Food & Drink category, Page 32
A wall painting found in Pompeii doesn’t depict Italy’s iconic dish
MILAN — A still-life fresco discovered recently in the Pompeii archaeological site looks like a pizza, but it’s not, experts at the archaeological site said Tuesday. They noted that key ingredients needed to make Italy’s iconic dish — tomatoes and mozzarella — were not available when the fresco was painted...
Pepsi takes on ketchup, debuting its 1st condiment
Heinz Ketchup better watch out, Pepsi’s comin’ for ya. Of course, Pittsburghers know there’s no sub for the ol’ 57, but Pepsi’s giving it a go anyway. The soda company is launching Pepsi Colachup — in a joint venture with the Culinary Institute of America Consulting — as “the world’s...
Pittsburgh’s Ritual House starts summer with new, lighter dishes
Ritual House, which opened in February in the Union Standard Building in Downtown Pittsburgh, served up a new menu on Wednesday. The plan is to change up the offerings seasonally. Executive chef Edwin Smith and pastry sous chef Zoe Peckich have brought their American cooking styles and modernized dishes with...
The U.S. has tons of leftover food. Upcycling seeks to turn would-be trash into ice cream and pizza
LOS GATOS, Calif. — At Tyler Malek’s ice cream parlors, one cook’s trash is another chef’s frosty treat. The head ice cream maker at the Portland, Oregon-based Salt & Straw uses the whey leftover from yogurt makers in upstate New York to make his lemon curd flavor. For chocolate barley...
Is it chicken? Here’s how the first bite of ‘cell-cultivated’ meat tastes
When I told friends and family I was reporting on the first chicken meat grown from animal cells, their first comment was “Eww.” Their second comment was: “How does it taste?” The short answer (you’ve probably heard this sentence before in other contexts): Tastes like chicken. The longer answer, which...
U.S. approves chicken made from cultivated cells, the nation’s first ‘lab-grown’ meat
For the first time, U.S. regulators on Wednesday approved the sale of chicken made from animal cells, allowing two California companies to offer “lab-grown” meat to the nation’s restaurant tables and eventually, supermarket shelves. The Agriculture Department gave the green light to Upside Foods and Good Meat, firms that had...
Know how to shop at a farmers market
Shoppers come into markets hoping to gather fresh ingredients for their families and to support small businesses in the area. But shoppers shouldn’t walk into a farmers market thinking only of finding the freshest ingredients and nothing else. Just like any shopping trip, it’s important to go into a farmers...
Farm fresh? Yes, but farmers markets offerings are months in the making
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the days, times and location for the Central Westmoreland Farmer’s Market near Greensburg. Kira Karpinski’s farmers market offerings in June take root six months earlier in a sun-drenched room in her house. Not a greenhouse — her actual house. “I start...
Atria’s in O’Hara to close as new restaurant moves in
After about 20 years serving pasta, steaks and seafood in O’Hara, Atria’s will be closing its doors. The restaurant, which has been operating since 2003, plans to close Sunday. Incoming is Tepache Mexican Kitchen and Bar, which has a location in Mars. “We own that particular location and had an...
New management to take over Galley Bakery Square food hall
New management is taking over Galley Bakery Square, the popular food hall concept meant to be an incubator for chefs starting up in the restaurant industry. The changes at the East End destination came as a surprise to some and brought frustration. Ashley McCoy’s restaurant Revival — one of four...
The Sequel is 2nd restaurant act for East McKeesport couple
Deverin and Heather Cabbagestalk’s second venture in the restaurant business is aptly named The Sequel. The eatery in Hempfield fills the space formerly occupied by Cozumel Mexican Restaurant along Route 30. The Sequel opened May 24 and continues the menu and mission of the Cabbagestalks’ first restaurant, Will-Onita’s in the...
Neighborhood vibes keep smaller grocers afloat as chains battle for supremacy
Some people want to shop where everybody knows their name. “I see some people three or four times a week,” said Gene Tommasi, who runs Golden Dawn grocery store in New Kensington. “It’s a little like ‘Cheers,’ ” he said, referring to the TV show about regulars at a bar...
