Here’s a simple, foolproof way to cook fish so it stays moist and tender every time. Gently poach the fillets in barely simmering water for just 4 to 5 minutes. The secret is to make sure the water is at a low simmer. Finish it with a light, flavorful sauce topped with briny capers.

A vibrant corn and tomato side dish comes together in just 5 minutes in the microwave, making this an easy, colorful, and satisfying dinner.

HELPFUL HINTS:

Any type of white fish can be used instead of cod such as mahi mahi, halibut, tilapia.

COUNTDOWN:

Assemble ingredients.

Mix sauce and set aside.

Microwave the corn and tomatoes.

Poach fish.

SHOPPING LIST:

To buy: 12 ounces cod, 1 container reduced fat sour cream, 1 jar reduced-fat mayonnaise, 1 jar Dijon mustard, 1 small jar capers, 1 container frozen corn kernels, 1 container cherry tomatoes, 1 bunch fresh basil.

Staples: olive oil, onion, salt and black peppercorns

Simple Poached Fish with Caper Sauce

Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer

2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream possible 1 more

2 tablespoons reduced fat mayonnaise possible 1 more

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3 teaspoons salt

3/4 pound cod

1 tablespoon capers

Mix sour cream, mayonnaise and mustard together in a small bowl and set aside. Fill a medium size saucepan half full of water. Add the salt and bring to a simmer. Place fish in saucepan and simmer gently for 4 to 5 minutes. Do not let the water boil. A meat thermometer should read 130 degrees. Remove the fish from the pan to a plate and pat dry with a paper towel. Divide into two portions and place on two dinner plates. Spoon the sauce over the fish. Sprinkle the capers on top of the sauce and serve.

Yield 2 servings.

Per serving: 217 calories (23 percent from fat), 8.1 g fat (2.1 g saturated, 2.0 g monounsaturated), 78 mg cholesterol, 31.4 g protein, 3.3 g carbohydrates, 0.6 g fiber, 395 mg sodium.

Quick Corn and Tomatoes

Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer

2 cups frozen corn kernels

2 cups cherry tomatoes cut in half

1 cup frozen diced onion

2 teaspoons olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons basil leaves

Place corn and tomatoes in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high 5 minutes. Drain any water that may remain. Mix in the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle on the basil. Divide in half and serve on the two dinner plates with the fish.

Yield 2 servings.

Per serving: 224 calories (24 percent from fat), 6.0 g fat (0.9 g saturated, 2.5 g monounsaturated), no cholesterol, 6.6 g protein, 42.7 g carbohydrates, 6.5 g fiber, 16 mg sodium.

©2026 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

If ever there was liberation to be found in the never-ending grind of nightly meal preparation, it’s got to be the ready-to-go product scorned by some but beloved by many: the supermarket rotisserie chicken.

Personally, the plump and juicy birds have come to the rescue more times than I care to count in my own kitchen over the years, both as a last-minute main course served with veggies and rice and picked clean to star in chicken salad.

Groceries and warehouse clubs like Sam’s and Costco do flawlessly what many of us struggle to do at home — roast a whole chicken to golden-brown perfection on a rotating spit so that every morsel is cooked evenly and deliciously tender.

Admit it, you’ve torn into one with your finger while standing over the kitchen sink because you just! can’t! wait! to get a taste of that heavenly smelling, rich and flavorful meat, right?

Sure, it might be cheaper to buy a raw broiler and cook it yourself. But do you really want to invest two or three hours to roast a 4- to 6-pound chicken on a busy weeknight when you’ve got a much easier option right at hand? You’re likely at the store anyway trying to figure out something quick and easy, so why not give in to the convenience a precooked bird offers?

That, in a nutshell, is the beauty of a rotisserie chicken. It stands at the ready, hot, fresh and ready to eat. All you need is a carving knife and fork.

Already got that night’s dinner planned? If you pick and pull the meat from the bone — a process that takes about 10 minutes — then shred it or cut it into bite-sized chunks, you’ve got a terrific, cost-effective building block for several meals.

A 3-pound bird at Costco — which yields about 4 cups of meat, depending on how thoroughly you pick it — runs just $4.99, while a 2-pound chicken at Giant Eagle costs $7.99 and will net around 3 cups.

We’ve rustled up five recipes using rotisserie chicken that will make short work of dinner. They include a chili-forward chicken tortilla soup that will take the chill off a cold winter day; chicken enchiladas topped with a spicy roasted poblano sauce; a silky chicken pasta with a sun-dried tomato cream sauce; a tangy Asian chicken salad that gets its crunch from cabbage and also includes fresh citrus; and for fans in search of a quick and easy tailgate nosh for Super Bowl, buffalo chicken pizza balls.

