Category: Food

Anatomy of a Classic Cocktail: The Painkiller

If you like piña coladas—this is even better. Swapping orange juice in for the lime and sprinkling a bit of nutmeg, you end up with a dangerously drinkable Caribbean cocktail called a Painkiller. Don’t bother with the little umbrella; it only gets in the way. I first learned to make them while helping out at…


Squeeze Your Leaves: The One Step That’ll Change Your Spinach-Cooking Game

I love buying spinach at the farmers market in spring. There is great variety to be found, from dainty babies to long-stemmed beefsteaks. Each vendor has different-looking spinach, and each farmer has a different way to cook it. I got a good one recently from a farmer friend who told me about a Chinese-style spinach…


Getting Out of a Rhubarb Rut: Sweet and Savory Ideas for Using Up Those Sour Stalks

There are those seasonal garden foods that come at you all of a sudden, and then you’re faced with a mountain of something raising fruit flies on your counter or still in the dirt contemplating its future as compost. This time of year, we’re looking at you, rhubarb people! I shared my recipe for rhubarb…


Chicken Thighs in a Slow Cooker

If you want to take your weeknight dinners from boring to adoring, consider ditching chicken breasts and learning how to cook chicken thighs. There are plenty of ways to make chicken at home that aren’t boring, and this recipe for chicken thighs, served with garlic and white wine, is one of them. It’s so easy too….


5 Common Food Myths About ‘Unhealthy’ Foods Debunked

Eggs can cause people to have a high cholesterol level? Popcorn has no nutritional value? Soybeans and yams can cause cancer if eaten in excess? In fact, some common knowledge we have about certain foods is simply a myth. Some foods considered unhealthy are, in fact, beneficial to our body. Popcorn Myth: Similar to many…


Give Yourself a Salad Break

There are times when you simply need a light and healthy timeout. When the weather is hot and cooking is out of the question or if you’ve been overindulging in meaty protein since the onset of grilling season, a simple salad presents a welcome break. Especially when it’s a fattoush salad. Fattoush is a traditional…


This Drink Is Just the Thing to Cool You Off in the Heat of Summer

Agua fresca means “fresh water.” It is the name for a variety of drinks that are made by combining fruits, grains, seeds or flowers with sugar and water. Some of the most common agua fresca varieties are horchata (made with rice and nuts), agua de Jamaica (made with hibiscus tea), and any variety of melon….


Winner, Winner, This Is a Great Shrimp Dinner!

In China, salt and pepper shrimp is traditionally made with tongue-numbing Sichuan peppercorns. If you have some in the pantry, feel free to use them here; we opted for a combo of easier-to-find white and black pepper. The white pepper adds earthy flavor, while black kicks up the heat. Salt & Pepper Shrimp with Snow Peas Serves 4…


JeanMarie Brownson: This Springtime Lasagna Offers Warm-Weather Appeal

Lasagna in the springtime? Oh, yes. Especially when it’s light and fresh with just enough pasta to create pretty layers. Omitting meat and heavy melting cheese, and swapping in roasted vegetables, gives the classic crowd-pleaser some warm weather appeal. Zucchini gets a bad reputation for its watery profile and blandness. The trick is to select…


Slow Cooker Beef Brisket

Few meals are more versatile than brisket. It can be served as a weeknight dinner meal, on game days, holidays and more. But the best part about brisket? It keeps things simple. This recipe can be made in the slow cooker and requires only two ingredients. If you’re someone who enjoys meal prep, brisket and other slow cooker…