ArcaMax

Everyone’s mother has a signature potato salad recipe, at least in the South it seems. I’ve got about four versions that I rotate between, including an Ina Garten recipe that uses whole-grain mustard and my mother-in-law’...Read more

When I was growing up, it wasn’t unusual for me to plop down at the dinner table in my Rainbow Brite T-shirt and stirrup pants to a plate of Shake ‘N Bake pork chops. Introduced in 1965 to mimic fried chicken, Shake ‘N Bake is a store-bought seasoned breading mix that came with a bag that you could shake the seasoning and meat together in....Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — There are recipes representing 32 countries in a new cookbook, and the authors have the pantries to prove it. The Peruvian pepper paste aji panca, timur peppercorns from Nepal, Vietnamese ngo gai or culantro, black jeera seeds for lamb biryani — they’re all a new part of their cooking repertoire now.

A trio of authors — ...Read more

Summer evenings draw me out of the kitchen, into the soft light and gentle breezes. Our dinners should be effortless and casual.

Some nights it’s just my husband and me, but often friends stroll by, swing in for a drink and stay for something to eat. My only challenge is how to stock up for such sweet spontaneity. What to keep on hand? ...Read more

Like many home cooks, I keep a kitchen garden planted with herbs during the summer growing season.

I have a pretty good hand with basil and rosemary, and my parsley generally does pretty well, too. Yet one of the most prolific — or dare I say dastardly — patches of green contains mint.

The bully of the herb world, mint is quick to take ...Read more

Like a good summer movie, a great sandwich should be full of delightful familiar ingredients sparked with a few good surprises. And like a good plot, the sandwich should be built on a sturdy foundation.

But first, let’s agree on the definition of a sandwich as opposed to a hamburger, hot dog, taco, wrap, empanada or burrito. To quote the ...Read more

Let the supermarket help you with this quick summer dinner. I picked up coleslaw from the deli and used it with crisp radishes and fresh cilantro to accompany sautéed salmon creating these vibrant, satisfying tacos.

The dinner comes together in minutes. For the best flavor, look for wild-caught salmon, which is often in season this time of ...Read more

DENVER -- Colorado whiskey continues to impress, earning numerous accolades at a recent spirits competition and sweeping the podium for the best American-made single malts.

The International Whisky Competition, founded in 2010, announced the winners of its annual contest in late June and local distillers made an impressive showing while also ...Read more

I hate my wife’s cousin Deb, whom I love.

Deb is the sort of person you would describe as “neat,” if “neat” were still a word that is used to describe a person, which it is not.

She is an old, unrepentant hippie, complete with a stint in a commune on her resumé. Although she lives in a small town in the middle of Ohio, that small ...Read more

These lemon-blueberry oatmeal bars taste like a hearty bowl of oatmeal that you can hold in your hands. Each square is bursting with fresh blueberries and infused with lemon zest. Once you get the hang of this easy breakfast, try them with raspberries or blackberries or swap out the almonds for toasted pecans or walnuts for a different spin.

...Read more

In looking for an alternative to sugar-laden sodas, many turn to sports drinks, energy drinks, and some of the newer “healthy” sodas. But are those beverages actually a better choice to wash down your lunch?

Traditional sports drinks were developed for a college football team practicing all day in the hot sun. They contain sugar, sodium, ...Read more

Here’s a soup you’ll enjoy in warm weather. Mint, lettuce and peas seem made for each other. While peas are often thought of as a springtime vegetable, they are lovely in the summer, as well. I’ve added snow peas to sweeten and enliven the taste of the English peas.

Butter lettuce, sauteed scallions and carrot add an interesting component...Read more

Two of our favorite Chicago restaurants serve amazing caramelized onion dip. One uses labneh (strained Greek yogurt), and the other serves the creamy concoction with homemade potato chips. Both are beyond crave-worthy. I happily brave traffic to indulge.

Admittedly, Lipton’s “California” dip fuels our fascination. Dried onion soup stirred...Read more