Exploring the Charming Flavors of Brookline, PA

Brookline, located just south of downtown Pittsburgh, is known as the city’s second-biggest neighborhood. The area has experienced an emergence of new independent businesses, particularly food shops, over the past few years. It was through an invitation to join a walking food tour from Sylvia McCoy, owner of ‘Burgh Bits and Bites, I was able [...]

How to Roast Beets in 5 Easy Steps

My appreciation for the mighty beet grew around the time they started to appear in my winter CSA box. Before I found them awkwardly interesting and, frankly, annoying at the same time. They are a pain to clean, they stained my hands several shades of magenta and would take hours to transform into anything edible. [...]

Can food be flavorful & beautiful while staying on budget?

Food has always been a central part of life – dating back to childhood days when I whipped up culinary confections in my mother’s kitchen. Food has become even more of a focus in my adulthood where I am now deep into a full-time graduate program in food studies. Whether I’m touring local food businesses, [...]

Friendsgiving Blessings

Off I go…over the river and through the woods with a picnic basket in tow. With our families scattered throughout the country, a small group of friends decided to host our own Friendsgiving festivities this year. The menu reads like a who’s who list of traditional Thanksgiving fare with each friend contributing a dish or [...]

Cheesy Alexia Fries & Giveaway

The picture above is my favorite way to eat French fries – grilled chicken, smothered in melted cheese and a dollop or two of sour cream for good measure. I had the opportunity dive deep into the world of fries with Alexia Foods “Reinvent a Classic” contest over the summer. For an entire month, my [...]

Spiced Rum Vanilla Extract

Baking cookies has always been a guilty pleasure for me. The first recipe I ever created was a monstrous cookie adapted from three distinct recipes. Even as an adult, I have a well-practiced system that ensures perfection each and every time. However, there is one special ingredient that makes my cookies even more unique than [...]

Cozy Noodles & Rice: Thanks for the Memories…

I opted to take a 12-week food writing course this summer, along with a few other twisted souls, for my graduate degree. The class challenged my writing skills and helped to expand my perspectives about food. Plus, I got to meet several amazing writers, magazine editors, photographers, and chefs who are all focused on the [...]

Blueberry Basil Cocktail

The whole idea for this beverage started when I was standing over my two basil plants. I hovered over them in awe at how well they are growing this summer. It seemed like every time I clip, the bushier they grow. I couldn’t fathom the idea of making anymore pesto. So I clipped a few [...]

Red Sangria

The first time I had sangria was many years ago on New Year’s Day. A group of friends decided to go to a local tapas restaurant that was running a special brunch that day. We showed up in our pajamas to receive half-off sangrias and a gift card toward a future purchase. It was actually [...]

Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing

This dressing is creamy, chunky and tangy all at the same time. What’s not to like? I decided to try something different when whipping together a dressing for a steak house salad. Rather than adding the traditional amount of sour cream, I opted for Greek yogurt instead. This substitution incorporated a slightly Mediterranean tang to [...]

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