The holidays have long been a corporate event. Malls filled with eager gift shoppers browsing department stores such as Macy’s Inc. for perfumes or sweaters and Best Buy Co Inc. for new laptops or smartphones. Porches brimming with stacks of online orders from Amazon.com Inc. or Walmart Inc. stamped with their logos.

But increasingly, ...Read more

When top Japanese chefs and restaurateurs expand to the US, they have invariably headed to New York. Just look at the jammed counters at Yoshino, Odo and Sushi Nakazawa.

However, when first-time restaurateurs Samuel and Jose Tcherassi approached Hidefumi Namba, the revered shokunin, or craftsman, behind Tokyo’s eight-seat, referral-only Sushi...Read more

These cranberry-orange bars freeze well. Make a batch on a free afternoon and pop them in the freezer so you’ll always have a healthy dessert on hand when company calls.

Cranberry Crumble Bars

Makes 15 bars

Active Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

For the filling:

2 cups cranberries

Zest and juice of 1/2 orange

6...Read more

Q: How is apple cider vinegar made and is it healthy?

A: Vinegar can be made from a variety of fermentable carbohydrates, including grapes, berries, rice and, yes, apples. While it is fermenting, yeast turns food sugars into alcohol, and if acetic acid bacteria (acetobacter) are present, then the alcohol is converted to acetic acid, the main ...Read more

My life gets so busy as the holidays approach that I make this buttermilk-enriched coffee cake weeks ahead of Christmas or New Year’s brunch. And I have made this sweet treat so many times that I can guarantee it will be a crowd-pleaser for kids and adults alike.

This moist cake has a thick, rich layer of crispy chocolate and pecan crumb ...Read more

Our coastal travels this year had us enjoying tons of seafood — especially bivalves. Clams in Portugal, oysters in Maine, mussels in southern France, and scallops everywhere they were on the menu. In Paris and Santiago de Compostela, Spain, they serve them on the shell with a simple vinaigrette and herby garnish as a starter.

Memories of ...Read more

These nostalgic slice-and-bake snow globe cookies immediately bring back joyful holiday memories. My family didn’t do a lot of home baking when I was growing up, so grabbing a tube of the iconic sugar cookie dough from the grocery store was always considered a treat — I honestly still have a sweet spot for them.

Being the overachieving home...Read more

When it comes to Jewish foods, an everything bagel with a shmear of cream cheese is unquestionably my holy grail — it’s bready, creamy, and full of allium flavor.

The only downside to everything bagels with cream cheese? While they make perfect breakfast, brunch, and even lunch fare, they’re just not socially acceptable as a dinner food (...Read more

Chicken breasts are notoriously tricky to cook. Because they're lean, they tend to dry out quickly and their thickness varies significantly from end to end. Often, by the time the wide side has cooked through, the tapered end becomes stringy and tough.

There are a couple of tricks to employ to keep the meat tender, moist and juicy. The first, ...Read more

“Adult Happy Meals” will return to McDonald’s soon, this time with a nostalgic ‘80s toy.

The new Kerwin Frost Box is the fast-food chain’s latest spin on the childhood classic set to arrive at U.S. restaurants starting Dec. 11, McDonald’s announced in a Nov. 29 news release.

Teaming up with DJ and entertainer Kerwin Frost, the ...Read more

Most would agree one of the best parts of being on vacation is getting to try unfamiliar foods and cuisines and realizing, with the right recipes, you can re-create those tastes at home.

While my husband and I weren't too crazy about the skewered sardines and fried cuttlefish found in seafood restaurants and in the beach bars on a recent trip ...Read more

I love a good holiday gathering: the long conversations, the pretty drinks, the finger foods. But after the party is over, I'm usually hungry and ready to eat. When I'm too tired and too cold to wait for takeout and the restaurants are all booked up, I turn to my favorite holiday hacks. This year, it's packaged gnocchi. Ready in minutes without ...Read more

These apple chips are crispy, naturally sweet and have that rich caramel umami that make them taste even better. What’s more, the first ingredient in them are apples. They look just like you sliced apples yourself and dried them out, so how can they not be good for you?

Well, sugar and corn syrup are the next ingredients, so that jacks up ...Read more

I was at an office shindig when a colleague happened to mention the worst food he has ever eaten (pizza with tuna and peas on it, at a pub in England). That got me thinking:

What is the worst food I have ever eaten?

What is the worst food you have ever eaten?

It's a tough choice. The average person eats about 1,000 meals a year, more or less....Read more

Potlucks, cocktail parties, family gatherings and happy hours all require noshes and nibbles as well as libations. Now's the time to make a plan.

This year, I'm diving into dips and spreads, the kind that are ready in minutes, can be made in big batches and served on demand. It helps, too, if they can be repurposed into sauces for meats and ...Read more

You should expect to be pampered when you dine at high-end restaurants. The best do it with such luxurious ease that any buyer’s remorse for dropping upwards of $500 on a meal is ameliorated by the joy of the experience. Among these culinary destinations, a subset provides an additional attraction: Being part of an enterprise to better the ...Read more

This hearty quinoa breakfast bowl is topped with sliced almonds, bananas and almond butter, but you can easily mix and match toppings. For a drizzled look, warm the almond butter slightly in the microwave before topping each bowl.

Cinnamon-Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

Serves 4

Active Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

1 1/2 cups unsweetened ...Read more

Looking to change up the holiday menu this year? Whether your table craves a fresh, new dish to wow the crowd or you’re hosting vegetarian or vegan guests, consider going meatless or serving up more plant-based dishes. Not to worry, this doesn’t have to mean bucking tradition. Most any dish can easily be made without meat, and many holiday ...Read more

Are you exhausted from all the holiday cooking you have been doing? It’s time to find recipes that supply all the glitz without the hard work in the kitchen. Here’s a recipe I rely on during the holidays for its deliciousness and rustic appearance.

The wrinkly pears are unpeeled, a plus for the Seriously Simple cook, and dressed with the ...Read more