[1] You can use brown bags to serve popcorn, but not to pop it (photo courtesy The Popcorn Board). [2] Having unpopped kernels at the end of popping is normal (photo courtesy Belle Chevre | Facebook). [3] Ditch the brown bag and get an inexpensive microwave popcorn popper or similar vented bowl (photo courtesy Housewares […]
Like egg rolls but feel guilty about eating the fried wrapper? Here’s a healthy improvement from Pampered Chef: the insides of an eggroll, cooked in a skillet. You can serve it atop rice as a main course, or without rice as a side. If you need some crunch, add a few chow mein noodles or […]
[1] Use unsaturated fats without guilt. The USDA endorses two tablespoons of olive oil per day (photo courtesy California Olive Ranch). [2] The chemical difference. The double bond is shown in red (image courtesy California Olive Ranch). [3] An easy way to enjoy olive oil: a bread dipper. You can add balsamic vinegar, spices or […]
We have our favorite cheddar cheeses: artisan wonders like Beehive Cheddar from Utah, Cabot Clothbound Cheddar from Vermont, and Fiscalini Farmstead Cheddar from California. Our favorite “supermarket cheddar”—the 7- or 8-ounce prepacked bars found in supermarket refrigerator cases—is Cabot Cheddar, available in some 30 varieties including flavors we love, like Hot Jalapeño, Habanero, Horseradish and […]
[1] Multiple garnishes turn a piece of grilled fish into something special (photo courtesy Boutros Restaurant | Brooklyn). [2] It can be as simple as this: an appetizer of merguez sausage and shishito peppers (shown), or steamed asparagus, or scallops, etc., accented with a zigzag of one condiment and dots of another (photo courtesy Pain […]
March 25th is Greek Independence Day, so how about celebrating by making some labneh? Labneh (pronounced LOB-nay or LOB-neh) is Greek yogurt cheese: cheese made from yogurt. The cheese preserves yogurt’s distinctive tart taste. Although it can be called Greek yogurt cheese in the U.S., labneh is popular throughout the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East. […]
If you order grain bowls at cafes or take-outs, have you ever made them at home? A grain bowl is essentially a complete meal in one bowl. Combining whole grains, proteins, vegetables, and dressing, it’s a nutritious and filling lunch or light dinner, This tip from DeLallo Foods is an easy blueprint. HOW […]
It’s the first day of spring. For a sprightly lunch or dinner dish, how about a spring salad with bagna càuda dressing? Bagna càuda is a classic sauce from the Piedmont region of Italy. It’s made from olive oil, anchovies and garlic. The name means “hot bath,” since it’s served warm. Bagna cauda is served […]
[1] This fancy-looking dessert is quickly assembled from easily-available ingredients (photo courtesy Good Food On Montford). [2] Pepperidge Farm Pirouettes, rolled wafer cookies, are an easy dessert garnish (photo courtesy Pepperidge Farm). It doesn’t take much effort to turn ordinary ingredients into a great-looking dish. This example (photo #1), from Good Food On Montford […]
In the recent past, we were looking for the “best” ham for our Easter dinner. As part of research for THE NIBBLE, we tasted six different hams and came up with the winner: Kurobuta ham from Snake River Farms. If you’ve been pondering a ham for Easter dinner (or any other time of the year), […]