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Tag: Food Recipes

  • This Thanksgiving, don’t forget the cornbread, and here’s a nicely cheesy version

    Even though there are many options on our Thanksgiving table, we pay attention to the breadbasket. And every year, one of the non-negotiable items is cornbread. This year, it’s going to be this nicely cheesy version, with shredded cheddar incorporated into the batter, and then some more strewn across the top before baking for good measure.

    This recipe is everything I want in a cornbread: moist (dry cornbread is a no-go for me, unless we are talking about stuffing), a little crumbly in the best way, and loaded with sharp cheddar cheese so you get that pop of flavor in every bite.

    There is a reason that cooks have long reached for their cast-iron skillets when making cornbread. The dark, heavy metal gives the crust a wonderful color and a wonderful crispness on the outside. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you can absolutely use any other heavy ovenproof pan. Just make sure it’s about 12-inches in diameter and has sides that are at least 2-inches tall.

    Leftovers are great toasted the next day, with a smear of lightly salted butter or hot honey, or butter and hot honey mixed together.

    If you want to make the cornbread ahead of time and freeze it, that’s a great plan. Allow the bread to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Then wrap the bread well in foil and freeze it. You can freeze the whole circle of cornbread, or if it’s easier (and I think it is), cut the cornbread into 4 quarters and freeze them separately. Defrost at room temperature; it will take about 12 hours to thaw. If you want to warm the bread before serving, just place it, still wrapped in foil, in a preheated 350° oven for about 10 minutes. Unwrap, slice and serve.

    Cheddar Cornbread

    Ingredients:

    1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

    2 cups all-purpose flour

    2 cups yellow cornmeal

    2 tablespoons baking powder

    1 tablespoon sugar

    1 teaspoon kosher salt

    Hefty pinch cayenne pepper (to taste)

    1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus 1/2 cup for sprinkling

    2 large eggs

    2 cups buttermilk

    Directions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the butter in 12-inch cast iron skillet and put the pan in the oven until the butter melts and starts to very lightly brown.

    2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, salt and cayenne. Stir in 1 cup of the shredded cheese.In another smaller bowl use a fork to stir the eggs with the buttermilk.

    3. When the butter is melted, twirl the pan a bit so that the butter coats the sides as well as the bottom, then pour almost all of it, except for a couple of tablespoons, into the buttermilk mixture and stir quickly to combine. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture, just until combined (you want to see lumps; don’t overbeat or the cornbread will become tough). Scrape the mixture into the hot butter-coated pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle over the remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese.

    4. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until a wooden skewer or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, and the cornbread just starts to pull away from the outside of the pan. Cool in the pan on a wire rack, until warm or room temperature. Serve in squares or wedges.

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    Katie Workman writes regularly about food for The Associated Press. She has written two cookbooks focused on family-friendly cooking, “Dinner Solved!” and “The Mom 100 Cookbook.” She blogs at https://themom100.com. She can be reached at [email protected].

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    For more AP food stories, go to https://apnews.com/hub/recipes

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  • Fiber is something most people could use more of. But experts advise caution with ‘fibermaxxing’

    U.S. consumers who have had their fill of finding protein added to everything from cereal to ice cream are about to meet the next big food fad: fiber.

    Americans have been boosting their protein intake for years; even Pop-Tarts and Starbucks are selling protein-enhanced products. But the number of new products promoted with high or added fiber saw a big uptick in the U.S. this year, according to market research firm Mintel. Hundreds of videos on social media celebrate the benefits of dietary fiber and share recipes to help viewers get more of it.

    There’s even a term for trying to meet or exceed the recommended daily fiber intake: fibermaxxing.

    “I think fiber will be the next protein,” PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta said during a recent conference call with investors. “Consumers are starting to understand that fiber is the benefit that they need.”

    Boxes of cereal promoting fiber sit on a shelf at a Kroger grocery store, in Ann Arbor, Mich., Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Dee-Ann Durbin)

    Fiber’s benefits

    Unlike muscle-building protein, fiber isn’t sexy. It’s a carbohydrate found in plants that your body can’t break down. It helps feed gut bacteria and move food through the digestive system.

    “Folks don’t want to talk about it at a dinner party,” said Debbie Petitpain, a registered dietitian nutritionist and a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

    There are two main types of fiber. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and forms a gel-like material that feeds gut bacteria. It’s found in foods like oats, peas, beans, apples and carrots. Insoluble fiber doesn’t dissolve in water and moves food through the digestive system. It’s found in whole wheat flour, popcorn, wheat bran, nuts, green beans and potatoes.

