4 Rochester

I made this last year for little gifts for the members of CRB (my band). I figure it's easy to OD on cookies and candies at this time of year and it's nice to get something that's a little different. Come to think of it, I never did hear how they liked it. Basically, it's popcorn with...

Meh-leed-zah-no-sah-LAH-tah. Come on, try to say it. You can do it! It's fun! I love saying Greek words. And boy do I love Greek food. This dip used three items from Grandma's garden: eggplant, tomato, and parsley. And speaking of eggplant from Grandma's garden, did you know eggplant vines...

When I'm having lots of children at my house, such as at my son's recent baseball team pool party, I always serve fruit. In the past, I've served it various ways, from fruit salads to fruits on a skewer. They look great, but the trouble is that lots of kids don't eat every fruit. As a...

During the most recent episode of Top Chef, Stephanie Izard made a sauce for chicken that included peanut butter and tomatoes. Twice Tom Colicchio talked as if he was repulsed by the idea of the combination. As I watched the episode, I thought I had used those flavors together at least once. It didn't...

We're going to the annual Super Bowl party at the home of good friends. I'm rooting for the Giants but I honestly don't care all that much about the outcome of the game. Everyone is bringing an appetizer or a sweet to the party, so I think I'm looking forward to the food more than the...

This recipe for cranberry chutney was a real find this year. I took a jar on our Thanksgiving trip to Connecticut, and when it was time for an appetizer or a snack, all I had to do was slather some on a block of cream cheese and put out crackers. (And it was devoured.) It also came in handy on a day...

I make lots of party mixes during the holidays, but I prefer to make them a bit more interesting than the back-of-the-box Chex mix. This is a variation of an oldie but goodie from Gourmet magazine. The original recipe called for cayenne pepper, but some people said it was too spicy. Now I just use several...

CRB spent Friday night recording our demo in the home studio of our good friend, Jim. Here's Jim's dog, Zoe, listening to a playback. I'm not sure she's happy about that take. Anyway, my primary role in the band is to sing harmonies, which comes late in the recording process. I knew I...

I've been in a cooking group that has been active since 2001. Our start came through posts on Cooking Light bulletin boards. We initially met at Starbuck's to decide on the format to the group as well as to make sure everyone would be comfortable with each other. Since all of the initial members...