We're fired up for Memorial Day!

According to our calendars, Memorial Day Weekend is the unofficial start of summer and the official start of grilling season! This weekend is the perfect time to get together with friends and family in the backyard and fire up the grill to practice your outdoor cooking skills. The great thing about the grill is that it serves as a focal point for a relaxing day of food and fun. Put your favorite beverages on ice, keep some snacks handy and throw your favorite foods on the grill.

This Memorial Day, we're excited to dig into some classic American dishes- burgers & dogs, potato salad & cole slaw, berry cobbler & ice cream. Pick some of your favorite recipes and meet us at the grill!


To help you find the best classic dishes for your backyard party, we fired up the FoodPair search engine and found a handful of delicious dishes from across the Web.

Blue Cheese Burgers
It's hard to beat the classic burger, which pairs well with sharp blue cheese.
Ingredients: garlic, egg, scallion, mustard, blue cheese, salt, ground beef, black pepper, water, hamburger buns

Grilled Hot Dogs with Mango Chutney and Red Onion Relish
Try the classic hot dog with inventive toppings.
Ingredients: cilantro, red onion, Dijon mustard, hot dogs, mango chutney, hot dog buns

Oil and Vinegar Potato Salad
This is a lighter & fresher take on the classic potato salad.
Ingredients: olive oil, red onion, sugar, red wine vinegar, Yukon Gold potatoes, Italian parsley

Cabbage and Carrot Slaw
This slaw is a great side and delicious on any burger or dog!
Ingredients: olive oil, cabbage, carrot, salt, black pepper, apple cider vinegar

Brown Sugar Berry Cobbler
A fresh berry cobbler always hits the spot.
Ingredients: butter, sugar, salt, all-purpose flour, baking powder, milk, cornstarch, mixed berries, dark brown sugar

Red, White, and Blue Ice Cream Cake
A great way to finish the meal with with this patriotic ice cream cake.
Ingredients: lemon peel, whipped cream, cookies, strawberry sorbet, blueberry sorbet, lemon ice cream, fresh berries


Let's get cooking!

Any other favorite ingredients or dishes you'd like us to highlight? Post them in the comments section or on our Facebook page! And while you're at it, "Like" us on Facebook to get helpful updates in your news feed.

May is National BBQ Month!

It's time to fire up the grill! Well, hold on a second. If we're going to be technically sound on this one, it's time to fire up the smoker! While most of us think of Barbecue as grilling, it's actually about smoking. Real barbecue involves cooking things slow & low over indirect heat, usually smoke from an aromatic wood like hickory, mesquite, apple or cherry.

Even though summer hasn't started yet and it's been raining like crazy across the country, that doesn't mean we can't get into a sunny mood by eating some great barbecue. We all have our favorites: Ribs, Brisket, Chicken, and Pulled Pork. Top those tender meats with your favorite BBQ sauce and serve it alongside some bread for sopping up the gravy and tasty sides like beans, greens and salads.

To help you find the best Barbecue dishes for any occasion, we fired up the FoodPair search engine and found a handful of delicious dishes from across the Web.

Hank's Barbecue Sauce
No matter what you make, you're gonna need sauce for slathering.
Ingredients: butter, lemon juice, brown sugar, ketchup, serrano chile, salt, apple cider vinegar, vegetable oil, Worcestershire sauce, yellow onion, molasses, Kentucky bourbon whiskey

Memphis-Style Barbecued Pork Ribs
Memphis delivers a flavorful dry rub and vinegar-based sauce.
Ingredients: kosher salt, barbecue sauce, pork ribs, barbecue seasoning

Barbecued Tri-Tip with Caramelized Onions
The West Coast loves Tri-Tip and you will too!
Ingredients: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, butter, red onion, chive, salt, black pepper, kosher salt, barbecue sauce, garlic powder, tri-tip steak

Honey-Mustard Barbecued Chicken
Don't forget about tasty chicken dishes like this one.
Ingredients: honey, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, ketchup, lemon zest, black pepper, chicken drumsticks, orange juice, oregano, whole grain mustard

Collard Greens with Bacon
Savory sides are just what the doctor ordered.
Ingredients: garlic, bacon, sugar, collard greens, black pepper, apple cider vinegar, kosher salt, chicken broth, yellow onion, hot sauce

Tangy Barbecue Baked Beans
BBQ chefs really know how to make beans sing!
Ingredients: honey, mustard, ketchup, pinto beans, water, sea salt, Worcestershire sauce, barbecue sauce


Let's get cooking!