None of them take more than a half-hour to prepare, including prep time, putting dinner on the table in about the same time it takes to watch an episode of my favorite predinner show, “Jeopardy.”

A few tips for choosing a rotisserie chicken:

—Larger is definitely better when picking a precooked bird, so look for one that feels heavy for its size. If it’s plump, it’s going to be moist.

—The skin should be evenly browned, with taut skin. If it’s shriveled, that means it’s been overcooked and lost moisture.

—Always look for a timestamp to see how long it’s been sitting out; a fresh bird will have a steamy package.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

PG tested

This soup is a family favorite. It comes together quickly and is so warm and comforting on a cold winter evening!

You can find ancho chilies in most larger grocery stores and Latin American markets like Reyna Foods in the Strip District. I add sliced tortilla strips to give it more heft and corn flavor.

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

3 ancho chilies, stemmed, seeded and torn into large pieces

1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes

1/2 medium yellow or white onion, coarsely chopped

1 clove garlic

8 cups chicken stock or broth

2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded or cubed

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup canola oil, for frying

14 white or yellow corn tortillas, sliced into 1/4 -inch strips

2 avocados, pitted, peeled and cubed

1-2 cups shredded quesadilla or Monterey Jack cheese

2 limes, cut into wedges

Chopped fresh cilantro

Heat 1 tablespoon oil over high heat and fry the torn chili pieces quickly for about 1-2 minutes on each side. Be careful not to burn them or they will have a bitter taste.

Puree fried chilies with tomatoes, onion and garlic in a blender. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a deep pot over high heat.

Add blended ingredients and fry for about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add chicken and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

In a large skillet, heat canola oil over medium-high heat and fry tortilla strips until lightly browned around the edges, about 45 seconds. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Set out separate bowls along with avocados, cheese, lime and cilantro.

Ladle soup into bowls and top with a handful of tortilla strips. Each person can add avocados, a squeeze of lime juice, cheese and cilantro according to taste.

Serves 6-8.

— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

Enchiladas Pachuquenas

PG tested

If you love salsa verde sauce, you’ll adore this recipe. It comes from the stellar cookbook “Enchiladas: Aztec to Tex Mex” by Cappy Lawton and Chris Waters Dunn (Trinity University Press, $34.95) and hails from Pachuca in Hidalgo. It features a creamy green sauce made with roasted poblanos, peanuts and cream on top of corn tortillas stuffed with shredded rotisserie chicken. Queso fresco, a mild and milky cheese, balances spicy food exceptionally well.

With so many peppers, it sounds like it will be spicy. But it’s only mildly so, since poblanos have a lot less heat than, say, jalapeños.

For filling

2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

3/4 cup queso fresco

For sauce

6 poblano chiles, fire roasted, peeled, seeded and deveined, divided

1 medium white onion, peeled and roughly chopped

1/2 cup roasted peanuts

1 slice French bread, soaked in 1 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon vegetable oil for frying

1/2 cup heavy cream

Milk or water, for thinning sauce

Kosher salt

For assembly

12 corn tortillas

Vegetable oil

For garnish

Sliced radishes

Shredded iceberg lettuce

Reserved poblano chile, chopped

1/4 cup queso fresco, crumbled

Make filling: Mix shredded chicken with queso fresco and set aside.

Prepare sauce: Place 5 prepared poblano peppers, onion, roasted peanuts and bread with soaking milk in a blender and puree until smooth.

Strain through a medium-mesh strainer.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add poblano puree, reduce heat to medium low and cook 5-8 minutes, or until sauce slightly darkens.

Stir in cream. Taste and season with salt. Gently simmer for a few minutes longer to allow the flavors to meld. Add milk or water as needed to attain a medium sauce consistency. Cover, set aside and keep warm.

Assemble enchiladas: (Have the garnishes ready at hand.) Pour 1/2 inch oil into heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Heat to low frying temperature (about 300 degrees).

Place each tortilla in oil and fry for a few seconds, just long enough to soften. Drain on paper towels.

Dip a softened tortilla in warm sauce. Place 2 tablespoons filling on each tortilla. Fold in half and place, slightly overlapping, on a warm individual plate, 3 enchiladas per serving. Top with more sauce.

Garnish with radishes, lettuce, polano and queso fresco.

Serves 4.

— “Enchiladas: Aztec to Tex-Mex” by Cappy Lawton and Chris Waters Dunn

(Re)marry-Me Chicken Pasta

PG tested

This hearty riff on Marry-Me Chicken is a must-have if you love the rich flavor of sun-dried tomatoes. It’s probably not for the calorie-conscious — it includes both Parmesan and cream — but it will hit the spot if you’re looking for a creamy, rich dish.

