While some might think Starbucks is to thank for the beloved spice combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, the origins of a favorite fall beverage are much older than that.

Celebrity Chef Lidia Bastianich knows what it’s like to be in a strange land, without a home. OSV News recently spoke with the Italian-American — who has become famous as a television host, author and restaurateur — about her own experiences as an Italian immigrant fleeing communism in the former Yugoslavia, and her current work as a board member for Jesuit Refugee Services/USA.

While the season of Lent is marked by fasting and abstinence, cooking for a hungry family in this season of prayer and penance “doesn’t mean boring or ‘fish all the time,'” a Catholic chef told OSV News.

As it turned out, though, we didn’t need a superhero to make our eagle cheese ball.

Using a 100-year-old recipe handed down by her maternal great grandmother, Sue Parks continues a family tradition started decades ago that makes Christmases extra special.

Soap can be scary, fun, or both.

For Easter this year, I wanted to create a dessert that celebrated the vibrant produce available in spring.

Four simple ingredients, lovingly kneaded and marked with a cross, create the beloved, if lowly, Irish soda bread.

Remember way back at the beginning of the pandemic when we were all jockeying for yeast and discussing sourdough starters? It seems like a distant memory. Lately, I feel I’m thinking more about which local restaurant I want to support tonight.

A little about the finches and other family highlights from the week