Sunshine, fresh air and fragrant smoke. There’s nothing better than firing up the grill once temperatures climb. Burgers, ribs and hot dogs are American standards, but lean chicken is a happy partner in this annual celebration of al fresco dining, offering a lighter alternative to conventional grill fare. And with… Read More

Exuberant fans + asphalt neighborhoods. The idea of celebrating outdoors in the brisk autumn air is a time-honored tradition harkening back to harvest festivals. College football parties most likely started on Ivy League campuses more than a century ago. Over time, ardent tailgating has become a mainstay activity at collegiate,… Read More

History repeating itself, one delicious meal at a time. Was there ever a time chicken pot pies didn’t exist? Food historians trace meat pies with poultry to the Roman era, and in America the dish appears in cookbooks in the early 1800s. Even Laura Ingalls Wilder mentions chicken pies in the… Read More

An Italian-American favorite, with emphasis on the hyphen, This story begins with eggplant. But before launching into the origins of one of the world’s most favorite chicken entrées, a word about this new series, Classics Redefined. Earlier, The Good Plate profiled chicken pot pies, a hearty… Read More

Going big – fun, friends and freezer-ready meals. What is it about winter weekends that make simmering a big pot of soup or stew such a great idea? Obviously, large batch cooking has merits in any season — armloads from the farmers market in spring, heavily laden grills in summer,… Read More

A fresh take for the great outdoors. Picnic season is here, and blankets and baskets are emerging from hibernation. The big question is, what’s going in those baskets this summer? Chicken salad is a time-honored favorite, but if the usual path approach to making it is starting to feel more… Read More

Drifting soon through an open window near you. You can see it. Smell it. Taste it. Yet it’s not always easy to put a finger on what makes one of humankind’s oldest cooking techniques so appealing. Different people have different reasons for loving smoked foods. For some, it’s tradition. For… Read More

Lighter and full of flavor. Hello, zucchini. You look so different. Same for you squashes, beets, daikon and other garden favorites. All it takes is a few quick strokes or turns of a knife, peeler or kitchen appliance, and even the most common vegetable can be completely transformed. Suddenly, they’re standing in… Read More

Hot enough for you? Dial it in. Hot chicken has seared its way into national culinary consciousness in a big way. With a legendary heritage in Nashville, this firebrand of the fried chicken world blazes a new trail for creativity in the kitchen. Can the innovation continue? You bet your… Read More

Simple processes, complex flavors. Everyone’s first encounter with “caramel” was probably an ooey-gooey candy, perhaps a bite sized treat on Halloween or straight from the bag during a cookie making marathon. Later, you might have oohed and aahed over a perfectly caramelized crème brûlée. It’s the color brown that’s the… Read More

What’s #1 at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue? State dinners. Celebratory banquets. Working lunches. Private family meals. What the presidents, their families and staff have eaten at the White House for the more than 200 years it’s existed reveals a lot about American food culture and trends. From elegant to commonplace, meals… Read More

The creativity continues. East coast. West coast. Or is it the south? The origin story of chicken and waffles is long and winding with as many crossroads as the surface of a waffle itself. But here’s what everyone who’s ever tried chicken and waffles knows. First, the combination is delicious. Read More