    This article is part of AP’s Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health. Read more Be Well.

    Studies have shown that fiber lowers cholesterol levels, regulates blood sugar and promotes weight loss, since high-fiber foods tend to make eaters feel more full. It may also protect against heart disease, diabetes, diverticulitis and colon cancer, according to the American Heart Association.

    Petitpain said rising use of GLP-1 weight loss drugs could be one reason for the renewed focus on fiber, since GLP-1s naturally slow digestion and fiber can prevent constipation. She said fiber has seen similar spikes in interest when people wanted to alleviate symptoms from high-fat diets like Atkins or keto.

    How much fiber do we need?

    Most people in Western countries could use more fiber because their diets are low in vegetables, fruits and whole grains, said Sander Kersten, director of the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University.

    Under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s guidelines, adults should aim for 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories they consume. That’s about 25 grams of fiber for women and 38 grams for men each day. Petitpain said Americans generally only get about two-thirds of that amount.

    For reference, 1 cup of raspberries contains 8 grams of fiber, while a banana contains 3.2 grams, according to the USDA. One-half cup of avocado contains 5 grams of fiber and 1 cup of lima beans contains 13.2 grams. Fiber One, a bran cereal, packs 18 grams of fiber into a 2/3-cup serving.

    Boxes of cereal promoting fiber are for sale at a Kroger grocery store, in Ann Arbor, Mich., Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Dee-Ann Durbin)

    Boxes of cereal promoting fiber are for sale at a Kroger grocery store, in Ann Arbor, Mich., Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Dee-Ann Durbin)

    What are good ways to increase fiber?

    Kersten said long-term studies about the benefits of fiber have looked at the consumption of whole foods and not packaged products with added fiber.

    “The way it is consumed as an additive and part of a diet that doesn’t contain a lot of fiber may be different than a naturally fiber-rich diet,” Kersten said. “You can eat a very processed, Western diet and consume foods that are enriched, but we don’t know if it confers the same benefit.”

    Whole foods also help the body in other ways, Petitpain said. An apple contains 4.8 grams of fiber as well as water, vitamins and minerals, for example.

    Here are some recommendations from the Mayo Clinic for adding fiber to your diet:

    — Choose a breakfast cereal with 5 grams or more of fiber a serving. Top it with a sliced banana or berries.

    — Choose breads with at least 2 grams of fiber per serving and try other grains like brown rice, whole-wheat pasta and quinoa.

    — When baking, substitute whole-grain flour for white flour. Add wheat bran to muffins and cookies.

    — Try to eat five or more servings of fruit and vegetables daily. If you eat canned fruit, make sure it’s canned in fruit juice and not syrup, and make sure canned vegetables are low in sodium.

    Think twice about fibermaxxing

    There is no defined upper limit for fiber intake, Kersten said. But increasing fiber can cause painful gas and bloating, especially if it’s done quicky.

    Petitpain said people should increase their fiber intake gradually and drink plenty of water.

    “You’re feeding gut bacteria a food, and you can’t break it down. You rely on them, and if you give them second, third and fourth servings, there’s not enough of them to handle the extra load,” Petitpain said.

    Certain populations should also be extra careful about their fiber intake, Petitpain said. People who are sensitive to gluten or allergic to foods like soy, shellfish or psyllium husk should read labels carefully since some foods with added fiber contain those ingredients.

    More broadly, Kersten questions the trend of focusing on one nutrient, whether it’s protein or fiber.

    “We don’t need nutrients, we need foods. Ultimately, what you want to be striving for is a healthy diet, and you should choose foods that are considered to be an important part of a healthy diet,” he said.

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  • Puzzles? Sports? Birdsong? The variety of new nonfiction means there’s something for everyone

    Birding. Photography. The great outdoors. Big Macs.

    Chances are good there’s a nonfiction book out there to suit just about anybody on your holiday gift list.

    Some ideas:

    For your puzzlers

    Imagine, if you will, a world without mobile phones, the internet or The New York Times (digital OR print). Would your favorite puzzler survive? The good folks at the Times have something perfect to put in the bunker: “Puzzle Mania!” It’s a stylish hardcover book full of Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, Minis and more. By a lead Times puzzle editor, Joel Fagliano. Authors Equity. $38.

