There is a lot of pressure to pick out New Year’s resolutions once the first of the year comes around. I’m not that big on resolutions, mostly because I don’t think that you need to wait until January to set goals for yourself, but it never really hurts to have a reminder to look at some of your goals and give your plans for the ... Read More »
os Trader Joe’s recently started stocking Sweet Apricot Kernels – a.k.a. poor man’s “almonds” or “bitter almonds” – in their nut aisle. This came as quite a surprise to me because my first though after seeing them was “aren’t apricot kernels poisonous?” The answer is yes, they actually are. Usually called “bitter almonds” in recipes, the kernels can be used used in jam, marzipan and ... Read More »
Every year at Thanksgiving, the seemingly age-old debate arises as to what exactly constitutes stuffing and what constitutes dressing. Both “stuffing” and “dressing” are terms applied to the traditional Thanksgiving side dish of a most, seasoned bread (or other starch, like rice of potatoes) and vegetable mixture. It is either cooked inside the turkey or alongside the bird, and your preferred term for the dish ... Read More »
Desserts are the best part of a Halloween party for me- after all, it’s a holiday that is essentially based around sugar, isn’t it? Aside from the desserts, I usually stick with “real” foods and make burgers or something else that is easy to cook and serve, especially if there is a crowd. I do like to add to the atmosphere by putting a chunk ... Read More »
Yogurt, sour cream and buttermilk can all be lumped into the same category when it comes to baking. They’re all dairy products that help to tenderize baked goods and can be a bit on the tangy side. At least, plain yogurt can be a bit on the tangy side. For years, it seemed like the only way you could buy yogurt was pumped full of ... Read More »
I always eat breakfast in the morning, whether I make something at home or pick something up with a cup of coffee while I’m on the go. I’m kind of a sucker for a good bowl of oatmeal, so when I heard that Starbucks was introducing an oatmeal option for breakfast, I knew that I would have to give it a try the next time ... Read More »
Eggs are classified by size all over the world. The standard size of a chicken egg in the US is “large” and refers to an egg that is about 60 grams (from 57 to 64g, actually). Anything outside this range gets a different size designation: small, medium, extra large, jumbo. Since most commercially produced eggs fall into the large category, every recipe written in the ... Read More »
Dark chocolate bar with cacao nibs. Milk chocolate bar with cacao nibs. Chocolate covered cacao nibs. Cacao nibs are turning up in more and more places, but with little explanation as to what they are because they are almost always an add-in to some other product. Cacao nibs are basically raw chocolate, pieces of cacao beans that have been roasted, hulled and prepped to the ... Read More »
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