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This snack takes the idea of your standard nut mix and, thanks to the addition of some fresh herbs, cayenne, butter, and maple syrup, adds some sweet heat to the situation. A Last-Minute Party Snack This is not a make-ahead snack. You have to wait until the last minute to bring it together—preferably 15 to 20 minutes before people arrive. This is best consumed soon after it’s made because if the nuts sit too long, the melted butter hardens on the nuts and they just get a little slimy....

It’s like comparing homemade truffles to a Hershey’s bar from last year’s Halloween. It’s just not even a contest. Real homemade hot chocolate is thick, rich, and the real essence of what chocolate in a glass on a cold day should be. Hot Chocolate vs. Hot Cocoa How is hot chocolate different from hot cocoa? Hot chocolate is basically like drinking a melted candy bar; the chopped chocolate contains cocoa butter which makes it richer and smoother....

When I get a cold, I try to remember the laundry list of things that make it all better. Drink lots of water. Check. Take zinc and vitamin C. Check. Take omega 3 fish oil (helps boost immune system). Check. Take elderberry syrup (it’s antiviral). Check. Keep warm. Check. Hot Lemon and Honey Tea Comforts a Sore Throat Another thing on the list that is especially comforting when one has a cold is a hot cup of honey and lemon tea....

But if you’re looking for maximum flavor and texture, the way you slice your meat is just as important as how you season it. Thin Strips Yield More Flavor and Texture You’re probably familiar with recipes that instruct you to cut your chicken or steak into one-inch pieces before skewering. Uniform chunks of meat cook evenly, so that’s something. But another technique will yield even more flavor and texture: slicing your meat or vegetables into thin strips!...

Black tea is commonly used to make sun tea, but you can make sun tea from any flavor of tea you’d like. To get the strength you want, you may need to experiment with the number of tea bags if using a more mildly flavored tea. Containers for Brewing Sun Tea Glass is preferable over plastic for brewing sun tea because the heat from the sun can cause the plastic to alter the flavor of the tea and possibly leach some chemicals into it....

In the case of chicken or beef stock, the stock comes from cooking bones in water on low heat, for several hours. With vegetable stock, there are no bones to cook, so the richness of the stock comes from the variety of vegetables you use. A big thanks to Hank Shaw who shared his method for making veggie stock with me, after tiring of hearing me complain about a boxed version I had used....

The result is wildly exciting. The sesame and gochujang add nuttiness, sweetness, and spice while the kimchi contributes a bright, sour flavor with a hint of funk. How to Make Easy-Peel Hard Boiled Eggs for Deviled Eggs Many folks dread peeling hard boiled eggs for deviled eggs, but if you have a pressure cooker, like an Instant Pot, you’re in for a treat. Pressure cooked eggs are easy to peel and reliably perfectly boiled—just follow our easy tutorial!...

What Are Lion House Rolls? These rolls are made with an enriched dough—meaning in addition to flour, water, and yeast, this dough is enriched with egg, fat, and dairy. In the case of these rolls, we use dry milk powder which is called for in almost all Lion House roll recipes we found in our research. In addition to the milk powder (aka powdered milk), there’s an egg and LOTS of butter in the dough brushed between the layers and brushed on top warm from the oven....

Where our fruit salads tend to be rather predictable, a typical Mexican fruit cocktail has elements of chili and salt, and perhaps some cilantro and onion as well. The combination is interesting in the best possible way, and terrific served alongside Mexican food or on its own for a snack. The following fruit cocktail recipe is from the Jalisco region of Mexico. Its formal name is “Ensalada de Pico de Gallo” and comes from a friend of a friend from Guadalajara....

That speaks to the ease of making these milk bread rolls. The ingredients are dumped into a stand mixer, which then does all the hard work. You do have to make tangzhong—the secret to lasting softness—but that’s simply boiling flour and milk into a paste. Don’t be surprised if your family asks for these rolls for every dinner. What Is Milk Bread? Milk bread, known as shokupan in Japan, is a super soft and airy everyday bread....

I’ve never had it anywhere but at home, not even at a school cafeteria, where God knows they’ve served every other budget meal known to mankind. Did my mother invent it? Probably not, but she may just as well have. We’ve eaten this ground turkey recipe in our house at least once a month for almost 50 years. And you know what? It’s good. It’s cheap (especially ground turkey thighs which have the added benefit of more flavor)....

And the tomatoes. Beefsteak tomatoes, early girls, heirlooms, plum tomatoes, not to mention the little ones like sun golds. Anyway, the heat has come, the garden has finally started to act like summer, and this classic Tuscan bread salad is a perfect thing to make with the bounty. What Is Panzanella Salad? Panzanella is really a way to use up crusty bread that has gotten hard and to celebrate perfect summer tomatoes....

This healthy, aromatic dish is low in fat and carbs, but big on flavor. The best part is that this delicious dinner requires little clean up and can be on the table 30 minutes start to finish. Once you master the parchment wrapping technique for this recipe you can apply it to any variety of protein and vegetable combinations. The same is true for Chermoula, the sauce comes together in minutes, and provides a solid punch of flavor for this hands-off dinner recipe, but it also makes a delicious dressing, dip, marinade, or topping for grilled vegetables and chicken....

Some of your gathering may be vegetarian, or gluten-free, or dairy-free, or all three. Pasta is pretty easy to do gluten-free, there are many gluten-free brands available that are pretty good (we’ve been using Bionaturae lately). But if you’re going dairy-free, what about the Parm? To me pasta without Parmesan, or some other nutty cheese, is just missing something. So, following a tip from Sunset Magazine, I used chopped toasted almonds instead....

Boiling them for only a couple of minutes ensures that the asparagus will be cooked through, but still crisp and vibrant green. Asparagus should have a gentle crunch to them; they should not be mushy. A little lemon zest helps brighten the natural flavor of the asparagus, and the Parm and olive oil? Well, of course, they make everything taste good. Tips for Cleaning Asparagus It’s always important to clean fresh produce before preparing it....

How to Make an Egg Salad Sandwich How do you make an egg salad sandwich? Just chop up some hard boiled eggs, add a little chopped celery for crunch, some green onions or chives for the green factor, a dash of salt and pepper for seasoning, and a spoonful of mayonnaise to bind everything together. Easy! For Easy-Peel Eggs, Try Steaming Ever have hard-to-peel hard boiled eggs for egg salad sandwiches?...

Make the Most of Peak Season Raspberries Raspberry Walnut Tart Peach Raspberry Pie Chocolate Pavlova with Whipped Cream and Raspberries Summer Berry Tart Ricotta and Summer Berry Parfaits Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 12-by-17-inch (30 by 43 cm) rimmed baking sheet, then line with parchment, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides of the pan. Using your hands, press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the baking sheet....

With Valentine’s Day coming up, I immediately thought about making red velvet cookies, inspired by the classic red velvet cake. The bright cheery red color is appropriate for the holiday but requires less effort than the traditional layered red velvet cake or cupcakes. These are the sort of treats you can whip up on a weeknight and share with your friends, loved ones, and co-workers. I think of them as a sort of no-pressure Valentine’s treat for a holiday that can seem loaded with pressure to perform....