From ancient times, man has used drinking straws. Here’s the history of the drinking straw, dating back to Sumeria. The modern drinking straw, made of paper, debuted in 1888, ultimately coated in wax so it would hold up longer before getting mushy. But mushy it did get, losing its shape when saturated with liquid. The […]
[1] Lover’s Leap, a blend of superior black teas with rose and chamomile petals, is available in both loose tea and tea bags (both photos © Steven Smith Teamaker). [2] Lover’s Leap Tea, nicely boxed. Lover’s Leap Tea is a limited edition for Valentine’s Day, created by our favorite tea emporium, Steven Smith Teamaker. […]
If you don’t have romantic plans for Valentine’s Day, how about inviting friends for cocktails? You can set up a bar buffet with pitchers of three or four red or rosy cocktails: Bloody Mary Cranberry Mimosa Cosmopolitan Crantini Other options: Mulled wine, perfect for February. Kir, white wine poured atop crème de cassis (blackcurrant […]
[1] chocolate chips, white chocolate chips and chocolate chunks (all photos © Meli’s Monster Cookies | Bluehall Bakery). [2] It takes just 12 minutes for warm cookies to emerge from your oven. [3] You can make bar cookies with the dry mixes. [4] Decorate a cake with crunchy cookies. If you’re a cookie lover […]
January 25th, 2020 begins the Lunar New Year (a.k.a. Chinese New Year, but it’s celebrated in many other Asian countries). It lasts for 15 days. We were chatting the other day that it’s the Year Of The Rat, an animal which does not evoke pleasant thoughts. So we looked it up. It turns out that […]
Fine food lovers: The days of mixing sour cream with Lipton Onion Soup mix are behind you. Herewith, a better recipe for Game Day or any party. It uses sautéed onions, crème fraîche and fromage blanc, making it more “French” than a dip made with onion soup mix. The recipe comes to us from Bellwether […]
January is national Hot Tea Month. We’ve written tons and tons about tea, including this Tea Glossary, that explains tea terminology. But celebrating National Tea Month doesn’t mean simply brewing a tea bag from your cupboard. If you like fine tea, have you tried Darjeeling? ABOUT DARJEELING TEA Darjeeling is grown in West […]
[1] Bombay Spice chickpeas, one of 10 flavors of the better-for-you snack (all photos © Saffron Road | Facebook). [2] Toss your favorite flavor onto a salad. Here, kale salad with Falafel Chickpeas. [3] Garnish anything. Place a bowl of Saffron Road Crunchy Chickpeas on the table and let everyone help themselves. [4] Trying to […]
[1] A feast for the eyes as well as the palate: crostini with a goat cheese-ricotta spread. The recipe is below (photo © DeLallo). [2] Add more flavor with garlic- or herb-infused olive oil (photo © Alta Cucina Italia). Your family and guests won’t believe how easy it is to make this appetizer or […]
Rosé is the best-selling wine in France, and has become one of the most popular wines in the U.S. Some sources claim that rosé may be the oldest known type of wine, dating to around 600 B.C.E. The theory is that it has the most straightforward wine-making technique, leaving the crushed skins of red grapes […]