Spring's early gift, sweet strawberries are in

With winter's freeze in the rearview mirror, fans of fresh produce are eager for the harvests ahead. One has begun at Mayhew Tomato Farm, where strawberry picking is in full swing.

Cooking on deadline: Simple vegetarian spring pasta salad

A great pasta salad is a beautiful thing. It anchors a picnic, potluck or buffet with aplomb. It's portable, flexible, and easily and often vegetarian.

KitchenWise: Serve baked chicken thighs with lemon pickles

Preserved lemons, aka lemon pickles, are a delicious and unique treat that have long delivered a ton of salty and acidic crunch to the cuisines of North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia -- and to America in recent years.

Cooking on deadline: leftover brisket barley soup

If you hosted Passover, you may brisket leftovers. (And if you didn't end up with leftovers, make a note next year to buy a bigger brisket.)

The eggs have it

Sunday's dinner is pretty well planned. Some of the grocery shopping is out of the way. Setting and decorating the Easter table is still ahead, and for many it's one of the most enjoyable "tasks."

Cooking on deadline: classic deviled eggs for Easter

Deviled eggs know no single season or demographic. They are blissfully democratic appetizers.

Cooking on deadline: chicken piri piri

Here's the drill with butterflying -- or spatchcocking -- a bird.

How to be mere minutes away from a tasty crusted salmon

It seems like mere moments after I get the last dish dried and put away, it's time to make dinner again.

Here comes Peter Cottontail

Easter has always been special for my family. First, for its spiritual significance. But also for the sweet joy of waking up Easter morning to venture into the backyard to see if the Easter Bunny had hidden eggs and left us baskets filled with surprises.

For brunch, bake your eggs in a pastry nest

With spring -- and Easter -- upon us, I offer a dish guaranteed to spruce up a seasonal brunch.

Spaghetti squash is tasty alternative to pasta

Spaghetti squash is a large round squash that forms spaghettilike strands when it's cooked.

Go green: Local eateries plan a nod to St. Paddy's Day

Last week, we looked at a few ways Ireland's iconic Guinness stout can be used in the kitchen. This week, with St. Patrick's Day coming up Saturday, we check in to see how local eateries may be planning to give a nod to the Emerald Isle.

Cooking on deadline: citrus-marinated salmon

Salmon is my No. 1 favorite fish in the ocean, and I am not alone.

A fresh spin on Caesar salad with Brussels sprouts, sardines

For all the grief the Caesar salad gets in the culinary world, I proudly admit to adoring the classic flavor combination -- garlicky-lemon dressing mixed with anchovy-umami undertone that can only come from salty fish, topped off with nutty, pungent Parmesan.

Raise a pint: Guinness in the kitchen

With St. Patrick's Day approaching, thoughts have drifted to things Irish.

Cooking on deadline: Shepherd's Pie

The dead of winter is much more tolerable when you a make a mood-lifting dinner like this one.

Bake bar cookies packed with pecans, toffee and chocolate

These bar cookies are everything! They are loaded with texture, flavor and just enough salt to make them addictive.

Praline is the standout in this recipe for arugula salad

Here's a salad fit to join the lineup for your fanciest dinner or holiday meal.

Got half an hour? Get a great meal

We feel it. Winter hibernation is coming to an end. We're waking up to blossoms, greening and calendars filling up with functions, fundraisers, kids' sports, spring cleaning or just plain wanting to spend more time outdoors.

Best of the Triangle 2017

Best Area Professionals 2017

2018 Dining Guide