I used rigatoni, but any favorite pasta will work.

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

3/4 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish

2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

1/2 pound cooked rigatoni or other favorite pasta

Fresh basil, torn, for serving, optional

In skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Stir in garlic, thyme and red pepper flakes.

Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in broth, tomatoes, cream, and Parmesan; season with salt and bring to a simmer.

Add shredded chicken to pan, and toss to combine. Cook over low heat until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Add cooked pasta and stir well to combine. Serve immediately, with additional Parmesan for dusting and torn basil.

Serves 4.

— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

Asian Chicken Salad

PG tested

It can be tough to figure out how to dress up crunchy winter veggies like cabbage. This crisp and tangy salad, which also features winter citrus, is both healthful and satisfying.

I shredded the rotisserie chicken, but you could also cut it into fork-friendly chunks or slice into larger portions. Add the dressing a little at a time to prevent sogginess and be sure to toss gently (I used my hands) so it’s evenly coated.

If you don’t have fresh mandarins, canned is great — just be sure to drain all the juice.

For dressing

2 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons unseasoned rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon sugar

1-inch knob fresh ginger, finely minced or grated

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For salad

2 cups shredded green cabbage

2 cups shredded red cabbage

1 cup mandarin orange segments

1/2 cup shredded carrot

2 cups chicken shredded rotisserie

3 scallions, finely sliced on the diagonal

For garnish

1 cup fried tortilla strips or chow mein noodles

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Make dressing. In large bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, vegetable oil, sugar, ginger, garlic and black pepper until well combined. Set aside while you prepare salad.

In second large bowl, toss together green and red cabbage, orange segments, carrot, chicken and scallions.

Add to bowl with dressing, and toss well to combine. Allow to sit for 10 minutes to allow cabbage to soften.

Garnish with fried tortilla strips and sesame seeds, and serve.

Serves 4.

— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

Buffalo Chicken Pizza Balls

PG tested

These super-easy pizza puffs are filled with that quintessential pregame nosh: Buffalo chicken. If you can cut refrigerated pizza dough into squares, you can make these! A brush of garlic butter before baking adds a savory finish.

1 package refrigerated pizza dough

1 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

4 ounces ( 1/2 package) cream cheese, softened

4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 cup blue cheese or ranch dressing

1/4 cup Frank’s RedHot Sauce, or more to taste

For topping

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 teaspoon fresh parsley

1 clove garlic, finely minced

Generous pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and grease a baking sheet with olive oil or butter.

Roll a package of pizza dough onto the baking sheet and cut into 24 squares.

Prepare chicken dip. In large bowl, mix shredded chicken, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, blue cheese or ranch dressing and Frank’s RedHot until well combined.

Scoop 1 tablespoon of Buffalo dip onto each dough square, then fold the opposite corners to each other so they overlap.

Press the seams together, flip over so the seam is down, and shape gently into a ball.

Combine melted butter, parsley, garlic and salt in a small bowl.

Brush the sauce onto each dough ball. Bake for 10-12 minutes in preheated oven, or until golden brown.

Serve hot, with ranch or blue cheese for dipping.

Makes 24 balls.

— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

©2026 PG Publishing Co. Visit at post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Recently I riffed on this theme: Instead of the romaine, I used a handful of shredded vegetables from a salad mix purchased at my local supermarket, a Taylor Farms’ Sweet Kale Chopped Mix. It included bits of kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, green cabbage and radicchio. Easy.

Giada’s Shaker Jar Salad

Yield: 1 serving

INGREDIENTS

• 1 wide-mouth quart-size jar
• 1 tablespoon store-bought hummus
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup canned black-eyed peas, rinsed, drained
• 1/3 cup red seedless grapes, halved
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
• 1 cup chopped radicchio or shredded green cabbage
• 1 cup loosely packed chopped romaine lettuce, about 2 leaves
• 1 tablespoon slivered almonds

DIRECTIONS

1. In small bowl, whisk hummus, juice, oil and salt. Pour dressing into bottom of a wide-mouth quart-size jar or sealable container. On top of dressing layer: peas, grapes, celery, feta, radicchio or cabbage, romaine and almonds. Seal and refrigerate for up to 6 hours.

2. When ready to eat, shake the jar to coat and mix the entire salad in the dressing.

Source: Adapted from “Happy Cooking” by Giada De Laurentiis (Pam Krauss Books, $35)

Award-winning food writer Cathy Thomas has written three cookbooks, including “50 Best Plants on the Planet.” Follow her at CathyThomasCooks.com.

