Couscous Makes an Easy, Go-To Meal

By Sandy Hu

I’m on Twitter every weekday afternoon as @specialforksndy trying to help people with their most pressing need of the evening: what to cook for dinner. One of my favorite ideas for cooks in a hurry is couscous salad.

Here’s the couscous recipe in a tweet, under the 140 character limit: “Boil 1 ½ c broth; add 1c couscous. Off heat, cover & stand 5 mins. Fluff w/fork; add chick peas+g onions+feta cheese+olives+Ital dressing.”

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Chocolate = Love

By Andrew Hunter

Chocolate is the nectar of the Gods and it helps convey our sentiments for each other, especially when paired with flowers on Valentine’s Day. Chocolate is a cure-all for matters of the mind, body and heart. It brings joy, laughter and delight, no matter your age. For the boys, it’s a salve for skinned knees, a tonic for hurt feelings and a reward for any job well done!

As the boys are busy making “Happy Valentines” for their classmates and special gifts for secret admirers, Marilyn and I are busy whipping up a batch of chocolate mousse. We’ve decided to ditch the store-bought chocolates in red heart boxes this year for this fabled homemade chocolate classic that everyone loves.

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In Love with Rosemary

By Lori Powell

I am in love with rosemary – the plant, the flavor and the look of it! Unfortunately I haven’t had my usual luck with growing this grand plant as I have had several of them die on me recently.

Rosemary plants need lots of water but only after they run dry. But if you’re not around…that’s where it all goes wrong! The plant will only take so much stress. Once is enough or if you are lucky, twice, with this beauty.

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A Surprising Use For Cacao Nibs

By Katie Barreira

Jacques Torres is known for his prowess with chocolate confections, but it was an offhand reference to one of his favorite savory chocolate dishes that caught my attention during his recent visit to our test kitchen at Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine.

While waiting for some perfectly tempered chocolate to set in an elaborate dolphin mold (Torres has been infatuated with the aquatic mammals since he and his wife, fellow chocolatier Hasty Torres, had the opportunity to swim with them on a recent trip), Jacques mentioned that he likes to crust salmon with cacao nibs before pan-searing. Seeing our interest piqued, Torres gave a concise little description of how he would coat the flesh-side of a salmon fillet with nibs, cook it, nib-side down, then flip and cook the skin side. Parfait! I couldn’t wait to give it a try.

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How to Blanch Almonds for Super Snacks

By Sandy Hu

Almonds make tasty, healthful snacks, great for nibbling during the big game this Sunday. So why not make your own seasoned almonds? They’re easy to make and totally addictive.

You’ll need whole blanched almonds – almonds without their skin. You can buy them that way but it’s simple to blanch them yourself in three easy steps.

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