Food Bites & Articles
Award Winning Recipes Straight From the County Fair
People tell me there's a whole lot to do at county fairs - rides, games, music, crafts - but I never can seem to stray far from the FOOD! And I don't mean those rich-smelling food trucks (although those are...
Savoring the Goodness of Homegrown Tomatoes
Growing up, my friend's grandfather always told us girls that to enjoy a fresh tomato all we needed was a sharp knife and a pinch of salt. Indeed, there were tomatoes served at every one of their meals during those...
Back to School: Brighten Up Your Lunch Boxes with Surprising, Kid-Friendly Recipes
Shhhh.... don't tell the kiddos, but it's nearly back to school time again! I can hardly believe it myself. It seems just like yesterday that I finally got all the summer clothes ironed and hung up. (Oh dear, I think...
Adventures in Cooking: Discovering Dutch Ovens
Much of my childhood was spent in the kitchen... watching my mom cook up wonderful meals. Many of those meals were made in her ancient Dutch oven. She used it all the time; it was no more special than, say,...
Elevate Dessert Time with Deceptively Simple Mascarpone Cheese Recipes
They say that once you become aware of something you'll see it plain everywhere. Well, true to form, mascarpone cheese has been cropping up in about every delectable recipe I come across lately!It turns out that mascarpone is a deceptively...
Online Friendships Blossom into Tasty New Tradition
California cook and Recipe Club member, Dee Stillwell, knows how to bring people together. With her keyboard in one hand and cake-server in the other, Dee recently organized fellow Club members in and around her hometown of Sacramento, and soon...
Cultivate Sweet Summer Moments by the Bushel
It's peach-picking time again! And whether you're picking 'em from the tree or from the grocery store shelf, now is the time to indulge in the summery sweetness of all things peachy.First off, when picking out your perfect peach, look...
What’s Your Signature Drink? Refresh Your Outlook with Cool Thirst-Quenchers
We cooks - you and I - talk a lot about what's for dinner, the meat and potatoes of our daily meals. Well, let us not forget how ultra-important a good beverage can be in creating the ideal food experience....
Why I Love America: An Homage to Homemade Pie
So what's so all-American about pie anyway? Well, let me count the ways! For one thing pie is so darn practical. Our ancestors used pie-making as an easy, portable way to make use of seasonally abundant fruits, veggies and meats....
Impressive Lime Recipes Get Cooks Talking
Not only does the heat of Summer have me thinking about the refreshing flavors of citrus, but so do YOU! When the Crew and I recently shared a recipe for Creamy Lime Bars with our friends on the Just A...
Home Cooks Converge to Celebrate Blue Ribbon Food
Home cooks can easily lose sight of how very special their everyday recipes truly are. In the rush of planning a meal, many a mom has forgotten that their daily dish is a veritable art form, the nuances of which...
Reinvent Your Picnic Table with Perfect Pasta Salads
Picnic season is upon us! I'm so glad to see the sun again, and the grass between my toes has never felt better! Picnics are a big part of summertime for my family and me. Whether we pack our baskets...
Pizza… Like You’ve Never Seen it Before!
"Ideas are like pizza dough, made to be tossed around." - Anna Quindlen, author and pizza fan. Well, at Just A Pinch we get to enjoy the best of both worlds: creative ideas ABOUT pizza! Whether intended to save time,...
Get Ready for Summer with Cool Strawberry Treats
A few days ago I received a frantic call from a good friend. "Guess what just happened," she exclaimed! My mind began racing through the possibilities - car accident, broken bones, a lost job. All of the worst-case scenarios flashed...
Korean Recipes Bring Spice to Everyday Cooking
Whether baked, grilled or fried, chicken is often the go-to dinner in kitchens all across the country (including mine!) While chicken is both affordable and versatile, I find that it's sometimes tough to make it, well, interesting. One solution to...
Luscious Lemons Add Flavorful Twist to Mealtime
With the coming of warm weather so too comes my absolutely unquenchable thirst for homemade lemonade! The first batch of the season made an appearance at Easter dinner and now there's no going back. To me, lemons are like drops...
Blue Ribbon Mom Wins “Rise ‘n’ Shine” Recipe Contest
And the winner is... Leah Stacey of Montgomery, AL! Leah and her savory Bacon and Green Onion Breakfast Tart have come out on top of the Just A Pinch Rise 'n' Shine Breakfast Challenge. The Crew and I faced quite...
Ole! Guacamole Gets A Delicious Makeover
Mexican food is a well-known weakness of mine. I've been known to throw a fiesta at the drop of a sombrero, and I've never turned down a margarita... not once.Lately, I've been pondering all the many variations of the classic...
Spring Into the Season with Sweet Easter Treats
Ok, cooks... It's time to spring into action, throw open those windows and let the food times roll! What better occasion than Easter to experiment with fun, new sweet treats that children of all ages will enjoy? For me this...
Bring on the Bacon! Creative Recipes for a Classic Ingredient
When we recently unveiled the new themed collections of recipes on justapinch.com I was faced with a major dilemma: what ingredient deserves to be in the spotlight? I pondered and pondered... over coffee, through dinner, in my sleep and finally...