My mother always said "less is more" and "wear the dress; don't let it wear you." Those two pieces of advice, among others, are true in life — and especially true of asparagus. Newly arrived in our farmers markets and co-ops, the vibrant green spears don't need gussying up. Asparagus, the aristocrat of vegetables, is compelling on its own.

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Cicadas are plentiful, and they are full of protein. And that is why, every time cicadas start to emerge from the ground, food writers delightedly churn out stories about how we all ought to try eating them.

Well, not me. I’ve never been one for jumping on bandwagons. And a bandwagon involving the consumption of large flying insects appeals ...Read more

Celebrate the last cool nights of late spring with the ultimate comfort food: cottage pie.

Cottage pie is simply the beef version of shepherd's pie, which is typically made with lamb.

In its most basic form, ground beef is sautéed with onions and carrots. A little flour, along with beef broth, is added to create a gravy. Mashed potatoes are ...Read more

Whether you’re getting older or have a low tolerance for the sweetener, the gastrointestinal tract can be fickle when digesting sugar.

Caving in to cravings can be satisfying, but depending on what you eat, you could pay for it later. Most sweets could contain artificial sweeteners that, according to Woman’s World, taste anywhere between �...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Five of the country’s top 100 barbecue spots are in the Kansas City metro, according to Yelp.

The crowd-sourced review site released its annual list, compiling the top barbecue restaurants based on the rating and number of reviews.

Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que came in sixth, with Yelp noting its burnt ends and Z-man ...Read more

From the minute you open the package of these bite-size licorice chews, you get a big whiff of that green apple. Happily, that smell follows to the tangy-sweet taste of these treats.

They are fat-free, made with no high fructose corn syrup and vegan. They aren’t hard or terribly chewy like other licorice brands. And did we mention that ...Read more

FIREBAUGH, Calif. — It was a late March morning and dozens of women and men descended on a San Joaquin Valley asparagus farm — one of the last in the state. The workers walked along the furrows, cutting the newly sprouted spears at precisely nine inches, a market standard.

Later that morning, farmer Aaron Barcellos surveyed the land ...Read more

Fresh rosemary and garlic coat this pork tenderloin as it roasts in the oven. The oven does the work while you make the linguine and green beans.

Frozen green beans are used in the linguine dish. Frozen vegetables can be a good choice when they are picked at their peak and immediately frozen. Keep some on hand for other meals.

Helpful Hints:

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If you could hear handwringing, that was the noise that sounded around the world as people scrolled through The New Yorker’s piece on the cutthroat secondary market for bookings in Manhattan’s hottest restaurants. Adam Iscoe went through the many ways diners can get to eat at some of the toughest tables in town — almost all involved ...Read more

Pulsing rolled oats with eggs, banana, brown sugar and oil creates the moist dough of these chocolaty muffins without a bit of all-purpose flour. These are two-bite muffins with a dense and gooey texture. They’re delicately sweet and rich, too, so baking them as mini muffins makes them a perfect snack or quick morning bite.

Flourless Banana ...Read more

Horseradish mixed with mayonnaise gives a zip to these boneless, skinless chicken thighs while the panko breadcrumbs form a golden crust.

Panko breadcrumbs are a Japanese variety of breadcrumbs and are made from bread that has been baked or toasted giving them a firm texture.

Helpful Hints:

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts can be used ...Read more

There’s always a new trend when it comes to eating healthier and losing weight. Many toy around with the idea of ditching gluten. For some, the absence of gluten is necessary because of health reasons.

According to Very Well Health, about 20 million people have a gluten sensitivity and could experience hives and rashes, stuffy and runny nose,...Read more

PHILADELPHIA -- Night owls, third-shift workers, and even plain old procrastinators have cause to celebrate, as Philly has a new 24/7 cheese vending machine. Find it housed in a bright-red booth right outside of Perrystead Dairy (1639 N. Hancock St.) in the Kensington neighborhood.

Step inside the booth and peruse the selection of Perrystead’...Read more

There’s just something about a warm bowl of noodles that puts a smile on a person’s face.

Toss them with some crisp and colorful veggies and a rich sauce in quick fashion, as this recipe from “Kitchen Sanctuary Quick & Easy” does, and the pleasure is only double — tripled, if you’re able to pinch a few pennies and clean out your ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — I arrived in the City of Brotherly Love on a recent Friday evening tired, hungry and with places to go.

The Liberty Bell wasn't on my mind, or even Independence Hall. I was looking for Kobe Bryant's Philadelphia.

The late Los Angeles Lakers superstar spent the majority of his life in Southern California — but he never forgot...Read more

The concept is curious. Turn 347 International House of Pancakes locations nationwide into ghost kitchens that produce ballpark-themed fast food for delivery and pickup.

Ballpark Bites outlets have sprung up seemingly overnight, 44 in California alone, second only to the 76 in Texas. Maybe that's how ghost kitchens roll.

Major League Baseball...Read more

Here are two great reasons to cook chicken thighs in a heavy skillet: the crisp skin and the fabulous fat it leaves behind. That fabulous fat is the base for a lush sauce that has endless variations; using this method, you'll never eat the same dish twice.

The only things you need are a heavy skillet, quality chicken and patience. First, cast ...Read more

As springtime temperatures fluctuate, so do our moods and patience with trying to plan meals.

One day we're throwing open the windows, firing up the grill and declaring it "almost summer," only to be humbled by near-freezing temperatures and thoughts of chili and slow cookers the next. Consider these salads your middle ground.

Too early and ...Read more

I’ve tried baked Parmesan before, both packaged and homemade. It’s delicious, addictive and high in protein. But these oven-baked Parm Crisps take that to the next level with some creative flavorings.

I love the sour cream and onion flavor, which has a lot of bite from the onion and smoothness from the sour cream. Sure, they make basic ...Read more

Last year, the word to describe much of the spike in food prices would have been “heatflation,” as drought and high temperatures affected crop yields around the world, from olive oil in Spain (much to my colleague Javier Blas’s despair) to cabbage in South Korea.

This year we’re facing a different concept, still undeniably linked to the...Read more