Food Bites & Articles
Bundt Cakes Add Flavor and Flair to Holidays
This time of year I tend to get pretty sentimental about favorite recipes. They're like familiar friends that we welcome back into the kitchen for the holidays each year. A favorite festive guest at my table has always been the...
Decadent Gooey Butter Cake Takes Top Honors in Just A Pinch Baking Contest
Home cook Melissa Sperka had us at "gooey butter cake." The Greensboro, NC mom and part-time blogger is the most recent Just A Pinch contest winner! Her phenomenally decadent Caramel, Chocolate and Almond Gooey Butter Cake beat out nearly 900...
Recipes Bring A Touch of Sweetness to the Community
A sign in Linda Harvey's kitchen reads, "TOGETHER: a great place to be." The kitchen is warm and alive with activity as a big meal is about to be served. And I do mean a BIG meal. This is the...
The Great Stuffing Debate: Where Everyone Is A Winner!
Do you use cornbread or white bread? Is it called stuffing or dressing? Ah yes, it's that time of year again! This delicious debate is making waves in kitchens all across the country and we just love hearing what you...
Cranberries Serve Up Tradition and Innovation This Holiday Season
"I have always loved cranberries!" exclaims home cook Carol Junkins of Hanson, MA. Fondly referred to by us at Just A Pinch as "The Cranberry Queen", Carol has shared many of her favorite cranberry recipes with the Club. Her concoctions...
Florida Contest Winner Brings Ray of Sunshine to Blue Ribbon Grilling Showcase
"Never trust a skinny cook," laughs Florida cook Sherri Logan Williams. Wrapped in her Just A Pinch apron and with a twinkle in her eye, Sherri is front and center as guest of honor at the most recent Just A...
Bring Comfort to Your Holiday Table with Nostalgic Pudding Recipes
Pudding? Boring? Never! The varieties are endless... and so easy! Chances are a bowl of pudding served down South is going to be laced with golden slices of banana and a healthy crunch of vanilla cookies. New England cooks make...
Community Cookbooks Spark Creativity, Preserve Traditions
"How did your cookbook collection start?" asks home cook Kathy Sterling in her Just A Pinch online discussion group, Cookbook Collectors Corner. "Perhaps someone gave you a gift and it started your romance with cookbooks, or you inherited your family...
Creamy Chowders Warm Body and Soul on Cool Autumn Evenings
Controversy is not usually my cup of tea. (I'm more of an Earl Grey gal). However, I am compelled to make an exception when the subject at hand is one near and dear to my heart: chowder. That's right, chowder!...
Pumpkin, the Flavor of Fall
There's been big news around the Test Kitchen: pumpkin is back! Like wearing white after Labor Day, we have been needlessly - yet religiously - bound by the culinary conventions of the seasons... abstaining from all things pumpkin since that...
Hearty Pastas That Heat Up the Kitchen… and Your Imagination
While I am a firm believer that pure and simple is often best, there are times when a gal just needs to mix things up a bit! Such is occasionally the case in the world of pasta. Marinara is my...
Going Nuts for Sweet Almond Desserts!
Once upon a time in a land far, far away I had a kringle. And not just any kringle, but the most deliciously creamy almond kringle ever made. These traditional Scandinavian pastries are a delicacy in the northern part of...
2, 4, 6, 8! Let’s Get Ready to Tailgate!
This time last year the Crew and I were happily up to our elbows in entries for the Just A Pinch Sporty Snack Showdown recipe contest. We received so many wonderful entries - including Gail Herbest's Grand Champ Antipasto Squares...
Eating Your Veggies Never Tasted So Good!
With warm weather beginning to wane - at least in theory - it becomes all the more enjoyable to savor those brave veggies still popping up in the garden. Mama always said to eat your veggies and now, thanks to...
Grandma’s Table: Creating A Legacy Of Love Through Food
It's official... September brings us National Grandparents Day! While technically observed on September 11 this year, I see no reason whatsoever to limit ourselves! Granted, this grandma may be a wee bit biased, but I think we should be celebrating...
Smokin’ Ribs Recipe Wins Just A Pinch Grill Contest!
Let me say, it surely is a good thing that the Kitchen Crew is made up of enthusiastic eaters! We had our plates chock full of good eats recently as we grilled our way through the many delicious dishes entered...
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,...