Blog Posts by Food Republic

It's that time of year: We all can sense that springtime is just around the corner, which makes us start imagining extravagant getaways. For those of us who love to travel to exotic and intriguing destinations to experience the local cuisine, this means finding places that even seasoned gastro-tourists like Anthony Bourdain would find enticing. Places like Madrid, which has recently supplanted Barcelona as Spain's culinary center, with exciting new restaurants like the five listed below.

But don't stop there! Young, inventive chefs and artfully designed restaurants and bars are dotting the landscapes of cities from San Diego to Singapore. Book a flight, start that diet, then let loose and explore some of the most exciting food and drink scenes in the world!

Related: All travel coverage on Food Republic »

Madrid, Spain
Barcelona and the Costa Brava dominated Spain's food scene for a decade, thanks to Ferran Adria and elBulli, among other hotspots. But the action has moved inland to

Read More »from Spring Travel: 7 Great Foodie Destinations

When the weather gets cold, folks tend toward standby comfort foods like macaroni and cheese, chili and pot pies. Rather than go with a trendy riff on an original, why not look around to other cultures and countries, who have their own versions of comfort food. From Mexico to Greece and beyond, this is the food that fuels recovery from hangovers, breakups, cold snaps and whatever else ails you. Remember: we all pile up our plates in the same language.

Related: More comfort food recipes »

Ginger Fried Rice
Get familiar with this easy yet sophisticated ginger fried rice recipe from Anthony Ricco, Chef de Cuisine at Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Spice Market. Topped with garlic and ginger-crusted fried eggs, fried rice has never looked so fierce.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:
1/2 cup peanut oil
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger root, minced
2 cups leeks, thinly sliced, washed and dried
4 cups day-old cooked rice (preferably

Read More »from 9 Exotic Comfort Food Classics

In case you hadn't noticed, we are now smack in the middle of what is being called the "third wave" of coffee culture. You might say that the second wave was the Starbucks-driven era of the Frappuccino and the first, oh, let's say somewhere around 1946, which is the year, according to the International Coffee Organization, that coffee consumption peaked in the U.S.

Related: 10 Coffee Orders to Step Up Your Game »

The Brew
The third wave is powered by coffee obsessives focused on bean origins and low-tech brewing techniques that preserve the integrity of those beans. Purists debate whether to drink "pour over" coffee, which involves pouring hot water through a cone filled with freshly ground beans, or French Press, in which you plunge the beans in a special device, to stove top espresso or cold brewing (usually used in iced coffee). These variations are a giant leap from the drip-drip-drip brew from the "Mr. Coffee" commercials of yore, not to mention the percolator that

Read More »from The Third Wave of Coffee

Winter has a reputation for heavy food, full stomachs and subsequent food comas. You have the power to change that. Gluten-free food has the amazing characteristic of not making you want to take a nap right after a hearty meal, while still retaining all of its heartiness.

Related: Ten Myths and Facts about Celiac Disease »

Even if you don't have Celiac disease, a gluten allergy or even a sensitivity, gluten-free meals can help prevent bloating or fatigue after a meal. We're onboard with any diet that makes you feel great, keeps your energy up and running and still permits you to eat sausage and cheese, like our Sausage and Polenta Pie. Sound like a trend you might want to get in on?

Polenta And Sausage Pie Recipe

The ultimate blend of comfort food flavors - cheesy, starchy and meaty - this dish is perfect for a crowd of any size. Try making it in individual ramekins for a fun presentation.

Servings: 6

Ingredients
1 pound hot Italian sausage,

Read More »from 6 Great Gluten-Free Recipes

Everything's getting stuffed these days - it's a user-friendly trend we're happy to get on board with. Besides, stuffing something great into something else is just about the nicest gesture you could make, and we're not just talking about food into stomachs. Stuffed shells are the perfect example of Italian-American food, reminiscent of the first restaurants serving up plates of comfort food doused with homemade red sauce.

Related: Cheese-Stuffed Meatballs Recipe »

Try this recipe for an easy weekday dinner that's easy to make for a crowd (and freezes beautifully), then check out some of our other favorite stuffed recipes below.

Easy Stuffed Shells RecipeEasy Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:
18 jumbo pasta shells
1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
1 26-ounce jar good-quality tomato sauce

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Bring a large pot of

Read More »from 5 Great Stuffed Recipes

Everyone loves a piece of pie. But fruit and custard aren't the only things you can tuck into pastry dough-ever heard of chicken pot pie? Pie stuffed with meat or other savory ingredients is not only a portable meal, it's a great way to keep warm in the winter months. And savory pies have become so popular, you might even say there's a trend stashed away in there under that hot, delicious pie crust.

Related: The basic chicken pot pie recipe »

Making your own is as easy as, well, let's not go there… And if you're seriously bake-challenged, you can always have one of the country's best savory pie experts ship you one, which we've rounded up for your convenience. Crusts away!

English Pork Pie Company
Known for its traditional British pork pies, small servings of chopped pork and gelatin baked into a crust, The English Pork Pie Company also makes a pretty mean steak and ale pie, Britain's answer to America's Classic Chicken Pot Pie. Pies like these - steak and ale, steak and

Read More »from Hot Food Trend: Savory Pies

Slow-cooker chili If there's one classic recipe every one needs to have ready at hand, it's chili. A slow-cooker or crockpot will make this already simplified dish even easier, but a nice heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid will do the trick as well. Break this recipe out for your next tailgate or even dinner date for a hearty, universally pleasing entree (sorry, vegetarians), perfect served over equally easy-to-make rice.

Servings: 6

Ingredients
2 pounds ground beef
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 14-ounce cans diced tomatoes, juice reserved
2 14-ounce cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and brown the ground beef, breaking up any large chunks with a wooden spoon.

2. When no more pink remains, drain off excess

Read More »from Slow Cooker Chili Recipe

There's nothing like opening the fridge and seeing a bottle of ketchup at least half-full. Your fries shall be dipped. Your burger will be okay. Your eggs are safe. That's right, some people like it on eggs. But if you've been to a trendy establishment serving up any posh "housemade" variation on ketchup, you may eventually look at your squeezy bottle as half-empty. We raise our hats to you, food snob.

Related: The Easiest Homemade Ketchup Recipe Ever

1. Ketchup isn't, but should be, a broad term for any thick, tangy and savory fruit or vegetable-based condiment. At present day it's pretty much universally planted in tomato territory, unless you're in the Philippines.

2. Due to a tomato shortage during World War II, Filipinos began making ketchup out of the comparatively abundant banana, yielding a much sweeter brownish yellow sauce (as you might imagine), which was then dyed red. Delicious.

3. They would never consider eating their very special version of spaghetti

Read More »from 7 Things to Know About Ketchup