Homemade Fried Rice

As a teen, I had a real passion for fried rice and, since I was a vegetarian at the time, I thought that ordering takeout Chinese vegetable fried rice at least twice a week was a fairly healthy choice. Now that I cook at home more frequently and often have leftover rice, I find that making my favorite takeout dish at home is cheap, healthy and delicious.

Football Food

As a Pittsburgher born and bred, I get scolded quite a bit by my sports’ loving friends for not being into sports myself, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t turn on the telly to host an eating fest around football season, just like we did back in the ‘Burgh!

How To Make Your Own Dulce De Leche

Dulce de Leche, a sweet found in Argentine, Uruguayan and Chilean cuisine, is prepared by cooking sweetened condensed milk to create a sumptuous sauce that tastes like melted milk caramels. I will warn you – it is dangerous.

How To Make Your Own Tamari Almonds

Tamari almonds are a great ingredient in my banana-nut breakfast smoothie as they really add a hint of saltiness against the sweetness of really ripe bananas. But I realized that those tamari almonds were almost $2 a bag! So here’s my recipe to make your own…

Fresh Tamarind

Loved by lemurs and Indian and Thai food fans, tamarind is a tropical fruit that is now available in the US. My neighbor Susan shared tamarind pods with me last week. I loved eating the dried fruit directly from the pod and tried making my own tamarind paste.

Grilled Mango with Balsamic Vinegar

If you’ve ever tasted real aged balsamic vinegar, you know that nothing compares with its aroma, texture and dark, deep flavor. The real McCoy is from Modena, Italy, made from the white Trebbiano grape and aged for 12 to 25 years, but try out my latest recipe!

Black Baked Beans

Beans are one of the foods I really crave. No matter if it’s black bean soup with tons of fresh lime, refried beans, chili or summer barbecues – I make a beeline to the baked beans!

Sure Shots

My neighbor Susan recently gave me a charming book about old-fashioned cocktails. The author stresses throughout the book that the base of a delicious mixed drinks comes from premium spirits and fresh juices – no bottled mixes. So I’ve devised four recipes for lower-calorie shots!