What's better than roasting a whole chicken for busy weeknights? Ask Fresh Tart, and she'll tell you: braised Moroccan chicken. It is so ridiculously easy and delicious to braise a whole chicken that I do it almost every week, just to have on hand for last-minute meals. I've posted my recipe for chicken braised in coconut milk before, but not some of the other variations I play around with, so Read more

We're not the only ones who are huge fans of the food blog Homesick Texan, so is OnSugar blogger FreshTart. Here, she tries out the Texan's recipe for Dallas-style beef brisket tacos. I took this picture after...6 pm!  That is so outstanding I can barely contain myself.  It's been a long, dark winter in Minnesota and while it's still cold as hell, with a thick blanket of dirty snow covering Read more

If you've ever doubted the deliciousness of dark, leafy collard greens, OnSugar blogger Fresh Tart is here to reassure you with a new recipe. Try it, and you'll never feel the same way about collards ever again! I've been meaning to post this recipe since the holidays, when I brought this dish to my aunt Mary & uncle Bruce's house for Christmas Day.  Time flies . . . Actually, time doesn't Read more

Fresh Tart's beautiful photos and delicious-sounding recipes always amaze me. Here, she makes a mouthwatering chicken skewer. I posted this recipe a few weeks ago at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly magazine. Here's a light, refreshing take on the familiar chicken skewer. While the chicken marinates in wine, heat the grill and chop the cucumber, olives, and herbs. Grill the skewers, grill some Read more

I have a confession to make. Although a good number of you are vegetarians, and even more of you eat less meat now that we're in a recession, I still crave meat on a regular basis — whether it's a lamb chop, slice of jamon Iberico, or charcuterie. So when I received a copy of Lobel's Meat Bible ($40), a new book by revered New York butcher brothers Stanley, Evan, Mark, and David Lobel, I Read more

With cured meats making a comeback, it's common to see charcuterie and salumi platters on restaurant menus across the country. But are charcuterie and salumi the same thing? What about salumi and salami? While charcuterie and salumi share many similarities — both are cured meats, and both maximize the use of every part of the animal — they're not the same thing. Charcuterie, a French term, Read more

It's fun to host people for a barbecue, but it can also get quite pricey when everyone isn't chipping in. Consumer expert Andrea Woroch provides suggestions to cut your grocery bill when shopping for your Memorial Day meal: Prepare most of your meal. Woroch says, "The general rule for prepared foods is that they are more expensive, and it's cheaper to buy the ingredients to prepare yourself." Read more

Recently, reader Blanca123 raised some interesting questions when responding to our recipe for President Obama's chili: "Kindly explain why you call this pitifully flavored 'meat one-pot' a chili . . . Where's the heat? No cayenne, red pepper flakes or even hot sauce, much less real fresh chiles? Turmeric? Why?" She sure got us thinking about what are the intrinsic elements of a true pot of Read more

Club sandwiches, like burgers or fried chicken, come in a myriad of styles and spinoffs. Some prefer turkey to chicken, rye bread to white, or aioli to mayonnaise. This recipe isn't a true classic club, as it has avocado, cheese, and mustard, but I consider it to be the best. Here, smoky turkey and bacon complement the buttery flavors of the ripe avocado and cheddar cheese. This sandwich — Read more