Cooking Articles

A Homemade Gift Is Always In Style

The art of the homemade Christmas gifts was not lost on me even as a young child thanks to the craftiness of my mother. Growing up I watched my mom, an excellent baker, spend an entire week preparing...

A Warming Holiday Tradition

This year I’ve vowed to take the holidays a bit easier, really enjoying the season and making lasting memories with friends and family. Rather than last year’s rush, rush, rush, right up until the...

Tidings of Macaroni Comfort and Cheesy Joy

This season is full of good tidings of comfort and joy, and bellies full of comfort food. Putting together a menu for the holidays is akin to drawing up a “Best Of” list for all of our soul soothing...

Less Sweet Holiday Treats

It seems like this time of year, it’s hard to keep kids away from all the sweet goodies. From candy canes to sugar cookies and chocolate galore, it’s a never-ending parade of sugar for both adults...

Cookie Press Success

Do you love homemade shortbread cookies but don’t love to bake ‘em? And by chance do you have one or even two kids who tend to like interesting gadgets? If so, you may have the makings of cookie press...

2 In 1: Balsamic Braised Tofu AND Chicken!

Balsamic vinegar is one of the best flavors on the planet. Combine it with tomatoes in a long, slow simmer and it’s especially magical. Now that’s a combo I haven’t had in the slow cooker before—just...

Christmas Comes More Than Once This Year

How many Christmases are you having this year? Or will it be one Christmas, one Hanukkah, and perhaps a Kwanza dinner? After years of singular Christmas simplicity, this year it looks like my family...

Your Future Holds: Orange Chicken

I have always been a big fan of Chinese buffets, especially as a kid, when words like “saturated fat,” “sodium,” and “MSG” weren’t even on my radar. There was one place we used to go to...

The Please Everyone Party Plan

You can't please everyone, as the old saying goes. But as any good host or hostess knows, you strive for exactly the opposite when having a party. You work the room refilling glasses, refreshing trays...

All I Want for Christmas is a Little Italy

Dear Santa: This year for Christmas, I want an Italian boyfriend. Not so much because of some Under-the-Tuscan-Sun daydream of a tall, dark and handsome man with an accent by my side, but more so I can...

How to Chop Veggies

Now that we’re heading back to cover some of the basics in our house, I’ve been reminded that there are quite a few terms used in cooking that may be taken for granted when beginning to cook. Therefore,...

Holiday Gifts From Your Kitchen

You’ve completed all of your holiday shopping for the year. But then you wake up in the middle of the night in a panic, remembering that one last person who means something special to you and your family....

An Early Present on the Plate

Merry Christmas, Hanukah and Kwanzaa, dear readers. To thank you for reading this column, regardless of whether you are a dedicated weekly reader or a this is your first time, I have a very special recipe...

Kids' Night to Cook, Part II

Do Americans still consider family meals a high priority, even with today’s busy lifestyles? A recent survey by SuperTarget, conducted by Harris Interactive, indicated that yes indeed, they do. The...

Mulling Over Cider

When I was younger, my brothers and sister and I would combat the effects of cabin fever during the long Northern winters by spending every possible hour outside sledding. Our driveway was steep enough...

A Seafood Stew For Hurried Holidays

I was watching a re-run of Modern Family this week, the one where the family decides to celebrate “Express Christmas” on December 16th, and it got me thinking about the lengths we sometimes go to in...