I make these wraps most weekdays for lunch as they’re easy, tasty and packed with protein. They’re also loaded with fresh raw fruits and veggies.

While I mostly opt for the lettuce wrap route, the salad also works well as a spread for gluten-free crackers or a sandwich filling with toasted gluten-free bread.

Super Easy Chopped Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking: None

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 cups cooked shredded or cubed organic chicken breast (I love using rotisserie chicken for convenience)

2 small celery ribs, diced

½ cup purple grapes, rinsed and quartered

¼ cup pecans, chopped

1 green onion, diced

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill or tarragon (optional)

½ cup avocado oil mayonnaise or full-fat unsweetened Greek yogurt

Juice of 1 small lemon (1 to 2 tablespoons)

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon sea salt

Black pepper to taste

6 large romaine lettuce leaves, rinsed and patted dry

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, celery, grapes, pecans, green onion, parsley, chives, and dill or tarragon (if using). Add the mayo, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper to the bowl and stir until well mixed. Spoon the mixture onto the center of the romaine leaves and enjoy.

Lauren Chambers is a nutrition and hormone health coach and founder of So Fresh N So Green, a business dedicated to providing clients with delicious recipes, meal plans, natural remedies and online courses. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and three daughters.

Excerpted from “Hormone Healthy Eats” by Lauren Chambers. Copyright (copyright) 2026 by Lauren Chambers. Used with permission of Voracious, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company. New York, NY. All rights reserved.

Mendocino County is throwing four different whale fests, on the four weekends of March, each in a separate coastal community. After that comes Monterey, in April, with its big annual celebration full of science and wharf fun. Here is an abbreviated schedule for each festival, in chronological order; for detailed information, check the events websites for Mendocino (mendoparks.org/whale-festival) and Monterey (whalefest.org).

Whalefest Monterey: April 11-12

The 16th annual Whalefest will center on Monterey’s historic Old Fisherman’s Wharf and the Custom House Plaza. For serious whale enthusiasts, it’s a must-attend, with marine scientists sharing their fascinating research and conservation tales. (Previous talks have included “Whale Entanglement: Risks, Responses and Prevention” and “The Unseen and Unsung Heroes of Monterey Bay: the Beautiful, Amazing Microscopic Plankton!”)

There will also be live music, interactive marine exhibits, sea-themed crafts like scrimshaw and gyotaku — the traditional Japanese method of “printing fish” — and the chance to tour research and rescue vessels. And don’t forget (or accidentally step on) the crowd-favorite Abalone Races, featuring the iridescent-shelled sea snails crawling their way to a photo finish.

Mendocino: March 7-8

The charming enclave of Mendocino, perched on the roaring ocean like a history-soaked village in a (non-scary) Stephen King novel, will fire up the start of the whale festivities. Note that most of the events are scheduled for Saturday, March 7.

The festival will feature a chowder-tasting event from local restaurants, with samples, until the “chowder runs out.” There’s a wine walk through town, a storytime-and-crafts family event and a screening of a movie called “The Boy Who Talks to Whales” ($10). Plus, a whale-watching station at Mendocino Headlands State Park.

Little River: March 14-15

Just south of Mendocino, the community of Little River will hold free guided hikes at Spring Ranch in Van Damme State Park, with the chance to spot migrating gray whales. Email director@mendoparks.org to reserve your spot, as space is limited. Also on Saturday is a margarita-making contest and parks fundraiser at the historic Little River Inn, in which audience members can taste and vote for their favorite drinks ($50). That same day will have a self-guided jaunt of a “Mocktail Trail” at local watering holes ($25).

Fort Bragg: March 21-22

The biggie of Mendocino County’s festivals, Fort Bragg’s celebration will feature a downtown wine walk, a chowder-tasting competition, a 10K/5K “whale run and walk,” a whale swim, live music and food trucks and more. It’s also the Fort Bragg Beer Festival on Saturday, March 21 ($40 at the door), with beer-and-cider tastings and free “safe rides” within the city limit.

A Soroptimist Craft Fair will take over downtown Fort Bragg on both days with handmade gifts, jewelry, pottery and ironworks. On Friday, the county parks district will stage a campfire storytelling evening with hot cocoa and trivia at MacKerricher State Park. Saturday will see free guided walks at MacKerricher to scout for the migrating leviathans, and on Sunday kids can help paint a giant gray-whale skeleton there.

