Save yourself some time and energy, and try serving easy appetizers this holiday season. Here are my ideas, along with a perennial favorite recipe of baked Brie.

For a cocktail party, I sometimes make a few rounds of baked Brie using different glazes and place them around the house. Make sure to serve the Brie hot from the oven, when the cheese...Read more

A standing rib roast, also known as prime rib, makes a spectacular holiday dinner. Cooked perfectly, the presentation certainly impresses. This fantastic cut of beef is tender, flavorful and relatively easy to carve. Holiday fare, for sure.

A whole beef rib roast has seven ribs, weighs 16 to 20 pounds and easily serves 15 hearty eaters. Some ...Read more

If I had to rank my favorite parts of being an adult, hosting friends for dinner is at the very top. Relaxing around the table with full plates and a glass of wine is one of my greatest joys. I’ve been brainstorming ideas for fast-yet-fancy foods that won’t tie me up in the kitchen, but will impress my guests. And these three-...Read more

There are those who only swear by chocolate desserts, but a bright citrus dessert wins out in my book any day. I love classic lemon bars, with their buttery homeandleisure/recipes/varietymenu/s-3514469">Read more

Move over, peppermint mocha — Dunkin’ is shaking up the holiday season with a spin on its winter classic.

The coffee giant’s latest release, Spiked Peppermint Mocha Iced Latte, combines the cozy comfort of its signature holiday flavor with a 6% alcohol by volume kick that’s sure to put some extra jingle in your bells.

The boozy ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Fifty years ago my great-grandfather Carlo Portolan hauled down from the roof of his Lincoln Heights home a glass jug full of fragrant black booze, warm from 40 days in the sun.

He decanted it into smaller bottles, affixed to each a masking tape label inscribed with the year — 1974 — and passed them around to friends and ...Read more

Like many people, I’m looking to add more plants to my diet. In the warmer months, my garden takes care of that. But this time of year, I start looking for easy alternatives without sacrificing flavor.

This frozen meal (just warm in the microwave) is unbelievably full of flavor and packed with vegetables. It’s made with sweet potatoes, ...Read more

Weeknight meals are often a test of planning and simplicity.

Most of us want a dish that can be whipped up in a flash, using ingredients already on hand or ones you remembered to pick up on a weekend grocery store run because you planned a week in advance.

Smoked sausage — easy to find in most grocery stores in a variety of flavors — is a ...Read more

There you are, reaching on your tiptoes in the grocery store to grab the milk on the highest shelf marked with the latest date. It's worth it, you think, to get milk that will stay fresher longer.

You don't finish the milk by that date, of course, so you dutifully pour the remainder down the drain the day after.

But that "Sell by" label doesn'...Read more

A gift for people who are culinarily obsessed should respect their special interest while upping their game. It ought to be useful, yes, but maybe a tad more expensive than they might normally spend for an item themselves.

The Gray Kunz sauce spoon is named after the legendary chef, best known for his work at New York's (now closed) Lespinasse....Read more

PITTSBURGH -- Radishes are a fast-growing vegetable, which makes them ideal for fall rotation planting. In just three or four weeks, radishes can go from seed to harvest, bringing quick returns just as other crops start to wane. This short growing cycle lets gardeners and farmers offer fresh, spicy flavors as the last of the autumn leaves fall ...Read more

Batten down the hatches. Man the battlements. Call out the reserves.

The holidays are coming.

To some, they’re already here. To some, they began almost a month ago. I was watching TV the day after Halloween, which is to say Nov. 1, and every single commercial had a Christmas theme.

I am personally willing to concede that the holidays begin ...Read more

Today is a happy day for fast-food barbecue lovers — McDonald's popular McRib sandwich is back on the menu after its threatened "farewell" tour in 2022.

Introduced to a national audience in 1982, the seasoned, boneless pork sandwich made its debut as a limited-time item in Kansas City, Kansas, in 1981 to combat a chicken shortage. It's the ...Read more

This sweet and swirly cinnamon-raisin babka is topped with a sprinkle of cinnamon-sugar streusel. Fresh orange juice and zest come through to give the flavor some added zing, which helps break up the sweetness and adds a nice bright flavor.

This recipe makes two loaves — keep one for yourself and gift the other! You’re sure to enjoy it in ...Read more

Desserts are always a fun treat, but during the holidays they often become more of a mainstay in our diet as we celebrate. When talking about dessert and healthy eating, often there’s a recommendation to have fruit for dessert. Fruit is a delicious way to get a variety of nutrients and should be eaten daily. However, there are times when you ...Read more

Recently I was organizing my menu for Hanukkah and thinking about how I could streamline making latkes for 10 people. I came up with making smashed potatoes that are brushed with oil (honoring the story of the oil lasting eight nights) and can be partially made ahead to avoid any last-minute hassles in the kitchen.

The potatoes ...Read more

Vegetarian meals prove welcome in the season of excess between holidays. Like meat-centered meals, the number one requirement for satisfaction is flavor. Plus, a variety of complementary textures and visual appeal.

To that end, a shallow bowl full of creamy polenta, topped with browned butternut squash and golden onions, seasoned with sweet ...Read more

For the past few holiday seasons, I’ve thrown a latke party for all of my friends. I make punch and unending trays of fried potato pancakes and cover my dining table in various toppings to mix and match. It’s one of my favorite gatherings of the year because everyone loves latkes and, essentially, I get to turn my table into one giant latke ...Read more

Look to the people who survive winters with only a few hours of sunlight each day for the coziest and most heart-warming holiday drinks. The answer, according to Germans, Swedes, Norwegians, Finns, and Danes? Mulled wine.

Here is a basic...Read more

I grew up in a very German area in eastern Wisconsin, and that meant plenty of beer, brats, pretzels, sauerkraut — and German potato salad.

The potato salad most frequently made by friends and family was a sweet, vinegary, bacon-spiked dish, often served warm, sometimes straight from the crock pot. It is delicious stuff, but I’ve only felt ...Read more