Food

Beans & greens

Does that hot kitchen wilt you in summer? Healthful veggies lend themselves to quick, one-pot dishes.

By Cathy Thomas/Freedom News Service

Greens have become chic, their vibrant flavor profiles showcased on hoity-toity menus from coast to coast. Kale, collard greens and chard; beet greens, turnip greens, mustard greens and spinach. Most often chefs have veered away from the traditional... Full story

Uncorked: The tale of Yellow Tail brand

By Bill Daley/McClatchy-Tribune News Service

Since its launch in 2001, the Yellow Tail line of wines has hopped smartly to the front of the affordable wine pack. The brand's colorful wallaby-festooned label has spawned so many animal-themed wannabe's that a name for a whole new wine genre was c... Full story

Splash of summer

Fruity wine cocktails refresh like a cool breeze on a sunny afternoon

By Cathy Thomas/Freedom News Service

When deadlines get tight and the days grow warm, take five-minute mini vacations. Close your eyes and do a little daydreaming. I highly recommend it. Imagine a sunlit balcony overlooking the French Riviera. The air is warm and smells like lavender. ... Full story

Uncorked: Go red, white or rose

Celebrate Bastille Day with French menus matched to 9 wines

By Bill Daley/McClatchy-Tribune News Service

July 14 was Bastille Day in France, and it truly is, as the French call it, "La Fete Nationale." The celebration marks the day in 1789 when angry mobs stormed the notorious Bastille prison in Paris and symbolizes the start of the French Re... Full story

Tour of Y-S fruit stands

For the freshest produce, look no further than the Mid-Valley

By John Hollis/Appeal-Democrat

Summer is a great time in the valley. The Sutter Buttes are splendid in their golden coat while nearby fields and orchards stand out in contrasting shades of green. While the views are great, it's the farm stands selling fresh-picked produce that ca... Full story

Uncorked: Pinot chic

Despite cranky reputation, pinot noir finds welcome home in California

By Bill Daley/McClatchy-Tribune News Service

Pinot noir is not the most popular red wine in the United States — even merlot outsells it almost 2 to 1, according to The Nielsen Co. But pinot noir is arguably the most chic grape in the vineyard, which may explain why the variety has proved ... Full story

The wonder of watermelon

Old-fashioned flavor meets uptown pizzazz

By Cathey Noell/Freedom News Service

Most of my childhood summers were spent on my grandfather's farm. Time seemed slow, but we stayed busy. No one slept in or stayed up late because there were always chores to be done during daylight. But it was never too busy to talk to a neighbor wh... Full story

Add spark to your summer party with Sonoma wine

By Bill Daley/McClatchy-Tribune News Service

Why not celebrate summer with a firecracker of a wine, a zinfandel from California's Sonoma County? Not only has this imported grape produced what is generally agreed to be the most all-American of wines, but Sonoma County's history of zin productio... Full story

Bring '4th' the wings

Declare your independence from the dull with easy, oven-roasted wings.

By Cathy Thomas/Freedom News Service

Our inalienable culinary rights on the Fourth of July? Life, liberty and the pursuit of good eats. Our national day of outdoor feasting doesn't need to be just another weenie 'n' burger roast. How about supplementing the feed with a mountain of irre... Full story

Which white?

Try different varieties with 'the other white meat'

By Bill Daley/McClatchy-Tribune News Service

Pork famously became "the other white meat" when the National Pork Board launched the slogan back in the 1980s. It's a term that's stuck — more than 90 percent of Americans recognize it today, according to Pamela Johnson of the board'... Full story

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