Food Network personality Alton Brown will take his “Alton Brown Live: Beyond the Eats — The Holiday Variant” tour to the Wharton Center on Saturday evening. According to the … more

Seasonal holiday dishes tend to be heavy on sweetness and fat, which is why some of my favorite meals this time of year involve kale. It’s not that I don’t enjoy a good Yorkshire pudding or a bowl of buttery potatoes or a sweet, baked ham. Rather, it’s that pigging … more

It’s 11:30 a.m. The dining room is dimly lit, metal music plays quietly, the televisions are screening sports and Meat Southern BBQ seems ready to live up to its reputation. more

You probably don’t need to be reminded that it was a hard year for local business, but it’s an impossible fact to avoid when recapping 2020. As soon as the coronavirus pandemic took full effect in March and the first wave of “Stay Home, Stay Safe” orders were in place, the world of brick and mortar took a vicious throttling. more

Growing up, my parents were very involved in providing support to Vietnamese refugees in the Lansing area. I never appreciated the uniqueness of having ham and mashed potatoes for holiday dinners … more

I first felt the power of lovage in a box of Rapunzel brand vegetable bouillon with herbs. After my first taste, I had to double check the label to make sure that it was, indeed, meatless. Then, I read the fine print to figure out why.  more

Naengmyeon (n-yang-me-on) translates to “cold noodles” in Korean. This simple name renders incomplete justice to this kaleidoscopic dish.   The noodles are indeed cold, thanks … more

I’ve lived in Lansing my entire adult life and have loved sushi for even longer, so I’m somewhat ashamed to admit that I just visited Sushi Moto for the first time. I’ve often heard … more

It’s mid-May, the time each year when people head outside to their home gardens, put herbs and vegetable plants in the soil and dream of what will be. more

As a Michigan State University alum, I’m very familiar with the Dairy Store. Some of my happiest Spartan memories revolve around its delicious, locally owned ice cream. If you’re not familiar, the MSU Dairy Foods Complex Team makes a variety of ice cream and cheeses — and they’re available at on campus at Anthony Hall (474 S. Shaw Lane, East Lansing). Once you arrive, the sweet, sugary aroma of ice cream will hit you almost immediately.   more

In front of an Agway store in Montpelier, Vermont, a sign announces “World’s Largest Zucchini Here.” The grower, store employee Ron Sholtz, told WCAX News Sept. 28 that his state … more

In early January, I heard elk on the mountain behind my house. The crisp air carried not only the cow calls, which sounded like trees bending in the wind, but also the otherworldly bugles of the bull elk, which sounded like a soundtrack to the northern lights. more

From the outside, Koala Tea & Coffee doesn’t look like much.   more

Every inch of the cilantro plant is edible, but the seeds (aka coriander) and leaves get most of the attention. At the farmers market the other day, I spotted cilantro plants with the roots still … more

I have nothing but tough-love for those who claim they can’t cook a pot of rice. Quit acting so helpless. Cook the rice. If you screw it up, consider what went wrong and adjust. Like you do when making a sandwich. Which is much easier to screw up than a pot of rice. more

This month, I’ve been celebrating a milestone birthday, which has meant dining at many great Lansing restaurants and forgetting to buy groceries. more

Williamson is always quaint, but it is especially so on a cold winter night with picture-perfect snowflakes falling gently past the old-timey street lights. The large front windows of Zynda’s, … more

Garlic chives are also known as Allium tuberoseum, which means “root garlic” in Latin. A. tuberoseum comes from a region that includes northern China. They are less onion-ey than regular chives or scallions and have more garlic pungency.  more

A floor speech by state Sen. Tom Barrett, R-Charlotte, last month alleged that Michigan Liquor Control Commission inspectors preyed on the “human compassion” of the owners of Charlie’s Bar and Grill in Potterville by suspending its liquor license for operating despite a state-ordered shutdown during the pandemic.  more

Oriental Market made a name for itself providing hard-to-find international food for East Lansing residents. The store recently rebranded as Fresh International Market in an effort to expand its selection and welcome a whole new customer base. more