Food & drink

Food & drink

Traditions vary from family to family, but there are a few staples that you will find at any large, celebratory gathering, regardless of the time of year: mountains of plantain; coleslaw smothered in salad cream or mayonnaise; an array of starters (spring rolls, chicken wings, savoury donut-style puff puff balls, samosas) endearingly known collectively as small chops; two types of rice: fried, and the regional favourite jollof.

NIKI RUSS FEDERMAN: Russ & Daughters, for me, was a literal mom-and-pop because it was my mom and my pop. SIMON: Niki Russ Federman is the cousin who practically grew up at the shop. FEDERMAN: As a kid, I would wait at the doors for the produce delivery guys to come. And they would wheel in with their handcarts - they had sacks - 50-pound sacks of onions, carrots, potatoes. And I would climb on top as if it were my chariot.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, add cranberries and rum. Stir to coat, and as soon as it starts simmering, remove from the heat. Let it sit for 30 minutes before transferring the macerated fruit into a small bowl, using a slotted spoon. Reserve the leftover rum. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 3-quart baking dish with butter; set aside. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add butter, eggnog, heavy cream, granulated sugar, and salt.

We were skeptical when sliding this soup out of its wrapping, as it resembled a rock-hard giant bouillon block with layers of croutons and cheese all stuck together. Despite a less-than-appetizing first impression, its transformation in the microwave rendered mind-blowingly delicious results. To begin, Cuisine Adventure's French onion soup had both melted Swiss cheese and croutons, which none of the other competitors had. The cheese dispersed beautifully throughout the broth, providing a decadent, savory flavor to complement the sweetness of the caramelized onions.

While Chicago-style pies look very different when finished, the ingredients that go into them are pretty similar to other recipes. Even the crust itself isn't that thick; it's just shaped differently to hold more sauce and cheese. And that's a big reason why when we spoke to World Pizza Champion Tony Gemignani about mistakes to avoid when making Chicago-style pizza, he told us to avoid adding too many different types of toppings.

HOLMES: The flour-milling business was created by Harmon S. Holmes. ULABY: His great-great-grandfather. HOLMES: And then there's Howard Samuel Holmes, and then Howard Sumner Holmes. ULABY: His grandfather. His dad is also Howard Holmes, and so is his baby boy. But great-grandmother Mabel invented Jiffy corn bread mix during the Great Depression. Jiffy mix cost 10 cents a box back then. Right now, 50 cents at Walmart. That old-fashioned package, says Holmes, sells itself.

My social circle mainly consists of Gen Zers and young millennials who are early-career professionals, first-generation immigrants, pursuing further education, or raising small children. We also happen to live in the California Bay Area, where the median income of over $120,000. Being frugal doesn't mean we cannot have a great Christmas gathering. It just means we have to reset our expectations and values, and prioritize what matters the most to us: time with each other.

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Portola Valley is now home to a new Japanese restaurant, Hibari, offering kappo-style dining. Kappo, which means cut and cook, refers to a multi-course meal where the menu is up to the chef. Think omakase-style, but with dishes that go beyond sushi. It's often considered less formal than other omakase formats, with the chef passing dishes to diners over the counter.

The restaurant's first-ever brunch service will include a Big Mac mantou (a steamed bun with cheesy beef, onions, kimchi, and Russian dressing), a McRib bao (a bao bun made with pork rib and Chinese barbecue sauce), a Filet o Fish bao (fried fish on a bao with American cheese), and more whimsical fast food creations. There will also be drag performances and cocktails.

Dirty sodas - customizable drinks that combine regular soda with flavored syrups, cream, and surprising add-ins - have become the new drink of choice for many Americans. The early version of dirty soda was created to fill a void for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who refrain from drinking coffee and alcohol due to their religious beliefs. However, what started as a local Utah phenomenon has since exploded into a nationwide, viral beverage takeover.

When it opened last fall, Somerville immediately became one of the city's toughest reservations. The first fine-dining concept from partners Ajay Relan, Yonnie Hagos and Issa Rae of Good Vibes Only (GVO) hospitality group, the glitzy supper club is a sepia-toned tribute to South-Central, named in honor of the Central Avenue hotel where musicians like Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday once stayed while touring jazz and blues clubs along the busy thoroughfare. This month, it was ranked on The Times' 101 Best Restaurants guide.

At 6:30 p.m. on a Saturday, every seat is taken at the Original Red Onion in Rolling Hills Estates, deep in the Palos Verdes Peninsula. As 20 parties wait for tables, a steady stream of takeout orders flows through the kitchen, and bustling bar patrons hold generously poured jalapeño mezcal margaritas that spill down the green cactus-shaped stems. Throughout the restaurant's multiple rooms, servers maneuver rolling carts of carne asada and saucy enchiladas between tables while they empty and refill chip baskets and salsa bowls.

The culinary essence of the festive season is a kind of sanctioned chaos. Never mind that, from one angle, Christmas is mostly just rigidly observed collective food traditions and grown adults dying on the hill of whether yorkshire puddings should be served with turkey. I don't think I ever really feel that warming yuletide rush until I have turned a disparate assemblage of leftovers into what, to the casual observer,

Instead of a half chocolate and vanilla frozen custard, you get a couple of scoops of vanilla custard with an ounce of fudge sauce. That thick and concentrated chocolate sauce gives your shake a rich and decadent flavor. One Redditor stated that it tasted like a "melted milk chocolate bar and is the best ever!" Our taste tester agreed. "That vanilla custard gives the shake an ultra-creamy, mellow foundation while the fudge brings in a deep, silky chocolate note."

