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Fruit hot off the grill

When having a barbecue and you want to serve dessert but don’t want to heat up the kitchen by turning on the oven to make it, there is an easy solution. Grill some fresh fruit instead. It only takes a few minutes and is a delicious finale. Grilled Pineapple with Lime ...

Dried bay leaves bring layers of flavor to Portuguese-style beef skewers

On the Portuguese island of Madeira, espetadas are made by threading chunks of beef onto fresh-cut branches of bay and cooking the skewers over the embers of a fire. The bay infuses the meat with its unique menthol notes while also releasing a heady aroma. In this streamlined take on ...

Don’t pour that pickle juice down the drain. It’s a cocktail darling

NEW YORK — If you have a cocktail scene in your neck of the woods (and it’s safe to say that I do in NYC), you might have noticed the words “pickle juice” appearing more often on drink menus. Pickles and pickle brine have been an ingredient that mixologists — and chefs — have ...

Expand your grilling horizons this July 4

METRO — The Fourth of July is a day to celebrate the birthday of the United States of America. Americans celebrate the Fourth of July in various ways, many of which involve spending time outdoors with family and friends. Grilling delicious foods often is part of the July 4 game plan. Burgers, hot dogs and chicken drumsticks will never fall out of favor for Fourth of July fare, but savvy grillmasters know to pepper the offerings with foods that will tempt palates in unique ways. This recipe for “Grilled Eggplant with Feta and Greek Couscous” from “Cooking Light Fresh Food ...

Cornbread mix creations

Just because cooking is part of my DNA, that doesn’t mean I don’t get excited over quick and easy dishes using a mix. If a mix can help me serve up a delicious meal, I’m all for that. Enter cornbread mix. Not only do I use it, slathered with butter, to accompany homemade chili, but ...

Don’t let the season go by without making strawberry shortcake

On a recent visit to see my son at the University of California, Davis, I wandered into a lab at the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science … as one does. A bunch of students were preparing for a tasting to evaluate some of the strawberry breeds they have been developing. My ...