Vegetable casseroles and carrot cake have been Easter menu mainstays for decades, but with the majority of millennials now hosting holiday family gatherings, retro dishes are getting a flavorful facelift with new ingredients and flavor twists. Chef Kevan Vetter of the McCormick Kitchens … read more

This is the time of year when everything starts turning the most magnificent color of green, and humans begin to sense it is time for spring cleaning. Rebirth, renewal, cleansing of home, body and spirit is the focus. Perhaps Mother Nature leads us … read more

When game day arrives and friends and family are gathered around the big screen to cheer your team to victory, the only thing missing is some great grub to make the celebration complete. Putting together an all-star spread is actually easier than you … read more

Julie Ann Gustanski is a founding member (together with Vernon Young, Eric Guenther and Mike Paul, Jr.) of the Greater Gig Harbor Foundation. All of her work for the foundation — including, currently, as the CEO — has been volunteer service. Prior to … read more

Bert Pesciallo, whose father immigrated from Genoa, Italy, in 1900, doesn’t remember when he became interested in the winery business. He was pretty young and following in his father’s footsteps. “Things just happened naturally at that time, when you are a teenager and … read more

Making a New Year’s resolution? Don’t forget salt. Most Americans consume about a 1,000 milligrams of sodium over the amount recommended by nutrition and health experts. New research shows cooking with spices and herbs could help you ditch the saltshaker and meet sodium … read more

Get Ready for Gardening Start looking for seed packets at local nurseries during the months of January and February. The sooner, the better for best selection. If you wait too long to pick up veggie seeds, you may not get the ones desired. … read more

Baking a traditional Christmas bread every year keeps us connected to our family traditions, dear friends and loving memories. My family had established Christmas traditions, such as making Grandma’s old-fashioned fruitcake on Thanksgiving Friday, eating oyster stew on Christmas Eve, and gobbling cookies … read more

When I decided to write about the Italian influence on Washington wine, I looked at it as just another story about wine. My wife, Kathy, and I traveled to Eastern Washington to meet with and interview the descendants of those early Italian pioneers. … read more