Downtown East Lansing is my personal nightmare. Having grown up wandering its relative quaintness, I find its new scale and congestion more than a little off-putting. Add to that my innate … more

A sauce called “Magma” made its debut at Thanksgiving dinner this year. As guests passed the sauce around the table, the revelers quickly noticed its power and utility. The crimson … more

I met the Wild Ricer behind a ski lodge in the mountains above Lake Tahoe. We were both attending a writing workshop, and we took turns reading our work to each other. My project was a passionate … more

Born in the Vietnamese province of Binh Duong, just north of Ho Chi Minh City, Capital City BBQ owner Linh Lee was raised by her grandmother, Doan. Apart from parenting her, Doan also served as … more

Food Network personality Alton Brown will take his “Alton Brown Live: Beyond the Eats — The Holiday Variant” tour to the Wharton Center on Saturday evening. According to the … more

UrbanBeat is hosting a create-your-own sushi event on Thursday night, the kick-off of a new monthly culinary experience featuring celebrity chef Stuart Christoff and mixologist Andrea Valerio. … more

By ARI LEVAUX Apples can be hard work to eat, despite being full of sweet juice. The tough skin requires energy to chew through, as does the rigid flesh. Hence the expression, “If you … more

At my job, my coworkers and I will often pass the time asking questions like “Would you rather be constantly chased by a very slow wolf or have to shower every day with a moody badger?” … more

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