Point Arena: March 28-29

A new addition this year is Point Arena’s fest, with guided hikes of the shoreline and crafts at the Point Arena Library. Note that most of the events are on Saturday, March 28. The Point Arena Lighthouse will have marine-science talks with binoculars for lending ($5). In town, a Talking Heads tribute band will rock the Arena Theater (an old vaudeville joint) for $25-$30, and local bars and restaurants will offer special whale- and seafood-themed delicacies.

MIAMI (AP) — For nearly 10 years running, Lesley VanNess never missed the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, a beachfront bacchanal of celebrities, booze and bites that tens of thousands of attendees pay hundreds to thousands of dollars to join.

It was about access, the chance to nosh and gab with the likes of Rachael Ray and Bobby Flay, people she otherwise could experience only via the hands-in-pans purview of the Food Network.

“I’d get the Food Network Magazine and there would be advertisements for it. I’m like, ‘0h my god! You could go to that? Go to these great events and meet these celebrity chefs?’,” said VanNess, a 44-year-old former restaurant owner from Iowa. “I’m in!”

That was during the food festival heyday, a decade-long stretch starting around 2010 when copycat events popped up everywhere, creating a circuit-like scene for A-list chefs (and ample wannabes).

Then came social media, a force that melted barriers between fans and food celebs. People like VanNess realized that instead of crowding into football field-size tents to chance a chat with Flay, they could just DM him.

Or better yet, they could tune in to online #instafood chatter to perhaps discover the next Ray or Flay, a whole new level of social cred unlocked.

VanNess hasn’t been back to South Beach since at least 2020. “I’d rather see them on social media or go to their restaurant,” she said.

What chefs and foodies want

Last weekend, the South Beach Wine & Food Festival turned 25, cementing it as one of the elders of the festival scene, along with its sister event, the New York City Wine & Food Festival, and the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Colorado. By all accounts, all three are going strong. But many smaller festivals have disappeared, victims of the pandemic, slumping ticket sales, soaring food and labor costs, and chef disinterest.

So, are food festivals still relevant?

“South Beach and New York, they fill a niche and I can see them going on forever. But food events and food festivals are going in a whole other direction,” said Mike Thelin, one of the founders of the now shuttered Oregon festival Feast Portland.

Festivals’ success long hinged on the need of chefs, wineries, mixologists, food producers, and what only now are known as food influencers to reach a wider audience. In 2026, that’s an antiquated notion.

“In 2010, they wanted to get on the map,” Thelin said. “They don’t need that anymore.”

Seeking that local connection

That doesn’t mean festivals are dead. There’s a recalibration happening, he explained. What many call “white tent affairs,” a not-so-subtle nod to South Beach’s events that stretch along the sands of the Atlantic, are fading.

“If I’m going to a certain region, I want to know what makes that region special,” Thelin said. “I don’t want to go into a giant white tent that’s devoid of geography and drink a bunch of wines from California if I’m in Washington or Tennessee.”

Taking their place? A host of small, hyper-focused events grounded in people and place. Events like AAPI Food & Wine, a 3-year-old Oregon and New York City-based festival that highlights the work of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

“The foodie scene has changed so much,” said Lois Cho, one of the founders of that event, which draws about 1,000 attendees a year. “People didn’t realize wine and black bean noodles and izakaya and all these different Thai dishes — they had no idea they paired. Creating a different narrative and community where you can connect with people, those are the types of events we’ll see now.”

Social media, she said, unlocked so many overlooked voices.

“And a lot of people haven’t caught on because it’s been a lot of cookie-cutter events for the last 20 years,” she said.

It’s been a similar story for the Southbound Food Festival, which celebrates the culinary scene of Birmingham, Alabama. Started in 2022 and stretching over a week every fall, the event pulls support not just from chefs, but also the region’s art and music scenes.

“There’s less appeal today with these TV chefs. Great chefs are everywhere,” said Nancy Hopkins, one of the event’s founders. “People come to celebrate and uplift Birmingham.”

The OG festivals still draw crowds

Still, as Thelin said, the South Beach Wine & Food Festival and it’s New York sibling aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, white tents, Food Network faces and all. Tickets to nearly all of South Beach’s 110 events, which featured 500-plus chefs and food personalities, sold out this year. In its quarter century, the festival has raised more than $45 million for the Florida International University Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management.

Lee Schrager, the force behind the two festivals, said the South Beach blueprint remains relevant today.

“There’s something very different about DM’ing Bobby Flay than going to an intimate dinner at a table of 10 that he’s doing that’s sold out in three days,” Schrager said. “Social media has made everyone available, but can you touch and feel it?”

