Food is front and center at holidays, and Halloween is no exception. While candy, caramel apples and all things sweet get most of the attention, there are plenty of savory ways to add fun and fright to Halloween night.

Sometimes, it's all in a name. For kids, run-of-the-mill pigs in a blanket can turn into Dead Man's Toes with a swipe of ...Read more

Most of us would agree it's fun to get the gang back together during the holidays. Yet, cooking for a crowd can prove stressful for many home cooks, especially when there's an expectation the dinner table will hold a smorgasbord of your loved ones' favorite dishes.

The pressure can really build when an invited guest or relative you'll be ...Read more

Once the kids are back in school, it's time to celebrate what really gets us excited in September: the start of the NFL football season.

Yet it's not just the game that gets us fired up and ready to roll on Sunday afternoons in the fall.

We also love the pregame party in parking lots outside the stadium or, if you're homegating, in front of ...Read more

In a flurry of candy wrappers and sugar-crazed munchkins, Halloween is over … which means Thanksgiving is just around the corner. And you need a plan.

You may be thinking, “I know what I’m doing,” pushing away flashbacks of pre-pandemic panic over last-minute pie crust disasters and bone-dry turkey. (Oh, the things we used to fret over....Read more

PITTSBURGH -- Apples and honey on Rosh Hashanah is a pairing that stretches back thousands of years.

One of the blessings offered during the holiday celebrating the Jewish New Year is a year filled with sweetness. So it's customary to eat a lot of sweet foods to bring those wishes to fruition, says Chani Altein, co-director at Chabad of ...Read more

Some may say a charcuterie (shar-KOO-ta-REE) is a sandwich without the bread. That’s a fair assessment considering it means cured meats. The French word dates back to the 15th century and is derived from “chair” meaning “flesh” and “cuit” meaning “cooked” — ew. French people would use the entire pig and use salt to preserve ...Read more

Of all the beautiful winter squashes, delicata is the easiest to love.

Though I'm fond of creamy butternut and brilliant red Kuri, it's delicata I choose for a quick dinner on a busy night. It's the perfect size for one or two people, about a pound each. Its pretty green, striated skin is edible, so there's no need to peel. It's easy to cut ...Read more

PITTSBURGH -- Are you ready for some football?

Or should we say for some football eats, as tailgate parties before, during and, sometimes, even after the game are just as much a part of the experience as debating who should be the starting quarterback.

Pittsburghers tend to take their tailgating pretty seriously, both under a blue sky in a ...Read more

Labor Day is often the last cookout of the summer season, not to mention the second most popular grilling day of the year (after July 4). So there's a good chance hamburgers, hot dogs, barbecued chicken or ribs are on the menu.

We get it — there's nothing like the undeniable aroma and taste of smoke-kissed meat to bring a smile to a meat ...Read more

Ripe seasonal fruit and a buttery pastry can take many forms: as a tart, a pie, a crumble, shortbread or a cake. But my go-to this time of year is the torte. Not the authentic torte, inspired by the Italian word "torta," meaning cake, the traditional airy sponge cake filled with richly flavored cream. No, I'm talking about one of the easiest ...Read more

Diving into the world of wine country’s edible gardens, Napa-based author Janet Fletcher invites readers to explore the intersection of food, wine and gardening in her cookbook, “Gather: Casual Cooking from Wine Country Gardens” (Harry N. Abrams, $40).

Fletcher – whose other titles highlight her expertise in cheese, wine and farmers ...Read more

While I love a good salad, fresh garden lettuces can do a whole lot more, serving as wraps and garnishes and as an integral part of burgers and sandwiches. But perhaps the most delicious and surprising of them is lettuce soup.

Whirl together leaves of vigorous Romaine, tender Bibb, spicy arugula, peppery watercress, earthy spinach, then add a ...Read more