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

America’s wheat crop is making a comeback. Too bad U.S. grocery shoppers want to buy less food made with it.

Although crop conditions for the staple grain are the best in four years, purchases of many flour-based foods have been slipping. The U.S. Department of Agriculture expects the amount of wheat used in food this year to hit the lowest ...Read more

Africa’s biggest coffee producer has revised rules to allow foreign companies to buy the commodity directly from farmers and processors, the latest in reforms to liberalize East Africa’s biggest economy.

Until now Ethiopia — which prides itself as the birthplace of coffee — required buyers such as Starbucks Corp., Volcafe Ltd., Louis ...Read more

David Chang’s public apology and the announcement that his company Momofuku would back off of an attempt to trademark the term “chili crunch” feel like standard damage control for a popular chef and the empire he’s built.

Like any sensible leader, politician, or public figure serving as a hood ornament to an operation, it’s easier to ...Read more

In this healthy ground beef and potatoes recipe, ground beef and potatoes are paired with colorful veggies, including kale, tomato and peppers. Everything is cooked in one skillet, which allows for layers of flavor to build quickly while also cutting back on the number of dishes.

Ground Beef & Potatoes Skillet

Serves 6

Active Time: 40 minutes...Read more

Yogurt is so much more than it once was. These days there’s fat-free, low-fat, and whole milk varieties as well as yogurt alternatives made from soy milk, cashew milk, almond milk and coconut milk. Choose drinkable yogurts when you are on the go.

Most choices are loaded with nutritional benefits — think protein and calcium — and there are...Read more

I am always looking for a Seriously Simple chicken recipe that can make it into my cooking rotation. It must be both kid-friendly and good enough to serve at a casual dinner party. This recipe satisfies those conditions.

I think of this as a springtime recipe, with the addition of artichokes that make their arrival in early spring. As a ...Read more

Freshly baked bread is our family’s love language. We nearly always have a beautiful loaf on the menu, no matter the season. During the cold weather, patience comes easily for the long, slow rises of homemade sourdough loaves. As the days lengthen, we turn to quicker rises, brighter flavors, and lighter texture.

Both of the breads that follow...Read more

My mom has made banana bread so often that she can make it without even referencing a recipe. And I’m sure she’s not alone. The sweet but simple loaf is easily customizable and requires little prep — it’s no wonder it’s ...Read more

When I want a light cocktail before dinner or a drink to go with brunch, I always opt for the elegant French 75 — not a classic mimosa. With a bright, sunny color, this sparkling, lemon-y cocktail is refreshing, crisp, and bright, with subtle notes of herbs from the...Read more

LOS ANGELES -- Food never happened in a vacuum for Karla Tatiana Vasquez. Stories always followed.

Whenever her grandmother or mother cooked, Vasquez knew something special was coming. Their food unlocked memories, especially about El Salvador — the homeland they'd fled in the late 1980s during the country's civil war.

Vasquez was born in ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Call them the vegetable whisperers. Sarah Hymanson and Sara Kramer are the two produce-obsessed chefs behind Kismet restaurant in Los Feliz, the growing chainlet of Kismet Rotisserie takeout shops (there are three across L.A. now, where the tahini roasted cauliflower is as popular as the chicken) and a new vegetable-forward ...Read more

Tofu is a wonderfully versatile ingredient. It's great pan-fried, grilled, scrambled and whizzed into spreads and sauces. But I like it best pan roasted until it becomes meltingly golden and crisp. For this, you need a really good tofu, and the fresher the better.

Minnesota-made tofu is tastier than the tofu from California. MinnTofu, found in ...Read more

LOS ANGELES -- The morning after Joan Nathan's 80th birthday party last year — a long-table Palm Springs gathering on the grounds of a hacienda-style compound where Samuel Goldwyn, Lucille Ball and Judy Garland are said to have lived at various times — guests from the nighttime celebration were invited to brunch at the midcentury showcase ...Read more

LOS ANGELES -- Earlier this month Josh Scherer cooked a corned beef sandwich and a few gelatin-encased shrimp in a nod to foods that have been to space. Earlier this year he served Gordon Ramsay a beef Wellington, a deep-fried Mars bar, an In-N-Out burger and everything else the chef decreed would be his ideal last meal on Earth. He's re-created...Read more