She ate: First things first (completely unrelated to food but absolutely related to the fabric of our community): J.W. Sexton High School is the best. What other high school in Greater Lansing has produced …
He ate: With so much attention given to the elections, this month’s focus on our cultural electorate, Top of the Town, required me to think deeply about the issues and flavors before endorsing any of … more

I don’t understand how all Top of the Town winners garner their acclaim, but Altu’s Ethiopian Cuisine’s taking the Best Vegetarian/Vegan/Gluten Free category makes perfect sense. A … more

When you hear “green tomatoes,” does the word “fried” automatically come to mind? Aside from that southern classic of breaded green tomato slices fried golden, few people know what else to do with hard, unripe tomatoes.  ... more

Downtown Lansing is always an interesting place to visit. It is comforting how, in a way, it feels unchanged since I roamed its environs looking for sewer drain covers and other extremely artistic … more

Jessica Wheeler, a San Diego native, grew up playing sports before being recruited to play field hockey for Michigan State University.  After graduating, she moved to Las Vegas with her college sweetheart more

The recipe for toum contains only garlic, salt, lemon juice and olive oil. It’s as thick and creamy as mayo and improves everything it touches. But before it’s time for toum, we have to … more

I am not typically a breakfast person. I eat a hardboiled egg most mornings to better metabolize my supplements and caffeine, and then I tend not to think about food for many hours. Some days, however, I awake with a furious hunger more

Being an East Lansing native, I’ve been eating Woody’s Oasis for as long as I can remember. The somewhat startling flavor combination of creamy, bitter tahini and sour, beet-pink pickled … more

Orange foods taste good together. Maybe it’s my imagination or just a co-incidence. Or perhaps it’s the beta-caro-tene pigment found in all orange foods. But probably not because … more

She ate / He ate visits Choupli Wood-Fired Kabobs, 4411 W. Saginaw Hwy., Lansing (517) 708-0404 facebook.com/Choupli more

At the 12th annual Butte Bouldering Bash a few weeks back, rock climbers gathered to scramble up the crystal-flecked boulders that sprout from the earth along the Pipestone section of Montana’s … more

Vichyssoise, a chilled soup of potatoes, leeks and onions, has a place alongside ratatouille, French onion soup, gazpacho and other legendary, vegetable-heavy dishes of bucolic origin. Peasant food, … more

A probably not that controversial opinion: turkey is a year-round meat. For those who generally avoid pork and beef, it offers a welcome reprieve from the cycle of chicken, tuna and tilapia repeated … more

Naing Myanmar has been on the scene, winning the hearts and minds of the Capital City, since 2014 with its authentic Burmese and Thai selections.   It is the definition of a hole-in-the-wall, … more

It wasn’t love at first bite, but I finally warmed up to the shishito pepper.  The name is an abbreviation of shishitogarashi, which means “the tip of this pepper looks like a lion’s face” in Japanese. more

Lansing might not be known as “Beer City, USA” like our friends on the west side of the state, but the 517 area still has a plentiful  assortment of locally made craft beers and breweries ... more

At my local farmers market the other day, I was watching the stand of a farmer friend as he made the rounds. I chatted with shoppers, taking their money as if I were the farmer and silently taking … more

By ARI LEVAUX  Pity the misfit tomatillo, aka the Mexican husk tomato. Most cooks don’t know what to do with that swaddled orb that looks like a paper lantern and tastes like some … more

Braving a sit-down restaurant in Okemos with the kiddos. more

 Good Truckin’ Diner is known for creative twists on classic American diner food, plus tacos.   They offer an array of interesting options like jackfruit, spicy maple syrup, … more