I was in a very fancy grocery store and saw a lovely, beautifully wrapped box of hot chocolate-on-a-stick. My first thought was “I can do that.” And those babies with their cellophane and ribbon and fancy label were selling for $10 apiece. Yea, I can do much better than that. These pops are basically block of chocolate ganache on a stick. You can flavor … [Read more...] about Hot Chocolate Pops
Holidays
Red Velvet Polka Dot Cookies
Red Velvet Cake is a real childhood memory for me. I have an aunt who makes a great one. But it was definitely not trendy or cool or in. Red Velvet was seriously down-home, real country food. It wasn’t even a standard on diner menus. But that all seems to have changed. I am dubious about this hipsterfied version. I have had some really, really bad red velvet made by … [Read more...] about Red Velvet Polka Dot Cookies
Festive Favorites 2011
The time has come again. Thanksgiving is all over but the leftovers, and it is time to turn to holiday shopping. I love putting together this round up of some of my holiday fun finds, and as always, these are just some ideas about personal favorites – no one has asked me to promote any products. This year, I am all about homemade gifts from the kitchen. I went on a real … [Read more...] about Festive Favorites 2011
Make – Ahead Gravy for Your Turkey
Gravy is essential to a Thanksgiving turkey, but only if it is good gravy. And what makes gravy good is delicious drippings from a beautifully roasted bird. Many gravy methods involve making it right in the pan the turkey was cooked in, to scrape up all the bits and juices. And that’s great. But I realized some years ago that trying to do this while my family stands around … [Read more...] about Make – Ahead Gravy for Your Turkey
Bacon-Blanketed, Herb Roasted Turkey
This is the turkey. I’ve been perfecting this for many years now. I must say, it is a showstopper, and delicious to boot, because I treat it well. I send my turkey to a bacon spa. It gets a salt scrub, a bacon butter deep tissue massage, a hand-woven bacon spa robe, some time in the sauna and a little tanning to finish it off. I’ve got a set of instructions … [Read more...] about Bacon-Blanketed, Herb Roasted Turkey
