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Your freezer wants to be hot

I was born the same year the Food Network debuted, which sometimes makes me feel as if I cut my teeth on “The Barefoot Contessa” and its particular arrangement of fantasies: a perfected roast chicken, always somehow at the ready;…
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How to upgrade instant ramen into a genuinely good meal

I’ve been on a mission to transform a handful of my go-to “struggle meals” into something that feels and tastes more elevated — without breaking the bank, of course. Thus far, I’ve conquered the humble, often-overlooked canned soup, along with…
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How Māori food tells New Zealand’s story

New Zealand’s Māori people often say that food is a feeling, a memory. It talks to your stomach. Everything in Māori culture is tied to Papatūānuku, Mother Earth, especially its food. Located at the bottom of the world, it’s hard…
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It’s always rice and eggs

The water was at our backs, but everything still looked blue. It was a Saturday, and the sky above the lake was shockingly clear. The breeze hurried the fluffy clouds along like an invisible, impatient dog walker trying to jostle…
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No one can resist a good cheese ball

For years, the cheese ball has been my quiet party superpower. Whenever I’m hosting — or even lightly conscripted into bringing “something snacky” — it’s the dish people inevitably circle back to, buttery Ritz in hand, doing that little half-apology…
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A love letter to Chicago’s gravy bread

It had snowed seven inches the night before I decided to get gravy bread again — the most snow O’Hare had seen in a single day in decades. I felt like a real Chicagoan, trudging through drifts in snow boots,…
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Barcelona’s bold new food frontier

Hemingway once wrote, “And Barcelona. You should see Barcelona. It is all still comic opera… Barcelona makes you laugh.” He wasn’t wrong. The city has always marched to its own beat, a little louder, a little more irreverent than the…
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Costco sues the Trump administration

Costco has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over what it calls “unlawful” tariffs. The big-box retailer is the latest company to pursue legal action, joining a growing list of businesses and state agencies challenging the administration’s policies. What…
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Gift guide: Seasonal splurges for every table

Food and celebration go hand in hand, especially this time of year. Whether it’s a table piled high with roast meats and vibrant vegetables, a stack of decadent desserts, or a carefully curated cheese board, the holidays are all about…
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