Cooking Articles

Cramer's Kraut: Not Just For New Year's

Here in Pennsylvania Dutch country it’s a strong age-old tradition to eat pork and sauerkraut at New Year’s. Whether consumed on the eve or the exact day, it’s said to be the trick to ensuring that...

January Challenge Part IV: Reinventing Leftovers

Congratulations my ambitious Home Cook, you have almost made it through an entire month of pushing yourself to rethink your approach to consistently getting dinner on the table… from scratch. A month...

A Little Chicken For Lentil Love

Legumes seem to forever fall into two categories. Under one column we find the staple food of vegans. Chickpeas, white beans, lentils (oh the lentils!), this is the central source of protein for those...

To Kill a Cold, Awaken the Taste Buds

‘Tis the season: of sneezing, coughing, congestion, flu, and curling up for the weekend bemoaning the illness that has interfered with your social schedule. Behind the nasal-y voice, or total lack of...

The Ultimate Birthday Cake

Birthdays can be a challenge. If it’s not the counting of the irrevocably passing years, it’s the pressure of picking the right gift or a tasty cake. And since January birthdays follow on the heels...

Cookies With A Purpose

It’s that time of year, time to ditch your diet and buy some Girl Scout cookies! There is a short window of opportunity to order from your friendly local Girl Scout or Brownie going on right now, but...

More for the Lunch Box: 20 Meat Lovers' Sandwich Ideas

Day in and day out, packing box lunches can leave one in need of some serious inspiration. While the Earl of Sandwich would be proud of his popularity today, we have many more options than just meat between...

The Crock Pot Candy Dish

During that lazy week in between Christmas and New Year’s, my husband, sister, and I went to the zoo. My husband kept lamenting that he couldn’t throw Skittles into the lion cage; I had to keep steering...

For the Love of Nuts

What can I say? I am nuts for nuts. They come in all shapes, sizes, flavors and colors. They grow on trees as the seeds of fruit, and offer the perfect balance of savory and sweet. Unfailingly satisfying,...

Pass the Salt, Please

Salt has had a long and fascinating history in world civilization. Prized for its food seasoning and preservation properties, it was also used for metal working, tanning animal hides, and in making soaps,...

The Shopping Cart Blues, Or: Don't Buggy My Basket

The other day I thought I might go to the supermarket for a steak. I also decided to replenish my detergents, soaps, my cache of spring water and soda, and other various items that require the use of a...

The Secret Is In The Sauce

Winter calls for hearty foods: braised lamb shanks, beef stew, cassoulet. Those are well and good dishes for a long Saturday of cooking or when prepared by someone else in a restaurant. On a weeknight,...

Chocolate Primer 101

I thought I'd put on my teacher-chef's toque and give you a little lesson on the basics of chocolate. I know it's a favorite topic for so so many of you out there. So listen up! Take notes and feel...

Mulling Over Some Warm Beverages

Well it finally happened—winter has blown into town and made its presence known. Given the recent balmy sixty-plus degree January weather, I was beginning to think we wouldn’t have a winter at all...

Dried Fruits to Sweeten Cold Winter Meals

Late January is just far enough removed from autumn apples and summer berries to give one a hankering for something fruity and delicious. Just in time, citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruit begin...

A New Kind of Nugget

If you are a parent in this day and age, then you know how ubiquitous chicken nuggets and tenders can be. They’re on most every kid’s restaurant menu and at every fast food place, school lunches,...