ArcaMax

I’ll admit that I’m not the biggest sweet potato fan. Sure, I like them just fine in a pot of chili, but I rarely pick them over other sides (with the exception of...Read more

Hints for Traveling on a Diet

One of my husband’s favorite sayings is “Don’t fuel your body where you fuel your car.” Remember how you used to run in and grab a packet of those peanut butter crackers and a Diet Coke? Maybe you even added a bag of licorice strands?

Well, if you want to maintain your weight, I suggest you not do ...Read more

Nothing offers a taste of nostalgia like cooking a favorite childhood meal for your own family.

Take chicken and biscuits. Many of us grew up with this classic comfort food that allowed budget-minded cooks to stretch yet another dinner out of a roast chicken, or this time of year, turkey.

You don't need much meat to give some heft to the ...Read more

Curly endive, or frisee, is my go-to salad green through winter. The frizzy emerald leaves and creamy interior are lightly bitter and sturdy, and add oomph to rich, hearty cold-weather dishes.

Best known for its role in the French bistro salad Lyonnaise, made of tossed frisee, lardons of bacon and topped with a poached egg, this endive is open ...Read more

These Reese’s Frozen Fruit Banana Slices taste like a decadent snack, but they really aren’t that bad for you.

That’s because hidden inside a layer of milk chocolate and a thin ring of peanut butter is a full banana slice. They taste as good as they sound, and two pieces are just 90 calories.

You’ll have to store these in the freezer...Read more

Steve Hoffman was living a very ordinary life in a very ordinary suburb of Shoreview, Minnesota, when he decided to do something quite extraordinary in 2012 — take a six-month hiatus from his job and move his family to the rural French countryside.

The father of two insists it's not as crazy as it sounds. A lifelong Francophile who speaks ...Read more

Enjoy this holiday season with a special sweet and savory treat. Honey, soy sauce and spices flavor quick cooking flank steak. Mushrooms cooked with shallots and topped with fresh chives make a perfect side dish with the steak. Open a bag of washed ready-to-eat salad to complete the meal.

HELPFUL HINTS:

Onions can be used instead of shallots. ...Read more

PITTSBURGH -- The best meals are also often the simplest meals made with just a handful of everyday, easy-to-find ingredients.

And if they're both fresh and local, even better.

The pasta with clams in white sauce that Steve Hoffman perfected while living with his family in the small village of Autignac, France, is a classic example.

As ...Read more

ST. LOUIS — I recently had the best doughnut of my life — a life happily spent looking for the best doughnut.

It cost six dollars. It was a doughnut, and it cost six dollars.

And I’m pretty sure that it was worth every penny.

It was a brown butter-glazed cake doughnut from Damn Fine Hand Pies in St. Louis, and it was so good that my ...Read more

I know. There’s a lot out there to make price-sensitive wine lovers shiver, not least of all inflation and the Trump administration’s looming threat of tariffs.

Yet, when I thumbed through my tasting books for 2024, I was once again surprised by how many wines are still relative bargains: succulent, savory reds; crisp, elegant whites; juicy...Read more

It’s that time of year, when a food writer looks back on a sea of empty plates and thinks about what was once on them.

In my case, as food editor at Bloomberg Pursuits, the big and small plates represent hundreds of meals across the globe and more calories than anyone wants to think about.

A best dish retrospective is also a good opportunity...Read more

Sweet potatoes present certain advantages over regular potatoes when it comes to mashing: They contain more moisture, less starch, and smaller starch granules, so they cook up smooth and creamy. The only problem is that their looser structure absorbs more moisture during a boil, waterlogging the potatoes and diluting their flavor. We cooked the ...Read more

Serve these rich and tender mushrooms filled with panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese alone as an appetizer or alongside anything from pork to fish. To ensure even cooking, look for mushrooms that are similar in size.

Panko-and-Parmesan-Crusted Mushrooms

Serves 10

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

1 1/2 pounds white or ...Read more