These little terrines are filled with a rich and silky chocolate custard that is best prepared one day in advance of serving, making them ideal for entertaining and cooking for a crowd. This classic recipe relies on a short list of ingredients and demands a high-quality dark chocolate to deliver its rich, deep flavor. It's fortified with a splash of orange liqueur that faintly perfumes the custard.

This recipe started as a plain cheesecake that my mother began making in the 80s and has evolved into a flavorful and versatile one that can be used with any flavor or add-in! I like to get creative around the occasion or holiday I make it for.

It's called the Wait App, and it's online at thewaitapp.com The app was created by an unidentified developer and is not affiliated with the Irvine-based food chain. It uses crowdsourcing to track both drive-thru and walk-in wait times at the new restaurants in Antioch, Lebanon and Murfreesboro, all in suburban Nashville. At 11:30 a.m. CST on Tuesday, Dec. 22, the app showed drive-thru wait times of 27-36 minutes and 23-44 minutes for walk-in diners.

When it first reaches you, the idea of seafood is one of cleanliness. Maybe it's the associated freshness of the ocean, or its reputation as a healthy food. However, underneath upscale presentations or coastal dreaming, there is a complex and opaque part of the global food system at work, and it's not always at the front of mind when shopping for fish and seafood.

To take a traditional pastrami sandwich to the next level, creating balance is key. Injecting a dose of heat, some sweetness, or a pop of freshness can contrast the salty notes of the meat. Incorporating something crunchy is also a great way to make each bite more texturally interesting. And, there are countless ways to build this all-important harmony. With the help of creamy spreads, crisp veggies, tangy pickles, and fruity slices, you can transform the basic meat-bread base into a layered, flavor-packed creation.

But 13 Italian pasta companies are looking at a much steeper tax set to arrive in January 2026. In September, the Commerce Department put out a proposal to punish these companies for "dumping" product with a startlingly high tax of around 92%. Added to the standard EU tariff, that totals a 107% increase in price, likely enough to remove these products from the shelves entirely.

Indeed, in January, the Atlantic's Ellen Cushing declared that America is in a party deficit, quoting a 2023 Bureau of Labor Statistics report that found only 4.1% of Americans attended or hosted a social event on an average holiday weekend. That figure was down a whopping 35% since 2004. Maybe the pandemic is to blame. Or the loneliness epidemic. Or smartphones.

Even with all the information at our fingertips, something as essential as eating healthy can seem like a complex formula to master - but it really doesn't have to be. That's why Tasting Table spoke to Destini Moody, RD, CSSD, LD at Live It Up superfoods, to find out how to easily craft a complete meal. "I always tell my clients that you want every meal to have a protein, a healthy carb, and some sort of fruit or veggie," she said.

If you're a fan of Wendy's Frostys, you know this ultra-thick dessert usually comes topped off with a lid. But did you know that there's a Wendy's hack that involves ordering a Frosty without a lid? It's common sense once you realize why. When there's a lid, employees leave a bit of space so that the Frosty doesn't overflow when they put the lid on.

Earlier this month, when a sudden swirl of social media rumors began to suggest that the polarizing bakery chain was closing down, some of the online reactions were downright gleeful. "Too sweet and too expensive!" went one typical comment. The chatter was so loud that Crumbl cofounder Sawyer Hemsley took to TikTok to dispel the rumor, explaining that the fast-growing chain is just moving offices as it prepares for its next wave of expansion.

Internet fans have famously dubbed Diet Coke the unofficial "fridge cigarette" - and it is in this spirit that we invite readers to indulge in a proverbial smoke break and consider the soft drink's impostors. In Tasting Table's ranking of five Diet Coke copycat sodas, Sam's Diet Cola fell to last place. It's ultra-affordable, but by our count, it doesn't get the job done.

For most bakers, it's second-nature to measure out the prescribed dose of vanilla for a cookie dough or cake batter using a measuring spoon, but it turns out that the iconic McCormick bottle can actually save you a dish. The red cap on the 4-ounce bottle of McCormick vanilla holds 3/4 of a teaspoon of liquid - perfect for recipes that call for a multiple of 3/4 (the caps on the 2-ounce bottles hold about 1/2 teaspoon).

It's no secret anymore: Moms are the magic-makers-in-chief when it comes to the holidays. And with so much on our minds, from dinner menus to gift lists and everything in between, we'll take any little easy shortcuts we can get, thanks. These TikTok holiday hacks are perfect for just that - and they actually work. No, these are not the weird "hacks" that make you roll your eyes at the internet these days.

the answer is quite straightforward, and Samantha Merritt, creator of Sugar Spun Run, has one simple rule: If lemon is the primary flavor of the dish, use fresh lemon juice. "If I'm making a lemon meringue pie, lemon bars, lemonade, or lemon curd, the lemon flavor is the main feature of the recipe," Merritt says, "so I'll always opt for fresh-squeezed lemons." It offers the brightest, most natural flavor, and isn't that what we all want when biting into a slice of lemon meringue pie?