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Archives for February 2014

mascarpone dessert

Al Marscarpone was Walnuts!

by James Maynard February 28th, 2014| Video
Mascarpone walnut rolls are delicious treats that will please friends and family of all ages. These sweet desserts are easy to make, and best of all, they even have cranberries! This soft, Italian cheese is found in a wide variety of desserts. If you don't have marscarpone, you can
burgers

In Praise of Oddly-Shaped Food

by Jane Wangersky February 27th, 2014| Cooking Basics
I've written about why processed food often has better taste and color than home cooking, and a few natural ways to make your homemade food as tasty and colorful as the food industry's products. There's one more quality that sets processed food apart from homemade
cookies with grid

Peanut Butter Cookies: Why the Criss-Cross?

by Elizabeth Skipper February 26th, 2014| Ask the Chef

When my mom made peanut butter cookies, she always used a fork and made criss-crossed lines on the cookies. Do I need to do this? Instead of using a fork, could I just flatten the dough?


When you think of a peanut butter cookie, the image that comes

Chocolate Fudge Cake

Chocolate Fudge Cake

by BnB Finder February 25th, 2014| Best BnB Bites, Recipes
A lot of chocolate -- the candy kind -- has been sold, given, and eaten this month. But what about that unsweetened baking chocolate in the back of your cupboard, the stuff you're not quite sure what to do with? Here's a great recipe that uses unsweetened chocolate (plus
creamy cheesecake

Creamy Cheesecake

by Michele Pesula Kuegler February 24th, 2014| Desserts, Recipes
Last week our younger daughter turned sixteen.  Her requested birthday menu was a great example of how things change and yet stay the same.  The now 16 year old is the same daughter that used to be vegetarian.  Having returned to the the omnivore's world over a year ago,
crescents

The Greatest Thing Since the Pinwheel

by James Maynard February 21st, 2014| Video
Pinwheel appetizers are a quick and easy way to prepare elegant finger foods for a dinner party, or for whenever guests come over. In this video, we learn how to create Mediterranean crescent pinwheels, which are sure to be a hit at any gathering. The recipe shows how to
steak

Color in Food

by Jane Wangersky February 20th, 2014| Cooking Basics
Just as processed food can taste a lot better than the equivalent you'd make at home -- though in many ways it's inferior -- it can also look a lot more attractive and appetizing than your home cooking, mostly because of its color. Nobody wants to eat grey or
whisk

Whisks: Which and Why

by Elizabeth Skipper February 19th, 2014| Ask the Chef
I own two balloon whisks -- one large and one smaller.  I have seen other varieties of whisks, spiral and flat.  Are they necessary tools for my kitchen?  I’m not sure when either would be more useful but could add them to my repertoire if they have value.

Are you
couscous salad

Couscous Salad

by BnB Finder February 18th, 2014| Best BnB Bites, Recipes
Couscous is a traditional North African food, made from wheat granules, that can be a delicious alternative to rice or pasta -- and the kind that's sold in our stores is usually pre-steamed, so it takes only a few minutes to cook. You literally just add (boiling) water. This
fig stuffed pork

Fig-Stuffed Pork

by Michele Pesula Kuegler February 17th, 2014| Main Dishes, Recipes
Valentine's Day was filled with much kitchen activity.  With three different parties wanting to use the kitchen, we needed to make a plan for times and dishes.  The easiest part of the planning was our 15 year old daughter's cooking.  She simply wanted to bake snickerdoodles for her boyfriend. 
thai pizza

Appetizer Pizzas to Thai One On!

by James Maynard February 14th, 2014| Video
Appetizer pizzas are a great, simple snack to make for nearly any crowd. But, rather than do something conventional like English muffins and pizza sauce, why not try a new flair with Thai pizza? This delicious treat is also simple to make, but it will give your guests the
ladle n sauce

Degreasing

by Jane Wangersky February 13th, 2014| Cooking Basics
"Degrease" is a pretty self-explanatory word, but when do you need to do it? And even more importantly, how do you do it? After all, food, unlike lots of other things in the kitchen, can't be degreased by sprinkling it with baking soda, washing it with dish detergent, or