    Contemporary art

    Painting, collage, photography, sculpture, performance. Derrick Adams has embraced them all in a career spanning more than 25 years. His first monograph, “Derrick Adams,” includes 150 works that explore Black American culture and his own identity. Portraiture abounds. There’s joy, leisure and resilience in everyday experiences and self-reflection, with a little humor on board. Monacelli. $79.95.

    Steph Curry inspiration

    “Being shot ready requires practice, training and repetition, but it rewards that work with an unmatched feeling of transcendence.” That’s Golden State Warrior Stephen Curry in his new book, “Shot Ready.” The basketball star takes his readers from rookie to veteran, accompanied by inspiring words and photos. One doesn’t have to be into basketball to feel the greatness. One World. $50.

    The American West

    The photographer Frank S. Matsura died in 1913, but his work lives on in a hefty archive. He was a Japanese immigrant who chronicled life in Alaska and the Okanogan region of Washington state. He operated a photo studio frequented by the Indigenous people of the region. Many of those portraits are included in “Frank S. Matsura: Iconoclast Photographer of the American West.” Edited by Michael Holloman. Princeton Architectural Press. $40.

    The gift of bird chatter

    Cheeseburger, cheeseburger! The handy little book “Bird Talk” seeks to make identifying bird calls fun and accessible without heavy phonetic descriptors or birder lingo. Becca Rowland, who wrote and illustrated, offers funny, bite-size ways to identify calls using what’s already in our brains. Hence, the black-capped chickadee goes “cheeseburger, cheeseburger!” Storey Publishing. $16.99.

    Mocktails and cocktails

    David Burtka is sober. His husband, Neil Patrick Harris, imbibes. Together, they love to throw parties. This elfin book, “Both Sides of the Glass,” includes easy-to-follow cocktail and mocktail recipes, with commentary from Harris, who took mixology lessons out of sheer love of a good drink. Written with Zoë Chapin. Plume. $35.

    It’s a book. It’s a burger.

    This tome with a cover design that evokes a Big Mac is a country-by-country work of journalism that earned two 2025 James Beard awards for Gary He, a writer and photographer who previously freelanced for The Associated Press and self-published the book. He toured the world visiting McDonald’s restaurants to do his research for “McAtlas: A Global Guide to the Golden Arches.” As social anthropology goes, it serves. $49.95.

    Yosemite love

    From the cute but ferocious river otter to the gliders of the night, the Humboldt’s flying squirrel, this striking book is the first comprehensive work in more than a century dedicated entirely to the park’s animal kingdom. “Yosemite Wildlife: The Wonder of Animal Life in California’s Sierra Nevada” includes more than 300 photos and covers 150-plus species. By Beth Pratt, with photos by Robb Hirsch. Yosemite Conservancy. $60.

    Samin Nosrat’s new book

    Samin Nosrat lays herself bare in this long-awaited second book from the chef and author of the acclaimed “Salt Fat Acid Heat.” Her first book was 17 years in the making. In its wake, she explains in “Good Things,” was struggle, including overwhelming loss with the deaths of several people close to her and a bout of depression that nearly swallowed her whole. Here, she rediscovers why she, or anybody, cooks in the first place. The recipes are simple, her observations helpful. You can taste the joy in every bite. Penguin Random House. $45.

    Chappell Roan

    She struggled in the music game for years, until 2024 made her a star. Chappell Roan, with her drag-queen style, big vocals and queer pride, has a shiny Grammy for best new artist. Now, in time for the holidays, there’s a sweet little book that tells her origin story. “Chappell Roan: The Rise of a Midwest Princess.” With text contributions from Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, Dibs Baer, Patrick Crowley, Izzy Grinspan, J’na Jefferson, Ilana Kaplan and Samantha Olson. Hearst Home. $30.

    Snoop’s homemade edibles

    For edible-loving weed enthusiasts, “Snoop Dogg’s Treats to Eat” offers 55 recipes that can be done with or without the weed. The connoisseur includes tips on how to use your goods for everything from tinctures to gummies, cookies to cannabutter. Perhaps a loaded milkshake or buttermilk pancakes with stoner syrup. Chronicle Books. $27.95.

    A style muse

    With her effortless beauty, and tousled hair and fringe, Jane Birkin easily transitioned from her swinging London roots in the early 1960s to a cultural and style muse for decades. She lent a bohemian charm to everything she did, from acting to singing to liberal activism. And she famously was the muse for the Hermès Birkin bag. The new “Jane Birkin: Icon of Style,” encompasses all of Birkin. By Sophie Gachet. Abrams Books. $65.

