what type of the user.

What is the structure of the permalinks? Post yhe .htaccess.

Please, add the function body_class() in the body tag. Its facilitates to view your structure and put the php call for the menu.

Are you use the same user to transfer the files and update plugins?

You can use this function:
https://codex.www.ads-software.com/Function_Reference/wp_insert_post

I don’t know very well your problem.

If you want block direct access to theme php files. You can put this code in the initiation of your php theme file:

if( ! defined( 'ABSPATH' ) ) die( 'Forbidden for direct access.' );

If you want block visit outside of your domain, you can treat the $_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER'].

The error is of the PHPMailer class. I use the WP-Mail-SMTP plugin with the WordPress 3.4.2 and works fine. Maybe try update the plugin and the WordPress core. If don’t work, I believe that can be problems with the PHP version.