Sponsored post One of the best things about the holiday season is the food, of course. Sipping lowfat eggnog lattes while shopping and nibbling fresh roasted chestnuts while dressing the tree and singing along with Christmas music are a couple of my favorites. Feeding hungry...

In cooler weather, a hot breakfast is a welcome way to start the day, and this recipe makes it possible–even for busy weekdays. Prepare this recipe on Sunday and these hot and steamy mini frittatas can be ready in seconds to enjoy for the...

Pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pie. All of these orange-hued, holiday-spiced foods excite me this time of year, signaling that Thanksgiving and Christmas are near. Since most pumpkin offerings are sweet, I thought it would be fun to cook a pumpkin from scratch and...

Grape expectations for autumn salad Now that tomato season has ended, we need a satisfying substitute for this quintessential salad ingredient. Fortunately, California grape season is in full swing, from late spring through December. I keep grapes on hand for snacking, but with their sweet, juicy pulp and...

Recently during restaurant week, I had the pleasure of dining at Eddie V’s, enjoying their four-course prix-fix meal for only $40. And this menu did not have any weak spots. We’re talking wedge salad, lobster bisque, an unbelievably good parmesan-crusted lemon sole with a...

 Broiled beef offers a taste of Morocco This is another recipe inspired by the Moroccan baby shower I threw last spring. The original dish served at the party, kabab koobideh (say that three times fast), was outsourced from a favorite Middle-Eastern restaurant. I became infatuated...

I get excited when I spot pulled pork on a restaurant menu, at a catered event or at a party. I can expect–even crave—the pork’s savory juices running down my palm, melt-in-the mouth tenderness and succulent layered, yet down-home flavors. Pulled pork might seem...

  Lime-Basil Shrimp & California Avocado Lettuce Wraps Grocery shopping at the beginning of each season puts an extra spring in my step, the newly available produce lifting me out of my food rut and propelling me eagerly back into the kitchen. Summer’s bounty adds...

The contents of my fridge inspired this lunchtime recipe, but ingredients are easily interchangeable with whatever you have on hand. My version incorporates five different food groups, providing a balanced meal in itself. This salad tastes even better the next day as the flavors marry, so make a...

A snack that really pops How To Make Popcorn on the Stovetop There is a time and place for microwave popcorn. Like when your 3-year old is begging for it while you’re in the midst of drilling through your crammed to-do list, or when you’re desperately...