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Regional Breakfast Specialties!

We hear it again and again: "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." Sure, but what are we supposed to cook and eat? On top of that, what do we have time to make as we watch the stove while simultaneously lacing up our shoes and buttoning our shirt?

What you're eating most mornings probably has a lot to do with where you live. From New York through Philadelphia, people love their egg & cheese on a roll. You can buy them in nearly every market, from carts on the street or make them at home. They're delicious, but often unavailable in other parts of the country. So, what are we talking about? Starting with a lightly toasted Kaiser roll or toast, you either scramble or fry an egg or two before topping it with a slice of American cheese. Some people add bacon or ham to the breakfast sandwich and by the Jersey Shore and in Philly, they love to add pork roll, the region's answer to Canadian bacon. The egg & cheese on a roll is a hearty breakfast that's sure to kick-start your day and push your metabolism into overdrive.

On a recent trip to New Orleans, we feasted on a breakfast of beignets and chicory coffee from Cafe du Monde. Beignets are light and fluffy fried doughnuts (without the hole) topped with plenty of powdered sugar. Chicory is a great additive to coffee- it's the root of the endive plant and adds a great rich and roasted flavor without adding caffeine.

In other parts of the south they enjoy biscuits & gravy- light buttermilk biscuits topped with a white gravy with plenty of ground bacon and black pepper. In the south they also opt for grits instead of breakfast potatoes. Grits are coarsely ground corn cooked for 15-20 minutes until soft. They're often topped with some butter, but we love the versions with cheddar cheese or red-eye gravy made from breakfast sausage or bacon.

To help you decide which regional American breakfast is best for you, we fired up the FoodPair search engine and found a handful of delicious dishes from across the Web.

Fried Egg and Sausage Ciabatta Breakfast Pizzas
This is a great take on the traditional northeastern breakfast sandwich.
Ingredients: olive oil, egg, scallion, Italian sausage, Monterrey Jack cheese, ciabatta

Buttermilk Beignets
Try your hand at the ultimate New Orleans breakfast treat!
Ingredients: sugar, buttermilk, salt, powdered sugar, baking soda, milk, peanut oil, active dry yeast, bread flour

Creamy Stone-Ground Grits
Stir up a taste of the South for your next breakfast.
Ingredients: butter, heavy cream, water, milk, kosher salt, grits

Country-Fried Ham with Redeye Gravy
It takes only three ingredients to make a great breakfast gravy.
Ingredients: ham, milk, coffee


Let's get cooking!

Any other favorite ingredients or dishes you'd like us to highlight? Post them in the comments section or on our Facebook page! And while you're at it, "Like" us on Facebook to get helpful updates in your news feed.

Happy Mother's Day!

FoodPair is here to give you an important reminder: Mother's Day is Sunday, May 8th. Don't forget to order those flowers, gifts and cards!

Since we know you'd like to celebrate Mother's Day with food, we've collected a bunch of great recipes from the moms and grandmoms of the world. But, don't limit yourself to these. No mom can resist breakfast in bed, so check out these searches for breakfast egg dishes or pancakes and french toast. Serve it with some fresh squeezed juice, coffee and perhaps a mimosa and she'll be dancing in the streets (while you clean the dishes, of course)!

Mothers are an amazing source of culinary heritage, so make sure to pay attention to what your mom has been cooking. For some reason, mom's meatballs and roast chicken always taste better than they do at restaurants. Mom has some tricks up her sleeve!

To help you celebrate the mothers of the world, we fired up the FoodPair search engine and found a handful of delicious dishes from across the Web.

