By Gretchen McKay, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

I don’t cook salmon very often, but reading and writing about the Pittsburgh Marathon recently made me question why it’s not on regular rotation in my kitchen.

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The fatty fish is not only heart-healthy, thanks to all of its omega-3 fatty acids, but it’s also good for bone and brain health.

Then I remembered: I don’t particularly like how salmon tastes unless it has been cured and smoked and is served with thin slices of cucumber, dill and cream cheese on a toasted bagel.

My husband, however, loves any and all salmon, so, every now and again, I throw him a culinary bone and prepare it for dinner. You don’t stay married for 40-plus years without making some compromises. But I’m also sure to include a side dish or salad that can double as a main if I pile enough of it on my plate.

This simple spring meal, which comes together in less than a half-hour, is but one example. It pairs salmon fillet poached in white wine seasoned with lemon, shallot and feathery sprigs of fresh dill and Italian parsley with a roasted broccoli Caesar salad tossed in a powerhouse dressing and topped with paper-thin slices of Parmesan cheese.

I consider any vegetable that’s been roasted until it’s sweet and tender to be a rock star, but here, it’s next level. Charred florets are tossed with their uncooked stems in a creamy, tangy homemade Caesar dressing that’s unapologetic in its embrace of garlic and anchovy. (You use three of the briny fishies, and the olive oil they’re packed in, right out of a can.)

The salmon also is pretty tasty (I’m told), and was super-easy to prepare as the broccoli roasted in a 500-degree oven. I served it with a fresh sour cream-based dill sauce.

Easy Poached Salmon

PG tested

I used Faroe Island salmon (farmed between Iceland and Norway), a species known for its mild flavor, firm texture and vibrant orange-crimson color. The wine used for poaching is delicately flavored with bright citrus and fresh herbs.

For fish

1 cup white wine
Several sprigs of dill
1 or 2 sprigs of fresh Italian parsley
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1-1 1/2 pounds salmon fillet, skin on

For dill sauce

3/4 cup sour cream
1 generous tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus 1 teaspoon zest
2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill, or more to taste
Pinch of sea salt

Pour the wine into a large saucepan set on medium heat. Add dill, parsley, shallots and half the lemon slices and bring to a simmer.

Season salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Place fillets skin-side down in the pan and cover with a lid.

Poach fish for 5-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet, or to desired doneness. Be careful not to overcook — the fish is done when it’s pink and opaque and flakes easily with a fork. (It should have an internal temperature of 125-130 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.)

While fish is poaching, stir together dill sauce. In small bowl, combine sour cream, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, lemon juice and zest and dill until smooth. Season to taste with salt and then set aside for serving.

Serve poached salmon either immediately, at room temperature or chilled from the fridge with a slice or two of lemon on the side and plenty of dill sauce.

Serves 2-4.

— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

Broccoli Caesar Salad

PG tested

This might be one of the best broccoli dishes you eat all year. It pairs roasted florets with raw, thinly sliced stems so you get a nutty roasted flavor and crisp crunch in every bite. And who doesn’t love shaved Parmesan on a salad? I used cubes of baguette for the croutons instead of white bread.

1 1/2 pounds broccoli crowns, trimmed, halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 slices rustic white bread, bottom crusts removed
3 anchovies, drained and minced, 1 1/2 tablespoons oil reserved
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
Freshly cracked black pepper

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees.

Place 1 broccoli crown half, cut side down, on cutting board and slice stalks 1/8 inch thick up to base of florets. Reserve sliced stems.

Break or cut florets into 1-inch pieces, then transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining crowns.

Drizzle florets with oil and toss well to coat. Sprinkle with salt and toss again.

Arrange florets so they cover three-quarters of the sheet pan. Place bread slices on remaining quarter sheet. Brush both sides of bread with reserved anchovy oil and season to taste with salt.

Roast until bread it crisp and golden brown, 5-8 minutes. (My cubes took 5 minutes.) Transfer bread to cutting board. Spread florets over entire surface of sheet and continue to roast for another 5 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.

While broccoli is cooling whisk together minced anchovies, grated Parmesan, mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, Worcestershire and pepper together in a large bowl. Tear bread into 1/2 -inch pieces.

Add reserved broccoli stems, florets and half of croutons to bowl with dressing and toss to combine. Transfer to serving bowl.

Top with remaining croutons, shaved Parmesan and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste.

Serves 4.

— Cook’s Illustrated

©2025 PG Publishing Co. Visit at post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By Anna Helhoski, NerdWallet

Shoppers who are concerned about tariffs driving up the costs of their favorite products might think that “Made in USA” goods could offer financial relief. But finding domestically manufactured, budget-friendly items may take effort.