    More Taylor Swift

    All those Easter eggs. All those songs. It’s Taylor Swift’s world and we’re just eyes and ears taking it all in. Swift has been everywhere of late with her engagement to Travis Kelce, her Eras tour and now, “The Life of a Showgirl.” Add to the pile “Taylor Swift All the Songs,” a guide to the lyrics, genesis, production and secret messages of every single song, excluding “Showgirl” tracks. By Damien Somville and Marine Benoit. Black Dog & Leventhal. $60.

    Got a theater buff?

    What’s the beating heart of American theater? Broadway, of course. Teale Dvornik, a theater historian known on social media as The Backstage Blonde, has written a handy little history of New York’s Theater District, “History Hiding Around Broadway.” She takes it theater by theater, offering backstage insights into the venues themselves, along with shows that played there and Broadway highlights through the ages. Running Press. $25.

    Christmas baking, Gilded-Age style

    Sugarplums. They’re a thing! Fans of “The Gilded Age” are well aware and will eat up “The Gilded Age Christmas Cookbook.” It includes treats from the era, some culinary history and a lot of old-time charm. For the record, sugarplums date to the 1600s, when they were basically just sugar. By the Gilded Age, starting roughly in the late 1800s, they were made from chopped dried figs, nuts, powdered sugar and brandy. Yes, please. By Becky Libourel Diamond. Globe Pequot. $34.95.

    Forever flowers

    Know a crafter? Know a flower lover? In “Everlasting Blooms,” floral artist Layla Robinson offers more than 25 projects focused on the use of dried flowers. She includes a festive flower crown, table displays, wreaths and arrangements with buds and branches. Her step-by-step guidance is easy to follow. Robinson also instructs how to forage and how to dry flowers. Hachette Mobius. $35.

    Michelle Obama style

    A brown polyester dress with a plaid skirt and a Peter Pan collar. That’s the very first fashion statement Michelle Obama can remember making, circa kindergarten. It was up, up and away from there, style-wise. The former first lady is out with a photo-packed book, “The Look,” taking us behind the scenes of her style and beauty choices. Crown. $50.

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    For more AP gift guides and holiday coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/gift-guide and https://apnews.com/hub/holidays.

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  • By the Numbers: Why trick-or-treaters may bag more gummy candy than chocolate this Halloween

    Ghouls, goblins … and gummy bears.

    Trick-or-treaters may find more fruity candy than chocolate among their Halloween handouts this year. That should be fine with younger consumers, who have been gravitating for years toward non-chocolate candies like gummies, freeze-dried treats and other sweets that come in a variety of shapes, colors and flavors.

    Last year, 52% of the total volume of Halloween candy sold in the U.S. was made of chocolate, according to Dan Sadler, a principal for client insights at the market research company Circana. But in the 12 weeks ending Oct. 5, chocolate accounted for 44% of the Halloween candy sold in the U.S.

    Prices may be part of it. Global cocoa prices more than quadrupled between January 2023 and January 2025 due to poor harvests in West Africa, where 70% of cocoa is produced. Chocolate candy is lot more expensive as a result.

    Chocolate Halloween candy in the U.S. cost an average of $8.02 per pound in the 12 weeks ahead of Oct. 5, while non-chocolate candy cost an average of $5.77 per pound, Sadler said.

    Here’s a look at Halloween candy by the numbers:

    $7.4 billion

    The amount Americans spent on Halloween candy in 2024, according to the National Confectioners Association. That was 18% of all candy sales last year.

    30 million

    The number of M&M’s that Mars Inc. makes each day at the facility in Topeka, Kansas, that produces its Halloween candy.

    $10,710

    The price for a metric ton of cocoa in January, which was an all-time high. Cocoa prices have fallen since then, but Sadler said it will take months for consumers to see the impact of those lower prices.

    1,254

    Miles between Topeka and New York. If you stretched out all the Snickers bars that Mars makes annually in Topeka, you could make that trip seven times.

    61%

    Percentage of U.S. consumers who bought candy for trick-or-treaters last year, according to Hershey. Hershey said 45% of consumers reported buying Halloween candy for themselves.

    40.8%

    Market share for Hershey in Halloween candy last year, making it the top performer. Hershey said its Halloween assortment — which includes Reese’s, Kit Kat and Almond Joy — was the top seller last Halloween.