Almost Grandmother's Challah
Making challah as good as gradma takes practice. We're almost there!
Ingredients: egg, sugar, salt, all-purpose flour, water, vegetable oil, active dry yeast

Grandma Ether's Brisket with Tzimmes
Grandma also makes a mean brisket, cooking it slow and low!
Ingredients: olive oil, sweet potato, carrot, sherry vinegar, prune, salt, chicken stock, black pepper, brisket

My Mother-in-Law's Madeira Cake
Mother in laws can cook delicious food too!
Ingredients: egg, butter, lemon juice, sugar, lemon zest, all-purpose flour, self rising flour

My Grandmother's Ginger-Jam Bread and Butter Pudding
Bread pudding is a great choice for Mother's Day.
Ingredients: egg, butter, ginger, sugar, brown sugar, heavy cream, bread, milk, golden raisins, dark rum

Grandma's Oatmeal Cookies
Make grandma everyone's favorite cookies!
Ingredients: egg, sugar, oats, walnut, raisin, brown sugar, salt, all-purpose flour, vanilla extract, baking soda, cinnamon powder, vegetable shortening


Let's get cooking!

Any other favorite ingredients or dishes you'd like us to highlight? Post them in the comments section or on our Facebook page! And while you're at it, "Like" us on Facebook to get helpful updates in your news feed.

A Taste of New Orleans

Jazz Fest starts this weekend in New Orleans! If you have any time, it's definitely worth a look & listen. The Fest, which runs from April 28th to May 8th, is two long weekends of non-stop music and delicious eats.

It's not all Jazz at Jazz Fest, not even close. There's one jazz tent among 12 tents and stages spanning every type of music including rock & roll, blues, gospel, pop and hip hop. Plus, for foodies, Jazz Fest is the ultimate feast. There's row upon row of food vendors, all of whom are local to Louisiana. There's nearly an infinite variety of local Cajun & Creole treats, so it's best to peruse the list beforehand, make a game-plan, and wear loose-fitting shorts or pants.

From past years, some of our favorite items are the Crawfish Monica from Kajun Kettle Foods- it's Cajun mac & cheese at it's finest and is loaded with creamy goodness, Cajun spices and plenty of fresh crawfish. We also feasted on Fried Soft-Shell Crab and Fried Catfish Po-Boy sandwiches from the Galley Seafood Restaurant in Metairie. There are also great Gumbos, Jambalayas and Muffuletta Sandwiches, so pace yourself! Finish it all off with a mini pecan pie or beignets and an iced café au lait. Wow, now we're definitely hungry!

To help you get ready for Jazz Fest with a taste of New Orleans, we fired up the FoodPair search engine and found a handful of delicious dishes from across the Web.

Muffuletta Sandwich
This sandwich features a tangy olive salad, so slather that on and then add your favorite toppings.
Ingredients: garlic, olive oil, caper, parsley, celery, bell pepper, bread, olives, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, provolone, salami

Becca's Jambalaya
A classic New Orleans rice dish loaded with great flavors!
Ingredients: garlic, shrimp, lemon juice, green and red bell pepper, onion, rice, sugar, celery, bay leaf, tomato sauce, canned tomato, Andouille sausage, chicken broth, hot sauce, Creole seasoning

Creole Seafood Seasoning
This seasoning mix is great on everything from Shrimp to Oysters to Catfish.
Ingredients: dried oregano, paprika, salt, black pepper, cayenne powder, dried thyme, dried basil, powdered onion, powdered garlic

Hearty Okra Gumbo with Chicken & Shrimp
Gumbo is a fantastic stew best served over rice.
Ingredients: basil, garlic, olive oil, shrimp, lemon juice, green bell pepper, okra, bay leaf, salt, tomato paste, canned tomato, chicken thigh, chicken broth, chili sauce, yellow summer squash

Buttermilk Beignets
Beignets are light & fluffy and go great with cafe au lait.
Ingredients: sugar, buttermilk, salt, powdered sugar, baking soda, milk, peanut oil, active dry yeast, bread flour

Pralines
These are another classic, simple local favorite for dessert.
Ingredients: cream, pecan, sugar


Let's get cooking!

Any other favorite ingredients or dishes you'd like us to highlight? Post them in the comments section or on our Facebook page! And while you're at it, "Like" us on Facebook to get helpful updates in your news feed.

Your Easter Menu

Easter Dinner is a great feast marking the end of Lent. While customs vary from country to country, decorating Easter Eggs are a common and fun activity. We also love eating chocolate eggs and those chocolate bunnies.