The first South Beach event, attended by only 10 chefs, was little more than a wine tasting. This year, more than 30,000 people attended. Martha Stewart hosted a luncheon at Joe’s Stone Crab, Italian celebrity butcher Dario Cecchini tossed slabs of beef into an eager dinner crowd, and Ray reprised her Burger Bash, where everything from Kool-Aid pickles to foie gras adorned smashed wagyu patties on potato buns.

Schrager acknowledged that most smaller festivals can’t operate the way his do, including hosting events he knows will sell tickets even if they ultimately lose money. He said he sold $7 million in tickets this year and brought in $6 million in sponsorships — and netted just a little over $1 million.

“It’s a good number in the festival world, but it’s not a great return if you’re running a profit business,” he said.

Ray, who has participated in nearly every South Beach and New York festival, continues to show up. It’s about loyalty to Schrager, who took her seriously when much of the food world didn’t. But it’s also about in-person access to fans.

“I love talking to people, being with people, having people climb all over you, hang on you, give you a compliment,” she said. “I love being in the real-life experience.”

J.M. Hirsch is a food and travel journalist, and the former food editor for The Associated Press.

Chicken simmered in a tomato sauce infused with onion, green pepper, and paprika forms the comforting foundation of this Hungarian goulash.

The key to its authentic flavor is using good-quality Hungarian paprika. It’s available in both mild and hot varieties and found in most supermarkets. This rich, savory goulash is served over pappardelle, a broad, flat pasta similar to extra-wide fettuccine, perfect for catching every spoonful of sauce.

HELPFUL HINTS:

• Any type of pasta can be used.
• Any type of sliced mushroom can be used.

To save preparation time, use diced onion and green pepper found in the produce section.

COUNTDOWN:

Place water for noodles on to boil.

Make goulash.

Boil pasta.

SHOPPING LIST:

To buy: 1/2 pound cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, 1 jar reduced sodium marinara sauce, 1 green bell pepper, 1 medium tomato,1 container sliced portobello mushrooms, 1 small container reduced fat sour cream, 1 bottle Hungarian paprika, 1 container caraway seeds, 1 package pappardelle

Staples: olive oil, onion, salt, black peppercorns

Chicken Hungarian Goulash

Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1 cup diced green bell pepper
• 1 cup sliced portobello mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika or 1 1/2 tablespoons ordinary paprika
• 1 cup reduced sodium marinara sauce
• 1/2 pound cooked boneless skinless chicken breast 1/2-inch pieces
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons reduced fat sour cream
• 1 medium tomato cut into wedges

Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat and add onion, green pepper and mushrooms. Saute 3 minutes. Sprinkle paprika over vegetables and saute 2 minutes. Add marinara sauce and simmer 1 minute. Add chicken and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and serve over pappardelle. Dot the goulash with sour cream. Arrange tomatoes on the side.

Yield 2 servings.

Per serving: 369 calories (32 percent from fat), 13.0 g fat (3.0 g saturated, 4.3 g monounsaturated), 114 mg cholesterol, 38.0 g protein, 26.5 g carbohydrates, 7.1 g fiber, 132 mg sodium.

Caraway Pappardelle

Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer

• 1/4 pound pappardelle (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot with 2 to 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add the pappardelle and boil 3 to 4 minutes or according to package instructions. Drain leaving about 2 tablespoons water on the pappardelle. Toss with olive oil and caraway seeds and salt and pepper to taste. Divide in half and serve on two dinner plates with the Goulash.

Yield 2 servings.

Per serving: 262 calories (20 percent from fat), 5.8 g fat (0.8 g saturated, 2.5 g monounsaturated), no cholesterol, 8.1 g protein, 44.1 g carbohydrates, 3.0 g fiber, 3 mg sodium.

©2026 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

This is primarily due to their respective climates, with the Mediterranean climate of southern Europe being ideal for growing grapes and the cooler climate of northern Europe better suited toward producing beer.

Ultimately, the beer-brewing nations of Europe developed hearty stews that were perfect complements to their beers and often included beer in the ingredients, drawing on regional specialties like German lagers, Irish stouts and Belgian lambics.

This winter, consider making one of these traditional European beer stews to keep the cold at bay.

Ireland

When you think of Ireland, you think of Guinness, which essentially invented the style of beer we call the Irish dry stout today. Guinness is the most popular brand by a wide margin, but there are plenty of other Irish dry stouts available, like Murphy’s, O’Hara’s, Beamish and Porterhouse’s Plain Porter.

Traditional Irish stew was usually made with lamb or mutton — though beef is more common today — along with potatoes, onion and vegetables (often carrots and celery). The simplest way to infuse the stew with beer is to simply substitute some of the broth (chicken or beef works well) for Guinness or another dry Irish stout.

