Many baked goods, such as pumpkin pie or gooey butter cake, taste even better with a hefty dollop of whipped cream, or as my grandpa used to call it: snowbanks. The slightly sweet and airy fluff makes any dessert just a little more decadent. But have you ever wondered what to actually buy for...

Most kids would pass up a lobster or steak dinner for a chance to eat a bowl full of spaghetti, and in fact, many adults would too. There's something about this age-old dish that's screams comfort. While many people refer to spaghetti as the classic Italian dish made up of thin pasta and a red...

In the heat of the summer, "busy" tends to take on a whole new meaning. Aside from the everyday chores, there are now baseball games to attend, swimming lessons to pack bags for, and summer camps to chauffer the kids to. Putting a healthy meal on the table is just another "chore" that can seem...

Soba noodles are a Japanese noodle made from buckwheat flour. They're found in many Asian dishes served either hot or cold. If you've ever passed up a recipe because you didn't know what soba noodles were or didn't know where to find them, you must try it again! Soba noodles are...

Your eyes may have skimmed past it. The canned beans and canned vegetable aisle in the supermarket usually houses the small, medium and very large cans of hominy. With the look of wet mini marshmallows, you may wonder what exactly this stuff is. Hominy is a product of field corn, called maize....

Step into the tropics by enjoying a sweet juicy papaya. A papaya resembles a melon on the inside, but it is botanically a berry. It has a green to yellow outer skin but is orange to pink on the inside. The cavity is filled with black, edible seeds with a peppery taste. Papaya is native to Mexico...

Thanksgiving is a holiday where food and family come together: A big feast for a big family. However, not everyone will have a large gathering. In fact, for many, the table may be set for just one or two. Despite this, a traditional Thanksgiving meal can still be enjoyed. First, you must decide on...

There are many choices when it comes to bringing an onion flavor to your dish: red, white and yellow onions, scallions, shallots, chives and leeks all bring a different intensity of flavor. Leeks have a milder taste and resemble an oversized scallion. Their stalk is a bundle of leaf sheaths, which...

Eating a bowl full of black-eyed peas on New Year's Day is said to bring good luck and prosperity in the new year. However, why save it for just once a year? Black-eyed peas are low in fat and a great source of potassium, calcium, vitamin C, and fiber. With these great nutrients, they just may...

Peppers are a common ingredient in so many recipes. Whether you play it safe with a bell pepper or throw in a punch of heat with a hot chile pepper, you are sure to find a pepper that brings a depth of taste to your dishes. The most popular mild peppers are the bell and banana varieties. They can...

This weeks blog post is written by Illinois State University Dietetic Intern, Erin Fejes! With Fourth of July just around the corner, many people may be searching for a sweet treat to celebrate with. If you haven't tried sorbet made with fresh berries, it may be just the dessert you've...

Plantains are a cousin to the banana, but you don't want to make the mistake of peeling a plantain and eating it raw like a banana. Not only will your teeth not sink through it, frankly, it won't taste anything like a banana. Plantains are grown in tropical regions, including Africa and the...

Holiday traditions create lasting memories, but have you ever wondered how these traditions got their start? Whoever thought to hang hosiery on the fireplace and stuff it with goodies? While we can't say for sure how it began, the legend has it that St. Nicholas heard a man talking about not having...

Butternut squash is one of the most popular winter squash varieties. It has a pale peach color on the outside but yields a yellow-orange flesh on the inside. It's flavor is reminiscent of a buttered sweet potato, and it's a versatile ingredient in many fall dishes. Butternut squash ranks high on...

On a recent trip to a garden center, I bought what I had thought was sweet basil only to bring it home to realize that it was lemon basil. After pondering what I was going to do with lemon basil, I realized that it really was not much different from other lemon fragranced herbs, such as lemongrass...

This week's blog post is written by Illinois State University dietetic intern and graduate student, Erin Fejes! Have you ever wondered why oats have become such a popular food item in recent years? From overnight oats to homemade granola, oats seem to be in many recipes these days. Read...

Many grills are sure to be fired up on this Father's Day, and depending upon the honorary dad's taste buds, steak is the choice of meat. When the word "steak" is used without classification, it generally refers to beef. Steaks that comes from the hind end will generally be less tender, as these...

Nutmeg is a common spice known to flavor a flurry of holiday foods and beverages. It's a key ingredient in pumpkin spice, a must-have in eggnog and a flavor booster in custards. Nutmeg is not actually a nut, but rather a drupe. This means it's a fruit with a single seed, similar to an apricot. It'...

I'm pleased to introduce this week's blog post author, Stephanie Sanderson! Stephanie is a student studying Food, Nutrition and Dietetics at Illinois State University. This early in the year, there are still individuals going strong on that New Year's resolution of being a "healthier you...

Spinach isn't just for Popeye; it's for all boys and girls, men and women, who want to be healthy and enjoy a good green! However, if you think it's packed full of iron and will make your muscles big, you may have been misled. History has it that a German chemist misplaced a decimal point and...