Food

- No-cook cooking
- Five cool-down dishes that don’t require flame, oven or stovetop
- By Cathy Thomas/Freedom News Service
- You know they are coming. Those scalding summer days, so heavy with heat that even sundown offers little relief. Summer brings evenings in which even the most dedicated foodie quivers at the mere thought of firing up the stove.
The best defense might... Full story

- Joe Sixpack: Beer floats a perfect mix of childhood joy, adult hedonism
- By Joe Sixpack/For the Appeal-Democrat
- Mixing beer and ice cream seems a totally gross idea that should offend everyone. It is a disservice to two perfectly fine indulgences, akin to mixing baseball and sex. There is no reason to believe they might be consenting partners.
Indeed, no less... Full story

- Quick Fix: Barbecued pork minus the grill
- By Linda Gassenheimer/McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- I love a great barbecue, but don't have the time mid-week to marinate the meat and fire up the grill. Today's easy recipe solves the problem.
My secret to quick-broiling the meat is to place a foil-lined baking tray under the broiler while the broiler... Full story

- Uncorked: Trading cattle for grapes
- By Fred Tasker/McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- If you were going to create a winery, wouldn't it be nice to start from scratch? You could if you were a multimillionaire businessman like Jerry Brassfield. The son of a Fresno rancher, he left home at 19 to found his own empire — direct sales of... Full story

- Southwest Citrus Chipotle Prawns
- Sutter Surgical chef shares zesty, refreshing recipe
- By John Hollis/Appeal-Democrat
- "It's always been a big passion of mine. My great-grandmother owned a restaurant in Cambria called 'Anita's.' She studied (food preparation) in Germany and also attended culinary school for baking in Paris. My grandmother passed all that on to us," said... Full story

- Joe Sixpack: Celebrity chefs climb aboard the beer bandwagon
- By Joe Sixpack/For the Appeal-Democrat
- Another celebrity chef has seen the light.
This time it's Iron Chef and 2009 James Beard Award-winner Michael Symon who's embracing beer in a big way, partnering with Pilsner Urquell to promote the lager's compatibility with food.
"I think beer is becoming... Full story

- Cool off with homemade ice cream
- It’s a breeze to make a pint or two at home
- By Renie Enna/McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- No question, the supermarket freezer case is chock-full of delicious ice cream. So why make your own?
"Homemade ice cream is one of the easiest yet smartest desserts to serve — ready to go when you want it," noted Alex Barker, author of "500 Ice... Full story

- Quick Fix: Jamaican jerk chicken is quick, spicy
- By Linda Gassenheimer/McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- Spicy Jamaican jerk seasoning adds zing to this quick chicken dish.
"Jerking" is an old Jamaican method for preserving and cooking meat. It is thought to have been invented by the Arawac Indians.
Today, the men who prepare the meat are called "jerk... Full story

- Uncorked: Terra incognito
- Blind tasting reveals differences in 3 sauvignon blancs
- By Bill Daley/McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- It's not every day a box of three bottles of wine arrives with each wrapped in black paper and marked only by a number: 1, 2 or 3. But the inventive folks at Terlato Wines International, which markets more than 50 wine brands from around the world, were... Full story

- TIME for TEA
- Shortcuts make hosting a tea party easier – updating classic sandwiches with bright flavors like curry, mint and arugula makes it tastier
- By Jill L. Reed/Freedom News Service
- So much of cooking for me is pulling old ideas out of the recipe box in my head. Things are created from experimentation, family secrets and the muscle memory of making them for years.
This has always been my approach to tea sandwiches: A little of this,... Full story