Americans like the idea of buying more American-made products. A November 2024 poll by Morning Consult, conducted for the Alliance for American Manufacturing, found that 60% of Americans said they made an effort to buy U.S.-made goods over the past year. And 82% said they’d buy more if retailers made those products easier to find.

‘Made in USA’ won’t always mean tariff-free

Buying American products doesn’t mean avoiding tariffs or the global supply chain. Even the most well-known U.S. companies depend on imported components to make finished goods.

Take Crayola, for example: It’s headquartered in Pennsylvania and has manufacturing facilities in the U.S., but it also produces some of its products in Mexico. Some other iconic American brands base at least some — if not all — of their manufacturing outside the U.S. where labor and other production costs are lower. That includes Levi’s jeans, L.L. Bean apparel, Converse’s Chuck Taylor All Star sneakers, Ray-Ban sunglasses, Major League baseballs, American Girl dolls, Fender guitars and essentially everything Nike.

Even distinctly American auto companies like Ford, General Motors and Stellantis assemble cars domestically but need to source parts from elsewhere. Some 30,000 parts go into assembling a car. In the process of sourcing, producing and shipping, many components will be subject to tariffs each time they cross borders.

In essence, any U.S.-made goods that require imports somewhere in the production process will face higher production costs while tariffs are in place. And when import prices go up, the final products made in the U.S. could become more pricey for consumers.

Something else to consider: Even if “Made in USA” products are 100% sourced and produced domestically, it doesn’t mean those goods will be cheaper than foreign or import-dependent, U.S. goods that come with tariffs. The cost of labor, materials and regulatory compliance can make U.S. manufacturing expensive. Shoppers need time to find and compare their options.

What happened when I went looking for a pan

Finding “Made in USA” products that are fully produced in America — as in, sourced and manufactured here — can be a needle-in-a-haystack pursuit. But it truly depends on what you’re looking for.

Recently, I went looking for a cast-iron pan. It’s the one kitchen item that I grew up with but don’t currently own. And because it somehow feels American in my mind, I went hunting for an American-made cast-iron pan. Turns out, in this case it wasn’t too hard! But costs varied pretty widely.

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I started with a well-known U.S. brand: All-Clad, a cookware company that’s headquartered in western Pennsylvania and bases its manufacturing there, as well. Its boundless stainless steel cookware is made entirely in the U.S. But when I looked at the product specifications on its 12-inch enameled cast-iron skillet with a stainless steel lid, it says it is made in Vietnam. Not a deal breaker for me, personally, but for the purposes of this article it’s not a winner. For the record, the price tag was $109.99 — on sale from $189.99.

Another Pennsylvania-based cookware company, Lancaster Cast Iron produces every one of its products in-state, including its No. 10 skillet, a nearly 12-inch pan that runs for $225.

Then there was Field Company, a small cast-iron skillet company based in New York City. Its No. 10 pan — at almost 12 inches and advertised as a “smoother, lighter” cast-iron skillet — came in at $215, while the matching cast-iron lid was $140. A pan-and-lid set was $300. All of Field’s sourcing is done in the U.S., and its production is in Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin.

Finally, I looked for a budget cast-iron-specific kitchenware company and found Lodge Cast Iron — a 129-year old company based in Tennessee. It prides itself on producing 80% of its products in the U.S.; some are produced overseas, like its enamel-coated cast-iron. But its classic seasoned 12-inch cast-iron skillet is made in the U.S. Last I checked, it was on sale for $24.90. A cast-iron lid cost around $30.

Given my limited kitchen prowess, I went with Lodge — the most affordable option.

What it takes to get the ‘Made in USA’ label

To promote products as “Made in USA,” the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says the products must meet its standards. It’s been that way for decades, but it wasn’t until 1997 that the FTC provided specific guidance to companies on using the “Made in USA” label. In order to advertise that a product is “made,” “manufactured,” “built,” “produced,” “created,” or “crafted” in the U.S., the majority of that company’s products must actually be “all or virtually all” made in the U.S.

All-Clad and Lodge Cast Iron can broadly promote themselves as “Made in USA” because the overwhelming majority of their products are. But in advertising specific products, companies can’t claim the products are made in the U.S. when they’re not.

Ultimately, choosing to purchase American-made products is a matter of personal priorities. Whatever the reason — cost, quality, ethics or desire — shoppers will need to do some research. Depending on the product, cost-conscious consumers may have to make the decision between supporting domestic manufacturing and buying what’s affordable.