    July 5

    Date which Mars started rolling Halloween candy out to U.S. stores this year. Mars makes Snickers, M&Ms, Skittles, Starburst and other candies.

    4.9%

    Growth in dollar sales of non-chocolate candy in the U.S. in 2024, according to the National Confectioners Association. Chocolate candy sales, in comparison, grew 0.4%.

    3.6

    Average number of weeks ahead of Halloween that Americans buy Halloween candy, according to Mars. Generation Z buys it sooner, around 4.5 weeks in advance.

    2 years

    Amount of time Mars takes to plan for a Halloween season.

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  • Japan’s sushi legend Jiro Ono turns 100 and is not ready for retirement

    TOKYO (AP) — Japanese sushi legend Jiro Ono won three Michelin stars for more than a decade, the world’s oldest head chef to do so. He has served the world’s dignitaries and his art of sushi was featured in an award-winning film.

    After all these achievements and at the age of 100, he is not ready to fully retire.

    “I plan to keep going for about five more years,” Ono said last month as he marked Japan’s “Respect for the Aged Day” with a gift and a certificate ahead of his birthday.

    What’s the secret of his health? “To work,” Ono replied to the question by Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike, who congratulated him.

    “I can no longer come to the restaurant every day … but even at 100, I try to work if possible. I believe the best medicine is to work.”

    Ono, the founder of Sukiyabashi Jiro, a tiny, 10-seat sushi bar in the basement of a building in Tokyo’s posh Ginza district, turned 100 Monday.

    Seeking perfection

    In one of the world’s fastest-aging countries, he is now among Japan’s nearly 100,000 centenarians, according to government statistics.

    Born in the central Japanese city of Hamamatsu in 1925, Ono began his apprenticeship at age 7 at the Japanese restaurant of a local inn. He moved to Tokyo and became a sushi chef at 25 and opened his own restaurant — Sukiyabashi Jiro — 15 years later in 1965.

    He has devoted his life seeking perfection in making sushi.

    “I haven’t reached perfection yet,” Ono, then 85, said in “Jiro Dreams of Sushi,” a film released in 2012. “I’ll continue to climb trying to reach the top but nobody knows where the top is.”

    Director David Gelb said his impression of Ono was “of a teacher and a fatherly figure to all who were in his restaurant.”

    At the beginning, Gelb felt intimidated by the “gravitas” of the legend but was soon disarmed by Ono’s sense of humor and kindness, he told the Associated Press in an interview from New Orleans. “He’s very funny and very sweet.”

    “I was filming an octopus being massaged for an hour, and he was worried about me,” Gelb recalled. Ono told him he was afraid the director was making the most boring film ever and that he could leave if he wanted to.

    “He was so generous and kind of humble of him to do that,” Gelb said. “Of course I was determined, and I was like, no way … Massaging the octopus to me is fascinating.”

    Regulars come first

    Ono is devoted to what he serves to his regular clients, even turning down the Japanese government when it called to make a reservation for then-U.S. President Barack Obama and former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2014.

    “I said no as the restaurant was fully booked, then they agreed to come later in the evening,” Ono recalled. “But (Obama) was enjoying sushi and I was happy.”

    Ono’s son Yoshikazu, who has worked with his father and now serves as head chef at the Ginza restaurant, said Obama smiled and winked at them when he tried medium fatty tuna sushi.

    His restaurant earned three Michelin stars in 2007, as he became the first sushi chef to do so, and has kept the status until 2019, when he was recognized by the Guinness World Records as the oldest head chef of a three-Michelin-star restaurant, at age 93 years and 128 days.

    In 2020, Sukiyabashi Jiro was dropped from the guide because it started taking reservations only from regulars or through top hotels.

    In recent years Ono serves sushi only to his special guests, “as my hands don’t work so well.”

    But he hasn’t given up. His son says Ono, watching television news about the death of Japan’s oldest male at 113, said 13 more years seems doable.

    “I will aim for 114,” Ono said.

    “I cherish my life so I get to work for a long time,” Ono says. He doesn’t drink alcohol, takes a walk regularly and eats well.

    Asked about his favorite sushi, Ono instantly replied: “Maguro, kohada and anago (tuna, gizzard shad and saltwater eel).”

    “It’s an incredible thing that this tradition continues and that he’s still going strong 100 years in … It’s an inspiration to everyone,” Gelb said, wishing Ono happy birthday in Japanese.

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