ArcaMax

A Sharp Knife Can Save A Finger

My father was an engineer; a smart and precise man who had his weekend rituals. About once a month, I’d find my father at the kitchen table on a weekend afternoon sharpening the kitchen knives.

He’d have a sharpening stone in front of him set on a spread of newspaper print. He had a little can of oil ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — Tracing blogger and author Jessica Merchant's career is almost like charting the history of the internet itself.

An early food blogger, she started her site, How Sweet Eats, in 2009, only 5 years after Mark Zuckerberg started "The Facebook" for his Harvard classmates.

"There was no Instagram, there was no Pinterest," Merchant ...Read more

Here’s an easy vegetarian dish filled with vibrant flavors, from a blend of curry powder, cumin, turmeric and ginger. To simplify the preparation, I use frozen okra which comes pre-sliced. You can add it to the skillet right from the freezer.

This is a quick and easy recipe that makes a delicious meal without sacrificing taste.

HELPFUL ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — With restaurants closed and stay-at-home orders in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during the early months of the pandemic, Americans responded in the only way they could at meal time.

We started cooking at home more than ever before, even though it was harder than ever to find some ingredients on store shelves. And all ...Read more

I ate a lot of things that surprised me when I lived in Hong Kong in my mid 20s, often from carts hidden from street view in back alleys or larger street-side stalls known as dai pai dong. And I have to say, save for one unfortunate dinner that included fresh sea urchin, I never regretted these impromptu meals.

Street snacks made by "hawkers," ...Read more

If you ever happen to come across a green iguana, don’t be frightened. Don’t run away.

Just kill it, cook it and eat it.

You can pan fry it, deep fry it or roast it. You can even boil it, though boiled green iguana doesn’t sound particularly appetizing, for some reason. Green iguanas are white meat and are said to taste like chicken, of ...Read more

Home cooks looking to stay on budget often opt for simple Italian dishes as a way to save a buck or two.

And more often than not, choosing an easy-to-make dish like spaghetti with marinara makes good, economical sense. Dried pasta is one of your more inexpensive pantry items, and so is the quick-cooking red sauce that accompanies it if you use ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — Emily Crusan, a registered dietitian at Allegheny Health Network, is a fan of the chickpea. Also known as garbanzo beans, like all legumes, they have many health benefits. Legumes are nutritionally "very well-rounded," she said.

"Legumes are a great plant source of protein in the diet, and are also a good source of unsaturated ...Read more

For the Day Eagle Hope Project, federal money has helped volunteers deliver fresh produce and meat to families in need across the remote Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in northern Montana — while putting cash into the hands of farmers, ranchers and meat processors.

The nonprofit generally has less than $300,000 to spend per year. So the $200...Read more

Almost everyone is familiar with the classic back-of-the-box recipe for these treats, with their ideal ratio of melted marshmallows and butter to crackly cereal for a bar with the sweet and sticky chew. While they're certainly delicious in their original incarnation, the potential for enticing mix-ins abounds, as in this loaded-up, sweet-and-...Read more

This easy chicken and broccoli recipe makes a delicious, healthier alternative to Chinese takeout — and it takes just 20 minutes to make, so it's ideal for an easy weeknight dinner. When toasted, ramen noodles make a tasty, crunchy topping for a stir-fry or salad.

Sweet & Sour Chicken with Broccoli

Serves 4

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total ...Read more

Berberine is a bioactive compound from a range of plants grown throughout the globe.

Overview

Berberine has proposed benefits ranging from relieving canker sores to managing blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetes. This supplement also has a history of use in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Special functions

...Read more

It’s finally spring, and that means asparagus is in season. Combining it with salmon is a winner for lunch or dinner.

Make sure to use medium-sized asparagus so the salmon and asparagus can finish cooking at the same time. It’s important to snap off the woody ends of the asparagus; however, if you also have the time and inclination, peel ...Read more