Oreo isn’t shy when it comes to experimenting with flavors.

The cookie conglomerate has released products with churro, waffles and syrup, and even a brookie, which was infused with brownies. It also had some questionable and fun matches with cherry cola and hot chicken wings — available in China — and now a childhood favorite has made the...Read more

LOS ANGELES -- On a rainy Saturday afternoon in late March, a block of East Hollywood is unusually quiet but for the corner of Fountain Avenue and North Edgemont Street. There, a line snakes halfway around the perimeter of a little vegan grocery store that's sparking with activity.

Inside, grime music blasts as a pop-up vendor doles out vegan ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS -- Do you feel ashamed when you toss out rotting food? Maybe it's a produce bag of slimy green onions decomposing in the bowels of your fridge. Or a forgotten bin of leftovers that would have made a terrific reheated lunch, if only you had noticed it earlier.

Jiaying Zhao used to feel guilt-ridden, too. But she says wasting food is ...Read more

ST. LOUIS -- The newest cookbook from Eckert’s, the family-owned group of farms in Illinois and Kentucky, isn’t exactly a cookbook.

“The publisher calls it a bookazine, because it is a magazine-book hybrid,” says Angie Eckert.

It is the size and shape of a magazine. It is flexible, like a magazine. And most important, it is at least as...Read more

"It's impossible not to love someone who made toast for you," Nigel Slater, in "Toast"

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Bruschetta is toast with a fancy Italian name. A wonderful appetizer at cocktail gatherings and backyard barbecues, in our home, it's way more than finger food. Bruschetta for dinner is a simple and expeditious means of using up that half loaf of good ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS -- Experiences, like fine wine, can get better with age.

That's why it took author George Sorensen decades before he wrote his fifth book, "Hot Dish Confidential: That Year My Friends Taught Me to Cook," which chronicles his journey from campfire cook to gourmet chef, all in a year's time.

"Often when you have an experience, it ...Read more

When it comes to Chinese comfort food, nothing beats a really good bowl of hand-pulled noodles or a steaming, silky bowl of mapo tofu. Yet our love affair with Chinese food often centers around dumplings.

Whether they're boiled, steamed or pan-fried, it's just so easy to eat five, six or even a dozen of the plump and juicy dough bundles stuffed...Read more

Breakfast in a cup certainly has its place: On a hurried morning into work, at a hotel that doesn’t offer breakfast, in a college dorm.

Though not cheap, these scrambles from Jimmy Dean are full of flavor (probably from that Jimmy Dean sausage) and are a high-protein (20 grams) way to start your morning. You just empty the egg cup into the ...Read more

These blueberry-lemon cupcakes are so light and delicious, it’s hard to eat just one! The blueberries burst in your mouth and the glaze gives an extra boost of sweet-tart lemon flavor. Serve these easy cupcakes at a grown-up birthday party, bridal shower or brunch.

Blueberry-Lemon-Ricotta Cupcakes

Serves 12

Active Time: 25 minutes

Total ...Read more

Kava is a compound (extracted from a plant member of the pepper family called Piper methysticum) native to islands of the western Pacific.

Overview

The root of the plant is emulsified into a beverage or it can be dried and incorporated into dietary supplement form. Kava may also be called kava-kava, kavain, yaqona, and more.

...Read more

Caponata, the Sicilian eggplant appetizer, is often served at room temperature on toasted croutons. Traditionally it includes tomatoes, eggplant, onions and capers to produce a pronounced sweet and sour taste. Baked eggplant alone is a canvas for many colors and flavors. In this California version there’s no tomato or capers. Here roasted ...Read more

A certain young family member requests tacos for most meals. The cooks in her life happily oblige with everything from ground beef tacos to butternut and black bean versions. When spicy is requested, we suggest pork chorizo with a red chile sauce.

In Mexico, fresh chorizo sausage often gets paired with cheese — a rich coupling worth every ...Read more

French toast is a breakfast staple for the ages. It has a long history and is eaten in many forms all over the world (Spanish torrijas is just one example). When planning your next ...Read more

Drawing from my family’s recipe collection, this rendition of penne alla vodka captures the essence of New Jersey Italian American cooking. Here, a blend of simple ingredients — tomatoes, vodka, heavy cream, and Parmesan cheese — makes this creamy red sauce irresistible. But, the secret to the best vodka sauce? Using both whole peeled ...Read more

LOS ANGELES -- The checkout lines stretched far into the aisles of the 99 Cents Only store in Beverly Grove on a recent Monday afternoon. Red and black signs that read "Store Closing Sale" greeted shoppers at the entrance. Store shelves were mostly bare and the fresh fruit bins almost empty. It felt like a trip to the grocery store in March 2020...Read more

I love tacos when I'm cooking for a crowd because they're usually so much easier to pull together than a sit-down dinner with multiple courses, and they can be easily individualized depending on the toppings.

Any protein made with tinga, a spicy-ish sauce crafted from fire-roasted tomatoes, chili peppers and spices, is always at the top of my ...Read more

Black beans, vegetables and whole wheat tortillas come together in this simple vegetarian dinner.

Jicama is a root with a thin tan-colored skin that looks like a turnip. When peeled, it’s crisp and juicy. In Mexico it’s eaten raw, seasoned with a little lemon juice. Once peeled, cut or sliced, it retains its texture and color.

Helpful ...Read more

Sometimes dinner arises from a well-laid plan that includes time for a leisurely trip to the grocery store.

The same cool, calm cook who put together this plan then casually chops and dices everything perfectly — probably with one hand, while cradling a glass of wine with the other — before tossing it all together in a hot pan and arranging...Read more

Regular readers will know of my ongoing war against my kitchen appliances, or rather, their war against me. So will occasional readers. I write about it perhaps too often.

So it is only fair that I report on a singular relationship I have with a new appliance. It is deep. It is passionate.

I think we can call it love.

We laugh together, and ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS -- Those of us who grew up going to Midwestern supper clubs know it's a special kind of restaurant that doesn't always translate to other geographic locations. Sitting down with the family over broiled walleye, popovers and one of several optional potato preparations is a culturally significant experience.

Ideally, the restaurant ...Read more