Even better: Braise the meat in broth and beer to really work the beer’s flavors into the dish. Some Irish stew recipes also call for coffee, chocolate, fish sauce, soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce — just don’t forget the stout.

England

British beef stew definitely has some similarities with its Irish counterpart, though historically it often didn’t use potatoes. Today, many modern versions do include them. Another common substitute for potatoes in English stews are dumplings. Usually a malt-forward ale, such as a golden ale, an amber ale, English-style pale ale, is used with the beef stock. But you want to avoid an ale that’s too hoppy because that bitterness can transfer to the stew.

Belgium

Belgium has a diverse brewing and culinary scene, with many breweries specializing in one unique beer, and numerous dishes made with beer.

One popular dish is carbonnade flamande, which is also called stoofvlees or Flemish beef and beer stew. It takes its name from the Flanders region of Belgium, which covers roughly the northern half of the country.

What’s unique about Belgian carbonnade (sometimes spelled carbonade) is its sweet-and-sour flavor profile, with caramelized onions and either gingerbread or brown sugar providing the sweetness and acidity from vinegar or sour beer providing the contrast. Beef is typically the stew’s meat, cooked along with loads of onions and herbs. Chefs commonly place a slice of gingerbread or sourdough bread slathered with mustard on top of the stew while it simmers to thicken the broth and add a touch of tanginess.

The beers used in traditional recipes include Oud bruin (a Flanders Brown that’s rich and sour), Trappist ales (like Chimay or Westmalle) or Abbey-style dubbels. Generally, the beef, marinated in the beer overnight, represents the heart and soul of the dish. Potatoes here are served on the side, almost always as Belgian frites.

Germany

Bierfleisch, or Bavarian Beef Stew, is a German stew typically made with beef brisket or chuck roast cooked slowly in a dark German lager, like a dunkel or bock. It usually includes onions, mushrooms and various spices.

RELATED: A recipe for Schweinebraten, or German pork roast

Another German stew is called biergulasch, or beer goulash, which instead uses both pork and beef with a thick paprika-based sauce and is typically made with the same beers as bierfleisch. A newer one is Oktoberfest stew, which uses Marzen or Oktoberfest beer and German sausages, like bratwurst, along with cabbage and potatoes.

Poland

The national dish of Poland is bigos (or hunter’s stew), which is dry stew of fresh cabbage and sauerkraut along with mushrooms and various meats, such as pork shoulder, kielbasa, beef or other game. It’s also made with beef stock and beer, usually a pilsner, amber lager or some other lager. Traditionally, it’s cooked over several days, where it’s heated, cooled and reheated multiple times.

Czech Republic

In Czechia, where pilsner was invented, there’s a dish called hovězí guláš, which means Czech beef goulash or stew, made with slow-cooked beef chunks, bread crumbs, onions, paprika and dark Czech beer, usually with herbs and spices like garlic, caraway, marjoram and even juniper berries.

There are countless variations and recipes for each of these dishes, so it’s hard to know which is the best. Some have been handed down over generations and others are modern interpretations of classic meals. Do a little online sleuthing and find a few that sound good to you and give them a whirl this winter. They’re a perfect reminder of how well beer and food can combine to make your dining experience truly memorable.

Contact Jay R. Brooks at BrooksOnBeer@gmail.com.

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — In Hungary’s capital, a city best known for its goulash, a pizzeria is inviting diners to travel back two millennia to a time before tomatoes, mozzarella or even the word “pizza” were known in Europe.

At Neverland Pizzeria in central Budapest, founder Josep Zara and his team have created a limited-edition pie using only ingredients that would have been available in ancient Rome, long before what we know today as pizza ever existed.

“Curiosity drove us to ask what pizza might have been like long ago,” Zara said. “We went all the way back to the Roman Empire and wondered whether they even ate pizza at the time.”

Strictly speaking, they did not. Tomatoes arrived in Europe centuries later from the Americas, and mozzarella was as yet unknown. Some histories have it that the discovery of mozzarella led directly to the invention of pizza in Naples in the 1700s.

But Romans did eat oven-baked flatbreads topped with herbs, cheeses and sauces, the direct ancestors of modern pizza, which were often sold in ancient Roman snack bars called thermopolia.

In 2023, archaeologists uncovered a fresco in Pompeii depicting a focaccia-like flatbread topped with what appear to be pomegranate seeds, dates, spices and a pesto-like spread. The image made headlines around the world, and sparked Zara’s imagination.

