Liz Johnson
Hudson Valley
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Sharing compelling stories about delicious food in @lohud in Westchester, Rockland & Putnam, NY. lohud.com/food. Snapchat: @lohudfood. Podcast on iTunes.
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Articles by Liz Johnson
How to check the air quality in your town amid wildfire smoke
Liz Johnson, NorthJersey.com Wildfires in Canada are sending heavy smoke across the northern U.S., and New Jersey is experiencing some unhealthy air pollution. The air quality has some Northeasterners wondering, what is the AQI, or Air Quality Index? What is AQI? AQI, or Air Quality Index, is the measure of how healthy or unhealthy the air is. How is the AQI calculated?
How to check the air quality in your town amid wildfire smoke
Wildfires in Canada are sending heavy smoke across the northern U.S., and New Jersey and Pennsylvania are experiencing some unhealthy air pollution. kAm%96 2:C BF2=:EJ 92D D@>6 }@CE962DE6C?6CD H@?56C:?8[ H92E :D E96 p"x[ @C p:C "F2=:EJ x?56Ink^Am k9am(92E :D p"xnk^9am kAmp"x[ @C p:C "F2=:EJ x?56I[ :D E96 >62DFC6 @7 9@H 962=E9J @C F?962=E9J E96 2:C :D]k^Am k9amw@H :D E96 p"x 42=4F=2E65nk^9am kAm%96 t?G:C@?>6?E2= !C@E64E:@? p86?4J 2?5 6249 DE2E6 >62DFC6 A@==FE:@?
How to check the air quality in your town amid wildfire smoke
Liz Johnson, NorthJersey.com Thu, July 16, 2026 at 11:30 AM UTC Wildfires in Canada are sending heavy smoke across the northern U.S., and New Jersey is experiencing some unhealthy air pollution. The air quality has some Northeasterners wondering, what is the AQI, or Air Quality Index? What is AQI? AQI, or Air Quality Index, is the measure of how healthy or unhealthy the air is.
Best chicken parm in North Jersey? It's down to these two! Vote now
March 18, 2026, 12:01 a.m. ET It's down to the finals! Lucco and Verana are the top two vote-getters for North Jersey's favorite chicken parm in our March Madness-style food competition. And we have a bit of an update on the contest. It started in earnest when you submitted your favorite local chicken parms to help us set up a premiere bracket of Sweet 16 finalists for NorthJersey.com/The Record's Chicken Parm Madness competition.
Final Four! Vote for your favorite chicken parm to move to finals
March 10, 2026, 12:01 a.m. ET Our March Madness-style food competition this year is one's bound to get saucy: over the next few weeks, you're deciding who makes the best chicken parm in North Jersey. The contest started in earnest when you submitted your favorite local chicken parms to help us set up a premiere bracket of Sweet 16 finalists for NorthJersey.com/The Record's Chicken Parm Madness competition. You voted in that last week, and our Elite Eight the week after that.
Fun things to do during a blizzard? Reading, cooking, movies and more Original
Feb. 23, 2026, 1:24 p.m. ET Well this one packed a wallop! Snow blowing. Snow drifting. And, eventually, snow shoveling. Our little snowstorm is one for the record books (we think). And with that in mind, we're looking back at storms past. Storms where we reminded you to stock up on firewood. Gave you tips on driving. Shared recipes for snowstorm cooking.
Watch as this short little corgi tries to bound through the snow
But this storm appears to be about two corgis high. Lewis, my 7-year-old corgi, normally doesn't mind the snow. I have an Instagram reel from a storm a few years ago where he's bounding around, chasing my daughter and her friends in our back yard. But this? This was almost too much for him. I tried to just let him out the front door — confident that no cars would endanger him.
Craving to cook during the snowstorm? 8 great things to make
Feb. 23, 2026, 11:57 a.m. ET When the snow is coming down hard outside, there’s nothing like puttering around in a warm kitchen, taking the time to prepare something from scratch. The recipes here aren't complicated — just a few ingredients. And they don't take much time. (Well, the stock does, but you can set-it-and-forget-it.) And you'll be very glad to have something to do besides staring at a screen. Hot coffee. Hot chocolate. Popcorn. Soup. Crockpot recipes. Cook one, or cook them all.
USA TODAY Restaurants of the Year 2026 includes 9 Northeast standouts
Updated Feb. 11, 2026, 5:26 a.m. ET Our USA TODAY Network food writers love spotlighting their cities’ culinary standouts — best steakhouses, favorite dive bars, top hidden gem restaurants and more. But no list generates more excitement than our Restaurants of the Year, first launched in 2024 and quickly becoming a reader favorite. This year’s list features standout restaurants across the Northeast, showcasing 9 exceptional dining destinations that reflect the region’s diversity and depth.
Inside look at how USA TODAY chose its Restaurants of the Year for 2026 Original
Feb. 11, 2026, 5:02 a.m. ET The USA TODAY Restaurants of the Year 2026 list is our third annual look at the best restaurants across the USA and we're thrilled to share it with you. But you're probably curious. How did we choose a restaurant in Lecompte, Louisiana over one from, say, Los Angeles. Because we're confident.
Inside look at how USA TODAY chose its Restaurants of the Year for 2026
The USA TODAY Restaurants of the Year 2026 list is our third annual look at the best restaurants across the USA and we're thrilled to share it with you. But you're probably curious. How did we choose a restaurant in Lecompte, Louisiana over one from, say, Los Angeles.
Best hidden gem restaurants in the Northeast? 8 spots worth a road trip
Highly regarded, well-know restaurants get tons of attention and praise, and deservedly so. They are popular on Instagram, rack up good reviews on Yelp and fill up the reservation books. But so many more fly below the radar, quietly putting out excellent food and great service — sometimes in unexpected locations. They are hidden gems, either because they are off the beaten track, deserve for more people to know about them, or both.
Best hidden gem restaurants in the Northeast? 8 spots worth a road trip Original
Highly regarded, well-know restaurants get tons of attention and praise, and deservedly so. They are popular on Instagram, rack up good reviews on Yelp and fill up the reservation books. But so many more fly below the radar, quietly putting out excellent food and great service — sometimes in unexpected locations. They are hidden gems, either because they are off the beaten track, deserve for more people to know about them, or both.
Snow totals in North Jersey? Updated town-by-town inch count
Updated Dec. 27, 2025, 11:09 a.m. ET The storm we thought was going to drop between 5 to 9 inches locally moved a bit further north than expected. At 3 a.m., 4 inches were reported in Ramsey. By contrast, Poughkeepsie, New York, had 8.1 inches as of 10 p.m., according to Bob Ziff, a spokesperson for North Jersey weather observers. "It wasn't a big storm unless you were way north," Ziff said.
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