Tag: Food & Dining

This Easy French Dressing Is the Perfect Balance of Sweet, Sour, and Creamy

Don’t be fooled by the name: This reddish-orange salad topper is as American as dressings get. Big, bold French dressing actually comes from Pittsburgh and not its namesake European country—it was invented in 1925 as Kraft’s very first pourable dressing flavor. While the store-bought variety can sometimes be too cloying, this homemade version has just…


For Plush Pancakes Every Time, Use Almond Flour

Almond flour pancakes are an excellent gluten-free alternative to the weekend morning favorite—just don’t think of them as a compromise! The almond flavor pairs beautifully with vanilla extract, and butter and sugar add plenty of richness. It’s a fun way to mix up the standard buttermilk stack. Benefits of Almond Flour Almond flour isn’t a…


Pennsylvania rations alcohol due to crippled supply chain

A shortage of certain alcohol brands is leaving some drinkers in low spirits; the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) announced this week it would begin rationing a list of popular liquor labels. Due to sustained supply chain disruptions and product shortages, purchase limits of two bottles, per customer, per day were applied to certain items…


Turn Up Flavor Without the Salt

We know we should be eating less salt. Most of us consume far more than recommended. We know to skip the salt shaker at the table and to check food labels. While it is essential to the body—the sodium in salt works with potassium to regulate fluids—too much can raise blood pressure, putting the heart…


Parmesan Soup

I first tried this parmesan soup at Chez Nous restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina, and was immediately in awe. This is my version, which has since become a go-to soup for dinners at home, and a trusty addition to my entertaining repertoire. The original is served with lardons and garlic croutons. But as I can’t…


Easy Entertaining: A Dinner in the Garden for Summer’s Last Hurrah

Holding onto the last days of summer, even as I look forward to fall, I am planning a dinner in the garden under the stars. I love the idea of throwing one last outdoor bash as we step into cooler fall nights. Using only candlelight to light our dinner is my ode to the end…


Clams in Saffron–White Wine Sauce With Garlic Bread

There is something festive and celebratory about a pot of clams. To me, it is always a treat, evoking summer memories of blissful coastal feasts, languid lunches, and good times. It must be the fact that we need to eat them with our fingers, and mopping up the juices with bread is actually encouraged. Based…


Snacking Like the French: How to Make Classic Black Olive Tapenade

There are few better ways to spark conversation before a meal than with a French apéro. L’apéro, short for “l’apéritif,” is a popular pre-dinner ritual in France that gathers friends and family around drinks and finger foods—think happy hour, but more food-focused. And of all the small bites the French like to enjoy, one wins…


The Family Table: It’s Sacumpach Season!

Submitted by E. M. McCreight (grandchild No. 1), Springfield, Virginia Every September, when the garden overflowed with tomatoes and green peppers, my German-born grandmother would gather the family, including us seven grandchildren, for a dinner of homemade “sacumpach.” We kids picked out the best parts of the casserole (does anyone like green peppers as a…


Green Chile on the Grill

After seven enchanting years in New Mexico, I became part native. Especially my stomach. Early fall was my favorite time, in part because the end of another hot summer always brought a sweet relief, but mostly because of a certain aroma that wafted up and down the Rio Grande Valley this time of year. The…