On Your Table: Mexico City cuisine blooms at La Piña

By Cathy Branciaroli, Food Correspondent, The Times The Mole Chicken at recently opened La Pina Restaurant marries a hint of chocolate sweetness with a spicy back-bite of flavor. While we usually think of dishes made with chocolate as sweet, sometimes decadent candies, beverages or desserts, chocolate in Mexican foods can be a spicy ingredient that enlivens sauces and savory dishes.  There’s a...

Fashion and gun control

By Kelly Hockenberry, Columnist, The Times Well, it’s safe to say that the Gucci Fall 2018 Runway show was a tad bizarre this year. Creative director, Alessandro Michele, in a post show press conference, said the collection was a nod to the way people are “undergoing self-regeneration through the powers of tech, Hollywood, Instagram, and Gucci.” (see full Vogue article here http://bit.ly/2FuZc0E)...

Being smart can save money — and grief — at your dental office

By Dr. Stephanie McGann, DMD FAGD, Columnist, The Times Every professional has those moments when they shake their heads at the circumstances facing them. Recently, an acquaintance shared a story of a customer who neglected to follow up on the check engine light in her car. After months of that pesky light on the dash the young woman was shocked that her car wouldn’t start and her mechanic explained...

Alexa, dress me

By Kelly Hockenberry, Columnist, The Times I have an embarrassing confession. (How many times have I revealed pieces of myself to you, the reader? Countless. Yet, I still manage to show my face in public.) In high school, I kept a clothes diary. Yep, I did (vapid as it may seem). An elaborate, daily log of what I wore (including accessories) so as not to repeat for as long as possible. I had an elaborate...

Meatless meals make for mouthwatering dishes

By Cathy Branciaroli, Food Correspondent, The Times A baked mushroom pasta casserole can entice eaters to give meatless meals more than one try. Local chefs I interviewed recently on top 2018 food trends cited farm-to-table and hyper-local eating as among the top locally enduring preferences for the coming year. Indeed, the most readily available ingredients featured at farmers markets are local produce. ...

Fly Eagles, Fly

By Kelly Hockenberry, Columnist, The Times It’s been quite a week of celebrating in Philadelphia! Just a few days shy of Valentine’s Day, there has been nothing but love in the air thanks to that incredible win last Sunday. I will be honest (even at the risk of being ostracized) and tell you that I am not a die-hard football fan. I can count on one hand the number of regular season games I watched...

Don’t Retire, ReFire: Getting through the winter months

By Gail Supplee Tatum, Columnist, The Times One thing is for certain, in the winter months, the days are short and the weather is cold and unpredictable.  That combination can lead to the “winter doldrums”.  It would be very easy to give in to that and “wait out” the time in hibernation, doing nothing and accomplishing nothing. Productivity and purpose are essential to living.  Nothing good...

A February SuperSix just for Valentine’s

By Kelly Hockenberry, Columnist, The Times Happy (almost) Valentine’s Day! Not that we ever really need an excuse to shop…but, a holiday does ramp up the intensity. I have found some fun ideas, all under $100! Here we go… JCrew Ruffle Neck Pullover (on sale for $60!) :    Send article as PDF   

On Your Table: Groundhog Day leaves us between seasons – a great time for soup

By Cathy Branciaroli, Food Correspondent, The Times Versatile soups such as Vietnamese Pho bridge the gap between winter and spring. Well, will he or won’t he? I’m referring of course to whether Punxsutawney Phil will pop back into his burrow after seeing his shadow.  This is considered to be a predictor that spring isn’t coming soon.  Or, if he enjoys a cloudy day we can hope for its arrival...

Home improvement: our twisted idea of fun

By Kelly Hockenberry, Columnist, The Times My husband and I have renovated several houses over the course of our twenty four years together. I’m talking top to bottom gut jobs. And, surprisingly, we’ve remained married through it all! I think we work well together during the process because we’re aligned in our “big picture” vision and it carries us through the chaos. We laugh (now) when...