Tim Butler: Empire Brewing Co.’s director of brewing operations introduces a new pale ale to Syracuse. (It’s not the beer that’s in front of him.) MICHAEL DAVIS PHOTO

There is a French term for local flavor, terroire. As a brewer, I have been searching for that for years. How can I get terroire into my beers? On the West Coast it’s easy: Use West Coast hops. They’re local to them. For me, those hops are not local but have been my only choice until now. 

Foraged produce, such as fiddlehead ferns, ramps and morels, make your meals tasty for the next month only

Daffodils and tulips may be the first colorful signs of spring, but there are edible delicacies that follow the solstice, as well. Like their floral counterparts, they only last a few weeks and are sought after to add a little surprise to spring menus. Look for fiddlehead ferns, ramps and morels to bring delight to your meal.      

Utica’s annual festival pays homage to the spicy chicken-pasta dish

Pass the pasta: Servers dish out samples of chicken riggies during last year’s RiggieFest, at Utica’s Memorial Auditorium.

When a pasta dish has its own Facebook page, you know it has to be good. But when a dish has 7,000 Facebook fans, a hotly contested entry in Wikipedia, and an annual cook-off that draws more than 4,000 hungry diners with forks in hand, it’s more than good—it’s an all-out phenomenon.

Home fries are a popular staple of many diner-made breakfasts

Grill of my dreams: Sean Hank serves a plate of home-fried tastiness at Stella’s Diner. MICHAEL DAVIS PHOTO

Potatoes, by their very nature, are simple food. But when chopped, grilled and transformed into home fries, they suddenly become the best friend that bacon, eggs and hangovers ever had. 

Here’s suds in your eye: Tap into the MOST runs Saturday in Armory Square. MICHAEL DAVIS PHOTO

An upcoming adults-only science exhibit at the Museum of Science and Technology (MOST), 500 S. Franklin St., is sure to whet the appetite of those interested in the body of knowledge on exhibit. The particular bodies on study are brews and microbrews with anatomy comprising pale ale, lager and heady stouts as the sixth annual Tap into the MOST pours on Saturday, April 10, 6 to 9 p.m.

Team Fox, the fund-raising arm of The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, will benefit from a pancake day and raffle at Syracuse-area Denny’s restaurants. On Friday, April 30, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., flapjack lovers can eat all the goods they like, and all donations will support scientific efforts in the search for a cure for Parkinson’s disease. The event is free, although donations are encouraged.

Guinness forms the top half of several inventive beer combinations

Every St. Patrick’s Day, around the world, an estimated 13 million pints of Guinness are swigged, swilled, sipped and chugged. The beloved Dublin stout is known for its smooth body and thick, creamy head. But while many find its texture heavy, Guinness is light enough to float atop many other types of beer—provided it receives a slow, proper pour, over an upside-down spoon. In addition to its low relative density, the dry stout’s distinct chocolaty-coffee flavor makes for many delicious partnerships.

The season of abstinence, Lent presents a perfect time to give a vegetarian diet a try

Top o’ the mornin’: David Hoyne invites paradegoers and St. Patrick’s Day revelers to get their celebrations off to a tasty start at Kitty Hoynes. MICHAEL DAVIS PHOTOS

Beat the late-winter blues with these spirit-raising noshes

The holidays have come and gone, and the long haul to the first day of spring can certainly take a toll on mood and energy levels. Don’t let the winter doldrums get you down. Lifting your spirits may be as easy as eating the right mood foods.