Cooking Articles

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...

George Washington's Egg Nog

Never in my wildest dreams did I think George Washington would be my authority on the art of egg nog. He was probably our nation's greatest leader and an unparalleled general. But a master of curing...

A Few of My Favorite (Culinary) Things

They should pay my mail delivery person by the pound during November and early December. Every day my mailbox is stuffed to overflowing with thick holiday gift catalogues. I usually toss most of them...

A Quick Dinner For A Stress-Free Christmas Eve

Cooking a fast, healthy, and pleasing dinner for the family during the holidays can be a challenge, and Christmas Eve is no exception. Like the other nights in December, there is a good chance that dinner...

Kiddie Sized Holiday Bites and Nibbles

Are your kids big snackers? Well then the holiday season is the perfect time for them! Bite sized foods abound at various holiday gatherings, school parties and family celebrations. Everything from...

O Cupcake Tree

Cupcakes are all the rage these days. Every bakery makes them, some are small and delicate, truly a cake the size of a cup. Some are gargantuan and indulgent, more along the lines of a baby's head or...

Holiday Slow Cooking Traditions

I got an e-mail from a good friend today, a Christmas survey in which you fill out all of your favorite Christmas traditions and forward it on to others. The questions included such things as most loved...

Christmas On The Lighter Side

A mere four weeks after preparing what is usually the biggest meal of the year, Thanksgiving dinner, we are expected to do it all over again. Fortunately for most Americans, Christmas tends to be a smaller...