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EatingWell: St. Patrick’s Day comfort food, lightened up
Corned beef is brisket that has been pickled in spices for days, but it is often high in sodium. To help control the salt level, we use pickling spice — a blend featuring mustard seed, coriander and black pepper — to achieve a similar flavor. A medley of cabbage, potatoes and carrots rounds out the dish for a hearty, cozy meal.
Baked Corned...Read more
The Kitchn: Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a homemade Shamrock Shake
Everyone has their own favorite way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Your yearly tradition might include corned beef and cabbage or perhaps a big pot of homeandleisure/recipes/varietymenu/s-4028135">Read more
The Kitchn: When I’m craving a Girl Scout Samoa, I make this easy dessert
Girl Scout cookie season is in full swing — and while I never was a Girl Scout myself, I definitely did partake in the cookies (Tagalongs, Thin Mints, and Samoas were my favorites). These coveted little treats are only available at certain ...Read more
Seriously Simple: As the weather earns up. It’s time for a California classic
As the author of “The Cuisine of California” and “The California Cook,” I have researched California cooking history throughout the 20th century. From patio cooks to garden salads, modern California Cuisine has evolved a lot. This succulent swordfish dish originally relied on mesquite wood to add a smokey sweet flavor to the marinated ...Read more
JeanMarie Brownson: Enjoy corned beef two ways this St. Patrick’s Day
In Chicago, everyone we know is Irish on Patrick’s Day. We set up a corned beef to slow-cook, put folding chairs and handwarmers in the trunk, and head out to a local parade. After our fill of Irish dance and music, we return to the warm, spicy aroma of that low-simmered corned beef.
A cold glass of Guinness keeps the cook company while the ...Read more
Environmental Nutrition: A primer on zinc
Zinc is considered a “trace mineral” because the body requires it in such small amounts, but it is found in cells throughout the body. While it is required in small amounts, only iron is a more concentrated mineral in the body. It is available in supplement form, in some cold lozenges, and in certain fortified foods. Zinc supplements are ...Read more
Filipino cuisine highlights the complexities of vinegar
PITTSBURGH — Elected "ingredient of the year" by The New York Times, vinegar can have many uses and personalities far beyond its generic role in a salad dressing or as a decorative balsamic reduction.
You can use a splash as a finish to lentil soup or chili to add depth. Some bartenders are throwing it into mocktails. There are folks who use ...Read more
Column: The rise and fall (and rise) of baking bread
I have been baking bread again, and it feels so good.
I don't know why I stopped. I suppose I didn't have time one day so I got a loaf from the fabulous bakery a couple of miles away. The fact that their bread is so good did not help matters. It made it easier and easier not to have time to bake.
But that changed a few months ago. Not the ...Read more
With fresh herbs and baby spinach, green goddess pasta tastes like spring
The recent spate of unexpected warm weather — how is it 60 degrees in February in Pittsburgh? — has got me thinking about spring, and I’ll bet it eased some of the blues that build up over a cold and dreary winter for you, too.
There’s a certain joy in watching the snow melt away, even if it means kids (and husbands) track mud into the ...Read more
EatingWell: Need a quick dinner? Try a gnocchi skillet
This cheesy, saucy baked gnocchi is a quick and comforting meal. Baby spinach is the natural choice for fast dinners as it’s ready right out of the package, but feel free to swap it out for another chopped green like kale or Swiss chard.
Cheesy Baked Gnocchi Skillet
Serves 8
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
2 tablespoons ...Read more
Environmental Nutrition: ‘Fibermaxxing’ Explained
In the ever-evolving world of health and wellness, a new trend is gaining attention for its bold approach to digestive health: fibermaxxing. This practice involves significantly increasing dietary fiber intake — sometimes well beyond standard recommended levels — in pursuit of benefits like improved digestion, weight management, and overall ...Read more
Seriously Simple: A classic pesto vinaigrette brightens up this chicken dinner
Chicken paillards are the perfect weeknight entree since they take just a few minutes to pound and even less time to cook. They are traditionally served with a splash of lemon or a simple uncomplicated sauce.
To flatten the chicken breasts, place them on a cutting board between plastic wrap or wax paper and pound with the smooth side of a meat ...Read more
Easy, garlicky weeknight shrimp should be in your dinner rotation
Shrimp ranks among the easiest, leanest proteins to cook for a speedy weeknight meal. Set the skillet over high heat, add a modicum of oil, and then stir-fry to tenderness in less than 4 minutes. That’s it.
When those shrimps are peeled and deveined before cooking, we serve them warm simply with a dish of horseradish-spiked cocktail sauce and...Read more
The Kitchn: This giant, oven-baked pancake is crispy, fluffy and impossible easy
If you’re still making pancakes for your family like a short-order cook, I’ve got just the thing to make your morning routine a whole lot easier: a skillet pancake. Just pour the batter into a hot skillet, bake for about half an hour, then sit down to breakfast together. There’s simply no better way to do it!
This step-by-step recipe will...Read more
The Kitchn: I eat these Buffalo cauliflower bites straight from the pan
I’m pretty much a fan of any spicy condiment so I love Buffalo sauce, in all its tangy, buttery glory. I’m also a vegetarian — so no ...Read more
5 dishes to make with a grocery rotisserie chicken
If ever there was liberation to be found in the never-ending grind of nightly meal preparation, it's got to be the ready-to-go product scorned by some but beloved by many: the supermarket rotisserie chicken.
Personally, the plump and juicy birds have come to the rescue more times than I care to count in my own kitchen over the years, both as a ...Read more
Gretchen's table: Pan-fried cod tacos with pineapple salsa is a tasty Lenten meal
PITTSBURGH -- Fish on Fridays during the seven-week Lenten season isn’t just tradition in Pittsburgh. For a whole bunch of us, it’s an obsession that entails traveling to a different fish fry each week to taste who does it best.
It’s a win-win situation for both the organizations that host the seafood dinners as fundraisers and their ...Read more
You may be eligible for (a little) money from beef producers
A lawyer friend sent me a news release about a food-related class-action suit, and then he ruined it all by telling me about it with a whole bunch of shameless puns.
So I'm faced with a conundrum. It's a serious subject, but I can't think about it without laughing.
I said they were shameless puns. I didn't say they weren't funny.
The case ...Read more
Beef prices are high. This butcher has suggestions
PITTSBURGH — The price of ground beef has gone up 51% since February 2020. In the past year, the U.S. has seen record low cattle numbers because of drought over the past few years. Tariffs on imports, rising input costs and cattle disease have also put pressure on beef prices.
The escalation will continue into this year, according to the U.S....Read more
EatingWell: This no-bake treat may give you the energy boost you need
These no-bake peanut butter–oat energy cups are the perfect bite-size snack, offering a delicious balance of salty-sweet perfection. They’re packed with chunky peanut butter, fiber-rich oats and just the right touch of chocolaty sweetness for a boost of lasting energy. Feel free to substitute smooth peanut butter for the crunchy, and use ...Read more








