ArcaMax

This plant-based kale salad is powered by the flavors of miso, ginger, and toasted sesame oil. Dressing the kale first gave the tough greens time to soften while we fried the tofu.

Kale Salad with Crispy Tofu and Miso-Ginger Dressing

Serves: 4

1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

3 tablespoons white miso

1 ...Read more

Roasting brings out the inherent sweetness in carrots — add a little maple syrup and butter and you have a batch of crave-worthy caramelized vegetables.

Maple Roasted Carrots

Serves 12

Active Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

1 1/2 pounds carrots, sliced 1/4-inch thick on the diagonal

2 tablespoons melted butter

2 tablespoons pure...Read more

It’s hard to distance yourself from sugar. Sure, it’s in your favorite desserts, but it’s maybe also lurking in your sandwich bread and go-to bottled salad dressing. It’s everywhere in the supermarket, which is why so many Americans are consuming a lot more added sugar than what is recommended.

According to the American Heart ...Read more

A new book landed on my desk recently that celebrates baking in the American South. With recipes like Lemon Drizzle Loaves, Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Caramel Satsumas, and Chocolate Moonshine Cake, you can’t go wrong. The book features stories, history and recipes galore that show off Americas’ Southern style of baking.

This delicious ...Read more

The Grand Canyon offers unparalleled views as far as you can see. We’ll never forget the sights of this National Park treasure. But it’s the Park’s pancakes and cinnamon rolls that motivated our morning hikes.

During a recent visit to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, we ate crispy-edged, light, fluffy, and deliciously buttermilk-y ...Read more

The dark and stormy is one of the very first cocktails I ever learned to make — and also one of the easiest. Made by layering dark rum and refreshing ginger beer together in a glass, it got its name because the dark rum floating on top gives it a cloudy appearance that mimics the appearance of storm clouds.

With only two ingredients (plus a ...Read more

When it comes to comforting soups, I can easily say I have a hands-down favorite: Italian wedding soup. My experience of it is neither particularly Italian, nor is it matrimonial, rather it was one of the first real meals my mother fed me when I was a baby. The legend ...Read more

Hints for Eating Mashed Potatoes on Holidays

When my husband and I are invited to Thanksgiving dinner he insists I bring mashed potatoes. He has to make sure there will be at least one bowl of mashed potatoes on the buffet. Borderline rude. I know, but he insists.

I want to give you low carb hints for eating mashed potatoes...

...Read more

There's something about fall that just calls out for a great, big, steaming bowl of chili.

And it's not just because it's beginning to get cold outside, though it's true we start to crave warm, comforting dishes when the weather forecast calls for pulling on a jacket instead of shorts.

Rather, I think it's because we have a natural tendency to...Read more

Is there anything that hits the spot better on a busy school night or over-scheduled weekend than takeout Chinese food?

It's fun to eat, and usually it's quick from counter to table, with minimal cleanup because it comes with the requisite rice. And who doesn't love learning their fortune — good or bad — after breaking open the crisp and ...Read more

There’s something about this time of year that sends us in search of cookbooks to find fresh inspiration.

Whether you like to follow recipes exactly or tweak them as you go, a new cookbook can turn your dinnertime into an opportunity for creative thinking and sensory stimulation instead of a dose of daily drudgery.

So we went looking and ...Read more

Horseradish mixed with mayonnaise makes a zippy and creamy topping for snapper fillets. The fillets take about 5 minutes to cook on a sheet pan under the broiler.

I was delighted to find prewashed arugula at the market. It gives a bite to the pasta dish, for which I used corkscrew shaped pasta.

HELPFUL HINTS:

Any type of fish fillet such as ...Read more

As much as I love apples for their straightforward, tart-sweet flavors and crisp, snappy texture, they are no match for pears.

Pears are lush, fragrant and elegant. Take the tree-ripened local variety, Luscious. With their rough, tawny skin, they may not look like much, but they live up to the name. A cold, hardy variety, Luscious pears are ...Read more

CHICAGO -- Crust Fund Pizza is not a pizzeria.

“It’s like a pizzeria, but it’s kind of mythical, and mostly exists in my head, except for when it exists in an alley a couple nights a month,” said John Carruthers, who calls himself proprietor, “because it sounds funny and old-timey.”

Carruthers is the founder and serious amateur ...Read more

ST. LOUIS -- A colleague is holding a small dinner party for our department to honor one of our number who is retiring.

We are sorry to be losing our irreplaceable co-worker and friend, of course, but we are also excited by the prospect of the party. The hostess is known to be an excellent cook, and I have it on good authority that dessert will...Read more