How to Skin Hazelnuts

By Sandy Hu

Hazelnuts have a delightful sweet, nutty taste but their skins are bitter and they refuse to yield them without some coaxing.

Still, their flavor contribution to baked goods, salads, savory crusts and chocolate desserts (who isn’t crazy for Nutella?) makes skinning them well worth the effort.

To skin hazelnuts, put them on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer and pop into a preheated 375° F oven for about 10 minutes, until the nuts become fragrant, take on a light golden color and the skins start to crack. You don’t want to overbake or the nuts may get bitter.

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These Bean Burgers are Good!

By Sandy Hu

I love a juicy hamburger and until recently, the idea of a bean burger left me cold. However, recently, I came across a recipe that intrigued me so I had to try it.

I’m pretty good at anticipating the outcome of a recipe by reading the ingredients and method. This one, with its combination of flavors and textures, really appealed to me. I thought it would be delicious – and it was! It’s healthful, too.

So I’m sharing this recipe with you and if you’ve never had a bean burger before, or had one you didn’t like, give this one a try. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

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Sloppy Joe Tacos

By Katie Barreira

A recent unearthing of my great-grandmother’s acclaimed Sloppy Joe recipe got me thinking about the nostalgic loose meat sandwich. I admit, the soupy sando has never been on my list of faves. Perhaps it’s the association to the commercially canned sauce, or maybe it has to do with the way it’s served – on fluffy white buns that begin to disintegrate the moment they come into contact with the saucy filling. The whole mess really puts the slop into Sloppy Joe.

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Dim Sum with a Twitter Friend

By Sandy Hu

Joining Twitter is like being the new kid at school. Everyone else already has friends, everyone is chattering away in their little cliques, and you are standing alone on the sidelines, trying to find a way to break in.

You begin to follow people and start commenting – tentatively, at first – looking for common ground. Like any in-person conversation, you try to engage in the conversation going on around you. Someone tweets that they are cooking a certain dish. You tweet back, “How do you make it?” Someone is back from vacation. You ask, “How was your trip?” And you hope these strangers will respond and follow you back.

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Carrot Salad - a New Way to Eat Veggies

By David Hu

I’m always trying to eat more veggies but most of the time they’re really an afterthought. There are only so many times you can steam or sauté vegetables before they get boring.

Today’s recipe is a carrot salad which can be enjoyed year-round because carrots are always available in the market. This dish has a great burst of flavor that comes from sweet-tart dried plums and Moroccan spices, and the salad will add some nice, vibrant colors to your meal.

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