American Buffet
Betty Liu’s Sesame-Cumin Chicken is double-fried for flavor and crispiness
Deep-fry (zhà), a well-known technique where the food is fried in a pool of hot oil, which both cooks it and creates a crispy exterior, is used throughout the “Frying” chapter in my cookbook “The Chinese Way.” When deep-frying, I use a thermometer, aiming for 350°F to 375°F. Another way to gauge the temperature is […]
Why the versatile PB&J remains king of the lunchbox after 125 years
If there is a single sandwich associated with childhood and school lunches in the U.S.A, it has to be the PB&J. Sweet and salty, inexpensive, easy to make (maybe the first sandwich many kids make for themselves?), peanut butter and jelly is as close to iconic as a sandwich can get. It’s been 125 years […]
How international supermarkets can break up a dinner rut without costing a fortune
BOISE, Idaho | When kitchen burnout hits, figuring out what to make for dinner every day can feel like an impossible task. Eating out or relying on convenience foods are increasingly difficult solutions for many American families, who are facing the biggest jump in grocery prices in a half century. It can also be healthier […]
Pamela Anderson recommends Watermelon Granita for a cool, no-fuss summer dessert
My cookbook “I Love You” began as a box of recipe cards: a housewarming gift for my sons, inspired by our homegrown traditions and world travel. Since I don’t have a strong sweet tooth, dessert for me is more about being social and having something to share over cards, tea and coffee. A treat for […]
A hot dog Reuben is the deli classic you didn’t expect to make in an air fryer
Here’s a whimsical take on a classic deli sandwich, made with hot dogs rather than the more standard corned beef, from our cookbook “The Instant Air Fryer Bible.” Any hot dog will do — beef, pork, turkey even vegan hot dogs — although the best results are had with more standard, backyard-barbecue dogs, rather than […]
Nutrition apps can help build healthy habits. For some users, their gaming features carry risks
Green means go, red means stop. Trophies or confetti come with good performance, and people who fall behind get nudged to do better. Those brightly colored engagement tactics long ago jumped from smartphone games to everything from online shopping to sports betting and classrooms. So it should come as no surprise that many nutrition-tracking apps […]
What’s the perfect American hot dog? Depends where you grew up
Few foods feel more American than the hot dog, a mainstay at ballparks, street carts and Fourth of July barbecues. But to simply call hot dogs “American” is to miss a whole lot of nuance, and potentially offend local connoisseurs across the country. How to prepare and eat a hot dog is a matter of […]
After helping the US win the Cold War, the all-you-can-eat buffet is fading. Thanks, COVID
LAS VEGAS | On a cool fall evening after the end of World War II, Las Vegas watched “officialdom and ‘cafe society’ turn out for the opening of America’s first all-you-can-eat buffet,” a local paper wrote. It was a big night in a small town that dreamed of hungry visitors. The glazed ham and prime […]
This Stars and Stripes Pie is designed to wow on the Fourth of July
For the Stars and Stripes Pie in my cookbook, “50 Pies, 50 States,” I wanted something that would be a showstopper at any Fourth of July barbecue. I got fancy, using foil as a divider when filling the pie to mimic the color blocking of the flag. I used two fillings — strawberry and blueberry […]
How to grill vegetables and toss them in Isaac Toups’ bacon vinaigrette
Want to make your vegetables taste better and have your friends love you? Char the hell out of some on the grill and then toss them in a bacon vinaigrette, using this recipe from my cookbook “Chasing the Gator: Isaac Toups and the New Cajun Cooking.” These are vegetables so unhealthy a Cajun might actually […]