

Good Things, Small Packages
Mary Jo is a petite person with a colossal personality. She strides into a room, her glowing, larger-than-life aura in tow. Bursting with contagious energy and positivity, she’s the kind of person you want in your corner when you’re having … Continue reading Good Things, Small Packages

Glazed Hasselback Ham with Pineapple
Just when you think you’ve seen everything in the world “hasslebacked” I submit for your consideration: Glazed Hasselback Ham with Pineapple. I developed this recipe for the December/January 2020 issue (#162) of FC for one of our advertisers, Dole. After … Continue reading Glazed Hasselback Ham with Pineapple

Spring and Greek Easter
I’m looking forward to Spring this year, which begins on March 20. Finally, the Earth will wake from hibernating, the weather will warm up, days will get longer, plants will sprout, trees will turn green, and the world will seem … Continue reading Spring and Greek Easter

Recipe: Ravioli Lasagna – Easy & Fun!
What if I told you that I dreamed up an easy, fun, and stress-free way to make a scrumptious, unctuous lasagna that anyone (even your kids) can make? It’s Ravioli Lasagna! Think about it; doesn’t it make sense to simplify … Continue reading Recipe: Ravioli Lasagna – Easy & Fun!

Restaurant Quality Steak at Home: Chef’s Techniques
Tips & Tricks for Dry-Aging, Cooking, and Resting This is an update to my 2020 post about cooking restaurant-quality steak in 15 minutes, with a new video, a PDF of my recipe, and many more details, tips, and tricks. It’s … Continue reading Restaurant Quality Steak at Home: Chef’s Techniques

Quick & Healthy: Pasta with Broccoli, Sundried Tomatoes & Olives
Documenting a Family Favorite for Fine Cooking Magazine. Maybe it’s genetic. Coming from a Mediterranean background, I can’t help but love pasta. And I love it even more when it’s all jumbled up with other delicious ingredients like lightly blanched, … Continue reading Quick & Healthy: Pasta with Broccoli, Sundried Tomatoes & Olives

Happy Chinese New Year
Year of the Water Rabbit The Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes by Theodora Lau predicts that much-needed serenity is in store for us in 2023. In the year ahead, people will acknowledge that persuasion is better than force. Considering the ferocity … Continue reading Happy Chinese New Year

Sourdough Boule
The last time I visited Paris, I was amazed and amused to see so many people carrying loaves of bread as they walked in the streets. I quickly learned that, in France, buying fresh bread is a daily morning ritual, … Continue reading Sourdough Boule

Test Kitchen Tips & Tricks
Part of my job as Test Kitchen Director/Senior Food Editor at Fine Cooking Magazine was to develop a series of kitchen tips relating to the featured recipes in that issue. Back then, I’d keep a notebook close at hand when … Continue reading Test Kitchen Tips & Tricks

Fine Cooking Magazine: 2022 Reflections
As 2023 arrives, I continue to receive emails from jilted, sad, miserable Fine Cooking Magazine subscribers, with pleas to help find favorite recipes from lost recipe boxes, which vanished when the Fine Cooking website was shut down in 2022. I’ve … Continue reading Fine Cooking Magazine: 2022 Reflections

Holiday Cookies
It’s hard to believe that 2022 is coming to a close, but more so that it’s been over three years since the original Fine Cooking Magazine published a holiday issue. I won’t get all sentimental about it, but honestly, there’s … Continue reading Holiday Cookies

Let’s Talk Latkes
I love potatoes in any form, but I think I love potato latkes most of all. After all, how can anyone resist a well-made latke? The lacy-crisp edges alone are the stuff that haunts my dreams, and they hardly make … Continue reading Let’s Talk Latkes

Thanksgiving Leftovers: Take Two
Now that Thanksgiving is over, you’ve no doubt eaten or given away as much turkey as possible, so what delicious things can you do with what’s left? From the archives of Fine Cooking Magazine, here are a few of my … Continue reading Thanksgiving Leftovers: Take Two

Vegetarian/Vegan Thanksgiving
When the holidays approach, I receive numerous emails, texts, and phone messages that go something like this: “Hey Diana! Do you have any food ideas for my vegan and vegetarian guests coming to dinner on (fill in a holiday)?” The … Continue reading Vegetarian/Vegan Thanksgiving

Instant Pot Beef Barley Soup
Anatomy of a Recipe One of the best parts of running the test kitchens at Fine Cooking Magazine was working on Make It Tonight recipes. Much loved by our readers, MIT’s (as the staff referred to them) were recipes that … Continue reading Instant Pot Beef Barley Soup