Publications & Sites 
Rock star local chef launches his own line
While chef Jaime Laurita was on tour cooking for Steven Tyler, the Aerosmith front man told him: “You know, I really wish you’d let your freak flag fly.”
Give beets a chance
When I was a kid and my Dad would go out of town on business, my mom and I invariably dined on a dinner of meatloaf and beets at least once while he was away.
BLT casserole: a twist on a classic sandwich
Throwing grass seeds, spreading mulch and cutting back unwieldy vines sets the stage for a welcome onslaught of sunny days, cook-outs and summery cocktails. Planting hardy perennials, flavorful herbs and delicate annuals brighten any yard in advance of the summer entertaining season, but meal planning often takes a backseat during the busy march toward Memorial Day.
Chefs’ takes on breakfast in bed
Breakfast in bed is the universal “thank you” for Mom on Mother’s Day. The tradition is so widespread that celebrity Chef Emeril Lagasse annually hosts a Breakfast in Bed contest. Lagasse surprises one lucky mom at her home and cooks breakfast for her — in bed.
A meal worthy of Mother’s Day
Motherhood is a gift. But let’s be honest, some days the gift feels more like opening the misshapen rummage sale sweater your loony aunt Bernice picked out instead of that fetching piece of jewelry you’ve had your eye on.
Cinco dishes for Cinco de Mayo
One of my all-time favorite Mexican restaurants, La Quinta de los Reyes, famously crams a 20-piece mariachi band in a room the size of a standard elementary school classroom.
A peck of stuffed peppers for Cinco de Mayo
Peppers are the pick of chefs everywhere for Cinco de Mayo — and Peter Piper has nothing to do with it. These peppers won’t be pickled; they will be stuffed.
Spring bounty means stepping away from the oven
April dinner parties are decidedly feminine affairs in my book and each year I gather some of my favorite ladies for a meal we affectionately refer to as “the spring hat dinner.”
Fight the chill with sunny ceviche
Enjoying a spring break vacation filled with palm trees, ocean surf and sandy beaches can leave Midwesterners longing for the sunny days of summer even more than usual at this time of year.
Stinging nettles, fiddlehead ferns strange stars of spring
Two odd ingredients are popping up on spring menus like daffodils poking through cold ground. Stinging nettles (yes, they really can sting) and fiddlehead ferns are the newest stars of the springtime table.
From cupcakes to couture: The latest on jelly beans
Jelly beans are to Easter what candy canes are to Christmas — the holiday just wouldn’t be the same without them.
Hot cross buns: From the nursery rhyme to the table
While glazed ham, roasted leg of lamb and deviled eggs dominate typical Easter brunch menus, I thought it only fitting to look back to the mid-1300s for a little Lenten inspiration.
Look again! April Fools’ Day foods
Fool your family with sweet treats that will have everyone doing a double take. Chicken pot pie. Puppy chow for humans. Devlish eggs. Chicken not it. Real sponge cake.
Master of the Matzo Ball
Matzo is a welcome addition to any Passover seder dinner menu as unleavened breads serve as a reminder that the Israelites had no time to let their bread rise as they were fleeing Egypt.
Luck of the Irish leftovers
Birthday party planning is a breeze for my best friend. Her husband’s birthday falls on St. Patrick’s Day and to celebrate he wants nothing more than a Guinness and an Irish Boiled Dinner.
A family favorite: breakfast for dinner
Breakfast, like a good sandwich, always tastes better when someone else makes it for you and thanks to 24-hour diners, a plate of perfectly prepared pancakes, eggs and sausage tastes even better at the dinner hour than in the morning.
