Posts Labeled ‘food’

November 23rd, 2011

Simple, delicious cranberry sauce

One of my favorite dishes at Thanksgiving is cranberry sauce. The canned kind is good (I love how it comes out as one giant cylinder on the plate!) but homemade is even better. Here is my favorite cranberry sauce recipe, courtesy of Food & Wine magazine. It is easy and delicious.

Jellied Cranberry Sauce with Fuji Apple

One 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries
1 large Fuji apple, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup water

  1. Line an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap and spray the plastic wrap with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries with the apple, sugar and water. Bring to a boil and cook over moderately high heat, stirring frequently until the cranberries are completely broken down and the sauce is very thick, about 15 minutes. Scrape the cranberry sauce into the prepared pan and refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours. Invert the jelly onto a serving plate and remove the plastic wrap. Garnish with fresh cranberries and rosemary sprigs. Slice with a serrated knife before serving.
MAKE AHEAD The cranberry sauce can be covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Serve chilled.

 

November 14th, 2011

I scream, you scream, we all scream for Nutella!

A dear friend of mine is crazy for Nutella. And I mean who wouldn’t be? The chocolate, hazelnut goodness can turn a piece of bread into a sinfully good sweet. It’s magical! Here is a roundup of some desserts that feature the beloved spread. Click on the photos below to take you to the recipes.

nutella rice krispie treats from Liv Life

nutella caramel hazelnut brownies from Bella Alimento

Molten chocolate nutella cake from US Masala

nutella sandwich cookies from A Beautiful Mess

Nutella Mallow Pillow Pockets from Picky Palate

homemade nutella via The Eccentric Cook

 

Nutella Cheesecake Brownies from Babble

nutella buttercream cupcakes from Babble

no bake nutter butter nutella pie from Tasty Kitchen

 

November 8th, 2011

Tea Forte cocktail infusions

Tea Forte, well-known for its delicious assortment of tea flavors, is now branching out into the world of mixology. They offer several different infusion flavors that quickly turn a regular cocktail into something fresh and creative. Simply pour alcohol over the infuser, wait for it to steep, and get ready for a delicious beverage.

Their Mixology Set, with two infusion chambers, eight infusers, and a recipe booklet would make a great holiday gift.

August 15th, 2011

S’more please

Everywhere I look these days I am seeing s’mores. Including in my house. My husband likes to make them with a blow torch. Not a creme brulee blow torch, mind you. A real, industrial one. But I have to say, it makes a darn good s’more!

Here are some fun new ways that people are interpreting s’mores.

s'mores pudding from Annie's Eats

s'more cookie bars from Baked Perfection

s'mores pie from The Pastry Affair

mini s'mores cups from Texas Cottage

Frozen S'more Snacks from Woman's Day

Campfire Marshmallow cookie from Farenheit 350

May 16th, 2011

Frozen Funny Faces with the Zoku Ice Pop Maker

I was visiting with friends yesterday and as we sat on their sunny patio their three-year-old, having just completed session of swinging on the playset, asked (nay, begged) her mom for a popsicle. Since there were no popsicles to be had, the little one was not so happy. It made me think that soon most of our freezers will be stocked with popsicles as summer (crazy as it may seem) is just around the corner.

If you are looking for a fun frozen treat, the Williams-Sonoma Zoku Duo Quick Pop Machine allows you to create your own ice pops in whatever flavor you like. And their new character creation add-on kit makes each pop unique and would be a fun project for the whole family.

The Pop Machine would be a great gift for families or would be so fun to add to a wedding registry.

Zoku Duo Ice Pop Machine

make your own frozen ice pop characters with Williams-Sonoma's Zoku Duo Quick Pop Maker

February 22nd, 2011

Caring for others through food

Recently, my father-in-law had a stroke and was in the hospital for almost a month before ultimately passing away. It was a difficult time and one of the things that sustained us most was the hospitality extended to us by friends through meals. Almost every night during those long weeks someone brought us dinner. The food was such a blessing after long days that were physically and emotionally draining.

All this made me think of how I need to extend support to others through difficult times and I started brainstorming about what type of meal I might bring to a friend. I am still thinking on this, but did come up with one treat that from my experience is perfect — muffins. They are a great breakfast food but can also serve as quick snacks throughout the day. My new favorite muffin is a banana coconut muffin that I found online at Epicurious. I thought I’d share it with you.

banana coconut muffins via Epicurious

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 very ripe bananas, mashed (3/4 cup)
  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
  • Special equipment: a muffin tin with 8 (1/2-cup) muffin cups; paper liners

Preparation

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Line muffin cups with liners.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together bananas, butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, and 1/2 cup coconut in a large bowl until combined well, then fold in flour mixture until flour is just moistened.

Divide batter among lined muffin cups and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup coconut. Bake until muffins are puffed and golden, about 25 minutes. Transfer muffins to a rack and cool slightly.