Murrysville staple Dick’s Diner under new ownership
Vasil Oblockovich’s work day starts about 3 a.m., when he turns on the lights in the kitchen at Dick’s Diner and starts a full day of pastry baking. Oblockovich is part of a new team at the longtime Murrysville restaurant, which opened in 1946 and marked its 75th anniversary in...
Greensburg’s Craft Beer Week pairs food, fermented beverages at annual festival
Cupcakes, ice cream, games and contests will be paired with locally brewed beverages during the return of Greensburg Craft Beer Week, Friday through June 17, in the city and surrounding communities. Now in its seventh year, the schedule of more than 30 events includes Greensburg’s second annual Craft Beer Festival,...
Picklesburgh moves venue as popularity grows in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh’s most popular pickle party is moving across Downtown this year to accommodate the festival’s growing crowds. Picklesburgh is moving to the Boulevard of the Allies for its 2023 festival, according to the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. The iconic 35-foot Heinz pickle balloon will fly over PPG Plaza, next to the...
Italian whole-hog cooking inspires herbaceous pork chops
At weekly markets across central Italy, ancient town squares fill with the aromas of spit-roasted pork slathered in rosemary, fennel pollen and garlic. The enchanting smell is porchetta, a delicious homage to whole-hog cooking that’s as revered as barbecue in the American South. The laborious roast, clearly, is off the...
Shops celebrate National Doughnut Day with sweet deals
What food has no beginning, end or middle? Stumped? Here’s another one: What kind of nut has a hole? National Doughnut Day falls on the first Friday in June each year and there are specials and freebies offered throughout the region. The holiday was established in 1938 by the Salvation...
Filipino American chefs come into their own with multiple James Beard award nods
Like a lot of chefs, Aaron Verzosa has been hustling the past three years to get Archipelago, his Filipino restaurant in Seattle, through the pandemic and its ripple effects. Getting a James Beard Award nomination was a validating moment. “Being able to amplify and showcase stories about the Filipino American...
Egg prices coming down, but high costs persist for local farmers
Egg prices and production levels are nearly back to pre-pandemic levels, despite lingering impacts from bird flu and ongoing concerns from some local farmers about high feed costs. According to the latest Northeastern chicken and egg report from the USDA, Pennsylvania’s egg production was down 8% in April compared to...
Necromancer Brewing Co. to open a second location inside former Hough’s Taproom in Greenfield
A week after Hough’s Taproom in Greenfield closed after 17 years, another establishment will welcome patrons to take a seat at the bar. Necromancer Brewing Co. plans to open its second location in the vacant spot on Greenfield Avenue by Sept. 1. “The owners at Hough’s have passed the torch...
Pittsburgh implements new outdoor dining standards
A Pittsburgh commission voted Wednesday to standardize outdoor dining options in the city and streamline the process of getting city approval for outdoor dining areas. Restaurants need to apply for permits to use sidewalks and streets for outdoor operations. Pittsburgh’s Public Art & Civic Design Commission approved setting standards for...
‘On the Rocks’ tells the story of the Primadonna restaurant owner
Joseph “Joe Joe” Costanzo Jr. slept in restaurant booths at his Primadonna Restaurant in McKees Rocks. He missed family events. His wife, Donna Costanzo, said the best way to see him was to work at the restaurant. He knew most diners’ names, greeting them with a hearty hello and a...
Go beyond hamburgers and hot dogs for your summer barbecues
Is it even summer if you aren’t out on the patio grilling? According to BBQ Revolution, seven out of 10 adults in the United States own a grill or a smoker. A survey on the website showed that 72% of consumers love grilling for the flavor it adds to food,...
How to make Caramelized Shallot-Cheese Fondue while camping
This recipe for Instant Caramelized Shallot-Cheese Fondue by Chris Nuttall-Smith is exactly the dish you pull from your pack at 7,500 feet as a pre-winter storm blows past. It’s also exactly the dish you want while car camping on a crisp fall day when everybody’s got rosy cheeks and ridiculous...
On Memorial Day, will you eat like a king or go camping?
NEW YORK — If your idea of a meal while camping is something quick and bland — maybe a power bar, a can of beans or some instant noodles — food writer and critic Chris Nuttall-Smith suggests something else, just as quick but also tasty. An avid backpacker, hunter, skier...