Are tariffs bringing manufacturing back to the U.S?

It’s unclear if President Donald Trump’s tariffs will bring more manufacturing to U.S. soil — as he says they will. Even with tariffs, some companies may still find it cheaper to manufacture goods in countries where costs of labor, sourcing and production are less expensive.

Still, domestic manufacturing is growing: The most recent data shows that in March 2025, spending on manufacturing construction was 3.7% higher than a year earlier. It’s part of a broader upward trend that began in 2011.

But bringing manufacturing back to the U.S. — also known as reshoring — won’t happen overnight. It takes time to build factories, fill positions and get production going. That means that even if investments are being made, there’s bound to be a lag before more “Made in USA” products become available.

Anna Helhoski writes for NerdWallet. Email: anna@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @AnnaHelhoski.

The article Facing Tariffs, Should Shoppers Seek ‘Made in USA’ Goods? originally appeared on NerdWallet.

By JEFF MARTIN

As law officers search Arkansas’ rugged Ozark Mountains for a former police chief and convicted killer who escaped prison this weekend, the sister of one of his victims is on edge.

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Grant Hardin, the former police chief in the small town of Gateway near the Arkansas-Missouri border, was serving lengthy sentences for murder and rape and became known as the “Devil in the Ozarks.”

Hardin escaped Sunday from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock by disguising himself and wearing a “makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement,” state prison officials said in a statement.

Cheryl Tillman, whose brother James Appleton was killed by Hardin in 2017, said she and other relatives are alarmed since they were witnesses in his court proceedings.

“We were there at his trial when all that went down, and he seen us there, he knows,” she told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Sheriff’s deputies in multiple northern Arkansas counties have been working with state prison officials to follow leads and search the rugged terrain in the Ozarks, Izard County Sheriff Charley Melton said in an update late Monday.

“To the citizens of Izard County and surrounding counties, please stay vigilant, lock your house and vehicle doors and report any suspicious activity by calling 911 immediately,” Melton said. Other sheriffs were issuing similar warnings about Hardin, who was the focus of a 2023 documentary, “Devil in the Ozarks.”

Gateway, the town of about 450 people where Hardin briefly was the police chief in 2016, is in the same large county as the headquarters of retail giant Walmart in Bentonville. However, Gateway and the northeast part of the county is far more rural and remote than Bentonville. The landscape only gets more rugged to the east, into the heart of the Ozarks and the Buffalo National River, toward Izard County where the escape happened.

Tillman said she wasn’t surprised when she heard that Hardin had escaped. But the news suddenly added fresh pain for her and other family members after dealing with the grief from the killing.

“He’s just an evil man,” she said. “He is no good for society.”

Hardin pleaded guilty in October 2017 to first-degree murder for fatally shooting Appleton, 59. Appleton worked for the Gateway water department when he was shot in the head on Feb. 23, 2017, near Garfield. Police found Appleton’s body inside a car.

Investigators at the time did not release a motive for the killing and Hardin was sentenced to 30 years in prison. He is also serving 50 years in prison for the 1997 rape of an elementary school teacher in Rogers north of Fayetteville.

Hardin had been held in Calico Rock since 2017.

Associated Press

President Donald Trump’s media company said Tuesday that institutional investors will buy $2.5 billion in the company’s stock with the proceeds going to build up a bitcoin reserve.

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About 50 institutional investors will put up $1.5 billion in the private placement for common shares in the company and another $1 billion for convertible senior notes, according to Trump Media and Technology Group, the operator of Truth Social and other companies.

Trump Media said it intends to use the proceeds for the creation of a “bitcoin treasury.”

“This investment will help defend our Company against harassment and discrimination by financial institutions, which plague many Americans and U.S. firms,” said Trump Media CEO and Chairman Devin Nunes in prepared remarks.

Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group Corp., based in Sarasota, Fla., tumbled 9%

Other companies have adopted similar strategies through cryptocurrency. Cloud and mobile software developer MicroStrategy Inc. has built up a treasury reserve containing billions worth of bitcoin through stock sales and debt financing.

Trump, who referred to cryptocurrencies in his first term as “not money,” citing volatility and a value “based on thin air,” has shifted his views on the technology.

During an event at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida during his presidential campaign in May 2024, Trump received assurances that crypto industry backers would spend lavishly to get him reelected.

Last week, Trump rewarded 220 of the top investors in one of his other cryptocurrency projects — the $Trump meme coin —with a swanky dinner luxury golf club in Northern Virginia, spurring accusations that the president was mixing his duties in the White House with personal profit.