Recipes

Before serving chipotle barbecue porky pappardelle, top with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of chives.

RECIPE: Add some heat

Chipotles give spicy flavor

BY J.M. HIRSCH

Pay no attention to the many shelves of faux salsas (Blueberry-pineapple? Really?) and shove aside all those cans of low-fat, low-sodium, no-flavor refried beans. For this week’s underappreciated ingredient, you will need to dig a bit deeper...... Full story

It may look like a doughnut. It may be filled like a doughnut. It may even be cooked like a doughnut. But don't call it a doughnut. It's a beignet.

RECIPE: Don't call them doughnuts

Enjoy the sweet taste of New Orleans

BY ALISON LADMAN

It may look like a doughnut. It may be filled or glazed like a doughnut. It may even be cooked like a doughnut. But don’t call it a doughnut. It’s a beignet. And it’s one of New Orleans’ two iconic sweets (the other being...... Full story

Just in time for Mardi Gras, Rocco DiSpirito gives a the traditionally high-fat Cajun classic jambalaya a healthy makeover. Thanks to a zero-calorie rice-like product and various other nips and tucks, the result has lots of flavor, but not lots of calories.

RECIPE: Jambalaya slims down for Fat Tuesday

BY ROCCO DiSPIRITO

Mardi Gras is the sort of celebration that can make every city in America want to be New Orleans. Between the parties and parades and all those rich foods, what’s not to love? Well, perhaps the after effects of all those rich foods....... Full story

Warm and creamy, au gratin is perfect for a cold winter night.

RECIPE: Indulge your valentine with a rich dinner

BY ALISON LADMAN

Warm and creamy, au gratin are perfect for a cold winter night. And what better way to say “I love you” than with a little indulgence of seafood and cream. This dish goes together with just a little effort and you end up with an...... Full story

Valentine's Day practically screams for a chocolate dessert. And this mousse is an easy way to incorporate chocolate without being overly indulgent.

RECIPE: Don't forget the chocolate

BY ALISON LADMAN

Valentine’s Day practically screams for a chocolate dessert. And this mousse is an easy way to incorporate chocolate without being overly indulgent. Because this is a chilled dessert, you can make it ahead of time and not worry about things...... Full story

For a gourmet touch, these bonbons can be sprinkled with some flake sea salt, candy sprinkles, finely crushed nuts or coconut.

RECIPE: Make chocolates for your sweetheart

BY J.M. HIRSCH

Attempting to make chocolate bonbons from scratch is enough to test anyone’s love. First you have to cook up some fussy filling, and get it into — and to hold — just the right shape. Then you have to temper the chocolate, the...... Full story

To serve, stromboli are simply sliced like a loaf of bread, creating a spiral baked sandwich that is perfect for large parties.

RECIPE: Part pizza, part calzone, all party!

Try stromboli for Super Bowl gatherings

BY ALISON LADMAN

A stromboli is kind of a cross between a grinder and a calzone. Bread dough is rolled out, filled with sliced meats, cheeses and vegetables, then rolled up into a tube and baked. To serve, stromboli are simply sliced like a loaf of bread, creating...... Full story

In this Jan. 4, 2012 photo, Rocco DiSpirito's recipe for popcorn chicken puts a delicious, low-calorie spin on a game day favorite, chicken wings.

RECIPE: Tackle game-day hunger

Snack won't block New Year's resolutions

BY ROCCO DiSPIRITO

The big game on Super Bowl Sunday usually brings with it big eats. As a nation, in just one day we consume millions of pounds of potato chips, tortilla chips, pretzels, popcorn and nuts. And don’t even get me started on the guacamole, chicken...... Full story

These cupcakes are big, bold, manly and totally down for a Super Bowl spread.

RECIPE: Skip the sprinkles, cupcake

BY ALISON LADMAN

These are not your girlfriend’s cupcakes. There is no frilly pastel frosting piped on top. They are not delicate. They are not pretty. They are big, bold, manly and totally down for a Super Bowl spread. Since ease is key for Super Bowl...... Full story

A walking taco is a variety of toppings dumped into a snack-size bag of Fritos and eaten right from the bag.

RECIPE: Serve a crowd-friendly taco bar fit for Super Bowl

BY ELIZABETH KARMEL

Whenever I think of Super Bowl Sunday, I think of chili and guacamole and chips. And Ro-Tel cheese dip. And Frito pie. Because face it, people love to indulge in fatty, crunchy, salty foods they can munch while milling about or standing and...... Full story

RECIPE: An upper crust

Prizewinning pie baker shares her secret

BY CATHY THOMAS

It was worth a little bad blood. Judging the Retro Baking Contest gave me the luscious task of shoveling down spoonfuls of glorious homemade pies. Who can resist pie? It’s such a happy dessert, innocent and nostalgic. But my annual physical...... Full story

Used quietly for years to add zip to everything from stir-fries to sushi, ginger also happens to be a key ingredient for the noodles and dumplings traditionally eaten for Chinese New Year, the two-week celebration of food and family that begins Jan. 23.

RECIPE: Ginger spices up celebration

Chinese New Year foods make use of root

BY MICHELLE LOCKE

Fresh, dried, candied or pickled, the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale — ginger root to you and me — is a hot commodity at the moment. Used quietly for years to add zip to everything from stir-fries and sushi to breads and...... Full story

Eating long beans to symbolize a long life is a hallmark of Chinese New Year. These beans can be found in well-stocked grocers and most Asian markets. They often go by other names, including asparagus beans, yard-long beans and snake beans. But whatever you call them, they basically look like really long green beans.

RECIPE: Make a culinary wish for long life

Beans welcome year of the water dragon

BY ALISON LADMAN

Eating long beans to symbolize a long life is a hallmark of Chinese New Year. These beans can be found in well-stocked grocers and most Asian markets. They often go by other names, including asparagus beans, yard-long beans and snake beans. But...... Full story

Inspired by the Italian sub popular in the Northeast, this recipe uses sauteed salami, garlic peppers, sun-dried tomatoes and onion.

RECIPE: Mac and cheese grows up

BY ALISON LADMAN

In this grown-up version of macaroni and cheese we take a trip to Italy. Sort of. Inspired by the Italian sub popular in the Northeast, we sauteed up salami, garlic peppers, sun-dried tomatoes and onion. Our cheese sauce is creamy and sharp with a...... Full story

Her recipe for Asian Braised Chicken Thighs with Soybean Salad won Roxanne Chan of Albany, CA, a spot as one of six finalists in the Second Annual Foster Farms Fresh Chicken Cooking Contest.

RECIPE: White or dark chicken?

Choices depend on health, flavor, cost

BY CATHY THOMAS

There’s a long-standing debate when it comes to chicken: breasts or thighs, light or dark? We know that white meat has less fat and calories, but it also has less flavor pizazz. A hundred grams of skinless (roasted) chicken thigh, about 3 1/2...... Full story