“That made me very curious about what kind of flavor this food might have had,” he said. “That’s where we got the idea to create a pizza that people might have eaten in the Roman Empire, using only ingredients that were in wide use at the time.”

Zara began researching Roman culinary history, consulting a historian in Germany as well as the ancient cookbook De re coquinaria, thought to have been authored around the 5th century. Following his research, he compiled a list of historically documented ingredients to present to the pizzeria’s head chef.

“We sat down to imagine what we might be able to make using these ingredients, and without using things like tomatoes and mozzarella,” Zara said. “We had to exclude all ingredients that originated from America.”

Head chef Gergely Bárdossy said the constraints forced the team into months of experimentation, and a few false starts.

“We had to discard a couple ideas,” Bárdossy said. “The fact that there wasn’t infrastructure like a water system at the time of the Romans made things difficult for us, since more than 80% of pizza dough is water. We had to come up with something that would have worked before running water.”

The solution: helping the dough rise using fermented spinach juice. Ancient grains such as einkorn and spelt, widely cultivated in Roman times, formed the base, and the dough ended up slightly more dense than that of most modern pizzas.

The finished pie is topped with ingredients associated with Roman aristocratic cuisine, including epityrum, an olive paste, garum, a fermented fish sauce ubiquitous in Roman cooking, confit duck leg, toasted pine nuts, ricotta and a grape reduction.

“Our creation can be called a modern pizza from the perspective that we tried to make it comprehensible for everyone,” Bárdossy said. “Although we wouldn’t use all its ingredients for everyday dishes. There is a narrow niche that thinks this is delicious and is curious about it, while most people want more conventional pizza, so it’s not for everyday eating. It’s something special.”

For Zara, the project reflects Neverland Pizzeria’s broader philosophy.

“We’ve always liked coming up with new and interesting things, but tradition is also very important for us, and we thought that these two things together suit us,” he said.

However, he added, there is a modern boundary the restaurant will not cross.

“We do a lot of experimentation with our pizzas. But of course, we definitely do not use pineapple,” he said.

Associated Press journalist Béla Szandelszky contributed to this report.

This story corrects the first name of the head chief to Gergely.

Inspired by Chinese New Year celebrations, this easy steak stir-fry quickly came to mind. It takes just a few minutes to assemble and prep the ingredients, and only minutes more to cook, making it perfect for a busy day.

I use a ready-made stir fry sauce from the market for convenience, but if you prefer, I’ve included a simple homemade version at the end of the recipe.

HELPFUL HINTS:

Any vegetables you have on hand can be used. Follow the recipe amounts for a guide.

Five spice powder can be found in the spice section of the market.

COUNTDOWN:

Assemble ingredients.

Make rice and place on dinner plates.

Make stir fry.

SHOPPING LIST:

To buy:

• 3/4 pound grassfed beef tenderloin
• 1 bottle stir fry sauce
• 1 small bottle five spice powder
• 1 small bottle sesame oil
• 1 onion
• 1 bunch celery
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 container broccoli florets
• 1 package microwaveable brown rice

Five Spice Steak Stir Fry

Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer

• 1 package microwaveable brown rice to make 1 1/2 cups cooked
• 3 teaspoons sesame oil, divided use
• 5 tablespoons store bought stir fry sauce
• 1 tablespoon five spice powder
• 2 cups sliced onion
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 cup sliced red bell pepper
• 3/4 pound grassfed beef tenderloin, cut into 1/2-inch slices

Microwave rice according to package instructions. Measure 1 1/2-cups rice and reserve the remaining rice for another time. Toss with 1 teaspoon oil. Divide the rice between 2 dinner plates. Add stir fry sauce to a small bowl and mix in the five spice powder making sure it is well mixed. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a wok or skillet over high heat until smoking. Add the onion, celery and broccoli and stir fry 2 minutes. Add the red bell pepper. Continue to stir fry 2 minutes. Add the meat and stir fry 2 minutes. Draw the ingredients to the side of the wok and add the stir fry sauce to the cleared area. Draw all of the ingredients into the sauce. Toss well for a minute to make sure all ingredients are coated with the sauce. Spoon the beef stir fry over the rice and serve.

Yield 2 servings.

Per serving: 598 calories (29 percent from fat), 19.6 g fat (6.1 g saturated, 7.7 g monounsaturated), 84 mg cholesterol, 42.5 g protein, 63 g carbohydrates, 6.6 g fiber, 587 mg sodium.

Homemade stir fry sauce

• 3 tablespoons Chinese rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
• 3 teaspoons minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Mix vinegar, Chinese five-spice powder, garlic, soy sauce, honey, water and cornstarch together in a small bowl.

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