Easter falls at the beginning of Spring, so it features fresh, seasonal vegetables with vibrant green colors, like asparagus, peas and artichokes. For entrees, people traditionally eat lamb or ham dishes, so we've provided a recipes for both. Each family can create their own Easter meal traditions, so feel free to search FoodPair for your favorite menu items if you don't see them below.

To help you create a great Easter Menu from start to finish, we fired up the FoodPair search engine and found a handful of delicious dishes from across the Web.

Italian Vegetable Salad with Creamy Garlic Dressing
Start off your meal with a salad featuring fresh, seasonal vegetables.
Ingredients: garlic, egg, asparagus, lemon juice, anchovy, cauliflower, vegetable oil, fennel, Dijon mustard


Fresh Pea and Mint Soup
This soup, which can be made with fresh or frozen peas, features bright mint.
Ingredients: garlic, olive oil, mint, shallot, chicken broth, frozen peas

Rack of Lamb with Chutney-Mint Glaze
Eating lamb is an Easter Tradition in most of the world.
Ingredients: mint, lamb, mango chutney, mint jelly

Easter Ham with Mango-Ginger Glaze
This ham recipe features terrific Asian flavors.
Ingredients: ginger, ham, brown sugar, ground clove, mango nectar

Steamed Asparagus with Cardamom Butter
This brisket is enhanced by the flavors of Spring.
Ingredients: olive oil, asparagus, butter, cardamom, salt

Peanut Butter Chocolate Eggs
Everyone loves chocolate-covered Easter eggs.
Ingredients: peanut butter, bittersweet chocolate


Let's get cooking!

Any other favorite ingredients or dishes you'd like us to highlight? Post them in the comments section or on our Facebook page! And while you're at it, "Like" us on Facebook to get helpful updates in your news feed.

Passover Treats with a Twist

Passover begins at sunset on Monday, April 18th. This historic holiday commemorates the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt. Led by Moses, the Israelites were able to escape Pharaoh's rule after the Ten Plagues were inflicted on the Egyptians. Because the Israelites had to flee in such a hurry, their bread for the journey did not have time to rise and they were left with matzo.

To celebrate Passover, Seders are held the first two nights of the holiday and people give up bread for matzo. At the Seders, certain foods have become traditional, including Matzo Ball Soup, Gefilte Fish and Beef Brisket. While many of the recipes have been passed down from generation to generation, a new breed of chefs have helped to elevate the classics. Here, we present some of the classic Passover dishes alongside modern versions with some creative flourishes. Try out some of the recipes today, you'll be glad you did!

To help you assemble the best traditional and modern Passover recipes, we fired up the FoodPair search engine and found a handful of delicious dishes from across the Web.

Cheese-Matzoh Blintzes with Asparagus & Dill
Blintzes can be customized with your favorite fillings for any meal.
Ingredients: egg, scallion, asparagus, butter, dill, salt, black pepper, vegetable oil, milk, cottage cheese, matzo meal


Classic Matzo Ball Soup
This soup features fluffy matzo balls in a savory broth.
Ingredients: chicken, egg, carrot, parsley, celery, salt, chicken stock, white pepper, club soda, chicken fat, matzo meal

Celery & Parsnip Soup with Green Onion-Dill Matzo Balls
This is a great new twist on the classic matzo ball soup.
Ingredients: garlic, scallion, ginger, celery, chicken stock, parsnips, margarine, matzo balls

Sweet & Sour Brisket with Shallots and New Potatoes
This brisket recipe is packed with complementary flavors.
Ingredients: garlic, olive oil, shallot, onion, date, canned tomato, chicken broth, brisket, orange juice, ground clove, new potatoes

Roasted Brisket with Parsley, Mint and Thyme
This brisket is enhanced by the flavors of Spring.
Ingredients: garlic, mint, parsley, thyme, red wine vinegar, salt, black pepper, chicken broth, brisket, red pepper flakes, yellow onion

Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote with Matzo-Streusel Topping
This fresh fruit compote is the perfect ending to your meal.
Ingredients: lemon juice, strawberry, sugar, rhubarb, brown sugar, lemon zest, salt, cinnamon powder, margarine, matzo meal, potato starch


Let's get cooking!

Any other favorite ingredients or dishes you'd like us to highlight? Post them in the comments section or on our Facebook page! And while you're at it, "Like" us on Facebook to get helpful updates in your news feed.